Speculation: Chris Johnston "An atom bomb could drop"

[TheGreenTBer]

What is the matter with people? Disgusting behaviour. If these are truly Leaf fans then I am ashamed to be part of this group. Ugh.

Bad people are bad people. It doesn't what they claim to represent, they are all the same.

 

[mikeyz]

After game 7, people on twitter posted his address and threatened to kill his newborn.

Wow. I am the furthest person from a Marner fan when it comes to being on this team, but, that is so f***ed up. Nobody deserves to go through that.

 

[WillNy29]

Your NBA comp take is wrong,

Tkachuk didnt play and win on the Charlotte Hornets. If he did that he'd be regarded as an all time great player. It would be taking a dysfunctional organization that sucked and making them into a winner. Panthers were a good team already with good drafting and development but not great at the playoffs with their core guys choking hard from 2016 to 2022

He became the Kevin Durant for the GSW and made the Panthers into a potnetial dynasty.

His move wasn't as weak as KD as NBA players impact games more and Tkachuk in isolation isn't a top 3 player in the NHL like 2016 KD was.

the difference here is GSW is in like 5th largest market in the NBA there's pressure. this guy ducked out of pressure and went to the Utah jazz or New Orleans pelicans

 

[LaPlante94]

After game 7, people on twitter posted his address and threatened to kill his newborn.

Did this actually happen or just made up twitter stuff for reactions? Only article I have seen where they mentioned anything about fan harassment was back in 2019 when he was walking his dog and someone yelled out where's the contract at or something like that. Then later in that same article they said someone threw a bunch of Montreal Canadians stuff on his yard which is weird because what Leafs fan would own Montreal Canadians stuff. The only place I've heard about an address being leaked is by randoms on twitter and this threatening to kill his newborn stuff is literally the 1st time I've read that so where can we see this stuff to verify because that's some pretty serious stuff to be throwing around.

 

[The Masters]

 

[seventieslord]

i like that phrasing, though hostile night be to strong. He has been a difficult one for sure.

When people say Marner has to go, do they think this is the case at any cost? Meaning if he was willing to sign an eight year, $88.16M deal. Would anyone here change the their mind?

I think he has to go but I also think the only way he could stay was on a good contract where the fans appreciate a hometown star, taking the discount so we can add. I don't think he does this but does anyone have a number you WOULD keep him?

11M would do it, but no NMC.

We just don't want to end up in a situation where we lose a player of that caliber for nothing, but we also don't want to be stuck with a player who makes so much money and can't be traded.

 

[The Masters]

 

[Steamy Ray Vaugh]

11M would do it, but no NMC.

We just don't want to end up in a situation where we lose a player of that caliber for nothing, but we also don't want to be stuck with a player who makes so much money and can't be traded.

If 11M would do it, then it would have been done already. Marner is gone, it's time to accept it. We will lose him for nothing, he has all the power

 

[New User Name]

Hopefully things work out next year.

Treliving needs to make this summer count. His UFA acquiring skills will be too the test

So far as the Leafs GM

Tanev --> A+, home run for 1st year, praying he LTIRs his last 2 if he falls off

OEL --> B+, signing, impactful guy and a wonderful 3rd option for a team from offense from defense perspective

Domi --> B+, both the 1-year deal and the 4 year deal. I think domi was held back this season by opportunities and linemates. He stepped up big in the playoffs and had a great series vs FLO. I can see 15-20G and 40-45A next 3 years if he plays top PP and L1

Stolarz --> A-, great reg season, top 2 goalie in his 30 something games. Avg playoffs but he got hurt again. Concerns about injuries and LT contract extension still exist.

Benoit --> B+, great #6D who is probably closer to a #5D. Not much worse than Carlo and both play well defensively.

His bad UFAs would be Hakipanna (C-), Klingberg (D+) who were both 1-year deals and Bertuzzi was a good signing passed on unfortunately.


We need to have 2-3 B+ to A+ UFA signings this summer

Every time I see Klinbergs name I still can't believe he turned down 8 years at 7 million with Dallas.

I agree with you about Bertuzzi.

 

[conFABulator]

11M would do it, but no NMC.

We just don't want to end up in a situation where we lose a player of that caliber for nothing, but we also don't want to be stuck with a player who makes so much money and can't be traded.

Yeah. Good call. I agree with no NMC. I don't see Mitch doing either of these. He will want north of 13 with some protection.

 

[Metroid]

I'd much rather be mocked and ridiculed in the Leafs position then be in Buffalos position, or Edmonton position pre McDavid.

I have a Sabres fan on here that keeps sending me "lol" type DMs after one drunken night of shit talking during the Panthers series. Funny how invested he is getting with chirping me and the leafs as a buffalo fan

 

[seventieslord]

If 11M would do it, then it would have been done already. Marner is gone, it's time to accept it. We will lose him for nothing, he has all the power

The question was what would I find acceptable. That's what I would find acceptable. I know he would be way too greedy to accept it.

