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

[Nineteen67]

Scheduled 9 am locker clean out? Must have flights

Mirtle: Amid chaos, getting Auston Matthews signed needs to be Maple Leafs' top priority

Keeping their 25-year-old superstar center through the rest of his prime needs to be a top Maple Leafs priority.

theathletic.com

And the media has been happy to pour gasoline on those flames over the past 48 hours. (“Blow it up” was the front page headline on one local newspaper this weekend.)

Amid the noise here, the Leafs oddly structured ownership triumvirate of Bell, Rogers and Larry Tanenbaum needs to not lose the forest for the trees. While some changes are clearly needed, a full clearcut would be madness given how long it took to build up from where this franchise was in 2016 when Matthews was drafted first overall.

Keeping their superstar center through the rest of his prime needs to be a priority. Honestly, the top priority, I’d say.

You can hire another coach. You can find another competent GM or president, if you need to. Locking in another 6-foot-3 center who can outscore almost anyone in the league? It’s just not going to happen.

A year ago at this time, it felt like a foregone conclusion Matthews would sign a third contract in Toronto. He was happy. The team was good and relatively stable and seemed to be moving in the right direction, even amid the playoff disappointment. A breakthrough felt — to the players, at least — like a matter of time.

Now, I’m not so sure it’s a slam dunk he will be eager to commit to whatever ensues this offseason. Especially if things go off the rails.

For one, Matthews and GM Kyle Dubas are close, and that relationship — and the player’s faith that they will have a strong roster under Dubas’ watch — has been important the past few years.

If Dubas walks, that definitely complicates things at least a little for the Leafs.

Can a new GM step in and reassure their top player that this is a franchise headed in the right direction? Can they sell Matthews on a new plan, one that involves, presumably, a new coach, a revamped front office and a dramatically different roster, one with some of his close friends shipped out?

I don’t think the Leafs can take that for granted here.

Does Mirtle have the inside scoop that Marner is the odd man out.

 

[GoonieFace]

Carlos Colaiacovo thinks they should keep Keefe?

Not surprised, Carlo is a moron and a puppet

 

[Nineteen67]

Not surprised, Carlo is a moron and a puppet

Puppet for who?

 

[hockeywiz542]

Scheduled 9 am locker clean out? Must have flights


Does Mirtle have the inside scoop that Marner is the odd man out.

Hmm... maybe James Mirtle actually does have the inside scoop.

However, it seems as though nobody really knows anything definitive regarding what the Toronto Maple Leafs current offseason plans are right now!!

 

[Nineteen67]

Hmm... maybe James Mirtle does have the inside scoop. However, nobody really knows anything regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs offseason plans for certain right now!!

He doesn’t know much about hockey, but he does seem to have an in with the GM.

 

[hockeywiz542]

He doesn’t know much about hockey, but he does seem to have an in with the GM.

I agree with you 100% regarding everything you said about James Mirtle.

 

[Nineteen67]

Shanny speaks later in the week? During the Keefe firing press conference, would be my guess.

 

[thewave]

Shanny speaks later in the week? During the Keefe firing press conference, would be my guess.

Shanny has all the information. He could fire Dubas and Keefe and seamlessly conduct the negotiations etc with the AGM. Or appoint Pridham to acting GM and work with him while looking for the new GM.

It's not a big deal to fire Dubas and Keefe.

 

[MapleLeafs77]

Okay so its pretty obvious that keefe is getting fired if shanahan is not speaking today.

Dubas might be as well.

Shanahan will speak about those once announced. Kinda strange to do this to be honest.

 

[TheDoldrums]

 

[thewave]

Losing him would not be good. They did this to put pressure on Toronto regarding Dubas. Smart organization. That's why smart presidents do the firing the next morning and put contingencies in place. Shanny must be a moron too. Oh well lol

 

[GoBuds14]

I’m wondering is the feeling these guys just can’t win here or anywhere?
Say Matthews is a Cane or Marner a Knight, do those teams now not have success?

