Player Discussion Mitch Marner Part Infinity

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Like I said the whole time, I preferred the stand pat approach. If they couldn't get by Ottawa without Carlo and Laughton, oh well!

I have a feeling like maybe Marner will come back. Too much corporate sense not to and Marner doesn't have the guts to actually leave.

I don't think he's back

He looks like he resents the media and the fans because they're so hard on him

I think it'll be as simple as, a new management group will be thrilled to have him = good feelings and positivity, less hard emotions.

 

[francis246]

I don't think he's back

He looks like he resents the media and the fans because they're so hard on him

I think it'll be as simple as, a new management group will be thrilled to have him = good feelings and positivity, less hard emotions.

Yup, pretty much how I feel too. Like I’ve said this is an ego thing. Marner is like the little brother who never feels seen or thinks they are under appreciated. He’s going to go to a team that will feed his ego and tell him all the things he wants to hear and he’ll be happy to go settle in that market. The money isn’t going to matter as much as the perception/feeling of being truly valued will!

 

[WilliamInLondon]

Hard to rule anything out with this circus being what it is, seems highly unlikely though. I wonder what it would take to persuade him to stay, 5x14 with full NMC (the NMC is a given obviously)?

haha, the only premium players over the next 5 seasons to hit the UFA market are McDavid, Kaprizov, Eichel, Makar, and maybe Johnson and Byfield (if they continue to grow). Plenty of secondary talent though.

So if you're damn sure that McDavid isn't in play, 4x$14M with 10-15 team NTC clause in Year 4 could seal the deal. Works for the Leafs with how they've built their roster and gives Marner another crack at a huge payday at 31 years old when the cap could very well be $120M+

 

[Clark4Ever]

I would much rather have 2 playoff type performers that put up less points in the regular season for a similar cap hit.

I wonder if there is any chance that Bennett and Marchand would sign here. They both know this market well and grew up as Leaf fans.

 

[Dayjobdave]

I sat in the stands at game 6 last year against Boston and when the whole team was playing the guttiest game of their careers, Mitch was waiving his arms in frustration that players couldn't get open and he had to actually try to skate with the puck and maybe get hit.

Time's up

 

[theTTC]

Yup, pretty much how I feel too. Like I’ve said this is an ego thing. Marner is like the little brother who never feels seen or thinks they are under appreciated. He’s going to go to a team that will feed his ego and tell him all the things he wants to hear and he’ll be happy to go settle in that market. The money isn’t going to matter as much as the perception/feeling of being truly valued will!

This is getting complicated. Mitch isn't academically gifted (he is blessed in many other ways) so I'm saying he is just sitting there nodding at whatever his agent and dad are scheming for him. Mitch doesn't know himself where it's all going to lead...

 

[arso40]

McMann, Robertson are the first two that come to mind. McCabe has an NMC or modified NTC I believe

McCabe is a solid 3 if rielly was an actual one we wouldn’t even be in this position that’s two playoffs in a row he makes a dumb play that cost us the game 7

 

[Gary Nylund]

haha, the only premium players over the next 5 seasons to hit the UFA market are McDavid, Kaprizov, Eichel, Makar, and maybe Johnson and Byfield (if they continue to grow). Plenty of secondary talent though.

So if you're damn sure that McDavid isn't in play, 4x$14M with 10-15 team NTC clause in Year 4 could seal the deal. Works for the Leafs with how they've built their roster and gives Marner another crack at a huge payday at 31 years old when the cap could very well be $120M+

You might be able to entice Marner back but IMHO it would be a mistake. And I don't see Marner agreeing to anything but a full NMC for the duration of the contract, anything short of that and his ego couldn't handle it.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I would much rather have 2 playoff type performers that put up less points in the regular season for a similar cap hit.

I wonder if there is any chance that Bennett and Marchand would sign here. They both know this market well and grew up as Leaf fans.

I've mentioned that earlier, that would be amazing!

 

[WilliamInLondon]

I think a healthy Matthews with a more physical scoring winger that can forecheck will actually increase our odds of doing better next year.

+11m + 5-6m for JT contract + cap going up puts us in a prime position to improve.

Marner had negative net effectiveness on all playoffs to me regardless his stats. He isn't a good playoff player, ever.

who are you thinking?

I wouldn't mind buying low on Anthony Mantha and pairing him with a 1-year Patrick Kane. Right wing by committee of Nylander/Mantha/Kane. Then sign Granlund and shift Tavares to LW to hide his deficiencies.

Get another, better defenceman in Gavrikov and sign to 4-6 year deal. Excellent with the stick and disrupts lanes, which plays into Berube's defensive system.

 

[Mess]

The fact the team was willing to pay him 13.5 doesn't exactly install a sense of confidence in them handling this situation properly.....

Good news .. Silver lining.

Shanahan 6 years contract ends May 31th, 2025 in a couple weeks
&
GM Treliving already tried to trade Marner away once.

Now after another embarrassing loss and poor playoff performance by Marner that the organization might have more of an appetite to move on.

 

[ToneDog]

I’m not overly surprised. If we take off our emotional rage glasses for a second and think from a management perspective, to them he’s a valuable asset and you don’t want that to walk for free.

