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Someone posted this article here I think and I just read it.
If you haven’t it’s a great read and breakdown of the huge differences between Florida and Toronto as far as how the 2 teams are constructed from a cap distribution perspective and (IMO) is a bang on evaluation of why Toronto simply can’t compete with teams that use their cap space this way vs how Toronto has.
Which ties into the need for Toronto to drastically change how they spread out their cap dollars if they want to get to the next level.
I also got some insights I was not aware of like after game 2 Florida adapting by moving their top D pairing to match up against the JT / Nylander line and have their 2nd pairing match up vs Marner and Matthews. That should have resulted in a mismatch in Toronto’s favour but it never did.
I like the mention that the Leafs coaching staff perhaps need to be more Jon Cooper / Paul Maurice like and whine more about officiating – as pathetic as that sounds it has worked and since the NHL can’t figure out how to get officiating straightened out perhaps public shaming the on ice officials is the only way teams can try to ensure a more fairly officiated game.
I mean these 2 paragraphs kinda’ say it all no?
The Leafs’ whole model is based on paying their top players massive dollars to dominate their matchups. This is really nothing new to anyone at this point; their eggs are in a top-heavy basket, and when the top six is up a grand total of one goal over seven games, the Leafs will lose the series.
The Panthers’ bottom six should be better because they pay them a lot more money. Florida’s third line, even with Marchand’s salary 50% retained, costs more than the entire Toronto bottom six.
You have to also think that (since home ice didn’t mean jack shit) the Leafs perhaps should have put Matthews on LTIR and used that money at the TDL to bulk up like Florida did but that’s spilt milk at this point.
The Leafs didn’t lose because of one player, or even one thing (i.e. Stolarz being knocked out of the series (which he has confirmed was as a result of the elbow from Bennett and not the shot to the mask so suck it Florida fans and concussion experts) but a combination of things including but not limited to:
Roster Construction due to Salary Cap
Production or lack thereof from the core
Lack of a heavy forecheck or willingness to battle for pucks resulting in a rush chance only offense after game 2 as the article pointed out
Being outgoalied (vs being goalied by Bob and only losing due to that. Bob was good, not unbeatable)Scoring 4 goals total in the final 4 games of the series is a guaranteed series loss for pretty much any team.
Change the way this team is constructed from a salary cap perspective and stop paying too many elite, talented forwards too much of the cap or continue to fail is how I see it.
I think that’s the point that everyone is trying to make. Rantanen JUST signed his extension for $12M, so that’s the benchmark. Everybody knew the cap was going up next year, and now there is even more uncertainty regarding the cap rising due to economic factors. So, if anything, Marner should have even less leverage as we might be back in a slow rising cap situation for the next few years.
The cap is going up. That’s not uncertain. It’s already been announced.
12 in Texas is not the same as 12 in Toronto.
There are basic calculators that do the math.
Marner can’t collect his signing bonus in Arizona or Long Island. That’s a big problem here.
The cap is going up. That’s not uncertain. It’s already been announced.
~UGThe cap is going up next year, that much is guaranteed. But the rumored increases beyond that were not set in stone, and are almost certainly not going to be as high as originally forecasted. Personally, I don’t want to find the Leafs in a cap-strapped situation like they were during the flat cap Covid era.
Pelley said in the press release “It was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead.”
That suggests they are going to hire a new hockey president rather than have Tree report directly to Pelley.
My guess is Pelley already has his guy. Wonder who it is?
The cap is going up next year, that much is guaranteed. But the rumored increases beyond that were not set in stone, and are almost certainly not going to be as high as originally forecasted. Personally, I don’t want to find the Leafs in a cap-strapped situation like they were during the flat cap Covid era.
Not going to be anywhere near that era. It’ll stay up where they expect it.
And even if it doesn’t, there will be at least a dozen teams maxed out regardless. It’ll be a league problem, not a Leafs problem.
The only way they would ever be able to protect themselves against that situation in the future is to get the players to agree on % based contracts that go up or down depending on revenue.
For example, if a player is making 10% a year on a 100 million max cap, he makes 10 million. If the cap goes up to 110 million, he makes 11 million. If it goes down to 90, he makes 9 million. It would significantly change which players get the max 8 years.
Friedman had an insider who said that letting Shanny go was a crazy scene. Ownership called him in and ambushed him.
Wendel Clark held him down while Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi took turns beating him.
Doug Gilmour was seen talking with Clark and the owners afterwards.
Wendel Clark held him down while Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi took turns beating him.
Doug Gilmour was seen talking with Clark and the owners afterwards.
carlton gave him a good dry rogering right in his boy pussy for good measure🍆👊🏿
The cap isnt going up as much as expected in the years after next.
