Leafs Offseason: Alot of big decisions, 17 key ones [Dubas(gone), Matthews, Marner, Nylander are biggies]

[shaner8989]

Dubas back. Keefe gone. Go from there

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Dubas re-hire is 100% lock.

(1) to try to deal with Matthews and Marner

(2) he did do well to get the best pieces for a cup run.

(3) he’s is improving still


Me: I rehire for short contract and then figure out the Matthews Marner situation and then fire him when a good GM is available, but it’s not a priority.

I do want a coaching change, but want to deal with Matthews and Marner first.

I like Marner’s improved shot but he is never going to be a playoff hockey guy fighting for space.

 

[Eye Test]

I'm really hoping it's a scenario where the board told Dubas that they'll re-sign him conditional upon firing Keefe and making some moves with the core (not Nylander).

If they run it back with the same bunch of losers from top to bottom, count me out as a die hard fan for next season.

Basically same, think this is fair. Hope it’s marner since it can’t be JT and 34 is to hard to replace.

 

[Rude Dog]

disgusted that people will rather fail with dubas than succeed with someone else.

absolutely disgusted !

Maybe some people have a different view of Dubas. Given the almost universal screams for change I almost don’t want Dubas around for that.

i can’t envision any GM making this team team better next year by trading the core. We are going to lose those trades and the GM will be blamed by an unrealistic fan base. They may certainly be better in the years to come…if they can get a Brant Clarke or Adam Fantilli as part of the trade. But expect a drop next year. Hope I am wrong. Next few months will be fascinating.

 

[francis246]

I'm really hoping it's a scenario where the board told Dubas that they'll re-sign him conditional upon firing Keefe and making some moves with the core (not Nylander).

If they run it back with the same bunch of losers from top to bottom, count me out as a die hard fan for next season.

This, I only want Dubas back under two circumstances.

1. keefe fired

2. Someone from core 4 is traded

 

[Beanzy]

Basically same, think this is fair. Hope it’s marner since it can’t be JT and 34 is to hard to replace.

Completely agree. JT won't waive and I'd like to see Marner moved. Despite Matthews having an off year, we all remember what it was like going without a true 1C for almost a decade.

I do hope Dubas plays a bit of hardball with Matthews, however. Set a firm deadline prior to the draft, where he'll have to notify the club of his intentions regarding re-signing before the NMC kicks in. Let 34 know right out of the gate he's not getting 15m and if he wants to explore FA next year, they'll have to move him.

Ideally, I'd love to have Matthews back and trading Marner would garner some nice pieces in return.

 

[Wrong Wilson]

Dubas is confirmed, but Keefe is not ?

Neither is Shanny

 

[Ianturnedbull]

A new GM can:

Re-sign Matthews/Nylander
Hire a new coach
Draft
Sign UFAs
Trade one of the "core 4"
Etc.

Dubas' isn't the only one that can handle this feat.

I can't believe how many "run it back, there's too much work to do" voters there are.

You can't sit here and say that we need to keep this MGMT group because TOR are close. They are not close. TOR doesn't need a tear down to satisfied the fans' bloodlust, but 1 offseason re-tool orchestrated by Dubas is not going improve TOR.

 

[nuck]

YOU CAN'T SAY HIS GOALIE WAS mURRAY THEN LEAVE OUT saMMY lol

Murray was brought in to be be the starter. Sami was a cheap player that the Caps didnt even want to qualify to be a backup. He was a $1.8M find but he wasn't supposed to be the go to guy. And in the end only it was Woll who gave them their last chance. No dis on Sami as his regular season was terrific but he was good luck not a predictable acquisition, and his playoff was not going to win another round. There were other goalies to be had but at an unacceptable cost.

 

[nuck]

Dupe

 

[wingman75]

This, I only want Dubas back under two circumstances.

1. keefe fired

2. Someone from core 4 is traded

This is where I sit as well.

1, I think is a mandatory at this point.

2, is preferred but we are losing all those trades... Mandatory if any player is not willing to commit to an extension before their NTC kicks in. Cannot afford to lose any player for nothing.

 

[Apex Predator]

I’m good with Dubas coming back but he must fire Keefe and trade someone from the core 4. If we run it back with Keefe again then we are doomed to fail again.

Dubas should be mad. He stuck his neck out for that core 4 and they’ve done nothing to repay him.

 

[the squared circle]

Now everyone wants Dubas back???

 

[QJo]

I think Dubas' hands are tied frankly when it comes to firing Keefe. If Keefe stays Dubas is saying that he didn't put together a good enough roster... again. He has to lay it on Keefe (rightfully) or he's essentially giving himself a failed performance review and getting himself and Keefe fired.

 

[CaptainCrunch17]

Now everyone wants Dubas back???

Yes, because apparently now, it’s all Keefe’s fault.

