Sens had already made a qualifying offer to Ceci...and accepted. Then the Zaitsev for Ceci trade, and the draft and UFA period. The fact that Ceci signed the deal with Leafs, doesn't mean the deal was already in place.

You're right and as suggested the Leafs traded Ceci and four years of being 4.5m in cap for Zaitsev, Ceci gets a lot of heat, but he certainly hasn't been any worse than Barrie.

Just to add. There has been hundreds of Ceci trades since July. I don't know if I have seen one trade that sees Ceci traded and makes the Leafs better now and in the future.

Way better. He certainly wasn't special but he was always solid. Far better In his zone than Ceci.

I am not a fan of Marincin, rather give Kivihalme or even Gravel a chance.

I don't think Toronto would have traded Zaitsev had he not asked for a trade. Even with the 4.5 million cap hit...Babcock found shutdown role for him.

I am unclear on whether he didn't like Babcock or the role he was given and requested the trade.

As for Ceci...as said in here not good, not bad, just okay. The 4.5 million cap hit is why people are probably turned off by him but hey it's only for the rest of the season, not a huge deal that people like to make here on capfriendly.

I would very interested in hearing what D man we can get for Ceci, Hyman and 2nd rounder that is going to be better than Ceci.

Do you think we could got someone better than Ceci in the Zaitsev trade if Dubas had waited more?

Yes I know the Kadri and Zaitsev trade was out there to Calgary, but Kadri killed that.

But the risk of waiting was not a good option. Zaitsev could have gone back to the KHL and it was reported that the Leafs would be on the hook for the cap hit.

That would be a worse scenario than not having Ceci imo.

He most certainly has been worse than Barrie. Barrie has been a lot better under Keefe. Barrie struggled to start and I think that had more to do with Babs being a block head more than anything else.

Marincin has all the tools to be a great bottom pair guy. He's also a really good penalty killer. I'm fine with him up until Muzzin gets back.b

I think if he didn't report, he would have been suspended and then the contract could have been terminated or something like that.

I disagree, Barrie has bern the worst IMO.

He's driving possession with Rielly and they have been getting points, creating offence and winning. I think people just look for reasons to not like Barrie. Much like some only see Rielly's mistakes and miss the countless other times he does great stuff in the d zonem

Question, if Borgman was still here... where would you have him?

Good question. Probably not on the team. He was a guy who could be the #4 LHD.

Really?
What about when he played 50 games for the Leafs in one season?

He was okay, nothing special.

I thought from day one Zaitsev was/is better. People love to hate the Leafs and because they can't talk **** about his play, they point at the cap hit and say he's not worth it.

If he wanted to stay, I'd totally have kept him.

We wouldn't/shouldn't have been on the hook for his cap hit.....or at least NJ wasn't when Kovalchuk left.

I can't remember which reporter it was who reported that the Leafs would be on the hook for the cap hit but apparently this was a thing.

I think they got hit with penalty as the move was noted as cap circumvention.

@Trickster to answer your question, I voted yes. I think he's been average, nothing special but not as bad as he was with the sens. I'm sure part of that is playing with a better team to help shelter him and Keefe utilizing him more appropriately, but it's only one year then we get the cap space to hopefully use on an upgrade.

I liked Z but I was kinda glade we moved on... Nothing against him or anything just that I thought we could get more value outta the $4.5 cap hit although he did just fine, more of a bang for your buck type of situation IMHO.

I know we've talked about different options we could get in the off-season at length already but know that we're further into the season do you have any options that you feel more confident in and that would come here?

I wasn't saying you were lying or anything just that NJ wasn't so I don't think we would have been.

Well...seeing as Dubas made the deal fairly early in off-season, he didn't want to gamble on that.

They were supposed to forfeit a 1st round pick but the league let them off the hook probably because they were close to bankruptcy at the time so the league was trying to help them as much as possible(like the coyotes) and felt the penalty would have made it harder on themselves in the end. Of course all of that is a moot point now because they have a new owner.