Friedman: Could the Leafs target Seth Jones?

[Hattrick Kane]

If you're a thirty year old player who's never won anything and has never played more than ten games in a post-season, I don't think Toronto is very high on your list of where you want to go.

Jake McCabe waived to go there, and he wouldn’t go anywhere else in Canada. So it’s possible.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Jones 700 k retained
kurashev

For

Marner
Lilegren

Leafs save some money get a top 2 dman, and a top 6 forward. Blackhawk get a bit younger, a 90+ point two way winger, and a top 4 dman.

 

[Space umpire]

Chicago is adding at least two 1sts to take on that garbage contract, or retaining 4M

LOL, you never fail to amuse.

Of course there is, because Marner is a premier player.

Dispense with the idea that Toronto is hamstrung because of optics, because what has been speculated already is that teams - plural - are interested. One reporter with a stellar reputation believes the number will greatly exceed a list put forth by Marner IF he (and his agent) agree.

McDavid, Draisaitl, Mackinnon, Panarin, Matthews and Pastrnak are the only players who have scored more than Marner in the last five years.

He's not overpaid. He's underperforming in the playoffs certainly, but you can say the same about Tavares and to an extent Matthews himself. The argument is there that it's a problem with composition and support. Marner is not THE reason Toronto hasn't advanced past the first round with regularity.

What is germane in any speculation is this: Marner is simply the easiest of the four to move given his impending contract status, age, production, etc.

The expectation in Toronto prior to Nylander's contract was that his worth in trade talks started with a number one defenseman in return. I prefer Nylander (I'm on record on the Leafs boards) to Marner, but I don't look at Marner the player with diminished value so much as misplaced value in Toronto.

And if you were familiar with the player's past, his value as a point-producer, and avoided recency bias for the plague it is, you wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Marner for Dunn.

And as for overpaid rental, again, whether its just a general unfamiliarity with how these things work, if Marner and his agent get that list of teams and it's narrowed down, the idea is to sign with that team; All of the details will be worked out. Marner's valuation is a known quantity and there are clubs out there who have the space.

He's not going to be traded as a rental.

And as for wanting to trade Marner, again, context: If Toronto wasn't bound by cap, if we could spend our way to a properly structured defence and any number of reasonable ifs, its unlikely Mitch Marner would be bandied about in rumour mills.

There's Toronto's structural needs, but then there's the need for franchises across the league to obtain one of the top ten best point producing players in the league, playoffs warts and all.

its the playoff warts that kill his value. He’s not nervous, he’s soft. Not someone who really can be counted on in playoff hockey.

 

[habamillions]

Sure they "could". They " could" target any player in the league if they wanted

 

[Legion34]

His mom is his NTC and she won’t have her son in Canadian city.

Not that I want this to happen. But
Toronto is generally considered different. It s about as far south as Boston and one of the biggest most popular cities in North America

Also didn’t he grow up here for a bit?

 

[leafsfan5]

I think he'd be a great fit in Toronto, but considering the contract it's tough to see how this would work

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Now what?: 57 stray thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs

Here are 57 stray observations on the team that was and what might be — one for every year since the parade.

www.sportsnet.ca

Another mention of Seth Jones here, point 44.

 

[Garbageyuk]

As a Habs fan, I really hope they do it.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

One thing that consistently keeps getting ignored is the assumption Jones wants to waive for Toronto.

That is true

I think assumption would be Jones would be more likely to waive for Leafs if presented with option for several reasons

1) Leafs are contender
Jones is stuck on loser/rebuilding team which is not what he envisioned I imagine when he signed his deal with Hawks under previous management

2) Jones is not getting any younger
If he wants a chance to contend for cup it likely is elsewhere as Hawks are in rebuild process and even if we successfully rebuild into contender that is likely 3-4 years away at earliest

3) Toronto is generally the most appealing city in Canada to US players
While most US players don't want to play in Canada (Same with Canadian) when it comes down to it Toronto is more often the exception to this.

 

[JaegerDice]

One thing that consistently keeps getting ignored is the assumption Jones wants to waive for Toronto.

Jones has made several passive aggressive comments in interviews about not knowing he was signing up for a rebuild.

Proving he’s about as good an evaluator of hockey teams as he is a defenseman.

