Brad Treliving is doing a great job.

[Madap]

He’s been okay. Matthews and nylander are unsigned which isn’t good.

I do like Reaves, and happy to take a chance on Klingberg too but both are overpaid so I don’t think he’s done anything spectacular there.

Big fan of Bertuzzi and Domi signings, but at the same time his initial targets were the overpaid reaves and klingberg. Looks like Domi and Bertuzzi just fell into our lap days later because no other team gave them the big contracts they wanted.

He’s really done nothing great yet and while I like these signings, this year will be more of the same…. Just hoping our stars can get their **** together come playoff time.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Matthews is FAR more important

So how important is Matthews? At what point should management say no, if at all? By how much is he going to be the highest paid player in the league, and sign for how many years? I hope management doesn’t bend over backwards for him, but I’m afraid that they will. Will he do what’s best for the team, or what’s best for himself?

 

[Captain Crunch]

Hope the Leafs get the 70 games per season version of Bert rather than the 50 games/season Detroit got a lot of.

If Bert manages to stay healthy for 70 games, you can expect 50-60 points from him.
If he only manages to stay healthy for 50 games, you can expect 30-40 points from him.
So he may not be the lock on the 1st line that everyone here seems to be hoping for. That is going to greatly depend on his health.

I'm sure his health is a big concern for himself too.

After signing a 1 yr deal with the Leafs, this is a big contract year for him. I'm sure he's really hoping that he can stay healthy this season so that he can put up big numbers and sign a big new FA contract after the season. If he gets injured this season, it could seriously cost him in the pocketbook. Is this going to cause him to play timid, go to the dirty areas less, or play with less of an edge than he did in the past?

I have a feeling Bert is also going to try to play more of a skill game and be less physical pest than in the past in the hopes of staying healthy. so he may not bring the physical edge that everyone in Leaf Land is expecting or used to seeing from him. time will tell.

If he plays like that, he will fit right in with our core players, which will be too bad.

 

[Captain Crunch]

In some way you could argue that not having signed Matthews right now is...good. Shows that he won't bend and give in easily. Whatever contract Matthews signs, no matter how bad for us, most likely still means Matthews capitulated something (as he should have last time).

Unfortunately, I think Matthews holds all the cards, just like he did last time. But it sure would be nice if Shanahan shows he has the balls to draw a line in the sand.

 

[Captain Crunch]

im pretty confident that every single person reading this thread could of done a better job at GM than this hack.

we really let an elite GM go for a NHL 23 AI GM. Classic Toronto.

Please explain how Dubas is an elite GM? Matthews and Marner owned him on their last contracts. He has left the cupboards pretty bare by having constantly traded away draft picks for pure rentals, with nothing to show for it, except ONE playoff round win in 5 years with this core. However, I put most/all of the blame for this mess on Shanahan, but I still don’t consider Dubas to be anywhere close to being a genius. He’s far from it in my opinion.

Wings fan coming in peace. I think Bertuzzi is a perfect fit, and I think he'll be a ppg+ player for you during the reg season, as he will play in the top six with better players than he is used to. But it is in the playoffs he'll be really good for you. If he stays healthy, which really is the biggest concern.

Thanks for your input on him. We are all hoping for the same.

 

[Captain Crunch]

The only real concern I have so far is that Treliving still hasn't brought in any winners.

For the most part all the old guys the Leafs have brought in over the years were losers their previous teams gave up on. The few winners that did somehow end up here weren't significant enough to make a difference. The result is that the whole team doesn't appear to have what it takes to proceed to the next level.

The most important thing that needs to happen is to figure out how to get over whatever mental hurdle is holding these guys back.

To find out why they all worship at the shrine of failure. Winning might not be everything. Wanting to win is.

They keep score for a reason.

Treliving should get rid of one of the core losers. The blonde hair and blue eyes aren't the only thing Nylander inherited. He for sure got stuck with the loser gene too.

Trading Nylander for a proven impact winner would be a huge success this offseason for Treliving if he could pull it off.

I really believe having a legitimate #1 dman would have a huge impact on what this team could do (although I’m just not sold on seeing Matthews and Marner as having what it takes to lead this team to a Cup). I just don’t see that trading Nylander would bring that back. I do feel trading Marner would do that, but unfortunately that won’t happen.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Is that smart opportunity management to keep Keefe for now, only to fire him later? Babcock wasn't it. Fired too late. Keefe isn't it. He needed to go after the MTL series. To keep around a fall guy that you KNOW to be an element of the problem just to buy yourself time or a second chance just reaks to me of a loser mentality. While I understand it's standard practice, if you have identified part of a problem that you were brought in to fix, then FIX IT!!! This core is basically on borrowed time (pending re-signings). It's now or never to give the team, the organization, and the fans every best possible chance to WIN! No excuses! Firing Keefe after an early round exit (again) does nobody any good after the core 4 walk in FA, except for the GM who gets to go "well we blew it and we're essentially now in rebuild mode. Guess I'll can the coach."

Good job being the king of nothing, I guess?

For me, the only coach I would have wanted who was available was Laviolette. He seems to be the type who would hold all players accountable, which I feel Shanahan does not want around (remember Keefe having to backtrack on what he said about Matthews and Marner early in the season).

 

[notDatsyuk]

It's crazy how many people I see that call McDavid the best player in the world and then say Tavares scores too much on the PP.

It's not that JT scores too much on the PP (silly idea) but that he doesn't at even strength.

Over the last four seasons McDavid leads the league in even strength points and is just behind Matthews in ES goals.

Thanks for another example that proves my point.

 

[notDatsyuk]

You’ve been riding your bike too long without a helmet if you think Tavares and McDavid are a good comparison.

