Player Discussion Mitch Marner - On Hiatus

[Confucius]

Maybe they can practice how to play properly in the 82 games leading up to the real games for once. I said it all year you can’t flip a switch and expect to be good at playing a different game.

I bet it Sucks to follow a team so closely and only watch 7 real games.

 

[hotpaws]

This team without Marner won’t even make the playoffs next season. Who are we going to fire then?

if the mob would calm down for a second and a take a good look at our forwards without Marner they'd see how pathetic we'd be without him

but on second thought maybe not since there's still a lot of fans who believe Tavares is a good player . lol

 

[arso40]

if the mob would calm down for a second and a take a good look at our forwards without Marner they'd see how pathetic we'd be without him

but on second thought maybe not since there's still a lot of fans who still believe Tavares is a good player

Move em both

 

[Confucius]

if the mob would calm down for a second and a take a good look at our forwards without Marner they'd see how pathetic we'd be without him

but on second thought maybe not since there's still a lot of fans who still believe Tavares is a good player

JT will be better next year.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Solution is easy. Bring back Babcock for a year. Bench Marner at every blind pass. He'll demand a trade.

What I think really happens is he plays lights out in the fall and Leafs cant help themselves to a resign. I am actual okay with a core 3 if a coach can figure out how to get the most out of him.

I could see him play lights out next year. Just like Willy did this year. Contract year heroes don’t impress me as much as they do others.

 

[saffronleaf]

if the mob would calm down for a second and a take a good look at our forwards without Marner they'd see how pathetic we'd be without him

but on second thought maybe not since there's still a lot of fans who believe Tavares is a good player

losing marner is addition by subtraction, especially in the playoffs

 

[arso40]

I could see him play lights out next year. Just like Willy did this year. Contract year heroes don’t impress me as much as they do others.

Doesn't seem to do well under pressure that's the difference

 

[djdev]

if the mob would calm down for a second and a take a good look at our forwards without Marner they'd see how pathetic we'd be without him

but on second thought maybe not since there's still a lot of fans who believe Tavares is a good player

the majority of playoffs teams dont have more than 1 player that put up the regular season points of any of marner/matthews/nylander, but they have something we dont, depth.

 

[hotpaws]

losing marner is addition by subtraction, especially in the playoffs

addition by subtraction is dumping Johnny ''golden boy'' Tavares , not the guy who was playing through a high ankle sprain and had to try to carry Captain Slug on his back

but lets look at the forwards without him next year , it goes AM/Willie a developing Knies and then we\re left with hoping Cowan steps in and instantly plays like an all star

 

[saffronleaf]

addition by subtraction is dumping Johnny ''golden boy'' Tavares , not the guy who was playing through a high ankle sprain and had to try to carry Captain Slug on his back

but lets look at the forwards without him next year , it goes AM/Willie a developing Knies and then we\re left with hoping Cowan steps in and instantly plays like an all star

i think the leafs are allowed to sign forwards in the offseason and ask for assets in return for marner.

 

[hotpaws]

the majority of playoffs teams dont have more than 1 player that put up the regular season points of any of marner/matthews/nylander, but they have something we dont, depth.

i agree , that's why you get Tavares to waive and use his cap hit for improved depth

after bonus he's owed less than 1m , so it'd be easy to find a home for him without adding sweetener's

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

It sucks that we suck so bad that Nylander is considered 'clutch' on this current team. Clutch is Martin Gelinas or Justin Williams, guys that score goals that eliminate teams.

 

[LeafSteel]

addition by subtraction is dumping Johnny ''golden boy'' Tavares , not the guy who was playing through a high ankle sprain and had to try to carry Captain Slug on his back

but lets look at the forwards without him next year , it goes AM/Willie a developing Knies and then we\re left with hoping Cowan steps in and instantly plays like an all star

Yeas, because moving Marner is the only move, with nothing in return and nothing signed with the $11m cap space.

Treliving will simply trade Marner for a bunch of Costco rotisserie chickens, as no players of consequence could come back to us in that trade, nor will he make any effort to sign UFA forwards nor trade for any, because, well, you know….

Our roster between now and training camp is fluid, and how we look June 30 can look markedly different by October.

Come on.

 

[hotpaws]

i think the leafs are allowed to sign forwards in the offseason and ask for assets in return for marner.

sure they can sign ufa forwards , the top ones will probably get overpaid for what they bring and if Mitch waives it'll be probably be for 2-3 teams max and the chances we get close to equal value is slim

but who cares because even if it hurts the team we need to get our pound of flesh

 

[GoonieFace]

addition by subtraction is dumping Johnny ''golden boy'' Tavares , not the guy who was playing through a high ankle sprain and had to try to carry Captain Slug on his back

but lets look at the forwards without him next year , it goes AM/Willie a developing Knies and then we\re left with hoping Cowan steps in and instantly plays like an all star

He wouldn’t have came back in the regular season if he was that hurt. Skating was not the issue, being a wuss was. Willy put up big points this year, who did he play mostly with?

 

[hotpaws]

Yeas, because moving Marner is the only move, with nothing in return and nothing signed with the $11m cap space.