That’s a good question, and the fact that we have to ask it scares me that the leafs might throw a huge contract at both. The general consensus was Kessel couldn’t contribute to a winning team but he found a prominent role on the Pens. The thing with Marner and Matthews is they are playing on a line with each other, or if not they’ll be with Tavares, Nylander, O’Reilly. That’s a lot of skill and no reason to suggest they aren’t set up for success which wasn’t necessary the case for Kessel during his time in Toronto

 

[Sasha Orlov]

That’s a good question, and the fact that we have to ask it scares me that the leafs might throw a huge contract at both. The general consensus was Kessel couldn’t contribute to a winning team but he found a prominent role on the Pens. The thing with Marner and Matthews is they are playing on a line with each other, or if not they’ll be with Tavares, Nylander, O’Reilly. That’s a lot of skill and no reason to suggest they aren’t set up for success which wasn’t necessary the case for Kessel during his time in Toronto

The problem with Kessel seemed to be that Toronto wanted him to be “the guy” when he is clearly a secondary player

As soon as he was slotted in as a teams 3rd or 4th best forward he found success

Could this be the case for Marner and Matthews? They seem to be way too good of players for that imo

 

[JKG33]

I’m wondering is the feeling these guys just can’t win here or anywhere?
Say Matthews is a Cane or Marner a Knight, do those teams now not have success?

They can't win together. But if you insert one of them onto a cup winner surrounded by players who play playoff hockey, sure they could get a ring.

Problem is, you can't build a cup winner around their inflated cap hit when they don't show up in the playoffs

 

[AvroArrow]

Everything depends entirely on Matthews decision this summer. If he signs an extension, we re-tool around him and make a major shakeup in the locker room. If he doesn't sign an extension, you have to trade him and rebuild.

 

[Zack47]

What is missing? Burning it all down actually makes sense, but not because this is a fix. It is just a necessity, The empirical evidence is in.

Many writers have commented on the fact that "something is missing" on this team. I would say, quoting Nirvana "something is in the way". Although it sounds radical, sometimes what you subtract from a team can solve problems faster than what you add. We think too much about what to add.

Changing the GM and the coach has to happen, because they have not achieved what they should, but on its own, that does not solve the problem. It really is about the players in the end.

This thought IS radical, but I believe that their main strength is the their main weakness: Matthews and Marner. I sometimes wonder about "the room" and how it works. I imagine M and M off on their own, certainly acting superior to all of the foot soldiers, acting functionally as a separate clique, checking what the are going to wear to the rink and making it sure it is a different colour, M and M are the poison on this team. They are well-intentioned, but their own contracts are the cause of the inability of the support troops to take the pressure off them. I also think there is a character issue, and you can laugh at how irrelevant it is, but.. it is not. I just think arrogance and attitude comes through, and I assume this is a split room, a two-class system, the lords and the serfs.

They need to move both Matthews and Marner now, and get back four 5 million dollar and young players, and think about distributing the talent, but most of all, make sure they care about winning in the end, more than partying in Muskoka.

Sorry, but we have to face it. Its over.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Losing him would not be good. They did this to put pressure on Toronto regarding Dubas. Smart organization. That's why smart presidents do the firing the next morning and put contingencies in place. Shanny must be a moron too. Oh well lol

Also, please don't forget that according to Nick Kypreos, current Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and assistant GM Brandon Pridham are likely a package deal.

Opinion | Why we got the Kyle Dubas and Maple Leafs contract stalemate all wrong

Many of us could only speculate last fall that Dubas needed to get out of the first round before he could get an extension. We may’ve had that wrong.

www.thestar.com

Dubas couldn’t have asked for a better potential landing spot. Add Leafs assistant GM Brandon Pridham, known for his salary cap analysis and who Dubas promoted weeks after he was named GM, to that mix. The two are likely a package deal.

 

[francis246]

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.

I definitely understand your point for #2 but truthfully and with all do respect it doesn’t matter. Yes we are going to be giving up the better player but the move is necessary. The core has to change, we’ve had 5 years of this and it hasn’t worked. 7 years if you just look at Nylander, Rielly, Marner and Matthews.

I would honestly look to trade Marner to Minnesota, LA or St. Louis.

St. Louis has a ton of prospects and also some decent RW’ers who can replace Marner and bring that bite element. I wouldn’t mind Robert Thomas or Jordan Kyrou tbh, then you have Snuggerud who’s a top prospect of theirs and has played with Knies at U of Minnesota.

