Tavares extension -> May Reportedly Happen in the Near Future

[hamzarocks]

Who'd you rather have?

RFA offersheet targets or Trade Targets:

Morgan Frost
Gabe Vilardi
Jack McBain
Marco Rossi
Philph Kurashev
Connor Zary

UFA targets:

Unrealistic Dream scenerio

Sidney Crosby
Leon Draisaitl

Realistic Target via UFA

Sam Bennett (if under 6M and 6 year term)

Brock Nelson --> Short term 3-year deal at 6M if hes not signed back by Lou

2 3Cs - Options include Yanni Gourde + Mikael Granlund + Christian Dvorak + Brandon Tanev + Nick Bjugstad - Get 2 good 3C players one who is more two way focuses and gives 40+ pts (Yanni and Tanev) and other who has high offensive skill to play with WN and/or MM (Granlund, Bjugstad or Dvorak)

Trade Target - signed 2C and 3Cs

Dylan Strome --> Caps if they suck and are not a playoff team despite a lot of moves could look to move out Strome if OV has the record by TDL done next year.

Adrian Kempe (plays wing mostly but could maybe be moved to C) if Kings.suck again next year and choke leading to a retool

Sean Couterier --> If he has a good reg season and is healthy with flyers putting him on the market

Nazem Kadri --> long shot but if he has another 60+ pt season might make sense to target him with only 4 years left at 7M. Shanahan if hes fired would make this be a more ideal fit

Nicolas Roy or Philiph Danualt depending on if they get put on market based on how VGK and LAK 2024-2025 seasok goes. Could be two names who enter the market

Teams make trades, and signings all the time. We need to be aggresive and identify the target center we are aiming for early and make move by the draft to have their rights and move on from Tavares

 

[kevsh]

There's no term or AAV that I'd want him back.

His play & therefore value are sinking like a rock to the point that he I can see him bringing absolutely nothing to the table except his skill in the faceoff circle by the time an extension even kicks in.

Then there's that little part about running it back. AM & Willie are already signed. We just know Marner's going to get a great offer (whether he takes it or not is on him) and now Tavares? Can this organization find the stones to move on from even one from this failed core? Have they literally learned nothing?

All rhetorical questions btw as we already know they answer to each. My guess is they offer something like 4.5 x 3 for JT. And even at that low cap hit/short term it'll be a terrible deal.

 

[GardinerTheForward]

4x4

 

[GardinerTheForward]

1.5M AAV MAX

 

[seanlinden]

RFA offersheet targets or Trade Targets:

Morgan Frost
Gabe Vilardi
Jack McBain
Marco Rossi
Philph Kurashev
Connor Zary

UFA targets:

Unrealistic Dream scenerio

Sidney Crosby
Leon Draisaitl

Realistic Target via UFA

Sam Bennett (if under 6M and 6 year term)

Brock Nelson --> Short term 3-year deal at 6M if hes not signed back by Lou

2 3Cs - Options include Yanni Gourde + Mikael Granlund + Christian Dvorak + Brandon Tanev + Nick Bjugstad - Get 2 good 3C players one who is more two way focuses and gives 40+ pts (Yanni and Tanev) and other who has high offensive skill to play with WN and/or MM (Granlund, Bjugstad or Dvorak)

Trade Target - signed 2C and 3Cs

Dylan Strome --> Caps if they suck and are not a playoff team despite a lot of moves could look to move out Strome if OV has the record by TDL done next year.

Adrian Kempe (plays wing mostly but could maybe be moved to C) if Kings.suck again next year and choke leading to a retool

Sean Couterier --> If he has a good reg season and is healthy with flyers putting him on the market

Nazem Kadri --> long shot but if he has another 60+ pt season might make sense to target him with only 4 years left at 7M. Shanahan if hes fired would make this be a more ideal fit

Nicolas Roy or Philiph Danualt depending on if they get put on market based on how VGK and LAK 2024-2025 seasok goes. Could be two names who enter the market

Teams make trades, and signings all the time. We need to be aggresive and identify the target center we are aiming for early and make move by the draft to have their rights and move on from Tavares

Lots of great suggestions there.... I guess I'll focus a little more on the "offensive" guys -- as I think we'd agree that regardless of whether Tavares returns or not, they'd still need an ideal 3rd line C.

