meh... who wants Brown... when you can have a guy who costs more and can consistently do fly-bys at breakneck speed with hair flowing.

those fly-bys are important you know
- BorjeFan4Ever

Zaitsev contract AAV is the same as Ceci. It wouldn't have changed our Cap situation this year. It's arguable that Zaitsev is better than Ceci, but that's another conversation already beaten to death.

Matt Martin makes 2.5 mil and this is his last year. Marleau made 6.25 mil and this would've been his last year. That's 8.75m.

Let's say that neither would've been Robidas islanded (probably unlikely).

We would've had Kadri at 4.5m but not Kerfoot and Barrie at 6.25mil - A savings of 1.75mil.

We wouldn't have had Muzzin, but we would've had Brown at 2.1, so we're back up to 5.1 mil over.

The big question is, would he have gone after Tavares hard, or just have had a meeting to see where everyone was at?

I think it's safe to say that over the big 3 RFA's he would've saved around 4 or 5 mil.

Lou left Kyle with cap space, options, futures, and a team heavily on the rise. Matt Martin and Marleau only ever became an issue when we signed Tavares and overpaid at least 2 of the big 3 RFAs. Kyle's handling of those 3 contracts specifically has left us without an NHL backup, and the inability to have a full roster when everyone is healthy.
- walshyleafsfan

I'm not going to waste energy arguing with the anti-Dubas crowd, sorry, find someone else.

There's no pleasing you guys.

If I had told you, before the season, you'd be 2 points ahead of Tampa in mid-november, most of you would have been pretty god damn happy about that scenario.

Now, it's happening, and it's not enough.

I GIVE UP.
- Scabeh

The biggest issue for me is not the fact that Leafs are losing.
The issue is how they are losing - basically 0 effort and it makes it miserable to watch games.

For me there is a disconnect between what I would like players to be (effort on the ice and in general how they present themselves) and how they actually act on this team.

This goes back to 'team culture' and obviously there is a big issue there with this Leafs team (and I personally believe management is responsible for that).

I was excited too, but had some hesitation about us being the best and telling every fan on the site ( is all I’m getting at )
- Garnie

The koolaid drinkers were rampant

Anyone who thought this team may have concerns were attacked.

Zaitsev- cap hit not that bad. It’s average for defence now. Zaitsev looks like Chris Pronger compared to Ceci imo.
Marleau- only would have been under contract for this year. You telling me he couldn’t be better then Shore? We lost a 1st rounder for that. If Dubas hadn’t overpaid some unnamed players, we could have just kept him and let him play out the contract.
Rookie contracts- Rather that then Dubas ‘bend over and take it’ philosophy.
Martin- played good for us. Same with Leo.

But ya, all hail Dubas! No experience and we are shocked at what we see on the ice! Hockey is not an all-star/shinny competition!
- Hockey_Reverend

I would very much disagree about Zaitsev. $4.5m that just goes on and on for a poor defenseman is a boat anchor. We're done with Ceci at the end of this year, and like being bathed in scalding oil, the scars will remain, but the pain will go away.

Look, if we'd kept Lou, how do you imagine things would have played out?

We probably don't sign Tavares, so we'd still have Marleau - but there would be around $4.75m in cap space there.

We don't trade Kadri, because we need him as a 2C.

Without Tavares on the roster, Matthews signs for $10.5, Marner signs for $9.5, and Nylander still signs for $7. So you have $2.5 more in cap.

Here's the roster:

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Johnsson - Kadri - Marner
Marleau - [someone] - Kapanen
Moore - Gauthier - Brown

Rielly - [someone]
Dermott - Zaitsev
[someone] - Holl

There's about $11m available here. We could upgrade the backup position from an AHL player, so assume that's $2.5, which deducts around $2m from the total. With the $9m available, what are we doing for 3C, #1 RHD and 5/6 D that's significantly better than we have now?

didnt watch the game. I see the same result

At Least the Leafs flipped the High danger chances to their side (20-11).
but still lose

I'm not going to waste energy arguing with the anti-Dubas crowd, sorry, find someone else.
- gravyface

Oh Sorry

All hail Dubas. He is a genius. AHL champion and he is young so he must be better then dinosaurs like Lou.



Let’s keep the pencil pusher young GM experiment going a few years and see what happens...

I'm not going to waste energy arguing with the anti-Dubas crowd, sorry, find someone else.
- gravyface

Anti - Dubas? I'm anti anyone who has (frank)ed things up so bad. I'm anti Nonis, Burke and JFJ too.

The Dubas splooge crew just won't listen. Excuses for every move.

Eventually I predict, we'll all be on the same page.

Ceci and Z are a wash
Both are meh. But z comes with 5 more years of meh...ceci is gone at the end of this season. You still do that trade.
Brown, meh. He wasnt going to the same chance here as he does in ottawa.
He had one good season with the leafs.
- Fakepartofme

its funny - or just coincidence that Matthews had his best statistical season playing with "two plumbers" Hyman and Brown.... he's looked better more dangerous on the powerplay (generally speaking since)... but much less dangerous 5v5...

now I'm not under delusions about Brown's ceiling... but at least that guy made an appearance occasionally in his own zone and would win some percentage of puck battles - as opposed to simply waiving a limp-wristed stick at the opposition.

how many goals did Brown score playing with Matthews?
how many goals did Kapanen score playing a partial season with Matthews last year?

