John Tavares has taken that next step.

[OB34KNH]

We would have a player who's a -5 rather than a +8, and the Leafs would be possible be looking at resigning Ceci because we couldn't afford Brodie.
We would have a player who has never accepted playing by committee. He's a one-man show whether it costs his team or not. Even someone like
Kessel who only wanted to score didn't want him as his center because he was so selfish with the puck.
Nylander has a higher rate of blocked shots this season than Kadri. Kerfoot has a higher rate of hits than Kadri.
Personally I don't think Kadri has any usefulness as a 3rd line center. He's at his best as a 2nd line center trying to score with the caveat that defense
before offense is not an option. This is a team that is seeing all their players buying into a team defensive system and think Kadri would only bring in
animosity to that effort. Think there might of been some initial hurt feelings when the trade went down, but everyone is better off for it.

Kadri helped Colorado make it further in the playoffs than the Leafs have ever made in the 2-3 decades.
9 goals, 9 Assists in 9 games.

Clearly, he's not a "one man player" who doesn't pass the puck.

 

[notDatsyuk]

When the Leafs signed Tahvares, he was putting up 70-80 points a season for NYI.
He's doing just that, so he's living up to his contract.

On pace for 70 points this season, and, he's been extremely unlucky missing empty nets.

He was putting up 70-80 points a season for NYI for $5.5M per season.

 

[hoglund]

He was putting up 70-80 points a season for NYI for $5.5M per season.

So far he isn't earning his salary, let's hope that changes.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Tavares and 4 prospects/ firsts for Eichel.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Tavares and 4 prospects/ firsts for Eichel.

His contract will suck soon.

 

[Menzinger]

He was putting up 70-80 points a season for NYI for $5.5M per season.

On an rfa contract signed during a mich lower cap

 

[Stephen]

He was also the top option in every offensive situation there, he's the third option on our top PP when he even gets that opportunity, otherwise he's leading PP2

To be fair to Tavares the entire PP1 can be a mess. It’s like too many “weapons” not enough puck at times and no game plan to really do anything or hierarchy of shooters, or urgency.

The high slot position seems wasted ever since they tried shoe horning Kadri in that role. Tavares doesn’t thrive there and neither does Matthews.

 

[sxvnert]

Next step towards retirement?

Not his fault though. He was promised Marner as his linemate when he signed and theres no playmaker within 100 miles. He needs Marner for the same reasons Matthews does.

 

[TheScandal89]

Next step towards retirement?

Not his fault though. He was promised Marner as his linemate when he signed and theres no playmaker within 100 miles. He needs Marner for the same reasons Matthews does.

I think eventually if we get better Centre depth we will move the aging Tavares to Matthews and Marners left wing full time. It'd be a phenomenal line but right now it'd make the last 3 lines be pretty bad.

 

[Confucius]

I remember a few years ago before we got JT, Kadri said he felt he was just as good, we all chuckled. Well since he has left he has been.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Glad to see everyone eating out of steve simmons hand here. He has a hate on for Tavares this year. A couple articles outof him already questioning JT.
Tavares doesn’t stand out like the young superstars so he gets written off. Ha
Tavares is going just fine. Anyone calling him done is funny

 

[BrannigansLaw]

So how much longer does the captain get a pass? He has been brutal all season long. Looks like he’s skating in quick sand with 0 percent confidence based on his body language.

 

[Stephen]

I remember a few years ago before we got JT, Kadri said he felt he was just as good, we all chuckled. Well since he has left he has been.

They ended up meeting somewhere in the middle. Kadri got a little better and Tavares seems to be prematurely aged.

 

[Stephen]

Glad to see everyone eating out of steve simmons hand here. He has a hate on for Tavares this year. A couple articles outof him already questioning JT.
Tavares doesn’t stand out like the young superstars so he gets written off. Ha
Tavares is going just fine. Anyone calling him done is funny

Tavares' value will always be tied to his contract amount so he has to be a standout superstar with the numbers doing the leadership thingies wearing the C.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Tavares' value will always be tied to his contract amount so he has to be a standout superstar with the numbers doing the leadership thingies wearing the C.

