Made this thread to expand on the Liljegren next contract thread. I believe the context of Liljegren’s contract has to be viewed more broadly as a question about the future of defence on this team. With Nylander getting a raise (most likely $11 million), we will be struggling next season to dress 6 NHL defenders for about the same amount as we are spending now.
GooseRider960
Rielly’s a guarantee, obviously.
I can see them dropping Brodie. Second highest cost and he’s had a falloff, apparently.
Giordano’s age might mean retirement after this season, but if he sticks, I think we keep him. He takes team friendly deals and might take an even better one if he sticks in the show.
PrailinesNDick
Bring back Rielly, McCabe, Liljegren, Benoit, Lagesson.
Ideally McCabe, Benoit & Lagesson are your bottom pair & 7th Dman.
My UFA wishlist is to bring in a Ron Hainsey style RD to play with Rielly, and a Jake Muzzin style 1LD to play with Liljegren.
Rielly – Hainsey clone
Muzzin clone – Liljegren
Benoit – McCabe
Next year will be our toughest cap crunch with Nylander’s new contract so I don’t expect we can go big-game hunting in UFA. If you can get someone on the cheap for Rielly (Hainsey, Lyubushkin, Schenn have all worked really well with him) then you can wait til the deadline for your 1LD.
theharps
If Brodie stays he’d probably need a discount. If he makes $3 million, the $2 million difference would go to Timoth but he has to really earn it this year. We will have 2 or 3 dirt cheap defencemen next year on league minimum and maybe 1 guy making what Lilly is making now.
embiggenedkwyjibo
I know this is about the D-line but I think in the grand scheme of the big puzzle, we’d also have to see if Domi and Bert are looking to come back too. Depending on where their following contracts end up we may be looking at a little bit more space to bolster the backend even if it’s an extra $1-2m + whatever Brodie either makes or sheds.
At a glance, Bertuzzi isn’t giving me $5.5m player vibes, and Domi is passing the eye test at $3-4m.. honestly, I think these guys should be a little more on par with one another based on output so far. Domi is above Bert in pts right now too. There is plenty of room to make lasting impressions leading up and into the playoffs.
Also, I’m just some idiot speculating on Reddit at 6:30 am while drinking my coffee before work. What I say may seem outrageous in the eyes of others and I can’t fault anyone for that. We all see things differently and I’m open to other perspectives. The more you know, the more you grow!
lubic86
hopefully you’ll see Tanev here with a Giordano contract, maybe even Hanifin, he get can Brodies money + 1.5/2M (you can probably get him for less than Brodie + Samsonov current money)
Benoit being an RFA is huge, and I hope one of Niemela or Kokkonen can step up
Sst1154
I’ve liked the play of Liljegren for a long time, but his consistency throughout the games is starting to show up on a regular basis. He is hitting more, blocking shots more. Was nice to see more emotion the other night pulling McTavish’s helmet off during their skirmish in front of the Leaf net. I think with the added defensive comfort, we will finally see his offensive attributes.
Thespud1979
If we sign Willy and keep Marner it’s going to be a bargain barrel of players
JamesCurtis24
My view on our D is that we have a #1 and then a couple #4s and a bunch of #5/#6.
It’s way easier said than done, but I think for this team to move into that Vegas territory, they need a #2 and a #3, big, burly, responsible defensive D men.
At the very least, they need a legit #2. Somebody who will play 25 minutes a night in the playoffs.
That’s what I’d be concerned about if I’m Toronto. Get a massive upgrade to this D core and then another Schenn like D, or maybe shore up the 3rd line C if possible with somebody a little more defensively responsible than Domi.
The main reason is that I believe if you do that, then goaltending naturally improves because it’s now better insulated, which is why Vegas won a cup with Adin Hill. I think it’s much more realistic to win that way than it is thinking we’ll find some incredible goalie on the market to carry the Leafs there.
