Confirmed with Link: Brad Treliving officially announces Auston Matthews as the first ever US born captain of the Leafs

[mcleex]

This changes nothing. Its all optics

 

[LeafChief]

Would love to see them announce a Tavares extension at the same time. Low AAV. 3-4 million.

Slotted properly (in the lineup and in terms of AAV), Tavares has a lot of strong years left.

 

[francis246]

Phaneuf era team had guts and played their heart out every night. They weren't as skilled, but they never quit and almost everyone battled on a nightly basis. Nothing but love and respect for the guys of the Kessel/Phaneuf era.

That era sucked. You can bow tie it however you want. Falling off an 18 wheeler multiple times when you’re well within a playoff spot doesn’t scream never quitting. 14/15 season was the most pathetic display of a team I’ve ever seen hahaha.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

No it won’t. Nothing will ever be as garbage as the Phaneuf era.

Idk man, that was a team that made the playoffs once…they didn’t have a legit 1C, didn’t have a legit 1G. The team was full of holes.

2019-2024 leafs had such insane potential. The talent was off he charts, and they were actually good in the regular season. Each year they set the expectations high going into the playoffs. Then they always found a way to give us a crushing loss. Whether it’s coming back from a 3-1 series lead, or taking leads in game 7, they always made sure each years loss was different and painful

8 playoff berth and 1 series win, that’s easily more disappointing than 1 playoff berth and 0 series wins IMO

 

[francis246]

Idk man, that was a team that made the playoffs once…they didn’t have a legit 1C, didn’t have a legit 1G. The team was full of holes.

2019-2024 leafs had such insane potential. The talent was off he charts, and they were actually good in the regular season. Each year they set the expectations high going into the playoffs. Then they always found a way to give us a crushing loss. Whether it’s coming back from a 3-1 series lead, or taking leads in game 7, they always made sure each years loss was different and painful

8 playoff berth and 1 series win, that’s easily more disappointing than 1 playoff berth and 0 series wins IMO

I think for me, for the price we paid for Kessel, I was def expecting more than one playoff appearance. That’s why that era for me was so disappointing. We had no picks and we sucked, no playoffs. It doesn’t get worse than that Imo

I will take being in the dance every day over, being a horrible team with no picks on top of that.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

This will sell a lot of jerseys.

 

[CelticDruid]

JT will probably wish to be traded in the not to distant future.

 

[WTFMAN99]

It's hard to dislike this move.

 

[stickty111]

Awesome news

 

[notbias]

Take a discount to play for your childhood team and this is how they repay you...

So classless.

Just wait until the following year.

 

[hotpaws]

good move , JT was never looked at as a leader and hopefully this means they have no interest in bringing back mumbles as anything more than a depth piece at close to league min or better still there not interested in bringing him back at all

 

[SprDaVE]

Makes perfect sense. Tavares gets it.

I think people overrate quite a bit the role of a captain and even alternate/assistant captains though. It won't change very much.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

I fully support this. It’s his team, and he’s ready.

 

[capfit9]

Rewarding organizational failure is a great way to build winning culture.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

I think for me, for the price we paid for Kessel, I was def expecting more than one playoff appearance. That’s why that era for me was so disappointing. We had no picks and we sucked, no playoffs. It doesn’t get worse than that Imo

I will take being in the dance every day over, being a horrible team with no picks on top of that.

Fair enough
2013-14 and 2014-15 had some crazy 18 wheelers down the stretch

9-31-4 is a awful stretch from new years on in 2014-15, that's some 2017-2020 buffalo sabres fall off
3-12-0 is also awful from march 13 on in 2013-14.

 

[IPS]

Phaneuf era team had guts and played their heart out every night. They weren't as skilled, but they never quit and almost everyone battled on a nightly basis. Nothing but love and respect for the guys of the Kessel/Phaneuf era.

The team was built around Phaneuf and Kessel. You knew the team wasn't built to do much, so the expectations weren't inherently that high.

 

[Apex Predator]

Kipper was right once again. But I think this is the right time to do this. Start ushering in a new era

Kyper gets a lot of hate but he has sources.

 

[francis246]

JT will probably wish to be traded in the not to distant future.

I think what I like most about this move is that it sets up for the Stamkos treatment of JT which is what will be needed. If JT really wants to be here, come back on the cheap. 2-3 million. Otherwise don’t let the door hit you on the way.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

New jersey sponsor has been secured.

 

[Sypher04]

That tells you everything you need to know about JTs leadership abilities if they're stripping the C with a year left.

I’m not sure about that. It could be more of an indicator that they’d like to keep JT beyond this year at the right price but see this as Matthews’ team and believe he needs to lead it.

 

[conFABulator]

I called this and an extension for JT right after the season ended. This is not an insult to JT, it is a recognition that we have Matthews and a belief that this is his team.

a) We can't say that this is rewarding failure because this has never been AM's team. Now it is. Let's see if it is different.

b) This is a class move by JT and not an insult to him. It probably allows him to stay longer because we have solved the captain issue. Now he can wear an A and move to 3C and then 3W and be paid appropriately.

Those that wanted change in this organization. We have a new GM, new Coach(es), new captain, overhauled our D and G, and did NOT extend Marner the way we made a priority of doing with Matthew and Nylander last year.

Add this to the list of things well done by Treliving since he got here. I am not even a Tre fan.

 

[Buds17]

Hoping this won't be a topic of discussion again for even more than four years.

 

[Squiffy]

Timing is right. He had to get it eventually. Gets framed as a smooth passing of guard, as opposed to JT possibly leaving and getting it by default. Team move by JT.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Good to strip JT of the captaincy.

Although I wouldn't have given it to anyone. Matthews doesn't deserve it either even if it's "his team" cause he's been a part of the failure too. But at least they changed something.

 

[Sypher04]

Take a discount to play for your childhood team and this is how they repay you...

So classless.

Just wait until the following year.

If they want to keep him beyond this year, and they probably do, what difference does waiting a year make?