I've been hearing a lot of those teams too. The 2 extra years is really helping sell him. Caps have no D-men beyond this year so would make sense.
- Aaron_85

Some of those teams make sense, my point was it's 100% click-bait to tie him to the Leafs just to get people talking. I guess it's working!

Pierre LeBrun
@PierreVLeBrun
·
27s
Spicy update here from
@DarrenDreger
.
I think Gavrikov is Plan C for the Oil and yet probably the easiest deal to get done compared to Chychrun/Ekholm.
Generally speaking, heard the Preds told teams last week that the asking price started with 2 first-round picks on Ekholm...

Darren Dreger
@DarrenDreger
·
5m
The Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes were progressing on Jake Chychrun trade negotiations yesterday. Things cooled late afternoon. Holland also talking with CBJ and Nashville on Gavrikov and Ekholm. Plan is to resume talks with all 3 today.

A prominent blogger on this website said Chickenrun could be headed to Caps, Pens, Sens, Hurricanes, or Oilers. Six minutes later, posted the Leafs are still in on him. You can't make this stuff up...
- Whipper

Leafs will still be on everyone till the bitter end. Never stop trying to get better.

Mirtles salary cap gymnastics piece on Dubas had him peg Bunting in next year at a 4 million per cap hit.

Discuss. 👀
- joel878

I like bunting, but not sure I like him at 4M.

Mirtles salary cap gymnastics piece on Dubas had him peg Bunting in next year at a 4 million per cap hit.

Discuss. 👀
- joel878

(frank) that

No way! I drank Zezel's kool aid.

- Aaron_85

CHUG CHUG CHUG!!!

does Duby have one more team improving move up his sleeve?
or just recoup some assets for Kerfoot/Holl/Engvall?
id keep engvall myself, trade the others.

I cant imagine he does another major move on top of the 2 he has done already.

Might be a 3pm deal on Friday. Cross your fingers.
- Aaron_85

but that’ll be after i’m banned 😡😭👎🏿

Samsonov had a .912 sv% playing for a team that was heavily outmatched in round 1. I'm not overly worried about him.
- joel878

Agreed. I think Samsonov is doing well. The only worry is if Murray can be a viable backup at this point... or is he damaged goods beyond repair.

I like your thought process here jonesie!
- Zezel

I'll save the bans for deadline day. Although that's less of a threat for leaf fans now. THANKS DUBAS
- Aaron_85

I agree.

I mean off the top I'll say that ROR wasn't my favourite deadline target - but that said I didn't really think this team needed to spend through the nose to acquire a Meier or Kane or another elite scorer. Typically what a good scoring line needs is someone to muck, someone to skate, someone to pass and someone to shoot - you need a couple of those from at least one of the guys on the line, and ideally the more qualities you exhibit the better off you're going to be.

Hyman - Matthews - Marner - worked because you had skating, shooting, passing, mucking and a lot of awareness and hockey IQ mixed in there. Bunting has a notably lower hockey IQ and less awareness than Hyman did, but he mucks, and he still have enough skills to work with the other two. It helps that Matthews' game has evolved to get his own pucks and win more puck battles on his own.

But Jarnkrok - Tavares - Marner had skating & passing from Marner, shooting from Tavares, but not enough mucking in Jarnkrok. If you add Kane or Meier to that line - there's still not a lot of puck retrieval going on. ROR is the type of guy they needed.

Shoring up the bottom-6 with Lafferty and Acciari is a smart playoff move. Even if you don't get scoring, you get push back and you get the ability to create energy and push some physicality (which we have largely been missing).

does Duby have one more team improving move up his sleeve?
or just recoup some assets for Kerfoot/Holl/Engvall?
id keep engvall myself, trade the others.

I cant imagine he does another major move on top of the 2 he has done already.
- senstroll

Almost no chance there is another big move. Likely just a Engvall/Kerfoot trade. I guess they could trade Kampf, or ZAR, but doubtful.

does Duby have one more team improving move up his sleeve?
or just recoup some assets for Kerfoot/Holl/Engvall?
id keep engvall myself, trade the others.

