The Core Has To Go

[steam whistle]

Don't say JT is unlikely moved, Rangers Ryan McDonald contract was hard to get rid of, found a way to do it. Haunt him constantly until he waive his NMC, this is pro-hockey. Keep asking him, bugging him until we reach the goal.

 

[Stephen]

The way this week has unfolded from the Monday morning presser till now it almost seems like the Leafs should move forward with none of the Big 4. Just taking massive reputational body blows with how they played in the FLA series, what their response was to losing, unlike other high profile stars around the league, the looming contracts, the GM controversy.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

View attachment 709583

Absolutely love Miller, does it all. Kyper (yes, I know) mentioned he'd look at a deal centered around him for Marner, with obvious + + from the Rags.

 

[56 Years No Cup]

No one in pro hockey trades a #1 OA pick who is a 1C who has won a Hart and a Rocket for anything less than another 1 OA pick + something else proven .. Matty only has a small world of trading partners like 2023 1OA, MAC, McJesus and Makar .. thats likely it .. or it becomes 5 pieces including 3 1st rounders, a top player and a great prospect

Even a #1OA Pick who no shows in the playoffs?

 

[sunstersun]

I'm tired of this team. We have to trade someone.

 

[Menzinger]

Every thing leafs fan was blaming kessel couple of year ago, Nylander hit exactly every case.

Kessel was part of problem and leafs should traded him... but nylander ah no hes part of solution, hes the guy leafs absolutly need to keep!!!!

Yes thats working for 2 season with kessel but pittsburgh had a pretty great group of leader who had already won stanley cup and despite it, they needed tontrade kessel 4 years later because trouble was starting between kessel and pittsburgh core...

Leafs struggling since 7 years with leader whos loocking having a mental block but lets keep kessel 2.0 and cross your finger than everything working...

The Pens literally don't win those cups without Kessel.

But I'd agree I see a lot of comparisons to how some fans treated Kessel vs how Nylander is treated. And I can see Nylander going on to have a lot of success on a different team if traded

 

[Gabriel426]

The Pens literally don't win those cups without Kessel.

But I'd agree I see a lot of comparisons to how some fans treated Kessel vs how Nylander is treated. And I can see Nylander going on to have a lot of success on a different team if traded

Phil was our MJ bc there wasn't any other players but he never should never be MJ, as he is more at most a Pippen. In a way Phil is very similar to Bosh.
Willie is always our Pippen, he is never our MJ b/c thats title belong to AM, MM and even JT. Where Ever Willie ends up, he will always be Pippen and if he is traded to a team like the Avs or Oilers or Bruins or TB, where their Top Guys actually perform in the playoffs, Willie be will great.

 

[thusk]

Nylander had a bad playoff. But he was closer to his best then the other core forwards . As i said before. The most bias Nylander fan(like u but opposite) should not be able to think Nylander had a better round 2 then Matthews and Marner. Thas is not the case.

And the nr7 and 8 is beyond childish made up reasons. Ffs it is Matthews and Marner that should be the leaders that influence Nylander and the rest of the team. Not the opposite.

And nr 5 He cant play with slow players, yet are put with Tavares always. ROR would have been better. Nope Tavares it is...

Leafs might trade him. But it will not make the team a lot better.

Matthews was better than nylander despite lack of points... Nylander was good like 2 game + 1 period of 11 leafs played and it was just too late when he started to do something... Nylander didn't had a single primary assist or goal at 5v5 until he played 527 minutes and 27 second and he was playing easiest matchup!! Last season was not different, he played hard 2 of 7 game leafs played. If at least he was working hard but unable to score, i would be able to say okay its a bad streche... but he didn't work at all, thats where i have a problem with...

Matthews didn't goes the way we hoping for but hes still working on forecheck, still going in traffic, still hit/blocking shot, made key defensibe play

Marner it was really hard for him offensivly in 2nd round but at least he was working hard defensivly...

