Lou Lamoriello: March 1, 2017

Q. How busy were things today and what do you think of the moves you've made today?
LOU LAMORIELLO: Well, I don't think we were too busy. I don't think we came into this trade deadline with any aspirations - if something didn't happen, we would have been fine. We had the opportunity to acquire Brian Boyle the other day. I think it has been well-written what he brings to us at this point. Today we've picked up Eric Fehr who also is a mature individual, who has had the experience of winning and, I think, the both of them will add something to the young players that we have in this lineup. We're very pleased about it.

Q. How busy were you in the sense of other teams calling you, inquiring about your players?
LOU LAMORIELLO:I think every team, every general manager interacts with each other over these 48 hours, whether it's just a phone call to see what's going on. I don't think we were any different than anyone else. You always try to listen and see if there's something you should be aware of.
Q. How important is it in terms of the stage of where your team's development is right now for your young players to get some playoff experience?
LOU LAMORIELLO: Well, that is something we all strive for. I think the most important thing right now is just staying on the course, not thinking about the end result, continue to do the things that they've been doing and let that take care of itself. I think what we've done right here is give them - that is our younger players - an opportunity to be around some people who have had the experience and also to help develop that culture of winning.
Q. When teams like Montreal and Ottawa made moves today, did that put any more urgency on your plans for today? Did you think about changing course at all as other teams made moves?
LOU LAMORIELLO: No, absolutely not. As I said earlier, if we didn't do anything - we're not going to get off track with what we've set out to do and that is to establish a franchise that has the ability to sustain competitiveness over a period of time. We did not want to make any transactions that would get in the way of the development of our players. The players that we added are role players that will be in a fourth line situation that could move up if necessary. They will not be taking away from anything of the development and the progress of the future.
Q. How much more valuable was Eric Fehr given the fact that he satisfies the requirements for exposure in the expansion draft next year?
LOU LAMORIELLO: That certainly enters in the thought process of what decisions you're going to make. Also, we were able to acquire a fourth-round pick in doing so and at the same time helped out our Marlies team with a different dimension of player. All of the above enters in whatever decisions are made. We really have no expansion problems whatsoever right now, but the prime purpose was to help these young players grow and continue to do what they're doing. We've been pleased with them, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, we don't to get in our own way. Anything that we were going to do had to be something to support and keep the progression in our own process.
Q. When acquiring Boyle, how important was it to send the message to the other players that we're in this year, we're going to make a run for it and we're going to give you guys another piece?
LOU LAMORIELLO: There's no question. You can speak about what you'd like to see happen, you can speak about the position you're in. Sometimes you have to show it in something tangible. We were in need of that position and the type of player he is, I think we all know we were missing that. He brings experience, he can play in all situations and is a tremendous character individual. I had the opportunity to know him from when he was in college, also played against him when he was with the Rangers and the amount of playoff games he's been in. Going along with Eric [Fehr] also, you can't buy experience.
Q. Did you sense more reluctance from GMs to make moves around the deadline this year than maybe years past?
LOU LAMORIELLO:Well I don't know if there's reluctance. I think the parity has a lot to do with it. I think that there are so many teams that are in the race, if that's what you want to call it. I really don't know how anybody else was thinking, I just know that where we are with our franchise, where we are with our team and the plan that has been put in by Brendan [Shanahan] when he came in here, we're not going to get off track on that. Anything we did was not going to get in the way of that. But, what we could do to support that, to encourage that, we had the opportunity to do so and we did it.
Q. You have a lot of salary cap space through LTIR that's going to go unused, what are your thoughts on that? Are you disappointed you weren't able to use it better or are you okay with that?
LOU LAMORIELLO:Well, first of all, I always get a kick out of - when there's money available, do you just spend it? Is that what you do? No, I think what you have available is something that we're very fortunate in the support that we have here from ownership. You have to have fiscal responsibility in what you do and there has to be a reason for you doing it. You don't just acquire or spend just for the sake of doing it.
Q. Did you have any experience with agents or players turning you down with no-trade clauses because they were a little afraid they might end up with the Marlies instead of the Leafs?
LOU LAMORIELLO: You'd have to ask somebody else that question. I couldn't answer that. In other words, I have no idea.
Q. Did you get close on any moves that ultimately didn't quite get consummated in time?
LOU LAMORIELLO: I don't think there's any such thing as almost. You either get a transaction done or you don't. That's the best way I can answer that.
Q. I saw Soshnikov went down, is that just to make him eligible for the playoffs? Will he be back?
LOU LAMORIELLO:Yes, it was a paper transaction. He was sent down and then recalled. He's here, that is just to make him eligible for the American League.
Q. Do you have a comment on Frank Corrado's time here?
LOU LAMORIELLO: Frankie was a solid citizen, without question. Certainly he had a lot of patience but, it's no one's fault, it's just the way it goes. Now he has an opportunity to go somewhere. He was a fine young man; it just didn't work out.
Q. Do you think the expansion draft had an effect on the deadline this year?
LOU LAMORIELLO: Maybe, I don't know. As I said to a previous question asked about that, if you can satisfy it and it doesn't get in the way and it helps your team, you have to look at it. I couldn't answer that question; I don't know what other people were thinking.
Q. Can you comment on a report that Valtteri Filppula turned down a discussed trade with Toronto?
LOU LAMORIELLO: No, I have no comment on another team's player, really.