Shanahan's biggest gaffe shows he's out of touch: revisiting the "Discounts" quote

[sxvnert]

Shanny was correct but didn't have the stomach to hold out on players when their demands were massive.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

The Shanaplan is dead.
Next year looks "9th in the East" like season.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Breaking news: stupid person does stupid things.

Shanahan doubled down on stupid. By changing GM's twice when the most important contracts in team history needed negotiating. Then involving himself in those very same player personnel decisions.

Even going so far as to making stupid comments like these in the press.

Shanahan better smarten up. Smell the turd sandwich team that he built. This pile of manure won't be tolerated by fans forever.

Right now the only choice available to rational discussion of Shanahan's radical roster building philosophy centred around four scoring forwards is either "abject failure" or "inept execution".

It's either one or the other. There is no other choice. Although I suppose it could be both.

It's probably both.

They need some smart people in the decision making process to neutralize all the stupid currently in charge.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Tavares scored alot inflating Marner's points and that led to Marner's overpay.

We had Matthews, Marner and Nylander.

WE NEEDED D.

and a goalie.

Yep.

Keefe has to go. Dubas is gone, and it's helping.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Shanahan should be fired, but I guess he just wont be allowed to make any decisions really. The team will let his contract expire.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

All this drama is just a smokescreen. Most important is keeping these "stars". Pelley showed his hand at the press conference with his random "we're not here to sell jerseys" comment. That's exactly what they're here to do.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

All this drama is just a smokescreen. Most important is keeping these "stars". Pelley showed his hand at the press conference with his random "we're not here to sell jerseys" comment. That's exactly what they're here to do.

You are wise.

He's trying to distract from the truth.

They are going to get rid of Marner.

But ultimately the board knows more about Jersey sales than playoff hockey.

 

[Trapper]

He’s out of touch,
We’re out of time,
I’ll be out of my head if they’re still around…

 

[LeafSteel]

He’s out of touch,
We’re out of time,
I’ll be out of my head if they’re still around…

Oh oh oh oh oh oh….

 

[HamiltonNHL]

He’s out of touch,
We’re out of time,
I’ll be out of my head if they’re still around…

 

[HamiltonNHL]

What a screw up that was.
He ate 7 AAV for his loose lips.

Dubas Overpays:
Matthews 2, Marner 3, Tavares 1, Nylander 1.

Shanny should go for that. His lack of understanding of negotiations showed.

You genuinely think the Leafs' core is 7 mill overpaid combined... Some people seriously need a reality check.

in 2021 they were.

now:
Matthews 3, Marner 3, Tavares 6, Nylander 2. (overpay now 14).

 

[Nineteen67]

What a thread

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

I don't think this was his biggest mistake at all.

His biggest mistake was not tanking for McDavid. His second biggest mistake was signing Tavares. His third biggest mistake was not trading one of the extra star wingers for a proper 1RHD.

Giving the kids too much money was just the icing on the stupidity cake.

Shanahan took too many head shots as a player. It shows in the poor results of this team under his tenure. A moron with no hockey knowledge could have finished last in the league, followed Bob McKenzie's draft list, and end up about the same as they are now.

I'm not even joking when I say even I could have done that.

There are two types of people. Those who think they know everything. And those who actually do.

Much to the annoyance of the greatest fan base in the world it's the too bad the former are the ones running this team.

 

[mjd1001]

I don't think this was his biggest mistake at all.

His biggest mistake was not tanking for McDavid. His second biggest mistake was signing Tavares. His third biggest mistake was not trading one of the extra star wingers for a proper 1RHD.

Giving the kids too much money was just the icing on the stupidity cake.

In the long run, signing a guy who is IN the prime of his career to a big dollar, long term deal...may not be the best decision. You probably get 3 years (give or take one year) of him being worth the high dollars you pay him, but then the rest of the contract is an over-pay, limiting what you can do with the rest of the roster. I think most execs know that.

The proble, well, there are 2 problems:

-GMs/Execs will take that risk. They realize they are paid for winning now (next few years) and they really don't care much about the last 2-4 years of that contract. If something helps you a bit now, but hurts you a lot later, the nature of coaching and GM's in the league (their short term-vs-long term thinking) will usually have them make that short term decision.

-The Fanbase. When a big name gets signed to a big dollar deal that is likely to be a bad contract for at least half of it, well....most fans don't care. On this board when Tavares was signed, there were just a few of us thinking it was a bad deal, but I'd say 75% or more of people posting were all for it....plan the parade route! The "Casual" Fans (ones not enough to be daily followers of the team but watch the games), they like the big name signed even more, damn the terms of the deal.

When you are in a bigger market with a team with a huge following, you might be more likely to sign those big time Vet free agents, but many times if you don't with with them in years 1, 2, or maybe 3, they hurt you in the long run.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

In the long run, signing a guy who is IN the prime of his career to a big dollar, long term deal...may not be the best decision. You probably get 3 years (give or take one year) of him being worth the high dollars you pay him, but then the rest of the contract is an over-pay, limiting what you can do with the rest of the roster. I think most execs know that.

