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The Leafs were 29th at 5v5 expected goals last year; that’s lottery team level right there.
They won the division because they had excellent goaltending and a much better defensive group.
Matthews doesn’t need Marner to exceed at this point in his career. I would say Marner needs Matthews far more than the other way around.
Marner plays slow, was incapable of getting in on the forecheck, so any winger capable of doing that is going to suit Berube’s systems.
With Marner gone, they can build out a balanced team, it’s really that simple. -gravy
So expected goals sucked therefore let a 100 point player walk for nothing and then win the Cup with the 32nd expected goals for? Excellent plan.
If the goaltending and D take a step back, the Leafs are absolutely, royally fucked, even with Marner and without him, they miss the playoffs entirely.
Berube himself stated he wants Marner back so obviously he already fits in his system.
With Marner gone, there are no players available who actually want to play in Toronto without being grossly overpaid.
Everybody here seems to want “balance” but can’t name players or what they will cost that will actually sign here and be an improvement. It’s a self-serving BeLeaf bullshit story.
Agree here, I think there are some parallels with Florida. Mike Kelly explains it here
https://x.com/MikeKellyNHL/status/1929905485651612050
Panthers brought in Maurice and moved on from Huberdeau, scored 115 points..but so what
changed the makeup and playing style. no more running it backNow they are going all in with Berube, so they have to get players to fit his style. soft Mitch hasnt worked. and paying 14 mil wont fix it
So the NHL made a new UFA rule where if a player leaves as a UFA, the team that lost him automatically gets Matthew Tkachuk?
Because as cute as that comparison is, Huberdeau didn’t leave the team for NOTHING.
Also, Marner fits perfectly into Berube’s system as Berube has already said he wants Marner back 100%. So this false narrative that Marner doesn’t fit under Berube is a pile of horseshit.
So maybe this year isnt the off season the leafs sign long term deals….sign short term/1 year deals if possible, with talented enough players to get you into the playoffs. Then put more money into next years off season. Better players it seems.
But Im not sure Marchand will be as affective here as he is in Florida. In florida hes on the 3rd line….here, he will mostly like be used on 2nd.
If bennett would sign for $8m per….sure….but I think for Toronto its closer to $10 per…..not interested in that
~FakepartofmeIt’s a possibility. I sincerely think that the Leafs have to look at Matthews turning 28 before the season starts, accompanied by 29 year old Nylander, 30 year old Domi, 31 year old Rielly, a 35 year old Tavares if he resigns (well I don’t think his signing here advances the aging the process it just looks that way) – and ask if you can afford to willingly take a year off or deliberately step back.
I figure changing the DNA happens only an iteration of three ways and they involve the departure of the real core-3: One or more than one of Matthews, Marner or Nylander. Tavares was an expense and he was the captain – but I don’t think he’s at the root of the issues with the team. Rielly is an expense but his impact can be mitigated by changing his role to a second pairing – like they did for most of last year. Replace Rielly with Ekblad and you’ve changed the defense for the much better, as an example, but it doesn’t change the fundamental problem with the core forwards, does it?
I also see people saying that they shouldn’t spend so they can be there if McDavid is available. To me that’s a pipe dream and it’s not one you sacrifice a hockey season to entertain. They either believe in the approach they are taking with the people they have (or acquire) or they need to make more changes because the Leafs aren’t in a rebuild or retool phase. If anything they’re changing tack and hopefully finding the personally who can direct the ship that way properly.
Also, Marner fits perfectly into Berube’s system as Berube has already said he wants Marner back 100%. So this false narrative that Marner doesn’t fit under Berube is a pile of horseshit.
Just because Berube said 100% he wants Marner back doesn’t means Marner somehow fits Berube’s style all of a sudden.
Marner is a highly gifted and skilled, but super soft player who doesn’t forecheck to save his life & racks up the regular season points playing with a guy who scored 69 fucking goals one year. Oh and racks up points in playoff series games 1-4 or non-elimination games and don’t give me the bullshit about him with the ‘primairy assist on the GWG Matthews scored” that was a 2 foot shovel pass. The book around the league on Marner is to put quick and tough pressure on him (aka bully and intimidate him) and he will cough up the puck – and it’s true and we have all seen it year over year when the playoff come.
That is the furthest thing from a “Craig Berube” type of player – ever.
Berube is the coach of the team that has 2 UFA’s who they are presumably negotiating with so it’s his job to say nothing but positive things about those players and anyone who can’t understand that is just fooling themselves.
Is JT a “Craig Berube” type of player?
I mean you keep saying JT is horrific defensively and dog shit but lone behold guess what the coach said about re-signing JT……
Berube ‘100%’ wants Leafs to re-sign Marner, Tavares
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube made it clear that he hopes the team finds a way to bring back Mitch Marner and John Tavares with both players heading into free agency. Berube expressed his love for Marner and how he enjoyed coaching him throughout the season.https://www.tsn.ca/video/berube-100-wants-leafs-to-re-sign-marner-tavares~3137031
Berube’s comments and sound bites need to be taken with context in mind, a grain of salt and through the lens of the fact he is the coach and is doing (and saying) what the GM / Team is asking or telling him to say.
