[Fakepartofme]

UG.

My gawd, what a headache.
The stars of this team arent fine and they are all similar – soft, disappear when it counts and dont hate losing enough.
The cap will rise this year but it probably doesnt go up as high as expected over the next couple of years.
As for your Thanksgiving comment, ya if you make over millions you should be taxed 53%, but there are ways around that. Also taxes are being lowered for those in the first two bracket – under $57 000 and under $114. As it should be. I’m perfectly fine with people who make millions paying more taxes.
JT can get more on the open market for sure, but having a quality 2nd line centerman who will transition to 3rd line in a year or so for $4-$5 would great. If the leafs sign a younger 2nd line center than JT could play wing or 3rd line. But if he walks he walks.
Marner isnt worth over $12.5…..heck he’s barely worth 10.9….but I say that about matthews and Willy as well. All were overpaid too early and continue to be overpaid.

And sorry, while with the leafs Hunter’s track record is bad at drafting: Fedor Gordeev, Keaton Middleton, Nicolas Mattinen, Ryan O’Connell, Vladimir Bobylev, Ryan McGregor, Vladislav Kara, and Nikolai Chebykin. Lili was the best of the bunch…I guess timoshov had 45 nhl games.
So his eyes arent that great.
Mark hunter is old news, moving on.

[Fakepartofme]

WHIPPER
Participant
As expected, Carolina is getting shit on again. Florida is simply on another level. Florida/Dallas final would be great to see!

Ugh boring final…imo
Hope edmonton gets in. The canes look done. After game 1, I said it was only one game for the canes, but they now look like their usual conference finals self.
Also, Freddy andersen is doing freddy andersen things again….someone on here was raving about freddy and how the leafs should have kept him…I laughed then and laugh now.

But ya, the canes may win a game.

[Fakepartofme]

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 happening

[Fakepartofme]

Cush29
Participant
Figured maybe we could use a place to discuss (argue lol) about the Leafs UFAs since there are a few of them.

Here is my take / opinion:
Marner – sadly needs to be gone, a victim of a poorly constructed roster / terribly unbalanced cap situation who just wants more than the Leafs can pay. It can be debated until the cows come home what his market value is but he’s too pricey in the Leaf salary structure IMO
JT – I want him back at 4 to 5 M max for 2 years or less.
Lorentz – I want back
Patches – from his season ending presser sounds like he’s gone and as much as I liked his play he was hurt a lot and will be even slower next year.
Halk-en-paw – Bye Felica
Fatty Matty Murray – Maybe re-sign on a cheap 2 way if he’s willing to do so?
AHL UFA’s (don’t have enough insight into the Marlies and if any of these guys are ready to make the jump to the NHL maybe or decent trade bait – anyone got opinions??

No opinion on the marlies players, I honestly didnt watch a single game.
I agree, Marner walks, although I would prefer a sign and trade – he gets his 8th year and does a solid for the leafs and their fans.
Agree with JT…but at 4-5m I think he will want 3 years for sure. Im fine with that.
Lorentz will want a bit of raise, but agree, bring him back.
I think Morgan has to be moved if he agrees. Take a loss on the trade, just dont retain or use up any picks to go the other way.

UFA’s
Everyone and their mom seems horny for Bennett…I dont see it. But for the right price and if he’s willing to come, why not?
Get another 4/5 dman or 3/4 dman if you can….make a run at Dante Fabbro.
Sign B Tanev and get another quality player for the bottom 6…..but not too pricey.
Sign some players to short term deals: P kane with Matthews could look good.
I know most view Ehlers as soft….but for the right price, I wouldnt mind him.
Maybe try out Droin short term?

[Fakepartofme]

The Leafs media is a combination of idiots and vultures. They feed off this for views and clicks because that’s all they have left to grasp at. No different than garbage corporate legacy media that basically only the boomers watch. They also own the team so perhaps they think they can bully their way into making Marner do what they think he should do in attempt to win the PR battle so if he does walk away, the team can save itself the embarrassment by trying to make him the bad guy. There are former players like Rick Vaive, who didn’t win shit in Toronto as a Leaf, talking shit in the media. Fans piling on because they are in pain and not smart enough to think for themselves.

The Leafs won the division, won a round (against the hated but tough Senators) and took the defending Champs and seemingly the best team in the NHL to Game 7. Marner directly helped win 2 out of the 3 games they won, one of which was in an elimination game. This year was an obvious improvement. And these morons are acting like they were a draft lottery team and the whole thing needs to be blown to hell.

Fire Shanahan, bring back Mark Hunter.
UG

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.
The stars of this team cant get it together, this was probably the best version of them. Time for a change.
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.
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.

MArk hunter? LOL, What a joke.

[Fakepartofme]

Dregs is now saying an official offer may not have been presented to marner but that the leafs are willinh or were willing to do 13.5 x 8.

[Fakepartofme]

Cush29
Participant
Fake – I think the problem (or the why to what you find funny) is these 2 guys just default to Marner to set up Matthews when they play together for the most part, if they were more of a 2 headed threat to score then teams would have a much harder time to defend them but they simply aren’t and IMO never will be.