If Marner and Matthews was not there this season , leafs didn't play in 2nd round. Its simple

Its not normal than a rookie who played 3 regular NHL game before playoff had a higher impact positive than nylander until hes been injured

Ps 2nd player nylander played the most with during playoff was Matthews...

 

[ZEBROA]

Well that's not exactly true, Matthews was better by a whopping amount in the Tampa series, also played better in the first 2 games against Florida. Nylander was better the last 3 games of the playoffs (after Matthews took a shot to the hand and was in noticeable pain), before that it wasn't remotely close.

I was talking about round 2 as a whole And clearly the most bias fans dont agree that Matthews and Marner was closer to there best then Nylander was to his best. Matthews and Marner should always be that much better then Nylander(in the playoffs) , no matter what. They got different ceilings.But no one of the core played above there ceiling. Thats what u realy want.

 

[ZEBROA]

Matthews was better than nylander despite lack of points... Nylander was good like 2 game + 1 period of 11 leafs played and it was just too late when he started to do something... Nylander didn't had a single primary assist or goal at 5v5 until he played 527 minutes and 27 second and he was playing easiest matchup!! Last season was not different, he played hard 2 of 7 game leafs played. If at least he was working hard but unable to score, i would be able to say okay its a bad streche... but he didn't work at all, thats where i have a problem with...

Matthews didn't goes the way we hoping for but hes still working on forecheck, still going in traffic, still hit/blocking shot, made key defensibe play

Marner it was really hard for him offensivly in 2nd round but at least he was working hard defensivly...

If Marner and Matthews was not there this season , leafs didn't play in 2nd round. Its simple

Its not normal than a rookie who played 3 regular NHL game before playoff had a higher impact positive than nylander until hes been injured

Ps 2nd player nylander played the most with during playoff was Matthews...

I said he should play away from Tavares, not with Matthews.

And i think u missunderstand me. I dont say Nylander was better overall , noone should expect him to be better then Matthews or Marner on D. But they should play closer to there offensive ceiling then they did. Nylander was closer to his. Ive got way higher expectations offensivly on Matthews and Marner. If Nylander get 2 goals in the series i expect Matthews to get 4, and Marner 2 and thats their floor.

 

[namttebih]

There's no way a team trades Bedard for Matthews. That being said, if a team like Arizona is willing to give you a big haul for Matthews you have to take it.

The Leafs are limited in their ability to make major changes outside of the core and continuing to nibble around the edges isn't going to make enough of a difference. I fear that what will end up happening is some sort of half measure like trading Nylander, as if whatever you get in return for Nylander will turn this team into a legit contender.

What do the Leafs have to lose by starting over? Atleast this time they should have a big head start on the rebuild with the young players/prospects they get from trading Marner Matthews and Nylander.

Hayton, Cooley and 1st

 

[Dreakmur]

Don't say JT is unlikely moved, Rangers Ryan McDonald contract was hard to get rid of, found a way to do it. Haunt him constantly until he waive his NMC, this is pro-hockey. Keep asking him, bugging him until we reach the goal.

Ryan McDonagh had a no-trade clause, which is different than a no-move clause.

Tampa Bay was not able to trade McDonagh without his approval, but they could place him on waivers to be claimed. That’s how they convinced him to accept a trade - threatening waivers.

Tavares cannot be placed on waivers.

 

[LeafEgo]

I could see Matty traded for Bedard and Jones type deal going down .. but i think Chicago would have to add a little more than just Jones due to his cap hit being too high

With Bedard landing on CHI there's no hope. They just depleted their team (poorly) and iced half an ahl team to get him. Matty does them no good, they ain't competing for the foreseeable future. Can't think of a trade for Bedard that would help CHI in any way.

Maybe something to revisit at the tdl if Bedard comes out like a Crosby.

Jones and Reilly would be terrifying for the opposition come playoff time though, wow.

 

[Not My Tempo]

He’s my favourite player on this team, but I think they’ll ship out Willy. He’s due for a raise, and to be honest I’m not sure he’s worth much more than 8.5M or so. He’s improved offensively since his EFA deal was signed and he’s still a demon in transition, but his defensive game has t improved much. Depending on his ask I think it’ll be better to trade him than sign him and you absolutely cannot let him just walk to FA.

