Colin Dambrauskas: Summertime in the Void Who’s in? Who’s out?

trade this summer:
kessel
phaneuf
lupul
bozak

trade at deadline:
polak
robidas
JVR (maybe) - his return would be massive

keep both goalies until the end of the season, then pick bernier or reimer to be the #1 until one of the new prospects are ready.

my 2 cents

thank you sir colin.

what do you realistically think the return for kessel would be......given some of the "red flags" you mentioned, as well as that massive contract (that lots of teams likely can't take on)

I could be wrong as I never thought Clarkson could be traded, but I have a real hard time believing anyone wants bozak and lupul at that money

Colin Dambrauskas: Summertime in the Void
Who’s in? Who’s out?
- Colin_Dambrauskas

clark says trade JVR, bernier, phil, dion, lupul, bozak. JVR return would be huge, he's got 3 years left, no chance he resigns as we'll still be rebuilding (rebuild will be much slower if we don't move him) and he'll be near 30. For the same reasons he's attractive to keep, he's attractive to other GMs. You won't get squat for bozie or lupul. have to get as much for phil and jvr as possible.

PPl don't get that we need as many picks and prospects as possible. All these 'good' players we have were terrible with an actual team..how will JVR do without phil etc? His value will only go down. move them now...oh wait, we'll be terrible without them? that's the point. We are already terrible with them, and Auston Matthews is looking attainable for the buds. We must get him at all costs or die trying.

i'll keep kadri if he takes one year. if not, i could care less. i'm not signing him to a gardiner contract. he's a 2nd line centre, not key to a rebuild when you currently only have 1 key piece (rielly; yes nylander is good but i think he's the additional piece ALA kessel).

what do you realistically think the return for kessel would be......given some of the "red flags" you mentioned, as well as that massive contract (that lots of teams likely can't take on)
- sensarmy_11

I was going to ask the same thing as I am praying Lou doesn't foolishly trade our first this year for him ( although he isn't a Lou type player but Lou is desperate ).

I could be wrong as I never thought Clarkson could be traded, but I have a real hard time believing anyone wants bozak and lupul at that money
- Paul99

i could see bozak being moved.....with either a pedestrian return, or the leafs eating salary

but lupul, with the dollars and term left, plus the injury history.......i think that contract/player are pretty damn close to unmoveable.

I was going to ask the same thing as I am praying Lou doesn't foolishly trade our first this year for him ( although he isn't a Lou type player but Lou is desperate ).
- blizzzard

i just can't see a team both giving up a few top notch assets AND taking on that contract.

i assume if the leafs want a great return for him, they'll have to eat salary..........or else the return won't be great (relatively speaking)

Colin Dambrauskas: Summertime in the Void
Who’s in? Who’s out?
- Colin_Dambrauskas

Good blog. I especially enjoyed the paragaph structure. Very congruent.

im not sure why you would advocate keeping Kessel.

is this really the guy you want your young players to look up to? do you really want to say to them, "want a $60 million contract? that's how to do it..." Kessel has value to a team with an established leadership core and on-ice structure. i don't think you want him anywhere near a re-building team.

I could be wrong as I never thought Clarkson could be traded, but I have a real hard time believing anyone wants bozak and lupul at that money
- Paul99

Lupul is certainly a question mark.. Bozak at 4M is a bargain at that money.. If Ottawa could move the one-dimensional talent that was Jason Spezza with a much higher cap hit and a proven ability to occassionally show up for games and massively underachieve - then the Leafs will have not problem moving Bozak. While he's not a number one center certainly, he could be a very good 2nd. Personally I think he'll thrive once he's away from Kessel.

But moving Lupul and Bozak while attractive doesn't address the leadership culture issue in the room - that comes down to Kessel and Phanuef. If either or both are in training camp come september - nothing changes and 2015-2016 will be worse than this year.

im not sure why you would advocate keeping Kessel.

is this really the guy you want your young players to look up to? do you really want to say to them, "want a $60 million contract? that's how to do it..." Kessel has value to a team with an established leadership core and on-ice structure. i don't think you want him anywhere near a re-building team.
- DoubleDown

Sniping G's, yes. Working out, no. Talking to media, no. Landlord, no. Body languge on bench, no. Hacking ankles, yes.

