Philly isnt using a retention spot for 500k for 4 yrs

Frank Vatrano is Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten. What other justification/motivation would we have for moving a guy on pace for 40 goals with a cap hit under $4 million? He's having a better year than Todd Bertuzzi on a team that certain subtle indications suggest isn't as good as the Maple Leafs at a little more than 60% of the cost.

Late edit: As the OP points out in rebuttal, I should have said TYLER Bertuzzi.

cowan and the 2024 1st are basically identical in value lol he was a late first in the last draft, and teams would often rather take a chance on drafting their own guy. also todd bertuzzi hasn't played a game in 10 years so yeah i'd hope vatrano's scoring at a higher clip than him lol...

Don’t mean to pick on the small things but how is Benoit not in your top 4 never mind top 6??

gio-brodie has always been a reliable pair for us and even going back to their calgary days. but yea i like benoit too and i think he'll be rotating with gio in the playoffs, he's certainly not a top 4 defenceman tho lol but i do like him on the bottom pair. if gio retires in the summer i think benoit becomes the new full time bottom pair lhd

Not sure how much you have been watching this year but Benoit has been better than Brodie in every game. Brodie has slowed down and loosing a step. Plus he is not as big and physical.

because benoit is playing sheltered third-pair mins and brodie is consistently logging top-pair mins and heavy pk time, the leafs aren't putting him in a position to succeed at the minute. brodie would absolutely be much more impactful and experienced in the playoffs on the bottom pair than benoit. not saying benoit doesn't touch the ice in the playoffs but he should be rotating with gio and have brodie/mccabe as locks on the 2lhd and 3rhd spots

and the leafs def aren't trading brodie either, too valuable to the locker room chemistry. will probably just let him walk in the summer unless he takes a cheap deal to partner benoit on the third pair next season.

Did you see last playoffs? Brodie got exploited with his speed and size. He has trouble keeping up. Benoit is playing top 4 minutes with McCabe and playing lots of PK. This guy has filled a big hole Leafs have needed for a while. It’s only short term but he has been consistent and Keefe keeps giving him more minutes

again, he was exposed because the mccabe-brodie shutdown pair didn't work like the muzzin-brodie pair did, and they also logged major top 4 mins and heavy pk time. in a reduced role brodie is still more effective

I don’t think you are watching the games sir. I assume you are thinking of Brodie two years ago, then I would agree.