Player Discussion Mitch Marner

[Leafsfanperson]

I drank the kool-aid up to game 4 on Mitch but I'm sick of the Joe from the Bridge Brigade.

For the entire run of the core 4 they've had no goaltending and an abysmal blueline and people want to hang Willie and now Mitch for no playoff success.

Game 6 six is how the team needs to win, play defense first and count on your 10+ million forwards to strike when they get a transition chance. Play late 90s hockey.

I'm ok with letting Bert and Domi walk and spending from the back end and goal.

You can always find wingers, Bobby McMann's set up with opportunity all the time, there is always stars and superstar wingers on the trade market you can easily trade for one and have the other team retain.

Leafs don't play playoff hockey because they just endlessly piss money away on forwards. Enough already but a team around the stars you committed to.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Exactly. Marner would be great for around $4-5 million.


Weren't they all working with Barb Underhill a few years ago? What happened with that?

Maybe you did not know it but Mitch did not work with Barb .. one of my kids did when he was with da org .. this is one of issues with Paul who has his own skating instructor for Mitch since age 5 by da way .. i do not want to get into this further as it will only cause tensions with teams and staffs Mitch has been on over da years .. suffice to say Mitch's stride length has been an issue for over 20 years .. but again please note he is one of best edge guys in da world which is what they fixated on .. also it is very very very very hard to change a stride in your 20s .. da time to fix was 6

 

[1specter]

I won't knock his effort, he's been working hard, but it's clear he doesn't really fit. He plays better in rush hockey, but he's not really a rush type player, and he is also out of place in a heavy forecheck style like the Leafs have been playing this year. Nylander, Matthews and Tavares have adjusted their games but he seems unable to do that, and 11M for just a defensive specialist isn't worth it.

Would still like to move on this summer ideally.

 

[Evilhomer]

For all the talk of trading Marner, the reality is that trading a guy like this going into the last year of his contract is not easy, especially given the salary he will command. I don't see it happening. I think the Leafs will resign him and simply wait out the last year of Tavares' contract.

 

[Leafsfan74]

I drank the kool-aid up to game 4 on Mitch but I'm sick of the Joe from the Bridge Brigade.

For the entire run of the core 4 they've had no goaltending and an abysmal blueline and people want to hang Willie and now Mitch for no playoff success.

Game 6 six is how the team needs to win, play defense first and count on your 10+ million forwards to strike when they get a transition chance. Play late 90s hockey.

I'm ok with letting Bert and Domi walk and spending from the back end and goal.

You can always find wingers, Bobby McMann's set up with opportunity all the time, there is always stars and superstar wingers on the trade market you can easily trade for one and have the other team retain.

Leafs don't play playoff hockey because they just endlessly piss money away on forwards. Enough already but a team around the stars you committed to.

I see if either players are willing to work with Leafs cap constraints. If McMann and Knies can emerge as heavy, North/South players, keeping Domi and Bert would make for a nice balance.

The Leafs will be cutting Brodie and most likely (if they want to win) Marners contract. Tavares will be at least a discount from current contract, or, potentially (most likely barring a Cup ring) left to walk as a UFA.

That is a lot of coin to build your team from, and the cap is increasing apparently. I don't even necessarily think Bert makes as much as he did this contract going forward on say, a three year deal. Much depends on any playoff miracle this team pulls and I'm talking well beyond a Game 7 in the First Round.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I drank the kool-aid up to game 4 on Mitch but I'm sick of the Joe from the Bridge Brigade.

For the entire run of the core 4 they've had no goaltending and an abysmal blueline and people want to hang Willie and now Mitch for no playoff success.

Game 6 six is how the team needs to win, play defense first and count on your 10+ million forwards to strike when they get a transition chance. Play late 90s hockey.

I'm ok with letting Bert and Domi walk and spending from the back end and goal.

You can always find wingers, Bobby McMann's set up with opportunity all the time, there is always stars and superstar wingers on the trade market you can easily trade for one and have the other team retain.

Leafs don't play playoff hockey because they just endlessly piss money away on forwards. Enough already but a team around the stars you committed to.