Teams play Marner to pass to Matthews and Matthews to shoot when fed by Marner but when you separate them both appear more willing or able to do what they don’t do often enough when they play together (Matthews set up someone else / Marner to finish). This is one of the reasons why I have always preferred them on separate lines.

As far as me being too one sided towards one guy over the other ok fair but I’ll always be one sided towards a 2 way #1 centre who can score 50 + goals almost every year in his prime when healthy over a talented winger – most people would regardless of the names on the jerseys no?

I think you pointed something that is very true, AM and MM seem to default to eachother. MArner needs to shoot more and matthews could pass more.
One that was pointed out in the article was that the powerplay seems to be better when one of Marner or Matthews is missing.
Oh Im all for keeping a scoring center over a winger…for sure. Im just not sure Matthews is as much as a stud without marner long term.
Im really hoping Im wrong, cause we’re about to find out what life is like without marner.
I like all 3 core players (WN, AM, MM) and I would like to keep all of them….I just dont think its wise as it pertains to cap allocation as they simply cant get their shit together when it counts.

[Fakepartofme]

Aaron
Participant

The talking heads and pundits who talk about them at all, cause let’s face it it’s Carolina and nobody gives a fuck, talk about how they run 4 lines, they are all hard working, north/south guys and they play an “even better” team defense than Florida does. On paper they should be a better shut down team than Florida.

Ah ok, I see what you’re saying. Honestly, I havent seen any of the canes games and no idea how their play is structured and I havent heard too many peeps talk about them. However, I dont listen to a lot of talking heads outside of kyper and bourne and the Overdrive guys and anytime they discuss a non canadian team…I kinda just switch the channel. LOL

All I know, is the canes are rocking without Rant but they have Freddy in net…so at anytime….they could implode

[Fakepartofme]

Cush.

Not sure marner needs a sniper to get points. Every playmaker needs a finisher and goal scorers need playmakers to get them the puck.
Everybody Marner has played has improved their scoring. I dont think Matthews gets to 69 without him and Marner doesnt get to 100pts without Matthews. But I think both could get close to those numbers if they didnt always play with eachother. They work great together. But youre a bit onsided against marner.

What I find funny, is that Marner scores more without Matthews and Matthews has more assist withour Marner.

Here is an excerpt from a sportsnet article.
“What stands out to me most are the goals-to-assist rates.

When Matthews is with Marner, he scores at nearly a 2:1 ratio of goals to assists, which is insane. In an admittedly small but relevant sample, Matthews has had more assists than goals without Marner. His points-per-game go up as well, and Matthews still scores at a 53-goal pace.

Marner also gets more points without Matthews in this limited sample, and it seems like he takes on more scoring responsibility without him. With more total points, Marner goes from scoring at a 0.3:1 goals-to-assist rate, to a scoring pace that would net him a 50-goal-season, as unsustainable as that may be.”

In the article they have a comparison chart. I couldnt paste the chart in here.
I hope the link works. Its from Feb 2025

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/why-separating-matthews-and-marner-may-work-better-for-the-maple-leafs/

And yes, more skilled bottom 6 depth could have changed the tide in the leafs favour….had Lorentz scored on his breakaway it may have altered the game a bit. Panthers bottom 6 got to the leafs. Again no one said its the only reason, but it is part of the reason.

[Fakepartofme]

Aaron
Participant
I’ll add something additional. Considering Carolina and Florida both are “built the right way” and one of them has to lose this series like, you can build “tough” but it doesn’t matter because 31 teams a year lose. Colorado and the Blues and Kings all built the same way. Fuck the Oilers aren’t and they are in conference finals back to back years.

Not sure carolina is built the right way….I havent heard anyone say that.
But the leafs template hasnt worked in 9 years. You need top end scoring, depth scoring, big quality D, good goaltending and a willingness to consistently fight for every inch of the ice. The leafs have improved big quality D (although they are older) and good goaltending.

[Fakepartofme]

Morgan Rielly $7.5 M

to VAN for Teddy Blueger $1.8 M + Tyler Myers $3.0 M + sign Brian Dumoulin $2 M

OR ALTERNATIVELY

to SEA for Jamie Oleksiak $4.6 + sign Sean Kuraly $1.5 M + sign Brent Burns $2 M

Calle Jarnkrok $2.1 M + David Kampf $2.4 M to CBJ for Boone Jenner $3.8 M

McMann $1.4M for Pospisil $1 M

Mitchell Marner
$13,160,000 × 8 years

Matthew Knies
$6,500,000 × 3 years

Reilly Smith
$5,000,000 × 3 years

Brian Dumoulin OR Brent Burns
$2,000,000 × 2 years

Sean Kuraly OR Blueger @ $1,800,000 in the Rielly trade.
$1,500,000 x 2 years

Brandon Tanev
$900,000 × 2 years

Steven Lorentz
$900,000 × 2 years

Max Pacioretty
$900,000 × 1 years
UG

Tanev isnt signing for $900…he’s 33 and currently makes $3.5m…..minimum would be 2.5-3m per.
Dumoulin also makes over $3m per currently and is 33.
Reilly smith had 29pts last year…..$5m per for that? Thats a bad contract….he’s also 34
Marner turned 13.5 x 8 …..but all of a sudden he’s going to take 13.1? Dont offer him anymore than 12 per.

