Official Toronto Maple Leafs Thread

[grocery_mony 8]

Wow thats a ton to give up. They are probally a playoff team now but without the meaningful rebuild I thought Burke would do I think this teams potential isnt in the top 4 in the confrence for years. I think Kaberle will be dealt for picks now.

[sKIjaKuDa 0]

You can only hope the injury bug is behind him (though TML trainers weren't the best at getting fragile guys strong) and this will pay dividends. Two first rounders and a second for somebody that you know is young AND can play in the league vs. what your scouting team can guesstimate to me is worth it. IF he can stay healthy.This isn't the same or even close to a first rounder + for a Weight or Nolan etc. I was already worried that they were going to make the playoffs but now it seems more than likely and I will be weaving around blue and white car flags in the spring.

[serge 904]

TWO firstsYa know, if Kessel didn't ahve the injury history, I'd be okay with the trade.... but a 21 year old kid that has already shown a little leaning towards injury prone.. not sure I like this deal.... TWO first round picks...... back to the old leafs.... trade it all away for two home playoff game.s..

you know you are wrong here...The old Leafs??Like someone said you arent trading two first round picks for Ron Francis, Brian Leetch or Owen Nolan as a 36 year old you are acquring at the deadline for two months...This is a premier 21 year old scoring talent...Yes he has had injuries..But i dont think you can call him injury prone..Having cancer doesnt make someone injury prone...Its not like he is soft and Carlo likeThis is a great trade..Burke wasnt going to sign him to an offer sheet, as Chiarelli had to get something better than 1,2,3....picks..As it stands now the Leafs first round pick the next year, at BEST if things go really bad is around 10-15...There usually isnt the talent like a Phil Kessel who is a proven talent available that low..This is a great move by a shrewd hockey mind..First fix your defensive problem, then go ahead and get a front line scorer...He has a couple of more moves like adding through free agency next year, this team will contend very soon..Possibly this year..If i was offered John Tavares, Taylor Hall or Phil Kessel..At this stage I take Phil Kessel...

[serge 904]

Not exactly our A lineup for tonight, but Geno gets into his first pre-season game and he'll line up with the two best Limidonks in the world, Tyler Kennedy and Luca Caputi:ForwardsLuca Caputi - Evgeni Malkin - Tyler KennedyMatt Cooke - Wyatt Smith - Bill GuerinKonstantin Pushkarev - Craig Adams - Nick JohnsonPaul Bissonnette - Mike Rupp - Tim WallaceDefensemenAlex Goligoski - Nate GueninChriss Lee - Kris LetangBrooks Orpik - Ben LovejoyGoaltendersMarc-Andre FleuryBrent JohnsonAnd the Maple Leafs:ForwardsViktor Stalberg - Matt Stajan - Robert SlaneyJason Blake - Jason Allison - Jiri TlustyAlex Foster - Tim Brent - Bill ThomasJamal Mayers - John Mitchell - Darryl Boyce*Kyle Rogers may playDefenceGarnet Exelby - Ian WhiteJeff Finger - Juraj MikusCarl Gunnarson - Andy RogersGoaltendersJoey MacDonaldJames Reimer

Another win for the boys...Winning is fun, especially for the penguinos...We had back up goalies...

[serge 904]

I have heard... unconfirmed but fairly reliable.... that one of the problems with the trade is that Kessel doesn't want to play in Toronto...

It must of been that same source that assured you that Sundin was signing in Anaheim..

[serge 904]

Also to all of you guys that think the draft picks were too high...Burke addressed that by stocking the "cupboard" with free agent young players like Bozak,Slaney, Hanson and Gustavvson, the picks are expendable.In essence those are like first round picks..

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[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

??Boston CAN'T match $5.4m. Toronto can sign him to an offer sheet for $5.4m and only sacrifice 1,2,3 instead of 1,1,2.Do you not see the problem here?And anyway, why acquire that specific 2nd for a 2nd and 3rd if you AREN'T going to use the offer sheet?head: asplodedwhere am I going wrong?

tell me why they CANT match it. be careful not to tell me why you think they WONT match it.you dont give up a talent like Kessel for nothing, when you can get rid of players like Ryder+Ference instead. Your wrong if you think they would not have matched it, I find too many of the posts here overestimate the inflexibility teams have with the cap.If your Burke, and you decide as GM Kessel is the guy you want, you dont just try to assume they wont match it. Its a heavy price, but 21year olds with top end talent arent in abundance. I agree with Gruven, if it wasnt for some of those injury issues, I wouldn't mind this trade at all as a Leafs fan. As is, carries some major risk, but I also would be shocked if Boston found a player similar to Kessel with an of those 3 picks. Its a risky trade where someone years later will crow that "haha, told ya so", but who knows which side.And this trade isnt meant to help TO this year, but I do like where this team is heading over the next 2/3/4 years. Like someone said, its time to consider moving other parts for a first rounder, if at all possible, ie Kaberle.

[Jason12 0]

...so two 1sts, and a 2nd, which cost the Leafs a 2nd and a 3rd for Kessel, AND they pay him $5.4 million per season.... LOL. Now go try to trade for Marc Savard and you'll be set.

Everything ive read since the trade happened is how Kessel wont be the same player without Savard. Savard has been so widely underrated that hes become overrated. That Russian guy on the Thrashers has just fallen apart without Savard. The odds of those picks turning into a player like Kessel is slim to none, especially if the Leafs were doing the picking. Seems like a good trade for both teams.

