Quoting: Hammerwise
However, sometimes the BEST player or the BEST player in any trade is rarely the right one or best one for the team. Prior to last season, when he was on the block, too many leaf fans would have never thought that a matthews for tkachuk deal was fair, however in retrospect with tkachuk's production, overall play and difference in cap hit, probably would have been.
I think Matthews still deserves a higher salary than Tkachuk, partly because centers are generally worth more than wingers, but I agree that Tkachuk at $9.5M looks like better value for the cap hit now than Matthews at $13.25M. However, Tkachuk is not an option now. We don’t even know if he was an option last year before he was traded to Florida. Would he have signed long-term for $9.5M in Toronto?
Quoting: Hammerwise
Too often quality players, quality depth but mid-paid (1.5-5mil) Leaf players have been dealt or left to UFA because the team has been cap strapped, even players of type of players they badly needed, only to maintain this team structure of paying so much at the top that there isnl;t anything for the middle. They've constantly traded futures to for one year fixes on perennial weaknesses (tons of picks for quality depth, grit guys like Foligno, Nash, O'Reilly, Accairi), constantly bargain basement shopped on vets, and all the while not developed youth (Knies is the first promising impact rookie in 5 seasons). Young guys like Sandin, Liljegren are now in their 6th pro season, and liljegren hasn;t been given the team faith to be a top 4 guy and was a health scratch in the playoffs.
I think part of why Dubas adopted that strategy was that he didn’t think Matthews would stay once his current contract ran out. He was probably assuming a win window ending in 2024.
Quoting: Hammerwise
So when you know the team is cap strapped and needs quality forward depth, you sign old man, one dimensional 4th line, 6-8 mins a game Reaves for 3 years for 1.3mil forcing a quality 3rd line 13-16 min a night Jarnkrot out?
I can’t see them taking Jarnkrok out of the lineup in favour of Reaves. Jarnkrok was one of their most valuable players per dollar of cap hit last season. I think Reaves will play about as much as Simmonds did.
Quoting: Hammerwise
Do I think TOR should have dealt Matthews? Of course not. But I'd be crazy to think that if FLA didn;t offer tkachuk and forsling for him, that I wouldn;t snap it up, or that if CGY offered dube and hanifan for nylander I wouldn;t bit their hand off? I think its good to bear in mind that TOR assets get overexaggerated and whats best for the team isn;t always the BEST player.
Matthews for Tkachuk and Forsling may sound good in theory, but you can’t just go out and trade for any player you want. To some extent, you have to play the hand you’re dealt. I could see the Calgary trade being a possibility if Calgary believes they can sign Nylander but not Hanifin, but I don’t know those Calgary players well enough to know if I’d do it.
Whether it’s that trade or some other move, I get your point about the best players in absolute terms not necessarily being the best players for the team. The Leafs have done well to collect some excellent high-scoring forwards, but perhaps they have too many eggs in that basket, and they could benefit from more balance. But these are the players they have. Opportunities to change the makeup of your core while getting good value for what you’re giving up, like Florida did last year, are few and far between. Nylander’s extension might force them to look for such an opportunity, whether they think they need it or not. He’s a great player, and I figure he’s worth $9.2-9.5M AAV on a 6-year extension (less AAV if he wants more term), but that might not be the best use of cap hit for the Leafs at this point. It might be fine for some other team though.
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