Its just not reality.
The leafs dont have to replace marners points this off season and it wont be replaced by 1 person. It could partially be replaced by one UFA, this off season and another at the TDL or next off season. The crop of UFAs seem a little better next year if they make it to UFA (I think Mcdavid signs and extension with the oilers)

Morgan has to be moved out and you are not getting value for him.

[Fakepartofme]

Lawsie
Participant
A huge part of the Panther success right now is that their blue line jumps into the rush better than anyone. Jones killed us ..Ekblad is always jumping in …last night I’m watching Mikkola jump by wingers and drive the net. Maurice is a beauty.

@Uggie …if MM signs for that then I agree, do it. No way Jarnkrok and Kampf get you Jenner though …that’s a dream. Krok gets his bonus July 1 and then you can move him for a 5th rounder …maybe. Kampf gets his bonus on July 1 then maybe you snag a career AHL’er for him b/c there’s dozens of Kampf’s available this summer for $1M and he costs twice that.

If Rielly will move on …perfect. I don’t need much back at all just to move that contract. Lots of better and/or cheaper options available.

Tanev needs to be a Leaf.

The biggest part of the panthers success is that their bottom 6 contributes on the scoresheet…..the leafs bottom 6 really dont that much.
The leafs lack quality depth because so much of their cap is tied up in 5 soft players (MM, AM, Willy, JT and MR)…the four forwards are very similar…too similar and all want to outdo the other and be the top guy. Not a team.
The leafs have to free up money for better depth. ITs been 10 years with these 4 players (AM, MM, Willy and MR)….and they’ve had no post season success. They need change. Big change.
Also, leafs management and coaching staff are relatively large compared to others…..line that out as well. Too many opinions and wasted money.

[Fakepartofme]

dmnted
Participant
with the acquisition of Laughton has made Kampf expendable imo.
I’d like to see Lorentz back as well.

Jarnkrok was hurt for most of the season and if the Leafs can move his contract without taken on back would be ok.

I’d see if Pacioretty is willing to com back at 950K
but-out Reaves – ~ 450K for two years or do you let him sit in the minors for the year.

not to many C in UFA, I’d bring back JT on a 2 year deal @ a 5M cap hit. If he want a 3 year, Leafs get a lower cap hit ~4.5M

wait and see what the Leafs do now.

Jarny is a decent contract and when healthy can play up and down the line up.
I agree with JT, but lets be honest, he could easily get more on the open marker…something closer to Stamkos.
Speaking of Stamkos, find out if Marner would sign there. If so, do a sign and trade. MAnrer with 8 year deal plus Morgan for Marchessault, buntin (salary dump) and Lauzon.
Not great for Toronto, but they get Marchessault, an ok 2nd/line 3rd player, a youngish big Dman and cap space. Bunting could be traded for a pick.

[Fakepartofme]

Azure
Participant
Some people here cannot accept that Marner was offered (as per Dregger) 13.5 x 8 and turned it down,, It was after that Tre approached him about waiving his NMC. He clearly does not want to be hear for is looking to be the highest paid player in the league. Good for him.. Do it someplace else.

Marner will be gone by his own choice and that is fine.. The reasoning that they cannot win without Marner is flawed. Where is Florida’s MM? Where is Carolina’s MM?

Seems people say that the Leaf’s can’t win without him but they have not won with him and other teams are winning without him.

Bring JT back if it is a short team friendly deal. Mathews and Nylander are going nowhere unless they want to.

As for Peterson.. He could not handle the pressure in Vancouver in the regular season.. Toronto would crush him.,

This.
Also, remember when people were saying the canes are going nowhere due to the Rant debacle….well they seem to be doing fine.
Losing marner will be a big hit during the reg season for sure and for the first 4 games of any series….but the leafs havent won with this trio…in fact they havent even come close. They melt down in big games.
Marner isnt worth 13.5m…heck neither is matthews…but we’re stuck with matthews.
If marner takes $11.5…fine…but he wont. His dad is too greedy
If JT will take $5m…great sign him, if he wants more. Walk him.
Trade Morgan, his money can be better spent.

[Fakepartofme]

fifty mission cap
Participant
Marner is walking. The Leafs no longer have any say in the matter.

The mistakes with the management of this core have been ongoing for nine years.

Marner walking July 1 is not the “mistake” – it’s the cherry on top of an ongoing decade long organizational failure.

I honestly think Dubas really screwed this team with the contracts of MArner and Matthews along with his trying to reinvent the NHL. Huge failure. That and the core 3 never gelled as one team, they seem to always trying to be outdoing the other….never seem to fight for eachother.

Poor tre only a week when he started before Marner’s no move kicked in. No time to do a proper assessment, but that was the time to trade marner.

[Author]

Posts