Zaitsev and Dermott have been pretty good at breaking up the oppositions cycle game.
- PatC80

And Blizzard of OZ you have to keep your head up with him out there

edit : Gards is soft though.

You are correct.

And if Carlson is considered a #1, so is Reilly.

And also, Rielly is #1 in QOC minutes the past 3 years in the entire NHL.
- RogerRoeper

We're clearly letting facts ruin our reality.

He wouldn't be the first player to retire before his official contract ran out and he probably won't be the last.

What if he and his wife agreed, only two more years?
- Unholy_Goalie

Yes guys retire.
Here there are no obvious reasons that he would.
On top of a conspiracy between the leafs and Marleau about early retirement you now double down on some hypothetical conversation between Marleau and his wife. These aren’t exactly facts to back up your conjecture. Wild speculation with no credible sources (or do you spend much time with the Marleaus discussing their intimate secrets -
And giving them tax advice?)

We are all makinng asumptions on what Marner and Mathews get, and the fact is we just dont know.

Im not gonna mention things like Hometown discount or any of that stuff. Cause well that just doesnt happen cause of taxes and stuff.

I do think one of Marner or Mathews signs a short bridge deal.

Mitch is a local boy, and was happy as hell to be drafted by the leafs. Mathews was probably promised the captaincy and all that it brings to the leafs.

They seem to have a solid chemisty in that locker room.

Heck, gards might even take a small pay raise to stay with the team.

Cause Uggie knows anything can happen.



- mel_vin

There will be no hometown discounts, but there will also be no 12-13 million per for Marner, which I see a lot. 1 single NHl winger makes 10 million or more. Marner is not getting 12 or 13.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Pittsburgh win the Cup with Ron Hainsey playing more than 20 minutes a night?
- PatC80

The Leafs are not the Penguins but in any case, Brian Dumoulin says hello. He led them in PK time and ice-time. And that was Hainsey of almost 3 years ago. He can't do it anymore. Not to mention with Murray behind him, Crosby and Malkin in front of him etc. it's kind of a bad comparison to make. Especially in the face of history which shows that what Pittsburgh did that year was the exception, not the rule.

Gudas would be a decent pick up for us for sure.
- PatC80

Yup, and the leafs could sweeten the pot for a bit of salary retaining...

This defensive talk always overshadows how screwed our opposition is with those 3 centres we have.
Good luck matching-up against the Leafs in the playoffs.

The Leafs are not the Penguins but in any case, Brian Dumoulin says hello. He led them in PK time and ice-time. And that was Hainsey of almost 3 years ago. He can't do it anymore. Not to mention with Murray behind him, Crosby and Malkin in front of him etc. it's kind of a bad comparison to make. Especially in the face of history which shows that what Pittsburgh did that year was the exception, not the rule.
- Unholy_Goalie

Yes they absolutely are. This team is ridiculously stacked.

Matthews/Tavares/Kadri/Marner/Nylander/Kapanen are absolutely as good or better than that Pens team. And the D is better on the Leafs.

Should probably start by rectifying that mighty mistake Mark Hunter made and trade Marner for Dylan Strome.
- PatC80

That would sure solve all the cap issues!!! Is it UG approved?
Why can’t we just enjoy having good things😁

The Leafs are not the Penguins but in any case, Brian Dumoulin says hello. He led them in PK time and ice-time. And that was Hainsey of almost 3 years ago. He can't do it anymore. Not to mention with Murray behind him, Crosby and Malkin in front of him etc. it's kind of a bad comparison to make. Especially in the face of history which shows that what Pittsburgh did that year was the exception, not the rule.
- Unholy_Goalie

We’ve heard this response 67483738 times. Give it a rest.

Followed by trading Nylander for someone better then Rielly and trading Rielly for someone better then Nylander
- PatC80

So true

You are correct.

And if Carlson is considered a #1, so is Reilly.

And also, Rielly is #1 in QOC minutes the past 3 years in the entire NHL.
- RogerRoeper

Find that kind of hard to believe with how many other top pair defenders there are out there playing more minutes per game, more PK time etc.

