GDT: End of season media availability - Today

[WilliamInLondon]

Not sure Mitch is as care free as he likes to be characterized. Before his draft there was a THN article about how he suffered a crisis in confidence in London and had to go home to Toronto and reconnect with a Don Mills guy to get some perspective before going back to the Knights to find his game.

He seems like a very sensitive person who has to project a callousness without understanding how to connect to the market. For a guy from the market, it’s shocking.

Even the way he was “mistreated” by Toronto, it doesn’t really register with me. Schedule A vs B bonuses. I think before Mitch a lot of people would have never even thought about them. He certainly made all his money back in short order.

Babcock gate. I dunno, seemed like a negative experience but the stuff of legend?

The incessant comparisons to the franchise’s first overall pick?

Just seems like he could have been a lot more easygoing about things and still gotten like at least 98% of what he ended up with. He put himself in a pretzel.

Completely forgot about the bolded, but I remember this now that you bring it up.

The rest of your post - I think it does underscore the fact that the GM's responsibility with player acquisition/development is understanding better the psyche of a player's ability to cope with playing in Toronto lol. I actually agree with the points raised in Matthew Tkatchuk's interview more than I disagree with it.

 

[MSZ]

 

[AvroArrow]

100%. I think you give him a fair deal. In a few years if things don't improve and a rebuild is inevitable, the Leafs could get a pretty good return for a well respected vet.

5-6M x 3 years

No NMC, take it or frig off

 

[Rare Jewel]

how is it being blown out of proportion?

Because I think he implied that he was one of the "passengers" as well.

 

[AvroArrow]

He GTFO
He's utter slow and just turned 35. No thanks

Other than faceoffs he did nothing against Florida. Always two steps behind

He's still a fine 2C, worst case 3C that can move up the line up in case of injury. He has value, everyone is just angry at the team right now and I don't blame you guys.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I respect Matthews right not to disclose an injury. That said, he made it clear the injury was an issue since training camp and yet still played in the 4 nations tournament and not rest up?

I understand wanting to play for country even with giving him the captaincy for Team USA, but my goodness if you are injured don’t keep aggravating it. The olympics are next year as well, why not rest out on 4 nations tournament and just wait to play in the olympics??

This me first attitude of these players is what’s wrong with what has happened the last 9 years.

that bugs me too.
honestly if his back is bothering him (my illness bothers my back something fierce so i do sympathise) just. shut it down. don't play. I think a lot more people would respect you saying I can't play this season because i need to take care of my body to ensure that i CAN do what i want to do which is win the cup for Toronto so i need to be back next year) then just ... being a ghost for the series and then going "well you know i don't have to say anything." (which he doens't but it just comes off guh)

 

[SprDaVE]

5-6M x 3 years

No NMC, take it or frig off

Pretty much what I'd expect after some deferred money. I think 5M cap hit is the sweet spot.

 

[Stephen]

What kind of an injury hangs around all season, won't require surgery but allowed him to suit up in a meaningless game 82? Better on the dot than the last two years so I would say can't be wrist but his shot volume per game is down. His hits per 60 this season were 1.96 but prior two years were over 3.1 and this playoff half the rate as last year.

He's had shoulder issues more than once in the past or his back maybe. Hope its legitimately something that can be therapied out.

They tried selling the idea that the injury “can’t get worse” with wear and tear. But that contradicts the decline in production in the playoffs and the common sense that a damaged body part can’t be exacerbated further with the same kind of stresses and strains loaded on it that caused the original injury!

I think people will just have to walk away with their skepticism in tow and just see how it looks next year.

 

[Aashir]

That spinning pass went off the stick of Matthews. If he can hold it, no one complains. The scoring numbers for this entire team are pathetic. Anything you can say for Marner, you can say for the entire team.

That's called deflecting onto others. He was a leader so he deserves more blame than the depth pieces, and around the same as the other core guys which hasn't always been the case tbf.

