NHL Summer 2023 Preseason - Mike Babcock Resigns as HC of CBJ

[MarchysNoseKnows]

and he’s only 25. Plenty of time to change that. Lots of great players hadn’t had playoff success at that age or won anything.

What’s funny is this isn’t how Leafs fans see it - they are hard on Matthews (and even more so Marner) for not getting it done in the playoffs.

 

[Therick67]

What’s funny is this isn’t how Leafs fans see it - they are hard on Matthews (and even more so Marner) for not getting it done in the playoffs.

For some reason Tavares gets none of it. Go take a look at those playoff numbers. He’s also a first overall pick making 11 million a year.

 

[EverettMike]

its Almost like winning the Cup is hard and not something one guy can just strap the team on his back.

Jack Eichel couldn’t lead Buffalo to the playoffs, he was a cancer, self centered, over paid and now he’s got a ring and I don’t hear any of that.

Ovechkin changed his game when he got a coach who knew how to deal with him and he matured as a player.

Same with Steve Yzerman. And Dirk Nowitski. And lots of other all-time greats who eventually got it done.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Even the "revenge" fight the next game where Gaustad drew the short straw was embarrassing.

I like Jeanneret saying "dont forget they have a goalie too" like who on The Sabres was gonna do anything with Lucic/Thornton/Chara/McQuaid on the ice



Boo hoo, I guess youre one of the "but their pads arent made for hits" crowd. Once again, stay in the crease, hell stay below the goal line and you're fine. Come up by the dots and you're fair game.

Hate to burst your bubble but, contrary to popular belief, goaltenders are never fair game, whether they are in or out of their crease:

According to Rule 69.2 of the NHL rulebook: in all cases where an attacking player initiates intentional contact or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, whether or not a goal is scored, the attacking player will receive a penalty. In all cases, the referee will give more consideration to the type of contact with the goaltender.

 

[Grimey]

Looks like someone's getting that brand new man-purse they were dreaming about.

 

[Bruinaura]

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Anyone taking Draitsal over Matthews is someone I want working for Montreal.

Matthews plays with Marner, the "McDavid" argument against Draisaitl need not apply.

Absurd. Absolutely absurd.

What is absurd is believing, Matthews is top 2 or 3.

Or are you discussing center ranking alone? He also trails McDavid and MacKinnon in that department at minimum.

 

[EverettMike]

Matthews plays with Marner, the "McDavid" argument against Draisaitl need not apply.



What is absurd is believing, Matthews is top 2 or 3.

Or are you discussing center ranking alone? He also trails McDavid and MacKinnon in that department at minimum.

Why does everyone keep throwing McDavid at me? Who else do you think I have at #1?!!! THAT'S NOT SOME SORT OF GOTCHA!

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Why does everyone keep throwing McDavid at me? Who else do you think I have at #1?!!! THAT'S NOT SOME SORT OF GOTCHA!

2, 3, 4 contain players such as MacKinnon, Draisaitl, Makar.

The most vivid recent memory of Matthews I have is the scrum he started last season (or before) and then hid behind his entire team who jumped in as they should. That is not the playoff type and his stats reflect it.

 

[EverettMike]

2, 3, 4 contain players such as MacKinnon, Draisaitl, Makar.

The most vivid recent memory of Matthews I have is the scrum he started last season (or before) and then hid behind his entire team who jumped in as they should. That is not the playoff type and his stats reflect it.

The post-season is definitely a mark against him. Doesn't outweigh how great he's been his entire career and it doesn't define what he'll do in the playoffs. He's laughably young.

Second best player in the league. If someone has him third I won't lose my mind. Saying he's closer to top 10 than top 2 is silly.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

The post-season is definitely a mark against him. Doesn't outweigh how great he's been his entire career and it doesn't define what he'll do in the playoffs. He's laughably young.

Second best player in the league. If someone has him third I won't lose my mind. Saying he's closer to top 10 than top 2 is silly.

He’s at least fourth after Mackinnon and Makar.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

The post-season is definitely a mark against him. Doesn't outweigh how great he's been his entire career and it doesn't define what he'll do in the playoffs. He's laughably young.

Second best player in the league. If someone has him third I won't lose my mind. Saying he's closer to top 10 than top 2 is silly.

4th best at highest. Kucherov is definitely ahead (so many people forget him, its crazy), so is Draisaitl. Makar is arguable but I wont fault anyone choosing Matthews there.

 

[Knight]

The post-season is definitely a mark against him. Doesn't outweigh how great he's been his entire career and it doesn't define what he'll do in the playoffs. He's laughably young.

Second best player in the league. If someone has him third I won't lose my mind. Saying he's closer to top 10 than top 2 is silly.

He's closer to top 10 than top 2.

You could argue he's the #2 goalscorer and I wouldn't debate. If we're talking best overall in the league, having him at #2 is a bad take to me.

 

[missingchicklet]

Anyone arguing for Matthews gets dunked on right here.

