Team: 2022-23 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: May 15, 2022

Published: May 15, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Nylander’s not gonna return a top 10 pick like many of you are projecting. Teams picking in the top 10 are god-awful and are looking for a foundational piece, Nylander isn’t that. He’s a complementary piece for a team that needs scoring. Can see LA being interested if forsberg decides to stay in Nashville. Here they part with a good right D who they really don’t miss with Doughty Roy Durzi and Spence all on the depth chart. A former top pick center who still can’t crack the lineup and could maybe fair better playing behind the superstars in Toronto. LA and Toronto also have a pretty good recent trade history of moves that have worked out for both teams.

Ultimately the leafs window to win is now, and any draft pick they receive from the Nylander trade probably won’t make the team until after Matthews needs that new contract, which is the current window the leafs are operating in.

Holl is a dump. He’s borderline unplayable some nights, and as a pending UFA, I don’t see any contending team wanting him in their top 6 at that price rage night in and night out, just go pay Lyubushkin or Gudbranson if you want a big number 6 d. Mrazek just takes whatever you can to dump him. Because you absolutely need to dump him. First round picks are not off the table if that’s what it takes.

I like nichushkin as a fit in Toronto next to Tavares. He can play all facets of the game and produce next to superstars. May take a little more money to pry him from Colorado though. Could also see a guy like Palat being a good fit too. One of those guys. Ultimately being able to push kampf to 4C behind a good upside-guy in Vilardi is a nice boost for this team. Ilya Mikheyev played extremely well for the leafs down the stretch and the absolutely need to bring him back. Engvall I like in the bottom six too. Kase I’m not resigning because he’s injury prone and this team is too up against the cap to have that kind of financial risk in a player. The hope here is Robertson plays well enough consistently to push kerfoot down the depth chart onto the third line, making the team that much deeper. It probably won’t happen but you could probably then just push Kerfoot and Engvall up if/when Robertson gets hurt. That college guy they have too would be a nice add late in the season when he signs. It’s going to be very difficult to improve the team this offseason with the big raise coming for Campbell and the big raise Reilly already got. When Nylander is traded you do need to invest 4-5 mil on a winger to replace him. You can’t come back with a roster full of bargain bin players in your top 6.

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