|
Leafs Don't Have The Ammo To Trade For ROR |
|
|
|
|
|
The Toronto Maple Leafs are finally playing a structured, detailed game. Too bad they can't score goals. The Leafs are 0-4 since former head coach Randy Carlyle was fired. The Leafs have been shutout in three of the four games. They return home from their road trip from Hell having scored one goal in four games against the Ducks, Kings, Sharks, and Blues.
The Leafs are now 2-8-0 in their last 10 games and they are free falling like a loogie that's been hocked from the observation deck of the CN Tower. You get the picture.
When Brendan Shanahan and Leafs GM Dave Nonis made the coaching change two weeks ago, all Leafs players were put on notice that moving forward their first responsibly would be to play a more structured-responsible-puck possession-defense-first style. The Leafs players didn't have a choice. It was an edict from on high to either play team D or be gone. Begrudgingly, Leafs players have bought in. Gone are the games where Jonathon Bernier and James Reimer are eating 45 shots a night.
Peter Horachek's system is working so well that its placed the Leafs offense is in a coma. Phil Kessel, JVR, Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri and the Leafs who are counted on to produced scoring chances and goals are suffering through terrible scoring slumps. Since the Leafs fired Carlyle their offense has been virtually non existent.
On Saturday night, Ryan O'Reilly's came up in chatter regarding the Maple Leafs. Frankly, the Leafs don't have the type of defenseman that the Colorado Avalanche are looking to acquire in exchange for O'Reilly. The Avs are a three man D unit right now with role players being mixed and matched into the top six. Their only true top four D-man is Erik Johnson who will play in next week's NHL ALL Star Game in Columbus. Tyson Barrie and Jan Hejda are nice players, but neither are top unit quality. The Avs are looking for a puck mover who can either skate the puck out of his own end of the rink or one that can make slick seven foot, crisp passes to the blades of breaking out forwards Landeskog, MacKinnon, O'Reilly, et al. The Avs are trouble breaking the puck out of their own zone because the scouting report tells their opponents to get puck deep and to be physical with the Avs D. Colorado's D can't exit their zone cleanly and its putting a ton of pressure on their rear guards and goaltenders. The Their forwards are spending too much time in their own end fighting with enemy fore checkers to get the puck back after turnovers. Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic have seen enough of the madness. They need a D who can act as a human eraser and mitigate such habitual mistakes.
The Leafs D corps has struggled mightily with its own inconsistencies this season. That's why I don't see them as a legitimate trade partner for O'Reilly. They just don't have the type of assets that would blow away Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic. The Avs are looking for a difference make and a unique talent who can distribute the puck, play 5-v-5, PP, PK, join the rush, clear the front of the net, block shots, and light the lamp. The Leafs don't have a player of this ilk in their present D corps. The Avs are not going to trade a Selke forward for a average D-man. They aren't looking to add a 5th or 6th D. They want a top pair D who's very presence in the lineup can tilt the ice in his team's favor. These types of D are hard to find because they are all locked up to long tem deals. All the great ones are taken. The Avs can't trade for Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, Marc Staal, Alex Pietrangelo and Brent Seabrook. For that reason, they have set their sights on the sub-prime market, or, the next rung below the greatest of the greats. Say, Buffalo's Tyler Myers, who is young, proficient, experienced and he checks all of the aforementioned boxes.
Roy and Sakic are not looking to trade O'Reilly. Tim Murray isn't "trying" (his word) to trade Tyler Myers. However, if the right deal is offered to them, they will definitely have an appetite to give it serious consideration. If a legitimate, blow-your-sox-off-offer is made for O'Reilly (and there will be a couple of them in the near future), then its the job of the GM to act in the best interest of improving his team moving forward. If that means trading a valuable asset for another, more valuable asset that solves an issue on your roster and in your room, then you make the deal. Its that simple. Gone are the days when NHL GMs make trades for the sake of making trades.
Ryan O'Reilly will become UFA on July 1, 2016 and he will be paid handsomely. The Avs want no part of having to play their 23 year old Swiss Army knife $7.5 million to $8 million per season for seven or eight seasons. The Colorado front office had to bite down hard last summer when O'Reilly inked a 2 year, $12 million deal that is paying him $5.8 million this season and will pay him $6.2 million next season. Thus, O'Reilly's name has been in the trade rumor mill again this season.
So lets look at the Leafs blue line. There's really not much to look at in the form of a blue chip, top flight D. Morgan Rielly is the type of D that Colorado covets, however, he's untouchable. Rielly isn't going to be traded.
Dion Phaneuf's mondo contract, to say nothing of his poor decision making processes, makes rules him out of any ROR trade talk. Phaneuf is a $7 million cap hit for the next four seasons. Like they were with Larry Murphy and Bryan McCabe, Leafs fans are stuck with Phaneuf for the near future. That is unless Briuan Burke wishes to re-acquire him and bring him back to Calgary.
