Right now a team in the playoffs is hoping they get us. Let that sink in.
Future of the team is incredibly bleak
- Thread starter HockeyVirus
- Start date
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.
What about Knies' extension?
Money will be pretty much gone with Marner + Tavares + Knies + depth pieces.
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 priority
Agreed. I have a hard time seeing a better Leafs team constructed next season via free agency if those two walk for nothing.
On the other hand, if we extend them we will have basically the same team. A team which has had playoff failure after failure after failure.
But then how does the team truly improve?
If they don't show us another gear this postseason that they haven't had historically, the future is pretty...well, bleak.
You get it.
I can't speak to whatever demons are speaking to your inner self, but no team hopes to play us rather than a lower seed.
Don't let that sink in, it's just basic, common sense.
As in you should know this, the same way everyone should know this.
No, but they will be cheering for someone else next season and there's roughly a ~25% chance it will be whoever wins the cup.
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.
Great argument, same can be said for every single team that has players signed long term that hasn't won a cup yet.
So like 27 NHL team cores have accomplished ZERO
They should also just give up, or they can try to ice the best team possible and try to win.
I think they should continue doing that even though as you said they have accomplished ZERO!!1
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.
They haven't won a cup in much longer, no one cares when you lose.
Lot's of teams to cheer for with much less aggravation and sadness.
If you wait till after the playoffs you can even choose a cup winner to cheer for, that ought to cheer some people up!
Trading Matthews would be an incredibly stupid thing to do.
That would be the dumbest move in franchise history
None of those players are the caliber of Matthews.
Stamkos was at one time, not anymore, not even close
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.
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.
