We can’t win with three powder puffs! Three powder puffs making $38mil after MM negotiates his new contract. That’s the problem. How do you solve that? Everybody knows how to beat the Leafs. How are you fixing that?
- Bullot

The Leafs have the offensive talent already, they just need to add the toughness with free agents and keep drafting.

You fix it by getting rid of Tavares, either by trade or letting him walk.

Leafs have 18 AAV this year and another 11 AAV when Tavares is gone.

That's almost 30 AAV in 2 years to spend on UFAs to bring in toughness and defense.

If they can draft another 1 or 2 guys, add them to Knies, Cowan and Minten, that's 4 or 5 guys right there on cheap contracts.

The problem wasn't paying Matthews, Marner and Nylander. The problem was thinking Tavares was what they needed when he hasn't moved the needle. They wasted 6 years. Now they only have 3 or 4 left.

34 drives line - line scores no matter who he plays with.

When JT struggled (when Mitch was there) meaner points declined with JTs and the line struggled. When JT played well - he and Mitch got pts (so as result like scored)…JT can no longer drive a line Marner never could.

That’s the way I look at it anyways
- Big23Questions

I remember Marner driving a line as a rookie with Bozak and JVR

Nope. I’m saying he gets inflated points cause he plays with 34. 34 scores with anyone - Marner struggled without him.

Marner is good on pk not 5v5 defensively
- Big23Questions

You're banging your head against the wall trying to rationalize with this wiener, he will always know more than you.

You're a few posts away from getting the "watch the games" condescending BS. He won't ever shut the (frank) up, he's been a petulant child for decades. Best letting him poop text all over himself.

I remember Marner driving a line as a rookie with Bozak and JVR
- Zezel

If the best example that can be found is like 8 years ago, that's not much of an example.

Marner didn't have a great year, Matthews scored 69 goals, both spending a lot of time apart. Matthews produces whoever he plays with. You put JT and Willy on the third line with a couple plug-ins, and they produce. Marner does not.

Marner managed to go a literal year without scoring a PP goal on the ice with all three of them.

Blows my mind people are still trying to find ways to justify this guy making top 10 in the world money.

Killing penalties on a subpar penalty kill does not tip the scales either, can find no shortage of Dewars around the league who can do that.

And you'd be wrong.
- Rare_Jewel

Nope

The Leafs have the offensive talent already, they just need to add the toughness with free agents and keep drafting.

You fix it by getting rid of Tavares, either by trade or letting him walk.

Leafs have 18 AAV this year and another 11 AAV when Tavares is gone.

That's almost 30 AAV in 2 years to spend on UFAs to bring in toughness and defense.

If they can draft another 1 or 2 guys, add them to Knies, Cowan and Minten, that's 4 or 5 guys right there on cheap contracts.

The problem wasn't paying Matthews, Marner and Nylander. The problem was thinking Tavares was what they needed when he hasn't moved the needle. They wasted 6 years. Now they only have 3 or 4 left.
- Rare_Jewel

The Leafs have the offensive talent already, they just need to add the toughness with free agents and keep drafting.

You fix it by getting rid of Tavares, either by trade or letting him walk.

Leafs have 18 AAV this year and another 11 AAV when Tavares is gone.

That's almost 30 AAV in 2 years to spend on UFAs to bring in toughness and defense.

If they can draft another 1 or 2 guys, add them to Knies, Cowan and Minten, that's 4 or 5 guys right there on cheap contracts.

The problem wasn't paying Matthews, Marner and Nylander. The problem was thinking Tavares was what they needed when he hasn't moved the needle. They wasted 6 years. Now they only have 3 or 4 left.
- Rare_Jewel

Marner will get you more than JT. You beg Paul to waive give list of teams he will allow Mitch to play for.

Leafs need:
- Legit Starter
- Top Pair Dman (R)
- 2nd Pair Dman (R)
- 3C
- 2 middle 6 wingers (that can bang and score)

You can’t do that without moving out Mitchy in my opinion. I personally would rather keep JT and have him slot on a cheaper deal as your 3C after next year if he agrees. Marner makes too much now. He wants more. He is not worth more. It’s burning your cap space for the exact type player Willy brings at cheaper….except this guy is terrified and hides in tight less space mean games - so in the playoffs when it matters (5,6,7).

All Leafs top forwards play same style except 34 (who plays same offensive and doesn’t necessarily play a mean game either) but he plays unreal good without puck as a centre at that.

