Frank Seravalli on SN590 says Auston Matthews wants to allow enough money on the Leafs' cap to build a team that has a chance to win. His next contract is not about setting a record, it's not about getting 4x$15M.
He wants to win and he needs to find a spot that pays him
In the entire history of the NHL, only 5 players have scored 120 even-strength goals in their first 280 career games. Those players are:
Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Brett Hull, Eric Lindros,
And...
Auston Matthews.
Let that sink in.
#LeafsForever
Shea Weber and Carey Price went from dragging the Habs kicking and screaming to the Stanley Cup finals to never being able to play hockey again.
I don't want to hear anything about Matt Murray not actually being injured.
Chris Johnston on the CJ Show says it's not going well between the Leafs and William Nylander, they just see the world differently.
Nylander believes he should be a $10 million player or just a little above that on his next contract, whereas the Leafs have come at him with a
this was legit one of the most insane plays i’ve ever seen a leaf make and it happened when the leafs needed their best players to step up the most
matthews and domi are so back to being serious
2022-23:
Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Nylander-Tavares-Malgin
Engvall-Kerfoot-Jarnkrok
2023-24:
Bertuzzi-Matthews-Marner
Domi-Tavares-Nylander
Knies-Minten-Jarnkrok
What a difference a year makes...
I don’t have a problem with the Clifford suspension – what he did was bad and he should’ve been punished for it.
But what are we doing here? How is this play any different? And nothing.
My favourite Jake Muzzin play as a Leaf
They just didn't have anyone like him (and still don't). Someone who could quarterback a powerplay, but also embodied "fuck around and find out"
Morgan Rielly was my choice to be captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I went to the same high school as Zach Hyman.
It makes me sick that Mitch Marner is going to price these guys out of Toronto.
Robertson-Domi-Jarnkrok at 5v5:
- Scored a goal
- Out shot-attempted TB 10-3
- Controlled 64% of the expected goals
Thinking this trio is going to stick for a while.
The only players with a higher market value than Mitch Marner per
@domluszczyszyn
's player cards:
1. Auston Matthews
2. Connor McDavid
3. Cale Makar
4. Brad Marchand
That’s it.
Marner’s arrived as a top 5 player in the NHL.
Seravalli on SN590 says under no circumstances do the Leafs have any interest in extending Marner. If a trade happens there's a strong likelihood it happens this week
"I think the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to do everything within their power to try and make something happen"
Will always fascinate me how good Jake Muzzin was right up until the very end. One season he's an *elite* two-way force, the next it's all over.
Might be one of the most underrated defensemen of the 2010s, and one the Leafs still haven't quite adequately replaced.
tonight could be the night he sets the record for goals in a season in the salary cap era and also ranks in the 98th percentile for defensive impact among forwards
matthews was literally designed in a lab to dominate the NHL
Pretty crazy how the Leafs let Hyman walk and signed Hyman-lite for 17% of the AAV.
Then let Hyman-lite walk and drafted a 6"3, 215 lb offensive version of both, with ridiculous hands, who never loses a board battle.
Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show says one player that is being talked about right now who may go unqualified is Dylan Strome.
If he does, I'd say it's time to bring the noted Passion Haver home, Kyle.
The Hurricanes are the 28th most valuable team in the NHL, worth $640M, with an operating income of $19M.
The Leafs are the 2nd most valuable team in the NHL, worth $2B, with an operating income of $116M.
Just imagine what Eric Tulsky can do with the Leafs' resources.
Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading says the Leafs may be open to an 8-year contract extension with Michael Bunting in order to bring down the AAV.
Though no discussions have taken place just yet, Bunting's camp may be open to 8 years as well due to him already being 27 years old.
Goals Above Replacement 2022-23:
1. Auston Matthews - 24.9
2. Mitch Marner - 22.3
3. William Nylander - 13.2
4. John Tavares - 10.3
5. Tim Stutzle - 7.9
What even is this conversation on my timeline?
