GDT: Trades & Free Agency -- Off-season edition

[Dion TheFluff]

 

[Twine Tickler]

I think it makes for Marner in the same way that it made sense for Nylander. If Marner gets off to a hot start, his price goes up. It was a hell of a strategy for Nylander.

Ya 100%

I completely understand the strategy from Mitch's perspective. But in Willy's case, he had made it clear that he loved playing in Toronto and that he wanted to stay a Leaf. That has not been made abundantly clear in Mitch's case. At least not publicly or even his actions. He very clearly plays the victim card in the media and consistently looks like a player who is not having fun.

If Mitch intends to "bet on himself" and leverage the Leafs into getting him a better deal July 1, 2025 with another team, well then we need to put that plan to bed.

 

[TMLAM34]

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Hopefully that’s not the case because life will probably get a lot harder for Marner in Toronto from the media and fans.

 

[Amadeus]

If reports are true that Marner won't discuss an extension nor entertain a trade, and will likely want to play out the last year, then we're the unluckiest team out there.

We drafted and developed him, paid him a lot of money only to poop the bed come playoff time, and if he wants to go out like that, then it is his right. It's likely better for him to do that as this fanbase will very quickly turn on him, and it could happen in season next year which is toxic to say the least.

 

[Twine Tickler]

If reports are true that Marner won't discuss an extension nor entertain a trade, and will likely want to play out the last year, then we're the unluckiest team out there.

We drafted and developed him, paid him a lot of money only to poop the bed come playoff time, and if he wants to go out like that, then it is his right. It's likely better for him to do that as this fanbase will very quickly turn on him, and it could happen in season next year which is toxic to say the least.

I mean we could have traded him last season and decided to change GM's instead.

Shanny deserves the brunt of the blame on this one IMO

 

[Amadeus]

I mean we could have traded him last season and decided to change GM's instead.

Shanny deserves the brunt of the blame on this one IMO

The NMC was there last year as well!

 

[thusk]

I don't think one needs to be a genius to have a good idea. Do you think his ego will allow him to take less than Nyander and not argue that he is as valuable as Matthews since he yearly leads the team in assists?

It's not about taking less, it's about how you deal with him. What is the more important, team system or indivual freedom to some player? last 2 coach leafs had are pretty good exemple. Babcock didn't allowed thing going outside of what he was asking for and of he didn't had what he want, he was not affraid to send him on a 4th line or keep him on the bench vs keefe was had more freedom and closed his eye at time on those situation.

 

[Skullz]

Regarding the marner stuff, are we sure that this is anything except for posturing by the agent to get a better deal? Remember all the stunts that he pulled last time around? I'm sure Marner would extend on July 1 if he got the money he wanted.

 

[thewave]

The NMC was there last year as well!

$mitch $marner.

I wish the fans started calling him money and then transitioned into chanting no more money.

 

[Twine Tickler]

The NMC was there last year as well!

it kicked in July 1st 2023

 

[Trapper]

Yeah, I could see what you described.

PP2 instead of PP1 and on the 3rd line at 5v5, doesn't help him in a contract year.

It does come back to what the poster did say in that it helps no one to keep this dragged out for another year.

He gets 18 minutes/night while Matthew’s/Nylander get 22. No PK.
You also take the A and give it Nylander.

I doubt any of this is done but there are many ways to determine who is in charge.

 

[The Masters]

If reports are true that Marner won't discuss an extension nor entertain a trade, and will likely want to play out the last year, then we're the unluckiest team out there.

We drafted and developed him, paid him a lot of money only to poop the bed come playoff time, and if he wants to go out like that, then it is his right. It's likely better for him to do that as this fanbase will very quickly turn on him, and it could happen in season next year which is toxic to say the least.

the team did it to themselves. u had dumb and dumber in shanny and dubas always very slow on making decisions and a poor culture/coaching diminishing a selke type player. u got bafoons running this team this is what happens.

 

[WTFMAN99]

He gets 18 minutes/night while Matthew’s/Nylander get 22. No PK.
You also take the A and give it Nylander.

I doubt any of this is done but there are many ways to determine who is in charge.

I'm probably doing the transition this year.