The younger RFA guys are all great ideas, but come with a cost. While I'm not going to get into each and every one as to whether or not we have the pieces to make a deal, I will simply leave it as -- it's not just a #2 Centre that we need. We might be looking for a Marner replacement. We'll probably be looking for another defenceman, and we might be looking for a goalie.

Sam Bennett, personally I think he's going $7.5m x 7 if on the open market, similar to Chandler Stephenson this year.

Strome, I like the fit and the contract, especially in a #2 role with a guy like Nylander, but I just cannot see Washington giving him up. Ovie needs 41 goals to get to Gretzky; even if he somehow gets there by the deadline AND Washington is out of it (unlikely, especially together), they have other guys like Mangiapane, Oshie & Chychrun who will be the sell targets.

Nazem Kadri -- while I love Kadri, trading assets to get him at $7m, when you could potentially sign Tavares for $2-3m less, seems like very poor asset and cap management.

 

[therealkoho]

NHL Edge reveals Toronto Maple Leafs’ fastest skaters and hardest shooters

It's been a long time coming but the NHL has finally provided fans wit...

theleafsnation.com

Hard to believe, numbers are from NHL Edge which I've read was authorized to collect official numbers for the planets greatest hockey league.

So maybe it's time to put the pipe away and clear your head of the narrative.

 

[Knies iT]

That's actually all it's about.

Lol he’s not a prime aged UFA openly testing the market forcing a bidding war. We have a year to negotiate.

If all that matters is his market value then you’re comfortable paying him full $ for his inflated impact, while in decline, after failing here for 7 years? You’ve suggested 4-5m being a pay cut, so clearly there’s more context than just his forecasted market value.

Treliving has the leverage. He wants to be here? Well you already signed a mega structured deal derailing other internal contracts. Take a significant pay cut now or leave.

I cringe when thinking what JT will look like at 38/39.

 

[ULF_55]

Who'd you rather have?

Okay, perhaps we should rephrase this ...

Who'd you rather have that is available, willing to move to Toronto, and you can get under the Cap the Leafs will have available.

2025 NHL Free Agents

Tracking the status and signings of all NHL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

For around $6-7mm who is there?
Panthers look to have a couple, but keep in mind Verhaeghe isn't really a center in Florida. Bennett a 50 point player, maybe if you're looking for a 3rd. line center?

Let's see what Berube does. Maybe he green lights a youngster for a center position and they run with it, supported by a couple of their star wingers? They have veteran wingers who are top 10 in their positions. We aren't asking for a Kid's line here. One Selke level winger, one winger who was top 10 in scoring, who can play either wing.

But hey, if Leafs can get a better center for around $6mm I doubt anyone is going to say, "No no. Tavares is the only answer."

That's an entire year away, many things will happen before then.

 

[notbias]

His production is horrific his last 2 playoff series.

3 pts in 12 games. Hes produced same as David Kampf

The only level below that is Orr/Mclaren/Reeves level production which is a 1 or 0 in 7.

I expect a 0 in 7 from Tavares for the leafs before his leaf careee is done.

I question the IQ of Tavares/Core 4 fans everytime I'm on these boards. It is hard to know if people are trolling, fake fans pretending to be leaf fans, or simply such crazy fanboys that they feel personally obliged to defend this group who have failed at everyturn, and chased every $ during negotiations.

Never seen a fanbase bend themselves over to defend a core as shit and riddled with failure as the Matthews era leafs

Just because you keep using this stupid sample size.

Draisaitl is a bad playoff performer, right? He and Marner are tied in their last 12 games, 6 points each.

Marner may even be better, he has 1 more goal than him.

I question of the IQ of anyone using a 12 game sample size like it means everything.

 

[ULF_55]

Just because you keep using this stupid sample size.

Draisaitl is a bad playoff performer, right? He and Marner are tied in their last 12 games, 6 points each.

