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How Does the Karlsson Trade Affect the Leafs?
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Jon Steitzer
Sep 13, 2018, 15:05 EDTUpdated: Sep 13, 2018, 15:11 EDT
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It’s important that everyone understand that while other teams may do stuff from time to time, the impact and discussion around those particular teams pales in comparison to the presumed impact that could be felt on the Leafs. So since something of note happened in the NHL today, it’s only fair that we now examine it from a Leafs perspective.

Initial Reaction:

BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Okay. I’m done.

Slightly Calmer Reaction:

I’m happy, you’re happy, and that makes the fans happy, and the sponsors too. So it will all work out.

Getting Slightly Closer to a Real Reaction:

I honestly knew the Senators would be screwed in this deal, but in my wildest dreams, I was never expecting this. To somehow acquire Karlsson while not having to give up Hertl, Meier, Merkley, or Kotkov, I don’t know what to say. I was kinda hoping the Senators would end up with Cody Donaghey out of this, but that was just me getting incredibly greedy. They managed to setback their franchise another 5 years today, and they still have the Mark Stone and Matt Duchene trades to completely screw up.

No, Seriously, How Does This Affect the Leafs?

The good news in this is that an Atlantic Division team is now substantially worse than it was yesterday. The Sens were never in any danger of looking competitive this year, and were a good bet for a bottom five team in the league even with Karlsson, but this cements the fact that the Leafs have 5 easy wins in their schedule.
If you wanted to believe that the Senators were worthy of being considered a rival, and the Battle of Ontario was a real thing, than you’re probably even more excited that the Leafs will dominate that. Yeah for you.
There’s also the small matter of the fact that people will look at this trade and say “the Leafs could have offered a lot more than that.” You’re right. They could have. You’d be overlooking the fact that the Senators are run by idiots who wouldn’t trade in their conference, let alone their division, and apparently went to lengths to make sure that Karlsson couldn’t be flipped back in the East this year. There was no way that Karlsson was going to be a Leaf, and it’s a great thing that he didn’t wind up somewhere else in the Atlantic.
The downside, if there is one, is that when the Leafs make it to the Cup Finals, the Sharks could be a very good team there waiting for them. A blueline with Vlasic, Karlsson, and Burns is on par with the Neidermayer/Pronger blueline in Anaheim that made Carlyle a Cup winner by default. Teams should be very scared of San Jose now.
Also, does this make it easier or more difficult to trade Patrick Marleau back to the Sharks and free up that cap space?

That last bit about the Sharks was a bummer. Cheer me up.

Rewatch this. It’s even better now.
I guess there’s one less character in the dressing room now, and Melnyk is well on his way to icing a team entirely of players on their entry level contracts*.
*and Bobby Ryan
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