Yup, a solid 3rd line C would do wonders.
McMann/Tavares/Marner
Robertson/Matthews/Domi
Knies/x/Nylander
Holmberg/Kampf/Lorentz
Matthews would get our 2 underperforming wingers going. Top 3 lines would be basically 1a/1b/1c with the right guy.
Player Discussion Mitch Marner, Continued
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Yup, a solid 3rd line C would do wonders.
McMann/Tavares/Marner
Robertson/Matthews/Domi
Knies/x/Nylander
Holmberg/Kampf/Lorentz
Matthews would get our 2 underperforming wingers going. Top 3 lines would be basically 1a/1b/1c with the right guy.
I'm on board. Marner has shown something this regular season he hasn't shown in a while. I don't think he particularly played well last year after he shifted off Matthew's line. I can now chalk it up to injury.
When Matthews comes back, we should absolutely try running 3 lines.
If Marner plays like this, does well this postseason. Yeah I'll be very happy paying him.
It does make it silly that we NEVER discovered this.
Marner is a completely different beast without Matthews.
Stephen
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We saw Matthews elevate with Domi and Bertuzzi last year and we are seeing Marner elevate this year during the 6 game stretch. Both seem comfortable together and when they dominate in their comfort zone, we see complacency seep into their games and it doesn't set them up well for more pressure cooker moments.
Split them up for good and let them knuckle down and drive their own lines. Keep Marner's Tavares unit together, and when Matthews comes back, create a line with Domi and whatnot and let them battle.
Both negotiations were contentious, but Nylander’s outcome was a reasonable contract.
Marner’s had an unreasonable contract and media reports of Marner’s camp inviting offer sheets to drive up the price and force the Leafs hand.
I would have been perfectly fine with Marner sitting out like Nylander if Marner had signed for the $8.5-$9m he was initially willing to sign for, instead of him thinking that he needs to be paid like Matthews, and all the other bullshit he did that soured him with many in the fan base.
You DO see the difference in those 2 scenarios, don’t you?
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And until then, I’d like to see either Nylander or Marner given a try at centre. If Marner is strong enough on face-offs he could make a great two way centre.
diceman934
Help is on the way.
Rielly still plays the most minutes of all D man.
Just an FYI
Marner is now the leading point getter on the team since he and mathews joined the team.
Agreed, im seeing a rejuvinated Tavares turning back the clock this year (I always said Tavares was suffering in Keefes system).
As I said previously, Marner just ping pongs between Matthews and Tavares. He was tried without Tavares, while Matthews was hurt and he looked very bad.
Marner is working hard, but I still dont see a goal generator offensively. I see his linemates hitting and going to dirty areas, while Marner is still stick lifting and avoiding contact. Goal 1 was a team effort but hard not to give McMann and Tavares the chunk of the credit. Once playoffs roll around his soft play will stand out and look worse because the physical play is increased.
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Is William overpaid? 98 point season as good as Mitch has ever accomplished and William has back to back 40 goal seasons with a 3rd 40 goal season almost a given at this point.
I've been touting Brock Nelson for a while for that spot, if not him NYI also has Palmieri as a UFA possibility. Nelson with his size beside Knies and Willy would be an absolute nightmare 3rd line for opposing teams.
ACC1224
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I think so. Not enough points to overcome the one way play.
Marners best season was 97 in 72 games. Nylanders 98 in 82.
WTFMAN99
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So I am a day late on this but here we go.
The OT last night was actually awesome for 2 reasons.
He was really smart at the beginning of the period that when they lost the face off, he dropped right back to basically our blue line so when the puck got passed off to McDavid for a rush chance to our net, he was able to harass McDavid enough to disrupt his chance.
They reloaded and got something of a 2 on 1 and Marner broke that up and went down the other way and scored the game winning goal.
Overall great job.
I went into what the ideal contract extension looks like in the trade/free agency main thread but doing something like 11.8M x 8 years = 94.4M
94.4M / 7 = 13.48M average
No team is giving Marner that contract.
Marner's family is here, wife/girlfriend is from here and Toronto is one of the few teams in the league that can load the hell out of it with signing bonuses.
Next up, Marner can maybe defer a bit of salary similar to Seth Jarvis or Jake McCabe just did.