The problem with that is the $10M players have a combined 3 goals and 5 assists, while the two players you want to let go have 2 goals and 5 assists, while making less than $10M combined.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

I don't think he's been fantastic over 6 games. The good news is a single big performance is worth a lot of good will in an elimination game.

 

[hullsy47]

Even game 5 to be honest he was good, not great. He’s skilled enough to be great. Nylander was great today, that’s what we need from Marner

Nylander gets an A
MARNER gets a D for dubas

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I won't knock his effort, he's been working hard, but it's clear he doesn't really fit. He plays better in rush hockey, but he's not really a rush type player, and he is also out of place in a heavy forecheck style like the Leafs have been playing this year. Nylander, Matthews and Tavares have adjusted their games but he seems unable to do that, and 11M for just a defensive specialist isn't worth it.

Would still like to move on this summer ideally.

Team has already made da call with Willy signing and quite frankly even though Mitch is a great kid da team comes first .. bottom line Mitch is not at full health right now and he is doing best he can to help team .. lets not keep riding him here .. Mitch always gives his all whether a preseason game or a post season game .. you always get same effort 110% effort .. he was/is a rover and he never has fit into traditional hockey formulas

 

[Gabriel426]

Here is the thing. If the team wins, and the best player didnt score but manage to shut down the opposing top players, thats great. Everyone will say, he played great defence and did it for the team....But if the team lose, even though the best player managed to shut down the opposing top player but didn't score, everyone will say, where was his offence when the team needed it the most....
Thats pretty much the story of MM and Pastra over the past two games.
IN short, just Win.

 

[Farsailor]

Here is the thing. If the team wins, and the best player didnt score but manage to shut down the opposing top players, thats great. Everyone will say, he played great defence and did it for the team....But if the team lose, even though the best player managed to shut down the opposing top player but didn't score, everyone will say, where was his offence when the team needed it the most....
Thats pretty much the story of MM and Pastra over the past two games.
IN short, just Win.

Are we talking about him as "the best player" now? All this about Mitch "shutting down" things (Pasta in this case). From what I saw the two other forwards on his line were at least as present on the defence as him? That being said i do think he has looked better the last couple of games (as have everyone else). Hope he comes through in game 7.

 

[Mr_Fun]

I thought Marner was pretty good last night. Not game dominating super crazy elite 11 million dollar man good, but pretty good. We also won back to back two of the best defensive games we've ever played so I'm just enjoying the moment, plenty of time to complain about individual players later.

This is the correct answer.

 

[Leafsfanperson]

The problem with that is the $10M players have a combined 3 goals and 5 assists, while the two players you want to let go have 2 goals and 5 assists, while making less than $10M combined.

Yawns

It's easy to bash those 3 when they are the only talents in the league that get an audit after every game.

Pasta is garbage this series so is he a waste of money talent you'd have no interest in?

You think Clayton Keller is the answer so trade Mitch for him.

I've grown tired of these short bus reactionary tantrums.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Here is the thing. If the team wins, and the best player didnt score but manage to shut down the opposing top players, thats great. Everyone will say, he played great defence and did it for the team....But if the team lose, even though the best player managed to shut down the opposing top player but didn't score, everyone will say, where was his offence when the team needed it the most....
Thats pretty much the story of MM and Pastra over the past two games.
IN short, just Win.

Exactly.

Did you know that Marcel Dionne has more career points than Mario Lemieux, Yzerman and Crosby?

Yet, his name is rarely mentioned and he played on one of the most dominant lines in NHL history in L.A. No Cups in his stellar career.

If you win Cups you become a legend. It doesn't matter if you only had 3 points in an entire playoff as long as you did your part to win a Cup.

This core hasn't even won two rounds in total let alone in one season.

 

[Mr_Fun]

For all the talk of trading Marner, the reality is that trading a guy like this going into the last year of his contract is not easy, especially given the salary he will command. I don't see it happening. I think the Leafs will resign him and simply wait out the last year of Tavares' contract.

Agreed. And this talk about getting Mitch to waive his NTC to go to Utah (or similar places) is delightfully hilarious.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I don't want to complain either tbh. it's exhausting. The Montreal series really changed my view of MM and I haven't felt the same since about him. I hope he has a good game 7, cause they really need him.