It will go up for next season, but the original projection probably not happeningWilly seems to be skating by with little or no examination. Maybe he needs a little bit of the Marner/Matthews treatment. He is top 3 in salary, so scrutinizing him isn’t a bad thing. Leafs need a true #2 centre to replace Tavares. Rielly should be the first out the door and replaced with a UFA. Another righty is required for the 2nd pair to play with OEL.
As expected, Carolina is getting shit on again. Florida is simply on another level. Florida/Dallas final would be great to see!
OOOOHHH 9/10 years they made it to game 7 in the second round for the first time…oooooohhh and their stars players were nowhere to be found in game 7. -fake
Florida is a bonafide, proven powerhouse. Defending Champs, soon to be Finalists three years in a row. You see what they’re doing to Carolina? Absolute destruction. Carolina will be lucky if they win a game at this pace. Just another piece of evidence this team needs to keep their best players and dispatch the passengers. The Leafs 1st line were not passengers. They scored every single GWG in the series versus the Panthers. But you’ve never been keen on following evidence.
So yes, the Leafs pushing that team to Game 7 (and Game 3 OT could have swung it in our direction too) is indeed impressive and evidence of improvement, albeit incremental and long over due.
The stars of this team cant get it together, this was probably the best version of them. Time for a change.
The stars on the team are fine. It’s the trash bottom-six, old ass defensive liability Tavares and garbage Rielly that need to be changed. If the Leafs dumped Rielly, Jarnkrok and Kampf, they’d have nearly 13 million to spend on better depth players. You could bet confidently with a solid, two-way, shut down 3rd line, this Leafs team, with all their star players intact, will go further in the playoffs.
You simply cannot have $40m locked up in 3 forwards who are very similar. You cant win that way. Its been proven. Time for change.
They actually aren’t similar. Matthews is an elite two-way sniper. Marner is a an elite two-way playmaker who kills penalties. Nylander is a one-dimensional scorer. You want change? Change the garbage players like Tavares and Rielly. The guys on the ice for the most goals against because they absolutely suck defensively. They give up 6 goals trying to score 5. Doesn’t add up.
No, what you can’t do is let your leading point producer (in his prime) walk away from the team for nothing in return. That is a proven way to lose. If you insist on getting rid of one the forwards, Marner stays, Nylander goes. Luckily, that doesn’t have to happen if they play their cards right in other areas.
The cap has never been higher and will continue to rise. If you’re pissy because the Leafs have to pay them so much more, maybe they wouldn’t if they weren’t stuck paying damn near 55% in taxes. Probably soon to be 60%. The Turkeys asked for Thanksgiving, now get familiar with the menu.
Unfortunately, Management screwed this team by trading away all their 1st rounder until 2028…so they cant even do a quick one year retool and get a nice prospect.
They are now stuck with having to try to get into the playoffs….so, let marner walk, move out morgan if you can, If JT will take $5m, sign him for 3 years. Build out the bottom 6, get a winger to play the top line and another quality D.Weren’t you the guy a few poorly written sentences ago repeatedly screaming change like a deranged lunatic? But you want Tavares back? The same Tavares that had ZERO points in 6 out 7 round 2 games and NONE in Game 5, 6 and 7 vs the Panthers? The same Tavares who led the team in even strength goals against?
You’re so blinded by the mirage of a “discount 5 AAV contract” but fail to see that whatever you “save” on Tavares won’t make up for his garbage play away from the puck that lose you a series. The level of discount Tavares would have to take to make up for the disaster he is defensively would have to be in 3 million AAV or less territory because you’d have to shift him to LW and have a REAL two-way center that can actually play defense in the 5+ AAV range just to break even.
So basically, Tavares would have to become Matt Duchene in Dallas at 3 AAV. And even that isn’t all that great because Duchene is on the ice for way more 5v5 goals against than he is for. His PP production keeps him marginally valuable but still negative overall. So even in THAT scenario, it still sucks. So, bye Tavares. Go enjoy Buffalo. I hear it’s a short drive from Oakville.
MArk hunter? LOL, What a joke.
Yes, laugh at probably one of the best damn eyes for Canadian junior hockey talent. It was a mistake to let him go. If you want to build a winner in the NHL, you better understand where to find the gems in the OHL and the CHL. Rare to find somebody better at it than Mark Hunter with the great teams his family has built in London year after year after year. The Leafs need a drafting wizard now more than ever with no 1st round picks and barely any prospects left to speak for. Worst case Ontario, this team gets blown up by idiot media personalities and dumbass fans who scream for the destruction of this team and the Leafs have a guy smart enough to know how to rebuild it through the draft. Best case, he can populate this team with cheap, young, OHL talent that can help this team get over the hump without having to pay through the nose in free agency or trades.
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