Marner may even be better, he has 1 more goal than him.

I question of the IQ of anyone using a 12 game sample size like it means everything.

Last 2 playoffs:

Faceoffs:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

Misc:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

Summary:

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.

www.nhl.com

2023-2024 Playoffs:

Wow, take out your top 2 goal scorers and no one looks good.

 

[nuck]

NHL Edge reveals Toronto Maple Leafs’ fastest skaters and hardest shooters

It's been a long time coming but the NHL has finally provided fans wit...

theleafsnation.com

Hard to believe, numbers are from NHL Edge which I've read was authorized to collect official numbers for the planets greatest hockey league.

So maybe it's time to put the pipe away and clear your head of the narrative.

Its interesting data. I think some of it it speaks to how players are used rather than max effort ability, or how much that skill is part of their game every night..

Max skating speed leaders for D:

• Luke Hughes24.19
• Zach Bogosian23.96
• MacKenzie Weegar23.61
• Nick Leddy23.58
• Brock Faber23.55
• Zach Werenski23.50
• Braden Schneider23.47
• Samuel Girard23.43

Vs 22 mph+ bursts:

• Cale Makar25
• Luke Hughes25
• Jake Sanderson17
• Kaiden Guhle13
• Nick Leddy12
• Mike Matheson11
• K'Andre Miller9
• Erik Karlsson8

Surprised about JTs shooting velocity vs say Domis. Good info if taken in proper context.

 

[darrylsittler27]

I think resigning him is a mistake. The Leafs reward utter failure and like to redo things that clearly dont work. Tavares is now an overpaid 3rd line Center. He isnt an upgrade of any kind.

 

[IrishInOntario]

I think resigning him is a mistake. The Leafs reward utter failure and like to redo things that clearly dont work. Tavares is now an overpaid 3rd line Center. He isnt an upgrade of any kind.

I don't think he's an overpaid 3C in 2025 if his contract is cut in half. In fact, I think he's one of the top 5 3Cs in the NHL for 2 years, at a reasonable value..

 

[Sypher04]

I think resigning him is a mistake. The Leafs reward utter failure and like to redo things that clearly dont work. Tavares is now an overpaid 3rd line Center. He isnt an upgrade of any kind.

Re-signing Tavares to a much much smaller contract to play a different role in the team is not redoing the same thing or rewarding failure at all.

You guys cannot help yourselves regulating the same talking points ad nausem regardless of how little sense they make in the context of what’s actually being discussed.

To be clear, I don’t have any Issue with you assessing that re-signing him is a mistake in your view; you are entitled to that opinion, but it’s just that your rationale here is suspect.

Tavares is very very clearly a big 3C upgrade over what we have had in that role. If he’s paid appropriately for that role on the team, I fail to see an issue.

Not to say you’re suggesting this necessarily, but changing a player for the sake of change doesn’t improve the team. If we are foregoing bringing back JT and there is a plan to similarly improve the 3C or get younger/save on cap and stay close in quality, then I’m all for that.

 

[hamzarocks]

Just because you keep using this stupid sample size.

Draisaitl is a bad playoff performer, right? He and Marner are tied in their last 12 games, 6 points each.

Marner may even be better, he has 1 more goal than him.

I question of the IQ of anyone using a 12 game sample size like it means everything.

You are just butthurt Tavares has let you/leaf fans down so often lol.

Your knight in shining armor keeps being a fraud and can't produce better than the Kampf man. He has struggled vs CBJ, MTL, and BOS in the playoffs only having a good sample of 13 gamws vs Tampa

Surprising you would question the use of the 12 game sample size when it makes Tavares look bad but reflects with his real life decline and sustained failures but have used the tampa series to make Marner/Matthews look like playoffs beasts when it was 13 game sample size

You really need to stop being so clearly biased in your posts. The leafs core are chokers and underperform every year, everyone across the league knows this, our success or lack thereof is driven by extended failures of this core group. They all continue to fail to produce at the level expected to be able to justify this level of fanboyism you seem to have.

