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Leafs' Prospect/Marlies Discussion Thread!

I keep looking at our D and I can’t figure out what the plan is. We currently have 7 dmen who all should play. Carlo is for sure gone, which leaves 6. Raddysh, Andrae, and Tanev are effectively half the corps turned over. So I guess that could be it, if we wanted it to be.

But then I’m thinking that Chayka must be thinking, ok, but what if Andrae can’t really cut it, or what if Tanev only plays 10 games, then what? He probably should add another guy, but then Andrae becomes the 7th dman right out of the gate which I doubt they got him for to do that.

So if they add anyone of import, it needs to be an upgrade over one of the guys we’ve got, and then they also need to add an actual 7th guy because no chance Myers stays.

If you believe Rielly is staying, which I do, for several reasons including his nmc which I think he’d use, then what?

OEL is older and at peak value so will be easy to deal and get back something good, but he’s really good and useful and don’t want to lose him.

Tanev nobody will take with that term and age/recent health, so he’s sticking around, but maybe we use him as a rotating 7th dman with Andrae or something, to keep him fresh and healthy for a playoff run?

McCabe? I know we all like him and what he does, but does Chayka? He’d be another attractive trade chip with reasonable salary and term, so would Chayka use him to get a center and then just replace him with Andersson or someone else?

We have 7 guys who can all play (Carlo, eh) and yet the D seems so unsettled still.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
But then I’m thinking that Chayka must be thinking, ok, but what if Andrae can’t really cut it, or what if Tanev only plays 10 games, then what? He probably should add another guy, but then Andrae becomes the 7th dman right out of the gate which I doubt they got him for to do that.
Click to expand...

Andrae plays on the left, Tanev on the right. Adding another RHD doesn't change Andrae's spot on the 3rd pairing. Fwiw, I don't think Chayka is questioning at all whether Andrae can cut it, he knows that Andrae is at minimum a can crusher on the 3rd pairing. Even if he never meaningfully takes a step higher than that, he'll remain a 3rd pairing defender who is excellent in slightly sheltered usage.

The Tanev piece is the real question though. Carlo needs a new home for sure, and Tanev might be dead. Zeke might be right and there might be tread left on his tire, but I don't know how you build a blueline around that with amount of obvious risk involved. The best way to look at this blueline right now is probably this:

McCabe-Raddysh
OEL-XXXXX
Andrae-Tanev

With Rielly and Carlo as pieces that are likely to move on. Put another #2-3 McCabe level defender, or heaven forbid swing a big ass trade with Vancouver and bring in Hronek and that blueline looks pretty, pretty fucking good.
 
I don’t think Rielly is leaving, but I can’t begin to guess what their plan might be.

Truth is, we could do nothing from here on out other than dump Carlo and have a pretty good corps.

McCabe Raddysh
Rielly Tanev
Andrae OEL
Villeneuve

That’s why it’s so hard to predict what’s going to happen, because nothing actually needs to necessarily. Tanev is the only real question mark there, and you could either run with it and play it by ear, or essentially move on from him now by bringing in someone new and playing Tanev as the 7th, which seems rash and unlikely.

There’s no predicting now because it’s just turned into a matter of preference. What will Chayka want to do. There’s no actual need.
 
Having said all that, much as I like OEL, if I can land Andersson and trade OEL for a 1st, I likely wouldn’t be able to turn that down.

McCabe Raddysh
Rielly Andersson
Andrae Tanev

With a 1st to add a good prospect.

Pretty good.
 
thinking more about OEL, I do think they probably want to get overall younger on the blueline. I get the argument that OEL can help us now but I feel like for Matthews to stay we don’t just need to be competitive again the next two years, it needs to be something where he can see where it’s going after his extension kicks in too. So maybe they’ll end up keeping OEL but I’d be surprised if they’re not exploring moving him.
 
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