You need different style top 6 players. Leafs are all same in that regard. Can’t win like that…unless year 9 will be different?

You're banging your head against the wall trying to rationalize with this wiener, he will always know more than you.

You're a few posts away from getting the "watch the games" condescending BS. He won't ever shut the (frank) up, he's been a petulant child for decades. Best letting him poop text all over himself.
- joel878

Yep - calling it a night on that.

Mitch
4
Eva

This point makes me laugh all the time. In what world would the rest of the league not know what was going on if they press boxed a 11 million dollar player?
In addition, in what world would ANY agent want or try to push their player to sign in Toronto after that sort of treatment? Think you'll ever get a player back in Toronto with that type of treatment on a discount? It'll be an overpay every time.
In what world has a team ever done this in the league to a "cancer"? Or just created one out of thin air?

In what world is a player a cancer because he chose not to waive his NMC that the team gave him? Like you want the team to play hardball with the player by putting him in the press box but you're all pissed off when the player treats the team the same way and doesn't waive?

My personal belief is if the leafs don't trade him this summer then you simply deal with it in the off season or trade deadline. Deadline if the leafs pull a Tampa/Colorado and miss the playoffs with superstars on the team.
- Aaron_85

So IF Marner IS the problem, no reprecussions?

I watch Rangers/Panthers, specifically the physical pounding they are putting on one another. Do teams need to play that hard a physical game in order to make it to the Eastern finals?

Was Las Vegas as physical last year? Physical in not just about pounding the other guys. It also means your best players need to absorb the abuse and continue to play through it retaining their high skill level.

If the best example that can be found is like 8 years ago, that's not much of an example.

Marner didn't have a great year, Matthews scored 69 goals, both spending a lot of time apart. Matthews produces whoever he plays with. You put JT and Willy on the third line with a couple plug-ins, and they produce. Marner does not.

Marner managed to go a literal year without scoring a PP goal on the ice with all three of them.

Blows my mind people are still trying to find ways to justify this guy making top 10 in the world money.

Killing penalties on a subpar penalty kill does not tip the scales either, can find no shortage of Dewars around the league who can do that.
- joel878

It's not the best example, it's that he did it even as a 19 year old rookie. He's done it his whole career from what I've watched.

If the best example that can be found is like 8 years ago, that's not much of an example.

Marner didn't have a great year, Matthews scored 69 goals, both spending a lot of time apart. Matthews produces whoever he plays with. You put JT and Willy on the third line with a couple plug-ins, and they produce. Marner does not.

Marner managed to go a literal year without scoring a PP goal on the ice with all three of them.

Blows my mind people are still trying to find ways to justify this guy making top 10 in the world money.

Killing penalties on a subpar penalty kill does not tip the scales either, can find no shortage of Dewars around the league who can do that.
- joel878

Except the past 10 playoff games. Hes only produced 2 goals.
Youre right, marner didnt have a good year.....yet he still produced 85pts in 69 games.
Hes a consistent 90 - 99pt player....on pace this year for 101pts.....in a "bad year" away from Matthews. Weird
Marner does produce with anyone he plays with and oddly enough, his linemates production tends to increase as well.

The Leafs have the offensive talent already, they just need to add the toughness with free agents and keep drafting.

You fix it by getting rid of Tavares, either by trade or letting him walk.

Leafs have 18 AAV this year and another 11 AAV when Tavares is gone.

That's almost 30 AAV in 2 years to spend on UFAs to bring in toughness and defense.

If they can draft another 1 or 2 guys, add them to Knies, Cowan and Minten, that's 4 or 5 guys right there on cheap contracts.

The problem wasn't paying Matthews, Marner and Nylander. The problem was thinking Tavares was what they needed when he hasn't moved the needle. They wasted 6 years. Now they only have 3 or 4 left.
- Rare_Jewel

Jt was a good move.
The problem was overpaying matthews and marner on their first rfa deals and then the real problem after that was covid and having a flat cap for 3 years.

I have this black garlic and chocolate habanero hot sauce from Mojo, a local hot sauce company. Mixed it into mayo to make a dip for chicken strips. I can't even comprehend how tasty it is.
- Zezel

Ok, I was starting to zone out on all of this Marner stats and trade talk, but now you are talking my language.

Black garlic. Chocolate. Habanero. Chicken strips.

So Lebrun sayin Bertuzzi wanting 5-6mil and his agent sayin he may test the market.