But that pass is just indicative of marner: a really dumb idea with limited upside that cost us yet again. Marner could never rise to the occasion, he could never be the guy or even the guy's sidekick. He wasn't built to play in Toronto even though he was from here and it's a shame the team and he wasted 9 years of their careers on each other.

I don't blame Marner for leaving. Screwed on his ELC, scapegoated on his next contract, robbed at gunpoint, and someone threatened to kill his newborn child after game 7. He's gone and Toronto doesn't deserve him.

Screwed on his ELC: that was 3 GMs ago, 3 coaches ago. He isn't a little baby holding onto an ELC contact when he was

i don't get what the robbing has to do with us fans. Giroux had his car stolen too, and many other big cities also have crime, this ones a reach

the death threat: Yes that is completely unacceptable and vile, but it isn't how normal people are talking. Death threats unfortunately happen everywhere in sports but the players know those are soooo few and need to be ignored

This isn't the cities fault. IDK how you can even think of that

 

[Goodfellows]

I don't get it. Berube wants both Marner and Taveras back 100%? Then why fire Shanahan? Hes basically saying to continue with the Shanaplan.

 

[PromisedLand]

END OF SEASON AVAIL - CRAIG BERUBE:

• Thought the team made great strides this year and accomplished a lot of things. Really enjoyed working with this group of players this year. Praises their buy-in to the changes to style he wanted to implement
• Nobody is happy with game 7, but felt they did a lot of good things this year, that he is very proud of.
• On fan / media pressure - there's pressure everywhere. Doesn't care where you're playing. If that's a game 7 in Columbus, there's pressure to win. only pressure that should be felt, is the pressure that comes from within the locker room for each other.
• On injuries, including to Matthews and Knies - won't talk about injuries and what's bothering them. There's a lot of guys playing through a lot of things, on every team, not only the Leafs. This time of year, there's a lot of players going through a lot, like ours. That's fine, and that's normal, and you have to battle your way through it and that's all you can do.
• On the struggles "between the ears/mentally" of this team, and what resources the team is providing players, and his belief on whether they can get over the mental hump - there's a lot of things that go through your mind in these big games. You may not have your A-game in these games, but what you have to rely on is your structure. When he looked at these games and the situations that hurt them, they lost their structure. Very important that they take away the importance of structure in these games. When you don't have your A-game, you can get through these games by maintaining your structure.
• Adds that the organization has people that can work with players on the mental stuff, and those tools are available to the players.
• On the Panthers saying they felt they could leverage the pressure against Toronto - doesn't' know how the Panthers could do that. Maybe the Panthers could call him and help him figure out how to do that? says it's a hard market, but a great market. Pressure comes from inside the locker room, and teammates are the most important people.
• On coaching Marner this season - was great coaching him. Loves the guy. Loves coaching him, his energy, his personality. Hell of a player who does a lot for this team, in a lot of areas of the game. Nothing but good things to say to him.
• On whether he sensed the players putting pressure on themselves internally - thought his team looked really good, and were ready. Felt that sometimes you think you're ready and prepared, and you kind of don't have it. Not on your toes enough. And that's why he talks about structure again - thinks structure will take care of a lot of that. Says you guys might not know what he's talking about, but in game 7 felt they lost structure in key moments in the second period, and were punished for it, and that was the game.
• On what he makes of the Panthers comments about the Leafs being killed in the market - a lot of times in these games, the margins are small. If we score on one of our two breakaways in the first, is it a different game? Thinks that's what Maurice was talking about. If we capitalzed on some chances, it might have been different, but we didn't. So that's the way it goes.
• On Matthew Tkachuk's comments about how good the Leafs may have been if they weren't playing in Toronto - can't answer that.
• On what's missing here vs what he had in St. Louis when he won the cup - says it's a great question. says he really likes this team, and says it's a vvery good team. To get over that hump, thinks they have to learn from game 7, and that they will learn and be better. Says the 2 teams are constructed very differently, and are 2 very different teams. But says both teams are capable of winning, from a talent, character, and toughness standpoint. Just have to learn how to do things differently in order to get over the hump.
• Thinks you still need bounces to go your way in these games, because of how tight it is, but adds that sometimes you have to earn your bounces.
• On not having a great sense of what happened in games 5 and 7, and especially the slow starts to periods - goes back to losing structure, and being made to pay. Highlights Rielly's bad pinch leading to a 2-on-1 for Seth Jones' first goal, and then losing your check for the second goal. Can't word it any differently than that. Lost their structure, and cost them 3 goals.
• On if he would have done anything differently this season as a whole, as a coach - says they accomplished a lot this year. Says there's always things throughout the season that maybe you could have done differently, or handled differently, But in the end, they won their division, 108 points, lots of good things, all while changing their style and how they did things. Says he's like a player - there's always things he could have done better, or differently, but overall they accomplished a lot.
• On coaching Matthews this year, and his first year as captain - says it was great coaching him. Says the person is even more important. Great character, and great personality. Thought his leadership got better as the year went along, and thought he and Auston worked really well together with him in that role, and felt he really took over in that role. He's only going to grow as a leader, now that he understands what it takes but the things you have to do as a captain, especially off the ice.
• On what he plans to tell players heading into exit meetings - thinks every player is different, and will tell them what they need to improve. says he wants them to remember that it hurts right now, and wants them to remember that. Says it takes a lot of pain to win in this league, and the big takeway is to go away in the summer and get tougher mentally and physically, because you'll need it next year.
• On goalies and D-core coming back next year, and what the team's priority should be - says he won't comment on that. Says that for Treliving to comment on those types of things. Hasn't talked to Brad about it.
• On if he wants to see the team resign Tavares and Marner - 100%.

