Leafs talk 3

25 May 2026 14:38:38
Best news of the day
Domi is out, complications from surgery
Reevaluation at training camp!!!!


LTIR!!!!!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

25 May 2026 14:25:25
You have crossed the line on this one! I would never applaud and consider best news of the day when anyone other than guilty of horrible crimes or similar has Health complications from a surgery. Sorry Golftown, I am not joining your applauding or joy from this news.

25 May 2026 23:05:42
Yes I regret posting that.
My apologies.

26 May 2026 01:20:31
No Problem! We sometimes forget these players are real people too. Max is a really good guy and ambassador off the ice. Have met him a few times and with the public and fans he is a really nice guy, his dad who I encountered a few times, not so much.

24 May 2026 10:55:42
Taking a look at the Leafs system of late has me thinking we are in a pretty good spot in short order.

This year with some luck they will get an impact NHL player at 1 then they have a full draft worth of picks which I’m excited to see since we got that guy from Dallas.

Then I look at what guys like Koblar are
doing at the Worlds it’s great to see, Holinka had a great year in the WHL played as a centre wish he was getting ice time in the playoffs.

Cowan is looking pretty good as well and Danford just stepped right in with the Marlies. I think after this draft the Leafs could look at their system and have 4-5+ player as NHL quality which every team needs in order to build a competitive roster.

24 May 2026 18:01:18
If they draft McKenna for instance and move even one of Matthews or Nylander for young prospects +, their player system will look pretty decent. They have some young potential bottom 6 guys already as well, like Valis. Young goalie position seems strong too.


It's why I think that if they moved both Matthews and Nylander with strategic trades that balance each other, the remix to a new culture that would be competitive could happen quicker than some may think.

24 May 2026 21:01:28
I agree Goat, not the Stanley Cup team yet but heading in the right direction.

With 2 or 3 strategic trades and same number of UFA picks, I’m not as unhappy as I was at the end of season.

24 May 2026 23:33:02
@RLF I think they should move Nylander. If they move one, centres are just too hard to replace.
But the other problem would be the fact that free agency isn’t very good and the chance the Leafs win a Nylander trade is not very high imo

25 May 2026 15:52:28
Goat. Yes, typically start with the winger before the centre if moving someone.
I think a weak FA market could actually help Nylander's value. There is no Nylander via free agency and GMs are going to overpay guys like Tuch.

Willy's $11.5M may start to look really good if Tuch is asking $10M+ for instance. I'm not predicting anything, but Nylander and Carlo for Sennecke, Luneau+ still seems like a good hockey trade for both teams imo.

25 May 2026 23:19:26
I still don't see Anaheim letting Sennecke go. I think he showed them with the 4 goals in his last 5 playoff games he can rise to the occasion not only in the regular season but also the playoffs. That is the kind of young guy you do not let go.

26 May 2026 14:43:26
I don't think he has proven anything yet. As we know, rookies can look great and then drop off or not really take a step. It often takes a few seasons. Happens all the time. Teams will now start preparing for Sennecke and he will have more pressure next season because improvement will be expected. The Western Conference is the weaker conference right now. If Anaheim wants to go for a Cup over the next 2 seasons, getting a vet forward like Nylander and a vet D like Carlo helps as they have huge age gaps between their vets and good young players. Most players on the team are either 25 and under or 32 and over. Nylander and Carlo bridge that age gap and both have lots left in the tank. That said, Sennecke looks like he will be a good one.

As for the playoffs, yes he had 4 goals in the last 5 games. But he struggled greatly defensively and was a -7 in the playoffs. His line was the Ducks worst line defensively. His physicality dropped off against Vegas. His defensive play has been a concern, even in junior. What if he doesn't improve his defensive reads and coverage? There is no guarantee he will. Plus, as Marner turned his fortunes around when leaving the poorly constructed core in Toronto, maybe the same happens for Nylander. As you said, and I have a swell before, pure talent, it's hard to match what Willy is capable of doing. Teams may not want to let guys like Sennecke go, but teams would also line up to get talent like Nylander.

