It’s the hardest trophy to win because every spot on the roster has to be occupied by a legit NHL’er...or someone posing as a legit NHL’er for 2 months (think Fernando Pisani) who goes 100% every shift. That’s absolutely insane and why it’s a magnificent watch. So a championship hockey team should really be measured not by your best 3 players, but probably by the relative strength of your 3 worst players.
- Only_A_Ladd

I’ve never heard it put like that, but I love what you laid out. Thanks for writing that. You may want to copyright that last line

NYLANDER HAD A VERY GOOD PLAY-OFFS!
Marner would be the one to trade to CBJ for Jones and Elvis! Nylander has a better cap hit, and with the savings from Marner they could re-sign Hyman!
Edit: and after acquiring Marner, CBJ could trade Laine for a center......I would trade him to LA for 2 centers! Anderson-Dolan and Turcotte! or to Buffalo for Reinhart and Risto! (CBJ may have to add a minor pick)
- HenryHockey

I agree they should trade Marner but why would Columbus want to give up Jones and a first for or Elvis for him. Toronto is the desperate team here.

Also Laine is not worth two centers anymore. Jackets are in a tough spot with him.

I think the leafs will have a hard time dumping $10.9m Marner in today’s market. Wingers aren’t worth that.

Leafs also only have $12.5m in cap space. Have two lines to fill out, a couple of D, and a starting goalie. Going to be tough. I don't see teams doing them any favors.

The leafs didn't lose this series because of the way they were constructed. I want to make it clear, I'm not saying that they are constructed well. I agree, they need better defense. I'm just saying, this was not the problem this series. The defense wasn't the problem this series, and should have been good enough to get the leafs out of the North devision and into the Semis. Once there, they would probably get destroyed by either Tampa or Boston, the way those two teams are playing.

There were two real problems. The first, Price stole games for the Habs, and the Campbell couldn't steal one for the leafs. The 2nd, the leafs tops players didn't get it done. Marner was garbage this series, and while Matthews play was better, he still couldn't bury one when the team needed it most. So, I'll agree the defense isn't good enough to win them a cup, but it wasn't the issue in this series.
- r8edr

Losing Tavares and Muzzin was more significant than Campbell’s tenure IMO

Leafs also only have $12.5m in cap space. Have two lines to fill out, a couple of D, and a starting goalie. Going to be tough. I don't see teams doing them any favors.
- DRW1991

I think teams would line up for Marner......yeah the cap hit is difficult for many but this guy is an amazing player! CBJ really is a perfect destination for him if the object for Toronto is a #1D. Actually Marner is a guy Stevie Y would want too......I just can't see him giving up any of his core to get him though. Then there is LA.....who has the cap space but the assets are mostly futures.... Anahiem has the goalie Toronto covets.....Would Gibson and Manson be a good get for Marner??

I think teams would line up for Marner......yeah the cap hit is difficult for many but this guy is an amazing player! CBJ really is a perfect destination for him if the object for Toronto is a #1D. Actually Marner is a guy Stevie Y would want too......I just can't see him giving up any of his core to get him though. Then there is LA.....who has the cap space but the assets are mostly futures.... Anahiem has the goalie Toronto covets.....Would Gibson and Manson be a good get for Marner??
- HenryHockey

I'm not sure about line up for him. Good player but has skated with an elite player his whole career. He is also soft and small. That cap hit is going to be very hard to stomach for most teams and in theory only the Wings, Jackets. Kings, Devils, and Sens could afford him.

Can probably remove the Wings and Sens, Stevie won't pay a premium and Sens are cheap.

Devils, Kings, and Jackets are all realistic with the Kings or Jackets being the best.

His contract is horrific for a winger that has never produced without an elite center.

Jeremy - is the Caps pick officially 20th overall now?

I'm not sure about line up for him. Good player but has skated with an elite player his whole career. He is also soft and small. That cap hit is going to be very hard to stomach for most teams and in theory only the Wings, Jackets. Kings, Devils, and Sens could afford him.

