I'm getting Zaitsev deja vu

definitely possible, but ya never know

Florida would never consider that trade.

As much as I love him, rental Mo doesn't get long term Ekblad. Though I do think Mo is better.

It's the (almost) annual "Leafs' fans drastically over-rate their new free-wallet D" time of year. Since 2016 there has been Zaitsev, Borgman, Rosen, Oz and now Lehtonen*.

I know this isn't exactly the 'main event' of this post, but there is no way I pay higher picks to swap Kerfoot for Zacha.

not a Leafs fan, but from what I remember I don't think Borgman, Rosen, and Ozhiganov didn't get the hype Lehtonen did. I mean how could you not be excited to get arguably the best dman outside of the NHL, even if it doesn't fulfill their needs

Was literally about to say this. I think if a European comes over to TML and does have a very solid rookie year; they will definitely bridge him

Why do you even bother to have TML as your favourite team in your bio? All you do is **** on them

tbf Zaitsev had a great rookie season. Giving him such a massive contract was a mistake from day 1.

I don't think they even do that. If he has a solid year he could get more elsewhere. I'd be pretty surprised if Lehtonen is a Leaf next year.

Borgman, Rosen and Oz all got ridiculous hype among online Leafs' fans. Not to the same degree as Lehtonen, but it was embarrassing each time.



I am not excited at all for a 27 year old who will be a UFA in the summer and is hampering the development of players like Dermott and Sandin. I have always been 100% opposed to these free wallet Ds (which have allowed Toronto to both get away with not properly fixing their D-core over the last 5 years, and have allowed them to not properly develop their young D - not to mention that I completely despise a team culture where everyone knows that all of these free wallets are guaranteed a roster spot and even if they don't deserve it the team will give them half a season to play themselves out of the lineup, while at the same time young prospects know, long before camp, that it doesn't matter how well they do, they can't win a spot. This is not "tie goes to the vet." type stuff. Dermott has played 176 NHL games. And instead of coming into camp knowing that he had to perform or he could lose his spot to Lehtonen, instead he came into camp with no chance of making it because of a guy with no career NHL games as the free wallet wins no matter what, and this is only a couple years after he outplayed both Rosen and Borgman in the 2017 camp and pre-season, but had to wait half a season for them both to play themselves out of the lineup).

I have said from the beginning with Lehtonen that if he is good enough to knock Holl out of the top-4 spot then fine, keep him and trade Holl. If he is not then I don't want him on the team.

Yes, he put up big numbers in the KHL. So have several Ds who couldn't hack it in the AHL.

Among the things said at The Athletic after the scrimmage was:

"Pick through the scoresheet (was there a scoresheet?) and you might think Lehtonen had a great night."
"Lehtonen had trouble moving the puck cleanly to teammates and occasionally looked a step slow in his own zone."
"Sandin, for one, looked like he belonged in the NHL with his play in the scrimmage. He dished the puck crisply and cleanly in a way that Lehtonen did not. Can Lehtonen handle himself physically in his own zone against NHL-sized competitors?"

Keep in mind, unlike Sandin who hasn't played a game in 9 months, Lehtonen was playing all fall and should be ahead of the curve.

Good thing the team is going to waste what should be an excellent opportunity to develop their 20-year-old beside Bogo when there is no where else for their NHL ready 20-year-old to play by instead playing a 27-year-old who they can't afford to re-sign this summer if he is good, and shouldn't want to re-sign if he is not.

I'm getting Rafalski deja vu.

That’s half our “fanbase”.

He is the same as The Leafs season Guy, just a troll masking as a Leaf fan to troll Leaf fans. It's very common on here.