Zaitsev and Brown traded to Ottawa

[Bill_Berg]

Sure, but if both teams intend to walk away, couldn't the Sens have got Zaitsev without including Ceci in the deal? Did they want to move him? Did the Leafs want him included? One of those must be true right? If so, why did Ott care about moving him or why did the Leafs want him in return?

My hunch is that the Leafs feel they can flip Ceci for something or other. So getting him, and some value, was probably part of the deal on their part.

I think walking away is seen as sort of a last resort option but one they're still happy to have.

Yeah that would make sense. The value the Leafs see in him is not as a player for them, but as a player for someone else.

I hope you're right!

[KW Sluggo]

So still a big chunk of the trade that we don't know about. I wonder if the Leafs try to use one of their many LHD (say Borgman) to try and pry out DeMelo as well.

Well now we know the rest of the deal and it is still rather ugly as far as I am concerned.
We will have to hope that Columbus tanks with all of their player defections so that we might get lucky with that 3rd rounder.

[AvroArrow]

Not sure if speculation or legit:

Yes, Ceci verbally agreed to a one year, $4.5 million contract with the Leafs. Arb case likely would have come in above that and that wouldn’t have worked for Toronto.  Good opportunity for Ceci to raise his market value. https://t.co/wgtJP7T7rJ

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2019

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

I’ll reserve complete judgement until seeing what other pieces are involved and what the cap space is used for. Because even with his contract, I’d much rather have Zaitsev over Ceci. Ceci’s terrible.

I'm with you there.

BTW, and I hope you all will take this observation from a Yank in the spirit in which it was intended, but I think it was really short-sighted for Canada to schedule a big national holiday on the same day free agency opens.  Like, duh.

I will have you know, sir, that our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald himself specifically chose this day so that we could all get drunk before noon.

I stand humbly corrected.

[Bill_Berg]

Not sure if speculation or legit:

Yes, Ceci verbally agreed to a one year, $4.5 million contract with the Leafs. Arb case likely would have come in above that and that wouldn’t have worked for Toronto.  Good opportunity for Ceci to raise his market value. https://t.co/wgtJP7T7rJ

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2019

Not surprised. Hopefully, Nik is still right and the Leafs intend to trade Ceci, but if this is true, walking away from the contract is off the table. If I were a betting man, I'd say Ceci is going to play in Toronto next season. Top four RHD? 

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

Yeah, I'll never say never but I'd be pretty shocked if we ever see Ceci in a Leafs uniform.

And disappointed.  There's no way he should be a future part of the defense.  Maybe a mid-season trade? 

[Bill_Berg]

Yeah, I'll never say never but I'd be pretty shocked if we ever see Ceci in a Leafs uniform.

And disappointed.  There's no way he should be a future part of the defense.  Maybe a mid-season trade?

Or a mid-season extension.

[Frycer14]

If Ceci's in the lineup to start the season, I hate this trade, with a capital H.

If Ceci is flipped somehow, and Gardiner is in the lineup (or his non unionized mexican equivalent), I love this trade.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

Yeah, I'll never say never but I'd be pretty shocked if we ever see Ceci in a Leafs uniform.

And disappointed.  There's no way he should be a future part of the defense.  Maybe a mid-season trade?

Or a mid-season extension.

Shaddup.

[CarltonTheBear]

If Ceci's in the lineup to start the season, I hate this trade, with a capital H.

I really don't get this. The worst interpretation of this trade is that we removed 4 years from Zaitsev's contract. That's still pretty good.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

So now OTT is going to be signing Hainsey and Ennis?

All this interchange with the sens is very demeaning.

[gunnar36]

Most of you are calling this a salary dump, but I never thought that Zaitsev at 4.5 is a gross overpay.  Mobile right shot dmen are hard to find and I really think Z's offensive skills were being suppressed in his role with leafs.  He will likely get some decent PP time with Sens and his 4.5 per could turn out to be a good contract for them.

[bustaheims]

at that number on a one year deal, Ceci should be moveable. If the Leafs retain some cap, possibly even valuable.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

Most of you are calling this a salary dump, but I never thought that Zaitsev at 4.5 is a gross overpay.  Mobile right shot dmen are hard to find and I really think Z's offensive skills were being suppressed in his role with leafs.  He will likely get some decent PP time with Sens and his 4.5 per could turn out to be a good contract for them.

Yeah, and apropos of your nick he could turn out to be the Leafs' next Carl Gunnarsson (I wouldn't go as far as to say Stralman, who it would be very nice to have back right about now BTW).

[Guilt Trip]

Apparently Ceci agreed verbally to the qualifying offer so no arb. He'll play for the Leafs/Marlies or be traded.