Neither are on my list of potential trade targets so I’m not big fan of trade but even having said that - is this not a bit of an overpay? How does this duo command a 1st + one of our top 3 prospects?

Agreed it is an overpay. I think that is what it takes to get something done and there's always possibility of salary retention on their end. I just thought both of these guys add a different element to this team and makes it more complete not to mention acquiring some term. Until we know muzzin status and if cap is going up its an interesting option given Vancouver's struggles

Leafs have no interest in acquiring; 6.65m Boesnber for two full seasons. Don't know if the trade even makes the Leafs better this year, never mind trading a first and Niemela.

does boeser, as they are both playing TODAY, provide an upgrade to Kerfoot?

Some may ridicule me for this but I would argue no. Never mind sending a first, our second best prospect, and a useful bottom 6 winger. And having to take on that 6M cap hit when we need to re-sign Matthews and Nylander

nucks fans PSA

Schenn would be our 8th D behind Timmins, who is a point per game player through his first 5 games as a Leaf while being solid defensively.

Please adjust how much you think we would pay for him accordingly.

Boesner and Kerfoot....same offensive stats this season, and I betcha Boesner has a lot more PP minutes. Plus minus....Kerfoot by a lot. Not only Matthews and Nylander, but even next year, Holmberg, Timmins, Kampf, Bunting, Samsonov. And then assumes Holl and Engvall leave via UFA.

Easy there homie (I'm from Toronto, so I can say that). Schenn would be a solid contributor to your 3rd pairing even if Muzzy and Rielly are healthy. The kids (Sandin and Liljegren) aren't playoff battle tested, and don't have the sheer toughness that Schenn has for playoff hockey. He would be hugely valuable on your blueline come April...and let's face it, the Leafs are WEAK when it comes to big playoff balls. That said, Schenn will get you a 2023 3rd or a 2024 2nd rounder at most.

Boeser is overpaid for what he is contributing. He got his money with the hopes of him becoming a better sniper, but on Vancouver he hasn't met his potential. I would suggest that you could expect him to fetch Niemela and another smaller piece, or possibly Holl to create cap room for this deal. Kerfoot's defensive abilities will be too valuable to the Leafs in their playoff run, and his deal runs out at the end of this season, opening up more cap room for the Leafs in this offseason.

who does schenn play over in this lineup? Likely to be suggested candidates:

Holl - next to Rielly leads the defense in TOI, has been stellar since Rielly went down. Not coming out.

Sandin - since the Rielly injury has shown his elite ceiling with solid defensive play against top competition playing 20mins+ a night while contributing offensively (7pts last 10gp). Not coming out.

Liljegren - has also played 20mins+ a night since Rielly got hurt, and has been an absolute rock for some time now. Would be comfortable with him as the 1st pair RD in any situation. Not coming out.

Gio - absolute rock. Not coming out.

So then maybe from there you argue he's the 7th D over timmins? Maybe, but why reward Timmins excellent play so far by pushing him down the depth chart? What if Muzzin does make a miracle return, turns Schenn/Timmins into the 8/9 and we lose one of them to waivers.

Saying the Leafs have weak playoff balls tells me you didn't watch the Tampa series, or at least critically so. Its a game of bounces, it was a hard battled series, they got the final bounce needed and we didn't. Luke Schenn wouldn't have changed the outcome in the slightest.

I watched every minute of the Tampa series, and every other series the Leafs have checked out of in the 1st round. They're weak. They out-skill every team they come across, but don't rise up in the moment. No amount of protesting will change that fact. In order to understand Schenn's value, you need to think what it really takes to win in the playoffs. It's something that the Leafs as an organization has failed miserably at in the past. Schenn (a right shot, RD) becomes Mr. Reliable for your multitude of lefties that you hope to start scoring again - Rielly, Brodie, Sandin, even Giordano, heck also Muzzin if he comes back. Your defense is physically weak and gets pushed around in the regular season let alone the playoffs. Schenn vastly improves that.

You can't use the word 'stellar' to refer to Holl's play. He's been better than Holl normally is, but we all know who he is, and that's who he's going to ultimately be. Sandin and Liljegren have played 20+ minutes because Rielly and Muzzin are out. They're not winning a Cup with them being relied upon to be tough guys when the going gets tough...and in playoff hockey, the going WILL get tough.

The Leafs just don't have a Schenn-like player back there. They need to find one. It doesn't have to be Luke, but they need to find someone.

I don’t agree with your argument above - but to each his own. Even if I did however, Schenn rode the pine with Tampa when they won the Cup so don’t try to sell him as some playoff tested warrior. He is simply not an upgrade in any way to the current Leafs D Corp, regular season or playoffs.