• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

2017-18 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

Can't see the Leafs eating money on Martin unless they actually get an asset of value in return. I mean, honestly, if a team is playing hardball over a few hundred thousand on the cap, they don't really want to make a deal. At most, I think the Leafs take back an cheaper expiring contract. Doesn't help them with the reserve list this season, but does going forward.
 
I'd be very surprised if they dealt him in-season. Regardless of what we think about Martin, that wouldn't be good for team morale. Everyone on the team loves him. This seems like an off-season move to me.

At that point, he'd have 2 years left on his contract with a cap hit of $2.5mil. His actual salary paid in those two years is $2.25mil and then $1.75mil. He has signing bonuses of $1.5mil and $1.0mil in those two years. Assuming that the first signing bonus is paid out on July 1st like most of them are, a team acquiring him after that would only have to pay him $2.5mil for two seasons of work. That's good value. Finding a budget-y team that isn't going to be near the cap (which is rising) to take his contract without having to eat anything shouldn't be impossible.
 
Frank E said:
I'm wondering if the Leafs might want him around for a Boston playoff series?
Click to expand...

I see where you are coming from, but it was Boston's ferocious forecheck that schooled us last Saturday IMO.  It's not like you want to keep him just to push and shove with Z.  Now, maybe to push and shove with Marchand.....
 
Speed is the name of the game and Martin doesn't have it. Great guy in the room by all accounts but for now Kapenan needs to be in before him. He belongs in the NHL. If a trade came up that Lou liked, he'll be gone regardless of time frame. They're not going to keep him just to be a cheerleader.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
I see where you are coming from, but it was Boston's ferocious forecheck that schooled us last Saturday IMO.  It's not like you want to keep him just to push and shove with Z.  Now, maybe to push and shove with Marchand.....
Click to expand...

Yeah. Beating a team like Boston is going to require tighter structure, not bigger bodies.
 
Guilt Trip said:
Speed is the name of the game and Martin doesn't have it. Great guy in the room by all accounts but for now Kapenan needs to be in before him. He belongs in the NHL. If a trade came up that Lou liked, he'll be gone regardless of time frame. They're not going to keep him just to be a cheerleader.
Click to expand...

^^ Yessir.
 
Am I counting wrong or has Martin been a scratch for 7 straight games now and the Leafs are 6-1 in that time?
 
Zee said:
Am I counting wrong or has Martin been a scratch for 7 straight games now and the Leafs are 6-1 in that time?
Click to expand...

Yeah, stick a fork in Martin, he's done. Babs can't healthy scratch any of the current top-12 forwards for him. There's no way.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Zee said:
Am I counting wrong or has Martin been a scratch for 7 straight games now and the Leafs are 6-1 in that time?
Click to expand...

Yeah, stick a fork in Martin, he's done. Babs can't healthy scratch any of the current top-12 forwards for him. There's no way.
Click to expand...

Well, there is a way, it's Babcock.
 
I haven't looked at the stats but Zaitsev seems to be a giveaway machine. I'm struggling to think of anything he actually does well. That contract is looking pretty scary.
 
Strangelove said:
I haven't looked at the stats but Zaitsev seems to be a giveaway machine. I'm struggling to think of anything he actually does well. That contract is looking pretty scary.
Click to expand...

Last season he scored 36 points in 82 games. This season he's scoring at just a 21-point pace over an 82 game schedule. He started the season off well with 5 points in 4 games. Since then he has just 5 points in 35 games (an 11-point pace). He also has 0 points in his last 13 games played.

I never liked his contract from the beginning. One of my arguments was that we were paying him like a 40-point defenceman, but I knew that once he lost PP time to Rielly this season his offence was going to dry up. That's basically exactly what's happened so far.
 
I do think that Zaitsev is still an interesting trade chip. He looks like a top-4 right handed defenceman who's signed long-term to a not-awful cap hit. He looks like a guy who can kill penalties and play on the powerplay. And the fact that Babcock plays him probably helps his reputation around the league too.

