His presence could add to the offensive potency that the Leafs already possess. Not wanting to waste precious energy in non-scoring situations? Please contact us. Here is the venerable Sam Cosentino’s take on Stotts: “Very interesting player who was deemed to have a high ceiling upon entering the WHL. Speculation Spectacular is a new weekly look at rumours and speculation around the Leafs. Why don’t the Toronto Maple Leafs’ best centres kill penalties? A smart coach once said it’s best to tailor your team’s style to the personnel available, and both Sheldon Keefe and John Tortorella have done that. Let’s start with that cap hit on Ristolainen as a deterrent. But that’s hockey, and name recognition is everything. In my mind, both right-shot defencemen fit the type of player Kyle Dubas should prioritize in acquiring. Let’s start with that cap hit on Ristolainen as a deterrent. Neither has trade protection built into his contract. By picking up a free agent, the Leafs don’t need to give anything up but money in return, meaning that they get to hold onto their prospects and picks. Dubas’s boss, Brendan Shanahan, is a believer. It would take a significant return to move on from him. Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist are both on crazy hot streaks right now. For reference, Ristolainen turns 26 this fall, and has two more years on his six-year contract at $5.4 million in AAV. It would take a significant return to move on from him. As much as Ristolainen would help the Leafs terrorize opposing defences, he still struggles to protect his own end. The offensive upside mistakes being on the ice a lot for offensive upside, and in fact, Ristolainen has a 1.88 xGF/60 and 46.61 CF/60 at 5v5, making him the worst in both categories out of the Sabres defense that played more than 400 minutes. With most teams using their top talent players for all situations can you tell me why Matthews/ Tavares dont kill penalties. Ristolainen is a pitbull, or so your worst uncle says. Well, he checks a lot of lazy boxes. Free agency is the opportunity for players to land themselves inflated deals, just ask a number of Leafs forwards. The Toronto Maple Leafs are working the phones and getting more prepared for the NHL Draft and the start of free-agency. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp. And just how awesome is Run the Jewels? Ristolainen getting picked 8th overall means that he has unlimited chances to prove he’s good and even though he’ll be 26 at the start of the 2020-21 season, he’s considered to have untapped upside. He shoots right, that’s a need for the Leafs. More interesting will be the 2021 off-season, when pending UFAs and core members Zach Hyman and Frederik Andersen require hefty raises, No. Tortorella is the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the league. Maybe I’m naïve, but I believe Dubas when he says the plan is to keep all of the upper-class forwards in the fold and build around elite offensive talent. He is a durable player with average size [six feet, 185 pounds], doesn’t mind getting involved physically. While Kyle Dubas has been active this offseason bringing in players like Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci, there’s still much more work to do. will the leafs move Nylander to clear up cap space to sign others? I could see him being a good AHL player.”. like acquiring offensive defensemen, more difficult. The team is also bu... Henrik Lundqvist has been the King of New York City since he was drafted 205th overall in the 7th round of the 2000 NHL entry draft. The reasoning why he’s a Leaf is one that we can accept, but as soon as he will be departing replacing him with an equally bad, if not worse defenseman seems pretty damned unappealing. Rogers Media uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Ristolainen would be a good addition for the Leafs. To give you the best answer possible, I turned to the most knowledgeable junior hockey mind in my Rolodex. There’s also a draft pedigree aspect to this. NHL Trade Rumor: Rasmus Ristolainen to Toronto According to WGR 550 Paul Hamilton, the Buffalo Sabres are in talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs regarding a potential trade that would send the defenceman to the Leafs. Additionally Ristolainen has had a negative Corsi For and Expected Goals differential every single year he’s been in the league. The trade-off of signing a free agent could be that they lose something even more valuable, cap space. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! While Ristolainen, 25, is younger with more offensive upside, he’s also a more expensive commitment ($5.4-million cap hit through 2022) than Savard ($4.25-million cap hit through 2021).”. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. During his last season on the Island, Tavares’ played 127:53 of 4-on-5 and led New York in shorthanded points. He’s 6’4, and big equals good. But if the Leafs can’t start winning more PK draws, they may have to rethink that plan. While Ristolainen, 25, is younger with more offensive upside, he’s also a more expensive commitment ($5.4-million cap hit through 2022) than Savard ($4.25-million cap hit through 2021).”. He was a negative player relative to his team with a rating of -0.8. What should really take place is a phone call. Bonus: Both Savard and Ristolainen play for teams that rate among the bottom third in offence, and any significant deal will require the Leafs to trade from their wealth of talent up front. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. Ristolainen is a pitbull, or so your worst uncle says. They do not need any more scoring because they already have elite players upfront. At 20 minutes a game he’s still playing a lot of the tough minutes minus the powerplay that Ristolainen was getting. Additionally Ristolainen has had a negative Corsi For and Expected Goals differential every single year he’s been in the league. We’ll get to why David Savard is a maybe in a bit, but let’s start with the very obvious bad idea, and that is trading for Ristolainen. (approx 1 - 2 per week). The Maple Leafs are one of the best face-off teams in the league (52.5 per cent) but have been getting slaughtered in the dot on the PK (43.1 per cent). We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. Both are accustomed to being deployed in defend-first situations, starting the majority of their shifts in their own end, and bring a little edge to their game. On the other hand the Sabres would likely be pushing Ristolainen out the door. The Leafs should go after Rasmus Ristolainen Ristolainen would be a good addition for the Leafs. This is where Dubas and co. would need to exercise restraint. ... Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers) Fox goes on to explain that Savard is a core member of the Jackets team and they are quite fond of him. Available players include their former captain, Niklas Kronwall, Jake Gardiner, Ben Hutton, Dan Girardi, Michael Stone, Marc Mathot, Ben Lovejoy, Joe Morrow, Andrew MacDonald, Adam McQuaid, Fredrik Claesson, David Schlemko, Alex Petrovic, and Luca Sbisa.
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