I imagine it wouldnt be hard to convince him to waive for any team you could convince him was a contender.

 

[Srsly]

I think Marner for him would be a horrible move as Marner gives Martin St Louis vibes in that he’s just going to get better with age.

That said Jones and Hall with some retention for Marner would be an interesting all in kind of move.

 

[Mr Positive]

Jones would waive his NTC

Getting paid a ton of cash to play hockey is a dream come true. Doing that on a winning hockey team is even better.

It's not like there would be tons of other winning teams lining up. The good teams have no space

 

[Fatass]

If Marner will waive a Marner for Jones deal improv s the Leafs D and saves them a couple mil on the cap.

 

[cyris]

Not that I want this to happen. But
Toronto is generally considered different. It s about as far south as Boston and one of the biggest most popular cities in North America

Also didn’t he grow up here for a bit?

Also not that I want it to happen and I really doubt Marner waives to go to Chicago but…
His dad did indeed play for the Raptors. So he himself lived here and would be familiar with the city.

 

[Skolman]

I'd pay up to get Marner @ 50% retained

RNH - McDavid - Hyman
Kane - Drai - Marner

filthy

Marner is the last kind of player the Oilers should be after

 

[Skolman]

Please do tell of all the anchors on the Leafs. After next season they have the most flexibility in the league

Yes, and you're without a #2 Centre, any top 4 defenseman aside from Rielly, and a #1 goalie.

Knies will be due for a fairly big increase on his next deal as well.

That cap space you speak of is going to burn up fast in Free Agency.

 

[CanadienShark]

Yes, just like players aren't allowed to talk contract and numbers before free agency but yet 2 mins after 12:00 EST, players are signed.

I feel like the rebuild timeline changed once Chicago got Bedard. Can't see them wanting their elite talent sitting in the basement of the standings for too long. Now whether Marner accepts a trade to Chicago and resigns there is a completely different story.

The deal cannot be a 1 for 1 trade for Toronto though if it was Jones, need another piece coming over.

Isn't there a 1 week negotiation period?

 

[Legion34]

Yes, and you're without a #2 Centre, any top 4 defenseman aside from Rielly, and a #1 goalie.

Knies will be due for a fairly big increase on his next deal as well.

That cap space you speak of is going to burn up fast in Free Agency.

52 million is a lot of space. They will need 4 D. 2 goalies. 7forwards. .

Even if they spent heavy
5 million for goalies
20 million for 4d

Would leave 27 million for 7 forwards.
You would hope that. Cowan at least takes one spot on an ELC. Dewar would be cheap.
That’s plenty.

 

[rsteen]

The Leafs don't need any more overpaid players. Would Chicago be willing to retain on a contract of that length?

 

[Hockeyholic]

Is there any chance the Leafs re-sign Marner July 1st. Making all these trade rumors moot?

 

[Fishy McScales]

Isn't there a 1 week negotiation period?

Not anymore.

 

[Tarmore]

Is there any chance the Leafs re-sign Marner July 1st. Making all these trade rumors moot?

Yes, and I hope so, if for nothing but reading the meltdown here!

 

[OVO16]

I mean its not terrible. Just has to make sense financially (retention) and what the return is

Jake McCabe has turned into a beast since we got him from Chicago. Change of scenery might help Seth Jones

 

[ameselare]

I mean its not terrible. Just has to make sense financially (retention) and what the return is

Jake McCabe has turned into a beast since we got him from Chicago. Change of scenery might help Seth Jones

I agree that Jones would benefit from a change of scenery. Chicago would probably need to retain but they'd be paid for that in some way (player, prospect, picks, etc). Leafs are a possibility, and I agree with other posters that Toronto ≠ Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, etc. Toronto is a great city (especially if you have money) and doesn't present the same issues as other Canadian teams, but they do come with their own brand of issues. The media scrutiny is a lot and is really tough on some guys.

 

[Torontonian]

Isn't there a 1 week negotiation period?

There was previously, but it was removed a few years back.

Why eliminating the UFA negotiation window is a huge win for the players

With no early period to commence contract talks for five to seven days before free agency starts, GMs can't get their ducks in a row in advance. We're set to return to the era of frenzied Day-1 bidding wars.

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