22 May 2026 17:33:30
There is still so much talk going on about how well Marner is doing in the playoffs and it's a Toronto thing. Things like - there wasn't enough bottom 6 support in Toronto. The fan and media pressure is too much etc. The "see it wasn't Marner" narrative is running wild.
The one thing that isn't mentioned (at least I haven't heard it) is simply that the Vegas stars show up and up their game in the playoffs and Toronto's didn't. This isn't a knock on how well Marner is playing, he is playing well. His first 5 games though, he wasn't very noticeable, despite claims of he is playing great defensively so he's still playing great.

His name is now mentioned because of the point totals he is putting up through the offence provided, not the defensive game. From my point of view, the others picked up for Marner offensively in the first 5 games which allowed him to relax a bit and just play the game. That never happened in Toronto. Marner deserves credit for sure, but it's not a Toronto, the city thing, is was from Toronto having stars that don't want to play a hard game. In Vegas they will, and they get the results because of it.

22 May 2026 17:08:16
I think a big part is the competition he is playing against.
I don't mean just the quality of teams (Utah & Anaheim), but also the fact he's playing on their second line and not get the hardest match ups.

22 May 2026 19:44:40
No sense beating a dead horse. He doesn't play for us anymore. He is in a good place mentally and physically on and off the ice. We just need to close the book and worry about where our current roster is heading.

22 May 2026 21:50:37
Tags. Lower quality of competition would help.

Suffering. The horse isn't dead, it is talked about in the media daily. Even Vegas players, coaches and players from other teams put their two cents in. This post is about the Leafs roster though. That's my point. It's not the city, the fans, the media, it is about having built the team around too many support style stars.

Seldom do they impose their will on the other team. They wait for someone else to do that. It's hard to out skill someone with your face against the glass.
Let me ask you then, do you believe in the Leafs stars? (Matthews, Nylander).

22 May 2026 23:48:38
In regards to your question about Nylander and Matthews? No! I know everyone talks about retooling or trading them and rebuilding. To be honest years ago I could see Matthews becoming more and more a playing on the perimeter player, moreso when playoffs arrived. Nylander might be one of the most talented players to play the game for sheer skill in the last couple of decades for the insane things he can do with his speed and his hands. But he doesn't bring it consistently. In the last couple of years I have become completely open to trading both of them. Matthews stock has dropped in the past couple of years from where it was but even coming back from injury a team will offer a very good player and a good prospect and a 1st round pick. Nylander's stock has probably risen actually as his point per game production as gone up. So he would probably bring a good player and a couple of good prospects and a 1st if packaged with a lesser player.

Truthfully the return and the possibility of then using one of the better prospects and 1 if not 2 of the draft picks, puts us actually not in a rebuild as some would think. It would be more about adding 3 good players with more balance to replace the 2 big names that have also come to the end of the line with the failed Shanaplan.

I was watching the Canada game the other day at the World Championships and my Son in Law who is actually a Ottawa fan called me and said " Obviously a fantasy question but if you had a chance to Give up Nylander and Matthews and get 3 Dylan Holloways that could bang and score would you do it? " I didn't hesitate at all. I said "In a Heart Beat" That's the type of forwards we need. Big and strong but willing to give and take a hit, that every defencemen going into the corner knows they are going to get hit from that forward when he is on the ice.

23 May 2026 12:58:23
I would say you agree then that the 2 stars left are not the 2 that will lead to a Cup. The reason I posted what I did, because if this is true, and I believe it is, then moving forward the Leafs should be looking at moving them and building the team with new leaders instead of retooling around those 2.

23 May 2026 14:21:34
We are on the same page sir.

23 May 2026 15:45:05
Marner is not here anymore
Why are we still talking about him?
Move on already.

23 May 2026 16:39:33
Great post and comments, gentlemen. For what it’s worth I am on board with rebuilding and moving off them two as well. These young kids these days are coming in NHL ready and making immediate impacts. Get a young package now for them two, get some Vets in free agency for them to learn from.

Bring back Bobby McMann and let the rebuild begin. But before anyone, they need to find a trade for Reilly. He and Nylander would be my first two trades. Matthews and Stolarz to follow.

23 May 2026 17:28:17
Golftown. I explained the reason for the post as it was in regards to what Toronto should do with Matthews and Nylander if they aren't the type of players to lead. Marner, although the point leader for Vegas (only by 1 now), is not the only producer. The other Vegas stars have also played well and pick it up when Marner doesn't produce. Marner has 1 point in the 2 conference final games. Who has lead in the conference final so far - Eichel, Barbashev, Dorofeyev. Howden has 11 points. Theodore has 9 from the D.


