Zaitsev and Brown traded to Ottawa

[herman]

Earl might be on to something in this thread

Unless the Leafs make a large addition with the cap space from a Zaitsev trade, they will likely enter the season with a weaker lineup than last year. Why would that be a good idea, when it seems the team is ready to contend? Allow me to frame something for you:

— Earl Schwartz (@EarlSchwartz27) June 30, 2019

[Guilt Trip]

I’m okay with this.

But how do you know until we find out what else it's costing us?

Freeing up 4.5M from our cap for this and next season will be huge. Unless you think they’re sweetening the pot with a core player (haha), there is no real downside.

If the sweetener is indeed Brown, that’s 6.6M freed up, where Ottawa only needs to cover 3.1M in salary this season after we pay signing bonuses.

Potentially freeing up space if they dont sign Ceci. Zaitsev is ok but 5 more years at 4.5? No thanks. Adding Brown gains us 1.2 give or take. I don't know how well Ceci will do here if the Leafs sign him but again its another necessary move to rid the team of bad contracts. As for who's better, I dont know. Colaiacavo loves it so all good with me.

[princedpw]

Earl might be on to something in this thread

Unless the Leafs make a large addition with the cap space from a Zaitsev trade, they will likely enter the season with a weaker lineup than last year. Why would that be a good idea, when it seems the team is ready to contend? Allow me to frame something for you:

— Earl Schwartz (@EarlSchwartz27) June 30, 2019

What is this guy saying?  I can’t really follow it.  Get weaker one year and then stronger the next??  Given how much luck is involved in hockey, being strong in one year doesn’t hold a lot of value. Better to be continuously good for many years.

[princedpw]

I’m okay with this.

But how do you know until we find out what else it's costing us?

Freeing up 4.5M from our cap for this and next season will be huge. Unless you think they’re sweetening the pot with a core player (haha), there is no real downside.

If the sweetener is indeed Brown, that’s 6.6M freed up, where Ottawa only needs to cover 3.1M in salary this season after we pay signing bonuses.

How do we know he won’t accept his QO?  People don’t seem to think he’ll get more on the UFA market???

[Nik]

What is this guy saying?  I can’t really follow it.  Get weaker one year and then stronger the next??  Given how much luck is involved in hockey, being strong in one year doesn’t hold a lot of value. Better to be continuously good for many years.

I think the idea is not to rush into a bad decision just for the sake of not experiencing a bit of a come down. If they save cap space rather than just signing the best available guy this year to a multi-year deal they could have a lot of money to offer some of the bigger defensemen who'll be available next off-season.

[Nik]

How do we know he won’t accept his QO?  People don’t seem to think he’ll get more on the UFA market???

I don't know the ins and outs of trading guys who've signed QO's but I think the idea is that Ceci would be a lot easier to move in a deal where you wouldn't have to eat money or throw anything in.

[Bill_Berg]

What is this guy saying?  I can’t really follow it.  Get weaker one year and then stronger the next??  Given how much luck is involved in hockey, being strong in one year doesn’t hold a lot of value. Better to be continuously good for many years.

I think the idea is not to rush into a bad decision just for the sake of not experiencing a bit of a come down. If they save cap space rather than just signing the best available guy this year to a multi-year deal they could have a lot of money to offer some of the bigger defensemen who'll be available next off-season.

If said defensemen don't re-sign before reaching the UFA market, which seems to be the trend. Not that I disagree with looking at the longer term picture in general. Sandin and Liljegren may be hits by 2020-21 too.

[Nik]

If said defensemen don't re-sign before reaching the UFA market, which seems to be the trend. Not that I disagree with looking at the longer term picture in general. Sandin and Liljegren may be hits by 2020-21 too.

Yeah, but that's why he also makes the point that if you can't land someone like that via free agency you'd still be in a really good deadline position to add a major piece as a rental.

[Zee]

I wonder what the tentative part of this deal is? McKenzie said it could fall apart--based on what? If the teams agreed to a deal what changes between now and Monday?

[herman]

I wonder what the tentative part of this deal is? McKenzie said it could fall apart--based on what? If the teams agreed to a deal what changes between now and Monday?

A better offer for any of the pieces in play.

[Zee]

I wonder what the tentative part of this deal is? McKenzie said it could fall apart--based on what? If the teams agreed to a deal what changes between now and Monday?

A better offer for any of the pieces in play.

Some GM like Jim Benning steps up his offer cause he doesn't want to lose out on the legend that is Zaitsev. I'm ok with that.

[Frycer14]

I don't like this, it smells like a desperation move when it's not warranted. Zaitsev is overpaid, but he's hardly a liability. He plays some really hard physical minutes, is an above average skater, and won't be as easy to replace as some people think.

If he wants out, fine, but the idea of having to give up any asset whatsoever or take any bad contract back in my book is a mistake. If they can't move him, then let him walk to the khl and wipe his contract that way.

[Nik]

I wonder what the tentative part of this deal is? McKenzie said it could fall apart--based on what? If the teams agreed to a deal what changes between now and Monday?

If the deal involves waiting until the 1st so the Leafs can pay Zaitsev's bonus then it may just be tentative in it's extremely literal definition. They have a deal, they've agreed to the parts, they just can't make it official with the league so there could be some last minute change of heart on either side and there'd be no recourse because, again, not an official deal.

I don't know how the league looks at these deals that are delayed for bonus considerations so there's a possibility that they may do it this way so as not to upset the league that's always on the lookout for bigger teams flexing their financial muscle.

[Nik]

I don't like this, it smells like a desperation move when it's not warranted. Zaitsev is overpaid, but he's hardly a liability. He plays some really hard physical minutes, is an above average skater, and won't be as easy to replace as some people think.

If he wants out, fine, but the idea of having to give up any asset whatsoever or take any bad contract back in my book is a mistake. If they can't move him, then let him walk to the khl and wipe his contract that way.

The obvious downside there is that if he decides to stick around and is unhappy it's an issue you'd rather not deal with.

But beyond that I don't think we should judge this until we see what eventually gets done with the cap space.

[Strangelove]

To me, Zaitsev is a a complete liability at any price. So I am down with this. Interested in what happens with Ceci though.