C goes to Matthews

If an extension gets done, an A goes on McCabe

If Nylander has a good camp, he can have the A, if not pick one of Rielly or JT to wear the A.

"It'll never happen" - probably not but I have generally wanted to move away from Rielly, JT and Marner.

 

[rumman]

He gets 18 minutes/night while Matthew’s/Nylander get 22. No PK.
You also take the A and give it Nylander.

I doubt any of this is done but there are many ways to determine who is in charge.

MLSE are too soft, worried about fan's reactions to them trying to fix the Dubas era is just plain sad. Milk toast soft..............

the team did it to themselves. u had dumb and dumber in shanny and dubas always very slow on making decisions and a poor culture/coaching diminishing a selke type player. u got bafoons running this team this is what happens.

not my monkeys.......not my circus...........

 

[supermann_98]

He doesn’t deserve a pay cut at all. The cap will be 92.5 already agreed to.

The idea that a multiple time 95 plus pt player 2 time first team all star and selke finalist gets 11.7% of the cap isn’t likely.

He doesn’t deserve 13 million. But he is worth more than 10.9

Willy got 11.5. Petey 11.6

I think Marner should sign for 8/93 so he gets his junior number he loved so much. And 11.625 is a little more than Willy. That’s pretty fair.

Agreed and may sound fair to you and I and most of us here but I guarantee you Mitch, Paul, and Ferris will not accept anything that starts with an 11

 

[TMLAM34]

There is no way Tavares gets his C stripped. The only realistic change that I think should happen, especially if the reports Marner isn’t interested in providing a list of teams or talking extension, is to stop rotating the A between Marner and Matthews and permanently leaving it on Matthews (which should have always been the case).

 

[supermann_98]

Lebrun article.

A snippet for context:
"the Marner camp, led by agent Darren Ferris isn’t putting together a list of teams for a potential trade. The focus for Marner, who has a full no-move clause, is on honoring the remaining year of his contract and seeing where things go from there.

That also means I don’t think there’s an appetite to talk extension come July 1. The preference from the Marner camp is to start the season and see how things go. Perhaps there are talks on an extension eventually, but I don’t believe there’s a strong desire to get into them this summer.

There was no meeting scheduled between Ferris and Leafs GM Brad Treliving here this week..."

Ferris spoon feeding Lebrun on what to write, although I don't really get the strategy. Is it to make Marner even more hated around these parts?

 

[Fogelhund]

I think it would be useful for a change in Captain... more symbolic than anything... our success hasn't been what we wanted, time to make some changes... Honestly, I thought it should have been Rielly who was the captain, over Tavares, seems like more of a leader to me. I understand he's been an A, and we haven't had success... yet...

A snippet for context:
"the Marner camp, led by agent Darren Ferris isn’t putting together a list of teams for a potential trade. The focus for Marner, who has a full no-move clause, is on honoring the remaining year of his contract and seeing where things go from there.

That also means I don’t think there’s an appetite to talk extension come July 1. The preference from the Marner camp is to start the season and see how things go. Perhaps there are talks on an extension eventually, but I don’t believe there’s a strong desire to get into them this summer.

There was no meeting scheduled between Ferris and Leafs GM Brad Treliving here this week..."

Ferris spoon feeding Lebrun on what to write, although I don't really get the strategy. Is it to make Marner even more hated around these parts?

I mean... maybe he hasn't been asked to put together that list yet... so why put together a list, if you haven't been asked??

 

[rumman]

I think it would be useful for a change in Captain... more symbolic than anything... our success hasn't been what we wanted, time to make some changes... Honestly, I thought it should have been Rielly who was the captain, over Tavares, seems like more of a leader to me. I understand he's been an A, and we haven't had success... yet...


I mean... maybe he hasn't been asked to put together that list yet... so why put together a list, if you haven't been asked??

a letter on any given player is little more than window dressing for this lot, completely irrelevant to fixing this team. So, apparently they're afraid of change, so I see nothing changing............

 

[trellaine201]

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Can’t blame. But for all haters you have to hope he has a poor year.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

"Anything is on the table".

