Lyubushkin Trade Looks Worse + Trades + Avalanche Put on Master Class
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Ilya Lyubushkin last week, and it is clear by now that they drastically overpaid.
Lots of Toronto Maple Leafs fans remember Lyubushkin fondly from the last time he was here but that has to do more with hockey fans in general massively overrating players who throw big hits because it looks like they are always trying hard.
In reality, Ilya Lyubushkin was played way too high in the lineup last time he was here and the Leafs did a lot worse with him playing than they did without him. He stunk.
His re-acquisition was not quite as embarrassing as losing to a Zamboni driver or giving a three-year deal to Ryan Reaves, but it was really dumb.
Even at the time it looked bad, but since then it just looks crazy.
Toronto Maple Leafs Clearly Overpaid as Other Teams Rake in the Stars
It has been reported that the Leafs were in on Chris Tanev until the very end, and that they just wouldn't up their offer. At first I thought this was smart.
However, if a 1st and 3rd would get you Tanev, you have to consider the difference between a 1st round pick and the sixth you paid to get Lyubushkin. Pick 25 and pick 190 aren't as big of a gap as there is between Tanev and Lyubushkin so if the Leafs were willing to spend what they did on Lyubushkin they should have just paid for Tanev.
But it gets worse.
Leafs Remain on the Sidelines As Competitors Load Up
In light of the cost to acquire Lyubushkin, the costs to acquire Adam Henrique, Alex Wenberg, Sean Walker and Anthony Mantha seem pretty cheap.
Mantha is posting 5v5 numbers that make him a legitimate star player. The Capitals received only a 2nd and a 4th for him.
Compared to a 3rd and a 6th for a waiver wire player, the Leafs just look silly.
Then today, the Leafs main obstacle in their path to the Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers, acquired Vladimir Tarasenko for just a 4th and a 3rd.
Both players come with half their salaries retained.
There are now several star players that have changed teams for just slightly higher prices than the Leafs paid for one of the worst defenseman in the entire NHL.
When you think about how Treliving also whiffed on Domi, Reaves, Kampf and Klingberg it really calls into question Brad Treliving's competency.
Avalanche, Oilers and Rangers All Make Trades
The Oilers overpaid in my opinion to get Adam Henrique. I guess he helps a bit, but it's not even close to the same ballpark as the Leafs getting Ryan O'Reilly last year. Henrique makes them a little bit better, but you'd like to see a bigger Swing in one of the McDavid Prime Years.
C+ for the Oilers, A+ for the Ducks getting a first for Henrique.
The Rangers added Alex Wenberg. He's a very good player and will make them better but fans will complain that he is boring.
A 2nd and a 4th seems like a win for both Teams. A's all around-here.
Finally the biggest action comes from Colorado who unloaded their summertime mistake Ryan Johanson on the Flyers and paid a first rounder for Sean Walker.
This trade is an A++ for the Avalanche who pick up a solid puck mover who plays the right side, while correcting one of the only mistakes they've made recently. They save money, which allows them to follow this move with another great move.
Also an A for the Flyers who turn nothing into something with Walker.
After than Colorado traded Bowen Byram to the Sabres for Casey Mittlestadt which gets them the second line centre they needed without weakening their blue-line. Solid move with a high reward potential because Mittlestadt is breaking out this year and who knows how good he can be?
A+ For Colorado and a B for Buffalo of Byram's Injury risk. If he pans out though they could be building the NHL's best blue-line.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are missing out here because Walker would probably have been a top target for them. They seem hesitant to meet the cost of a first-rounder so maybe they have something else in the works, who knows?
Walker would have been a perfect fit for the Leafs who desperately need their blue-line to become more mobile. Note that Colorado seems to recognize this suggesting the Leafs views on the topic are somewhat outdated.
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Colorado also just took the time to prove they weren't above fixing an obvious mistake, which is something Brad Treliving should think long and hard about as it concerns Max Domi, David Kampf and Ryan Reaves.