28 Apr 2018 18:17:28
Toronto/ Columbus:

Jake Gardiner (D - 4.05 Million x 1 year) + Calle Rosen (ELC x 1 year) + 2018 1st Round Draft Selection (25th Overall) in exchange for Boone Jenner (LW/ C - RFA - signed for 3.5 Million x 3 years) + David Savard (D - 10% Salary Retention - 3.825 Million x 4 years) + 2018 2nd Round Draft Selection.

- Columbus may have trouble signing Boone Jenner considering their current cap situation, so they trade him off in order to not risk offer sheets.
- Columbus upgrades on defence, as Gardiner is offensively better than Savard, and could work better with Ryan Murray than Savard. However, the main thing here is that Gardiners contract has only 1 year attached, compared to Savards 4 years, at nearly the same price tag. With Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, Zach Werenski, Gabriel Carlsson and Markus Nuttivarra, the CBJ d-core is very young, and with them in need of extensions soon, Savards contract can't be had a 6th dman, so, Gardiner comes in as a replacement/ rental for this year, and is released to free agency after.
- Columbus acquires a good dman (50 point guy), as well as a 1st Round Pick.

- Toronto acquires a forward who can replace some of JVR’s minutes, and can help with the lack of centre depth.
- Toronto ‘downgrades’ on defence, however, in a sense, they upgrade, as although Savard as a whole may be worse than Gardiner, Savard is a more stable dman than Gardiner, something that Toronto doesn’t have with all of Morgan Rielly, Nikita Zaitsev and Travis Dermott.

Signings:
William Nylander (C/ RW - 5.85 Million x 6 years)
- Gets less than Pasta/ Ehlers, and deservedly so, with a poor playoff performance. Still, a contract that would probably be taken by Nylander considering comparables.
Andeas Johnsson (LW- 1.75 Million x 4 years)
Connor Carrick (D - 1.2 Million x 1 year)
Calvin Pickard (G - 1.25 Million x 2 years)
Tyler Bozak (C - 2.85 Million x 2 years)
- Seems like a severe cut in pay, and is much less than what Bozak is worth, however, Bozak himself openly told the media that he wants to stay, and that it is also in his families best interest for him to stay. Maybe he’ll get more, but I do see him resigning at a hometown discount with Toronto.
Ian Cole (D - 2.75 Million x 2 years)
- Big, bruising dman with vet leadership. Can play PK, and will be a nice upgrade over Roman Polak.
Brandon Manning (D - 1.25 Million x 1 Year’
- Extra dman with a mean streak, again, a defensive dman to help the puckmovers.

And.

Matt Martin (LW - 2.50 Million x 2 years) and Curtis McElhinney (G - 0.75 Million x 1 year) to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 5th Round Draft Selection.

- Mac could probably bring in a 3rd from a desperate team like the Islanders, and considering our prospect goaltending depth (Pickard, Sparks, Kaskisuo, Woll), we can afford to trade him away to alleviate Martins contract.

Lineup:

Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Mitchell Marner
Andreas Johnsson - Boone Jenner - Kasperi Kapanen
Miro Aaltonen/ Josh Leivo - Tyler Bozak - Connor Brown

Ian Cole - Morgan Rielly
David Savard - Nikita Zaitsev
Ron Hainsey - Travis Dermott
(Brandon Manning - Connor Carrick)

Frederik Andersen
Calvin Pickard

- Offence is very spread out. You may say ‘why resign Bozak if he's going to be on the fourth line? ’. That fourth line isn’t a fourth line, its interchangeable with the third line. kinda like 3A&3B. like what Toronto did against Boston with Plekanec centring Marleau/ Marner, Bozak with JVR/ Kappy and Kadri on a ‘fourth line’ with Johnsson and Nylander. Doing this allows for more depth.
- Defence is stronger, as rather than having four extremely mobile dmen, one defensive dman and one pylon, we now have three mobile dmen (Rielly, Zaitsev, Dermott), a TWD (Savard) and two defensive dmen, plus a third defensive dman in the press box. Much more variety, and allows for a tougher backend.

1.) 28 Apr 2018
28 Apr 2018 21:31:44
I like it. Jenner is a nice addition since Toronto lacks size and center depth. I don’t know a lot about Savard but I do know he’s more defensively responsible than Gardiner. Cole would be a nice addition as well. I like that your not trying to trade Nylander or Liljegren. The leafs draft a RH defenseman first round and people want to trade him. Let’s see how he develops before trading core players.

2.) 28 Apr 2018
28 Apr 2018 22:07:28
Nice post I think you nailed it on Nylanders contract and I believe the Columbus Trade is mutually beneficial. Gardiner could put up 60 points there with more sheltered minutes he put up 51 in Toronto.

3.) 29 Apr 2018
29 Apr 2018 15:10:33
Listen if you leafs fan really don't wanna pat Nylander what hell deserve we will take him tabernouche. Stop thinking a player of his caliber will take 6 or even 5.5 million. Stop he's worth at least 7 million for max years.

4.) 29 Apr 2018
29 Apr 2018 15:11:28
Nylander is getting 7million for 8 years at least. End of story.

5.) 29 Apr 2018
29 Apr 2018 15:13:20
Lol Gardiner will get 5 million for 6 years and Nylander probably 7 million for 8. Somon man.