Why stop there?

Toughness is the key to playoff success, might as well bench Marner and play Clifford there.

Trade Nylander for Delauriers.

While your first few words make sense, the latter portions do not. A Nylander for Wilson trade perhaps, but neither side would do it.

In this particular scenario I traded depth pieces for other depth pieces but saved money, got bigger and added toughness/grit. Doesn't affect the top.6 in any way.

I'd like to have Clifford in the lineup so he can be alternated with Bastian and Simmonds.

You traded decent depth pieces for worse depth pieces.

Which makes the team worse.

While Dermott is a solid 7th D, and Mikheyev is one of the fastest in the league and I like him, he just doesn't have the hands to finish his chances. Braun is an upgrade on Holl.
Geertsen is a big boy who can play physical and doesn't mind dropping the mitts if called upon. Who else on the leafs backend can do that? Granted he's there in case a series begins to heat up or get ugly, or rest Sanding or Lily. Bastian is also a big physical boy and younger than Clifford and Simmonds. So rotating them doesn't seem all that bad. Or again if injuries appear he can be inserted much like Clifford. I would take Bastian all day over Engvall. Besides his ungodly reach, he doesn't really contribute to the team.

So I'm not really sure where the depth pieces got worse since the current depth pieces didn't provide anything for the last few playoffs.

Grass is always greener!

Geertsen is a Kurtis Gabriel but on defence. He's 26 or so, and playing 7 min per night in his rookie season. If the Leafs moved an actual 3rd pair nhl dman to acquire him. They get worse. It's real simple.

I'd probably take Braun over Holl at this point.

I like Marchment, I'd easily take him instead of Ritchie, but not Milheyev. You say Mikheyev doesn't have the hands to finish, so you replace him with someone that scored 3g in his career???

Simmonds couldn't do anything last season after his wrist injury, but looks good this year. Is there any chance Mikheyev's wrist injury (which was worse) had an effect on his finishing last year?

Also, to use your argument. Leafs had more toughness on their blue line last year (Bogosian), did that help them advance??

Chiming in.....

I do like the Braun acquisition. Now I am not exactly sure Philly does that deal..... they are tight to the cap next year (depending on what they do), so Holl's remaining year maybe a sticking point.

Having said that, dealing away the teams defensive depth seems counter productive. I get the logic behind Geerston, but the 7 D the Leafs have now can play some minutes. Geerston as an acquisition for next season for sure. Playoff run..... I dunno. Think I would sooner run with Dermott.

Moving Soup is coming I really do think. He has asked to be moved, and the team has been great without him. As it currently sits, he has no value what so ever...... not sure he gets anyone of any value, and as a cap dump, well waivers maybe more likely.

Moving Engvall I hate. His game is a perfect bottom 6 compliment. Where we all wish he would use his size more, other facets of his game work well...... never mind moving him to who looks like a first round opponent.

That’s a pointless trade for the devils. We already lost Bastian and fans and players clearly weren’t happy and then we got him back and morale went up. Why would the devils trade him for virtually nothing. There is no value in that trade. That is an easy no from the devils.

This "toughness" is really overrated. Didn't help the Leafs last playoffs with Foiigno, Thornton and Bogosian. By the way, Nylander and Kerfoot were the two best Leafs forwards last year playoffs.
If Marchment is better than Engvall, why would Leafs likely first round opponent make that deal? Trading two NHL Dman for one iffy one is an instant no for the Leafs.

It would make.more sense to get the 6th rounder back the Leafs got for moving him.to FLA in the first place lol

Adding size? Isn't Engvall 6'5 and 220 lbs?

Besides, the Panthers don't do that one for one

He's a big boy that plays like he's 5'10 and 175lbs.
He does see some PK time (which the leafs can fill with other players so not a major loss).but I thought perhaps the Panthers would be intrigued by that. Plus I like Marchment and hated when they dealt him away for nothing.

To be fair with the toughness assessment, Foligno spent more time with bandaids on in the press box then he did on the ice. And Thorton rarely threw his weight around come playoff time. Which frustrated me as the last handful.of games in the season he looked 10 years younger out there and tossing his body every which way. BOGO was and is a beut and was the only one on that backend to play that style game (Muzzin had his moments for hits but not the rough stuff).

The players picked up in this scenario are more consistent with the grinding down of their opponents. If memory serves, the Leafs kept up with the Habs for the first 2 games in the hits department. But they had too few.olayers willing to take the body. Losing Foligno hurt that department further. After that the Habs were able to wear them down physically. That kind of wearing down is what made the Bruins a good playoff team for years (avid leaf fan admitting this too). The ability.to physically remove their opponent from the puck and counter, or win pick battles down low.

That's my take and thoughts on why I added who I did (no doubt better options out there but I wanted to be different).

Can’t argue with stupidity !

You have totally shown yourself to be one of those "unless a guy hits everyone all the time, he plays small" sort of fan. Engvall could and should be more physical but he does use his size very well. As most have mentioned. You did nothing to improve the team. Made em slower, and worse.

You can't hit people when you have the puck. You also can't get scored on when you have the puck. So having the puck and getting it in the right direction most of the time is how you win. Removing guys who are great at getting the puck and turning it back the right way for guys that hit people but don't offer anything else worsens your team. The "toughness" this team needs is mental. They need that toughness to grind through hard ice. They have certainly shown a lot more of that this year. No need to change anything really. Although I wouldn't be opposed to seeing a defenceman added if it makes sense.