How are you feeling about Tavares these days?

[Hoglund4MvP]

Kopitar is 3 years older and putting up the same stats as JT still. JT most likely still be 60+ point 800 faceoff man when he's 36 it's good we have him in the ecosystem for rest of his career from 27 year old

 

[hotpaws]

I still don't know where you guys think you're ever going to get a 2C behind Matthews who paces 70 points (should go back to 70 pace soon), 25-30 goals and 800+ faceoff wins while being technically good at every aspect of the game (he's slow but still a powerful skater).

Maturity and common sense will easily explain why his cap hit is so high, but at the end of the day you're still lucky to have him.

how many goals/points would he be pacing for if he didn't play with a winger pacing for 108 pts or on the pp with 2 x 100 pace players and another one pacing for 90+ ?

yeah everyone's been lucky to have Johnny , it's just coincidence teams never improve when adding him

JT's the hockey version of DeMar DeRozen . they get there points but don't help you win because there strengths don't outweigh there flaws and that's even before factoring in their cap hit .

Kopitar is 3 years older and putting up the same stats as JT still. JT most likely still be 60+ point 800 faceoff man when he's 36 it's good we have him in the ecosystem for rest of his career from 27 year old

if JT played D like Kopitar no one would be complaining

 

[notDatsyuk]

It is not his fault his insane salary started the chain of insane salarys. And i dont hate him at all. But he seem to mellow to be a good captain for this team. And when he is not his best i realy dont like him with Nylander. They can play ok long stretches and still not find the scoresheet together. When that happens i want Keefe to split them a lot faster.. Not wait 20+games. They have started to find the way back. But it could have been a lot soone with right moves from Keefe.

The problem is that if Matty and Mitch are doing even reasonably well, Keefe won't split them, so the only way to separate JT and Willy is to put one of them on the third line.

It looks like it might be getting to that point with JT - no goals and only three assists at 5-on-5 in the last 22 games.

Does Keefe have the nerve?

 

[notDatsyuk]

I still don't know where you guys think you're ever going to get a 2C behind Matthews who paces 70 points (should go back to 70 pace soon), 25-30 goals and 800+ faceoff wins while being technically good at every aspect of the game (he's slow but still a powerful skater).

Maturity and common sense will easily explain why his cap hit is so high, but at the end of the day you're still lucky to have him.

Except for the faceoff wins, we have a natural centre who's been producing better than that for the last 2 1/2 seasons, currently playing RW.

 

[ToneDog]

Except for the faceoff wins, we have a natural centre who's been producing better than that for the last 2 1/2 seasons, currently playing RW.

Sammy McKee says Shanny thinks Tavares is playing his best hockey as a Leaf. Chelios said he was a politician; he did not mention that he was also a bad one. LOL.

 

[BraveCanadian]

if JT played D like Kopitar no one would be complaining

No kidding

 

[ZEBROA]

The problem is that if Matty and Mitch are doing even reasonably well, Keefe won't split them, so the only way to separate JT and Willy is to put one of them on the third line.

It looks like it might be getting to that point with JT - no goals and only three assists at 5-on-5 in the last 22 games.

Does Keefe have the nerve?

I dont think he does. He will try anything else and if that dont work, try it again.

And if he had the gutz to try, it would be for a few shifts or one game tops. And then go back to Nylander and Tavares.

 

[Sypher04]

if JT played D like Kopitar no one would be complaining

Do not kid yourself, yes they would.

 

[Antropovsky]

I don't think this off the rush system works for Tavares. He seems to be more of a point shot rebound or tip player, or a cycle guy.

Truly no player is flourishing is Keefe's system. Young players aren't developing, and even the stars are underachieving relative to other stars. Marner and Matthews together should he 120-130 point territory players. Either that or they aren't worth their contracts. Similar to Kucherov, Mackinnon, Draisaitl. They are sandwiched among the 8 million-9 million per year players in points. Around 15th overall in the league.

Meanwhile Pastrnak is pacing his second consecutive 113+ point season. How does Nylander get more money than Pastrnak anyways? Pastrnak is pacing 120 points this year and already has 27 points more the next best Boston player.

This team really makes zero sense. The contracts we give out make no sense. Keefe still being this teams coach makes no sense, the leadership on this team makes no sense.

 

[Racer88]

how many goals/points would he be pacing for if he didn't play with a winger pacing for 108 pts or on the pp with 2 x 100 pace players and another one pacing for 90+ ?

yeah everyone's been lucky to have Johnny , it's just coincidence teams never improve when adding him

JT's the hockey version of DeMar DeRozen . they get there points but don't help you win because there strengths don't outweigh there flaws and that's even before factoring in their cap hit .


if JT played D like Kopitar no one would be complaining

All of the above……

 

[Dekes For Days]

All of the above……

...is wrong.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I don't think this off the rush system works for Tavares. He seems to be more of a point shot rebound or tip player, or a cycle guy.

