Speculation: Chris Johnston "An atom bomb could drop"

[GoonieFace]

Don’t see them moving Matthews. Wonder if they’ll entertain moving Nylander.

I doubt they do anything but re-sign everyone

 

[The Masters]

Move as many of them as possible……..

rumman for GM !

 

[GoonieFace]

Those arent atom bombs lol

Everyone is expecting Marner/Leafs to go their separate ways. Shanny? Does anyone really care? Lol

Like I said, if MLSE wasn't so worried about $$$ and wanted to do something drastic, they would entertain trading a guy like Matthews and see if you can rip a team off. But they wont cuz they dont want to risk missing out on the playoffs / trade not working out and blow back from fans. This Org. has had their scaredy cat lense on for years.

The only atom bomb will be in stall 2 after the locker clean out

 

[darrylsittler27]

There's another explanation that is far simpler and one that I feared the moment they hired Treliving without a proper GM search - they just don't know what they're doing and are making it up as they go.

They signed Jeff Finger and then said, we thought he was someone else. The Leafs are marked by incompetence. The replaced Lou with a woke child who never played hockey. What's Tre ever done?

 

[rumman]

I doubt they do anything but re-sign everyone

That would be the Leafy thing to do…….

 

[Tak7]

They signed Jeff Finger and then said, we thought he was someone else. The Leafs are marked by incompetence. The replaced Lou with a woke child who never played hockey. What's Tre ever done?

Spent 9 years in Calgary building a team that couldn't make the playoffs... ?

 

[The Masters]

.

 

[The Shadow]

The most important thing in all of this is the culture. The Panthers figured it out. Tampa Bay before them.

The players have to demand a certain level of complete from each other

I don’t think Matthews is the main bus driver. It has to be someone else. As Kypreos said yesterday Matthews is more like a Malkin. They need a Crosby type now. Who demands a level of compete

Without that it won’t matter what they do. They will never win

 

[Da Mash]

Well Im not sure what this Atom bomb will be but both 34 and 88 would have to waive their NMC and I cant see it unless they just despise Berube low event , shot blocking system. I mean if I was Mathews I sure wouldnt like to play that boring system.

All Berube system proved was we can play a defensive game, (Keefer did it too when needed) and it also proved that it does not matter what team they are playing against that Berube system will keep the opponents in the game.

It was a good run just like Keefer. Who cares if we go to the conference and lose just other previous leaf teams. Proves nothing other then the fans having another series to cheer and complain when they lose.

We made hero's of alot of failed players here. Now all of a sudden fans want to get rid of 34,88,16 etc?
Its hard to win and its even harder when the NHL promotes the rule changes in the playoffs.

The Caps waited till Ovi was 31 to get a cup and past the 2nd round. We on the other hand had enough of these 27-28 yr olds

No First rd picks for the next 3 yrs doesnt help. Tre had cap space etc and the bottom six still sucked balls and our D still has no offence ability. Reilly has been a thorn in our side for a decade it seems and he is getting worse not better. Constantly spending assets to find him a partner who can hide his warts.

I watched the leafs since their cup and Ive seen alot of talented players come and go. My favorite player was Keon and Salming. I never once thought of getting rid of Salming because the team never won anything and he had talented players around him.

I see Anderson has helped the Canes get to the conference finals. We ran him out of town because we convinced ourselves that we could never win with him.

Personally the Atom bomb I would like to see is Shanny, Tre and Berube all axed. Trying to put a square peg into a round hole never works. You can read the body language of our star players. They hate this neanderthal type of hockey.

Concerning Marner ......Im happy he didnt waive .....the mediots can proclaim whatever they want but it doesnt make it true. Only Tre and Marner knows what was asked. Tre respects these contracts as he gave 88 and 34 the same NMC. If fans dont like it......blame the GM and management not the player.

In the end it was a boring season to watch this type of hockey. Get outshot and out hit constantly. Watch as other teams control the play most of the game while we cringe everytime 34 blocks a shot.

I think Berube really thought the NHL handed out medals for most blocked shots.

Next year we still have Kampf, Jarnkrok,Domi, Laughton, and Robertson,(RFA) Holmberg (RFA) trying to fill out that bottom six still

Hopefully Lorentz signs back as for me he was one of our better bottom six guys

Also will we ever find out what is ailing Mathews all year? Its obvious something is up. Will it get fixed or will they just try to manage it and he will never be 100% again and we just have to eat that contract?

 

[Da Mash]

The most important thing in all of this is the culture. The Panthers figured it out. Tampa Bay before them.

The players have to demand a certain level of complete from each other

I don’t think Matthews is the main bus driver. It has to be someone else. As Kypreos said yesterday Matthews is more like a Malkin. They need a Crosby type now. Who demands a level of compete

Without that it won’t matter what they do. They will never win

We all know that it was Kessel that stirred the pot in Pitt. Wins two cups and once he left haven't made the playoffs have they ?
Kessel was accused of the same thing....and went out and was one of Pitt top scores in both cup wins and was in the running for playoff MVP. Go figure.