Marner leaving and having success elsewhere shows as a group of stars, the Leafs were too flawed together. This should help more realize what some have been saying for a while, it wasn't the right formula. For me, it is move them now while they still have high value. It is not as much about Marner as it is about confirming Matthews, Nylander and Marner weren't the right mix, so let's move on and find the right mix instead of continuing the insanity. Retool, rebuild, remix, what ever you want to call it.

20 May 2026 05:04:23
Has anyone maybe considered that the Leafs might....just might...keep first overall and take Chase Reid first overall?
Solves their biggest need...and what Matthews asked management for when the season ended. A puck moving, PP quarterback, minute eating, right hand s*** defenseman! Not saying that they are going to pass on McKenna but might it make more sense for the direction of the team? Especially if they are going to "retool" instead of rebuild and they already have a bunch of wingers.

20 May 2026 18:54:15
Chase Reid is very much a gamble pick. He didn’t put up great numbers and his game on the defensive end needs work so taking him at 1 would be a tough sell…

20 May 2026 20:38:01
Yeah, I agree with Goat2.0. Reid really did not great at end of season and the playoffs. I expected more. I guess if someone thought high enough of him that they want him above everyone else. They could swap that pick and still get him along with either a player asset or a draft asset.

20 May 2026 22:50:15
Not saying that none of them become a top pairing Dman, but reading and watching this defense crop, it just doesn't look like any of them will become a legitimate 1st pairing Dmen. So, I personally would not use the 1stOA on any of them.
For me, it's pretty much 100% McKenna.

22 May 2026 21:51:50
There is no absolute stand out above the rest D. Take the best player, McKenna.

14 May 2026 13:22:27
So with Charlie Coyle at his age signing the 6 x $6m, does this throw a wrench into Pittsburgh's plans? Word is he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh and they were playing a bit of a waiting game and hoped to keep him but at a hometown discount for a couple years $4.5m up to $5m was bandied about. He also expressed interest in playing somewhere else depending how negotiations went.

With Coyle scoring 58 points in 82 games and Malkin scoring 61 points in only 56 games, if Pittsburgh doesn’t sign him, I would offer 2 years @ $6.75 per year. Then we have Matthew’s, Malkin and Tavares down the middle while we groom a few Centremen. Couldn’t hurt to have that experience and skillset.

14 May 2026 14:10:47
???? How would Pitt want to keep Coyle when he never played for them and how did he want to stay on a team he never played for? And how does him re-signing with CLB put a wrench in Pitts' plans?

14 May 2026 14:46:03
I had typed Malkin and the system changed it to “he” which obviously makes no sense. I had also posted it to rumours side but it ended up here. It says the site has the right to alter text and this has happened in the past a few times. I wish they would allow to do editing.

14 May 2026 14:47:38
Basically, with Coyle signing higher end, if Pittsburgh wants Malkin at the discount, I think it messed up Pittsburgh's plans.

14 May 2026 15:57:33
Got it, that makes more sense. With all Pitts cap space and so many players already signed, I think they can pay Malkin even $7M per for 2 years and still do whatever they want otherwise. They have $42M this year and a projected $87M the next year.

14 May 2026 23:47:42
It sounds though from Dubas end of the season conference the other day he is keeping spending of that cap tight.

He said: utilizing massive space simply because it is available is a "false flag" that can hinder long-term flexibility.

Cap Strategy: Dubas suggested he is cautious of overspending in a thin free-agent market and aims to avoid long-term deals for players in their 30s.

Focus on Youth/Assets: He plans to use cap space to acquire young players or take on contracts in exchange for assets.

Future Focus: The team is prioritizing accumulating draft capital and young talent to improve from the current roster.


Word is he wants Mantha back so he will be upping the salary there, he Defintely is going to re-sign Chinakov and he wants to Keep Ryan Shea so will have to up the ante there too.

None will be mind blowing contracts but could hit the $10,000,000 increase between the 3 of them. He also has no goalies under contract and wants to address that as well which depending on how he does it via trade or Possibly wooing Bobrovsky the budget is going to be in the $9 to $10 million range for a Tandem if not a little more.