LA has an abundance of prospects and maybe we can bring back Trevor Moore or a different type of player.

Minnesota has decent prospects and also players that have jam.

Seattle also wouldn’t be a bad option either.

Losing him would not be good. They did this to put pressure on Toronto regarding Dubas. Smart organization. That's why smart presidents do the firing the next morning and put contingencies in place. Shanny must be a moron too. Oh well lol

Or maybe Shanny doesn’t have authorization because his ass is really the one that’s on the line lol.

 

[thewave]

Also, please don't forget that according to Nick Kypreos, current Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and assistant GM Brandon Pridham are likely a package deal.

Opinion | Why we got the Kyle Dubas and Maple Leafs contract stalemate all wrong

Many of us could only speculate last fall that Dubas needed to get out of the first round before he could get an extension. We may’ve had that wrong.

www.thestar.com

Dubas couldn’t have asked for a better potential landing spot. Add Leafs assistant GM Brandon Pridham, known for his salary cap analysis and who Dubas promoted weeks after he was named GM, to that mix. The two are likely a package deal.

There is no such thing as package deals lol. Get that out of your head I keep hearing it and at that level it doesn't exist. MLSE could just say Pridham you're GM if you want it. He says yes.

 

[Nineteen67]

No.

Auston Matthews and Porsche

could two of my Fav things become one ? Yes !!!!! Thanks Porsche Canada for keeping AM34 happy to be in Toronto.

forums.hfboards.com

View attachment 708766

Never trust a guy wearing a toboggan inside.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Have to remember that Dubas holds power here too. He may not want to extend.

He just bought his forever home last August, his wife wants kids to go to Tecumseh, he has a 10 minute commute to his office at Ford .. like i said before i think he is staying .. in what capacity i am not sure

 

[JKG33]

He just bought his forever home last August, his wife wants kids to go to Tecumseh, he has a 10 minute commute to his office at Ford .. like i said before i think he is staying .. in what capacity i am not sure

Janitor

 

[JKG33]

Also, please don't forget that according to Nick Kypreos, current Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and assistant GM Brandon Pridham are likely a package deal.

Opinion | Why we got the Kyle Dubas and Maple Leafs contract stalemate all wrong

Many of us could only speculate last fall that Dubas needed to get out of the first round before he could get an extension. We may’ve had that wrong.

www.thestar.com

Dubas couldn’t have asked for a better potential landing spot. Add Leafs assistant GM Brandon Pridham, known for his salary cap analysis and who Dubas promoted weeks after he was named GM, to that mix. The two are likely a package deal.

Exactly why I don't want Pridham to replace dubas. More of the same shit

 

[thewave]

Exactly why I don't want Pridham to replace dubas. More of the same shit

Doubt it. Most AGMs have their own things in mind. He could be more of a Lou type of guy. That's why you interview him about what direction he would take the organization. Its not hard.

 

[KapG]

What is missing? Burning it all down actually makes sense, but not because this is a fix. It is just a necessity, The empirical evidence is in.

Many writers have commented on the fact that "something is missing" on this team. I would say, quoting Nirvana "something is in the way". Although it sounds radical, sometimes what you subtract from a team can solve problems faster than what you add. We think too much about what to add.

Changing the GM and the coach has to happen, because they have not achieved what they should, but on its own, that does not solve the problem. It really is about the players in the end.

This thought IS radical, but I believe that their main strength is the their main weakness: Matthews and Marner. I sometimes wonder about "the room" and how it works. I imagine M and M off on their own, certainly acting superior to all of the foot soldiers, acting functionally as a separate clique, checking what the are going to wear to the rink and making it sure it is a different colour, M and M are the poison on this team. They are well-intentioned, but their own contracts are the cause of the inability of the support troops to take the pressure off them. I also think there is a character issue, and you can laugh at how irrelevant it is, but.. it is not. I just think arrogance and attitude comes through, and I assume this is a split room, a two-class system, the lords and the serfs.

They need to move both Matthews and Marner now, and get back four 5 million dollar and young players, and think about distributing the talent, but most of all, make sure they care about winning in the end, more than partying in Muskoka.

Sorry, but we have to face it. Its over.

Lol