Brad Treliving is doing a great job.

[Sypher04]

One point on Klingberg, I feel we never really saw what we had there. He injured himself in NY, was awful awful after that, but is it fair to judge the deal based on an asterisk? I’m not saying I liked the deal, because I didn’t, but I can’t judge it based on what we saw, because the guy could barely move by the end here.

Exactly right.

From the get-go the Klingberg move was destined to fail. It's easy to judge it. Everyone saw that he had fallen apart and his play in the last couple seasons did not reflect the salary.

The benefit is that it was only 1 year and they are able to move on.

Exactly wrong. The deal was rich, but Klingberg proved he could still play in Minnesota at the end of last year. He had something to offer this team if he had been healthy.

 

[Clark4Ever]

In retrospect, Hyman would have been a steal at 5 million, but most of us were prepared to let him walk at the time because of our cap situation and his injury history, myself included.

I certainly didn't envision the production he's provided in Edmonton since last season. He's probably the best bargain in the league at the moment.

 

[Mess]

In retrospect, Hyman would have been a steal at 5 million, but most of us were prepared to let him walk at the time because of our cap situation and his injury history, myself included.

I certainly didn't envision the production he's provided in Edmonton since last season. He's probably the best bargain in the league at the moment.

Zach Hyman has 25 goals in 35 games this year alone.

His 40 points is the same as Mitch Marner.

While last year..

Hyman at $5 mil is a massive bargain to Tavares at $11 mil for the same production.

I was among the most vocal that letting Hyman go would be a HUGE mistake. He was my favourite Leaf at the time as one can't help but admire his compete level on a day to day and shift to shift basis 24/7.

 

[All Mod Cons]

In retrospect, Hyman would have been a steal at 5 million, but most of us were prepared to let him walk at the time because of our cap situation and his injury history, myself included.

I certainly didn't envision the production he's provided in Edmonton since last season. He's probably the best bargain in the league at the moment.

I for one 100% didn't want Hyman to go. I was very unhappy he wasn't resigned. For me, we needed to build around Matthews, Nylander, Hyman and Rielly.

Hyman was/is everything you want in a player that isn't paid north of 6mil. The work he did for that top line was unbelievable and didn't get remotely the amount of credit he deserved. It was such a stupid decision to let him walk, but by that time, most were numb to the stupid decisions as they occurred so frequently.

 

[Sypher04]

I for one 100% didn't want Hyman to go. I was very unhappy he wasn't resigned. For me, we needed to build around Matthews, Nylander, Hyman and Rielly.

Hyman was/is everything you want in a player that isn't paid north of 6mil. The work he did for that top line was unbelievable and didn't get remotely the amount of credit he deserved. It was such a stupid decision to let him walk, but by that time, most were numb to the stupid decisions as they occurred so frequently.

Top line kept trucking along just fine without him. His impact on the top line was always overrated. He often wouldn’t pass the puck or if he did it wouldn’t get to the target, he didn’t score on nearly enough of the chances he was setup for. He was really good on the boards, but people acted like he was the only one digging out pucks which was never true. That said, he was still a good player I’d have preferred to keep.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Top line kept trucking along just fine without him. His impact on the top line was always overrated. He often wouldn’t pass the puck or if he did it wouldn’t get to the target, he didn’t score on nearly enough of the chances he was setup for. He was really good on the boards, but people acted like he was the only one digging out pucks which was never true. That said, he was still a good player I’d have preferred to keep.

I don't think you can overrated what he did for the team and how he played for us. He was outstanding. Definitely should've kept him. Was a no brainer to me. But we needed to keep the likes of Holl, Kerfoot and our flawed goalies.

 

[ToneDog]

I don't think you can overrated what he did for the team and how he played for us. He was outstanding. Definitely should've kept him. Was a no brainer to me. But we needed to keep the likes of Holl, Kerfoot and our flawed goalies.

Hymie on pace for 50+ goals, and has more than Willie and Pasta. Big mistake to let him go.

