Mitch Marner (Trade or Keep)?

[the Mighty Oak]

Or one of them traded for a skilled player with heart and commitment

I could be wrong. but I truly think if Dubis had built the right supporting cast around them and played a different style of game on the ice. the Big Three would be OK, I believe Lou would have done that had he stayed.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I could be wrong. but I truly think if Dubis had built the right supporting cast around them and played a different style of game on the ice. the Big Three would be OK, I believe Lou would have done that had he stayed.

I agree Marner probably does better with a C like O'Reilly and a winger like Knies.

Bunting Matthews Nylander
Knies O'Reilly Marner
Kerfoot Tavares Jarnkrok

That 2nd line is something we didn't get to see bc of the Tavares contract.

 

[Racer88]

I could be wrong. but I truly think if Dubis had built the right supporting cast around them and played a different style of game on the ice. the Big Three would be OK, I believe Lou would have done that had he stayed.

Maybe but I just don’t think they have that intensity or killer instinct about them.
They are not really a team group. They won’t even stick up for themselves let alone a teammate

 

[the Mighty Oak]

Maybe but I just don’t think they have that intensity or killer instinct about them.
They are not really a team group. They won’t even stick up for themselves let alone a teammate

In my opinion, that's all on doobis, He didn't have the experience to figure out how to put pieces in the puzzle. ... He had five off seasons and five trade deadlines and he couldn't figure it out. It's kinda unfair to blame someone like Marner for his playoff performances. If the guy is constantly swarmed, every playoff game, what can he do? Dubis teams were easy to play against in the playoffs and playoff type hockey was the Leafs worst enemy.

 

[francis246]

In my opinion, that's all on doobis, He didn't have the experience to figure out how to put pieces in the puzzle. ... He had five off seasons and five trade deadlines and he couldn't figure it out. It's kinda unfair to blame someone like Marner for his playoff performances. If the guy is constantly swarmed, every playoff game, what can he do? Dubis teams were easy to play against in the playoffs and playoff type hockey was the Leafs worst enemy.

Exactly, I find it hard to place the blame at one players feet. The team as constructed isn’t built for success or greatly insulated for the stars.

 

[studebaker17]

In my opinion, that's all on doobis, He didn't have the experience to figure out how to put pieces in the puzzle. ... He had five off seasons and five trade deadlines and he couldn't figure it out. It's kinda unfair to blame someone like Marner for his playoff performances. If the guy is constantly swarmed, every playoff game, what can he do? Dubis teams were easy to play against in the playoffs and playoff type hockey was the Leafs worst enemy.

It's been pretty obvious the opposing game plan is simply shut down Marner / Mathews at all costs . Then take your chances playing the other 3 lines . Works pretty damn well to . Tavares line gets points and chances but for the most part are a trade off in the opposing teams favor . The bottom 2 lines are pretty weak as far as scoring goes and aren't winnig you games as a rule so if Mathews line is held off the score sheet you stand a good chance to win.
Every team since the Boston series has been doing this . Send out 5 guys and box them out . Looks like they get chances but compared to regular season their chances aren't nearly as high quality .

To me this is on Keefe . He should of split them up long ago .

 

[ACC1224]

Crazy super Gretzkylike elite.

Thankfully we have at least 10 more years of watching this.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Marner doesn't lose the puck, he dishes it to Matthews who is checked and loses control albeit temporarily. And yeah then Brodie and then Nylander does really well, and Marner puts himself in a good position to make a play: calls for the pass and then plays it one touch to Matthews in space. really good vision and anticipation and touch and I fully disagree that any old random player in the league or on the roster could easily make the same play. also the take off his foot to start the sequence is very sick.

Marner makes a very low percentage pass into Matthews' feet, which causes the turnover. But yes, with both defenders going after Nylander, both Mitch and Matty are wide open.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I could be wrong. but I truly think if Dubis had built the right supporting cast around them and played a different style of game on the ice. the Big Three would be OK, I believe Lou would have done that had he stayed.

Yes. Lou likely wouldn't have signed JT (at least not to that big a contract), or given Mitch as much, and the big three of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander, with the better supporting cast that could have been afforded, would probably have done much better.

 

[ACC1224]

Season highlights

 

[Antropovsky]

Season highlights

Please post playoff highlights!

 

[the Mighty Oak]

Please post playoff highlights!

Bud come playoff times teams key on Mariner. If you shut down Mariner the leaf's offence pretty much stops. Now, if it's not a well built team it's not hard for other teams to shut down a couple guys in the playoffs... Poor Willie was trying to win games single handedly from what I seen, he had no backup.

 

[thewave]

Bud come playoff times teams key on Mariner. If you shut down Mariner the leaf's offence pretty much stops. Now, if it's not a well built team it's not hard for other teams to shut down a couple guys in the playoffs... Poor Willie was trying to win games single handedly from what I seen, he had no backup.

They key in on him because he is so easy to neutralize. Willy is 30ft ahead of everyone on his lines.

 

[Mess]

Please post playoff highlights!

Here is Marner highlight package while the playoffs are ongoing for Cup contending teams.

 

[the Mighty Oak]

They key in on him because he is so easy to neutralize. Willy is 30ft ahead of everyone on his lines.

Sure, it's easy when the other team's game plan is to shut him down and they focus all their attention on him.

 

[IPS]

Cool.

Bud come playoff times teams key on Mariner. If you shut down Mariner the leaf's offence pretty much stops. Now, if it's not a well built team it's not hard for other teams to shut down a couple guys in the playoffs... Poor Willie was trying to win games single handedly from what I seen, he had no backup.

