Originally Posted by
fungchen3
I don't think the Yotes would put OEL in any deal, even one for Matthews.
That said, even without OEL, they still have enough pieces to get a deal done IMO ... if they're willing to "overpay" ... and the Leafs do feel they "will" sign Stamkos as their top line C for the next 7 years.
I can imagine a scenario where...
Toronto Maple Leafs get: Domi, Dvorak, 7th overall, 1st in 2017 (lottery protected)
Arizona Coyotes get: 1st overall (Matthews), Lupul, 3rd rounder in 2016
Why the Leafs would do this:
By signing Stamkos, the Leafs are adding an elite-level, 1st line C to be the "face" of their franchise for the next 7 years (possibly through retirement with a follow-up deal). Slated behind Stamkos in the 2C slot is Kadri. In the deal with Arizona, the Leafs land a blue-chip C prospect in Dvorak with tremendous #2C upside, making them very respectable up the middle ... and that's without continuing to toy around with Nylander as top-end pivot.
However, the "big pieces" of the deal for the Buds are Domi and the 7th overall, which pretty much guarantees them one of Juolevi, Nylander, Jost, Chychrun, Brown, Sergachev (or Dubois if he miraculously falls a couple spots). IMO, the Leafs would target these players at 7 (in order):
1. Juolevi - Projects to be a top-pairing, transitional defender with excellent hockey IQ and vision. Along with Rielly, Juolevi would give the Leafs another stud on the blue line for the next decade who excels at the type of cerebral game coach Babcock professes. Juolevi has been compared to current NHLers (from best to worst): Keith, Ekman-Larsson, Josi, Lindholm, Maatta. Either way, Juolevi should be nothing less than a #2 D on a competitive team... or, worst case scenario, a #3 who anchors the 2nd D pairing and loads up on special teams.
2. Nylander - A dynamic, offensive player who projects to be a flashy, above-average scorer at the NHL level. Not to mention, the novelty factor of watching the "Flying Nylanders" work their magic in Toronto for years to come. If the Leafs are parting with Matthews, the attractiveness of the Nylanders teaming up together make for a great story in hockey-mad Leafland. And, this ranks 3rd in the pecking order behind the headlines created by "Stamkos Coming Home" and "Domi 2.0 in Toronto." In fact, Leaf fans would be so giddy about Stamkos, Domi and Nylander that Dvorak (a quality player in his own right) and another 1st next year coming back from the desert would be practically forgotten in all the hoopla.
3. Chychrun - A big, multi-dimensional defender with very nice upside. Once considered a Top 2-3 pick in the 2016 draft, Chychrun has slipped a bit, but he still projects to be a beefy D-Man who can skate, log big minutes, and hammer the puck. If he ends up a (good) version of Phaneuf, Jack Johnson or Jacob Trouba, the Leafs have a pillar on D they can build around in addition to Morgan Rielly.
4. Sergachev - His stock has risen this year similarly to Ivan Provorov's last year. This swift-skating Russian, who packs a cannon of a shot, has an untapped ceiling and could easily be considered an elite prospect - this time next year - just like countryman Provorov is today. Just imagine Ivan Provorov being the "3rd piece" in a deal for Auston Matthews, with Max Domi, Christian Dvorak and a 1st round pick in 2017 being the others. At the very least, imagine a player who can wire the puck like ex-Leaf Bryan McCabe running a PP with Morgan Rielly one day. At worst, he'd be a PP2 mainstay if Stamkos occupies a point on the 1st PP in Toronto.
So, assuming the obvious (that Matthews, Laine and Puljujarvi go 1-2-3), the Leafs are a lock to land one of the above four prospects along with the rest of the haul for the Matthews pick. Of course, this is based on Toronto feeling that a Stamkos signing is in the bag. And, we haven't really talked about the Domi impact. Not only will Max be loved in Toronto because of his style of play but the "Domi" name carries a certain amount of cache up there. Yes, it's a great story that Max gets to follow in his dad's footsteps, but let's not forget that he is an offensive spark plug with a wonderful shot and the ability to hover around a PPG in his prime. He's also blessed with loads of character and the "it factor" that Stanley Cup winning teams covet.
At the end of the day, Auston Matthews projects to be a franchise center in the NHL. We're talking a Jack Eickel, Ryan Getzlaf, Tyler Seguin, Jonathan Toews type of talent. These kids don't grow on trees - and will be organizational staples for more than a decade - but the Leafs must consider this deal based on how it can make them a better all-around team, considering Stamkos will be stepping into the same slot Matthews would conceivably occupy. As for the Leafs' core moving forward, just imagine...
Stamkos
JVR
Kadri
Domi
W.Nylander
Marner
Dvorak
Kapanen
Rielly
Juolevi / Chychrun / Sergachev
Gardiner
Zaitsev
etc. ... that's pretty darn impressive and it will accelerate any rebuild, by a lot.
Why the Coyotes would do this:
Plain and simple, the Coyotes are absolutely licking their chops at the outside potential of landing the franchise center with local ties. Considering the Yotes could feasibly acquire Matthews without moving their franchise cornerstone in Ekman-Larsson (in this scenario), they are willing to gamble and "overpay" with additional assets to get a deal done. Arizona also has a few nice, young wingers in Duclair, Merkley and Perlini who can line up next to pivots like Matthews and Strome in the near future.
The opportunity to roll out Matthews and Strome up the middle is just too good to pass up for Arizona, even if the price is steep. Losing a 1st rounder in 2017 will indeed hurt, but the pick would be protected in the extreme event the Coyotes win the lottery. Losing Domi will also sting as he impressed everyone during his rookie season. While he's not the type of big center you build around, he showed flashes of being a Mark Recchi type of player - loaded with skill, character and enough moxie to one day be a top scorer on a contender. Even so, the Coyotes brass make the bold move and build around Matthews, Ekman-Larsson and Strome.
Despite the hefty tag, if John Chayka's first move as GM is a blockbuster that lands Auston Matthews, without parting with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, he'll be walking on water in Arizona. Wait, is there even water in the desert?!