Where do the Leafs go if they blow it yet again?

[WetcoastOrca]

I dont think its blowing it losing to the best team in the east by a mile.

However last nights effort was concerning. They need to make some real big changes, however that doesnt mean they get rid of Matthews. He is clearly injured and a superstar two way center.

That being said they gotta move off of Reilly and Tavares in my opinion. Reilly bailed so hard going for a puck in the 2nd period in his corner when Tkachuk was coming. Simply cannot have that let alone from a leader and top 4 d man.

Two games ago there was a scrum towards the end and Ekblad and Tavares were tied up. Ekblad kept shoving him in the face. He did nothing, no push back. Was hard to watch.

Moving off Rielly and Tavares doesn’t really address the main issue imo.
Yes Florida is a great team but to win the Cup you need to beat great teams. Getting outscored 8-1 in two critical games with Marner, Matthews and Nylander being no shows once again should be unacceptable. Losing is not the problem. It’s the fact that their star players are once again folding without putting up a fight that is the problem.
One of those three needs to be moved imo. Since Matthews has a NMC it’s probably Marner.

 

[landy]

You can offer McDavid the world for 7 seasons.
Oilers can offer Mcdavid the world for 8 seasons.

McDavid is gonna have to leave a LOT of money on the table to become a Leaf.

Thats not necessarily true.

A. Sign and trade if the oilers know he wont re-sign. Obv theyre throwing away one more run so that can go either way.

B. The off-ice marketing Toronto can offer is far above what any team can offer. He'd make up that difference quick.

C. 8x$15 or 7x$18. Difference can be made up there potentially. Every team that can afford to fit him under the cap will offer it.

D. Were talknig hundreds of millions in career earnings. i like to think one year is not going to be a huge deal and not like it takes him to 40yo or anything so even signing for 7, hell likely sign another $8+ ticket after this contract.

 

[Machinehead]

trading 34 (which would never happen) could really load up this team maybe

Yeah, I was thinking maybe a trade is available with one of the big forwards, although they probably should have done it sooner before all the money, pending contracts, and bad vibes.

 

[bert]

Moving off Rielly and Tavares doesn’t really address the main issue imo.
Yes Florida is a great team but to win the Cup you need to beat great teams. Getting outscored 8-1 in two critical games with Marner, Matthews and Nylander being no shows once again should be unacceptable. Losing is not the problem. It’s the fact that their star players are once again folding without putting up a fight that is the problem.
One of those three needs to be moved imo. Since Matthews has a NMC it’s probably Marner.

While its likely Marner the other two (Tavares and Reilly) absolutely have to go, you cannot have that from your veterans. While posters dont really like to acknowledge it, hierarchy in an nhl dressing room based on experience/age in prominent roles is massive. Reilly and Tavares play massive roles and are the two most experienced veterans and they are the softest of the group.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

....If?

They are dead in the water.

They won 2 games in round 2 this time. Next time they make it, they'll win 3! May take another couple of years to make it that far.

 

[jellybeans]

Hopefully they resign both Tavares and Marner so they don't end up in a Habs jersey on ridiculous contracts.

 

[boredmale]

The Golf course like most other hockey players

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

ya ok
dream getting mcdavid classic leaf thinking
how about draft guys

What kind of comment is this

 

[Corrupt University]

View attachment 1036474

It’s gotta be next to impossible now to field a team that’s this ass. Won’t be broken, like a Gretzky record.

 

[eojsmada]

Nothing will happen as long as Shanahan is in charge.

 

[Draiskull]

Leafs should go after Marchand this offseason IMO or go after Evander Kane via trade.
They are missing a dimension that is needed in playoffs. Trent Frederic would be another option.

 

[T REX]

Home?

 

[drktmplr12]

They've got an inspiration board in the locker room they'll be fine.

 

[T REX]

The Golf course like most other hockey players

Didn't read the whole thread but this was my original answer but I got dinged for posting a pic of McDavid golfing a couple years back so I am very careful these days.

 

[boredmale]

Didn't read the whole thread but this was my original answer but I got dinged for posting a pic of McDavid golfing a couple years back so I am very careful these days.

Didn't read it myself but I am guessing with 12 pages of answers I am not the first to say it. I would go to Draft Kings and place a bet on that

 

[Fourier]

This seems pretty easy. Let Marner walk, coast for a year, offer McDavid the world.

If you know you have zero shot at mcDavid, then re-sign Marner, and ride this core to underachieving greatness and hope they figure it out.

