its the low hanging Fruit and the easy person to pick.

Also Marleau is very likable, and people are willing to overlook things when they like a player like PM.

NZ is different, people are all over the board with him.
- senstroll

i don't think PM is particularly likable? (publicly he's a very boring person imo).
but when building a team to win a SC, you need a setup and some guys are contributing to the team while maybe not contributing that much individually (as for points etc.). the reason for Leafs to keep PM is you need a few guys with more experience, guys who are men and not guys who just started in NHL.
I want to keep Zaitsev as well (what's not to like about him as a person??)

And Nylander did not want 6.9 originally, make no mistake. He wanted the Draisaitl deal.

I find it odd Nylander goes from 8.5 to 6.9 and actually calls Dubas at the last minute to sign and Dubas is the one who got hosed.Did anyone expect Nylander to get anywhere less than about 6.5 per? He had numbers the same as Drai and Patrnak when they signed their deals.

I also find it odd NYlander's deal is seen as some horrific cap mistake yet the real issue is Lou's deals. Zaitsev and Marleau are only going to make 200K less than Tavres next season!
- RogerRoeper

Willies deal is 7.5 per not 6.9. Only 6.9 cap cause he held out.
His cap hit is not bad at all. A little more than i would have preferred, but not bad at all.

He wasn't a hart winner at the time he was traded.
It was a chia trade. A one off. Doesnt even factor in.
- Fakepartofme

and pretty sure he was a top pairng guy for the Devils, not saying it was a good trade.

Nylanders likeable, I think PM's on his way out and gets a little more rope I guess. Plus it's 1 more year MAX so most just shrug their shoulders. Pretty sure we all planned on 5 years of pain but lots are crying after year 3....strange really.
- Garnie

the problem is the cap this coming Season. Keeping PM will force them to make some tough choices.

imo, things started when Shanny took over. Its been 5 years so far

Nylanders likeable, I think PM's on his way out and gets a little more rope I guess. Plus it's 1 more year MAX so most just shrug their shoulders. Pretty sure we all planned on 5 years of pain but lots are crying after year 3....strange really.
- Garnie

really?

there's about 20 guys on the team that are more likeable over Nylander.

Willies deal is 7.5 per not 6.9. Only 6.9 cap cause he held out.
His cap hit is not bad at all. A little more than i would have preferred, but not bad at all.
- Fakepartofme

It is 6.9 per starting next season, not 7.5.

i don't think PM is particularly likable? (publicly he's a very boring person imo).
but when building a team to win a SC, you need a setup and some guys are contributing to the team while maybe not contributing that much individually (as for points etc.). the reason for Leafs to keep PM is you need a few guys with more experience, guys who are men and not guys who just started in NHL.
I want to keep Zaitsev as well (what's not to like about him as a person??)
- MaximusAurelius

You want to keep Zaitsev and Marleau, but not Nylander? What has Marleau's "Experience" done for the Leafs?

really?

there's about 20 guys on the team that are more likeable over Nylander.
- MaximusAurelius

Dude.

Look at his hair.

Enough said.

i don't think PM is particularly likable? (publicly he's a very boring person imo).
but when building a team to win a SC, you need a setup and some guys are contributing to the team while maybe not contributing that much individually (as for points etc.). the reason for Leafs to keep PM is you need a few guys with more experience, guys who are men and not guys who just started in NHL.
I want to keep Zaitsev as well (what's not to like about him as a person??)
- MaximusAurelius

Is there anyone who doesnt like Patrick Marluea? he might be the most likable guy in the NHL, people eat up those cute father like videos he does with Mitch and Auston

Tavares is 28, Hainsey 37, Marleau 39, Muzzin 30, Ennis 29 ... none of that age and experience helped. Its a made up narrative. I guess they needed more different experience?

I wish we had signed Williams instead of marleau.

