08 Mar 2026 12:47:37
So my post today will focus on a move that I would make to hopefully get us closer to the SC.

I didn’t give the name of my forward in yesterday’s Robertson trade but some of you no doubt guessed it was Jan Chovan.

It follows my post of yesterday and also speaks to LeafsGM78 idea of Rielly buyout.

I want to emphasize he posted the caveat that Rielly must be willing to waive his no trade clause.

The Leafs Must get Rielly to waive for 2 reasons: a buyout while an okay strategy gets us nothing back for the asset and secondly we will carry a $2m cap hit for 8 years!

So the strategy we Must pursue is a trade and methinks our negotiation base is very weak so we will likely be disappointed by our return.

We Must take the attitude of being happy with a cap savings to reinvest in players that will move us forward plus the strong belief that part of our porous defence will be improved.



Several choices exist to me.

First is of course Vancouver, his hometown and a team that might feel the need for offence from their D corps after losing Hughes. In return be very happy with a 2026 R2 plus Aiden Celebrini, a 22yo 6.1 195lb RD who is a plus skater with good physicality and excellent play reading ability.

My second choice is SJS, who desperately need D help in any form for a 2026 R2 plus Egor Afnasayev, a 25yo 6.4 212lb offensive winger with a great shot good speed but not as quick as I’d like.

If neither of these can be done, see if Calgary will give us a R2 & R4 in 2026.

Thanks for reading.

1.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 15:02:57
You are getting nothing back for Rielly! No asset, only another bad contract, if you can trade him at all. It may be better to buy him out.

2.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 15:52:32
I would not consider a buyout simply because some team will grab him and we will have to absorb $2m for 8 years!

Find the team that will give us something! That can’t be impossible m4l.

SJS have only 6 current NHL Dmen.

3.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 17:43:58
The trick, Randy, is finding a place #1 that will take him. #2, that place also has to be a place he will waive his rights to go to. Also, with Tessa Virtue's career it also has to be a fit. She is an Executive Advisor with Deloitte and has been for 5 years. So that narrows it down. Obviously the largest office would be Toronto and that won't work for trading him. Montreal and Vancouver are huge offices as well, both at over 100,000 Sq feet occupying multi floors in Office Buildings.

Vancouver could be the one destination that would be a good fit for them as a couple. Now it would come down to what, if anything, we could pry from them and if they would take the whole salary. It could be possible that we might have to give him away just for the contract and a 2 or 3rd rounder. If we have to retain $2.5 or $3 to get a prospect we might as well just do the buy out and take on the $1.5 or $2 million. Tricky situation.

4.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 18:22:24
Yes, those requirements are necessary to move Rielly.

For me, I don’t buy him out if he won’t waive. I can’t see paying someone $2m for 8 years and watching them play on another team.



I’ll keep him and practice every day and hopefully teach him how to improve his defence. Small things like tying up a player’s stick in front of the net and how to block out someone driving to the net.

5.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 21:39:23
Here is first of my offseason moves, part reuild and part retool. I am a firm believer that you still need a somewhat competitive Defense Corp to stabilize a youth movement up front.

Pittsburgh gets: Matthews
Carlo
Nick Robertson
Our 2 3rds from 2026

Toronto gets: Karlsoon
Brunicke
Zonnon
Horcoff
1st for 2026

Then we go hard for Rasmus Andersson as Free Agent and try to get him for $8.5.

By the time the deals are done other the Salary is almost a wash other than if we insert the young guys right away we are a extra $ 3 million roughly. Then we have a few new young bodies on the d-line with some experience and a some good puck movers and experienced Power play d-men that could still create offense even with young bodies up front.



We would still try to move Reilly of course. But our D-corp would be.

OEL with Brunicke
Karlsson with Andersson
McCabe with Danford
Benoit and Stecher at reasonable prices as spare d-men

Horcoff is a huge body Centreman and Bill Zonnon is power forward in the Q that can play wing and Centre. He is really strong.

My first of a few possible Matthews deals. He would like to play with Sid and it gives them another option if they don't sign Malkin.

6.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 21:44:03
Or we find a mysterious injury to put Reilly on LTIR and dress Tessa in his place at league minimum. Hey!!!! In her prime she was a faster skater than him anyway lol.

7.) 08 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 22:24:10
I’ve seen and do like everything about Zonnon.

I’d love to have Horcoff, a huge player with speed, skill and IQ.

Brunicke is also very good prospect.

The 1st is obvious.

Karlsson is to balance salary.

I feel like it’s one piece short.

I’m having real trouble understanding trade values after the TDL, to me there’s little to zero consistency.

8.) 09 Mar 2026
08 Mar 2026 23:43:09
Karlsson is not just a Salary Balance but he still puts up good points and has really tightened up his defensive side of the game. Plus if we keep OEL and at Karlsson our chances of wooing Andersson increase. Those 3 guys are one half of the Starting d on the Swedish Olympic team.

I figure that Carlo, Robertson and the 2 3rds are the Karlsson trade off and Zonnon, Horcoff, Brunicke and the 1st are Matthews Trade. The way he has not produced of late that is a good deal. Zonnon and Horcoff were 1sts that have have some development time, Brunicke slipped through but should have been a 1st and without a doubt was our best d man at the WJC and didn't look bad in his NHL audition.

and of course the actual 1st round pick. That is basically 3 1sts and a very early 2nd pick that should have been a 1st. It's a good start. We would still be rebuilding but at least it won't be massice blowouts with that Defense.

Was thinking too RandySears that Seattle with that short bunny hop plane flight to Vancouver for Work purposes for Reilly's wife would also be a attractive option for a trade he might accept. 2 fold actually. It works for her career and by going to Seattle he takes a pay hike with Washington being a tax free state. He would be taking home anywhere from $1.1 to $1.5 million a year extra. We could pry away a prospect or 2 there?

9.) 09 Mar 2026
09 Mar 2026 14:48:13
Let’s try and pry two Canadian prospects from Seattle.

21yo Carson Rehkopf is a future C2 or C3 with good wheels, grit and 2-way skill set.

I’d slo like Lukas Dragicevic but probably expecting too much.

Then I’ll take their 20yo undersized RD Ty Nelson who has outstanding speed and ability, always wanting to join the rush.

He also has great gap control and is surprisingly physical at 5.10” but packing 198lbs.

These trades and your post gets us going in the right direction.