thanks for the minutes dont have like powers right now else will like it

agree with chief about structure and "on your toes" i.e. freakin skate and compete (IMO) but absolutely disagree with chief with re-signing tavares and marner 100%.

Chief we got 9 years of evidence to say that 91 and 16 fold and do not raise their games in playoffs

 

[NVious]

He's still a fine 2C, worst case 3C that can move up the line up in case of injury. He has value, everyone is just angry at the team right now and I don't blame you guys.

He is really not much more of a 3C, don't let season stats fueled by the PP fool you, he completely disappears in the playoffs.

He had 2 goals and 0 assists in his last 9 playoff games, Patches had 3 goals and 5 assists in his last 8 games and he was a friggin PTO.

Tavares is at that same point, we need to shield him and probably sit him out 20-40 games so he stays fresh for the playoffs.

 

[rumman]

I f***ing love Matthew Knies. Inject this guy into my veins for the rest of his career.

He's only going to get better.

He’s going to get offer sheets, I have no doubt about that……….

 

[WilliamInLondon]

They tried selling the idea that the injury “can’t get worse” with wear and tear. But that contradicts the decline in production in the playoffs and the common sense that a damaged body part can’t be exacerbated further with the same kind of stresses and strains loaded on it that caused the original injury!

I think people will just have to walk away with their skepticism in tow and just see how it looks next year.

The part that I'm curious about is what the actual extent of the injury is. If it really is a back injury and if it's disc related, then prime AM34 could have been 2023-2024. The fact that he doesn't want to or feel he needs surgery for this issue is also interesting.

I think of Mario Lemieux - maybe surgeries and general non-invasive procedures have improved since them, but that basically put him on the sidelines for the entire 90s. When he was healthy enough to play, he was the best player in the NHL and arguably the best of all time. The problem is that the condition - even with surgery - was degenerative and both his ability to play and the quality of his play quickly deteriorated over time.

 

[Stephen]

I respect Matthews right not to disclose an injury. That said, he made it clear the injury was an issue since training camp and yet still played in the 4 nations tournament and not rest up?