Dubas gave Keefe a good enough team to contend with, but he failed.

The same Keefe Dubas hired.

But hiring and keeping Keefe isn’t Dubas’ fault.

 

[DarkKnight]

Some of my favourite Leafs in the playoffs were people Dubas acquired, he seems to be figuring it out. The past is just that, the question you ask is if someone better is out there? Not sure. Then, can Dubas articulate a rethink, or is he married to his construction? If he can pivot, then it’s intriguing. Keefe is gone, if he keeps him, then I want no part of him continuing. Also, he needs to have his Masai moment wherein he puts loyalty aside and makes a tough trade. Dubas is too nice s guy, I’m hoping him being burned over and over has hardened him, I sense with contracts he’s getting that way, now bring in a no nonsense coach and stop the coddling atmosphere. I’m inclined to keep him, and I’ve been a critic, it’s a shame we’ve wasted so many years for him to figure it out, but where he sits today, he’s a decent GM.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Now everyone wants Dubas back???

no real choice.

no time for a GM change with Matthews contract deadline July 1, 2023.

He could pull a Kawhi and go to Arizona for nothing.

 

[socko]

Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.

 

[ACC1224]

Now everyone wants Dubas back???

I think most are indifferent to him coming back.
I don’t think anyone wants Keefe back though.

 

[capfit9]

I think Dubas' hands are tied frankly when it comes to firing Keefe. If Keefe stays Dubas is saying that he didn't put together a good enough roster... again. He has to lay it on Keefe (rightfully) or he's essentially giving himself a failed performance review and getting himself and Keefe fired.

Tied at the hip

I think most are indifferent to him coming back.
I don’t think anyone wants Keefe back though.

No coach can change the core’s heart

 

[nuck]

he has to be back.

or say bye bye to the young

It took the Flames a week to trade Tkachuk after he said he wasnt coming back, its not that complicated, there aren't as many variables with trading partners in the summer. Whoever wants to be a Leaf will be back.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Well that certainly isn’t the way you felt when you repeatedly advocated for Babcock to be run out of town when he had years left on his contract and millions of dollars owed in salary.

You put 100% of the blame for everything on Babcock.

And let’s just be clear here, at that time, this team was at the beginning of their development cycle. They were still bringing in young talent, developing them and planting the seeds of success that would likely take several years to pay dividends. Babcock was hard on some of these players, yes, it’s true. But he did so because he was showing them what it would take to win it all. Not win just in the regular season.

And the result was that in many of those Babcock years, the Leafs were considered to have exceeded expectations at least at that time in their development cycle.

So you gave no similar considerations or allowances to Babcock. You expected nothing less than success in the playoffs or he should go.

Your solution and antidote to Babcock was Keefe. Who you claimed was a player friendly coach that once installed, would institute a possession style of play inkeeping with Dubas’ hockey philosophy and that the Leaf success would soon follow and that they would challenge for the cup in short order.

Well you were wrong then and you’re wrong now.

Failure after failure, you have defended Dubas with excuses like, “success isn’t linear”, you have blamed the NHL, the referees, the flat salary cap and concocted dozens of other creative excuses in an effort to defend your hero. You have repeatedly defended tying up half the salary cap in four players and advocated for “running it back” year after unsuccessful year.

You also repeatedly blamed Lamoriello, who upon leaving, only took a team out of the playoffs, into the 3rd round and in the process won the Jim Gregory award in back to back years. And he did that with a team that lost their franchise player and captain in Tavares. And he did that with the completely dysfunctional NY Islanders.

To Lou winning GM of the year, you responded that it was a irrelevant, dumb award anyway.

I’m sure if Dubas won the same award though, you would suddenly have a different take and be extolling how indicative it was of how great an executive Dubas is.

So now suddenly here we are after 5 years of playoff failure, with your guy as GM and his coach of choice behind the bench and now you proclaim “coaches get too much focus”.

Sorry, but your credibility here with most is simply long gone.

I wish this was Twitter so I could watch every one of your posts get ratioed.

Bet you were waiting for the right opportunity to post something like this.

 

[nuck]

I’m good with Dubas coming back but he must fire Keefe and trade someone from the core 4. If we run it back with Keefe again then we are doomed to fail again.

Dubas should be mad. He stuck his neck out for that core 4 and they’ve done nothing to repay him.

He should have been mad 2 years ago. That's why I want him gone. If you only make difficult choices when you have run out of rope you are a survivor, not an architect.

 

[Squiffy]

Maybe its the 48 hour buffer from being offline since Friday at camp, but this board is mostly being surprisingly rational in general. Encouraging.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Rumor: I think Matthews is injured and depressed and he's not re-signing and must be dealt before July 1, 2023. He wants to go home to be closer to his parents and Beebs.

I think the change could be good for him.

Bieber lives in Guelph.