I agree with your description

I think Toronto should jump at this. They won't, but Saros is a Vezina level goalie. That is the only thing missing in Toronto. Nylander hurts to lose, but top six forwards are much more replaceable than starting netminders.

Edit: I also think you have to drop Tomasino and keep adding for Nashville to even think about this

Would think that TOR could get Samsonov, or similar level play, to sign for less than Saros cap hit. So to give up Nylander doesn't make sense.

IF a "core4" player (Nylander or Marner) are on the way out-- it only makes sense to me to upgrade at D or 2C (and move JT to the wing), IMO.

So truthfully it sounds like everyone doesn't like the deal which totally makes sense. His argument was this:

Nashville already has another elite goalie in the pipes and is looking like a stud. If you sign Sam to a 3 year deal, in theory he could be a trade piece in a couple years Askarov is ready. They get a huge upgrade on the wing and have the cap space to sign Nylander long term. Between him and Forsberg, you have two amazing goal scorers off the wing.

Leafs do it to finally have an elite goalie between the pipes who can steal a series (looking at you Bob) who has 2 years left of his deal. Tomasino is also on a cheap deal who is controllable who could be a solid 50-60 point player beside someone like JT or even Matthews. Leafs also get a large cap relief that allows them to sign expiring contracts.

Sammy is coming off a top 10 goalie season... not a Nylander-Tomasino away from Saros. And, Nashville could prob. get more for Saros

He was great but the issue for the Leafs is not the regular season team. Its the playoffs. Saros has been real good in the playoffs outside of one season which Nashville barely made it, and Sammy has never had a good playoffs.

What has Saros done to deserve elite status? He’s never won anything and his sve % with exactly the same as Samsonov. He’s good, very good, but isn’t a difference maker. Nashille wasn’t even a playoff team this year.

Blame the team in front of him for his lack of Stanley cups. Perennial vezina candidate and had a 40+GSAA on the season. Dude is quite literally the difference maker, and drags our sorry team into the playoffs every year.
Only difference this year being that half our roster was on the IR, we were punching way above our head with a roster of rookies and AHL players and still missed by a few points. Context.

Samsonov sucks in the playoffs, and had good stats this regular season because he was arguably carried by the team in front of him. Saros is the one who does the carrying.

Tomasino is our future, and teams would pay a haul for Saros. Wouldn’t move either of them for Samsonovs shotty playoff performance and one year of Nylander.

Highest goals saved above expected, depending on what model you look at (top three in all). .919 save percentage behind half a team of players who started/spent the majority of the season in the AHL. Vezina trophy finalist one year ago and probably should have been this year.

Your save percentage comment looks at one season in which Samsonov was playing behind a top 3 NHL roster while Saros was playing behind a bottom 10 roster. Look at their career stats and it’s not close

Of Nashville’s 18 skaters on opening night, 12 of them were either traded or hurt by the end of the season. The only reason Nashville was competing for a playoff spot the last week of the season was Saros.

Josi, McDonagh, Ekholm, etc. is. pretty good dcore.

Josi, McDonagh, Ekholm, Fabbro, Forsberg, Johansen, Duchene, Grandlund, Jeannot etc. are not AHL players.

Flip the channel off TSN once in a while and watch games that aren’t Toronto.

Three of those players were moved at the TDL. Forsberg, Johansen, Duchene, Josi, Carrier, all got injured. We had a top 6 of Glass, Evangelista, Sherwood, Tomasino…

Saros had, again, a 40+GSAA. Dude dragged our team through the season 💀
Sammy got carried and fumbled

Correct. And 2 of those 9 players were playing down the stretch for the Predators.

Josi: injured
Mcdonagh: played, but was hurt for a while
Ekholm: traded
Fabbro: played
Forsberg: injured
Johansen: injured
Duchene: injured
Granlund: traded
Jeannot: injured

I watch more hockey than almost anyone. Saros is. very good goalie not a great one . Not worth Marner.

Hahahahahaha ok buddy