Agreed.

But I think Dubas is going to hold onto him this season at this point and potentially let him walk.

No way I'd sign him for any more than 6.5-7M.
- mjones242

I think he is going to do that as well.
But honestly, Id hate it if that occurred. I understood the JVR and bozak thing at the time, you couldnt move either, we needed them.
But you cannot keep letting your FA's walk for nothing....its such poor asset management.
Need to trade Rielly while the market is hot....I just dont think Dubas has the nerve to.

this team looks great.
they have to be ready to spend and move out assets. They really need to improve the starting 5 and bullpen...but thats a yearly thing.
their line up and bats are pretty much set.
- Fakepartofme

Stupid Dodgers 🙄

Stupid Dodgers 🙄
- mr.sir

Damn them.
I kept seeing tweets the other night that the padres and the dodgers had acquired Scherzer....both from reputable mlb sources

End up being the dodgers

we can't afford to give him a raise, so replacing him is going to have to happen. will be easier to replace him if we get assets back in a trade than letting him walk for nothing and having to give up assets to eventually replace him or getting hosed with bad Ufa signing next summer.

one of two things are going to happen. we lose him for nothing or sign him to high cap hit with long term and regret it soon after. the proactive approach is the best bet imo.

at some point Dubas has to think beyond just getting by season to season and give the future and long term plans of this team some consideration
- systemtool

Agree, doubt very much that Rielly signs for anywhere near $5M, I would think it will be much closer to Hamilton money, but at least $7.5. The draft cupboard is pretty empty. Leafs have only their first and second next year. Rielly should be traded for a solid younger d-man and picks. Leafs can't expect as much as CBJ got for Jones but as you point out time to stock up on some futures.

Damn them.
I kept seeing tweets the other night that the padres and the dodgers had acquired Scherzer....both from reputable mlb sources

End up being the dodgers
- Fakepartofme

And Turner🤨

Damn them.
I kept seeing tweets the other night that the padres and the dodgers had acquired Scherzer....both from reputable mlb sources

End up being the dodgers
- Fakepartofme

Stupid dodgers.

I had heard on the radio he really wanted to be on the west coast.

I'm not up on MLB players. Was the price too steep? Like could the jays have done it easily?

Stupid dodgers.

I had heard on the radio he really wanted to be on the west coast.

I'm not up on MLB players. Was the price too steep? Like could the jays have done it easily?
- Aaron_85

I heard the price included Nate Pearson which was a non-starter. Trading your best pitching prospect for a TDL starter that will not re-sign makes no sense for a team that is not even in a wild card spot. Jays need relievers way more than starters, bullpen has been brutal.

Agree, doubt very much that Rielly signs for anywhere near $5M, I would think it will be much closer to Hamilton money, but at least $7.5. The draft cupboard is pretty empty. Leafs have only their first and second next year. Rielly should be traded for a solid younger d-man and picks. Leafs can't expect as much as CBJ got for Jones but as you point out time to stock up on some futures.
- winsix

I suspect they're going to use the season to see where Rielly's at (if he has a down season point-wise, it'll help with comparables) and just as importantly, where Sandin is at, who is still likely considered Rielly's heir apparent at this point.

If Sandin can step in and play in the 5 hole with PP1 minutes, moving Muzzin up to play with Brodie and sliding Sandin up to the 2nd pairing with Holl isn't that far of a stretch.

Still, I think we'd be really thin at D, so somebody would have to come in, if only a 3/4 guy who can push.

Nopers!

They're back, baby!
- mjones242

A North American rugby league (i.e., not playing union rules)?

Insanity.

I'd love to see the financial plan on that one.

I took Tuesday to Thursday off due to the death of my mother.

Why the frank did I come back to work today, one day before a long weekend?

Franking rookie mistake.

I believe I saw some stats tracker that had the most popular teams in Canada as:
Jays
Raps
Leafs
Habs

Basketball is very very popular in Canada and around the world, with the amount of immigrants in Toronto and Canada, its popularity is continually rising within those groups.
The raps really arent that far off from the Leafs.
- Fakepartofme

I think it really matters if you look at it parochially or nationally.

Jays, and Raps enjoy national support because they're the only game in town.

I took Tuesday to Thursday off due to the death of my mother.

Why the frank did I come back to work today, one day before a long weekend?

Franking rookie mistake.
- Atomic Wedgie

It's a rookie mistake that I make over and over and over again.

A veteran mistake?

I think it really matters if you look at it parochially or nationally.

Jays, and Raps enjoy national support because they're the only game in town.
- TheMussel

This is true, however, with respect to the Leafs and Habs as well, they enjoy both love and hate nationwide unlike other Canadian teams. I went to a game in Vancouver with my brother and it was virtually an even split between Vancouver fans and Leaf fans. It's probably similar for Hab games there.

Agree, doubt very much that Rielly signs for anywhere near $5M, I would think it will be much closer to Hamilton money, but at least $7.5. The draft cupboard is pretty empty. Leafs have only their first and second next year. Rielly should be traded for a solid younger d-man and picks. Leafs can't expect as much as CBJ got for Jones but as you point out time to stock up on some futures.
- winsix

If this team falters and isn't in or competing for a playoff spot at the TDL, then certainly he'll be dealt. In almost all cases, a team that expects to progress in the playoffs and consider themselves a contender isn't trading their #1 defenseman to make themselves worse, even if there's a longer term benefit. I think it sends a terrible message to the team and to players around the league that you're not as concerned with winning now.