Can probably remove the Wings and Sens, Stevie won't pay a premium and Sens are cheap.

Devils, Kings, and Jackets are all realistic with the Kings or Jackets being the best.

His contract is horrific for a winger that has never produced without an elite center.
- DRW1991

Jackets would have to trade for Eichel after acquiring Marner to give him an elite C!!!!!!

Jackets would have to trade for Eichel after acquiring Marner to give him an elite C!!!!!!

- HenryHockey

Very true! Then Columbus can turn into the Leafs of Ohio and disappoint every year come playoff time. It would be wonderful.

I think teams would line up for Marner......yeah the cap hit is difficult for many but this guy is an amazing player! CBJ really is a perfect destination for him if the object for Toronto is a #1D. Actually Marner is a guy Stevie Y would want too......I just can't see him giving up any of his core to get him though. Then there is LA.....who has the cap space but the assets are mostly futures.... Anahiem has the goalie Toronto covets.....Would Gibson and Manson be a good get for Marner??
- HenryHockey

Meh. Marner is a good player but he doesn’t bring enough to the table to justify that cap hit.

Entire Toronto fan base: Marner sucks, he can’t be on our team, what a bad contract, so not worth it, trade the bum!

Also entire Toronto fan base: He’s pretty valuable tho, better give us a lot of stuff like a superstar if we trade him

Very true! Then Columbus can turn into the Leafs of Ohio and disappoint every year come playoff time. It would be wonderful.
- DRW1991

Entire Toronto fan base: Marner sucks, he can’t be on our team, what a bad contract, so not worth it, trade the bum!

Also entire Toronto fan base: He’s pretty valuable tho, better give us a lot of stuff like a superstar if we trade him
- halo63

Teaser alert!

Of the many demoralizing stats that have defined the Red Wings rebuild, here’s a popular one you’re likely to hear a few times in the next two days, in the lead up to Wednesday’s NHL Draft Lottery: Since 2017, when the Red Wings 25-year playoff streak finally ended, Detroit has dropped a league-high eight draft slots as a result of the lottery.

That breaks down to an average lottery-night tumble of two spots per year, highlighted by last year’s three-spot fall — which left the last-place Red Wings to pick fourth. The stat resonates because it quantifies the misery of lottery unluckiness, seems to help explain the crawling pace of Detroit’s rebuild and, perhaps, provides hope Detroit’s luck could be due to bounce back.

Max Bultman, The Athletic

I’ve never heard it put like that, but I love what you laid out. Thanks for writing that. You may want to copyright that last line
- Jeremy Laura

We can call it The Barclay Goodrow Rule.

Teaser alert!
Max Bultman, The Athletic
- HenryHockey

Waiting for the lottery is giving me stomach cramps

We can call it The Barclay Goodrow Rule.
- Only_A_Ladd

Nice

That’s a great point about Dubas. The league is a recycle bin of coaches and ideas. I watched Mike Rupp breakdown both games tonight. He talked about Toronto, in complete shock. TSN actually wrote that the Leafs were built to win the cup and they can’t believe they’re out. Good grief. But then, Rupp covered the Isles and raved about how they’re rolling 4 lines. It wasn’t a concern with Toronto, but all important to Long Island. It’s like there’s a complete disconnect when he talks about the Leafs. Everything just goes out the window. Of course, the irony of how much better NYI has been since Tavares left and Barry came to town isn’t brought up. That team was supposed to be in the gutter when JT left.
- Jeremy Laura

Over the last month or two I’ve seen a lot of people say isles fans are the worst in the league but to their defence even before JT left people were telling them their team was garbage and even though they’ve enjoyed success in recent years people still say they’re garbage. We all rip on the leafs for not having post season success but the isles get people ripping saying they’re a bottom 5 team in the league at the start of every year and they really don’t have anything left to prove those people wrong.