Blow this team up already!

seanlinden

Registered User
Apr 28, 2009
25,445
1,864
I'm not sure "blow it up" is the right thing to do, but certainly there needs to be substantial change.

The reality is, even if this team pushes it to game 7, where they would almost certainly lose in classic Leafs fashion... they're due for a step back next year.

The cap is going up $4m league wide (meaning signing players iwll get more expensive), and they've already committed $5.5m in raises to Matthews & Nylander.

Basically take this year's team, and subtract a Tyler Bertuzzi out of it, to have an idea of what they could reasonably put on the ice next year.

If they're smart, they'll idenfity this problem, and lean into it, building for 25-26 when Tavares is off the books.

To do that, you've gotta ask yourself, even if you think keeping the other big 3 is a good idea, are they as a trio going to last another year of ridicule and scrutiny, followed by maybe sneaking into the playoffs beofre a likely first round exit.

I think if you're Toronto, you've gotta "buy" a year mentally.

Trade one of the 3 (probably Marner) for a combination of futures / young roster players.

Get Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten into the lineup. Maybe you leave that 4th line C spot open for Minten & Steeves to battle over. Get Robertson up in the lineup alongside Knies. Maybe your 3rd pair next year is Simon Benoit and Topi Niemla.

Let it be a "re-tool" year. Come 25-26, Tavares frees up a ton of cap space. The cap likely continues to rise, nad the Leafs have a stable of young talent contributing, to add big fish.
 

Gilmour1996

Registered User
Oct 16, 2022
1,158
1,409
Just finished watching Flyers-Red Army (even without Bernie Parent) from 1976 on YouTube. What we've been seeing from the Leafs is absolute garbage compared to the Flyers in that game. Absolute utter garbage, from a team half a century later.



Blow up this clown show of underachievers.
 

mikeyz

Registered User
Dec 3, 2013
7,682
6,995
I don't believe for one minute the doctors pulled him either.

That dressing room is hotter than Bo Derek in a bikini. The only thing hotter is Shanahan's seat. I don't think I've ever been this excited about the team since Shanahan came in and fired and traded everyone ten years ago.

It's Pelley's turn now.
Personally I would have gone with Giorgia Palmas, but, I get your point. lol.
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
76,767
43,415
Of the two (Matthews and Marner) only Marner played junior. Neither Willy or Matthews played junior so...


Matthews and Nylander both played junior.
 

arso40

Registered User
Jun 7, 2022
2,406
1,535


Matthews and Nylander both played junior.
Yeah your being literal why?when willy said that he definitely wasn't referring to matthews that much is a given nobody refers to matthews as a cry baby or to stop crying I'm a marner fan too maybe not as much as you but that comment had to be for Mitch he's the only one really complaining the whole game and he's the only one that plays a junior game hence the reason for the drop off in the post season everything's tighter and harder when's the last time you saw Mitch out muscle someone?if we can see it the people he plays with should too no?
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
76,767
43,415
Yeah your being literal why?when willy said that he definitely wasn't referring to matthews that much is a given nobody refers to matthews as a cry baby or to stop crying I'm a marner fan too maybe not as much as you but that comment had to be for Mitch he's the only one really complaining the whole game and he's the only one that plays a junior game hence the reason for the drop off in the post season everything's tighter and harder when's the last time you saw Mitch out muscle someone?if we can see it the people he plays with should too no?
I was responding to someone being 'literal'.
I don't really care much, players argue all the time out of frustration but all signs point to this being between Nylander and Matthews.
 
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namttebih

Registered User
Dec 11, 2010
4,901
995
East York
I'm not sure "blow it up" is the right thing to do, but certainly there needs to be substantial change.

The reality is, even if this team pushes it to game 7, where they would almost certainly lose in classic Leafs fashion... they're due for a step back next year.

The cap is going up $4m league wide (meaning signing players iwll get more expensive), and they've already committed $5.5m in raises to Matthews & Nylander.

Basically take this year's team, and subtract a Tyler Bertuzzi out of it, to have an idea of what they could reasonably put on the ice next year.

If they're smart, they'll idenfity this problem, and lean into it, building for 25-26 when Tavares is off the books.

To do that, you've gotta ask yourself, even if you think keeping the other big 3 is a good idea, are they as a trio going to last another year of ridicule and scrutiny, followed by maybe sneaking into the playoffs beofre a likely first round exit.

I think if you're Toronto, you've gotta "buy" a year mentally.

Trade one of the 3 (probably Marner) for a combination of futures / young roster players.

Get Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten into the lineup. Maybe you leave that 4th line C spot open for Minten & Steeves to battle over. Get Robertson up in the lineup alongside Knies. Maybe your 3rd pair next year is Simon Benoit and Topi Niemla.