 

[Evilhomer]

I don't think he's an overpaid 3C in 2025 if his contract is cut in half. In fact, I think he's one of the top 5 3Cs in the NHL for 2 years, at a reasonable value..

I think it depends on what you want your third line centre to be. Tavares isn't an aggressive forechecker, he isn't particularly good defensively, and I don't think it's unfair to ask how much offense he can generate at even strength with other third line players. If his contract is $3 million per year, then that's one thing. But if others are correct and he gets $5 or $6 million, that would not be a good 3C signing.

 

[Sypher04]

I think it depends on what you want your third line centre to be. Tavares isn't an aggressive forechecker, he isn't particularly good defensively, and I don't think it's unfair to ask how much offense he can generate at even strength with other third line players. If his contract is $3 million per year, then that's one thing. But if others are correct and he gets $5 or $6 million, that would not be a good 3C signing.

There are definitely angles that can support going another direction from 3C. I think if Tavares is willing to play ball on contact, there’s likely a role he can do for us that helps us a lot. Even if it’s not 3C.

 

[Evilhomer]

There are definitely angles that can support going another direction from 3C. I think if Tavares is willing to play ball on contact, there’s likely a role he can do for us that helps us a lot. Even if it’s not 3C.

Agreed, but I think he will fit better as a winger going forward. They need someone more aggressive in that 3C spot.

 

[notbias]

You are just butthurt Tavares has let you/leaf fans down so often lol.

Your knight in shining armor keeps being a fraud and can't produce better than the Kampf man. He has struggled vs CBJ, MTL, and BOS in the playoffs only having a good sample of 13 gamws vs Tampa

Surprising you would question the use of the 12 game sample size when it makes Tavares look bad but reflects with his real life decline and sustained failures but have used the tampa series to make Marner/Matthews look like playoffs beasts when it was 13 game sample size

You really need to stop being so clearly biased in your posts. The leafs core are chokers and underperform every year, everyone across the league knows this, our success or lack thereof is driven by extended failures of this core group. They all continue to fail to produce at the level expected to be able to justify this level of fanboyism you seem to have.

His struggling against MTL is the only thing you've said that is true, congrats.

 

[hamzarocks]

His struggling against MTL is the only thing you've said that is true, congrats.

Stay losing biasman

 

[nuck]

I think it depends on what you want your third line centre to be. Tavares isn't an aggressive forechecker, he isn't particularly good defensively, and I don't think it's unfair to ask how much offense he can generate at even strength with other third line players. If his contract is $3 million per year, then that's one thing. But if others are correct and he gets $5 or $6 million, that would not be a good 3C signing.

His advanced stats were better with Bertuzzi and Jarnkrok than Nylander or Domi so I don't know that he needs a stud beside him to produce ,just some guys with a compatible game, Agree that $6M for a 3rd liner of any type is excessive though.

 

[HockeyVirus]

This fan base is ridiculous sometimes. If they aren't the literally best or close to it in the world, toss em in the trash.

 

[Evilhomer]

This fan base is ridiculous sometimes. If they aren't the literally best or close to it in the world, toss em in the trash.

For me it's just about value. If he signs for $3-$4 million as I expect he will, it's easy to find a place for him on the second or third line because his offensive game is not going to fall off a cliff for at least three more years. But if the contract is $5 million or more per season, then it likely doesn't make sense from my perspective even with the offense he can provide.

 

[HockeyVirus]

For me it's just about value. If he signs for $3-$4 million as I expect he will, it's easy to find a place for him on the second or third line because his offensive game is not going to fall off a cliff for at least three more years. But if the contract is $5 million or more per season, then it likely doesn't make sense from my perspective even with the offense he can provide.

For sure. I am talking about the number of posts I was reading saying they didn't want him back no matter what. If he is willing to take 3x3 or something yeah I want him back are you nuts? haha

 

[Enniskillen]

NHL Edge reveals Toronto Maple Leafs’ fastest skaters and hardest shooters

It's been a long time coming but the NHL has finally provided fans wit...

theleafsnation.com

View attachment 901491

Marner is one of the slowest, no wonder he sucks in high intensity playoffs