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- Oct 18, 2010
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6.9M for 5 years was a decent contract for Nylander.
Friedman reported that his sources and people he spoke to around the league indicated that Arizona was going to offer Matthews a 7 year/16M (or whatever the max was) contract. So Matthews really had all the leverage.
Marner on the otherhand was waiting to get offersheeted all summer so I don't get why they had to sign him to that. Let him miss the season.
I'm not going to rewrite or retell history. He got paid more than his comparables, including the players better than him. His artificially lowered cap hit was impossible with Marner or Matthews.
Marner did what he was supposed to do. He did what the team allowed the others to do. Pigeonholing him as if he's unique in being a playoff dud or being overpaid is silly. They're either all bum losers, or none of them are. I'll let you figure out which category.
The only thing unique about Marner is that the team's point percentage falls off a cliff with him not in the lineup.
Without Nylander: 70%
Without Matthews: 66% and rising everyday.
Without Marner: 53%
Marner's getting paid and the Leafs will not win. It was written in 2018 when the team's culture was irrepably destroyed.