If guys like Tyson Barrie or Ryan McDonagh (or dare I say even one of the big-3) ever actually become available I think Zaitsev would make for a good primary piece of a package to acquire one of them because of the stability his contract brings.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Strangelove said:
I haven't looked at the stats but Zaitsev seems to be a giveaway machine. I'm struggling to think of anything he actually does well. That contract is looking pretty scary.
Click to expand...

Last season he scored 36 points in 82 games. This season he's scoring at just a 21-point pace over an 82 game schedule. He started the season off well with 5 points in 4 games. Since then he has just 5 points in 35 games (an 11-point pace). He also has 0 points in his last 13 games played.

I never liked his contract from the beginning. One of my arguments was that we were paying him like a 40-point defenceman, but I knew that once he lost PP time to Rielly this season his offence was going to dry up. That's basically exactly what's happened so far.
Click to expand...

Well, lots of guys would and should lose PP time to a guy like Rielly.  The question is, can Zaitsev produce consistently on the PP or not?  Was he producing OK but just got displaced by Mo, or did he dry up before and that's why he got displaced?  Anyway,  I sure wish one of the two Ds on our units was RH, that would give each unit a whole different look.
 
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Well, lots of guys would and should lose PP time to a guy like Rielly.  The question is, can Zaitsev produce consistently on the PP or not?  Was he producing OK but just got displaced by Mo, or did he dry up before and that's why he got displaced?  Anyway,  I sure wish one of the two Ds on our units was RH, that would give each unit a whole different look.
Click to expand...

Right, I'm not saying that Zaitsev should be on the powerplay. It 100% should be Rielly and Gardiner manning those units, and it should have been those guys last season too. I'm saying we shouldn't have given a defenceman a 7-year contract after 1 season where he played loads of PP minutes when it was pretty clear that he wouldn't be getting consistent PP minutes going forward.

Basically, if the Leafs gave Rielly and Gardiner those powerplay minutes last season there's absolutely no way Zaitsev gets a $4.5mil AAV. But now we're stuck with that even though he won't be playing there.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Well, lots of guys would and should lose PP time to a guy like Rielly.  The question is, can Zaitsev produce consistently on the PP or not?  Was he producing OK but just got displaced by Mo, or did he dry up before and that's why he got displaced?  Anyway,  I sure wish one of the two Ds on our units was RH, that would give each unit a whole different look.
Click to expand...

Right, I'm not saying that Zaitsev should be on the powerplay. It 100% should be Rielly and Gardiner manning those units, and it should have been those guys last season too. I'm saying we shouldn't have given a defenceman a 7-year contract after 1 season where he played loads of PP minutes when it was pretty clear that he wouldn't be getting consistent PP minutes going forward.

Basically, if the Leafs gave Rielly and Gardiner those powerplay minutes last season there's absolutely no way Zaitsev gets a $4.5mil AAV. But now we're stuck with that even those he won't be playing there.
Click to expand...

OK, gotcha now.

I haven't looked at his advance stats, but I would just hope that he doesn't become the Disrespected D-Man Dujour amongst our Leafer comrades.  He is coming off a busted foot and so forth.

Also, re the contract, if he becomes a fixture on the 2nd pairing I can live with the money (but never that term, except for superstars).
 
Bruins or Bolts in the first round. If they managed to get past that opponent they'd be capable of going all the way. A helluva road though: Bruins, Bolts, Metro winner, West champion. Talk about earning your Stanley Cup. With MarnThewDers and continual retooling they should be knocking on that door for the next decade.
 
disco said:
Bruins or Bolts in the first round. If they managed to get past that opponent they'd be capable of going all the way. A helluva road though: Bruins, Bolts, Metro winner, West champion. Talk about earning your Stanley Cup. With MarnThewDers and continual retooling they should be knocking on that door for the next decade.
Click to expand...

At this point the Bruins are on pace to win the presidents trophy... everyone ready to face the Bolts in the 1st round (ugh)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

About Us

This website is NOT associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs or the NHL.


It is operated by Rick Couchman and Jeff Lewis.
Back
Top