Willy Nylander is not worth 6.9 million a season. He wouldn't even get that as a UFA right now. Matthews would get his 11.5 as a UFA, but it's too much for a guy exiting entry level if he wanted to keep the team competitive. Less than 12 months ago people were laughing at Edmonton's contracts, now they look brilliant in comparison.
- aminnes

Nick Schmaltz in PHX got 5.75 for slightly lower numbers. Somebody would've paid. Let's at least give this another year before making harsh judgements. It's not like management and the coaching staff didn't notice he under-performed so Willy will know going into next year that he has to justify the contract, and I think as far as the regular season's concerned, he will.

Key quote:

"They then took out a couple of their heavier guys and inserted more speed and skill. So my conviction about speed and skill has not been shaken at all. I do think like any team, as our guys get older they’re going to naturally get heavier and grittier. As they accrue these scars and scar tissues from experiences like this, mentally they’ll deal with it."

Truth.

People keep forgetting at how young this core is. Look at how mature Rielly is and he's only a couple of years older.

Same with Kadri (when he's not doing stupid things). Kadri can hang with any line in the league; I remember when he'd fall down if you looked at him funny.

Look at how much Matthews' improved in the DZ. He was snowed under last year; this year, he looked like Toews in his prime back there; 200' game.

Marner, he's only going to get stronger, craftier, his shot will improve too.

Secondary guys like Kapanen and Johnsson need to be consistent. Kappy needs to play a heavier game, drive the net, use that thick frame more.

We have another year of Muzzin and Zaitsev was consistent and reliable that whole series. He's gotta reflect on that this off-season and bring that consistency to camp next year.
- gravyface

I noticed that point too and thought it was very apt.

Holy Mackinaw, will Marleau be headed to Robideaux island. No comment from Johnny Toronto? He was probably ecstatic that he just made it to the playoffs. Marner should be the Leafs highest payed player because he's the Leafs best player. Kadri having 5 suspensions for dirty play but he claims he doesn't play this way? Now does Dubas ask daddy Shanahan what do I do next. All this with the harshest media and most critical fans scrutinize every move the team does. No wonder this team hasn't won the cup in 52 years, and counting.

Any team prepared to offersheet Marner at 11+ is a bottom feeder, with nothing left to lose. Why would he sign to play there?

It's like, would you rather make $100K a year living in Cabo or $300K living in Nunavut?
- gravyface

Cabo the best you could come up with? The Edmonton of Mexico..

I'll just repost from the previous thread what I thought the plan should be going forward:

- Kadri gets moved in what I hope is a deal similar to what happened a few years ago when NSH & CBJ swapped Seth Jones and Ryan Johanson in what could be termed a good 'hockey deal' where there aren't a tonne of extra parts and both teams get something they want. I do believe that Kadri is a good enough starter in a trade for a really good defenceman and I wouldn't be against adding a little more if it truly was a great deal.

- Both assistants get fired to shake up special teams. I don't think Babs deserves to get canned, but the honeymoon is over and we need some fresh ideas on the special teams.

- A new backup goalie would be nice, but not urgent until partway through the season. I mean, it's not a big deal if we don't win a divisional spot and avoid Boston with a wildcard spot, is it?

- Unfortunately Marleau will be back for one more year. We won't get cap relief from him until afterwards but there's enough room to add pieces for next year.

- Jake goes

- Lilly and Sandin get a good look in training camp but no guarantee of spots. I do see Sandin making it before Lilje based on performance, but it'd be nice if they could come in as the third pair.

- Maybe we can add a free agent to fill Kadri's 3C spot if in fact we move him for a solid D. I don't think Zaitsev gets moved and as long as he looks competant with Muzzin I can't complain.