I want to ship out Marner though. For me the sour taste in my mouth become barf inducing early on in the season when Keefe called him and Austin out and he cried about it and Keefe walked it back the next day. Like what an actual baby. Nylander gets called out, benched and has entire intermission reports dedicated to criticizing him, and he just takes it in stride.

Tavares you can’t move.

Matthews would be dumb to move. Can’t let JT be our 1C

 

[steam whistle]

Ryan McDonagh had a no-trade clause, which is different than a no-move clause.

Tampa Bay was not able to trade McDonagh without his approval, but they could place him on waivers to be claimed. That’s how they convinced him to accept a trade - threatening waivers.

Tavares cannot be placed on waivers.

Keep pressing the player until we get his permission, take advantage of the Toronto media paparazzi interview him any time available, ask his permission

 

[keonsbitterness]

Even a #1OA Pick who no shows in the playoffs?

We'd need a legit #1 centre in return to make that work. Who exactly is that?

 

[Buds17]

Keep pressing the player until we get his permission, take advantage of the Toronto media paparazzi interview him any time available, ask his permission

This should work out fine...assuming of course that there aren't any ambitions of bringing in others that might have the dream of one day suiting up for the hometown Leafs!

 

[Knies iT]

The most unfortunate part of the decision to subtract from the core now is that in a couple seasons you will essentially be down to Matthews and one of Marner/Nylander as your offensive cornerstones once Tavares is up. Yet, with proper supporting cast, that is still as good a top end as any team left in the playoffs (on paper lol).

It would have been Nylander at the time, but the moment Tavares signed offered such a unique opportunity to parlay a winger for a significant D man.

The last couple years have frustrated me to no end because if i'm a GM, and i'm staring at 4 elite offensive forwards, I would funnel every asset available into creating the best blueline possible and - given how soft they are - insulate them with rugged support players who offset their weaknesses. Build around Matthews like LA with Kopitar.

Instead it's taken years of trial and error with replacement level physicality and pitiful reclamation projects to get to this point. We finally see a TDL with several additions that specifically address this area, but because it's been neglected for so long and they started this season as the softest team in the league, it's still a team that wilts when the going gets tough. You could add a menacing top 6 LW to this group and it would be a drop in the bucket because 4/6 of the top six are terrified of getting their boots dirty. Florida tosses out one identity line and it dismantles our whole team.

 

[Leafblooded]

Muskoka 5 and the other 15 wish they were them

 

[legobeard]

Marner for mcavoy

 

[Dreakmur]

Keep pressing the player until we get his permission, take advantage of the Toronto media paparazzi interview him any time available, ask his permission

The next GM may be able to do that, but no way the guy who brought him in can be doing that.

 

[thusk]

Keep pressing the player until we get his permission, take advantage of the Toronto media paparazzi interview him any time available, ask his permission

You working with human and youre not in a video game, if youre acting with your player without any kind of respect... Do you believe making tavares life pretty miserable to get him out of town will help you to keep key player like Matthews long term or convince player to come playing in Toronto?

 

[justashadowof]

Assuming somehow Tavares is out of the picture for whatever reason I don't see a team with a core of Nylander, Matthews and Marner winning a bunch of playoff rounds. I do however see a team with 2 of Nylander, Matthews and Marner plus another more physically dominant star forward AND a large defense stud AND a reliable healthy goaltender as capable of winning 4 playoff rounds.

 

[geo25]

Ryan McDonagh had a no-trade clause, which is different than a no-move clause.

Tampa Bay was not able to trade McDonagh without his approval, but they could place him on waivers to be claimed. That’s how they convinced him to accept a trade - threatening waivers.

Tavares cannot be placed on waivers.

But, they can make him ride the bench..game in & game out. He'll beg for a trade....

 

[56 Years No Cup]

We'd need a legit #1 centre in return to make that work. Who exactly is that?

I disagree.