Bribe is a bad word in business.
- bixll

Cash incentive?

Cool.
thats what reporters do...talk to player agents and vice versa.

No proof any agent is paying a media member.

The whole "oh Toronto media is bad" story line is so overblown.
- Fakepartofme

Not so much paying them, but offer information that will make him look good in exchange for saying certain things about the Marner contract in the media.

More like a trade, if you will.

So Johnsson or Bracco maybe? Are we being too optimistic?
- Aetherial

the thing is, if he wants to go back to SJ and they also want him for say 1 mil, you need a 3rd team who then has to buy him out

I think you've had enough experience

The score was 4-1. We had them right where we wanted them!
- RickJames77

I was so goddamn relieved to hear the Blues won.

You have no idea.

If Dubas doesn’t get Mitch locked up, he’s officially the worst Leafs GM in our lifetime.

the thing is, if he wants to go back to SJ and they also want him for say 1 mil, you need a 3rd team who then has to buy him out
- senstroll

If PM were a free agent today do you think a team would pay him 3 milly for one year? Maybe it's that simple. Leafs trade him to west coast and eat half of his salary/cap after July 1.

If Dubas doesn’t get Mitch locked up, he’s officially the worst Leafs GM in our lifetime.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Or conversely, Marner/Ferris is the most out of touch player/agent combo the Leafs have had to deal with?

I think you've had enough experience

The score was 4-1. We had them right where we wanted them!
- RickJames77

Arizona is my best guess ....and it'll cost Bracco and/or a mid pick. Kapanen or Johnsson isn't worth it ...better to keep Marleau if that's the demand.
- The Law

I think the way to look at it is that if you are going to trade these players away for draft picks (no cap back) what would you get?

Bracco
Kap
Johnsson

then attach Marleau to the deal, and reduce that return (just like the caps did with Orpik)

Also knowing the Real $$ remaining on PM at the time of the trade would help

As much as we've all heard this before, I don't think Florida is joking around this year. They spent the better half of the year moving out cap space once they were out of the playoff picture to go big game hunting in the off season. I don't see them turning around after that and taking on bad contracts even for just a year.
- RickJames77

It's not a bad contract it's a bad cap hit, after July 1st his salary is 2.75 and he almost always scores 20.

I don't think a team would buy him out. Because it's the full cap hit of 6.25M for the entire season. Plus, it seems like he only wants to play in California.

With that said, I could see a team like New Jersey or Colorado making a trade for him. Good guy to help develop their younger players and they have more than enough cap space to make it work.
- PatC80

I said this before, the biggest problem with Marleau is actual value. It feels like his value is maybe a $2m player. Even if you eat half his salary, he is still overpaid for his value.

There are other guys who are similarly declining and have large contracts. Offhand I can think of Koivu and Steen as guys who aren't playing up to the standard of their contracts. Off of LA you have Carter. There's also Brown, but his level of play is still higher than that of Marleau. The problem with both Brown and Carter is the three years remaining on their term. If LA were to eat some salary to accommodate for the extra years, an even up deal could be possible, but basically you'd be saying, eat $2m of Brown's contract (so we get him at $3.8m), and take on Marleau. This year your cap increases by $2.5m or so, but next year and the year after it goes down).

I think it depends on how much the Leafs want to just push the bump down the snake, so to speak.

Frank Seravalli
‏Verified account @frank_seravalli

#NHLDucks are in the process of finalizing paperwork to buy out Corey Perry this morning. Perry is not expected to be placed on waivers, by virtue of his no-move clause. Big name for the #FreeAgentFrenzy list. #TSN

If Dubas doesn’t get Mitch locked up, he’s officially the worst Leafs GM in our lifetime.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Yeah no.



Mitch is great. Fans love him, and he's a phenomenal player. He still doesn't deserve what Matthews got. Centres and goalscorers have always been paid more - AM is both of those things, Mitch is neither.

Kucherov is the benchmark. If Mitch signs for more than that, he's overpaid. Yes Kuch is in FL with their tax, but he's also better.

Frank Seravalli
‏Verified account @frank_seravalli

#NHLDucks are in the process of finalizing paperwork to buy out Corey Perry this morning. Perry is not expected to be placed on waivers, by virtue of his no-move clause. Big name for the #FreeAgentFrenzy list. #TSN
- GreatGigInTheSky

I wonder which team will give him a shot for cheap.