I cant imagine he does another major move on top of the 2 he has done already.
- senstroll

Maybe someone for the 3rd line but more likely he’s done.

Remember: a Honeycomb box is 4 times the size of a regular cereal box.

I only have room for one on the cereal shelf.

Had it for breakfast this morning - the most delicious bowl of sugar ever. And doesn't hurt the roof of your mouth like Cap'n Crunch.
- Atomic Wedgie

so true

no that is reserved for andy (frank)ing wozniewski 😍😍😍
- Skalapy

I know it’s not the same sport but it’s starting to make me question the Jose Canseco posters I had on my bedroom wall as a kid 🧐

So. You're going to have to forgive this, but (frank) right off with Simmons troll-bait bullpoop.

Have they failed to perform in the past? Did teams like Montreal and Columbus step up and shut them down in the past? Yes. We all saw it.

How did they do last year against one of the best teams in recent history? How did they fare against Victor Hedman - a perennial Norris candidate and Vasilevskiy, a perennial Vezina candidate?

How would that rate over an 82 game season? Last year Matthews scored at a 47 goals / 105 point pace, Marner scored at 94 point pace. Nylander at an 82 point pace, and both Rielly and Tavares at a 70 point pace. This against a solid and structured team with an elite goaltender. The Leafs had the following guys who were minus players: Blackwell, Spezza, Simmonds, Kase, Lyubushkin and Bunting.

But Tampa has a world class offense that clearly out classed the Leafs, right?

Kucherov - same numbers as Marner - at a 94 point pace; Hedman was at an 82 point pace - then you had Palat and Colton at 59 point paces, Stamkos and Point at 47 point paces. Point alone was -6. Kucherov was -5. The only Tampa players who weren't minus players were Palat, Paul, Hagel, Cernak and McDonagh.


Where the Leafs failed - they had 28 power play opportunities and scored 4. Tampa had 33 opportunities and scored 7.

One goal made the difference - twice - and you could definitely argue that the penalty kill (and bullpoop officiating) was the principal culprit in a game of inches.

Simmons is a crap smear. Don't follow it.
- Monkeypunk

He posted numbers. I don't know what else to say about it.

Last year or the year before I posted numbers that showed just how poorly the Leafs stars have performed Regular Season vs. Playoffs compared to other stars... it was pretty clear the Leafs stars did not up their game, in fact, their game fell off more than their counterparts.

People hated it. I forget the arguments. Whatever they were, they were stupid. The Leafs stars have not performed, they have choked, period. Senstroll posted like 2 weeks ago the 3rd period in deciding games stats... massive choke.

So. You're going to have to forgive this, but (frank) right off with Simmons troll-bait bullpoop.

Have they failed to perform in the past? Did teams like Montreal and Columbus step up and shut them down in the past? Yes. We all saw it.

How did they do last year against one of the best teams in recent history? How did they fare against Victor Hedman - a perennial Norris candidate and Vasilevskiy, a perennial Vezina candidate?

How would that rate over an 82 game season? Last year Matthews scored at a 47 goals / 105 point pace, Marner scored at 94 point pace. Nylander at an 82 point pace, and both Rielly and Tavares at a 70 point pace. This against a solid and structured team with an elite goaltender. The Leafs had the following guys who were minus players: Blackwell, Spezza, Simmonds, Kase, Lyubushkin and Bunting.

But Tampa has a world class offense that clearly out classed the Leafs, right?

Kucherov - same numbers as Marner - at a 94 point pace; Hedman was at an 82 point pace - then you had Palat and Colton at 59 point paces, Stamkos and Point at 47 point paces. Point alone was -6. Kucherov was -5. The only Tampa players who weren't minus players were Palat, Paul, Hagel, Cernak and McDonagh.


Where the Leafs failed - they had 28 power play opportunities and scored 4. Tampa had 33 opportunities and scored 7.

One goal made the difference - twice - and you could definitely argue that the penalty kill (and bullpoop officiating) was the principal culprit in a game of inches.

Simmons is a crap smear. Don't follow it.
- Monkeypunk

They lost game 7 2-1

Their offence didn’t get it done in the most important game. End of story.

