Right now a team in the playoffs is hoping they get us. Let that sink in.
Glad I’m not the only one to understand what a terrible idea it would be to let Marner and Tavares walk and then wasting the cap space on overpaying mediocre hacks.
The other side of that argument is that this core has accomplished absolutely ZERO so maybe the alternative is to shake things up and try something different.
The problem in Leaf Land is they already extended Nylander & Matthews so they're here regardless. That means to change things up in a meaningful way there's only Mitch & JT left. Tavares' legacy as a captain of two teams is nothing but failure and he's in his mid-30s. That's an easy one to let walk.
Mitch is tougher because he is a great talent and has utility in many roles. But this team already has its $11M+ winger locked in long-term, another one even with a raising cap just continues with the same theme of a top-heavy group with depth issues - even more noticeable when the stars, like Mitch, don't perform like elite talent when they're needed to the most.
So it's certainly a "change for change's sake" mentality, which I get most people aren't a fan of, but for nearly a decade this core has not got it done. The answer simply isn't just to keep rolling it back over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over (add 8 "and over"'s if you re-sign Mitch) again is it?
Tavares has been ridiculously overpaid for the past SEVEN (7) years thanks to the most useless GM in hockey history.
If he takes a hometown discount of $5M per year, he’ll be a decent value as a 60 point player who’s very good at face offs and is about as low maintenance as it gets.
That would allow Treliving to spend some of the $6M in savings on a legit top 4 defenceman to bump Simon Benoit down to the minors where he belongs.
The rest of the savings can go towards getting Marner re-signed. If he was washed up like Erik Karlsson or a nutcase like Eli Pettersson, it wouldn’t make sense to re-sign Marner. But he’s unquestionably one of the top 10 to 15 forwards in the game and will be for the foreseeable future. Under no circumstances do you let that kind of talent leave for free.
Ask yourself if you’d rather have Marner and Easton Cowan for the next four years or Jesper Bratt and Kevin Fiala instead. Bet that the kind of mediocre trash free agents that teams pay $7M or $8M a year for.
We are not signing Mitch marner at the number he seems intent on getting don’t be fooled he can go we will retool and be just fine as we see domi can step in there and get the pucc to Matthew’s and add grit to the line 9 million dollars cheaper knies is priorityWhat about Knies' extension?
Money will be pretty much gone with Marner + Tavares + Knies + depth pieces.
Glad I’m not the only one to understand what a terrible idea it would be to let Marner and Tavares walk and then wasting the cap space on overpaying mediocre hacks.
It’s totally delusional thinking by “fans” who churn their fantasy hockey roster or their NHL ‘25 video game roster with multiple player trades every week.
Fortunately, Brad Treliving isn’t a video game GM.
Right now a team in the playoffs is hoping they get us. Let that sink in.
The annual fair weather, entitled fan thread has appeared. Does any other fan base whine as much as this one?
The annual fair weather, entitled fan thread has appeared. Does any other fan base whine as much as this one?
The other side of that argument is that this core has accomplished absolutely ZERO so maybe the alternative is to shake things up and try something different.
The problem in Leaf Land is they already extended Nylander & Matthews so they're here regardless. That means to change things up in a meaningful way there's only Mitch & JT left. Tavares' legacy as a captain of two teams is nothing but failure and he's in his mid-30s. That's an easy one to let walk.
Mitch is tougher because he is a great talent and has utility in many roles. But this team already has its $11M+ winger locked in long-term, another one even with a raising cap just continues with the same theme of a top-heavy group with depth issues - even more noticeable when the stars, like Mitch, don't perform like elite talent when they're needed to the most.
So it's certainly a "change for change's sake" mentality, which I get most people aren't a fan of, but for nearly a decade this core has not got it done. The answer simply isn't just to keep rolling it back over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over (add 8 "and over"'s if you re-sign Mitch) again is it?
They've won 1 playoff round in 22 years.
Leafs fans are a lot of things but fair weather is not something you can attribute to anyone here.
It's not bleak if we can get a good return for Matthews or Matthews actually starts playing like a 13.5M center, rather than 7M center.
Trade Matthews for Fantilli and Johnson or
Trade Matthews for Harley, Johnston
Sign Bennet, Marner
Moving a 13.5M player that plays like a 7M second line center for young upcoming centers in Fantilli and Johnson or Harley and Johnston should in theory help the team win, but yeah.... it would take willingness from ownership (Matthews is highly marketable) and onions from the GM (if the deal goes south, he will forever be remembered.... not in a positive way).
Tampa moved Sergachev, McDonagh, moved on from Stamkos
Florida moved on from Montour, traded Huberdeau, Weegar
Good thing we have our young 2nd line C ready to step up and play full time next season right…..
Oh… wait![]()
Trading Matthews would be an incredibly stupid thing to do.
That would be the dumbest move in franchise history
They basically haven't even tried him away from petrified Mitch Marner in the playoffs. Even last night Mitch throws the puck at the sign of any contact and they want to play playoff hockey? Imagine my shock when we exit in the rd1 or 2 again.
Your response has 0 to do with the post you qouted
Sure it does. The root of all people wanting to trade Matthews is lack of getting it done. What other reason is there?
Yes it would be incredibly stupid. Just like it would be incredibly stupid to run it back, but if you love the definition of insanity, then maybe keeping the gang together is for you.
I mean that's a fine way to be. It's n early season and you can enjoy more sunlight into the evening if you are into the outdoors.
Wanting change is one thing.
Trading Matthews is not the change.
Trading Matthews would be f***ing stupid.
A franchise that hired an apprentice GM after drafting Nylander, Marner, and Matthews an abandoned the rebuild would more than likely botch the trade, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing they done in their history.Trading Matthews would be an incredibly stupid thing to do.
That would be the dumbest move in franchise history
A franchise that hired an apprentice GM after drafting Nylander, Marner, and Matthews an abandoned the rebuild would more than likely botch the trade, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing they done in their history.
I wouldn’t expect the current GM to suddenly make a great trade and it would be a disaster, however a competent person could make a great trade to potentially set up team for years.It would be the worst thing they have done in history outside letting LarryT and the Teachers Pension Plan now Rogers Bell to run the Leafs which is still enforced today.
Everything from MLSE corporate philosophy comes down from the Board headed by LarryT who has overseen decades of failure.
If LarryT were me. Dubas would never have happened and Shanahan would have been fired for attempting NuHockey.
I wouldn’t expect the current GM to suddenly make a great trade and it would be a disaster, however a competent person could make a great trade to potentially set up team for years.
Likely scenario is he’ll walk for nothing, if winning is important to him.
That’s the beginning, then they need players and FA won’t bring in young talented players.It doesn't have to be this way.
Remove Larry. Put a competent person like TimmyL back in there, cut the head off the snake. Remove Shanahan and most everyone else. Bring Coach Q and tell everyone we mean business and are going to win by hook or by crook.
The teams toxic management leaks venom all over this team, it's not lethal but the players are left high as a kite feeling entitled and leave overpaid.