2025 Offseason Thread: Spring Cleaning
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
azzurri63
Well-known member
No one should be off the table other than Knies. M and M are both cancers in my opinion and calling out the team when both of them sucked ass is enough to say see you later. You’ve been horrible in the playoffs every year yet to don’t take the blame. Mitch should have waived when approached. If he was maybe looking elsewhere why wouldn’t you. Maybe to a team like Carolina who have a better chance of winning. If you don’t want to stay there then do what Rantanen did or pick your team in the off season like he has now. Nope kid has had everything handed to him and basically f’d the team. I wouldn’t sign him for less than what he’s making now never mind a raise. Matthews is not a leader never has been never will. See what you can get for him some players to fill in and lead the team and then use cap space from the 2 possibly more departures to add to the roster. Move on from these prima donnas and reset.
Ozzie
Well-known member
I agree that M & M are prima donnas. But i think Marner was always a spoiled prima donna growing up in Toronto with Paul.
Yet Matthews didn't show up that way (he was playing a 6th rate sport at home). He scored 4 goals on his first game and his 220lb frame dominated......but over the past 9 years in the Leaf franchise, with Dubas giving him everything he wanted, the influence of Marner, being in the bright lights of the media center and mecca of hockey with numerous premier endorsements and the whole Bieber thing... he turned into a murse toting pussy.
Guys like Schenn and Ryan OReilly smelled the pussy in the locker room and hightailed it out of Toronto.
What are guys like Tanev and Pacioretty gonna do now that they got a big waft of that smell?
Is Knies gonna end up the same way?
[The first two periods were the worst performance of any NHL team this season regular and post season with 75 shot attempts against. No teams did worse than last night. Stinky].
I would either try to resign Marner (without any ntc's) or somehow see if he would be willing to do a sign and trade (I know the chances are remote). If Mitch were to agree to sign and trade it would allow him to graciously walk away from this organization and fanbase without further criticism.
azzurri63
Well-known member
I’ve always said you don’t win with players like this. Regular season is night and day in comparison to playoffs. These guys have repeatedly shown they can’t handle playoff hockey. Matthews I get it is your star but he’s a big guy who for the most part didn’t use his size. Past years he’s shown getting manhandled he had no response. Show some emotion, fight back don’t take it. Other teams players see that and it only makes it worse because there’s no pushback. Nylander same plays scared. I almost puked watching him avoid contact to make a play. Marner I can see he’s not a big guy but you can’t play scared and expect to win and these are your best players.
L K
Well-known member
| YEAR | CORE 4 | OTHER FORWARDS | DEFENSE |
| 16-17 | 18GP 6G 7A 13P | 54GP 8G 11A 19P | 36GP 2G 7A 9P |
| 17-18 | 21GP 4G 11A 15P | 63GP 15G 17A 32P | 42GP 1G 11A 12P |
| 18-19 | 28GP 10G 8A 18P | 56GP 5G 10A 15P | 42GP 2G 11A 13P |
| 19-20 | 20GP 6G 11A 17P | 40GP 2G 7A 9P | 30GP 2G 1A 3P |
| 20-21 | 22GP 6G 11A 17P | 62GP 7G 13A 20P | 42GP 5G 6A 11P |
| 21-22 | 28GP 12G 18A 30P | 56GP 7G 13A 20P | 42GP 5G 10A 15P |
| 22-23 | 44GP 16G 27A 43P | 88P 12G 17A 29P | 66GP 5G 17A 22P |
| 23-24 | 23GP 6G 6A 12P | 61GP 5G 9A 14P | 42GP 1G 8A 9P |
| 24-25 | 52GP 16G 30A 46P | 104GP 12G 21A 33P | 78GP 8G 12A 20P |
mr grieves
Active member
Y'know it could also be an indictment of the kid's parents.
azzurri63
Well-known member
The problem in TO and it's no different in Montreal is the media. Toronto being the worst. Everything is blown up, scrutinized, polarized because it's Toronto and that adds so much more pressure I believe on players. Plus the celebrity status. These guys can't go out without getting stopped, questioned, photographed etc. This stuff doesn't happen in most cities the players aren't in the spotlight. In one way it's great to play there because of the spotlight, fanbase but also can be a bit much. Sucks when they are losing but can you imagine being part of a winning team in TO? I think a lot of players relish that opportunity to play in a hockey mecca but when things go bad it's 10 times worse than playing in LA or Florida etc.
Guilt Trip
Well-known member
Well stated.
Ozzie
Well-known member
mr grieves
Active member
But also, a lot of kids these days spoiled-brat head cases. I doubt it's all that different for sports prodigies. It just comes out differently.
Bullfrog
Active member
Even considering moving Matthews is nuts.
I know it sucks, but they pushed the series to 7 games against the defending champions (and runner-up the year prior/3rd consecutive year in EC finals). They had two really horrible games but also played great in the others. They have the talent to win. Massively improved goaltending; a very good defense core; and three of the best forwards in the league. Better coaching.
I'd make minor changes at most. If that. Full year of Laughton and Carlo might help.
The only big change I'd make is losing one of the forwards for a superstar defenceman. But where are you getting that?
I know it sucks, but they pushed the series to 7 games against the defending champions (and runner-up the year prior/3rd consecutive year in EC finals). They had two really horrible games but also played great in the others. They have the talent to win. Massively improved goaltending; a very good defense core; and three of the best forwards in the league. Better coaching.
I'd make minor changes at most. If that. Full year of Laughton and Carlo might help.
The only big change I'd make is losing one of the forwards for a superstar defenceman. But where are you getting that?