They key on Mack too and he just runs right through them and wins anyway. They keyed on Kane and he still out skilled them and produced

 

[Niagara Bill]

Marner is a good player, points getter but never a leader. That means if the value in a trade is there, it must be considered seriously. Other players may help the team more. Remembering him in Jr, the big money has changed him, made the off ice happenings more enjoyable and made him less competitive on ice.
Keefe allowed and maybe encouraged the basketball style powerplays, keeps Mitchy in open ice and the effort less.

 

[the Mighty Oak]

Cool.

They key on Mack too and he just runs right through them and wins anyway. They keyed on Kane and he still out skilled them and produced

Mack is a totally different type of player the guy is a beast out there. He's been in the top three best players for a while now. A good question to ask is why isn't Matthew's a beast like Mckinnon?

 

[Gabriel426]

In my opinion, that's all on doobis, He didn't have the experience to figure out how to put pieces in the puzzle. ... He had five off seasons and five trade deadlines and he couldn't figure it out. It's kinda unfair to blame someone like Marner for his playoff performances. If the guy is constantly swarmed, every playoff game, what can he do? Dubis teams were easy to play against in the playoffs and playoff type hockey was the Leafs worst enemy.

Well, should MM figure it out how to play against that? He is supposed to be this High IQ player who rivals Gretzky, someone who is being paid as a top 7 players in the league. To think MM didn’t expect opposing teams to have a manual and game plan to play against him is naive. On top of that, MM usually play with AM or JT, two 11mil players and one being a Rocket caliber scorer.
Let’s not pretend MM is on an island with the Leafs like Sundin in the past.
If you know what is going to happen as it happened repeatedly, why don’t you make the adjustments? Could it be, 1. He refused to make change 2. He is too stubborn to make change 3. He just can’t make the change

Stop finding excuses for any players, they need to take accountability of what happened in the playoffs. None of them had great or good playoffs. Work on how to get better instead of pointing at, we need better goalies, need better refs, need bounces our way…..bc those are excuses for every teams that either didn’t make the playoffs or didn’t win in the playoffs.

 

[the Mighty Oak]

Well, should MM figure it out how to play against that? He is supposed to be this High IQ player who rivals Gretzky, someone who is being paid as a top 7 players in the league. To think MM didn’t expect opposing teams to have a manual and game plan to play against him is naive. On top of that, MM usually play with AM or JT, two 11mil players and one being a Rocket caliber scorer.
Let’s not pretend MM is on an island with the Leafs like Sundin in the past.
If you know what is going to happen as it happened repeatedly, why don’t you make the adjustments? Could it be, 1. He refused to make change 2. He is too stubborn to make change 3. He just can’t make the change

Stop finding excuses for any players, they need to take accountability of what happened in the playoffs. None of them had great or good playoffs. Work on how to get better instead of pointing at, we need better goalies, need better refs, need bounces our way…..bc those are excuses for every teams that either didn’t make the playoffs or didn’t win in the playoffs.

The gm had 80 million to build a team. and not try and win a cup by playing Matthews and Marner as often as possible. The Leaf's 3rd and fourth lines were nonexistent And their defence falls apart once playoff hockey comes and its man on man.

 

[Da Mash]

Marner is one year younger than McKinnon when he won the cup. Avs didnt give up on him so quick.

Same could be said with Mathews.

Mathews is one yr older then Liljegren

Dont quite understand the panic. The Tavares cap hit hurts the most and has a NTC

If they get rid of a high cost player it will be between Marner and Nylander.

And IMHO the playoffs are a joke. Rules are thrown out and the game changes....not because players who make no money in playoffs have more "heart" .....its because "goons can get away with more crap and guess who suffers? The Stars that rely on skill and open ice. But when you can interfere to close lanes or get the puck and if the officials turn constantly a blind eye to cross checks ....how does that help the stars?

Don Cherry has brainwashed way too many.....I dont mind hard checking....fights...etc...part of the game but when you let goons rule the ice....and the rules change so drastically from the regular season....then its just a bad product.

How does a star cause so many penalties but in playoffs he he barely causes any? How does a punk team like Florida be in the top in penalties but come playoffs they are all of a sudden saints?

Then fans blame the stars for not producing or not caring.......top athletes in the world who train all year.....all of a sudden dont care.....makes no sense to me ...

 

[Gabriel426]

The gm had 80 million to build a team. and not try and win a cup by playing Matthews and Marner as often as possible. The Leaf's 3rd and fourth lines were nonexistent And their defence falls apart once playoff hockey comes and its man on man.

Considering AM, MM and JT combined for ONE goal in the 2nd round and Leafs scored a lot more than ONE goal in 5 games. I would say that the supporting cast actually scored more than those three.
Keep thinking everyone else is the problem but AM and MM. Bc those two think the same.

 

[the Mighty Oak]

Considering AM, MM and JT combined for ONE goal in the 2nd round and Leafs scored a lot more than ONE goal in 5 games. I would say that the supporting cast actually scored more than those three.
Keep thinking everyone else is the problem but AM and MM. Bc those two think the same.

I'm sure that was the other team's plans, shutdown the top guys and outscored the Leaf's 3rd and 4th lines.

 

[leafs in five]

Marner makes a very low percentage pass into Matthews' feet, which causes the turnover. But yes, with both defenders going after Nylander, both Mitch and Matty are wide open.

he attempts a pass into a tight area to start an attack, and the result of the 'turnover' is immediate repossession of the puck in the neutral zone with numbers to start another attack. I don't think Hedman really 'goes after Nylander' either as Marner is occupying the same area and he expects back pressure from the winger on the near side (Perry) who tried his best to hitch a ride. Marner is directly behind Nylander so hard to describe him as wide open if Nylander is double covered. imo. sick take off the skate too. great play all around by 3/4 of The Core 4.

 

[thewave]

Sure, it's easy when the other team's game plan is to shut him down and they focus all their attention on him.

He is so slow. Like a future JT. I would move on now before its too late