I’ve been away for a week and have been happily enjoying what the summer has to offer that isn’t related to the NHL deal. It was a nice break and calm before the storm. The NHL Draft, the acquisition window is still open, a schedule release, *sigh* NHL awards, qualifying offers, arbitration announcements, free agency open, and hopefully a few deals make this a good week to see what new direction the sheets will be.
The strange thing that happens to evaluate a first-round pick
It’s kind of funny that a late first-round pick carries enough value to be a key part of getting almost any star player in the NHL at or before the trade deadline. However, in the week leading up to the draft, the Leafs first probably won’t do more than land a third line forward or at best a fourth defenseman as a returner.
As much as Brad Treliving has been removed from the drafting process and how much of a win-win position the Leafs have to be in right now, odds are the best thing the Leafs should do is still heading into the draft planning to use their pick.
The 28th overall pick is still an opportunity for the Leafs to get into a prospect before it turns into picking names out of a hat, and while I respect draft pick evaluation charts, it’s appreciated that not all draft picks are created equal and not all draft picks are created equal. also equal. The Leafs have to trust their team with a very promising draft year.
However, when it comes to trading in the Leafs, it probably wouldn’t be wise to do so in a year when their GM isn’t even sitting at the draft table, unless they’re trading all the way to the top and grabbing someone who could be in the lineup. team this year.
And when it comes to trading… well… I can say that I personally wasn’t impressed when Kyle Dupas did it and I’m not sure I see any reason for the practice to continue. If you’re really excited about a prospect that might be available later, it’s probably worth having an extra option instead to check that out, and not give away a blue chip in the process.
Like it or not, we’re about to get opinions on Brad Treliving
Honestly, I feel like I’ve already formed a disappointing opinion when it comes to Brad Treliving. re sheldon how to take the easy way out. It pretty much sticks to more of the same and no one should be particularly excited about the same thing unless the second division ends up doing it for you.
He brought in Shen Duan, which is fine, but that doesn’t particularly move the bar one way or the other. And meeting with Auston Matthews and assessing what he has is the minimum that should be required of him. In fact, signing Auston Matthews quickly would not be a huge feat as he meets expectations.
Obviously there’s a lot going on behind the scenes and no telling what Treliving has done or is currently working on, but if you’re like me and wanted to see Brad hit the ground running, this has been a pretty quiet month.
This week changes a lot of that. He will have to take steps and they will be judged. And while I can’t say what would make you happy and consider the start of the Treliving era a success, I can say what I consider met and exceeded expectations for Treliving this week.
Matches expectations | Above expectations |
Auston Matthews was signed on July 1st | Auston Matthews was signed on July 1 with a cap of $13.4 million or less |
The Leafs select a position with a first-round pick | The Leafs move up in the draft or are able to overturn a top six forward selection |
Sheets add volume and firmness without paying a premium | Leafs find a combination of size/toughness/skill |
Matt Murray is not a paper | Matt Murray isn’t a Leaf and the Leafs don’t need to pay that much to make it happen |
The Leafs make a trade | The Leafs make a deal that upgrades to either Top 6F or Top 4D |
That’s what I’m asking Treliving for this week, not summer. This seems to be more than enough to get him arrested for now. The Nylander situation is definitely a big situation that needs sorting out and to some extent I think the significance of the Samsonov contract situation has been underestimated as well. We’ll give Brad more time with those though.
The lack of worthwhile free agents will force more trades
The NHL has been surprisingly more interesting on this front than in recent years, and it’s no surprise that in a year when Michael Bunting was one of the best free agents, teams were forced to look elsewhere for upgrades.
This seems like a mixed bag for the Leafs as they are about to be severely limited when it comes to the time a number of important no-movement clauses are triggered, and with years of trading first-round draft picks and diluting their potential pool, as well as with a top-heavy roster allowing for some chairs. Lie shuffling within the center but may not allow actual promotions.
The Leafs’ best trade chips might be 2024 1st, Topi Niemela and Timothy Liljegren, three assets I’m not sure anyone should be excited about coming out with some of the best names the Winnipeg Jets allegedly have to offer.
No, if Leafs are going to be active in the trade market, they need a beggar who can’t be a chosen model. Something like putting in Ryan Johansen for half the price is something The Leafs and the comfortable cap situation need to explore. The Leafs need to deal with teams like Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver backed in cornerback wisdom. I’d include Boston on that list, but I’m not holding my breath over the Leafs and Bruins helping each other out.
You’d expect Brad Treleving to know the Pacific Division managers fairly well, and with Vegas, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver all in rather tight positions when it comes to cover, the Leafs need to find a way to take advantage of that.
If Toronto is aggressive in free agency rather than in the trade, I would take that as a bad sign for the Treliving era.
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