I like what Dubas has done. If this core fails again, it will need a lot of significant work, no more shuffling the deck chairs. Draft picks mean little to the team where they are now.

Unfortunately, everything he has done will not mean anything if the top 4 don't step up their game.
- Aetherial

Absolutely agreed.

I mean, I get it, the Lightning are a phenomenal team that is deep with more playoff experience than any other team out there. They also don't have the same pressure or historical 1st round trauma the Leafs do. TBL can beat any team out there and it wouldn't be a shock.

But... even with that in mind, if the Core 4 + Rielly can't step it up this year then it's time to make some seismic moves in the off-season.

does Duby have one more team improving move up his sleeve?
or just recoup some assets for Kerfoot/Holl/Engvall?
id keep engvall myself, trade the others.

I cant imagine he does another major move on top of the 2 he has done already.
- senstroll

Kerfoot to VAN, Buffalo or Minnesota

If they trade Kerfoot no salary retained they get like 2.4M in cap space?

You use some of it for a call up or Knies and thats like 1M-1.4M

They maybe grab a depth fwd

Absolutely agreed.

I mean, I get it, the Lightning are a phenomenal team that is deep with more playoff experience than any other team out there. They also don't have the same pressure or historical 1st round trauma the Leafs do. TBL can beat any team out there and it wouldn't be a shock.

But... even with that in mind, if the Core 4 + Rielly can't step it up this year then it's time to make some seismic moves in the off-season.
- mjones242

Close series last year, what can you do.

This year on paper the Leafs are much better.

I get the whole TB is a cup winner and proven yada yada yada.

But you look at these 2 teams...its the Leafs.

TB lost some players, leafs gained a bunch.

This is a year where they have to win a series, Dubas is giving them the chance and they are now the favourite on paper.

They lost game 7 2-1

Their offence didn’t get it done in the most important game. End of story.
- Dozzer

The 3rd period stat that Senstroll posted a couple weeks ago was shocking.

Mirtles salary cap gymnastics piece on Dubas had him peg Bunting in next year at a 4 million per cap hit.

Discuss. 👀
- joel878

He's proved that his worth it, but I wouldn't with our current cap situation and asset requirements.

Bunting is on a 57 point pace over an 82 game season. He has a net penalty differential of +4.

Last year, Bunting was on a 65 point pace over an 82 game season with a net penalty differential of +15.

Comparing the two years - he is shooting less, but getting more HD chances and I'd say that coincidentally his shooting percentage has increased. He's hitting less frequently, but being hit about the same rate. His giveaways have almost doubled, but his takeaways are higher (not as much) as well. He still has more takeways than giveaways, which is a nice thing to have.

Is a 25 goal scorer worth $4m / year? Yeah it is, but his act has gotten old - refs are looking the other way, and teams are taking huge liberties. There's a real chance he's going to get significantly injured soon if the league doesn't at least start doing their job to a minimum degree. It might be sincerely in both of our interests if we parted ways. We did what we could for him - inflate his value - and he did what he could for us - gave Matthews & Marner a winger who could create the necessary distraction while performing at a good clip.

They lost game 7 2-1

Their offence didn’t get it done in the most important game. End of story.
- Dozzer

The rebound on Nick Paul's first goal was (frank)ing terrible and was on Jack.

Close series last year, what can you do.

This year on paper the Leafs are much better.

I get the whole TB is a cup winner and proven yada yada yada.

But you look at these 2 teams...its the Leafs.

TB lost some players, leafs gained a bunch.

This is a year where they have to win a series, Dubas is giving them the chance and they are now the favourite on paper.
- Santo_44

Yup. The Leafs have been a favourite on paper before - they were last year as well - but they haven't figured out how to actually convert it.

I get the margins are very close, but this team has to be able to execute when it matters most. Star players need to step it up.

(for the record, I do like their chances this year more than last)

Darren Dreger
@DarrenDreger
·
23m
The Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes were progressing on Jake Chychrun trade negotiations yesterday. Things cooled late afternoon. Holland also talking with CBJ and Nashville on Gavrikov and Ekholm. Plan is to resume talks with all 3 today.

_________________________

No way other teams doing everything is gonna get Chychrun to fall into Hollands lap, right?