Peace speaks out about trade deadline, Toronto's free agency.

[Peace 1,518]

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- Recently there was some moderate media coverage of the Toronto Legions inability to improve their roster during the S73 campaign, fresh off a 9-1-0 showing at the lottery tournament, ironically sourced directly from Latvia -- the former country where the Legions' bench boss had spent some time during his career playing for the Riga Reign. In the article the author broke down a few things Toronto never accomplished; landing free agents, mentioning the public lottery-ish system "HHH" conducted to determine where he'd play during his final season; wrote about Toronto's lack of trade deadline movements, where he gave his opinion on what may have happened; and broke down Toronto's depleting roster, where the light is seemingly fading away. 

"Well," Peace began the interview. "During the off season we made offers to plenty of individuals. When the free agency discussion opened, we went after a few of the legal free agents, at least from our portal report. We contacted -- obviously -- Hunter, but his ridiculous system was moronic at best. We also approached others, like Perrin and Jensen, but they had opted to resign with their current teams and I understand that." 

"Prior to that, in the free agency a season before, we went after the 'big five' that were available. Obviously none of them wound up joining Toronto, but if they had... oh if they had. Anyway, I guess you could say free agency was a dud for us. We ended up signing a depth piece and that was pretty much it, but that was all we could really do. We didn't have inactive priority, all of those invested in the league went elsewhere, and we were left weaker entering this season compared to the team that pushed Calgary to seven games." 

We asked about the trade deadline. GM Peace has been pretty vocal about it, claiming that there was nearly no movement, and the facts support his claim. Only three trades were completed during the season, with the most influential piece moving to Calgary in exchange for a second and a fourth. Joe Proto was the most talented player to find a new home, and Toronto was temporarily in on the deal until the price was just too much. 

"The price coming from Vancouver was atrocious, and nearly all the GMs called it out at one point or another. He was looking for a first for Joe, which if he were around and developing as a player, would have likely been worth the price. But here's the thing -- Joe shows up to play his games, but is done with the league, he's just... done. The price for him early on was bad, very bad. I'm talking a first and a third, plus extras, just because he was still relatively young and had plenty of 'career' left before the VHL enforces a mandatory retirement." 

"Look at what Vancouver wound up getting. A second and a fourth, and even then most GMs knew Calgary had made a questionable trade, but it's not that bad -- that second is, at best, a mid third round pick now the league has expanded." 

"I was talking to other GMs too, but getting silly offers. Here's a rental for your seventy five first, it's a good deal because so and so is still a talented player. Yeah, but, well... he's gone when the playoffs end. Toronto simply wasn't in a position to make deals for guys who'd be retiring, so we didn't. We already gave Vancouver a first round pick that wound up being a lottery pick, so I've promised myself and my team to be a little smarter." 

The Toronto Legion finished just two points out from winning a tie-breaker against the DC Dragons. 

"This season hurt," Peace admitted. "We know we regressed, even though our star players got much better, and production was higher than its been in a long time. We wished we made the playoffs, but the stars just didn't align this season for us." 

"That doesn't mean I'm sitting on my hands and just moping around," Peace continued. "I'm always looking for ways to improve the Legion, just smartly now, we can't afford to be handing out lottery picks."