Oh yeah. Why was everyone so happy the day they signed him. I’ll go back and dig up the threads tomorrow. We’ll see how smart everyone was about the dollar point. I think it was readily accepted. Going off memory so i better check for sure

 

[Stephen]

Oh yeah. Why was everyone so happy the day they signed him. I’ll go back and dig up the threads tomorrow. We’ll see how smart everyone was about the dollar point. I think it was readily accepted. Going off memory so i better check for sure

Tavares set his own benchmark here in 2018-19 when he scored 48 goals and almost 90 points. Whatever we’re getting today isn’t that level of player.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I remember a few years ago before we got JT, Kadri said he felt he was just as good, we all chuckled. Well since he has left he has been.

Lmao, no he hasn't. My god, Kadri gets overrated here now.

 

[Stephen]

Lmao, no he hasn't. My god, Kadri gets overrated here now.

They have the same number of points on the second line of a contending team so it’s not like there’s very much daylight right now between them. Difference is reputation and paycheque.

 

[Morbo]

Kadri helped Colorado make it further in the playoffs than the Leafs have ever made in the 2-3 decades.
9 goals, 9 Assists in 9 games.

Clearly, he's not a "one man player" who doesn't pass the puck.

Short memory eh buddy?

we know exactly how much Kadri helped Toronto in the playoffs. we watched it more than once. putting yourself ahead of the team is the last thing a player should be doing.

 

[Morbo]

Tavares set his own benchmark here in 2018-19 when he scored 48 goals and almost 90 points. Whatever we’re getting today isn’t that level of player.

And this is absolutely fair. Tavares hasn't been at that level since his injury/new kids, that's for sure.

In order for the Leafs cap distribution to work, we need the Tavares line to be a second #1 line. that's the advantage we're supposed to be having on a nightly basis.

It's games like last night that highlight the relative struggles of that line this season, when your top 2 guys aren't dominating.

Perhaps a new linemate can spark them. We know Dubas is looking for just that, among other things.

 

[Racer88]

Glad to see everyone eating out of steve simmons hand here. He has a hate on for Tavares this year. A couple articles outof him already questioning JT.
Tavares doesn’t stand out like the young superstars so he gets written off. Ha
Tavares is going just fine. Anyone calling him done is funny

If he doesn’t stand out like the young superstars then he shouldn’t get paid like them.

 

[Bluelines]

Kadri helped Colorado make it further in the playoffs than the Leafs have ever made in the 2-3 decades.
9 goals, 9 Assists in 9 games.

Clearly, he's not a "one man player" who doesn't pass the puck.

18 points in 9 games? Is that right?

 

[Koolboss]

18 points in 9 games? Is that right?

4 or 5 of those goals were game winners btw

 

[Bluelines]

27P in 33GP, its not like he is having a horrid season.

His assist per game rate is at 0.55, his career pace is 0.52 so he is setting up his line mates as much as he ever has.
His goals per game rate is at .27, his career pace is 0.42, so he is about .15 under his normal pace, which in whole numbers is about 5 more than he currently has, he currently has 9 goals.

What concerns me more than his underperforming goal scoring, is his mental errors that turn into turnovers in his own end. He seem to be forcing the play a bit more than he has in previous years and is not making consistently good defensive reads in his own end.

It's a long season and he has a lot of time to go on a heater and get back to his normal production numbers. Goal scorers are streaky by nature.

 

[Stringer Bell]

Sucks to say, as it is pretty much unacceptable given what Tavares alone is supposed to be able to do...but if you want that line to produce regularly right now I think you need to take Hyman and basically staple him there. Hyman is the only player who can force that line to be better on a regular basis than they've been.

Throw Galchenyuk up on the top line for a game or two to see if there is any connection whatsoever that can be made with Marner/Matthews. And move Simmonds for now up with Engvall and Mik to maintain that checking line.

4th line I have all the trust in the world for Spezza right now.

Thoughts? Sucks to say but staple Hyman to that line for now in my opinion.