The proble, well, there are 2 problems:

-GMs/Execs will take that risk. They realize they are paid for winning now (next few years) and they really don't care much about the last 2-4 years of that contract. If something helps you a bit now, but hurts you a lot later, the nature of coaching and GM's in the league (their short term-vs-long term thinking) will usually have them make that short term decision.

-The Fanbase. When a big name gets signed to a big dollar deal that is likely to be a bad contract for at least half of it, well....most fans don't care. On this board when Tavares was signed, there were just a few of us thinking it was a bad deal, but I'd say 75% or more of people posting were all for it....plan the parade route! The "Casual" Fans (ones not enough to be daily followers of the team but watch the games), they like the big name signed even more, damn the terms of the deal.

When you are in a bigger market with a team with a huge following, you might be more likely to sign those big time Vet free agents, but many times if you don't with with them in years 1, 2, or maybe 3, they hurt you in the long run.

As soon as they brought in Tavares they should have traded Kadri, and one of Nylander or Marner, for a couole stud defensemen including a legit 1RHD on a long term deal.

 

[Maple Leaf]

YOU CAN'T OVERPAY PLAYERS IN THIS TIGHT SALARY CAP IT IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HamiltonNHL]

now:
Matthews 3, Marner 3, Tavares 6, Nylander 2. (overpay now 14).

Regular season

Matthews 54g 41a 95p ($13.25m)
Marner 28g (LOL) 63a 91p ($11m)
Nylander 30g 42a 72p ($11.5m LOL)
Tavares 34g 43a 77p ($11m)

Playoffs

Matthews 34g 38a 72p
Marner 16g (LOL) 56 72p
Nylander 30g 35a 65p
Tavares 30g 30a 60p

$46.75m for 4 players who's playoff numbers are pedestrian. That's your problem folks. You are paying for super elite and getting MEH performance in the playoffs. Well dumb Shanny, Kyle and Tre.

Overpay now 14 AAV

 

[tuckerintensity]

Nylander was incredible value on his last contract, plus they even let him hold out for a few months, it's shocking to hear anyone complain about that contract anymore. His new one? We'll see... but different GM, too.

 

[mikeyz]

I don't think the guys really care about each other at all, just look at how they are playing on the ice. It's all "me, me, me". These guys just don't have "it". You can't teach "it". You have to be born with "it". The team is becoming thinner and thinner right infront of their eyes because of the contracts they took.

This post is aging like fine wine (No sarcasm)

 

[notbias]

YOU CAN'T OVERPAY PLAYERS IN THIS TIGHT SALARY CAP IT IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't do it, will never make it to at least the cup finals without a perfect cap allocation.

Nurse? Underpaid.

The 6 million in dead cap Florida had in 2023? A rounding error.

The 1.25 Florida had in dead cap in 2024? Who cares.

Every single team has mismanaged cap hits somewhere, but if you put enough exclamation marks that may change it.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Spezza deserved better
Giordano deserved better
Marleau deserved worse

 

[keonsbitterness]

I don't think this was his biggest mistake at all.

His biggest mistake was not tanking for McDavid.

How would that have worked? Neither Buffalo (last place) nor Arizona (2nd last) won the lottery.

 

[ACC1224]

How would that have worked? Neither Buffalo (last place) nor Arizona (2nd last) won the lottery.

It doesn't have to make sense, it just needed to happen.

 

[therealkoho]

The problem can be seen as Shanahan being terribly gullible due to his naivety.

When these players all spoke glowingly about how much they loved playing here in Toronto and seeing as how the city opened their hearts and their arms embracing them, cheering every move and that they never want to leave, it would be easy to conclude that the players were being honest and so would be reasonable in negotiations.

The first guy holds out but finally signs at the 11th hour albeit to a contract that is anything but a discount and was considered a trifle rich at the time. Foul ball Strike one! Dumbass.

After that debacle, Dumbass tells the hometown kid he's not sure he has 9m in the budget but that he would be in touch. He wasn't. Foul ball Strike two!

Then a mere month later, quite quickly but surreptitiously he walks the other kid right to UFA at a substantially higher number than the 9m he just couldn't find for Mitch. Foul ball 0-2

That contract if you might remember was viewed around the league as a huge mistake. The length first of all was vividly team unfriendly and the AAV much too high for zero playoff wins. Had the young Leaf had a nice shiny ring then maybe the number and structure could have been seen as somewhat palatable. As it was a swinging strike three and yer out.

Dumbass then tells Marner the Leafs are offering 8x8, Marner somewhat bewildered asks what happened to the 9? And things went downhill from there. Infield fly rule applies 2 out!

Dumbass' own contract comes up, he makes it public, lies to the press and scapegoats his family needing more time for the kids etc etc....BUT! another 2m might convince him to sign and I'll just have to see them when I can.

Slow roller to first, 3 up three down. The train leaves for Pittsburgh at 9:30 am, see ya dumbass, sadly the smell lingers on.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Can't do it, will never make it to at least the cup finals without a perfect cap allocation.

Nurse? Underpaid.

The 6 million in dead cap Florida had in 2023? A rounding error.

The 1.25 Florida had in dead cap in 2024? Who cares.

Every single team has mismanaged cap hits somewhere, but if you put enough exclamation marks that may change it.

yep but the o9ils are 1 wim away from a cuop and the leafs are nowhere