I agree with this.. Tavares is a garbage collector at this point, and to his credit he goes to the net.. but the Leafs appear to have an aversion to just putting the puck on net a lot of the time so it really minimizes Tavares.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

JT never could play an up tempo up/down ice type of rush game as no speed .. he needs to come in late and get fed in front of net or work da wall on da cycle type game .. then he needs to change once puck turns over so he does not cost team in our end .. ie da dump and chase type game played in both ends of ice is HIS game .. he needs to play LW now and thru playoffs but take faceoffs where he excels .. issue is Domi can't really take on da job of 2C .. maybe Jankrok Domi and JT could work as a 3rd line but Willy Domi and JT can't work as a 2nd line ... da forward mix is not best mix of talents in this squad .. a playoff series vs Florida does not look good on matchups .. and our D and G is nowhere close to Cats .. tre needs to retool otherwise this is a simple out in 1st round again

 

[JT AM da real deal]

JT never could play an up tempo up/down ice type of rush game as no speed .. he needs to come in late and get fed in front of net or work da wall on da cycle type game .. then he needs to change once puck turns over so he does not cost team in our end .. ie da dump and chase type game played in both ends of ice is HIS game .. he needs to play LW now and thru playoffs but take faceoffs where he excels .. issue is Domi can't really take on da job of 2C .. maybe Jankrok Domi and JT could work as a 3rd line but Willy Domi and JT can't work as a 2nd line ... da forward mix is not best mix of talents in this squad .. a playoff series vs Florida does not look good on matchups .. and our D and G is nowhere close to Cats .. tre needs to retool otherwise this is a simple out in 1st round again

i think you will see Bert and Matty work together against Cats and do well .. Willy and Mitch aren't gonna do much unless Willy decides to man up which he could if he decides to risk injury and inflict punishment and Mitch will likely help on PP and PK roles

 

[notDatsyuk]

I don't think this off the rush system works for Tavares. He seems to be more of a point shot rebound or tip player, or a cycle guy.

Truly no player is flourishing is Keefe's system. Young players aren't developing, and even the stars are underachieving relative to other stars. Marner and Matthews together should he 120-130 point territory players. Either that or they aren't worth their contracts. Similar to Kucherov, Mackinnon, Draisaitl. They are sandwiched among the 8 million-9 million per year players in points. Around 15th overall in the league.

Meanwhile Pastrnak is pacing his second consecutive 113+ point season. How does Nylander get more money than Pastrnak anyways? Pastrnak is pacing 120 points this year and already has 27 points more the next best Boston player.

This team really makes zero sense. The contracts we give out make no sense. Keefe still being this teams coach makes no sense, the leadership on this team makes no sense.

"How does Nylander get more money than Pastrnak anyways?"

Short answer: Dubas screwed up the pay scale with the Tavares signing.

 

[Racer88]

...is wrong.

……..nope

 

[JL17]

I still don't know where you guys think you're ever going to get a 2C behind Matthews who paces 70 points (should go back to 70 pace soon), 25-30 goals and 800+ faceoff wins while being technically good at every aspect of the game (he's slow but still a powerful skater).

Maturity and common sense will easily explain why his cap hit is so high, but at the end of the day you're still lucky to have him.

Technically he’s awful defensively. I knew he was a minus player but the last 2 years he doesn’t seem to have a clue where to be. Plus he doesn’t kill penalties.

 

[AustonMarner]

I feel bad for Tavares actually because he's such a genuine and likeable guy but the day he signed with the Leafs I told all my friends it was a huge mistake and he would never live up to the deal and moreover, Tavares and his contract would be a complete detriment to the team before the end of term (if not from day one ie: money allocation elsewhere)

He has been propped up by Marner or Nylander from the hop, plus tons of powerplay time and his greatest skills (face-off, offence zone possession, above average shot) but 5 V 5 he's a nightmare for his teammates to skate with : (

check out these posts from after today's Leafs practice... sounds like "medical staff" wanted to be extra cautious a keep Tavares out of the Leafs last game Saturday night vs Anaheim lol

 

[Sypher04]

"How does Nylander get more money than Pastrnak anyways?"

Short answer: Dubas screwed up the pay scale with the Tavares signing.

Tavares’ deal had nothing to do with what our young stars got paid but people can keep telling themselves it did. Matthews’ comp was between McDavid and Eichel, which wouldn’t have changed at all if we hadn’t signed JT. And Marner used Matthews as his comp.

Also fascinating, it’s Dubas fault he overpaid players during his tenure, but somehow also his fault when Brad Treliving does it after he’s gone. That’s idiotic

 

[thewave]

Feel the same as when Dubas signed it, Price was too high. We knew he was slower and we know by the end of the contract we would be getting bad value. Dubas squandered our best years and cap and here we are with a player that is still one of the most expensive in the league somehow, no cups and not even a CF.

Guy shouldn't even be playing C.

 

[sxvnert]

The points against when hes on the ice isn't worth the PPG he averages. He should be moved to the wing to minimize the damage.

Tavares Domi Nylander (until Domi can be replaced with a legit 2 way center).

 

[Stephen]

Seems like JT’s a game time decision again today vs St. Louis. Is he sick or banged up, do they want to just hold him out of a lineup that seems to be finally clicking?

 

[Roo]

What do I think abt Tavares? Good player with more to give. But he’s toast as a center, and should be focused on reinventing his game on the wing. The defensive responsibilities of center are too much for him, and he was never a good defensive player to begin with.

 

[RunItBackAgain]

Seems like JT’s a game time decision again today vs St. Louis. Is he sick or banged up, do they want to just hold him out of a lineup that seems to be finally clicking?

Believe they said he was nursing an injury. Guess it could be a sickness but that’s not how I interpreted it.

 

[NoName]

On a bit of a cold streak currently (probably linked to lingering injury), but as a whole, when looking at the contract he signed to, he seemes to have matched most reasonable expectations most informed people had when he signed; he has had his best years (statistically) as a Leaf and his game has aged rather gracefully. I don't think anyone expected he would still be worth anything near the $11million cap hit in the final few years of his contract when he was in his 30s, and while he is't, he is still quite good, hovering around a point per game every season before this one. Only 1 year left of his contract after this one, so gotta feel good it hasn't turned into an absolute albatross.