Im not saying that saving Money on Malkin for hometown discount would be complete disaster if it didn't happen. But I think Dubas is trying to save every penny he can because I get the feeling he is loading up for a trade that will be a big one, and he might need the extra money for whoever he will be bringing in. The Coyle signing did though set a bit of a level on the Salary Barometer. I'm sure Tuch's agent is rubbing his hands in glee.

15 May 2026 13:45:27
I am trying to grasp what apparently Dubas plan is, on one hand;
"Cap Strategy: Dubas suggested he is cautious of overspending in a thin free-agent market and aims to avoid long-term deals for players in their 30s.
Focus on Youth/Assets: He plans to use cap space to acquire young players or take on contracts in exchange for assets."
Taking on contracts to get assets would typically be taking on contracts of players who aren't young or worth their money.


On the other hand, he also wants to re-sign Shea who is 29, Mantha 31 and possibly Bobrovsky at 37? Only younger player mentioned was definitely re-signing the 25 year old Chinakhov. That would fill up most of the roster spots they currently have available. Seems like a contradiction to what he said. Then again, it is Dubas, and he likes to say a lot of things.

15 May 2026 15:21:50
I will add, apparently he also wanted the 37 year old Malkin back on a home town discount.

15 May 2026 21:40:08
Yeah I think Dubas is throwing up a bit of a smoke screen on a few things. He is very sly.... I expect him to drop a bombshell trade if not just before the Draft on the actually Draft day.

They have a ton of top prospects in their system. So they could go that route. They also have all their draft picks in order should Dubas pull the trigger on a Jason Robertson Offer Sheet.

17 May 2026 18:55:27
Dubas being Dubas.
Still trying to prove to the world that he is the smartest executive in all of sports, not just hockey…
Still glad he’s gone…
Just sayin’.

13 May 2026 17:37:06
Just 2 potential top 6 for the future

McKenna-Matthews-Knies
Tuch/Cowan-Tavares-Nylander

Cowan/Tuch-McDavid-Nylander
McKenna-Matthews-Knies

If I'm McDavid I'm 100 percent coming to the Leafs to form one of the greatest top 6 of all time.

13 May 2026 20:25:23
Of all time? Let’s just see if we can get past the first round first.

17 May 2026 19:10:36
You got the lines wrong.
McKenna McDavid McCowan
McKnies McMatthews McNylander

Finish off the 12.
McMann McBain McGroarty
McLeod McCann McCarron.

13 May 2026 10:22:55
Solid ideas. If I was the GM, I’d probably be fine with all of them. Coyle’s obviously off the market now, though. Fun to toss around different scenarios and ideas.

My choice is Stenberg and Chase Reid but it's ok if Leafs draft McKenna and Reid.

12 May 2026 23:30:20
Was listening to Jonas Siegels podcast this morning where they had Scott Wheeler on to talk about McKenna, Wheeler had so good insight on the top draft options this year.

What stood out to me was what Wheeler had to say. He said the top choice is McKenna and always has been. He said McKenna may not have the immediate impact most want (he referred to Jack Hughes). He stated McKenna comparables at the high end could be the likes of Patrick Kane or Kucherov but on the low end Panarin.

He also stated Stenberg maybe the more NHL ready prospect but long term may not be the better player long term.

They also brought up Reid and he basically said he has number 1 potential but he’s not gonna be a game breaker.

I went and looked at Matthews stats compared to McKennas in their draft years and I know when Matthews was drafted a lot was said of Laine and that he may have been the better option and I can’t help but think this draft could play out the same way when the Leafs take the right guy in McKenna 1st overall

13 May 2026 22:28:28
I sure hope they take McKenna and I think that would be the right choice.

07 May 2026 15:02:30
So I had a interesting conversation last night with a group of buddies regarding if you had the choice of McKenna and Stenberg. It isn't that I hate McKenna... there is just something there that doesn't totally grab me. Anyway that always has been my opinion and doesn't match everyones of course. The other 4 guys it was interesting. 3 of them said McKenna and One used the word that has been used on here a few times on both sides of the site "Stud" and one used the words "Generational Player". None of the 3 really had major compelling things other than look at his numbers. The last buddy that spoke was interesting and had quite the argument in favour of Stenberg. First thing he said was To use numbers as a true comparison. Frondell played in the Swedish Hockey League like Stenberg and is a year older and was 4 points behind Stenberg 33 to 29 so both did very well and Frondell stepped into Chicagos lineup and was dynamite. So that was his first argument then he gave us numbers I had not delved deep into but were interesting.