Friedman on the 32T podcast says after the Leafs beat Tampa, ownership had committed to the idea of bringing Dubas back
Adds they're talking about extending him & at the end of the day, he believes Dubas wants to be Leafs GM
Terms/conditions & power still need to be worked out
According to
@TFP
, the Toronto Maple Leafs have expressed interest in Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. CBJ would have interest in TOR’s Alex Kerfoot or Andreas Johnsson to bolster their top six.
Korpisalo has 2 years left on his $2.8M AAV deal.
#LeafsForever
Morgan Rielly quietly leads all defensemen in Goals Above Replacement this season.
In his entire career, he's never been a positive player defensively by GAR...except for this season so far.
He deserves to be mentioned more often in the early Norris conversation.
Jakob Chychrun, who is a borderline top-pair defensemen at 25 years old and had 2.5 years left on his contract at the time at $4.6M, was moved for one high-end asset (a first-round pick) at last year's deadline.
The number of mock trades having the Leafs move a first *and* a
the level of disrespect here is actually insane
i didn't have a problem with some of the other results, but how does a player who might finish with 70 goals and rank in the 99th percentile for defensive impact among forwards NOT FINISH IN THE TOP FIVE
Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show says the Leafs are there on Tanev "in a very big way" & that Tanev is the guy Treliving likes the most
Bertuzzi is likely gone but the Leafs are still working on Domi, whose ask is in the 4x$4M range and wants to stay in Toronto
Marner status quo
elliotte name dropping vegas and theodore/thompson for marner, i’m starting to feel like that’s the team to circle in these discussions
fantastic market, a cup contender, and always in on stars
a top pair PMD at $5.2M and a tandem at ~$1.5M would do wonders for the leafs cap
Gentle reminder:
Zadorov + Tanev both 50% retained = $4.125M
Klingberg = $4.15M
If Treliving can figure out the necessary picks and prospects, the cap can work.
I don't know who needs to hear this but:
1. John Gibson has not been good for a few years now
2. The Leafs cannot afford a $6M goalie
3. Even if they could they're not trading Nylander for said goalie
4. And even if they were the $6M goalie to trade him for is Connor Hellebuyck
Hakanpaa is 6"7 and 222 pounds every time he touches the ice, which should make an extremely physical and mean bottom pair with Benoit
Dreger says it's two years at $1.5M AAV, which probably ends Timmins' time in Toronto, but also raises questions about the Liljegren extension
A lot of people weren't familiar with the Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten picks and the spot they were taken.
Let's just give Wes Clark and his team a chance here.
Frank Seravalli on the DFO pod on Marner:
"I think the Leafs are going to make a play and they're going to basically back him into a corner over the next three weeks that says Mitch it's been great but we're moving on, so whether it's now or eight months from now your times up"
per CJ, there’s an expectation the leafs and tavares will talk contract extension in the near future
i think this gets done before camp at an extremely team-friendly number, there's little reason to have this drag out - the leafs want him to stay and he wants to retire here
- Two goals from the fourth line
- Samsonov only surrendered two goals against
- First time giving up less than four goals at home this season
- Leafs scored five and only one came from the Core Four
- Leafs immediately came to the defence of their teammates after two open ice
friedman says the leafs want a right shot defensemen. that rules out hanifin and chychrun.
he says the leafs don’t want to trade their first round pick for a rental. that rules out tanev.
legitimately have no idea who treliving is going to acquire and it’s quite exciting
Tyler Bertuzzi leads all Leafs forwards in:
- Expected goals (61%)
- Shot attempts (57%)
- Scoring chances (61%)
- High-danger chances (62%)
And is third in Goals For at 58%
I'd be looking to get him extended as soon as possible. His number on a four- or five-year deal
Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show:
"We talked about Toronto’s fourth line, I'm going to be very curious to see if Knies or Abruzzese get chances in the NHL with the Leafs in April"
wonder if TOR's in on tarasenko
familiarity with berube/savard & he's the only UFA left with a strong track record of putting the puck in the net & *could* play on the 2nd line
he might be this years bertuzzi/domi, waiting out the market after day 1, TOR needs to clear cap tho
Among forwards at even-strength, Auston Matthews is currently projected to be the league's best offensive *and* defensive player by GAR.
But they'll tell you he isn't the best player in the NHL.