 

[Sypher04]

Hymie on pace for 50+ goals, and has more than Willie and Pasta. Big mistake to let him go.

To be fair, no one could have predicted that outcome (pacing for 50 goals)

 

[TakeTheBody]

The better defense we play, the more I like him. Still think we need a good defenseman more than a goalie. What I will credit him for is this team responding to cheap shots. We're not getting trampled on the way we used too. Makes for better testicular fortitude come playoff time. Loving Benoit!!!

 

[kevsh]

In the Hyman situation we see the fallout of the Leafs top-heavy approach to cap management.

1) Hyman walks because the Leafs can't afford him and is replaced by a cheaper (but less effective) option in Bunting.
2) When Bunting becomes a free agent he walks and is replaced by Knies at about the same cost but with lots of upside.
3) If Knies lives up to that upside before his ELC is done, he'll be in line for a significant raise and the Leafs may not be able to afford him either.

So, by sticking with this core four and rolling the Brinks truck up to their door each time they need a new contract the Leafs have been forced into a revolving door with virtually every other position on the team outside of LD1 with Reilly.

 

[Martin Skoula]

In the Hyman situation we see the fallout of the Leafs top-heavy approach to cap management.

1) Hyman walks because the Leafs can't afford him and is replaced by a cheaper (but less effective) option in Bunting.
2) When Bunting becomes a free agent he walks and is replaced by Knies at about the same cost but with lots of upside.
3) If Knies lives up to that upside before his ELC is done, he'll be in line for a significant raise and the Leafs may not be able to afford him either.

So, by sticking with this core four and rolling the Brinks truck up to their door each time they need a new contract the Leafs have been forced into a revolving door with virtually every other position on the team outside of LD1 with Reilly.

They were offering him similar money, it was the term/NMC that was the problem.

How often does “signing a 30 year old grinder with multiple ACL injuries to an 8 year deal” end up well? 99% of the time it ends in LTIR or paying to dump them, this was the 0.0001% where it ends up with them tripling their normal goalscoring.

 

[hotpaws]

good for Hyman but he's also playing net front on the 1st pp , last night for example he had 2 Johnny Tavares specials on the pp . a deflection and a back door tap in into an empty net

it also helps he gets to play with the games best player so lets not pretend he's magically turned into some elite talented player

 

[Clark4Ever]

good for Hyman but he's also playing net front on the 1st pp , last night for example he had 2 Johnny Tavares specials on the pp . a deflection and a back door tap in into an empty net

it also helps he gets to play with the games best player so lets not pretend he's magically turned into some elite talented player

Credit to him for making the most of his opportunity though. I never thought he had it in him to put up these kinds of numbers, regardless of his supporting cast.

 

[GoonieFace]

good for Hyman but he's also playing net front on the 1st pp , last night for example he had 2 Johnny Tavares specials on the pp . a deflection and a back door tap in into an empty net

it also helps he gets to play with the games best player so lets not pretend he's magically turned into some elite talented player

But he makes less than half of Tavares, is younger and can actually skate. He still has to produce no matter who he plays with, can we say Marner only gets points because Matthews scores like crazy?

 

[arso40]

To be fair, no one could have predicted that outcome (pacing for 50 goals)

Playing with mcdavid??on the deadly power play?

 

[Martin Skoula]

good for Hyman but he's also playing net front on the 1st pp , last night for example he had 2 Johnny Tavares specials on the pp . a deflection and a back door tap in into an empty net

it also helps he gets to play with the games best player so lets not pretend he's magically turned into some elite talented player

Credit to Hyman, he did figure out how to lift the puck on shots at age 30. There are some goals he scores around the net now that he had literally 0 of in Toronto despite getting set up for league leading amounts of attempts on them. I know this sounds like a backhanded compliment but the JVR style top corner shot 2 feet from the net was the main thing missing from his skill set and he finally figured it out.

