Only Leafs have ability to lack a top-4 D and bench a top-4 D at the same time.

So.... Leafs sign Dermott to a four year deal and then instantly make him a healthy scratch. I'm sure he'd love that.

I expect some movement in regards to the D via trade.

Who would you take out of the lineup? Sandin? And send him to the AHL? Lehtonen?

If you are trading for right shot guy, trade Dermott the other way.

Why would the Leafs do that if the Islanders were willing to accept the above trade ?

You can get more than Dal colle and Hickey back. Johnsson+Dermott for Mayfield+Bellows might work.

I don't know. But this wouldn't work. Somebody is most likely going somewhere I would guess.

I don’t see Lou moving anyone with potential to the Leafs. Plus the LHD of the Islanders is pretty full. No room for Dermott - Toews, Leddy, Pelech, Aho.

I don’t see why the leafs couldn’t give Sandin some more seasoning in the AHL under this scenario. He’s still only 20 years old. Hence, patience.

Bellows is also slated to play in the Islanders lineup next year Idt they move him.

Dubas and Lou are good friends so I can see them switching talents.

You’re probably not wrong. Dermott just isn’t a fit for the Islanders without them moving LHD out as well. And the Leafs do not need anymore of them.

They likely trade Leddy regardless so there is always that.

True, if that’s the case then maybe there’s a fit. I just feel the trade above fills a need for the Leafs without making any drastic changes just yet. Give the young roster another year together with Keefe at the helm.

No one who's giving up a D is gonna want one back. There's your problem. Take Carolina for example, we have 7 guys right now to go into 6 spots, if we trade away (example) Haydn Fleury, we aren't gonna want a D man back.

Teams don’t actively swap defence because they can - it’s counter productive. Most teams try to hoard as many good defencemen as possible which is why I don’t understand why some leafs fans are adamant Dermott be moved for a RHD. I feel it stems from not wanting Sandin to start the year in the AHL or Dermott being a healthy scratch, so one must be moved - obviously Dermott. But why not start Sandin in the AHL and play Dermott and add a RHD? The organization as a whole would be better off from it.

I'm not an active Toronto fan, so I cannot speak to the talent levels specifically of Dermott and Sandin, but if I can compare this to Carolina again, we have the same issue with Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury. Fleury is the LD that's on the roster and is an RFA, but Bean is the young hotshot who just tore the AHL apart. Keeping the talent (whether that's Sandin or Bean) in the AHL is not always a good idea because it may damage the development of the player. I know for a fact Bean has mastered the AHL, and although I'm not too familiar with Rasmus Sandin, I know that it's almost always better to give the talent the roster spot because they have that potential to be better than the proven player.

Bean has tore up the AHL and is 100% ready to make the jump. Sandin has only played 65 AHL games registering 43 points (Yes points aren’t the entire story but still) while Bean has played 129 AHL games registering 92 points. So Bean has played 1 game off double the amount of games Sandin has played in the AHL. Not to mention Bean is two years older. Sandin’s development wouldn’t be hurt with another year split between the AHL and NHL.

Side note - many leafs fans move Dermott for literally any RHD (Mayfield, Manson, Murphy, etc) but in the long run who will be the better defencemen? I think it will be Dermott. He’s still only 23 years old with only 157 games under his belt. Everyone says you can’t truly judge what a defencemen will really be at the NHL level until they play 300 games. Dermott’s only half way there, give him time.

Yes, lefty-right is nice but ultimately I’d rather have the best players than the correct handiness.

Agreed with everything here, that also bring it to my point I would like to make.

No way Dermott agrees to a 4 yr deal at that caphit. That's 1 yr bridge prove it caphit.

I agree with you there. I was kinda reaching with the deal hoping he’d take a similar contract to Scott Mayfield. Also, this deal takes him straight to free agency at 27 years old where if he develops like expected he could be in for a huge pay day - Dermott’s camp may value that part of the deal. Plus, it gives him some term at a young age to settle in and develop. Being on a cheap contract means you’re almost guaranteed a roster spot on the cap strapped Leafs lol