Let it be a "re-tool" year. Come 25-26, Tavares frees up a ton of cap space. The cap likely continues to rise, nad the Leafs have a stable of young talent contributing, to add big fish.
Plus $5M for Brodie
 

francis246

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
14,577
18,048
Yeah your being literal why?when willy said that he definitely wasn't referring to matthews that much is a given nobody refers to matthews as a cry baby or to stop crying I'm a marner fan too maybe not as much as you but that comment had to be for Mitch he's the only one really complaining the whole game and he's the only one that plays a junior game hence the reason for the drop off in the post season everything's tighter and harder when's the last time you saw Mitch out muscle someone?if we can see it the people he plays with should too no?

We’ll willy didn’t say anything about juniors, he was talking about shooting a puck. He said “that’s the f***ing issue”, not “it’s f***ing juniors”. And yes Matthews was crying about a set play off a PP. if you check the Marner thread I’ve posted multiple sources that have pretty much confirmed it. It’s very Toronto like for people to take to social media to blast a narrative that didn’t happen!

Again who gives a flying f*** about what the fans call these guys. We don’t know what’s going on in the locker room. The fan perspective could be Marner is the cry baby when in reality it could be Matthews who bitches the most behind closed doors, or Nylander, or Rielly. We simply do not know. Most of the times us fans have been dead wrong when it comes to what we think of players personalities lol
 

francis246

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
14,577
18,048
Here is my order of business to blow things up if Leafs lose:

1) Fire Shanahan
2) Fire Keefe
3) Keep Tre (cannot screw our off-season like last years sudden firing of Dubas).
4) Trade Tavares to a bottom feeder that agrees to buy him out and then sign him back for $2m or less. JT will agree to this only if he knows he is coming back.
5) Use the extra $9-10M to get a top end goalie (eg offer sheet Swayman for $10-11M, if the Bruins match we screw them on their CAP. Swayman may do it because he clearly does not want to do the tandem thing. 4 firsts is worth it. Or trade for Ulmark - same reason being he does not want to be in a tandem.
6) If cannot get a stud goalie, re-sign Sammy for cheap as #2 (Woll#1, Jones/Hildeby #3/#4).
7) Re-sign Domi, Bertuzzi and Edmunson.
8) Use the remaining Cap to get 1-2 stud D in free agency - Tanev, Pesce, Montour,
9) Offer Marner Willy's deal ($11.5M x 8), take it or leave it.

Language in the cba doesn’t allow for #4 to happen
 
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Drytoast

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
6,578
4,785
Why the hell would Matthews be captain? He has never been the captain at any level he has played at, but you think he should be made captain of an NHL team? Why, exactly?
it's his team. we live or die by his play. it's not JT's team. JT is the most ineffectual captain in the league.

Are you suggesting we have no captain?
 
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Niagara Bill

Registered User
Oct 11, 2021
1,928
1,409
The only problem with blowing it up is you must have someone to put it together again.
This team is too rich to care about winning.
 

thewave

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
42,141
12,560
The only problem with blowing it up is you must have someone to put it together again.
This team is too rich to care about winning.

Next guy will want 10m to do the job. Love the gravy and do everything he can to not rock the boat. Keep that gravy coming for as long as possible. Just like Shanny
 
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usernamezrhardtodo

Registered User
Mar 26, 2014
2,480
3,018
Kyle Statsman Dubious




You're not in the room so have literally no idea what kind of captain he is.
Nobody is in the room to know for sure what kind of captain JT is. But, we also see his play on the ice and his interviews to get a good grasp that he was made in a Tesla Robot factory.
 
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darrylsittler27

Registered User
Oct 21, 2002
7,410
1,597
I dont think this team can be blown up. I think we are in far more trouble than we realize. All these guys have NMC and are overpaid for what they deilver, no team will want them for much. Even if you trade Marner the other team knows he will want a big raise which they cant pay. No one will ever follow the Leafs model. There are lot of better players in the playoffs making far less with far more impact. I think the Leafs get forced to let Marner walk and they will have to buy out Tavares.
 

MilkofthePoppy

Registered User
Oct 27, 2022
1,084
1,891
Nobody is in the room to know for sure what kind of captain JT is. But, we also see his play on the ice and his interviews to get a good grasp that he was made in a Tesla Robot factory.

The fact that the Islanders significantly improved after his departure demonstrates everything you need to know about the quality of leadership Tavares provides. He is an autistic loser.
 

hoglund

Registered User
Dec 8, 2013
5,900
1,346
Canada
If they blow up the team, the Leafs will probably miss the playoffs for at least the next 5 years.
 

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