Speculation: Chris Johnston "An atom bomb could drop"

[ULF_55]

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I would put Domi on the Matthews line (they had good chemistry at the end of last season when Marner was hurt) and sign a second line centre like Bennett or Brock Nelson to play with Nylander and McMann.

Hoping someone like Nelson is willing.

Domi could work there.

 

[rumman]

So you keep Marner and pay him $14m because we didn’t trade him when we should have?

No thank you.

Isn’t that exactly what they did with Styles? I don’t get the logic of we don’t want this guy snd want to trade him snd then saying the guy we don’t want isn’t wanted elsewhere so we better sign him to a exorbitant contract……

 

[Ports]

My concern is that this management group thought Scott Laughton was a support player worth giving up a 1st rounder for. A few more Laughtons in for Marner seems like a great way to regress to mediocrity.

Laughton makes $1.5M on the cap. Marner will get close to 10 times that amount. There are quite a few RW UFA’s who will cost less than Marner who can provide scoring and possibly better playoff performance in big games than Marner has.

 

[Ports]

Perfect. I do enough so the Toronto fans know I offered 12 x 8 so he can leave for more $$$$. Win-win.

It’s been reported that they offered him $13.5M x 8 to sign during the season and he turned them down.

 

[rumman]

This is not a reflection on marner, but even at his current rate, how does that change how he and Matthews perform in the post-season?

Leafs need middle 6 improvements, and how does that happen without opening up Cap Space?

It doesn’t, getting rid of the core is the only solution, be nuce if yhey could do a sign snd trade or trade his tight snd recoup something, but thd rat and his agent will want their pound of flesh for not resigning the little rat…….

 

[Trapper]

It’s been reported that they offered him $13.5M x 8 to sign during the season and he turned them down.

Then he’s even more out to lunch than I thought or he’s 100% leaving and doesn’t care what the offer is.

 

[Ports]

Alternatively how do you get better using only free agents even with Marners money? I’ve seen some simulators of the lineup and they look rough. I’d rather keep trying with this core and blow it up completely with trading Marner/Nylander and Matthews in 2027 if it doesn’t work. We’re committed to this core at this point and unable to to change course while creating a better team IMO.

You think you can sign Marner and then trade him one year later ? Roll the dice on one more year. Again.

 

[rumman]

How many years do the Leafs need to change the defence, goaltending and bottom 6 to become a more complete team?

This year, the Leafs finally got the supporting cast to take on the Panthers and even though they went toe to toe with the Stanley Cup Champions it wasn’t good enough.

Funny enough the bottom 6, defence and goaltending is what helped the team go 7 games.

The core 5 is what hindered the team yet again from winning with hardly any scoring from them in the series. When Benoit gets a game winner there are big problems with this team.

The Leafs need to find playoff performers that can score in the top six. Yes it would be nice to have the toughness as well, but speed and scoring is what is required and moving on from Marner who has shown the inability to score or even set up goals in the playoffs is the right step.

Moving on from Reilly who can’t effectively quarterback the power play needs to go. Tavares can go to as he can’t score either.

The team needs a major change in the top six to breakthrough finally.

Riley gas to know he’s ducked the last two seasons and should welcome s change of scenery to jump start his career. Oh, and Mo, step away from the donuts, your fat ass isn’t helping your game…….

 

[Ports]

Then he’s even more out to lunch than I thought or he’s 100% leaving and doesn’t care what the offer is.

It’s the latter I believe. Too much pressure and even he knows they can’t win a cup by staying the same.

 

[rumman]

where da offense comin from

Sign Patrick Kane and his old teammate Toews to one year deals, that gets them to next years UFA pool which is deeper than this years. Sho onow both might have rennisance and be worth extending…….

 

[Trapper]

It’s the latter I believe. Too much pressure and even he knows they can’t win a cup by staying the same.

Probably smart. He’ll never survive here making 13/14 million if our postseason end the same way.
Willy doesn’t care, he just pops over to Sweden or the Worlds. See you in September.

 

[rumman]

Knies - Matthews - ?
? - ? - Nylander
...

Treliving facing the biggest challenge of his GM career?

Someone previously mentioned trading our overpriced shit for another team’s overpriced shit, at this point I’m open to anything that changes the core, so under this scenario who we moving Mo for?

 

[ULF_55]

Probably smart. He’ll never survive here making 13/14 million if our postseason end the same way.
Willy doesn’t care, he just pops over to Sweden or the Worlds. See you in September.

My guess Nylander would go anywhere there's a game, even the SCF's, and just play.

 

[ULF_55]

Someone previously mentioned trading our overpriced shit for another team’s overpriced shit, at this point I’m open to anything that changes the core, so under this scenario who we moving Mo for?

EP40?

With retention, or include Kampf?

