True Realism

[Buds17]

Not much within a team's control beyond being able to offer a spot on a competitive team at a competitive salary. Unfortunately, there will be times in which either/both of those things just isn't enough to convince a player to stay or join.

 

[Tak7]

In 2 years time, Auston Matthews is going to be the highest paid player ever in the history of the NHL.

It's up to the Maple Leafs to ensure that they have a cap situation here that can facilitate that. If they can't, then off he goes to LA or New York or somewhere else.

 

[ULF_55]

If I got to choose between Toronto and Florida and also got to make a shit ton of money to do something I love, I'd pick Florida every time. Way she goes.

How about neither?

I'd chose Seattle or Vancouver over those two options.

And hope the US splits apart.

 

[justashadowof]

On the subject of our big guys departing through free agency, I'm suspicious of Dubas' guile with regards to this. He has never dealt with the other side of this. He's only dealt with the conversation where he apologizes for being unable to provide the market compensation to the departing player. I suspect he believes his unwavering loyalty to Matthews, Marner and Nylander will be rewarded when the ball is in the other court, when these players are no longer teethered to Toronto through the years of control afforded by the CBA, when he has the money to pay the player(s) but the player(s) has identical offers from more desirable destinations.

 

[GrizzGreen]

I'd chose Seattle or Vancouver over those two options.

seattle is a literal dump right now

 

[Advanced stats]

ottawa has had no issue what so ever locking up there young and upcoming american /canadian/ european stars

Who? Apart from Chabot, who is barely a star

 

[Jojalu]

Where are you getting this from? This is true for the NBA but if there is a history of NHL players bolting from their Canadian teams as soon as they can, it's news to me.

Post Covid this is becoming a real issue.

Only having to travel to Canada a few times a year as opposed to travelling to US every other wrek is a big difference. Going through customs is now a huge hassle.

Inflation is bad in both countries but with taxes being so much lower in the US there are multiple reasons fo Americans to want to play at home.

 

[BayStBullies]

You shouldn't believe every rumour. /thread

 

[Sypher04]

I know we were all propagandized how much better Canada is than the U.S. but few really believe that. U.S. is better for weather, opportunity, personal autonomy, for ambitious people, for being left alone (unless you're some megastar), etc. Over the years every immigrant I've known who has brought up this subject admitted they were trying to get in the U.S. before Canada. Canada is a great place overall but we are comparing Canada to the single most desirable emigration destination in the 20th century and into the 21st.

So back to the NHL, it takes money and lots more of it to accept a Canadian locale over many U.S. locales. Taxes, constantly being recognized and approached, winters, less lifestyle amenities, more schools to set up your offsprings' lives, happier wives, etc. Not to mention that NHL players who want to win probably have figured out that they'll have a better chance of winning in lower tax states than Canadian locales.

Quite a bit of these specific things you list are, I’d say, highly debatable, but I will grant you that for the average person looking to move to North America they will think of the US first, but I think in a fair deal of cases that’s more due to a lack of knowledge of what Canada has to offer. As far as options go, the US is far more in your face.

Not sure I’d say though that what applies to the general population really applies however to the group of people we are discussing

 

[Ianturnedbull]

590 spent 20 minutes today discussing why Matthews will probably leave. I did not enjoy the discussion.

I don't buy it. No matter what case they make. We as leaf fans can't feel bad or insecure.

Anyway if he does leave what did he accomplish anyway? Individual Trophies? Ok.

 

[Kelly]

honestly, if any of them show any signs of wanting to bolt before bringing a cup back to this starving city.. then ship em out. Not the type of players we need, nor the type of players that will get us there.

Toronto is a great city, whoever is on this team when they finally win the Stanley Cup will be known as gods. If they don't want that then their f***ing loss. Go rot away playing for the 2nd/3rd most important franchise in whatever city.

 

[LeafEgo]

Next summer is the deadline to sign Matthews, if he says the right things but refuses to sign until he hits UFA, then you trade him immediately. You’ve already squandered the cupboard for the most part, if you let him walk for nothing, then you’ve screwed the franchise for a long time. Ditto for Bill.

How much time would they have to work out a mega trade like that - particularly if they went deep in the playoffs?

I've never bothered a moments thought on this stuff, but what's happening in Calgary now as we inch closer starts to put the discussion on the radar.

 

[zeke]

590 spent 20 minutes today discussing why Matthews will probably leave. I did not enjoy the discussion.

590: "Mission Accomplished"

 

[DarkKnight]

How much time would they have to work out a mega trade like that - particularly if they went deep in the playoffs?

I've never bothered a moments thought on this stuff, but what's happening in Calgary now as we inch closer starts to put the discussion on the radar.

Sorry what’s this “deep in the playoffs” thing?

It’s a realistic option he leaves, and now more given what we’re seeing elsewhere. I still think we can keep him, but to pretend its a given is foolish.

I don't buy it. No matter what case they make. We as leaf fans can't feel bad or insecure.

Anyway if he does leave what did he accomplish anyway? Individual Trophies? Ok.

I’m not sure I do either, but who knows and I’ve said for the last year, the Matthews contract watch starts this season. This market won’t allow it to not surface….