Could be an interesting gamble despite him falling apart.

I wonder which team will give him a shot for cheap.

Could be an interesting gamble despite him falling apart.
- Scabeh

San Jose!

If PM were a free agent today do you think a team would pay him 3 milly for one year? Maybe it's that simple. Leafs trade him to west coast and eat half of his salary/cap after July 1.
- The Law

This is actually a more succinct version (no surprise there) of what I was getting at. What do you think Marleau's actual FMV would be? I saw Bobby point out he's a 20 goal guy, and it's basically true. But he's declining and I think most people would expect that getting 12 goals out of Marleau this year would be a boost over expectations.

To me, if I was signing him now, I'd give him a $1.5m contract with performance bonuses equivalent to another $1.5 maybe, knowing he'd never really hit them.

Yeah no.



Mitch is great. Fans love him, and he's a phenomenal player. He still doesn't deserve what Matthews got. Centres and goalscorers have always been paid more - AM is both of those things, Mitch is neither.

Kucherov is the benchmark. If Mitch signs for more than that, he's overpaid. Yes Kuch is in FL with their tax, but he's also better.
- lumlums

Id rather have Stone at 9.5 than Marner at 11
age and everything considered.

And if i was being unbiased, Stone is the better player and you should take him over Marner at the same $$

San Jose!
- AdamFrench

Classic Sharks move.

I wonder which team will give him a shot for cheap.

Could be an interesting gamble despite him falling apart.
- Scabeh

I've always loved the way he plays so I'd like it if the Leafs signed him. But I know that he's nowhere close to the player he was.

If he came hella cheap, I'd do it. But I don't think it'll happen.

Id rather have Stone at 9.5 than Marner at 11
age and everything considered.

And if i was being unbiased, Stone is the better player and you should take him over Marner at the same $$
- senstroll

I agree. I love Marner. He's exciting, dynamic and creative.

Stone is one of the top players in the entire game. He can do everything well. He's even a better goalie than Sparks.

If PM were a free agent today do you think a team would pay him 3 milly for one year? Maybe it's that simple. Leafs trade him to west coast and eat half of his salary/cap after July 1.
- The Law

They can't, all they can eat is 1.375.

Id rather have Stone at 9.5 than Marner at 11
age and everything considered.

And if i was being unbiased, Stone is the better player and you should take him over Marner at the same $$
- senstroll

he's 27 though

goddamn how time flies...

Yeah no.



Mitch is great. Fans love him, and he's a phenomenal player. He still doesn't deserve what Matthews got. Centres and goalscorers have always been paid more - AM is both of those things, Mitch is neither.

Kucherov is the benchmark. If Mitch signs for more than that, he's overpaid. Yes Kuch is in FL with their tax, but he's also better.
- lumlums

Matthews is probably underpaid.

Mitch deserves whatever he wants.

Kuch is an idiot and a bad negotiator.

But more importantly, trade Willy for Dumba.

I agree. I love Marner. He's exciting, dynamic and creative.

Stone is one of the top players in the entire game. He can do everything well. He's even a better goalie than Sparks.
- Monkeypunk

lolol

This is actually a more succinct version (no surprise there) of what I was getting at. What do you think Marleau's actual FMV would be? I saw Bobby point out he's a 20 goal guy, and it's basically true. But he's declining and I think most people would expect that getting 12 goals out of Marleau this year would be a boost over expectations.

To me, if I was signing him now, I'd give him a $1.5m contract with performance bonuses equivalent to another $1.5 maybe, knowing he'd never really hit them.
- Monkeypunk

Just spitballing ...

Thornton got 1 yr 5 milly last summer.
Filpulla got 1 yr 2.75 ..
Plekanek got 1 yr 3.25 ..
Vanek got 1 yr 3 milly ..

I think/hope theirs some team on the west coast that values him at 3+. And after July 1 I think he only has about 2.75 in real salary. So if the Leafs ate 1/3 of the contract then the other team is only paying about 1.8 and taking on about 4 million in cap hit.

That sounds doable? I hope ...