He said with College players NHL teams look most specifically how the player fared against the best teams in their specific Conferences. He said McKenna's total numbers in his Conference were 38 points in 24 games. Which was impressive when he said it. However he said 25 of those points were in 12 games against 3 teams not ranked in the top 20 and 13 of the points were in 12 games against the 3 teams in the Top 20. All other 3 guys all left really and thinking hard and I left totally convinced. I drove him home and he said "OH don't forget...his penalty cost us in a huge game at the WJC and in his final College game the biggest game of the year for them.... he was a-3 with 2 shots and his giveaway was the game turning play. " I thought I did research but my buddy puts me to shame. If we keep the 1st bring on Either Stenberg or Verhoeff.

07 May 2026 15:54:52
Truthfully, if Matthews is here, I think McKenna make sense he’s Marner 2.0 with maybe more upside… The things I worry about with his are not his play, but it’s things like the lack of winning he’s done. It’s about adding another star player that lacks jam. Do the Leafs want to fall into that trap again?

07 May 2026 18:15:36
I honestly don't get the McKenna criticism, especially the reference to a lack of aggression or willingness to engage physically. He just turned 18 in late December. Instead of playing another year of junior where he would dominate (129 pts in 56 games as a 16/17 year old), he decided to go play against men in the NCAA. For one, let's not pretend the SHL is as physical as the NCAA Division 1 hockey. No one points that out when comparing him with Stenberg.
He was only 17 start of the year. His physical game picked up dramatically as the season progressed. We saw at the World Juniors he has a bit of an edge to him. He also had to put up with other Uni's crowds constantly taunting him about being overrated etc. Including a ton of stuff on Social Media. Instead of whining about the constant criticism about his game, he sought help on how to improve those areas and got better. I severely doubt that Stenberg was constantly taunted by fans or had anywhere the scrutiny of his game in the SHL as McKenna has had to put up with. Pointing out which teams he scored the most against in the NCAA is interesting if the same scrutiny was applied to Stenberg, in which Stenberg picked up many of his points against the bottom half teams in the SHL.

He had 21 against teams that finished 8th to 14th and only 12 against the other top 6 teams (Frolunda being in 2nd). McKenna put up 51 in 35 games as a 17/18 year old, which is very impressive. He finished 2nd in points per game in the Division 1. Stenberg was tied for 4th on his team. McKenna had 14 points in 7 games at the World Juniors. Stenberg 10 in 7.
McKenna's vision and hockey IQ is off the charts. He will push back physically, unlike Marner. He works hard to improve himself and his game. There shouldn't be a lot of entitlement in him since he grew up in Whitehorse and had to move away from home (BC iirc) at a young age to get better competition. This kid had to work hard to get where he is. Stenberg, to my knowledge, has been within 40 minutes of his parents throughout his whole playing time in Sweden.
One of the two has sacrificed a lot more to get where he is than the other has. I want that kid.

07 May 2026 18:37:24
Very nice write up RLF.
No doubt in my mind McKenna goes #1OA.

07 May 2026 20:12:15
No argument in regards to the physical nature of the NCAA to the SHL but it is hard to compare the two because the overall caliber of the SHL is much higher in skill than the NCAA. I won't do a long pos but saying because Stenberg has been within 40 minutes of his parents doesn't mean he has not had to work as hard to get to this point of being a top rated player. While Stenberg didn't get subjected to razzing he was subjected to being somewhat ostracized by his teammates for the first part of the season.

Apparently this is common over there as older players resent young guys taking a friend's spot and possibly their spot on the team. So there you have to prove yourself in a hurry or you find yourself on the outside all year in the dressing room. All these kids have different routes to where they are. I respect you have the passion to stick up for McKenna and we all will have our opinions of each player.

07 May 2026 20:52:20
I didn't say work as hard, I said one sacrificed more. I believe McKenna moved away at 12. Then moved even farther this year by going to the States play NCAA. That is a bigger personal sacrifice than joining a team with your brother and staying within a short drive of your parents if you need them. Point was, Stenberg has always had family support close at hand. McKenna was on his own a lot and didn't let any of that stop him.

