Lol, Ritchie is going to be bad again once he comes back to Toronto. While Malgin probably secures himself an NHL job in Arizona.

"I think it takes a special coach, special player, to play in Canada because there's a different pressure." - Barry Trotz.

While Dumba would be a great pick up for the leafs, and Horvat also a solid pickup, all those deals are really light and probably of no interest to the other teams.

And ultimately it doesn;t address the problem when murray OR murray AND muzzin come off LTIR

1. I think Minnesota declines, i know they haven't had a great start but i cant see them trading one of their top D
2. I would hope Toronto declines. Niemela's value IMO is much higher, this would be an overpay for a 3C that is very underwhelming.
3. WHY WOULD THEY WANT NICK RITCHIE BACK

Not getting completely roasted = Success on cap friendly

Agree with you about Dumba, but from what i understand Niemala's value is fairly high and i cant see leafs spending that on something that doesnt need to be addressed, being the 3C position. If going to spend, i think Defence needs to be the target.

Further to the point, how are the Leafs elite with that goaltending? Ouff!

Samsonov has been solid and Murray could show up for playoffs. Goaltending for Colorado wasnt elite last year. Didn't stop them from winning.

Niemela could interest Vancouver since they have a need for RHD even if he's probably a couple of years away from the NHL, him along with a 2023 1st isn't too bad return even if it ends up being 32nd.

I think Horvat would add both some great character and he has the PASSION, being from Toronto and a serious upgrade on Kerfoot at 3C could help put the leafs over the top.

I agree, the Leafs should not be mortgaging more of the future on HIGH end expensive players. I'm a fan of Dumba and certainly Horvat (although always having nagging injuries) is a nice piece, I dont think either address what isn;t working for the Leafs or are remotely realistic given that they cant even activate their "chosen" team from the LTIR.

I'm not sold that liljegren or sandin is a surefire quality top 4 dman yet, and keefe continues to play matthews 26 mins a night and Holl 20+ minutes a night, so I'm not sure team depth (4th line/3rd pairing) are that important to him.

I think the age/quality of the defense and the goaltending is this teams HUGE weakness. They will score alot of goals, but ultimately they are not a well rounded or elite team with this current lineup.

i think Nick Ritchie was best describe by a Boston fan on Reddit while Ritchie was still in Boston.
"He plays the game like someone trying to egg you on into taking a swing at him. He skates with the urgency of an old lady shopping for canned beats, but with half the speed. His hockey IQ is on par with Brett Favre's. I'm assuming Brett Favre has never played hockey, correct me if I'm wrong. Nick constantly skates around like he's surprised he's at an NHL game and then glides back to the bench (probably from the penalty box for a stick infraction) with the dim look of Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Then he sits there like a melting chocolate Santa, with his hair inexplicably sticking up through the vent in his helmet, waiting to be surprised by his next turn to get onto the ice"

They could fit Murray in to the lineup by sending down Simmons and Mete. Kinda wonder if we will see Muzz back this year hope he can recover well and have a good life away from hockey.

I would probably accept that if I was Guerin. Others may disagree, but that's enough for me to move on from Dumba.

Can you get more at TDL with 50% retained? ....maybe, probably? but no guarantee there.

And I'm sort of a bird in the hand type of guy, so I think I'd be good with this.

Samsonov has been pretty good from what ive seen so far. put a good defence in front of him and who knows. If he goes down, Leafs are in big trouble.
Avs won with Kuemper last year, hows he look this year?

That's a brutal description just not as brutal as a clip that I saw of Boston fans yelling cake at him when he was on the ice. Perhaps that's why he skates around surprised.

4 games doesn't make me warm and fuzzy.

Campbell was fantastic last year through the first half. Then...... became pedestrian, average.

Now, the Leafs may oy need average goaltending with the team.in front of them, but I am not sold on who is in the crease.

When you have to bend over and get absolutely wrecked to not get completely roasted, what's the point?

Fair enough, but are they wrong?

Looking into the past though, Campbell was never a starter, where samsonov had some experience in washington, and was a highly touted prospect if i remember correctly (for a goalie).

i would agree with you about goaltending, but to be fair goaltending could be up in the air for almost any team not named Tampa Bay or Dallas. Markstrom hasnt looked like what he was last year, Demko has had a rough start, Fleury has been brutal.

Even though I haven't watched him play much, I do find the description to be accurate.

In what world do these three players become difference makers for the Leafs?
To trade a years worth of the NHL draft, Niemela and more......just foolish , for these three UFA contracts.

YOUR TITLE JUST REMINDED ME...
WHERE'S TYKA LOL