Quoting: aadoyle
good
I want this core to win. Not another core where Marner or Nylander were moved but this core with JT, Matthews, Marner, and Nylander. To much change means chemistry goes out the window and team will spend to much time adjusting
next year we will most likely see Hallander, Robertson and Liligren graduate. Youth often brings more motivation and who knows Robertson may win the Calder (or is he not illegible anymore I don't know)
Spezza, Simmons and potentially thorton are coming back. Leadership and grit
Freddie could come back. Experienced goalie who we know when healthy is amazing
Hyman could come back. Bleeds blue and white for life
I'll preface this by saying as an Oilers' fan, I'm all Dubas all the way. I want the Leafs to succeed because I think they're on the frontier of where this sport should be headed. Keeping the big four together and continuing to address depth is the only meaningful way forward.
I suspect Hallander starts at minimum with the Marlies, especially if Dubas wants to keep him as a pivot as opposed to a LW. His NHLe is only 82GP - 13.325G - 11.275 - 24.600P which misses the cutoff for third-line production (I use 0.33P/GP as a staunch cutoff, and even then I prefer the number being closer to 0.4). Dubas will like the strength that Hallander-Amirov bring to the Marlies. Robertson's NHLe is poised to get close to the half-point-per-game mark and no doubt I expect him to be on the roster as either the #2 or #3LW.
I suspect Liljegren is going to be traded, but I'm not sure what for. Bogosian played
really well this year and I can't help but think he'll be one of those value contracts for the Leafs a la Spezza that continues to sign cheap until they've won a cup. I find it damning that he still hasn't been an NHL presence after his D+4 year and suspect the move will be to address the #3C.
Hyman's back without question and a hometown discount at around $4M with lots of term wouldn't surprise me.
I don't know if you bring Simmonds or Thornton back. They didn't accomplish much and weren't as effective as I imagine Dubas had hoped. There has to be better players out there to replace them with. I like Barclay Goodrow on a one-year deal and I think he'd like the fit too. A Goodrow - Brooks - Spezza 4th line is a very good 4th line. Freddie will probably be too cost-prohibitive for the Leafs. I suspect they're in the market for a $2M/2y goaltender to tandem with Campbell. I wonder if an Engvall-Khudobin swap with some retention makes sense for the Leafs. It very much works for the Stars, given their current three-headed goaltending monster.