My post was more about the scrutiny he is getting compared to Stenberg. McKenna has to constantly prove he deserves to continue to be the number 1 pick. Stenberg doesn't have that pressure. Plus he lives and plays in Sweden, away from the North American market. You have pumped Stenberg's tires for a while. It was time someone pumped McKenna's tires and remind us all why this guy is so highly touted. I respect your passion for Stenberg as well.

07 May 2026 20:59:58
I will add though. That decision to go play against men instead of dominating in Junior had nothing to do with earning $700,000 right? :o)

07 May 2026 21:46:57
Always good and cordial debates either RLF. I like that. Stenberg had a different pressure in that, that same brother was a 1st round draft pick so he has always been that guy at every level of hockey “Oh you are Otto’s brother”. That is not an easy spot to be. Sometimes even more pressure to perform.

09 May 2026 01:14:58
Craig Button said McKenna is clear cut number 1
So I’ll go with that over 4 buddies hashing it out.

09 May 2026 01:32:14
Craig Button the worst general manager in Flames history. Lol.

09 May 2026 15:10:00
I wasn't going to comment on the Otto Stenberg brother pressure, but in the end, I can't help it. Lol
Being Otto Stenberg's brother is a lot of pressure and can be even more to perform than what McKenna had. Seriously? Let's not act like Otto is some highly touted prospect like Ivar. He was the 25th overall pick. He's showed no real point production improvement this year in the A.

He projects as a 2nd/3rd line winger. Are you honestly trying to say that being Otto's brother was more pressure on Ivar growing up than McKenna being a phenom in Canada? C'mon man, I know you are doing your best to prove Stenberg is the better pick, but this is a massive reach.

09 May 2026 15:45:05
Did you grown up with successful brothers and everyone assumed you were going to be like them. I did. Two different fields of life. I can speak from experience it is no picnic. I am not saying any of this to prove Stenberg is the better pick. I am just saying on your part don't make him out to be some oh poor poor me scenario. He was paid very well to play there this year and was he away from his family? Sure he was but they made it to quite a few games.

There were also quite a few other players on that team from far away places. As well as literally every university team that had players that were far away from their homes. It is a sacrifice they give willingly, not forcefully. They all make sacrifices to get to this level.

09 May 2026 17:08:05
Suffering. We aren't comparing NCAA players to each other. We are comparing Stenberg and McKenna. No need to dirty the water saying most NCAA players are away from home. Most are, yet most aren't 17 though. Yes, I have an older brother I was compared to. And? Ivar is considered better than his brother. I can relate to that. I got to higher levels in hockey than my brother, even though he did well. You know who it was hard on more than me? My brother. We are 4 years apart and he was always getting teased about his little brother is/or going to be better.

It wasn't that difficult for me except to reach the expectations people had on me.
Yes, McKenna got paid. Rumour is $700K. Guesstimates on Stenberg was over $400K US this year in the SHL. How come you don't mention him getting paid as part of the reason he went to the SHL, yet say money motivated McKenna. Pretty sure a chance to get paid to play had something to do with Ivar going to the SHL.
Anyhow, I'm not going back and forth on this. Logically speaking, I can't see how one can compare the two paths and say Stenberg has had a tougher go. You do. All good.

09 May 2026 17:19:57
Please provide your source on Stenberg Salary.

09 May 2026 17:38:17
My mistake. That was his performance value I read and not his actual salary. His real pay is estimated closer to $50K. I was wrong on his pay.

09 May 2026 18:00:11
Acknowleged.

07 May 2026 09:59:44
I can’t help but think with the Matthews news coming out that he’s not sold on staying comes after the presser…

So what is it that he’s not happy with?

Is it the fact that they hired Chyaka?

Is it that they haven’t fired Berube and are considering bringing him back?

Or is it him seeing his buddy Marner playing playoff hockey?

If I was a betting man, this is all about the coach, in which Matthews will use his power to get Berube axed even tho the right move is to fire Berube and they should have done so weeks ago.

Cassidy is just sitting there, but I doubt he will be jobless for much longer so Pelley needs to step aside and let the grown ups run this team.

06 May 2026 01:53:50
Would like to hear everyone’s thoughts on who we should pick. I’m leaning towards a D-man. Chase Reid or Verheoff might be the way to go. We need a puck moving offensive D that can skate.