Treliving will simply trade Marner for a bunch of Costco rotisserie chickens, as no players of consequence could come back to us in that trade, nor will he make any effort to sign UFA forwards nor trade for any, because, well, you know….

Our roster between now and training camp is fluid, and how we look June 30 can look markedly different by October.

Come on.

sorry my bad your right , teams will bending over backwards to give us the quality assets we need who are signed at reasonable cap hits with term

and don't be knocking the Costco Chicken

 

[hotpaws]

He wouldn’t have came back in the regular season if he was that hurt. Skating was not the issue, being a wuss was. Willy put up big points this year, who did he play mostly with?

i didn't say he was ''that hurt'' but high ankle sprains take a long time to heal fully so even if you can play it doesn't mean it's a 100%

lets pretend JT had the high ankle sprain , we'd be using that as an excuse for him for at least 2 1/2 years

 

[BM14]

i didn't say he was that hurt but high ankle sprains take a long time to heal fully so even if you can play it doesn't mean it's a 100%

lets pretend JT had the high ankle sprain , we'd be using that as an excuse for him for at least 2 1/2 years

JT isn’t a distraction to the TEAM - Marner is.

 

[seanlinden]

addition by subtraction is dumping Johnny ''golden boy'' Tavares , not the guy who was playing through a high ankle sprain and had to try to carry Captain Slug on his back

but lets look at the forwards without him next year , it goes AM/Willie a developing Knies and then we\re left with hoping Cowan steps in and instantly plays like an all star

There's one part of the "problem" that isn't talked about enough by virtue of having these "big 4"; and that is the complete lack of accountability towarsd the rest of the forward group for meaningful contributions night in and night out.

You look at what Keefe does from a game management perspective. Rarely are they ever on 3 lines. They're always out on the powerplay together, and often for well over a minute of it. When they're down a goal, it's the same 5 guys out for minutes at a time.

In the short term, yes, doing that might get you the goal you need. In the long term, it further ingrains the culture of "my job doesn't really matter" for the remaining 8 forwards.

Yes, the B's have Pastrnak who puts up the huge numbers... but they as a team knows Pasta cannot win games on his own, and there's great accountability down their lineup. 8 players with at least 17 goals, and they are a low scoring, defense-first team.

Tavares is falling out of that group naturally. If Marner's gone, the new coach will be forced to get more guys involved, because no 2 players can carry the team. The powerplay will likely have Matthews stapled on the right wing and Nylander on the left, but beyond that, tons of flexibility in who else fits there to give the team different looks.

The Leafs will probably get a forward back in a Marner deal. They'll probably (or at least, hopefully) resign Max Domi. Assuming those two happen, they'd still have flexbility to spend $3-5m on another forward piece AND Fix the D or goaltending.

Sure, you could argue that it's premature, and they should just wait until after next offseason when Tavares comes off the books and the cap presumably jumps again. It's not an incorrect arguement. However, it also doesn't address the stylistic challenges that having all 3 of these guys have together. They're at their best when they have open ice. The Leafs need guys who excel in the dirty areas.

 

[djdev]

i agree , that's why you get Tavares to waive and use his cap hit for improved depth

after bonus he's owed less than 1m , so it'd be easy to find a home for him without adding sweetener's

ye thats the tough part unfortunately. i think its less about teams wanting tavares, as alot of teams that arent big revenue generators covet players with high cap hits and low actual dollars, and more about convincing him to move with his 3 young kids etc. ill tell you what though, i would have alot of repect for him if he did decide to move on for the good of the franchise. it would be the most captainly thing hes ever done here. i doubt he does it though, and hard to blame him if he doesnt.

also, im fairly certain marner gets the majority of his salary as a bonus as of july 1st as well(7.25mil of the 8mil hes owed in real money this year) but i could be off on this.

i do appreciate your non pitchfork approach here btw, marner is a great player AND hes been a dissapointment in the playoffs moreso than any other member of the core, just because we know how talented he is. both of these things can be true at the same time. i dont want him gone because i hate him or dont think hes elite, i just think its time and i think he knows it as well.

 

[LeafSteel]

sorry my bad your right , teams will bending over backwards to give us the quality assets we need who are signed at reasonable cap hits with term

and don't be knocking the Costco Chicken

I would love me some Costco rotisserie chicken right now…

 

[RunItBackAgain]

I bet it Sucks to follow a team so closely and only watch 7 real games.

We’ve already had this discussion. Maybe one or two people lying to themselves agree with your stance.

 

[hotpaws]

JT isn’t a distraction to the TEAM - Marner is.

what does this even mean ?

who is he distracting , the fans who have been rotating between trading Mitch or Willie while making endless excuses to keep Tavares ?

i'm on board with trading anyone if it improves the team , unfortunately that's easier said than done

 

[keonsbitterness]

i agree , that's why you get Tavares to waive and use his cap hit for improved depth

after bonus he's owed less than 1m , so it'd be easy to find a home for him without adding sweetener's

Both should be approached, but Marner would have more suitors, would get a bigger return, and a team could theoretically get a player in his prime for nine years while only paying Marner $775k for the 24-25 season.

Of course, both could also refuse to waive.

 

[hotpaws]

I would love me some Costco rotisserie chicken right now…

like

and not only is it very tasty , it's probably the best value going