ZBBM
Well-known member
I won't beat this to death with further posts beyond this one, but I posted elsewhere that it's insane that the NHL allows a completely different set of rules to govern the playoffs — rules designed to stifle skilled players. And not only that, a further subset of rules that only apply in G7 ... where only the most trivial of penalties get called.
THAT. IS. LITERALLY. INSANE.
So to your comments azzurri I'd just suggest that we all be careful with language:
1. These players win — a lot — when the actual rules govern the games: in the regular season. They have made the playoffs what, 8 or 9 years in a row. Pretty easily in most of those years.
2. Your second sentence, azzurri, reinforces my point above. The question is, why does the NHL not only allow it to happen, but encourages it? There is this weird superstructure of intangible Hockey Culture that the league cedes the officiating to. I admit that The Code and all the unwritten (intermittent) rules are what make the game fascinating. But they are hard for some players to navigate.
Playoff failure doesn't mean a player is a loser. Sometimes it means that their skills/playstyle just don't mesh the kind of game the league, for some unfathomable reason, wants to promote in its tournament.
The whole thing is nuts.
Marner would be motivated to do a sign & trade so he can get an 8th year on his new contract.
Laughton is overpaid for what he has produced and should be dealt. Carlo had his worst game in game 7. I would rather have that 1st round pick back.
Peter D.
Moderator
Trying to step back a bit from the hastiness of such a brutal defeat in a Game 7, I am trying to convince myself that maybe the really drastic changes we are hoping for aren't required, and instead some quick pivoting and some shrewd moves are.
Primarily being such as re-signing Marner, and instead using the money freed up from Tavares to bolster the lineup with a couple signings. The ability to replace Tavares, or find the sum of the parts, is far greater than replacing Marner.
I think the goaltending is fine. Although I'd like to see Woll take the next step. The D is a whole lot better than was a year ago this time. The forward depth needs an injection, and I think that's been a failure for many years now that they haven't been able to develop let's say a 5th rounder into a serviceable 3rd liner. Instead it's signing the likes of Spezza and Pacioretty. Which have been fine. But there's gotta be someone you can draft who is much younger and just as cheap to fill those roles.
Having Laughton and Carlo for full years will help. You'd hope that Rielly gets his head out of his rear as he's shown in prior years. Same with Matthews and bouncing back from whatever has ailed him all season.
The main thing that sucks about it though is that it's going to be a long time until next year's playoffs again. The regular season will mean squat, and us fans will be jaded all season long with the "they have to show us come playoff time" mindset. Who gives a crap about some random game in January against the Nashville Predators.
The team doesn't seem to be far off all things considered, yet are so far. Florida was ripe for the taking and they could have easily have taken them after being up 2-0 in the series and were an OT goal away from making it a stranglehold 3-0 series lead. I'm convinced they could have taken Carolina.
Now, that doesn't take into account that teams behind them will be a year ahead in their development as well. The likes of Montreal, Ottawa, Detroit, a healthy New Jersey team. So things aren't going to be easier. But I also don't expect a massive drop off either if things were kept as is for the most part.
This sucks. It sucks even more in the fashion they were bounced. Yet they were still a mere 60 minutes away from a Conference Finals appearance.
Primarily being such as re-signing Marner, and instead using the money freed up from Tavares to bolster the lineup with a couple signings. The ability to replace Tavares, or find the sum of the parts, is far greater than replacing Marner.
I think the goaltending is fine. Although I'd like to see Woll take the next step. The D is a whole lot better than was a year ago this time. The forward depth needs an injection, and I think that's been a failure for many years now that they haven't been able to develop let's say a 5th rounder into a serviceable 3rd liner. Instead it's signing the likes of Spezza and Pacioretty. Which have been fine. But there's gotta be someone you can draft who is much younger and just as cheap to fill those roles.
Having Laughton and Carlo for full years will help. You'd hope that Rielly gets his head out of his rear as he's shown in prior years. Same with Matthews and bouncing back from whatever has ailed him all season.
The main thing that sucks about it though is that it's going to be a long time until next year's playoffs again. The regular season will mean squat, and us fans will be jaded all season long with the "they have to show us come playoff time" mindset. Who gives a crap about some random game in January against the Nashville Predators.
The team doesn't seem to be far off all things considered, yet are so far. Florida was ripe for the taking and they could have easily have taken them after being up 2-0 in the series and were an OT goal away from making it a stranglehold 3-0 series lead. I'm convinced they could have taken Carolina.
Now, that doesn't take into account that teams behind them will be a year ahead in their development as well. The likes of Montreal, Ottawa, Detroit, a healthy New Jersey team. So things aren't going to be easier. But I also don't expect a massive drop off either if things were kept as is for the most part.
This sucks. It sucks even more in the fashion they were bounced. Yet they were still a mere 60 minutes away from a Conference Finals appearance.
4EVRLEAFAN
Active member
Couldn't get past the first line, what's it going to take for you guys to see that Matthews is not a clutch player, he's weak, he's either hurt or just disappears every playoffs, it's been 9 years, how many more do you want? It was time 3 years ago when he was thrown around like a rag doll against Montreal and just sat there and laughed, and it's time now, he's done it's over he's the first one that has to go, period, the end. End of rant .
I'll leave this from the Montreal series. Have a good day.
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Guru Tugginmypuddah
Well-known member
Florida toyed with the Leafs the first 2.5 games. I commented earlier in the series that Florida looked tired. Turns out, they were not tired.
Game 3 Florida flipped the switch and it was over.
Game 3 Florida flipped the switch and it was over.