Kessel should go if you get proper value - 1st, 'A' prospect and young player.

Lupul is certainly a question mark.. Bozak at 4M is a bargain at that money.. If Ottawa could move the one-dimensional talent that was Jason Spezza with a much higher cap hit and a proven ability to occassionally show up for games and massively underachieve - then the Leafs will have not problem moving Bozak. While he's not a number one center certainly, he could be a very good 2nd. Personally I think he'll thrive once he's away from Kessel.

But moving Lupul and Bozak while attractive doesn't address the leadership culture issue in the room - that comes down to Kessel and Phanuef. If either or both are in training camp come september - nothing changes and 2015-2016 will be worse than this year.
- BorjeFan4Ever

comparing bozak to spezza might be the dumbest thing i've ever read.

that's like comparing ottawa trading mike fisher to the leafs trading phil kessel.

comparing bozak to spezza might be the dumbest thing i've ever read.

that's like comparing ottawa trading mike fisher to the leafs trading phil kessel.
- sensarmy_11

Agreed - fair example too. Spezza was on another planet a few years ago before his back went wonky...you can pencil Bozak in for 49 pts. Not a comp.

Sniping G's, yes. Working out, no. Talking to media, no. Landlord, no. Body languge on bench, no. Hacking ankles, yes.

Kessel should go if you get proper value - 1st, 'A' prospect and young player.
- Deeps27

i cant' see a team giving that much up AND taking on his contract.

if a deal happens, i see it being similar to the nash deal.

a couple of youngish 2nd liners (not on ELCs), and a 1st and an okay prospect....not top prospect, but not 3rd rd pick either.

im not sure why you would advocate keeping Kessel.

is this really the guy you want your young players to look up to? do you really want to say to them, "want a $60 million contract? that's how to do it..." Kessel has value to a team with an established leadership core and on-ice structure. i don't think you want him anywhere near a re-building team.
- DoubleDown

id say kessel is out the door 100% if the leafs dont win mcdavid.

colin had a good point, if the leafs won mcdavid and kept kessel, it may be worth at least seeing how they click.

but i totally get what you are saying...

trade this summer:
kessel
phaneuf
lupul
bozak

trade at deadline:
polak
robidas
JVR (maybe) - his return would be massive

keep both goalies until the end of the season, then pick bernier or reimer to be the #1 until one of the new prospects are ready.

my 2 cents

thank you sir colin.
- Lucas Neilson

I like this. Strip it right down...let some organic leadership emerge, evaluate and build from there. Maybe add a character UFA of the Winnik/Santorelli ilk that is also a moveable deadline piece. (that should be a strategy - add 1-3 guys that you know you can flip for extra picks each year)

One of Polak/Robidas should go though too...need to open another spot for competition/young guy from within org. I'd move Bernier though too in the event you can grab that O'Connor guy from BU. They don't need to be good next year in the least, and to me Reimer's character (sorry, I know that's a punchline around Leafs blogs but there is still a value on it) fits a rebuilding squad much better.

Liked Erixon in controlled minutes and I would retain for another look; think MacWilliam can be a bottom pairing guy capably...will one or two of Percy/Granberg/Finn/Loov (etc) be ready to make the jump? Maybe rotate a platoon of those guys for seasoning?

Will be a really interesting offseason and fun for guys like us that enjoy all this team building stuff....

