Tavares

[Frank E]

WARNING. 'Head in the Clouds' comment coming...

I know it would be virtually impossible, but if the Leafs could add Tavares and either Karlsson or Doughty without giving up a big name player, I'd have to think they'd become instant Stanley cup favourites.

The 2 d-men there aren't due until summer of 2019, and let me know how you can fit all those cap hits into the equation. No doubt though, hell of team.

[Nik]

WARNING. 'Head in the Clouds' comment coming...

I know it would be virtually impossible, but if the Leafs could add Tavares and either Karlsson or Doughty without giving up a big name player, I'd have to think they'd become instant Stanley cup favourites.

This is true about the Leafs and roughly 30 other teams.

[RedLeaf]

That's true, but it'd be much much better if it happened to the Leafs .
???

[mr grieves]

WARNING. 'Head in the Clouds' comment coming...
I know it would be virtually impossible, but if the Leafs could add Tavares and either Karlsson or Doughty without giving up a big name player, I'd have to think they'd become instant Stanley cup favourites.

The 2 d-men there aren't due until summer of 2019, and let me know how you can fit all those cap hits into the equation. No doubt though, hell of team.

If they were somehow able to lure Tavares, I'd think they'd be freed up to move either Marner or Nylander for one of NSH or CAR's many top-pairing calibre defensemen... That's not quite Doughty or Karlsson, but it ain't far off.

[LuncheonMeat]

WARNING. 'Head in the Clouds' comment coming...
I know it would be virtually impossible, but if the Leafs could add Tavares and either Karlsson or Doughty without giving up a big name player, I'd have to think they'd become instant Stanley cup favourites.

The 2 d-men there aren't due until summer of 2019, and let me know how you can fit all those cap hits into the equation. No doubt though, hell of team.

If they were somehow able to lure Tavares, I'd think they'd be freed up to move either Marner or Nylander for one of NSH or CAR's many top-pairing calibre defensemen... That's not quite Doughty or Karlsson, but it ain't far off.

If the Leafs were able to ice Matthews, Tavares and Kadri up the middle, I'm not really sure they'd need to add a first-pairing defenceman to be a serious threat to win. Doughty will be pushing 30 when he's available and will certainly want max term and probably at least $10 million/year. The way he plays I'm not sure he'll last that long, and that's a pretty big contract to hold. Karlsson is younger, but who knows how he holds up after his Achilles injury.

I don't see any reason to trade Marner or Nylander. The Leafs appear to be doing a credible job of drafting/developing defencemen, and I think we'll start to see more of them making the jump. I'd sign Tavares and take my chances.

[herman]

If the Leafs were able to ice Matthews, Tavares and Kadri up the middle, I'm not really sure they'd need to add a first-pairing defenceman to be a serious threat to win. Doughty will be pushing 30 when he's available and will certainly want max term and probably at least $10 million/year. The way he plays I'm not sure he'll last that long, and that's a pretty big contract to hold. Karlsson is younger, but who knows how he holds up after his Achilles injury.

I don't see any reason to trade Marner or Nylander. The Leafs appear to be doing a credible job of drafting/developing defencemen, and I think we'll start to see more of them making the jump. I'd sign Tavares and take my chances.

Yup. Barring that, I'm in the camp that the Leafs need to bring in either a shutdowny centre (or two), or a cheaper-younger Bozak, more than they need to blow the cap/assets on D. Centres are hard to find, but easier and cheaper than RHD, especially if we don't need them to score. Tavares would be the optimal option as he can score heaps too, but Backlund is also of interest to me.

I think Zaitsev still has room to grow. He has the skill to do way more, but doesn't yet have the confidence to make those plays. Ozhiganov is already on his way in as another log in the jam, although he likely starts with the Marlies. Carrick is slowly proving he can be a serviceable 6/7th that fills in for one of the top-4 puck movers when they are injured. Dermott was already above Borgman on the chart, but both players have the LR flexibility, so no harm in keeping both.