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[Jason12 0]

You're implying that I claimed Boston couldn't muster the cap to match it. I'm sure they could have if they wanted to ice a considerably worse squad than they have now.But that wasn't the proposition. Boston never faced the prospect of receiving nothing in return for Kessel.Ok, so going with this thinking, why didn't Boston already position the pieces to get Kessel signed for the $5.4M? I mean, if he's going to match what Burke offers because he doesn't want to see the kid walk, how on earth does Kessel then get moved for a package of picks?I said it to someone earlier tonight.. I don't like to assume I'm smarter than a guy in charge of a billion dollar franchise. but the dynamics of this trade seem utterly ridiculous to me, and I don't understand how boston had any leverage with the goals they established for this year and their cap situation.like I said above, if Boston could improve its position by moving a few spare parts to sign Kess, why didn't they already do it?

Chiarelli has repeatedly said he would match any offer sheet for Kessel. If Burke really wanted Kessel trading for him was the only was to ensure that hed get him. If the Leafs went the offer sheet route then they offer 5.4M, Bruins match and make cap room (not overly difficult since Kessel is injured anyway. Bruins couldnt trade him for a year after matching so they keep him and try to deal him next summer.

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[grocery_mony 8]

??Boston CAN'T match $5.4m. Toronto can sign him to an offer sheet for $5.4m and only sacrifice 1,2,3 instead of 1,1,2.Do you not see the problem here?And anyway, why acquire that specific 2nd for a 2nd and 3rd if you AREN'T going to use the offer sheet?head: asplodedwhere am I going wrong?

But then Burke might appear to be a hypocrit since he has ripped Lowe for 2 years for signing Penner this way.

[serge 904]

and I mean, this is mostly for serge's benefit, but I really do like the leafs. I just hate that they gave up more than what they'd have sacrificed with an offer sheet. genuinely confused.

like Arp, said there was never going to be an offer sheet as they would of matched it very easily...The price was steep, but not as steep as you guys think..First round picks that arent in the top 3 arent sure fire stars..Ill be willing to argue that Kessel is a better long term player than Stamkos(08), Tavares(09) and Hall(10)And lets be realistic there is no chance the Leafs would be drafting that high.If the Leafs make this trade for a proven 30-40 goal scorer that is in the twilight of his career then you guys can make the argument that the Leafs traded the future...However the Leafs traded unproven future, for a tangible rare asset that exactly what the club needed.First round picks can be acquired back, its not that difficult.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

and I mean, this is mostly for serge's benefit, but I really do like the leafs. I just hate that they gave up more than what they'd have sacrificed with an offer sheet. genuinely confused.

There is also a chance that he would have been traded to another team before any offer sheet was signed. We don't know what teams like Nashville were offering.

[Jason12 0]

and I mean, this is mostly for serge's benefit, but I really do like the leafs. I just hate that they gave up more than what they'd have sacrificed with an offer sheet. genuinely confused.

A 5.4M offer sheet would be compensation of 2 1sts, 2nd and a 3rd so they saved themselves a 3rd

[rinswun 6]

A 5.4M offer sheet would be compensation of 2 1sts, 2nd and a 3rd so they saved themselves a 3rd

incorrect. its just the 1 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd as compensation. so they effectively swapped the 3rd for the 1st, as well as the trade they made a couple of weeks ago when they gave up a 2nd and 3rd for their 2nd rounder. seems expensive to me.

[WestcoastCanuck 0]

Ok, so going with this thinking, why didn't Boston already position the pieces to get Kessel signed for the $5.4M?

Because they wouldn't want to move them just no not have an ffer sheet come in. They kept the idea of them matching out there to get more value, and it worked.

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[WestcoastCanuck 0]

wat?

That was my touchpad killing a sentence.The reason Boston didn't move the pieces to sign Kessel (even if they intended to match an offer sheet) was they were in no rush do to so. It would not be hard to move some of the players under contract to make room, especially given the extra time they gain from Kessel's injury. Also, they don't know exactly what the offer would be, so they could clear 5 million in contracts and be hit with a 7 million offer.Basically, I think the extra 1st (instead of the third) had to be included because the Bruins easily could have kept him.

[SBriand 4]

incorrect. its just the 1 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd as compensation. so they effectively swapped the 3rd for the 1st, as well as the trade they made a couple of weeks ago when they gave up a 2nd and 3rd for their 2nd rounder. seems expensive to me.

Below $863,156 No Compensation$863,156-$1,307,812 Third-round pick$1,307,812-$2,615,625 Second-round pick$2,615,625-$3,923,437 First- and third-round picks$3,923,437-$5,231,249 First-, second and third-round picks$5,231,249-$6,539,062 Two first-rounders, a second-round pick and a third-round pick.$6,539,062 or more Four first-round picksThis is from TSN and it looks to me that 5.4 gets you 2 1sts 1 2nd and 1 third.

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[Jason12 0]

Below $863,156 No Compensation$863,156-$1,307,812 Third-round pick$1,307,812-$2,615,625 Second-round pick$2,615,625-$3,923,437 First- and third-round picks$3,923,437-$5,231,249 First-, second and third-round picks$5,231,249-$6,539,062 Two first-rounders, a second-round pick and a third-round pick.$6,539,062 or more Four first-round picksThis is from TSN and it looks to me that 5.4 gets you 2 1sts 1 2nd and 1 third.

Ive read that structure and another which the 1st/2nd/3rd tier extends to about 6 million, im not sure which is correct.