He's not the one making the comparison, he's laughing at it.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Please explain how Dubas is an elite GM?

I think he's calling Lou elite and Dubas the replacement.

 

[Captain Crunch]

I think he's calling Lou elite and Dubas the replacement.

Oh, if that’s the case then I totally agree!

 

[Captain Crunch]

Sure trade the 80 point #2 center for "just about anything."

Trading 80 point players is always a good plan.....always

The problem is you shouldn’t have two centers making basically $22 million. That was a mistake in signing Tavares. I can’t see any team taking on his contract without it costing us. Then you add onto that the fact Marner is also making just under $11 million. I would “give away Tavares” only if we were able to turn that money into a legit #2 center and a top 4 dman. But I know that can’t be done.

 

[LeafEgo]

Sure, but his hands are tied. He has no money and less available resources to trade, so how can upgrade the D this year?

Good question, we got some nice stuff but seem to have run out of money by the time we got to defence.

We could flip Brodie for a different look. If we spend assets on retention we could get a modest replacement for Gio. Not too many options unless one of the big contracts go.

 

[Atomos2]

*sigh...f***ing August. This always happens.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

So how important is Matthews? At what point should management say no, if at all? By how much is he going to be the highest paid player in the league, and sign for how many years? I hope management doesn’t bend over backwards for him, but I’m afraid that they will. Will he do what’s best for the team, or what’s best for himself?

You don't say no to Matthews, Matthews is the guy you pay.

You can't say no to Matthews and there is a reason for that.

While your 2025 1st round pick is top 10 protected the 2026 is not.

If everything fell after this coming season they'd be fine in 2025 because that pick is top 10 protected.

But if Chicago doesn't get the 2025 pick they are getting the 2026 pick and that is not top 10 protected.

What that means is you can't afford to have it fall apart in 2025 because you can't afford to suck in 2026.

So you pay Matthews.

You should pay Matthews regardless because you should pay MVP caliber players.

But also you kind of have to pay Matthews

 

[Captain Crunch]

You don't say no to Matthews, Matthews is the guy you pay.

You can't say no to Matthews and there is a reason for that.

While your 2025 1st round pick is top 10 protected the 2026 is not.

If everything fell after this coming season they'd be fine in 2025 because that pick is top 10 protected.

But if Chicago doesn't get the 2025 pick they are getting the 2026 pick and that is not top 10 protected.

What that means is you can't afford to have it fall apart in 2025 because you can't afford to suck in 2026.

So you pay Matthews.

You should pay Matthews regardless because you should pay MVP caliber players.

But also you kind of have to pay Matthews

Shanahan is such an idiot!

 

[Gary Nylund]

So far he's doing OK, just OK.

 

[The Management]

The body of work isn't there at the moment to make a sincere assessment. I'm glad he didn't overpay for any of our departing players, and I'm generally fine with the guys around the edges he brought in, but we need to see what happens with Matthews and Nylander.

 

[saltming]

Shanahan is such an idiot!

 

[geo25]

I think Brad should have fired Keefe. I do like quite a few of the free agent signings. I do believe he will sign Matthews. His poker skills will be needed with Willie Styles. I am of the opinion now, of NOT trading Styles. I think the Aho signing made 10 million impossible. Call his bluff. I LOVE Styles and want him to stay. I believe after next season the Leafs will make an offer very competitive with other teams. IF Willy chooses to leave, sad, but so be it. The free agent pool is supposed to be deep. Plenty of options. The issue is Brad having nightmares about what happened in Calgary and letting a talented player walk away with no compensation. Let those thoughts go Brad.

Hmmm....those thoughts are very real & very possible for both WN & AM....

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

The body of work isn't there at the moment to make a sincere assessment. I'm glad he didn't overpay for any of our departing players, and I'm generally fine with the guys around the edges he brought in, but we need to see what happens with Matthews and Nylander.

I think Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are bigger moves then simply tinkering around the edges especially Tyler Bertuzzi

 

[The Management]

I think Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are bigger moves then simply tinkering around the edges especially Tyler Bertuzzi

Yeah, he's the one guy I'm genuinely excited to bring in. He's playing for a contract as well, so if he stays healthy and gets minutes with Marner or Matthews, he could have a big year.

 

[notDatsyuk]

You don't say no to Matthews, Matthews is the guy you pay.

You can't say no to Matthews and there is a reason for that.

While your 2025 1st round pick is top 10 protected the 2026 is not.

If everything fell after this coming season they'd be fine in 2025 because that pick is top 10 protected.

But if Chicago doesn't get the 2025 pick they are getting the 2026 pick and that is not top 10 protected.

What that means is you can't afford to have it fall apart in 2025 because you can't afford to suck in 2026.

So you pay Matthews.

You should pay Matthews regardless because you should pay MVP caliber players.

So that's another way Dubas screwed up?

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Racer88]

So far the only glaring mistake Treliving has made is not firing Keefe.
Keefe has shown what a crap coach he has been

 

[slozo]

Marner doesn’t have Gilmour’s skill set, so he can’t play like that.

You are 100% wrong - higher skill set than Gilmour in terms of puckhandling, passing and even shooting . . . but it's a different game, and obviously it's not just about skill.

Agree he needs to play "bigger"... but my main concern is the actual BIG guy (Matty) who plays smaller than Marner, and that skews everything.

I really don't think Marner is the problem - it's the goal scorers on his line. For an elite playmaker, the guys who have to score just still have to score.

And back to the point about Treliving - I think he will recognise and see that, because unlike Dumbass he hasn't been in this market overlooking the faults of "his guys" listening to the atrocious TO media making Matty blameless and perfect while criticizing the 175lb playmaker.

Here's hoping.