 

[Bellzy]

Omg shove that dynamite alll the f***ing way pleaseeeee

 

[Menzinger]

There may be a scenario where Keith Pelley has been doing due diligence behind the scenes on a new president of hockey ops and so that person might want to completely start fresh and hire his own people

Tre has done okay but he might just be caught in the wrong time

CJ's article today suggested the presidents role may go unfilled for a while.

 

[shortfuze]

The nuclear option would have to be Matthews, it just sucks because you're not winning a trade being the team that trades the 69 goal scorer lol.

But it's time. He is not a winner. I think he would accept a trade at this point to an American team. I think he knows his time has run out here.

He can get all the crazy American endorsements and make all the money he wants which is obviously a high priority for him.

I wonder if nuclear means literally everybody. Matthews trade, Marner walk, Tavares walk, Nylander trade (his value is so high right now) and trade Rielly.

The teams changed. Go for it. This experiment doesn't work. I'll suffer gladly for a few years if I know we are trying something new. I hate these Leafs. They are pathetic. No heart. Unlikable team.

Ask buffalo how those few years have been.

 

[Steamy Ray Vaugh]

The question was what would I find acceptable. That's what I would find acceptable. I know he would be way too greedy to accept it.

It doesn't matter, he will probably get 15M AAV on the open market. He also will want another NMC.

 

[stealth1]

Ask buffalo how those few years have been.

That's the extreme of what will happen. Either way, keeping Matthews and company isn't likely to end each season as a Cup champion. These guys just don't have it.

 

[shortfuze]

That's the extreme of what will happen. Either way, keeping Matthews and company isn't likely to end each season as a Cup champion. These guys just don't have it.

I agree. You can’t keep the 4 of them. The team just isn’t built right. Whether people want to agree or not you don’t trade your superstar 1C. It’s so hard to find another one. You keep Matthews and build the team around him. Unfortunately 1 or even 2 of the others have to go.

 

[stealth1]

I agree. You can’t keep the 4 of them. The team just isn’t built right. Whether people want to agree or not you don’t trade your superstar 1C. It’s so hard to find another one. You keep Matthews and build the team around him. Unfortunately 1 or even 2 of the others have to go.

Unfortunately Matthews is the biggest problem. He's not a guy that is a leader or will carry this team. Time to rebuild

 

[Steamy Ray Vaugh]

I agree. You can’t keep the 4 of them. The team just isn’t built right. Whether people want to agree or not you don’t trade your superstar 1C. It’s so hard to find another one. You keep Matthews and build the team around him. Unfortunately 1 or even 2 of the others have to go.

Marner is gone. Tavares could stay but for a lot less. Now they just have to not go on a spending spree

 

[shortfuze]

Unfortunately Matthews is the biggest problem. He's not a guy that is a leader or will carry this team. Time to rebuild

Based on what? That he hasn’t scored many goals?

 

[stealth1]

Marner is gone. Tavares could stay but for a lot less. Now they just have to not go on a spending spree

Why save cap space for the next season? Spend to the cap on talent and hope it's enough to carry Mathews to a Cup.

 

[Menzinger]

Why save cap space for the next season? Spend to the cap on talent and hope it's enough to carry Mathews to a Cup.

The free agency group is much stronger in 2026.

 

[stealth1]

Based on what? That he hasn’t scored many goals?

His playoff stats plus how he doesn't take over games is the problem. I posted this earlier but it speaks volumes.

The drop in core four scoring from regular season to playoffs

Posting this fully in part to sharpen it.

Difference between reg season points per game and playoffs points per game from the core five between 2016 and now:

Matthews -0.28

Marner -0.23

Nylander -0.07

Tavares -0.32

**What does this mean exactly?**

-0.1 is very typical

-0.2 is underwhelming

-0.3 is historically bad

90% of all NHL players ever are -0.1

Many notable NHLers are at -0.2 like:

Mario Lemieux, Yzerman, Jagr, Lafontaine, Gartner, Joe Mullen, Nieuwendyk, Shanahan funny enough, Datsyuk, Lanny McDonald, Joe Thornton

Some notable NHLers at -0.3 or more are:

Dionne, Robitaille, likely some more

(inherently factoring in age decline all told)

Seems perfectly fitting given that the massive pressure they're facing, but maybe other factors also. Crumbling under expectations. Also worth mentioning they've faced better goalies than most playoff teams do so far, a significant element.

Holtby, Rask, KORPISALO ON STEROIDS, Price, Vasilevskiy, Swaymark, Bobrovsky

So. Yeah. A fascinating situation.

 

[stealth1]

The free agency group is much stronger in 2026.

So. Use the cap space from Marner and Tavares. Sign Bennet, Marchand and Ehlers.