Quoting: dannibalcorpse
-Edmonton is almost as cap-strapped as this Leafs team you've built here - I can't see them taking on the extra $500K here. As it is they're already going to have to perform some cap gymnastics to get Kailer Yamamoto off LTIR, so I would assume they pass on this.
-I think the Ducks pass. They'd want a guaranteed 1st for retaining on Henrique for this year + next, and this is the 3rd consecutive year that Robertson has missed significant time with an injury. Can't use him for "marketing" if he's never on the ice.
-Ottawa's more or less out of contention at this point - why are they spending a 2nd rounder on a pending UFA? It makes no sense for the Senators to do this move.
-I honestly don't think either team does this. Chicago is going to want more value for retaining $2.2M for the next 4 seasons, and for you asking to take up 2 of their 3 retention slots for this year + next; on the other hand, I don't think Murphy & Lafferty are necessarily a big upgrade over what you currently have on the roster.
You've turned a 3rd line that's typically some combo of Engvall-Kampf-Kerfoot into Lafferty-Henrique-Puljujarvi - I think Lafferty & Engvall give you similar value, Henrique is an upgrade over Kampf from an offensive perspective, but Puljujarvi is a big step down from Kerfoot. I'd also argue that the difference between Holl & Murphy is really not much of an upgrade, either - so you've made marginal upgrades to your 3rd line and your RD depth chart, but you've also sacrificed a 1st, a 3rd, and three prospects of varying value. I think you can use those pieces differently and get upgrades that would be much more impactful, personally.
JP is the next Nikuskin. Unfortunately Edmonton doesn’t know how to utilize his play driving ability. The second he traded he’ll break out and I’ll eat crow if he doesn’t. 500k cap space might be crucial to Edmonton but at the same time they get a player who hopefully fits better in Edmonton and provide them with depth.
As for the Ottawa trade Holl is 100% on their radar in the off-season. Right handed dman that’s defensively minded. They get to see if he fits their system before buyers remorse the next season like they had with Zaitsev. Plus it’s the lower if the 2nds.
As for the Henrique trade I can see that being a hurdle with as they’d want a 1st returned but ROR is on the market, Toews is expected to be in play and maybe even Larkin as well. Horvat was just sold maybe bidding war breaks out.
Murphy ik is a gamble but his years in Airzona plus his 1st couple in Chicago he’s been elite defensively. Maybe a change of scenery has him return to form but he’s the mold of the dman the Leafs are looking to add.
These are my thought behind the process. The only real depth we lost was Kerfoot and Holl but they were replaced by Lafferty, Murphy, Henrique, Jesse Puljujarvi. Imo that’s more depth.