I don't appreciate what Nylander apparently brings to the table... at least not statistically... but after watching recent games, that guy simply doesn't generate anything near enough dangerous scoring chances, repeatedly tries to make "unmakeable" passes, avoids contact at all costs, doesn't really generate any shot attempts on his own.... so why is he there?

Man Fleury made some big saves last night towards the end of the game.

And that's fine but don't try to make it sound like a handful of Leaf's nation was the only ones predicting good things for this team. Most of the world is shocked by how poop they've been.
- The Law

I was hoping for good things too, I didn’t run into every blog and state “Dubas is King, Leafs Da best” neither did you I don’t think.

Some did. Not a lot, but some

Don’t get your knickers in a knot, I’m not bashing many saying this

One of our big contracts needs to go.

I vote Marner. Love him, but you could get a real d-man back...

Runs and hides...

The koolaid drinkers were rampant

Anyone who thought this team may have concerns were attacked.
- Fakepartofme

Holy (frank) yeah. The last year has been telling everyone they're stupid if they just don't see the great job Dubas is doing.

Zaitsev contract AAV is the same as Ceci. It wouldn't have changed our Cap situation this year. It's arguable that Zaitsev is better than Ceci, but that's another conversation already beaten to death.

Matt Martin makes 2.5 mil and this is his last year. Marleau made 6.25 mil and this would've been his last year. That's 8.75m.

Let's say that neither would've been Robidas islanded (probably unlikely).

We would've had Kadri at 4.5m but not Kerfoot and Barrie at 6.25mil - A savings of 1.75mil.

We wouldn't have had Muzzin, but we would've had Brown at 2.1, so we're back up to 5.1 mil over.

The big question is, would he have gone after Tavares hard, or just have had a meeting to see where everyone was at?

I think it's safe to say that over the big 3 RFA's he would've saved around 4 or 5 mil.

Lou left Kyle with cap space, options, futures, and a team heavily on the rise. Matt Martin and Marleau only ever became an issue when we signed Tavares and overpaid at least 2 of the big 3 RFAs. Kyle's handling of those 3 contracts specifically has left us without an NHL backup, and the inability to have a full roster when everyone is healthy.
- walshyleafsfan

sums it up...! Good post

Holy (frank) yeah. The last year has been telling everyone they're stupid if they just don't see the great job Dubas is doing.
- walshyleafsfan

And poof!

Theyre gone or much quieter now.
Its nice

I'm not going to waste energy arguing with the anti-Dubas crowd, sorry, find someone else.
- gravyface

good... good....

let the hate flow

Holy (frank) yeah. The last year has been telling everyone they're stupid if they just don't see the great job Dubas is doing.
- walshyleafsfan

is the a special flavour of Koolaid... Doolaid... comes in spreadsheet grey...like watery milk?

And poof!

Theyre gone or much quieter now.
Its nice
- Fakepartofme

"ok Boomer"

Why does Matthews only have 1 goal on the road?

Nylander needs to hit the net with his shot and I'm leaning towards moving this guy.
Lots of fly bys by him. The last power play the Leafs had, he and Tavares were both in the same corner but Tavares had the puck. I was like, get to open space dimwit.

Ah this is just the losing streak they are on talking. I guess it would be different if it was a 6 game winning streak.

Well at least the Habs lost night as well.

good... good....

let the hate flow
- BorjeFan4Ever

Yes he agrees with you

I am not worried, the Leafs will still win the cup.

I am not worried, the Leafs will still win the cup.
- senstroll

That's the spirit the players are in desperate need of!

Man Fleury made some big saves last night towards the end of the game.
- zazzle

On Petans backhand

Oh Sorry

All hail Dubas. He is a genius. AHL champion and he is young so he must be better then dinosaurs like Lou.



Let’s keep the pencil pusher young GM experiment going a few years and see what happens...
- Hockey_Reverend

Nope, didn't say that either.

I still like the moves Dubas made in the off-season, given what he had available. I like the development of our AHL players, and I like seeing them getting a shot with our team.

Overpaying guys like Martin and Brown to play on the 4th line is exactly what everyone complained about in the past: "give our rookies a shot! No more washed up vets!". How soon we forget.

I give him a C grade on the Marner deal, but having Marner sit out again like Nylander would've been bad for the team on ice and behind closed doors, so he (as many often do) overcompensated and settled too soon with Marner.

People wanted Gardiner and Zaitsev's heads for years. They were basically run out of town, but now Zaitsev is Chris Pronger.

Same with Kadri after the back-to-back suspensions and now everyone's got their rosy nostalgia glasses on, longing for the days when Martin dressed once every 10 games and played 6 minutes, contributing nothing except for the odd hit or fight he'd lose... to the tune of 2.5M over 4 years.

And imagine if we had Komarov on this roster, with that cap hit and term? No thanks, Lou.

There are zero deadwood contracts on this team now. Zero. That's not something that a lot of teams in the league can say.

This team is not performing up to expectations. How is that Dubas' fault? He puts together the roster, Babcock decides what to do with them, and that is what's not working.

The jury is still out on whether an all-skill team can win, but the Pens sure did with great goaltending and a mobile D and a stacked forward group.

Sound familiar?

Time will tell, but I do know this: whatever they're trying to do with low-percentage point shots, our highly mobile D sitting back and not joining the rush, a static predictable PP, well it's not working.

Play the team you have to it's strengths: if that doesn't work, cool, fire Dubas, build the Minnesota Wild like you all seem to want, and let's grind teams to death.