Which of course means, we will pay the same jokers more money for the same results but we'll boot Keefe and Samsonov

 

[ToneDog]

It's not about taking less, it's about how you deal with him. What is the more important, team system or indivual freedom to some player? last 2 coach leafs had are pretty good exemple. Babcock didn't allowed thing going outside of what he was asking for and of he didn't had what he want, he was not affraid to send him on a 4th line or keep him on the bench vs keefe was had more freedom and closed his eye at time on those situation.

Yup and in 4 years you will be asking the same question after they fire Berube. And around and around we go for another 50 years. I believe some call it insanity.

 

[Twine Tickler]

Ferris spoon feeding Lebrun on what to write, although I don't really get the strategy

This is kind of how I see it as well. Darren Ferris knows what he is doing. I understand why Lebrun runs with this story, because it is clicks nonetheless. If you don't run it, someone else will. But at the end of the day, this just feels like Pierre is playing puppet for Mitch and his camp.

Usually that type of strategy works when a player wants to stick around and there is a mutual interest from the team to get something done. So this approach doesn't really make sense to me personally given the fact that there is most likely at least 1 party that is open to change.

There is absolutely no denying his talent as a player. He will be incredibly hard to replace. Almost impossible really. But at the end of the day, we need players who want to be here. He's never really demonstrated that desire. It's always been lip service and poor poor me's from him.

Again, if Mitch and his camp want to play hardball, then lets f***ing go. Either put pen to paper this summer, or give us a list of teams. At no point would I take his word for face value if/when he says he plans to resign after the conclusion of next season. If Brad falls for that...again, he is clearly unfit to GM going forward.

I am completely OK with Mitch walking away in UFA if we play hardball with him this season and sit him out. I am not OK with Mitch leveraging his role on the team to get a better contract elsewhere.

 

[Trapper]

This is kind of how I see it as well. Darren Ferris knows what he is doing. I understand why Lebrun runs with this story, because it is clicks nonetheless. If you don't run it, someone else will. But at the end of the day, this just feels like Pierre is playing puppet for Mitch and his camp.

Usually that type of strategy works when a player wants to stick around and there is a mutual interest from the team to get something done. So this approach doesn't really make sense to me personally given the fact that there is most likely at least 1 party that is open to change.

There is absolutely no denying his talent as a player. He will be incredibly hard to replace. Almost impossible really. But at the end of the day, we need players who want to be here. He's never really demonstrated that desire. It's always been lip service and poor poor me's from him.

Again, if Mitch and his camp want to play hardball, then lets f***ing go. Either put pen to paper this summer, or give us a list of teams. At no point would I take his word for face value if/when he says he plans to resign after the conclusion of next season. If Brad falls for that...again, he is clearly unfit to GM going forward.

I am completely OK with Mitch walking away in UFA if we play hardball with him this season and sit him out. I am not OK with Mitch leveraging his role on the team to get a better contract elsewhere.

I would not want to deal with him, his agent or even expecting a 12/13 million contract. No way, no how.
I’d go to his agent right now and ask what you expect, then I’d say see you later.

 

[Twine Tickler]

I would not want to deal with him, his agent or even expecting a 12/13 million contract. No way, no how.
I’d go to his agent right now and ask what you expect, then I’d say see you later.

It's a tough spot for Brad to be in, but the decision to move Mitch was last offseason before his NMC kicked in. It's unfortunate, because he just took the role and there were so many decisions to make in short order. I completely understand why it wasn't done from Brad's POV, but that has left us at a disadvantage.

This falls on Shanny IMO. He wanted Kyle back as GM, but was unwilling to meet Kyles demands. Deservingly or undeservingly. Regardless, Shanny clearly felt confident enough in Kyle to return as GM and execute an action plan that Kyle felt was necessary. Whether or not that included moving Mitch or not is anyone's guess. But my guess is that it would have at least been entertained.

That said, blame only goes so far. We have a problem, we need to find a solution. Mitch needs to show a commitment to us or he can kick rocks. I really don't give a f*** what Darren Ferris has to say about it TBH. If Mitch feels hard done by now, lets actually give him something to be upset about.

At the end of the day, players want to play in places where they are wanted. If we make it abundantly clear as an organization that we don't have any interest in meeting his demands or even extending him, lets make it uncomfortable for him. PP2 and 3rd line. I'm sure that will get him talking