[mr grieves]

WARNING. 'Head in the Clouds' comment coming...
I know it would be virtually impossible, but if the Leafs could add Tavares and either Karlsson or Doughty without giving up a big name player, I'd have to think they'd become instant Stanley cup favourites.

The 2 d-men there aren't due until summer of 2019, and let me know how you can fit all those cap hits into the equation. No doubt though, hell of team.

If they were somehow able to lure Tavares, I'd think they'd be freed up to move either Marner or Nylander for one of NSH or CAR's many top-pairing calibre defensemen... That's not quite Doughty or Karlsson, but it ain't far off.

If the Leafs were able to ice Matthews, Tavares and Kadri up the middle, I'm not really sure they'd need to add a first-pairing defenceman to be a serious threat to win. Doughty will be pushing 30 when he's available and will certainly want max term and probably at least $10 million/year. The way he plays I'm not sure he'll last that long, and that's a pretty big contract to hold. Karlsson is younger, but who knows how he holds up after his Achilles injury.

I don't see any reason to trade Marner or Nylander. The Leafs appear to be doing a credible job of drafting/developing defencemen, and I think we'll start to see more of them making the jump. I'd sign Tavares and take my chances.

I wasn't suggesting getting a Karlsson or Doughty.

I guess my thinking is that if the Leafs were to add Tavares to their group of forwards, they'd have a lot of cap dollars allocated to high-end talent up front... Two top-pick centers and three other excellent forwards in Marner, Nylander, and Kadri would be a lot -- you're definitely not re-signing Gardiner in that circumstance and the blueline looks weaker, so... trading one of Marner or Nylander for a Slavin, Faulk, Pesce, Ekholm, Lindholm, Manson doesn't seem crazy to me.

If they were to get Tavares.

Which they won't.   

[Zee]

I think we should refrain from all Tavares speculation until June 30th if he's not signed yet. Then it's all hands on deck.  ;D

[louisstamos]

I think we should refrain from all Tavares speculation until June 30th if he's not signed yet. Then it's all hands on deck.  ;D

At least it's been relatively reserved thus far?  Remember the Stamkos thread?

[Zee]

I think we should refrain from all Tavares speculation until June 30th if he's not signed yet. Then it's all hands on deck.  ;D

At least it's been relatively reserved thus far?  Remember the Stamkos thread?

True enough, Stamkos was a huge tease too, takes it almost to the deadline and then signs in Tampa.

[Highlander]

I think we should refrain from all Tavares speculation until June 30th if he's not signed yet. Then it's all hands on deck.  ;D

At least it's been relatively reserved thus far?  Remember the Stamkos thread?

True enough, Stamkos was a huge tease too, takes it almost to the deadline and then signs in Tampa.

Funny but I don't get Tavares, every time I watch the Islanders he is near invisible, but what do I know, I felt the same way about Gretzky. Perhaps some of these guys are so good they make what they do seem easy. 

[Zee]

I think we should refrain from all Tavares speculation until June 30th if he's not signed yet. Then it's all hands on deck.  ;D

At least it's been relatively reserved thus far?  Remember the Stamkos thread?

True enough, Stamkos was a huge tease too, takes it almost to the deadline and then signs in Tampa.

Funny but I don't get Tavares, every time I watch the Islanders he is near invisible, but what do I know, I felt the same way about Gretzky. Perhaps some of these guys are so good they make what they do seem easy.

Seriously about Gretzky? He had like 215 points one season.


From 1981-82 to 85-86 he averaged 207 points a season. Man.

[Highlander]

I have to admit the Leafs were so bad for so long that I stopped watching the game for a long time (about 12 years).  For 5 of those I chose to live without a TV.

[herman]

Are you guys ready for the onslaught of media yammering about Tavares to Toronto? The Leafs host the Islanders this Thursday.

[CarltonTheBear]

Are you guys ready for the onslaught of media yammering about Tavares to Toronto? The Leafs host the Islanders this Thursday.

It's actually amazing how little we've heard about it from the media so far.