Holy Mackinaw, will Marleau be headed to Robideaux island. No comment from Johnny Toronto? He was probably ecstatic that he just made it to the playoffs. Marner should be the Leafs highest payed player because he's the Leafs best player. Kadri having 5 suspensions for dirty play but he claims he doesn't play this way? Now does Dubas ask daddy Shanahan what do I do next. All this with the harshest media and most critical fans scrutinize every move the team does. No wonder this team hasn't won the cup in 52 years, and counting.
- islansjet

Where?

Holy Mackinaw, will Marleau be headed to Robideaux island. No comment from Johnny Toronto? He was probably ecstatic that he just made it to the playoffs. Marner should be the Leafs highest payed player because he's the Leafs best player. Kadri having 5 suspensions for dirty play but he claims he doesn't play this way? Now does Dubas ask daddy Shanahan what do I do next. All this with the harshest media and most critical fans scrutinize every move the team does. No wonder this team hasn't won the cup in 52 years, and counting.
- islansjet

Yep, it's been tough for this one single franchise that has been around for over a hundred years.

Defense next year:

Reilly - (New Dman)
Muzzin - Zaitsev
Sandin - Dermott

Hainsey/Lilje

Very interesting.

https://www.tsn.ca/toront...t-came-up-short-1.1296176

That brings me back to the Boston series. I know people want to focus on Babcock’s usage and deployment, or a ghastly penalty kill, or the organization’s failure to address the blueline – all topics worthy of discussion. But the part that leaves me mystified more than anything else is the fact that the Maple Leafs were outclassed at even strength by the Bruins. Most of Toronto’s star players either couldn’t get out of the defensive zone, couldn’t sustain time in the offensive zone, or a combination of sorts.

This wasn’t a series about lucky bounces. Toronto was outscored 16 to 13 at even strength (44.8 per cent) and that was probably a touch generous. Expected goals (blind to goaltender performance) in the series were 20 to 15 at even strength (42.9 per cent) in favour of Boston. Keep in mind that this is a Toronto team that owned 54.1 per cent of the goals at even strength over the regular season with the league’s second-most explosive offence.

So which players dragged Toronto down in the series? Well, that’s the thing. We can nitpick at the depth all day long, but it was largely the top-tier players who were taken out of most of the games:

Embedded Image

The list of players who owned a pitifully low percentage of the expected goals – guys like Matthews, Nylander, Gardiner, Muzzin, Tavares, Rielly, and Marner – also just so happen to be the core group of players who have driven the Leafs to where they are today.

It’s worth repeating that the goal differentials we did see were largely mirror images of how the game was played territorially. Of Toronto’s 12 most-utilized skaters in the series, only one – embattled defender Hainsey – actually drove a positive on-ice goal differential in the series. That’s also true if you isolate it to just expected goals. The rest of Toronto’s key players were either a wash in the minutes they played or were considerable negatives.

Toronto has had some frustrating postseason exits in the past, but this one is particularly problematic. How much do you weigh a seven-game series? That’s the question that the Maple Leafs front office needs to answer in short order. Because for as much as we talk about how talented their core players are (and make no mistake, they are absurdly gifted), this group was noticeably outskated by an older Boston team that shouldn’t have been able to match speed or skill against Toronto at evens.

It will be a fascinating summer in Toronto. Changes were coming well before their first-round exit, and now we sit back and see if this year’s exit – where Boston’s best simply outplayed Toronto’s best – increases the scale and magnitude of what Kyle Dubas and company plan on accomplishing.

Would you guys do Marleau (after the bonus is paid) for Kovalchuk 2mil retained?

Would you guys do Marleau (after the bonus is paid) for Kovalchuk 2mil retained?
- AdamFrench

nope

nope
- TheMussel

Understood.

Would you guys do Marleau (after the bonus is paid) for Kovalchuk 2mil retained?
- AdamFrench

So Kovalchuk for 4.25 million, for two more years and they take Marleau?

(frank), that's a tough one.

Gotta see what Marner re-signs for first.

So Kovalchuk for 4.25 million, for two more years and they take Marleau?