 

[hotpaws]

But he makes less than half of Tavares, is younger and can actually skate. He still has to produce no matter who he plays with, can we say Marner only gets points because Matthews scores like crazy?

I agree and it shows how overrated and overpaid JT is .

Marner benefits from AM's scoring prowess but he also drives the play and creates scoring opportunities for his line mates .

 

[Stephen]

They were offering him similar money, it was the term/NMC that was the problem.

How often does “signing a 30 year old grinder with multiple ACL injuries to an 8 year deal” end up well? 99% of the time it ends in LTIR or paying to dump them, this was the 0.0001% where it ends up with them tripling their normal goalscoring.

I think Hyman's just proven he's a unique athlete and human. Not a lot of guys start to exhibit NHL skills senior year of college at 22-23 and just go on a linear progression towards becoming a 50 goal scorer. The one that got away.

 

[hotpaws]

Credit to him for making the most of his opportunity though. I never thought he had it in him to put up these kinds of numbers, regardless of his supporting cast.

He doesn't have much skill but he has straight line speed , good size to go with a high motor and i agree he's made the most the most of the opportunity he's gotten

but without his uber elite linemates and being on the 1st pp with them he'd have no where near the production

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

In the Hyman situation we see the fallout of the Leafs top-heavy approach to cap management.

1) Hyman walks because the Leafs can't afford him and is replaced by a cheaper (but less effective) option in Bunting.
2) When Bunting becomes a free agent he walks and is replaced by Knies at about the same cost but with lots of upside.
3) If Knies lives up to that upside before his ELC is done, he'll be in line for a significant raise and the Leafs may not be able to afford him either.

So, by sticking with this core four and rolling the Brinks truck up to their door each time they need a new contract the Leafs have been forced into a revolving door with virtually every other position on the team outside of LD1 with Reilly.

Over the next 2 years the Leafs have about 61 million coming off the books.

There is no realistic situation where they can't afford Knies.

 

[Stephen]

One point on Klingberg, I feel we never really saw what we had there. He injured himself in NY, was awful awful after that, but is it fair to judge the deal based on an asterisk? I’m not saying I liked the deal, because I didn’t, but I can’t judge it based on what we saw, because the guy could barely move by the end here.

Klingberg sounded like an intriguing addition on a message board, and I was very excited to have him here in Toronto. But he was both unhealthy and unfocused to start the season, I don't know how it could have gone right.

 

[DarkKnight]

Klingberg sounded like an intriguing addition on a message board, and I was very excited to have him here in Toronto. But he was both unhealthy and unfocused to start the season, I don't know how it could have gone right.

The whole team was unfocused to be fair. I’m not saying it was a good signing, but the disaster we attribute now isn’t even handed, given he never really had a chance with that injury.

 

[Menzinger]

Klingberg sounded like an intriguing addition on a message board, and I was very excited to have him here in Toronto. But he was both unhealthy and unfocused to start the season, I don't know how it could have gone right.

It was fine as a gamble because there was no long term risk, I didn't even hate it at the time of the signing because of that.

But it was always going to be an uphill battle for the guy, who had been awful for quite a while. The critics of the deal weren't just being critical for the sake of negativity, and ended up right.

Ideally the team make smarter investments next summer

 

[Stephen]

It was fine as a gamble because there was no long term risk, I didn't even hate it at the time of the signing because of that.

But it was always going to be an uphill battle for the guy, who had been awful for quite a while. The critics of the deal weren't just being critical for the sake of negativity, and ended up right.

Ideally the team make smarter investments next summer

The saving grace in these kind of situations is the LTIR safety net, but yeah they would have done a lot better had they gone with a cheaper Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

 

[cyris]

Over the next 2 years the Leafs have about 61 million coming off the books.

There is no realistic situation where they can't afford Knies.

Because of the way he burned the first year off his ELC I don’t think Knies will be eligible to sign an offer sheet.
So it isn’t like he will have much leverage or could choose to leave.