 

[rumman]

I am 100 % prepared and don’t care if he walks.
That being said, 12 x 8 (not a penny more than Rantanen) with a NMC for the fist 4 years (so he knows he won’t be traded for the first 4) that kicks into a limited 10 team NTC for the final 4 years.
Take it or leave it.

Does nothing gor yhd culture change the team so desperately needs so because ofvghat Zi veto this idea. I like JT, snd on a team friendly deal it’s hard to say no, but I would for the exact same reason. If they walk for the two aforementioned players and trade mo it sends a real message to 34 snd 88……..

 

[Ports]

Someone previously mentioned trading our overpriced shit for another team’s overpriced shit, at this point I’m open to anything that changes the core, so under this scenario who we moving Mo for?

A bag of pucks as long as we don’t have to eat any of his AAV.

 

[rumman]

EP40?

With retention, or include Kampf?

Can’t do that, thevtesm doesn’t need another drama queen, but uf they could flip him I say hell yea…….

 

[Hellcat]

Rumors that the Leafs are looking to use buyouts on multiple players. Domi and Rielly ...pluuuuuhhhhese...

Domi would be a 2.75m cap hit for 3 years and then 500k for the next 3 years

Rielly cap hit would be 1.6m next year, 3.6m for the next 4,, then 2.1m for the next 5.

Lots of dead space but if we cant trade them.... they gots to go....

 

[Menzinger]

Rumors that the Leafs are looking to use buyouts on multiple players. Domi and Rielly ...pluuuuuhhhhese...

Domi would be a 2.75m cap hit for 3 years and then 500k for the next 3 years

Rielly cap hit would be 1.6m next year, 3.6m for the next 4,, then 2.1m for the next 5.

Lots of dead space but if we cant trade them.... they gots to go....

I'd assume Domi is fairly tradeable for future considerations.

A Reilly buyout likely does more harm than good given the cap penalties. Better to beg him to waive. They're not getting a top 4 D replacement in free agency for 3.6 mil in savings

 

[hockeywiz542]

Wind of change blowing through Toronto — The Fourth Period

Changes are coming to the Maple Leafs. David Pagnotta touches on the extent of those changes, as Toronto will be a focal point this summer.

www.thefourthperiod.com

The Maple Leafs have $26,859,001 in salary cap space going into the 2025-26 season, as per our friends at PuckPedia. Toronto may free up even more space if they move, or buy out, David Kampf and/or Calle Jarnkrok, which is under consideration, according to a team source.

A solid chunk of their cap allotment will go to pending restricted free agent Matthew Knies, who is likely to command a contract in the three-to-five-year range and an AAV of $7 million or higher. Fellow RFAs-to-be Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson are also in need of new deals, as are forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz, both of whom contributed in positive ways this season, but can become unrestricted free agents July 1.

 

[WillNy29]

Of course it’s about scoring. It’s about scoring in the biggest games which they don’t do. The numbers are staggering. Even the series against the Panthers they only scored four goals in the last four games. And the core five only scored one of them on a wiff by Bob. How many goals have Matthews, Marner and Tavares scored in the six game sevens they’ve played in ? It’s the problem.

how many has mackinnon scored in?

also why was it a whiff by Bob? ive seen matthews score tons of goals five hole along the ice.

 

[Stephen]

I think reasonably if they do the proper sit down, hash out the differences, the contract should be 12.5 for 8 years.

I do subscribe to the idea that a lot of this Marner nonsense is Darren Ferris posturing and the chances of him leaving are lower than you’d think.

For example. Let’s think about the “Marner is fed up” angle. Who is he fed up with? The Leafs organization Schedule B Lou is gone. Bad Man Babcock is gone. He loves his teammates in the room. He hates the fans? Maybe. But they treat them like gods. The media? He’s going to leave because of Steve Simmons?

I think if he didn’t have such an outsized chip on his shoulders for no reason he would realize he doesn’t have that much of an issue in Toronto. I think Toronto fans have a bigger gripe with him and it’s more compelling to move on from him.

 

[Apex Predator]

how many has mackinnon scored in?

also why was it a whiff by Bob? ive seen matthews score tons of goals five hole along the ice.

37 goals in 45 games

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Rumors that the Leafs are looking to use buyouts on multiple players. Domi and Rielly ...pluuuuuhhhhese...

Domi would be a 2.75m cap hit for 3 years and then 500k for the next 3 years

Rielly cap hit would be 1.6m next year, 3.6m for the next 4,, then 2.1m for the next 5.

Lots of dead space but if we cant trade them.... they gots to go....

Why would we buyout Domi? Rielly sure, but Domi? Senseless. If we don't re-sign Marner we'll doubly need him anyways and I bet he would play well with Matthews (at least in the offensive zone, anyways.)

 

[Brown Dog]

I think Mitch will get north of $15 million per.