(frank), that's a tough one.

Gotta see what Marner re-signs for first.
- JohnFergusonJr

Much like Marleau, the 3rd year is the kicker.

Much like Marleau, the 3rd year is the kicker.
- AdamFrench

I think Kovalchuk would do some serious damage with Matthews or Tavares and Marner. Especially on the PP.

Kovalchuk was a better player than Marleau and younger than him too.

I think Kovalchuk would do some serious damage with Matthews or Tavares and Marner. Especially on the PP.

Kovalchuk was a better player than Marleau and younger than him too.
- JohnFergusonJr

I'm actually kind of shocked after the poop year and all the BS that he only had 3 less points in almost 20 games less.

I'm actually kind of shocked after the poop year and all the BS that he only had 3 less points in almost 20 games less.
- AdamFrench

On a team that couldn't score and was a lottery team.

Would you guys do Marleau (after the bonus is paid) for Kovalchuk 2mil retained?
- AdamFrench

Mentor for that guy the Leafs are trying to sign?

I don’t know, I’m still wrapping my head around the one piece stick being the difference for Marleau.

Mentor for that guy the Leafs are trying to sign?

I don’t know, I’m still wrapping my head around the one piece stick being the difference for Marleau.
- LeafMan

When he scores 30 goals next year...you'll be eating HOHO's hat.

When he scores 30 goals next year...you'll be eating HOHO's hat.
- AdamFrench

I’m on a no felt diet.

When he scores 30 goals next year...you'll be eating HOHO's hat.
- AdamFrench

Kovalchuk or the new Russian?

What's the deal with that guy anyway? Any good?

Dreger said Ozhiganov is going back to the KHL, thank (frank)!

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...d-1-stanley-cup-playoffs/

Rest your starter in the regular season to have post-season success
As Ryan Dixon highlighted in our takeaways from the regular season, it’s more important than ever to have two capable goalies in your stable. No. 1 goalies are seeing their workloads decline as teams choose to keep them a little more rested for the playoff season. And if you want to even get that far, your backup goalie can’t be a liability in relief.

Take Tuukka Rask for example. He started only 45 games this season, which was the fewest he’d played in a full season since Tim Thomas left the team in 2012. He had his ups and downs throughout the regular season, finishing on a down note, but leaves Round 1 with a .928 save percentage. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said it was a benefit of resting Rask more often.

Bruce Cassidy believes the #bruins recieved the benefits of limiting Tuukka Rask's workload during the regular season tonight. That'll be a big point of interest with the #leafs and Frederik Andersen next year.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 24, 2019

Of the 17 goalies who started at least 50 regular season games, nine made the playoffs and just two remain in the second round. It’s not that putting your No. 1 goalie in the crease for 50 or more games dooms you to an early playoff exit. Braden Holtby won the Stanley Cup last year after playing 59 games and Bobrovsky is just finishing up the best playoff round of his career. But it’s worth noting four of the best five performances in Round 1 were by goalies who started no more than 45 games.

Kovalchuk or the new Russian?

What's the deal with that guy anyway? Any good?

Dreger said Ozhiganov is going back to the KHL, thank (frank)!
- JohnFergusonJr

No idea about the new Russian dude. Never followed him.

I've seen Podlozkin and not sure why he's the 3rd overall favourite. He reminds me of a Russian Nathan Horton...oh...that's why!

No idea about the new Russian dude. Never followed him.

I've seen Podlozkin and not sure why he's the 3rd overall favourite. He reminds me of a Russian Nathan Horton...oh...that's why!
- AdamFrench

He’s a complete winger with all the qualities that you want in a player, Craig Button - TSN 2018



How do these assclowns have jobs?

No idea about the new Russian dude. Never followed him.

I've seen Podlozkin and not sure why he's the 3rd overall favourite. He reminds me of a Russian Nathan Horton...oh...that's why!
- AdamFrench

Also a Benoit Pouliot type as well.