 

[Peasy]

We all know that it was Kessel that stirred the pot in Pitt. Wins two cups and once he left haven't made the playoffs have they ?
Kessel was accused of the same thing....and went out and was one of Pitt top scores in both cup wins and was in the running for playoff MVP. Go figure.

Yeah because he walked into a completely different situation in Pitts than he was in Toronto. They had him playing on the 3rd line feasting on lesser competition while Crosby and Malkin duo'd the other team big guys.

 

[The Shadow]

Which of these 3 men look like captains?

 

[Da Mash]

Yeah because he walked into a completely different situation in Pitts than he was in Toronto. They had him playing on the 3rd line feasting on lesser competition while Crosby and Malkin duo'd the other team big guys.

And he proved the "haters" in TO wrong. Its not like he rode the coat tails.....he was at the top of leading scorers on the team. I wish we had a 3rd line like that produces like that line did. He played also over 17 and a half minutes a game in the playoffs too.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Which of these 3 men look like captains?

I know it's irrational but literally everything about Auston Matthews annoys the shit out of me at this point

 

[colchar]

The most important thing in all of this is the culture. The Panthers figured it out. Tampa Bay before them.

The players have to demand a certain level of complete from each other

I don’t think Matthews is the main bus driver. It has to be someone else. As Kypreos said yesterday Matthews is more like a Malkin. They need a Crosby type now. Who demands a level of compete

Without that it won’t matter what they do. They will never win

'Compete' is not a f**king noun.

 

[ashs]

Do what we can to get mcdavid and marner and Mathews. We'd be the Oilers of the 80s.

Get rid of rielly though.

 

[rumman]

Yeah because he walked into a completely different situation in Pitts than he was in Toronto. They had him playing on the 3rd line feasting on lesser competition while Crosby and Malkin duo'd the other team big guys.

perspective............

 

[Trapper]

The only question should be how many.
1 core, 2 core, 3 core, 4.
Press the button and core no more.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Do what we can to get mcdavid and marner and Mathews. We'd be the Oilers of the 80s.

Get rid of rielly though.

Nurse!!

He's out of bed again...

 

[Menzinger]

The funny thing is we're all focusing on the Marner stuff -.which, fair enough - but the more potentially far-reaching nuggets that CJ let loose was the hint that the Leafs might not spend all their cap space this off-season, saving some for next year when there's way more attractive free agency class (including you know who....)

 

[Rare Jewel]

The funny thing is we're all focusing on the Marner stuff -.which, fair enough - but the more potentially far-reaching nuggets that CJ let loose was the hint that the Leafs might not spend all their cap space this off-season, saving some for next year when there's way more attractive free agency class (including you know who....)

It would be a very good move not to blow all the money this summer and keep the powder dry.

But if they want to be competitive next season, they've likely got to go for someone fairly big this summer, too.

 

[rumman]

The funny thing is we're all focusing on the Marner stuff -.which, fair enough - but the more potentially far-reaching nuggets that CJ let loose was the hint that the Leafs might not spend all their cap space this off-season, saving some for next year when there's way more attractive free agency class (including you know who....)

I'm okay with that or signing guys to one year deals to have room when a better crop of UFA's are available, Let Mathews, Styles, and Riley play with a weak supporting cast so they really know what too many passengers means...........

 

[HockeyVirus]

Shocked at the amount of fans on here that I know have been Leaf fans for decades screaming to rebuild. Folks, we don't have a first until 2028. It is only 15 years ago we tanked without our first and gifted the Bruins Tyler Seguin 2nd OA. And guess what? Bruins hold one of our firsts again.

Rebuilding is not on the table and I lose a bit of respect for anyone suggesting it because it isn't an option at all

 

[HockeyVirus]

The funny thing is we're all focusing on the Marner stuff -.which, fair enough - but the more potentially far-reaching nuggets that CJ let loose was the hint that the Leafs might not spend all their cap space this off-season, saving some for next year when there's way more attractive free agency class (including you know who....)

Especially if McDavid wins the cup with the Oilers this year.... I think it is very likely they have a shot at signing him. Especially because this is the NHL and tampering is basically allowed and his agent would happen to know his hometown has 20M of cap space and a need at center

 

[Rare Jewel]

Shocked at the amount of fans on here that I know have been Leaf fans for decades screaming to rebuild. Folks, we don't have a first until 2028. It is only 15 years ago we tanked without our first and gifted the Bruins Tyler Seguin 2nd OA. And guess what? Bruins hold one of our firsts again.

Rebuilding is not on the table and I lose a bit of respect for anyone suggesting it because it isn't an option at all

The 2026 pick is protected, no?