Crouse is the most overrated player in the league. He's Josh Anderson. He's big and has scored a handful of points so people go nuts but he's bad defensively and isn't that good offensively.

Schenn. Is. Not. A. Top. 4. Defenseman. On. A. Playoff. Team.

Not worth giving up an asset for.

You guys kill me with these takes. Go watch Minnesota play, then watch Arizona’s third line play. Crouse and knies are the same exact player. Hard on the forecheck, great shot, works the cycle well, can kill penalties. Leaf fans worship knies, constantly hate crouse.

Then Knies isn't that good either

Absolutely correct, he's not a top 4 on a playoff team.

But you're also not getting a top 4 for a 3rd and a long shot spec. That is depth dman price for sure, which is what Schenn is.

Knies is a very good player, there’s a ton of worth in a 45-55 point power forward, which is exactly what crouse was pacing for before missing the past few games. There’s a reason dubas has marked him as untouchable, it’s hard to find that type of player. Not everyone is going to be matthews or rantanen at that size, and Toronto desperately needs a player of crouse’s or knies’s caliber and play style

> he's bad defensively

Damn, tell me you know nothing about the player without telling me directly.

They certainly could use one yes, but I don't think it's Crouse. I don't see him having the hockey sense to fit in the top 6. He'd have to be okay with not being a focal point and I bet he'd get lost in the shuffle. I am not sure I am 100% opposed to moving Knies because I think if he hits his ceiling that could be a pretty special piece for 3 cheap years, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he turns into a 30 point 3rd liner who hits a lot but doesn't really have the NHL finish you hoped for. Personally, Minten is the guy I wouldn't move for pretty much anyone on the market. I think his ceiling is Bergeron lite. Already he's NHL good defensively and his offence is really coming on strong in his draft +1 year. I think Dubas even said they wanted him at their original spot in the 1st but took a gamble that he'd fall their way and he did. He's going to be very good.

Pretty much the whole team is bad defensively

Basically what you just described is what crouse is. He plays on the 3rd line not because he doesn’t belong higher, but because we can exploit matchups with crouse-bjugstad-guenther. He’s not even the focal point of that line, guenther is, they very regularly try to get him the puck as opposed to being selfish for their own.

As far as knies goes, hitting isn’t really his game, it’s not crouse’s either. They win puck battles and cycle the puck, they create time and space with possession for the more skilled players on their lines. That’s not to say they can’t rip one when they want, both have excellent shots, which is why they fall into that 45-55 point category, if not more with the right linemates. Both crouse and knies are the ultimate complementary guys.

I do like minten a lot, very Philip danault like

Arizona, you must admit, is very much a bottom end team. Any matchup advantages they are hoping for are coming up short. I think if Crouse was as good as his apparent value would suggest, he would have a bigger impact in bringing his team success. Obviously I don't think he's a problem but there is never a guarantee that a medium fish in a small pond, will survive in the ocean with the big fish. That sounds condescending but it's not really debatable that TO is a top team while Arizona is a bottom 5 team. I see there being an equal chance that Crouse would either click in the top 6 and be very valuable or be the new Nick Ritchie. And by that I mean a square peg in a round hole.

Is Arizona a bad team? Absolutely, you’re not hurting my feelings by saying that, we have 35 points. But it’s not always the fact that they’re not exploiting advantages, they are, their top players are in fact producing. It’s the lack of depth, and the absolute boat anchors like kassian and nemeth that drive the team down.

I don’t think crouse would be Ritchie at all, he would be a far superior bunting. Ritchie can’t skate, can’t shoot, héll he can’t do anything. Crouse can do everything, and a lot better than bunting to be honest

That's an awfully bold statement to make considering how good Bunting has fit, it's one of those rare perfect fits. I think it's a pretty big stretch to say Crouse is better than Bunting. The results certainly don't support that.

Believe me, he’s better than bunting in basically every way. I love bunting, been a huge fan, and said when he left for Toronto you guys would love him, but there’s a reason he was blocked. I really wouldn’t be shocked if dubas has promised bunting’s role to knies to get him to sign after the season