At this point I'd put the chances of McDavid not re-signing at far less than 1%. There is a far better chance that Marner joins the Oilers with McDavid and Draisaitl than McDavid replacing Marner, though frankly even that is very unlikely.

If Toronto want to restructure they will have to do it without adding one of the league's best players, but rather by using the cap space and assets wisely.

 

[danpantz]

Leafs should go after Marchand this offseason IMO or go after Evander Kane via trade.
They are missing a dimension that is needed in playoffs. Trent Frederic would be another option.

Trent Frederic? The leafs need another guy who can’t provide offense in the playoffs?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

While its likely Marner the other two (Tavares and Reilly) absolutely have to go, you cannot have that from your veterans. While posters dont really like to acknowledge it, hierarchy in an nhl dressing room based on experience/age in prominent roles is massive. Reilly and Tavares play massive roles and are the two most experienced veterans and they are the softest of the group.

Softer than Marner and Matthews? I don’t agree with that.
More importantly I don’t think getting rid of support players like Tavares and Rielly changes anything when Marner and Matthews disappear every year.
I’d bring back Tavares on a team friendly deal and let Marner walk. I do agree that trading Matthews with his NMC is not really a viable option. You have to bring in players with more sandpaper in the top 6 and hope that Matthews can finally show up. There’s really no other options.

 

[sampollock]

Matthews stays, he has a wrist injury. Besides he's been doing other things well, it's Marner that needs to go.

I'm trying to keep some kind of hope, it's still a 3-2 series, but I've seen this movie 10 times, I don't think there's gonna be a different ending.

If they can't come back and win the series, re-tool around Matthews/Knies/Nylander. Try a sign and trade for Marner, we know he wants max cash so he might be willing to.

34 always gets a pass
for the past 7 years

 

[AvroArrow]

34 always gets a pass
for the past 7 years

Ok you convinced me, let's dump him

 

[Draiskull]

Trent Frederic? The leafs need another guy who can’t provide offense in the playoffs?

TML should learn by now that you cannot outscore your problems.

They have enough top 6 scorers but dont have the right mix for playoffs.

 

[sampollock]

What kind of comment is this

always they want the best player in the world.... like they traded away so many 1st picks and have zip

 

[ManofSteel55]

I like ragging on the Leafs as much as anyone, but I don't think you can really say that losing to the defending champions would be "blowing it".

They're likely to look a bit different after this year though, with both Marner and Tavares as free agents. I don't think they can afford to match other offers made to Marner, but Tavares should take a smaller salary if he wants to stay, giving the Leafs a bit more flexibility to add some other, playoff experienced pieces. Their bottom two lines are basically invisible, so adding some depth would be a good start. Losing Marner will suck, but if they can use his 11M to bring in a trigger man winger and someone who can help the third line produce more, that would really help.

Filling out the team with UFA's could look like:
Line 1 - Knies (5M) - Matthews - Cheaper Top Line Scorer (Boeser, for example - 7 - 8 M)
Line 2 - Returning Pacioretty ($3M maybe) or upgrade (someone like Mangiapane, Kuzmenko (6M maybe for those) or even J. Skinner or Drouin (on a cheap deal around 2M) - Tavares (at 6M instead of 11) - Nylander
Line 3 - Laughton - Domi - Legit 3rd liner with scoring ability, like Reilly Smith (5 - 6M)
Line 4 - McMann - Kampf - Robinson

Blueline is likely set - there isn't much room to make moves with the NTC's.

Goal is probably set as well. Stolarz and Woll had a great year as a duo this year.

Will a team minus Marner, but with increased depth forwards like Boeser, Mangiapane/Kuzmenko, R. Smith, or comparables to those guys be improved? I'm not sure, but the Leafs biggest weakness this playoff is a lack of scoring from that bottom six, so it can't hurt to add some depth.

Did the Leafs ever try to move Marner onto Domi's line to add some depth scoring? I wonder if that could work, running with:
Knies - Matthews - Robertson
Pacioretty - Tavares - Nylander
McMann/Laughton - Domi - Marner

And what's up with Laughton? I expected some actual production from him, what's happening with him? Just not a fit?

 

[ManofSteel55]

TML should learn by now that you cannot outscore your problems.

They have enough top 6 scorers but dont have the right mix for playoffs.

You can't outscore your problems, but you can't win with no scoring from the bottom six either.

 

[Opus]

The Golf course like most other hockey players

The FOOOORE-4