I understand wanting to play for country even with giving him the captaincy for Team USA, but my goodness if you are injured don’t keep aggravating it. The olympics are next year as well, why not rest out on 4 nations tournament and just wait to play in the olympics??

This me first attitude of these players is what’s wrong with what has happened the last 9 years.

Well think of it this way. It’s 4 months to preseason and he thinks it’ll be back to 100%.

So from September to February he would have had 4 months to go on LTIR just for Four Nations.

And from February to April he would have had 2 months to go on LTIR to be at 100% of the playoffs.

Neither off ramp was taken.

He didn’t go to Germany before the playoffs to get healthier.

So really you can’t downplay the injuries and simultaneously blame your poor season on them. We shall see what next year looks like.

 

[Stephen]

I f***ing love Matthew Knies. Inject this guy into my veins for the rest of his career.

He's only going to get better.

That’s how a city falls in love with a player. Speak plainly and openly about your commitment level and back it up with an honest effort and spectacular results.

 

[AvroArrow]

I don't get it. Berube wants both Marner and Taveras back 100%? Then why fire Shanahan? Hes basically saying to continue with the Shanaplan.

Berube is being a good coach, he's not going to throw his guys under the bus

 

[djdev]

He's still a fine 2C, worst case 3C that can move up the line up in case of injury. He has value, everyone is just angry at the team right now and I don't blame you guys.

i will take him back on a cheap deal, and i like JT. but outside of faceoffs he shouldnt be playing center for this team anymore. 3rd line winger for me or he can get a few million more a year elsewhere.

 

[Just Rude]

Because I think he implied that he was one of the "passengers" as well.

I agree with this. I don't think he was throwing anyone under the bus. It was like half an hour after another soul-crushing loss.

I think he meant himself as much as anyone. And maybe Mo.

 

[Rare Jewel]

He's still a fine 2C, worst case 3C that can move up the line up in case of injury. He has value, everyone is just angry at the team right now and I don't blame you guys.

For the regular season, maybe a lot of his points come from the PP.

However, in the playoffs, absolutely not.


But this is the thing: a couple of days pass, and people get soft. Where's the change coming from? Is it just Mitch? That's not enough.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Because I think he implied that he was one of the "passengers" as well.

that's fair that you think that.

I will have to respect the opinion of Cheryl Pounder that said when you say a comment like that you need to back it up and say "it starts with me." don't be evasive. don't be coy. own it.

 

[Ho Lee Mackinaw]

If there are not major changes next year I don't think I can have anymore investment in this team. I won't watch anymore games or follow them. I'm 52 and have followed them my whole life. But as much as I like the crest on the jersey, I don't like the core players who wear it even more. Even if AM34 comes back healthy I have been so soured on him and the others that I find myself cheering against them. I would rather a likable team that competes, has heart and represents the city, but doesn't do as well in the regular season over this bunch.

 

[Daisy Jane]

He’s going to get offer sheets, I have no doubt about that……….

we'll see what happens, but he did say that he likes it here, and wants to be here.

 

[Fogelhund]

He’s going to get offer sheets, I have no doubt about that……….

Unless he's signed before that could happen... which would be smart to do.

 

[AvroArrow]

For the regular season, maybe a lot of his points come from the PP.

However, in the playoffs, absolutely not.


But this is the thing: a couple of days pass, and people get soft. Where's the change coming from? Is it just Mitch? That's not enough.

I'm kinda split on JT

Issue for me is, I don't see a viable replacement available in free agency

On 1 hand, we need major change. Marner alone isn't enough. Rielly needs to go and I think due to a need of culture change, Tavares probably has to go

Then on the other hand, he's a 60+ point C who is great on faceoffs

He provides a ton of value, but then again we need new voices and personsel in the locker room. If we can find a viable replacement for 2C, move off of JT. If not, who's playing in our top 6 behind Matthews ?