OneNineSevenNine
Gio needs to go. I know people love him but he’s 40. He’s slow. You can’t grind him like younger guys.
CTHT07
Need to make a push for Chychrun.
Ottawa has gone to shit. Chychrun cost controlled and expires same year as Tavares so re-signing him is possible.
Eldarion69
We need to keep a seventh spot open for Niemela, Kokkonen and/or Villeneuve. Folks, we need to provide a spot for advancement to our young defencemen as well. This is how our defence gets younger and cheaper. Keefe kept Kokkonen until late in camp so he clearly likes him and Gruden has raved about Niemela’s season in the AHL. These kids definitely look like NHLers in the future.
sluck131
I’d say we keep Benoit but because Leafs fans and media have been hyping him up I’m sure he will get the Schenn/ Lyubushkin treatment and get like 3 mil/year from someone
lowercase00
I think the lines will be: Benoit & Benoit / Benoit & Benoit / Benoit & Benoit / Benoit & Benoit
Burnt2Smithereens
Rielly, McCabe, Timmins, Liljegren for sure. So we’d need to acquire two more Dmen, ideally a top pairing guy and another top 4 D. Really hard to find especially with our cap issues.
I really hope we keep Benoit. The kids underlying numbers are good and he brings a physical element that’s good for morale
McJoe77
I could see Gio retiring and Lilly and Brodie both re-signing for a similar total that they’re worth this year and it staying pretty much the same. I don’t know that I love that, but I think it’s possible. Gio retires, Brodie and Lilly re-sign for a combined 6.4 million (maybe 4 for Lilly and 2.4 for Brodie?) and then Benoit re-signs and they run it back.
It’s pretty impossible to predict though. If they either collapse and miss the playoffs or they lose in the first round, it could be just Rielly and McCabe. If they make a big deadline deal, I don’t think it’s impossible that Liljegren is included in that.
buddachickentml
Rielly, McCabe, Lily, Benoit and whoever they bring in at this year’s trade deadline, leaving 1 spot for a Marlie
19 Comments
Made this thread to expand on the Liljegren next contract thread. I believe the context of Liljegren’s contract has to be viewed more broadly as a question about the future of defence on this team. With Nylander getting a raise (most likely $11 million), we will be struggling next season to dress 6 NHL defenders for about the same amount as we are spending now.
Rielly’s a guarantee, obviously.
I can see them dropping Brodie. Second highest cost and he’s had a falloff, apparently.
Giordano’s age might mean retirement after this season, but if he sticks, I think we keep him. He takes team friendly deals and might take an even better one if he sticks in the show.
Bring back Rielly, McCabe, Liljegren, Benoit, Lagesson.
Ideally McCabe, Benoit & Lagesson are your bottom pair & 7th Dman.
My UFA wishlist is to bring in a Ron Hainsey style RD to play with Rielly, and a Jake Muzzin style 1LD to play with Liljegren.
Rielly – Hainsey clone
Muzzin clone – Liljegren
Benoit – McCabe
Next year will be our toughest cap crunch with Nylander’s new contract so I don’t expect we can go big-game hunting in UFA. If you can get someone on the cheap for Rielly (Hainsey, Lyubushkin, Schenn have all worked really well with him) then you can wait til the deadline for your 1LD.
If Brodie stays he’d probably need a discount. If he makes $3 million, the $2 million difference would go to Timoth but he has to really earn it this year. We will have 2 or 3 dirt cheap defencemen next year on league minimum and maybe 1 guy making what Lilly is making now.
I know this is about the D-line but I think in the grand scheme of the big puzzle, we’d also have to see if Domi and Bert are looking to come back too. Depending on where their following contracts end up we may be looking at a little bit more space to bolster the backend even if it’s an extra $1-2m + whatever Brodie either makes or sheds.