I look at it as who would you rather from MTL in playoffs if you can only pick one between Caulfied and Hudson. These D have way more impact on the game and very hard to acquire via a trade.

06 May 2026 02:29:28
You draft McKenna. No question about it. Throw a bag at Raddysh and hope he continues his play and becomes our number one.

06 May 2026 03:37:16
Definitely sign McKenna and trade Knies or Cowan, plus whatever else for a top pairing Dman.
Maybe trade with Dallas (need to make space for resigning Robertson), plus Dallas already has 2 solid LD Hieskanen & Bischel
Knies or Cowan, Carlo, Robertson and 2027 1st (Colorado)
For
Harley & Bourque.

06 May 2026 08:57:00
What??? McKenna is a complete stud you have to draft him. The only way I’d take a d is if we move down for a good haul from Vancouver and get a top prospect and the 3rd pick for 1. But still m taking McKenna 100 percent of the time.

06 May 2026 09:06:22
I was hoping the Leafs would of landed at 3 and it would have negated this conversation but you’re right the Leafs have never had that stud dman which is why I said trade out of number one but I can’t help to this what could McKenna be here in Toronto my biggest issue with him is he’s a winger.

06 May 2026 12:40:25
@ Goat2.0 I was hoping for #1 because of that potential of trading the pick for a asset and still getting a very good player. The depth of the Dmen this year is insane. None of them are a Matthew Schaeffer or a Landon Dupont coming next year but the depth is insane. You could put them as dice in a cup shake it and probably not be disappointed at which one rolls closest to you. In no particular order, Verhoeff, Reid, Carels, Lin, Rudolph and last but by far certainly not least Smits.

Smits actually is the least talked about because we don't get to see him hardly at all. He is a beast. I remember watching him with my Son-in-law when the WJC were on this year and we both went. "Who in hell is this guy? He is massive." and he could skate and play great D. 5 points for Latvia at the worlds. Played in the under 20 league in Finland and dominated and got called up to play in the Finnish Elite League and got 13 points in 38 games.

Their season ended so they lend him to EHC Munchen in Germany where he got 1 point in 5 games but then got 6 points in 11 playoff games. And let's not forget during this crazy season for him he also played in the Olympics for Latvie and got 2 points.

He is a guy that has flown under the radar to us North Americans, but I'll tell you he might be the sleeper of the draft. He has shown he doesn't care where he plays, he will adapt and adapt very very quickly and well. If the right team offered the right roster player and swapped their pick with us in the 6 to 8 spot he would be there I think. We know that McKenna and Stenberg and Malholtra will the 3 forwards that go in the top 7 or 8 which leaves 5 defensemen so no-one in top 8 will go home disappointed this year.

06 May 2026 19:18:31
It's McKenna imo. I would look to try and move Matthews if he doesn't want to be here to who that will be in the spot to draft Verheoff (2-5).

06 May 2026 21:34:00
I have to agree with some of you. To get a haul for a trade to move down 2-3 spots. Target Chase Reid or Verheoff. We need that Lane Hudson/Hughes/Makar style defenceman. We have the two way D and stay at home D. We just need this puck mover (PP) D and a tough guy on top 6 and it would be a complete package.

When teams get these guys, they are not trading them away. I know Raddysh is out there but why would he want to come Toronto and how much is he gonna want? 32 teams are going to be after that guy. @Tags Knies should be untouchable. A guy like him is almost as valuable as a RHD that can put up points.

06 May 2026 23:59:52
TML winning the lottery has certainly opened up the dialogue and have to admit that I’ve read some very creative trade proposals since the lottery.

Many are well-thought out and have merit but I think TML, if they pick McKenna which I expect they do, will need to make is sending Mattias Maccelli.

Adding McKenna, a generational offensive player, at 5.11 and 170 is a look-alike to Maccelli, Cowan and Robertson. Talent and skill are important but we need to balance this “look” with other things.

NJD need a top6 forward and we need a two-way Dman. The Devils are rumoured ready to trade Simon Nemec if they can’t offload Hamilton. Let’s see if we can augment the blue line by giving NJD what they need.

Or send Maccelli to the Kraken for their R2 2026 (#38). A great return when compared to the R3 2027 that we gave up to get Maccelli.

I think Maccelli ended the year well for TML and his trade value is high.