On one hand I could agree - because I feel that while walking away from Rielly would hurt on some levels, a more defensively sound defenseman, or a PP guy with a slap shot might add dynamics that make us better. I know he's a net positive for us as a player, but I would still like someone better at their job. I don't think that any of the kids are ready for that type of responsibility - given that their projected to be 3rd pairing D this year.

But ultimately I just think that for obvious reasons teams that think they have designs on the cup don't trade their key assets for futures.

I think it really matters if you look at it parochially or nationally.

Jays, and Raps enjoy national support because they're the only game in town.
- TheMussel

If you ask my daughter, the Raptors are waaaaaay more popular than the Leafs at her high school.

Hockey has a real problem - it's pricing out kids from playing the game.

Sadly, I don't think there is a solution. Ice time is expensive. Global warming has eliminated a lot of natural ice surfaces. And equipment will continue to rise in price, as the companies are losing money.

It's going to be very interesting to see how many kids simply don't come back to organized sports this fall and winter.

I took Tuesday to Thursday off due to the death of my mother.

Why the frank did I come back to work today, one day before a long weekend?

Franking rookie mistake.
- Atomic Wedgie

Big time cause you’re missing a viscous men’s final table tennis match. China vs China. Truculence vs skill. This one guy keeps putting ball over the net!

This is true, however, with respect to the Leafs and Habs as well, they enjoy both love and hate nationwide unlike other Canadian teams. I went to a game in Vancouver with my brother and it was virtually an even split between Vancouver fans and Leaf fans. It's probably similar for Hab games there.
- winsix

Totally, but is it enough to supplant the popularity of the jays and raps?

I don't know personally, just asking

This is true, however, with respect to the Leafs and Habs as well, they enjoy both love and hate nationwide unlike other Canadian teams. I went to a game in Vancouver with my brother and it was virtually an even split between Vancouver fans and Leaf fans. It's probably similar for Hab games there.
- winsix

I took the famn damily to the Leafs @ Ottawa last year. I am not exaggerating when I say it was over 80% Leafs fans.

If you ask my daughter, the Raptors are waaaaaay more popular than the Leafs at her high school.

Hockey has a real problem - it's pricing out kids from playing the game.

Sadly, I don't think there is a solution. Ice time is expensive. Global warming has eliminated a lot of natural ice surfaces. And equipment will continue to rise in price, as the companies are losing money.

It's going to be very interesting to see how many kids simply don't come back to organized sports this fall and winter.
- Atomic Wedgie

Yeah I can see that.

I lived in the highrises at Main and Danforth for a bit, around some lower income folks. Everyone had a basketball.

Big time cause you’re missing a viscous men’s final table tennis match. China vs China. Truculence vs skill. This one guy keeps putting ball over the net!
- Canada Cup

China was smart to trade up in the draft to get that guy - you can't teach size in ping pong.

I took the famn damily to the Leafs @ Ottawa last year. I am not exaggerating when I say it was over 80% Leafs fans.
- Atomic Wedgie

Vancouver is about 50%

I think he is going to do that as well.
But honestly, Id hate it if that occurred. I understood the JVR and bozak thing at the time, you couldnt move either, we needed them.
But you cannot keep letting your FA's walk for nothing....its such poor asset management.
Need to trade Rielly while the market is hot....I just dont think Dubas has the nerve to.
- Fakepartofme

We were going nowhere that year. I always felt that 'needing them' peaked at just ensuring we didn't get swept in round 1 and had a bit of a showing. Which, we went down in 6. Sooo how bad were they needed?

My argument would be that one was a huge whiff. Sell them, take your lumps have your assets for another day to ship off when you can actually show up.

If you ask my daughter, the Raptors are waaaaaay more popular than the Leafs at her high school.

Hockey has a real problem - it's pricing out kids from playing the game.

Sadly, I don't think there is a solution. Ice time is expensive. Global warming has eliminated a lot of natural ice surfaces. And equipment will continue to rise in price, as the companies are losing money.

It's going to be very interesting to see how many kids simply don't come back to organized sports this fall and winter.
- Atomic Wedgie

This.
Same at my kids school....seem to be much more Raps fans than leafs.
This could change if the leafs do something relevant one year....but basketball is relatively cheap to play and you can play it anywhere.
Heck, street hockey is banned in some towns or areas of cities.
times are a changing

We were going nowhere that year. I always felt that 'needing them' peaked at just ensuring we didn't get swept in round 1 and had a bit of a showing. Which, we went down in 6. Sooo how bad were they needed?

My argument would be that one was a huge whiff. Sell them, take your lumps have your assets for another day to ship off when you can actually show up.
- joel878

They had the ability to whiffed that year, they no longer can 4 years later. Dubas has to pull the trigger no longer let assets walk for nothing.

China was smart to trade up in the draft to get that guy - you can't teach size in ping pong.
- Atomic Wedgie