Yeah, if he and Domi want 5-6 each let em walk.
- Roadrunner75

As crazy as it sounds, that's about the market price for 20g scorers nowadays.

Are they worth that? Absolutely not.

Will they get that much? Probably. Maybe not from the Leafs though...

I hope Domi stays. Spazzy Bert can stay or go if the price is right.

Holy Cow…

That was a ‘Jewel’ of a thread! I have never seen anyone who is such a big know-it-all.

And please stop blaming JT as if that signing doomed us. There have been plenty of bone headed decisions and I don’t think that was one. This all goes back to our management who, instead of focusing on winning a cup focused on winning a cup with this core of soft players. For many years reporters and fans have been asking if you can win with 4 huge salaries invested in similar type players. Dubas and Shanny basically said ‘just watch us’. So in other words, it wasn’t about winning a cup, it was about proving the nay-sayers wrong…

JT has a family, he is not waiving. Marner is gone. There will be plenty of options for them, all comes down to where Marner wants to go and be a god…

As crazy as it sounds, that's about the market price for 20g scorers nowadays.

Are they worth that? Absolutely not.

Will they get that much? Probably. Maybe not from the Leafs though...

I hope Domi stays. Spazzy Bert can stay or go if the price is right.
- GalacticStone

in: dummy, berpuzzi, more grown men in the top 12, big hard d, and poone jenner👍

out: greedy big hat female dog, his daddy, the horse they rode in on and darling nikki👊🏿

what a (frank)ing joke🤦‍♂️

edit: nice alliteration 👍🏿

in: dummy, berpuzzi, more grown men in the top 12, big hard d, and poone jenner👍

out: greedy big hat female dog, his daddy, the horse they rode in on and darling nikki👊🏿

what a (frank)ing joke🤦‍♂️

edit: nice alliteration 👍🏿
- Skalapy

U forgot Lilly

Marner scores 50 points in 57 playoff games, yet some Leaf fans think he does nothing in the playoffs. This year's playoffs he was playing with a bad ankle but he gets no break from criticism, unlike no heart Matthews and floating Willie. Pathetic. I don't believe some Leaf fans.

Marner scores 50 points in 57 playoff games, yet some Leaf fans think he does nothing in the playoffs. This year's playoffs he was playing with a bad ankle but he gets no break from criticism, unlike no heart Matthews and floating Willie. Pathetic. I don't believe some Leaf fans.

Marner scores 50 points in 57 playoff games, yet some Leaf fans think he does nothing in the playoffs. This year's playoffs he was playing with a bad ankle but he gets no break from criticism, unlike no heart Matthews and floating Willie. Pathetic. I don't believe some Leaf fans.

Marner scores 50 points in 57 playoff games, yet some Leaf fans think he does nothing in the playoffs. This year's playoffs he was playing with a bad ankle but he gets no break from criticism, unlike no heart Matthews and floating Willie. Pathetic. I don't believe some Leaf fans.

Ok, I was starting to zone out on all of this Marner stats and trade talk, but now you are talking my language.

Black garlic. Chocolate. Habanero. Chicken strips.
- GalacticStone

Right?!

I think I'll make this snack for the first game of the season as I watch Marner take to the ice for the opening faceoff with Matthews.

Right?!

I think I'll make this snack for the first game of the season as I watch Marner take to the ice for the opening faceoff with Matthews.

- Zezel

Hot sauce challenge to determine who stays and goes.

Mandatory team meeting with a big table full of wings and hot sauces laid out. Any player who refuses has their contract terminated on the spot. Any player who pussies out and can't make it through the entire line of sauces is traded for a bag of pucks if we can find a team desperate enough to take such weak human beings.

Cry, guzzle milk, vomit or otherwise make a spectacle of yourself - traded.

I have this black garlic and chocolate habanero hot sauce from Mojo, a local hot sauce company. Mixed it into mayo to make a dip for chicken strips. I can't even comprehend how tasty it is.
- Zezel

Wait…

I fell for the Kensington Market vibe last year while waiting for our daughter. We bought a bunch of hot sauces from a “market” retailer…like a dozen or so - all Ontario companies. For the most part, they are all meh and we’d never purchase them again. Oh yeah - then we ate at a Mexican restaurant down there. Worst service and food we have EVER had dining out. Can’t believe there were lineups to get in.
Where can I buy this Mojo so I can make these chicken strips?