Cody Franson, a pending UFA, played for Horachek in Nashville and appears to his coach's favorite D-man. His ice time has increased since Horachek assumed interim head coaching reins. Franson is a better defender than Phaneuf and he is more responsible. He's also considerable cheaper at a $3.3 million cap hit for this season. For now. He will also become UFA this summer and I can see him striking it rich on the UFA market. The Avs aren't going to trade O'Reilly for Franson. The Leafs would like to hold on to Franson if they can as he has become their de facto numero uno D-man in the past couple of weeks.
Jake Gardiner for Ryan O'Reilly isn't going get it done either. Gardiner is a talented kid and he wows scouts and opponents with is sweet hands and lightning fast feet. At first blush, one is reminded of Scott Niedermayer except Gardiner lacks the hockey IQ of the Hall of Famer. He makes poor decisions with the puck that create turnovers and scoring chances against the Leafs. Gardiner may never truly maximize his true potential because he first has to earn the trust of his head coach that he can protect the puck and play wisely. He's too much of a river boat gambler to play NHL D at this stage of his career. That's why he is -19 right now. Bear in mind that the Leafs are paying Gardiner $4.05 million AAV until 2018. Talk about upside down in value. The Leafs paid Gardiner yesterday for his future performance. I just don't see it. The kid has a high ceiling and all, but he may never live up to his highest of expectations at the NHL level. Were I the Leafs, I would have converted him to a forward in order to get the most out of his hands, feet and vision.
The Leafs and their fans may want to trade for Ryan O'Reilly. Who wouldn't want a 23 year old version 2.0 of Jonathon Toews and Anze Kopitar? In reality, the Leafs simply lack the top flight D-man who can satisfy the needs of the Colorado Avalanche. If Shanny wants ROR bad enough, he will have to trade Morgan Rielly as part of a package and I just don't see that happening. Ever.
***
The Detroit Red Wings will host the Buffalo Sabres tonight. It will be Buffalo's last game before the All star Break. The Winged Wheel handed the Sabres a loss on home ice last week during the Dominik Hasek jersey retirement ceremony.
Wings GM Ken Holland will get another up close and personal glimpse of Tyler Myers again tonight.
Myers has ben playing a fire brand, attacking style since he returned to the lineup from his recent lower body injury. He's active in the rush and he's been skating like his hair is on fire. Maybe he is cognizant of the fact that NHL scouts are watching him and that he wants to be evaluated as best as he can. You never know when trades happen in the NHL. The Wings had scouts in Buffalo on Thursday night to watch the 7-0 blowout loss to the Minnesota Wild.
The Wings seemingly have company. The Colorado Avalanche watched Myers in Buffalo on Saturday night and he didn't disappoint them. Myers dominated every inch of the 200 by 85 in his 27:33 TOI. He routinely was in the Philly crease when scores were being scored or the ref was blowing the whistle. Myers has been charging down the ice with a sense of purpose in recent games and its great to see. He's been a one man break out machine. That's why the Avalanche and Red Wings are seriously interested in acquiring him. Myers can make a lot of little mistakes go away when he's in your lineup. He can beat the 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 trap with his speed, size, and slick skill. He gets pucks deep, or carries them into the o-zone, and he never stops until he hears a whistle. Hollan hasn't had a D-man like Myers ever since future Hall of Famer Nik Lidstrom skated into his well earned retirement.
Has Ken Holland finally relented and softened on his refusal to trade top prospects Anthony Mantha or Dylan Larkin to Buffalo in exchange for Myers? Or, is he still of the mind that Tomas Tatar and a second rounder is as high as he will go in order to get his mitts on Myers?
***
I had a guy ask me at men's league hockey early this morning if Connor McDavod is "Any Good?"
I immediately texted him this clip of McDavid scoring the OT GWG last night.
Yeah. He's pretty good, eh?
In 23 games played, McDavid has scored 21 goals and has added 39 assists. He's _32 for crying out loud.
Keep your eye on the prize Sabres fans
****
Speaking of Erie Otters and the Buffalo Sabres, forward Nick Baptiste suffered a serious eye injury on Saturday night. According to reports, Baptiste took a hockey stick to the eye and was forced to leave the game.
According to reports, Baptiste attended a postgame meet-n-greet with fans and told observers that he is "ok".
We will know more today if he is having residual vision issues as a result of the twig to his eye.
Scary.
****
Lest we forget, the Sabres are in 30th place overall this morning by virtue of their regulation loss to the Flyers and Edmonton's shootout win over the Panthers on Saturday night.
Raise your tankards and clang with your bros as we watch the AFC and NFC Championship games before puck drop of the Sabres-Wings game.
***
Join the Discussion:
»