Haha. I didn't even include the fact that Draisaitl has scored more playoff pts than McDavid in his first 49 playoff games. Drai has scored way more than Crosby and Ovi did in their first 49 playoff games. Matthews really isn't even close to the elite when it comes to production in the playoffs. Great guy to have in the chase for the President's Trophy. Still worth what he recently signed for. Just been lackluster in the playoffs given his regular season production.

 

[Ludwig Fell Down]

Same with Steve Yzerman. And Dirk Nowitski. And lots of other all-time greats who eventually got it done.

Don't forget about Ray Bourque

 

[BMC]

What’s funny is this isn’t how Leafs fans see it - they are hard on Matthews (and even more so Marner) for not getting it done in the playoffs.

Leaf fans are desperate. It took 20 years of futility before the team got to Round 2 of the playoffs. It's been 56 years since they last won the Cup. As fans they've got every right to be hard on their team although they should be going harder after the front office for tying up a large % of salary in only 4 players. I don't care how good they are you've got to have money for a #1 defenseman and an elite goaltender or you're not going anywhere. What do the Leafs do? They extend Matthews...

 

[Aussie Bruin]

It's undeniable that Matthews is one of the game's very finest goal scorers. And I already said in my previous post that he and Draisaitl are basically like for like in their 5v5 points production. If you were to ask me who I'd prefer to play the regular 82 it'd be an extremely close call. But I put huge stock in playoffs performance (it's one of the reasons I rate Krejci so highly) and here Drai very clearly has the edge. It's not that Auston is bad in that regard, just that Leon is one of the absolute elite in the postseason, and that for me is worth its weight in gold.

These things are subjective. You can argue them multiple ways and that's fine. I just know how I see it.

 

[JOKER 192]

It's a fair point. I would say that one of the counter-arguments to be made by a guy like Matthews is that the team-friendly contracts taken by players like Bergeron still didn't get them a Cup. Close is no cigar and 2011 came before those sort of discount deals were being made. The things are damn hard to win and require a good dose of luck so perhaps no point worrying about them too much and instead prioritizing getting yourself paid as much as you reasonably can while you can.

I'd also say that the era of team-friendly deals looks to be pretty much dead. Just about all of the top players are jumping in to secure their best possible value now. Very few compromises to be found in the last couple of years when it comes to money.

Not sure that era ever really existed. Other than Bergy and Marchy there wasn't a whole lot of that league wide.

 

[JOKER 192]

Leaf fans are desperate. It took 20 years of futility before the team got to Round 2 of the playoffs. It's been 56 years since they last won the Cup. As fans they've got every right to be hard on their team although they should be going harder after the front office for tying up a large % of salary in only 4 players. I don't care how good they are you've got to have money for a #1 defenseman and an elite goaltender or you're not going anywhere. What do the Leafs do? They extend Marner...

The mistake was Tavares ( a luxury they couldn't afford or really need) I think that was more about keeping him from Boston than anything else.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Not sure that era ever really existed. Other than Bergy and Marchy there wasn't a whole lot of that league wide.

Yeah not an 'era' as such, probably. But it feels like 5-10 years ago there were at least a handful of guys around willing to take discount deals - the Bruins trio, plus Crosby, Kucherov's bridge contract (even his current long-term one is very reasonable all things considered), Josi, Klingberg, Gaudreau, Landeskog, Barkov. Not many, you would say, but a few. Now the few has reduced to almost nobody.

 

[bruinsfan1968]

I said this about the recent NBA Super Max, it's a bad thing!. No player is worth that, the same goes for this crappy contract, it's awful!.

 

[KrejciMVP]

I said this about the recent NBA Super Max, it's a bad thing!. No player is worth that, the same goes for this crappy contract, it's awful!.

If Jaylen Brown get 60 mill and puts up on the worst basketball performances Ive ever seen I can live Matthews deal

 

[Blowfish]

The mistake was Tavares ( a luxury they couldn't afford or really need) I think that was more about keeping him from Boston than anything else.

If this is true ... what a win win for the bruins and me.

For some reason Tavares gets none of it. Go take a look at those playoff numbers. He’s also a first overall pick making 11 million a year.

The leafs are stuck with Tavares...they know he can't be traded for obvious reasons. However one of Marner Matthews or Nylander are players that would garnish interest with good return. Matthews and his new contract makes him much less attractive.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

If this is true ... what a win win for the bruins and me.


The leafs are stuck with Tavares...they know he can't be traded for obvious reasons. However one of Marner Matthews or Nylander are players that would garnish interest with good return. Matthews and his new contract makes him much less attractive.

Personally I have always been more impressed by Marner over Matthews. A number of Matthews goals are a result of Savard like passes from Marner.

 

[BMC]

The mistake was Tavares ( a luxury they couldn't afford or really need) I think that was more about keeping him from Boston than anything else.

And the thing is he seems to be pretty much the forgotten man up there. It's all Matthews Marner Nylander all the time.