If he can get it down to 11.25-11.5M actual cap hit with deferral, that's a mutually beneficial transaction, he's still getting his money but he gets the great PR.
Squeezing an extra 500k out of the team at this point would be foolish, I have to imagine the group just wants playoff success at this point but maybe I am being naive.
The OT last night was actually awesome for 2 reasons.
He was really smart at the beginning of the period that when they lost the face off, he dropped right back to basically our blue line so when the puck got passed off to McDavid for a rush chance to our net, he was able to harass McDavid enough to disrupt his chance.
They reloaded and got something of a 2 on 1 and Marner broke that up and went down the other way and scored the game winning goal.
Overall great job.
I went into what the ideal contract extension looks like in the trade/free agency main thread but doing something like 11.8M x 8 years = 94.4M
94.4M / 7 = 13.48M average
No team is giving Marner that contract.
Marner's family is here, wife/girlfriend is from here and Toronto is one of the few teams in the league that can load the hell out of it with signing bonuses.
Next up, Marner can maybe defer a bit of salary similar to Seth Jarvis or Jake McCabe just did.
If he can get it down to 11.25-11.5M actual cap hit with deferral, that's a mutually beneficial transaction, he's still getting his money but he gets the great PR.
Squeezing an extra 500k out of the team at this point would be foolish, I have to imagine the group just wants playoff success at this point but maybe I am being naive.
There was one play in the 2nd on the PK where he intercepted a McDavid pass took it down the ice, flipped a shot on net and went hard to the net to get a whistle, such a small and simple play but it pays major dividends in the end game results by killing over 25% of one PK.
Such an underrated defensive player.
Such an underrated defensive player.
Man has Marner stepped up since Matthews went down
No more of him and Matthews together, Mitch is to good to be constantly differing to Matthews
He needs his own line so he can continue driving play and results like he has been with Tavares
No more of him and Matthews together, Mitch is to good to be constantly differing to Matthews
He needs his own line so he can continue driving play and results like he has been with Tavares
keonsbitterness
Registered User
McMann/Tavares is arguably the best combo on the team since it was put together last year.
In their 213 minutes together without Marner:
Goals for/60: 3.69
Goals Against/60: 1.67
Now throw Marner into that mix and its:
Goals for/60: 5.34
Goals Against/60: 1.79
(in 65 minutes so far)
Such a shame McMann got hurt right before the playoffs. McMann/Nylander/Matthews and Woll all getting hurt last playoffs killed us.
Yeah there's no way in hell I'd break up that line, Matthew's doesn't need Marner to do ok but Marner and McMann sure make Tavares bloody useful
WTFMAN99
Registered User
- Jun 17, 2009
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Marner is more of a threat away from Matthews because he's not nearly as predictable.
I wouldn't even insert Matthews into PP1 upon his return, he gets PP2 with Domi, OEL, Patches and maybe whoever else we add at the TDL.
He set up Reilly, wide open in the slot, for a high danger chance that by all rights, he should have potted. He didn't get any points but I thought WN was at least in the game most of the night.
Malkin (50% retained for 2 years) for Cowen+Niemela+2026 1st?
If you feel like going for it for a couple of years?
Was that on the first PP? I just remember thinking how they did'nt score on that.
The leafs are legitimately worse when Matthews is in the lineup *and when our stars constantly differ to him*
The leafs are a good team when Matthews is out of the lineup and our star players are driving their own lines i.e what we’ve seen over the last few games.
The leafs will be an even better team team when our other star players are on different lines but Matthews is also in the line up away from them.
Run with three combos of Tavares-Marner, Nylander and Knies, and Matthews, Domi
For this specific team, having 3 elite lines is better then stacking the top 6
If our coach can understand this, our chances of winning in the playoffs rises substantially.
It was in the 1st period. I can't remember if it was a PP as I was watching some game highlights last night and that kind of stood out.
leafs in five
Registered User
ACC1224
Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
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Surprised more hasn’t been mentioned on the play he made on the first goal.
One of those instances where the secondary assist is huge.
likecheese
The Goats of November
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Marner played that 2-on-1 in ot better than Rielly's ever played a 2-on-1 in his career.
I watched that like 5 times, I think the shot was labelled but Knies was bailing out out of the way quickly and the shot went off his arm. That's the best I could pick up, such a fast play.
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