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Eric Staal in play?

Mack674

Mack674

New member
TSN panel on tonights game mentioned leafs kicked the tires on staal over the summer and could make a play for him this season.

First ive heard of it. Is this actually a thing ? Not up to speed on Staal although he has to be a giant upgrade over everything we have down the middle now.

Id make that trade, within reason, assuming Staal is healthy.

Thoughts?
 
Mack674 said:
TSN panel on tonights game mentioned leafs kicked the tires on staal over the summer and could make a play for him this season.

First ive heard of it. Is this actually a thing ? Not up to speed on Staal although he has to be a giant upgrade over everything we have down the middle now.

Id make that trade, within reason, assuming Staal is healthy.

Thoughts?
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I imagine Carolina would want something like a Gardiner+Kadri coming back, and I'm not even sure if that clears enough cap room. I dunno. I like Staal a lot, but that's not a deal I want to invest that kind of cap hit on, plus lose significant assets.
 
I dont want to trade Kadri - Bozak on the other hand..
Gardiner I can part with as well. Gardiner Bozak and maybe something extra.. I dunno. Whats Staals contract like ?

30 Year old top flight centres dont come around very often and the Leafs havn't had one since Sundin - as has been painfully obvious for years.

What would concern me most is how butthurt Kessel would potentially become if they traded his bff out of town lol
 
Mack674 said:
I dont want to trade Kadri - Bozak on the other hand..
Gardiner I can part with as well. Gardiner Bozak and maybe something extra.. I dunno. Whats Staals contract like ?

30 Year old top flight centres dont come around very often and the Leafs havn't had one since Sundin - as has been painfully obvious for years.

What would concern me most is how butthurt Kessel would potentially become if they traded his bff out of town lol
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$8.25M on the cap for this season and next, then he's a UFA. Being a 30 year old centre is not a plus for him. It means he's coming out of - or already out of - his prime production years. I'm not sure he's really a top flight centre anymore, either. Yes, he's better than what the Leafs currently have, but, that's really not saying much. Staal's a 2nd tier guy right now, with an expensive contract (though, thankfully, without much term, but, at the same time, without much term - sort of a catch 22 there). He's also dealt with some serious injuries in each of the last 2 off-seasons. They haven't cost him much playing time, but, they're still a concern.
 
I can't help but feel that Staal is on the downward slide part of his career - as well as being a little bit injury prone recently. So the idea that the Leafs would have to give up a first round pick, Gardiner and Kadri to get him seems like a bad, bad idea.

I wonder if Dreger is floating this rumour now so that when the Leafs get Staal for "only" Jake Gardiner, everyone will say: "well that wasn't such a bad deal."
 
What a weird rumour. Kind of out of the blue.  I'd trade Kari for an upgrade at c but I'd try and keep bozak as a #2 guy. But that's just me.
 
sneakyray said:
What a weird rumour. Kind of out of the blue.  I'd trade Kari for an upgrade at c but I'd try and keep bozak as a #2 guy. But that's just me.
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Kadri is young, id like to keep him. He still has upside. Bozak however, is what he is. Staal is a huge upgrade but yeah it came out of nowhere thats why I started the thread.

Dreger brought it up again after the second and the panel discussed it after the first. I wouldn't say he's on a downward slope yet, he's only 29 and still has some good years left in him but again I dont know what his health status is like. I really thought he was older than that.

Carolina would want prospects and picks for him I would imagine - Gardiner and a pick could do it? Id make that trade but then what do you do with Bozak...

I dunno. I just want a #1 center for this team already.
 
Kadri and Gardiner are both 24, I know the Leafs aren't a good team, but I'd rather we let these guys develop and grow since they both have upside.  As others have said, Staal at 30 on a big contract and on the downside of his career doesn't sound like something the Leafs need. 
 
I think it's something worth exploring but I wouldn't make a hockey deal for him. If Carolina is looking to dump salary, sure, but honestly I don't know how much better the team is in a flat Kadri + Gardiner for Staal deal. The idea that the Leafs would have to both throw in a draft pick and take on salary seems insane to me. It's a deal that makes them worse for the future, worse with the cap and maybe worse in the present.
 
No way we let Kadri go and no first round pick either. I would be willing to part with Gardiner and Lupul for Stall but that is it.  With the emergance of Percy and several other prospects just waiting for their NHL shot we can solve our number 1 Centre needs for several years. 
 
Sort of off-topic - I agree with the majority who wouldnt't part with significant assets for Stall - but after watching the game last night I can't help but think that if Gardiner gets dealt it would be to a team like Colorado in a real hockey deal.  Something like Gardiner + for O'Reilly.  I think the days where players like Gardiner are traded for aging stars are gone.

 
Agreed, I would rather have O Rielly any day, perhaps Gardiner, Lupul, Holzer or Granburg and through in some other pieces like Frattin
 
Madferret said:
Healthy scratch Gardiner for Staal? It's going to take a lot more than that. Think Kadri / Rielly / 1st / 2nd
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I don't see why Carolina would be in a position to ask for considerably more for Staal than the Sens got for Spezza and individually all of Kadri, Rielly and a first are more valuable than any of the pieces Ottawa got.
 
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