He’s been around long enough I’m sure Tre doesn’t need to tell him not to say Marner is soft or JT is too slow or whatever negatives he sees in either player so he doesn’t have a negative impact on Tre doing his work to re-sign these guys, maximize whatever they can get for negotiating rights to either or make other players think Toronto will drag them through the mud as a UFA.
its so hard to post here with the douchy know it all replies spamming the threads. every reply is just dripping with complete asshole vibes
thats all
I also see people saying that they shouldn’t spend so they can be there if McDavid is available. To me that’s a pipe dream and it’s not one you sacrifice a hockey season to entertain. They either believe in the approach they are taking with the people they have (or acquire) or they need to make more changes because the Leafs aren’t in a rebuild or retool phase. If anything they’re changing tack and hopefully finding the personally who can direct the ship that way properly.
The odds of signing McDavid are about the same as signing Bennett and Marchand.
Is JT a “Craig Berube” type of player?
I mean you keep saying JT is horrific defensively and dog shit but lone behold guess what the coach said about re-signing JT……
No, he isn’t. And the difference is the stats prove that Tavares is horrible defensively whereas the stats prove Marner is not.
its so hard to post here with the douchy know it all replies spamming the threads. every reply is just dripping with complete asshole vibes
thats all senstrolltwo
Full admission that I know I’m guilty of this sometimes but I like to think/hope I only do this when I’m replying to a comment or replies that have been posted in the nature that you are talking about. The last reply I posted I had typed out and edited 3 times to try and avoid dragging the thread into a silly argument and more a discussion but I’m not sure if I’ll have success on that front or not.
So in short – sorry if it was me who has made you feel that way, the last thing I think the vast majority of the folks here want is to see this place take on what so many hate about that other place.
So maybe this year isnt the off season the leafs sign long term deals….sign short term/1 year deals if possible, with talented enough players to get you into the playoffs. Then put more money into next years off season. Better players it seems.
But Im not sure Marchand will be as affective here as he is in Florida. In florida hes on the 3rd line….here, he will mostly like be used on 2nd.
If bennett would sign for $8m per….sure….but I think for Toronto its closer to $10 per…..not interested in thatI’ve been hearing that for years, “next year’s UFA crop is going to be amazing” and most of the time, those players end up signing long-term deals.
Do you take a step back next year so you can take a swing at McDavid? That’s a big risk.
I think as long as we come out with a balanced top 9, even if the top line takes a step back, we’ll be in better shape, and the only way to do that is to add this off-season and let Marner walk.
I think as long as we come out with a balanced top 9, even if the top line takes a step back, we’ll be in better shape, and the only way to do that is to add this off-season and let Marner walk.
I’m sure Matthews is going to absolutely love trying to score in the playoffs with even less help.
https://puckpedia.com/player/morgan-rielly/buyout?s=2025-2026
Buy-out for Morgan Rielly isn’t all that bad.
Leafs save 5.8 AAV this year and roughly 3.8 AAV for the rest of his contract. They won’t be taking a big “penalty” until 2030-2035 of 2.1 AAV per year.
Still better off trying to trade him to Vancouver or Seattle. But a buy-out is possible too as a plan B.
Is JT a “Craig Berube” type of player?
I mean you keep saying JT is horrific defensively and dog shit but lone behold guess what the coach said about re-signing JT……
No, he isn’t. And the difference is the stats prove that Tavares is horrible defensively whereas the stats prove Marner is not.
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IF TRUE
then this just proves my point that what Berube is saying in the media has to be taken with a grain of salt – he’s doing his job and following marching orders when he makes statements about UFA’s. And again he also said 100% he wanted to re-sign both Marner and JT.
Buy-out for Morgan Rielly isn’t all that bad.
I guess some may say it’s “not bad” for year one at 1.6M (but to me, consdering how tight the Leafs are to the cap, it’s bad).
Not sure how 3.6 per against the cap for 4 years and then 2.13M per year for another 6 years can’t be described as anything other than bad, especially when you consider how tight to the cap the Leafs have been and probably always will be.
To me a Rielly buy out is an option that should even be considered.
The 2026 UFA crop is much bigger than 97
Makar
Eichel
Kaprizov
Connor
Bobrovsky
Panarin
Jenner
Lowry
OV
Trouba
Carlson
Laine
Kopitar
Kempe
Demko
Stolarz
Tuch
Oleksiak
Rasmoose
Marchment
Ferraro
Mikkola
SissonsAny many more……
I’m sure Matthews is going to absolutely love trying to score in the playoffs with even less help.
Tkachuk has barely scored — and didn’t against us — and the team had no problem potting goals against our team, because we lost all the matchups or at best, came out evens, so our entire offense was nullified when the top 2 lines were shutdown.
Like it’s not as if this is a recent thing either: it’s been 8 years of this man. Way overdue for a change in the makeup of this team and it starts with saying goodbye to Marner. There is absolutely no way you can build a balanced team with that much allocated to so few players. So easy to shutdown and let your depth feast on our perennially weak bottom 6 that will always be at a disadvantage thanks to no money to spend on it.
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