I think they also recognize what many of us are scared to admit. While replacing Marner isn’t going to be some impossible task, it’s not going to be easy, it’ll be a tall task. It’s an unknown and I don’t know how many managers around the league are completely comfortable working in the unknown or uncertainty.

Agreed but for regular season. Maybe without Mitch, Matthews steps up and returns to the player we think he is.

Marner shrinks in big moments. He is easily replaceable for the playoffs.

 

[HarryLime]

please fking leave you cry baby bitch!

 

[francis246]

Agreed but for regular season. Maybe without Mitch, Matthews steps up and returns to the player we think he is.

Marner shrinks in big moments. He is easily replaceable for the playoffs.

Or maybe it becomes more clear Matthews is who he is in the playoffs and Marner maybe wasn’t the issue. I have to be honest, my gut is telling me Matthews is what he is. I don’t think changing Marner is going to do much.

 

[francis246]

I've mentioned that earlier, that would be amazing!

Doubt it. The rumours of Marchand linking up with MacKinnon in Colorado have been heating up and Sid is over at the worlds with MacKinnon… I think it’s gonna happen, all 3 end up in Colorado at some point next season.

 

[ToneDog]

I would much rather have 2 playoff type performers that put up less points in the regular season for a similar cap hit.

I wonder if there is any chance that Bennett and Marchand would sign here. They both know this market well and grew up as Leaf fans.

Depends on whether the Panthers allow them to walk to FA along with Ekblad. If we buy out or trade Rielly, Ekblad could fit in nicely and take some of the heat off Tanev. Tanev was hit over 100 times while Ekblad less than 25. That tells me that players do not want to mess with Ekblad.

McCabe Tanev
OEL Ekblad
Benoit Carlo

 

[francis246]

who are you thinking?

I wouldn't mind buying low on Anthony Mantha and pairing him with a 1-year Patrick Kane. Right wing by committee of Nylander/Mantha/Kane. Then sign Granlund and shift Tavares to LW to hide his deficiencies.

Get another, better defenceman in Gavrikov and sign to 4-6 year deal. Excellent with the stick and disrupts lanes, which plays into Berube's defensive system.

Lol that would be one of the most injury prone top lines in the history of the NHL. Didn’t mantra play like 14 games this year?

What about Gustav Nyquist?

 

[ToneDog]

Or maybe it becomes more clear Matthews is who he is in the playoffs and Marner maybe wasn’t the issue. I have to be honest, my gut is telling me Matthews is what he is. I don’t think changing Marner is going to do much.

Size matters in the playoffs. Matthews at least has that. Marner is a smurf and it is why he struggles in the playoffs IMO. Watching him in the handshake line showed me just how small he is compared to some of the Panthers players. Going up against players inches taller and pounds heavier is not easy, especially in a 7 game series.

 

[ToneDog]

please fking leave you cry baby bitch!

Yelling at his teammates to wake the f*** up is one of the dummest things he could have done. Who is he to do that when he produced less than a 36 year old, broken down Patches?

 

[francis246]

Size matters in the playoffs. Matthews at least has that. Marner is a smurf and it is why he struggles in the playoffs IMO. Watching him in the handshake line showed me just how small he is.

Again it just sounds like we’re making a bunch of excuses for Matthews and I’m not buying it. Matthews had a ton of chances provided to him by his linemates. What does size have to do when you’re wide open in the slot and you hit the glass time after time?

 

[WilliamInLondon]

Lol that would be one of the most injury prone top lines in the history of the NHL. Didn’t mantra play like 14 games this year?

What about Gustav Nyquist?

Yeah, exactly. I would buy low on all of those players and not commit to any UFA this offseason beyond a 1 or 2 year window, even if it means carrying over a ton of cap space. It'd give the Leafs the chance to see

• Where this team is at 50-60 games into the regular season
• Having enough cash to at least try getting Knies on a 7-8 year deal
• Preserving cap space heading when the UFA pool is stronger.

Signing someone like Ekblad or Boeser to 6-7 years scares the bejeesus out of me.

 

[Menzinger]

Or maybe it becomes more clear Matthews is who he is in the playoffs and Marner maybe wasn’t the issue. I have to be honest, my gut is telling me Matthews is what he is. I don’t think changing Marner is going to do much.

The way I see it is they are both horrible disappointments, but at the end of the day Matthews plays the much rarer position that is exponentially more difficult to replace. So when it comes to giving someone another chance the choice is pretty easy

Edit: amusing typo

 

[francis246]

The way I see it is they are both horrible disappointments, but at the end of the day Matthews plays the much rarer position that is exponentially more difficult to replace. So when it comes to giving someone another chance the choice is pretty easy

Edit: amusing typo

Also one’s contract is up, so it’s an easy decision that way too.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Doubt it. The rumours of Marchand linking up with MacKinnon in Colorado have been heating up and Sid is over at the worlds with MacKinnon… I think it’s gonna happen, all 3 end up in Colorado at some point next season.

I just said it would be amazing, I didn't say it wasn't a long shot.

 

[ORRFForever]

Mitch has had enough of the Toronto microscope. His family has likely said, "Let's go somewhere quiet".

Watch him go elsewhere and win a Cup.