Weekly Takes - Monday, March 6th Edition

Weekly Takes - Monday, March 6th Edition

1. My takeaways from the Leafs-Blackhawks trade on Monday…

• Up front, the rich get richer by the Leafs adding Sam Lafferty. Their forward group was already set heading into the week, so the addition of Lafferty gives Sheldon Keefe an abundance of toys to play with. He is fast, gritty, can play centre, and is great on the face-off circle from the right side. The exact type of player the bottom six has lacked over the years.

• Acquiring a defenceman, in my mind, was always going to be pointless if it was not a bonafide top-four defenceman. Jake McCabe, who is the total package, is exactly that. He is a younger Jake Muzzin and instantly gives the Leafs a ton of options on their back end. They are nine NHL defencemen deep.

• The assets they gave up in the trade were well worth it given the two players they added. It was even more worth it given both McCabe and Lafferty are under contract beyond this season. There is no question that Kyle Dubas is “all in” but this team is going to be very good again next season.

2. My takeaway from the Leafs-Capitals trade on Tuesday…

• I very much like Rasmus Sandin and think he has the ceiling of a top-four defenceman who can quarterback a second power-play unit. But he was going to be on the outside looking in for the stretch run this season and had no clear path to get back into the lineup next season on a regular basis, as he was not coming in the lineup for Morgan Riley, McCabe, or Mark Giordano on the left side. Collecting a first for him, while also bringing in Erik Gustafsson, who has been a true top-four defenceman this season, is a win-win for both sides.

• The addition of Gustaffson could be a sneaky, nice addition for the Leafs, who could easily have him run the second power-play unit. But as was the case with Sandin, it is tough to see a path for him to play every game. But that is a lot easier of a “problem” to deal with, given Gustafsson is quite likely a pure rental.

3. My takeaway on what was a defacto Pierre Engvall for Luke Schenn swap on Tuesday…

• The addition of Schenn solidifies the Leafs back-end with a tremendous mix of puck-movers, bone-crushers, etc. It is a “greedy” addition, as after the McCabe trade, there was no obvious upgrade needed on the back end, but Schenn gives the Leafs an added element on the back end that they could have used. At the time I am writing this (Wednesday) one has to think Justin Holl is going to be moved. The Leafs right now, if you include Jordie Benn (which you should) are ten NHL defencemen deep. That is quite rich.

• I was a bigger Engvall fan than most based purely on the fact that he could kill penalties and always found a way to chip in offensively. But with the additions of Lafferty and Noel Accari, he was no longer going to be in a penalty-kill role, tremendously hurting his value. His offence in the bottom six is going to be missed, though, so at the time I am writing this, the hope is Dubas can find someone to replace him at 3LW. Unless that spot is going to Matthew Knies once he arrives.

4. Here is what my lines would be with the deadline now passed…

Forwards…

Michael Bunting - Auston Matthews - William Nylander

John Tavares - Ryan O’Reilly - Mitch Marner

Alex Kerfoot/Knies - David Kampf - Calle Jarnkrok

Zach Aston-Reese/Kerfoot - Accari - Lafferty

Scratched: Aston-Reese (come playoff time)

Defencemen…

McCabe - T.J. Brodie

Giordano - Timothy Liljegren

Rielly - Luke Schenn

Scratched: Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl, and Connor Timmins

Goaltending…

Ilya Samsonov

Matt Murray

In my opinion, Dubas has addressed the depth by such a large amount that Keefe can stack his top two lines. Betting on one of those lines being great every game in the playoffs is surely a safe one.

Defensively, Keefe has a lot of different combinations to try out between now and the playoffs but I love the idea of that third pairing crushing their minutes and McCabe-Brodie going up against other teams best players. Schenn can be for Rielly what he was for Quinn Hughes in Vancouver.

I am a bit surprised they kept Holl, but despite what people say, he is a serviceable defencemen who blocks shots and is good on the penalty kill. He is of more value to the Leafs as a pure rental than he was shipping him out for a mid-round draft pick.

5. The deadline has come and gone with Dubas assembling the best Leafs roster in a generation. It is a roster that can score with any team in the league, defend with any team in the league, skate with any team in the league, and match up physically with any team in the league.

It would be a mistake to base his future on the results of what happens in the playoffs. He deserves to be re-signed. The Leafs have an elite, elite roster.

It is just a matter of whether this core can get it done when it matters most.

6. The only criticism one can make regarding Dubas is that he should have done what he has done this trade deadline period a long time ago.

He was gifted the best Leafs core in a generation, but failed to support them with a core that could win come playoff time, instead believing that the team’s toughness was their power play.

He then over-compensated, bringing in one-dimensional players such as Wayne Simmonds and Joe Thornton to bring in team toughness and leadership.

But at the end of the day, he has righted his wrongs and has set this team up for ultimate success with the core group still in its prime.

7. This deadline period by Dubas should show people one thing.

You always draft for pure skill. Physicality, intangibles, and team needs can be traded for with ease.

8. As I wrote in my first point, the Leafs are now shaped up to be very good again next season. Looking at the lineup from point five, you try to bring everyone back but Kampf, Kerfoot, Aston-Reese, Gustaffson, and Holl. They can be replaced with a group that includes Knies (on a full-time basis), Nick Roberston, and Pontus Holmberg.

It should be doable, bringing back Bunting, O’Reilly, Accari, and Schenn, given the first two are likely to take hometown discounts and the last two should come at a rather cheap price.

That is why I liked trading Engvall, as you may as well collect an asset for someone that was 100% gone at the end of the season. Doing that with every free agent was not possible, as you did not want to become a true seller, but lowering the amount of important UFAs you have is always important.

9. My three stars from the Leafs win over the Flames on Thursday…

1. Marner

2. Matthews

3. McCabe

A dominant defensive performance in the third period. A masterclass in how to defend a lead.

10. My three stars from the Leafs loss to the Canucks on Saturday…

1. Murray

2. Tavares

3. Schenn

A bad game from the Leafs stars, who lose yet another game to a bad team.

11. I really like the Oilers addition of Mattias Ekholm.

His contract may not age well, but the Oilers should be a team that is all-in. Trading for a true top-four defenceman does just that.

12. The Senators hit a home run in acquiring Jacob Chychrun for the price that they got him for.

It is a game-changer for Ottawa, who is truly just a goaltender away from making some serious noise.

13. My top ten NHL teams, post-deadline…

1. Bruins

2. Leafs

3. Lightning

4. Rangers

5. Devils

6. Hurricanes

7. Avs

8. Stars

9. Golden Knights

10. Oilers

Hurricanes and Jets fans should be disappointed with the lack of moves made by their respective teams. They should have been in win-now mode just as much as the teams that did make moves.

As for the Oilers, you have to have them on this list because of how amazing they are offensively, but they are quite likely going nowhere with their goaltending.

14. It is great to see that Jose Bautista will be honoured by the Blue Jays this season.

His on-field greatness, highlighted by the bat flip, mixed in with his off-field cockiness and swagger, changed the culture of an entire city and ushered in a new era for Toronto sports.

He is one of the greatest athletes to ever play in Toronto and provided the city with some of its greatest moments from the last 20 years.

A legend in every sense.

15. Ja Morant, thankfully, has done so many dumb things to the point where even he knows he needs help, and it came before he ended up committing a heinous crime that would ruin his life or someone else’s.

Here’s hoping Morant learns from everything he has done, because when he is on the court, he may be the most electrifying athlete in team sport.

16. Jon Jones cemented himself as the greatest fighter in history on Saturday, reminding everyone what kind of megastar he could have been if he did not do what he did away from the cage.

The most dominant to ever do it.