Willies deal is 7.5 per not 6.9. Only 6.9 cap cause he held out.
His cap hit is not bad at all. A little more than i would have preferred, but not bad at all.
- Fakepartofme

the cap hit is what matters atm, and it probably only got done because it could be under 7 avg (excluding this past season of course which didnt really matter)

I wish we had signed Williams instead of marleau.
- mykokes

We still can!

I wish we had signed Williams instead of marleau.
- mykokes

This.

Only a 2 year term. Still produces. Is clutch. Is a real leader on the ice. Is 2 million cheaper.

Please ban Aetherial for breathing.
- Steven_Seagull

- Symba.007

Nothing about this is fair or right.

Nothing about this is fair or right.


- Aetherial

that's life as a leafs fan my friend

I wish we had signed Williams instead of marleau.
- mykokes

Yup. They're the same age. One is obviously aging much better and is cheaper.

Go by the rumours. None of the deals sounded interesting for Nylander. No big top pair Ds.
Wingers have less trade value than D.
- RogerRoeper

St Louis and Carolina were the two teams most interested. Can't see StL moving either AP or CP. Carolina lines up really well but I guess the debate is whether it's worth moving Willie for Hamilton or Faulk or Pesce.

I think Dubas would have to find a new home for NZ before acquiring any defenceman making that kind of money.

I know Hamilton shows well analytically and I haven't watched a lot of the Canes but it worries me that he's getting considerably less ice time then Slavin, Pesce and Faulk. I worry that the Leafs end up getting Phaneuf'ed if they bring him in.

Pesce might be the guy though. I just wouldn't trade Willie for him straight up. Does Kapanen get you Pesce?

- fifty__missions

Internet high five !!

Yup. They're the same age. One is obviously aging much better and is cheaper.
- RogerRoeper

2 years apart. Marleau is 39. And yeah I realize it's 100 per cent hindsight. Just something about Williams I've always liked. This year has only solidified it.

We still can!
- TheMussel

No, no we can't. He's 37 now...he will drop off teribbly just like Marleau has.

You want to keep Zaitsev and Marleau, but not Nylander? What has Marleau's "Experience" done for the Leafs?
- RogerRoeper

I hate Marleau as much as the next guy for the 2019-20 season, but there's no denying he was a good presence for the young kids for at least the 2017-18 season.

Last year? Hmmmmm....

But we have Tavares now - we don't need him anymore.

at this point none of that matters ...

what matters is that the club has to decide where it wants to allocate its limited CAP space.

clearly the following are more impactful/important players than Nylander (at forward) (PLEASE NOTE I DIDN'T SAY TALENTED)
Matthews
Tavares
Marner
Hyman
Kapanen
Kadri

argue it all you want... he's not as important as those guys.... so you move a guy who's not that important to address a need somewhere else. Nylander's crap season only compounds things for the Leafs, he'd still be a valuable commodity for many other teams, where his significance would be much more apparent.



- BorjeFan4Ever

Ok. I'll argue it all I want: Nylander was bad this year. There's no denying that. He had his moments when he got his legs moving, but his hands didn't follow. He is far better than his results this year showed, and next year is the year to decide. You don't bail on him now unless someone is buying high.

My argument is that he is more IMPORTANT than Kapanen, Hyman or Kadri because of what I believe he will do. If he sucks next year, then it's too bad, but if he breaks camp with the team and plays with the team, I'd expect him to regain his form and have a natural progression from his 2018 results. THAT Nylander is someone who is important.

I'd agree that Marleau is probably staying, but let's see how he feels in August. I am torn on Zaitsev. He was good in the playoffs - if he can play like that, his $4.5m isn't too bad. If he plays like he did for a large portion of the season . . .ugh!

If they're looking for cap relief, it's a certainty that Brown goes. Then you're probably looking at Johnsson. Most of the talent on the Marlies are lefties - Korshkov, Engvall, Mikheyev, Timashov and Marchment; only Bracco is a righty.