This is exactly how I feel. I'd rather focus all my energy on the positives (and there are many), and supporting the team as long as this ride lasts. We'll have more than enough time for analysis/complaining when the playoffs are done.

I'm ok with letting Bert and Domi walk and spending from the back end and goal.

You can always find wingers, Bobby McMann's set up with opportunity all the time, there is always stars and superstar wingers on the trade market you can easily trade for one and have the other team retain.

Leafs don't play playoff hockey because they just endlessly piss money away on forwards. Enough already but a team around the stars you committed to.

No way in hell am I letting Domi walk. It's not like he's going cost a ton and he's been amazing for us in many different ways.

 

[notdoneyet]

Don't want to look too much into this but he wasn't very enthused either when Willy scored the second goal.

Some people will apply shit just to fuel their agenda
Pretty bad look for you

 

[arso40]

Some people will apply shit just to fuel their agenda
Pretty bad look for you

He's right though I was thinking the same thing before I saw his comment or your reply he honestly didn't look happy at all its weird

 

[Antropovsky]

Yawns

It's easy to bash those 3 when they are the only talents in the league that get an audit after every game.

Pasta is garbage this series so is he a waste of money talent you'd have no interest in?

You think Clayton Keller is the answer so trade Mitch for him.

I've grown tired of these short bus reactionary tantrums.

Garbage Pasta still has 2 goals and 4 points. Marner has 1 goal and 3 points.

Pasta has 10 goals in his past 21 post season games. Which is a 39 goal pace.

Marner has 11 in 56 career games. Which is a 16 goal pace

People aren't upset with Marner because of this one series, it's been a career of these series, 8 to be exact. Meanwhile Pasta has many great series under his belt.

 

[Leafsfanperson]

Garbage Pasta still has 2 goals and 4 points. Marner has 1 goal and 3 points.

Pasta has 10 goals in his past 21 post season games. Which is a 39 goal pace.

Marner has 11 in 56 career games. Which is a 16 goal pace

People aren't upset with Marner because of this one series, it's been a career of these series, 8 to be exact. Meanwhile Pasta has many great series under his belt.

Wow Pasta had a good series three years ago.

Cool story bro, Boston has a board if you want to make excuses for him

I'm a Leafs fan though, I'm not turning coat going into game 7.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Agreed. And this talk about getting Mitch to waive his NTC to go to Utah (or similar places) is delightfully hilarious.

Then Waive him.

 

[1specter]

This is exactly how I feel. I'd rather focus all my energy on the positives (and there are many), and supporting the team as long as this ride lasts. We'll have more than enough time for analysis/complaining when the playoffs are done.

No way in hell am I letting Domi walk. It's not like he's going cost a ton and he's been amazing for us in many different ways.

Agreed Domi must be brought back. He was made and molded for this market.

 

[Leafsfanperson]

This is exactly how I feel. I'd rather focus all my energy on the positives (and there are many), and supporting the team as long as this ride lasts. We'll have more than enough time for analysis/complaining when the playoffs are done.

No way in hell am I letting Domi walk. It's not like he's going cost a ton and he's been amazing for us in many different ways.

That's fair, I'm even ok with Bert at the right price.

I just want to see the blueline and goaltending get prioritized first and an overall commitment to structured play before spending on luxury items like Domi and Bert.

Just my opinion.

 

[Antropovsky]

Wow Pasta had a good series three years ago.

Cool story bro, Boston has a board if you want to make excuses for him

I'm a Leafs fan though, I'm not turning coat going into game 7.

You also just joined the board in 2024... you haven't been around for the past 7 years of excuses for Marners poor playoffs.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Yawns

It's easy to bash those 3 when they are the only talents in the league that get an audit after every game.

Pasta is garbage this series so is he a waste of money talent you'd have no interest in?

You think Clayton Keller is the answer so trade Mitch for him.

I've grown tired of these short bus reactionary tantrums.

Marner has been below-par for 7-8 years now.

I don't think it's reactionary to criticize him at this point. I might even say it's reactionary to prop his bad play up because the team won a few games.