Mitch Marner since returning from COVID protocol:
•30 GP
•53 points (1st)
•21 goals (T4th)
•36 5v5 points (1st)
•2+ points 18 times
•TOR has outscored opponents 70-48 with him on the ice at 5v5
Marner's making an underrated case for the MVP. Won't win but he's a sleeper.
Noah Gregor is on pace for 14 goals while averaging the fourth most shorthanded minutes per game among Leafs forwards.
They're getting some real good value out of his $775K.
Pierre LeBrun on TSN1050 says Sam Gagner was a name that came across to him this week as a potential bottom-six fit for the Leafs, as a local guy who's best friends with John Tavares.
Mirtle says his understanding is there is mutual interest between the Leafs and Laurent Brossoit 👀
Brossoit's top priority at 31 will be to go to a good team where he can start frequently and he believes the Leafs fit the bill
His guess: a relatively short-term deal around $3M
Elliotte Friedman on the Jeff Marek Show on Hall's fine:
"I heard it was brewing in Leaf Land about how, look, we got two guys suspended this year for retaliation so this is retaliation and then when it was a fine...I could only imagine what's going on in there right now"
Best defensemen since the beginning of last season at suppressing chances against by RAPM:
1. TJ Brodie
2. Jared Spurgeon
3. Chris Tanev
It makes very little sense for the Leafs to move on from Brodie to bring in Tanev and Zadorov, you add those two players *to* Brodie.
Rumblings, per Siegel/Mirtle
- Leafs were runners-up for Markstrom, their 1st round pick was part of the offer
- Tanev is the Leafs top choice
- Leafs interested in Roy despite ~$6M AAV
- Leafs like Perron/Joshua/Debrusk
- Bertuzzi/Domi looking likely to head to market on Monday
the amount of people twisting themselves into believing matthews isn't deserving of a hart nominee is insane
he's earned 57% of his points at 5v5 (best of the bunch) & has 90 primary points, which is two back of mcdavid
he's also *easily* the best defensive player of the group
kind of quietly, knies finished the season tied for the second most 5v5 points among rookies. he & marco rossi are at 33 5v5 points, which is just one back of bedard for league lead
he moved around the lineup a ton, essentially playing on every line. all-around impressive season
mirtle on the leaf report says the leafs were really, really close to getting matt roy (would’ve been instead of OEL) and i’m going to turn into the joker
It's frustrating to see NYR just come off a conference finals appearance and are now dumping *THEIR CAPTAIN* in his prime and it's looking like the Leafs are running back a core who's won one round in 8 years
if Marner isn't moved it's because Treliving didn't try hard enough
it’s an *extremely* low bar, but i feel like lyubushkin is not nearly as bad with the puck on his stick and moving his feet as people make him out to be
let’s be clear, i don’t think he should do this, but my inner caveman so badly wants keefe to run a starting lineup tonight of:
bertuzzi-domi-reaves
edmundson-mccabe
set the goddamn tone.
set it early.
a reminder that dubas didn't want to give hyman a no-movement clause so he left
here’s a list of some players he did give trade protection to: holl, mrazek, brodie, jarnkrok, kerfoot, and johnsson
fireable offense
max domi's last four contracts:
Jun 16, 2018 - 2x$3.15M
Oct 7, 2020 - 2x$5.3M
Jul 13, 2022 - 1x$3M
Jul 2, 2023 - 1x$3M
he's played for six teams in that time
feels like he'd trade some salary for some long-term security & seems like the leafs are the perfect team to offer that
Tough to see Dubas not coming back (must've really been a hard year off ice for him to step back) but only one of two people should take over:
Pridham - Matthews knows him, could make negotiations easier
Eric Tulsky - might be the smartest man in the NHL
Only one of those two.
Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast talking NCAA players turning pro:
"The one I think is going to be interesting is Nick Abruzzese from Toronto...I'm hearing there's some chance he could be coming out to join Toronto"
It’s been building for a few years now, but finally TOR seems ready to usher in a whole new wave of young talent as soon as next season.
It’s conceivable all of Knies, Robertson, Abruzzese, & Steeves are regulars. Sandin & Liljegren could be forming TOR’s new second pairing.