At a glance, Bertuzzi isn’t giving me $5.5m player vibes, and Domi is passing the eye test at $3-4m.. honestly, I think these guys should be a little more on par with one another based on output so far. Domi is above Bert in pts right now too. There is plenty of room to make lasting impressions leading up and into the playoffs.
Also, I’m just some idiot speculating on Reddit at 6:30 am while drinking my coffee before work. What I say may seem outrageous in the eyes of others and I can’t fault anyone for that. We all see things differently and I’m open to other perspectives. The more you know, the more you grow!
hopefully you’ll see Tanev here with a Giordano contract, maybe even Hanifin, he get can Brodies money + 1.5/2M (you can probably get him for less than Brodie + Samsonov current money)
Benoit being an RFA is huge, and I hope one of Niemela or Kokkonen can step up
I’ve liked the play of Liljegren for a long time, but his consistency throughout the games is starting to show up on a regular basis. He is hitting more, blocking shots more. Was nice to see more emotion the other night pulling McTavish’s helmet off during their skirmish in front of the Leaf net. I think with the added defensive comfort, we will finally see his offensive attributes.
If we sign Willy and keep Marner it’s going to be a bargain barrel of players
My view on our D is that we have a #1 and then a couple #4s and a bunch of #5/#6.
It’s way easier said than done, but I think for this team to move into that Vegas territory, they need a #2 and a #3, big, burly, responsible defensive D men.
At the very least, they need a legit #2. Somebody who will play 25 minutes a night in the playoffs.
That’s what I’d be concerned about if I’m Toronto. Get a massive upgrade to this D core and then another Schenn like D, or maybe shore up the 3rd line C if possible with somebody a little more defensively responsible than Domi.
The main reason is that I believe if you do that, then goaltending naturally improves because it’s now better insulated, which is why Vegas won a cup with Adin Hill. I think it’s much more realistic to win that way than it is thinking we’ll find some incredible goalie on the market to carry the Leafs there.
Gio needs to go. I know people love him but he’s 40. He’s slow. You can’t grind him like younger guys.
Need to make a push for Chychrun.
Ottawa has gone to shit. Chychrun cost controlled and expires same year as Tavares so re-signing him is possible.
We need to keep a seventh spot open for Niemela, Kokkonen and/or Villeneuve. Folks, we need to provide a spot for advancement to our young defencemen as well. This is how our defence gets younger and cheaper. Keefe kept Kokkonen until late in camp so he clearly likes him and Gruden has raved about Niemela’s season in the AHL. These kids definitely look like NHLers in the future.
I’d say we keep Benoit but because Leafs fans and media have been hyping him up I’m sure he will get the Schenn/ Lyubushkin treatment and get like 3 mil/year from someone
I think the lines will be:
Benoit & Benoit /
Benoit & Benoit /
Benoit & Benoit /
Benoit & Benoit
Rielly, McCabe, Timmins, Liljegren for sure. So we’d need to acquire two more Dmen, ideally a top pairing guy and another top 4 D. Really hard to find especially with our cap issues.
Rielly – Vacant
Vacant – Liljegren
McCabe – Timmins
Reilly – Tanev
Mccabe – Liljegren
Benoit – (bottom pair FA signing)
I really hope we keep Benoit. The kids underlying numbers are good and he brings a physical element that’s good for morale
I could see Gio retiring and Lilly and Brodie both re-signing for a similar total that they’re worth this year and it staying pretty much the same. I don’t know that I love that, but I think it’s possible. Gio retires, Brodie and Lilly re-sign for a combined 6.4 million (maybe 4 for Lilly and 2.4 for Brodie?) and then Benoit re-signs and they run it back.
It’s pretty impossible to predict though. If they either collapse and miss the playoffs or they lose in the first round, it could be just Rielly and McCabe. If they make a big deadline deal, I don’t think it’s impossible that Liljegren is included in that.
Rielly, McCabe, Lily, Benoit and whoever they bring in at this year’s trade deadline, leaving 1 spot for a Marlie