If Lupul gets you nothing, keep him and hope (pray) for a healthy season. Then try and get a better return later. Bozak's contract isn't too onerous. He has trade value and should be dealt ASAP. I don't mind Phaneuf but not as the captain and that means he must go too. Kessel, for me, is the question mark. So much was given to attain him. If he can be forced to show up in better shape and has a good start to the season, decide then. Apparently a good return could be had for Bernier. I'd take it and make Reimer number 1 next year. if he sucks....that's ok.

i could see bozak being moved.....with either a pedestrian return, or the leafs eating salary

but lupul, with the dollars and term left, plus the injury history.......i think that contract/player are pretty damn close to unmoveable.
- sensarmy_11

I think other teams' fans are going to be eating their words a little bit.

If the returns are truly as bad as what most people predict, then the Leafs simply will not make deals.

Getting sick of EVERY trade suggestion involving the Leafs including "retaining some salary". Bozak is not overpriced. Kessel is not overpriced, even Phaneuf is not very much overpriced given what other, lesser d-men have signed for the last couple years.

The ENTIRE TEAM had a horrible collapse. There is definitely more going on than what people hear about. Other GM's may try to throw the Leafs an anchor but these players don't all have negative value.

Hell, I heard someone say a couple days ago that Van Reimsdyk wouldn't fetch much.

Or how about Detroit offering Weiss for Phaneuf IF the Leafs retain some salary and the comment was Toronto would not be getting much more from Detroit...

So let me get this straight, You get a #2, EASILY a good #3 Dman for free and the Leafs pay his salary basically.

Some really stupid opinions around here the last couple months.

i cant' see a team giving that much up AND taking on his contract.

if a deal happens, i see it being similar to the nash deal.

a couple of youngish 2nd liners (not on ELCs), and a 1st and an okay prospect....not top prospect, but not 3rd rd pick either.
- sensarmy_11

I dunno...just because of one down year you can't devalue Kessel that much. From all accounts from "anonymous" NHL management types quoted in reputable media sources seem to disagree. His contract is market-related for his trending historical production. No doubt the massive overpayment to get Kessel will complicate the optics of any return he garners in a future trade no matter what...

i cant' see a team giving that much up AND taking on his contract.

if a deal happens, i see it being similar to the nash deal.

a couple of youngish 2nd liners (not on ELCs), and a 1st and an okay prospect....not top prospect, but not 3rd rd pick either.
- sensarmy_11

No. The Leafs will get a lottery-protected 4th rounder and will have to retain half of Kessel's salary.

I mean just because the guy was like top 5 in scoring over the past 5 years, was more than a PPG this year ... until the ENTIRE organization basically bailed on the second half of the season, all the while playing with the WORST #1 center in the league and was probably the best player on the US Olympic team that is no reason to expect a good return.

These kind of players are trade for table scraps all the time.

No. The Leafs will get a lottery-protected 4th rounder and will have to retain half of Kessel's salary.

I mean just because the guy was like top 5 in scoring over the past 5 years, was more than a PPG this year ... until the ENTIRE organization basically bailed on the second half of the season, all the while playing with the WORST #1 center in the league and was probably the best player on the US Olympic team that is no reason to expect a good return.

These kind of players are trade for table scraps all the time.
- Aetherial

Whole range of emotions...

i just can't see a team both giving up a few top notch assets AND taking on that contract.

i assume if the leafs want a great return for him, they'll have to eat salary..........or else the return won't be great (relatively speaking)
- sensarmy_11

Nash, Carter, Richards.


Anyone eat salary in those deals?

I could be wrong as I never thought Clarkson could be traded, but I have a real hard time believing anyone wants bozak and lupul at that money
- Paul99

It'll be easy to move Bozak... (4.2 mil)

Lupul will be tough cause of a poor season and injury history.

Nash, Carter, Richards.


Anyone eat salary in those deals?
- Feeling Glucky?

difference is they weren't severly on the decline at the time of the deals. None had career years, but none had their worst year yet (Dion) and none were amongst the highest paid in their position without merit (Dion is like the 5th highest paid Dman this year)...Mike Richards wasn't the bum you see now, he was one of the best all round players in the league.

I don't hate Dion, but we will be taking money back if we want any kind of decent return.