 

[Gabriel426]

1. For an average person, US cities in general are more desirable than Canadian cities due to job opportunities.
2. For a Hockey player, I really don’t know, esp those top ones, since where ever they live, they will be the top 5-10% of the population enjoying that life. I can see that players might think about the education system being a factor since US and Canada uses a different metric system but since their kids are most likely going to IB private schools, it might not be a factor at all.
3. Using the last few top UFAs, JT, Pietra and Johnny. JT came home, Pietra choose the highest bidder and a contending team, while Johnny signed with BJs. I don’t think signing with Yokes is an option for AM, as he loves the spotlight. Leafs will be the highest bidder for AM, now will the Leafs be closer to the Cup than the other teams waiting to sign AM is another story. As for AM pulling a Johnny, I don’t think he will just sign to a low profile non competitive team like BJ.
Not sure have you guys heard Johnny’s interview after the signing but not once had he mentioned winning the Cup with BJs or stuff like that. To me, he just wants to play hockey and get paid.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

I've never read the 13 million per, or 20+ million off the ice that OP is referring to.

Do we have sources on this?

 

[Da Mash]

For a lot of players the most important thing is where they want their family to live and the money.

If the money is close they will do what’s right for their family.

It’s entertainment they provide and they don’t own anything to anyone.Not the team or the fans.

If the GM gets blindsided then that’s on him/her

So many variables…I have no idea how taxes work…are they charged by where you play each game? the agent takes his cut…nhl holds on to some I think..etc

In the end….it’s their right to choose

Also some players and there are probably a lot of them …that do not want the limelight….especially in the states where football…basketball and baseball rule….

 

[DarkKnight]

 

[as Pure as Evil]

Who? Apart from Chabot, who is barely a star

brady chuck signed for 8 norris signed for 8 not to mention a couple guys they just bought out traded that were under contract 6 + years also

 

[zeke]

All-American-on-Canadian-Teams Team

M.Tkachuk - Matthews - Connor
B.Tkachuk - Norris - Debrincat
Garland - Miller - Boeser
Batherson - Wheeler - Coleman
(Caufield - Dvorak - Yamamoto)

Hanifin - Pionk
Hughes - Holl
Schmidt - Myers
(Sanderson - Wideman)

Hellebuyck
Demko
(Campbell)

 

[Stephen]

Eric Francis needs to get a life. Aside from Calgary being in the same country as Toronto, and Matthews being American, this is basically a professional journalist trying to troll another fanbase while his own team is burning down.

 

[Niagara Bill]

Back in the day there was a rumor that TO offered Stamkos 13 plus mil. per year , he eventually settled for $8.5 mil. with TB, that's around a 5 mil. $ difference, that didn't entice Stamkos who is a Markham boy. TO also promised him added revenue for advertising $s with Cdn Tire and others, again rumored, that $20 mil. per year was the ultimate figure.

Gaudreau was offered more money by Calgary than Columbus, Calgary is/was a very good team, Columbus not so good, yet Gaudreau wanted out. Now Tkachuk wants out and I think we can bet he doesn't want to stay in Canada, I'd bet he wants to return to St.L. or maybe even Arizona, he'd willingly take a hair cut to do so.

So what, most players of any quality have contracts early in their careers with modified NMC and generally there is a 10 team list that they submit that names the teams they don't want to go to, usually/normally the 7 Canadian teams are on those lists, Kadri had Calgary on his and he was playing for a Cdn. team.

It seems that generally both Canadians and Americans aren't happy playing for a Canadian team, what might this mean for TO, Matthews, Marner, Nylander get a bit of a thrashing from the Cdn. media and fan bases, in 1 to 2 years they will be able to go/do whatever they want, where ever they want. At the very least I'd expect Matthews to sign below the border.

How should a GM react in Canada, knowing this, keep the players until their contracts expire, like Calgary did with Gaudreau, or trade those players away while they can for asset(s), even tho their competitive edge would also be traded away.

It's tough being a Canadian GM and even tougher being a fan of a Canadian NHL team. It'll be 30 years since the last Canadian team won a Cup, I wonder how many more before the next Canadian champion?

Is it time that Canada left the NHL and started our own league? Soccer does it.
We could sell players to the Americans so they can say they are top of the world. Once arenas start to get shot up, everyone will want to come back to Canada.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I just think that Calgary Sucks and that Johnny Hockey/Tkachuk are UFAs. Seems logical and not surprising in the least. I'm not going to let butthurt Calgary fans speak for the insecurities of the entire country.

Should I feel.bad for them? No. In perspective they've won playoff rounds recently and a cup in 89.

 

[zeke]

Pro-Tip nobody has ever wanted to play in EDM CGY WPG OTT QC.

This is why Gary had to step in with a Cap to save these markets.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

It's a reminder that these players are assets.

Being Toronto and being accused of being "not really Canada" and the usual invective might be to our advantage. That said, fantastic as our players might be, they are assets.

Who knows...Perhaps the real value in these assets is the type of foundational exchange we might not have yielded were they not generational Leafs.

Bear in mind, Eric Lindros was a "generational player" for a time. He never won a Cup, but the yield from moving him paved the way for Quebec/Colorado to win the Cup.

Believe me, I want to see Auston Matthews lift the Cup as a Maple Leaf. But not as I much as I want to see the Cup lifted by The Toronto Maple Leafs, whoever they may be.

I hope our management is watching with tunnel vision what's going on in Calgary, and laying contingencies right, left and center to insure it does not happen to Toronto.

That type of management isn't just mismanagement, it's nigh willful neglect.

Great post!