Carlson played more per game and killed more penalties last year too. Niskanen and Orlov were also a much better shutdown pair than the Leafs currently have.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2017 Stanley cup D line up


Ian cole D
Trevor Daley D
Brian dumolin D
Ron Hainsey D
Olii Matta D
Justin Shultz D
Mark streit D

The Leafs are not the Penguins but in any case, Brian Dumoulin says hello. He led them in PK time and ice-time. And that was Hainsey of almost 3 years ago. He can't do it anymore. Not to mention with Murray behind him, Crosby and Malkin in front of him etc. it's kind of a bad comparison to make. Especially in the face of history which shows that what Pittsburgh did that year was the exception, not the rule.
- Unholy_Goalie

I think you solved the all Leafs problems just now. We need to get Dumolin. Then we have Dumolin, Andersen, Tavares, Matthews and Marner.
They are kinda like our version of Murray, Malkin, Crosby and Kessel

They're three sad soles
Oh me, oh my
No brain, no heart, he's much too shy
But never mind you three
Here's the wizard as you can see
He'll fix that 1,2,3
In the funny place called the World of UG

Oh the World of UG is a very funny place
Where everyone wears a funny, funny face
All the streets are paved with gold
And no one ever grows old
In that funny land lives the Wizard of UG

Nicely done. Bring back strange childhood memories.

just kidding
- BreathLeafs2015

I don't think there's been enough conversation about trading Nylander now that he's signed.

We should really do more of that guys. Especially after Dubas apparently just promised him he wouldn't as long as he was GM of the Leafs.

We need at least 10 pages of incomprehensible trading Nylander arguments before this blog will feel like a real Leafs blog on hockeybuzz. I think we're around half way there.
- Thecakeisalie

crazy hour approaching... so can we start with some nice ridiculous proposals?

This defensive talk always overshadows how screwed our opposition is with those 3 centres we have.
Good luck matching-up against the Leafs in the playoffs.
- RogerRoeper

someone said something liek we have 2 #1 lines and 1 #2 line. It is tough to match. Man I hope Kadri gets out of his slump soon.

This defensive talk always overshadows how screwed our opposition is with those 3 centres we have.
Good luck matching-up against the Leafs in the playoffs.
- RogerRoeper

Teams could easily say that about the Leafs defense and just as easily exploit that weakness the way the Bruins did last playoffs. Chip it in, smash the first guy, cycle the puck, throw pucks at the net, get a body in front (that none of the Leafs D is going to move) and wait for a deflection.

That would sure solve all the cap issues!!! Is it UG approved?
Why can’t we just enjoy having good things😁
- Dr. Leaf

Not allowed to..

Find that kind of hard to believe with how many other top pair defenders there are out there playing more minutes per game, more PK time etc.

Carlson played more per game and killed more penalties last year too. Niskanen and Orlov were also a much better shutdown pair than the Leafs currently have.
- Unholy_Goalie

Carlson is completely sheltered defensively by the Caps. He leaves the ice for hard minutes. Rielly last year alone was #2 in QOC. Remember, the guy got crappy PP time until this year and he did play a lot of PK until this season.

Teams could easily say that about the Leafs defense and just as easily exploit that weakness the way the Bruins did last playoffs. Chip it in, smash the first guy, cycle the puck, throw pucks at the net, get a body in front (that none of the Leafs D is going to move) and wait for a deflection.
- Unholy_Goalie

We can trade for Gudas. That would help

I think you solved the all Leafs problems just now. We need to get Dumolin. Then we have Dumolin, Andersen, Tavares, Matthews and Marner.
They are kinda like our version of Murray, Malkin, Crosby and Kessel
- PatC80

Not really because history still shows that the vast majority of teams have had a Keith, Doughty, Lidstrom etc.

Teams could easily say that about the Leafs defense and just as easily exploit that weakness the way the Bruins did last playoffs. Chip it in, smash the first guy, cycle the puck, throw pucks at the net, get a body in front (that none of the Leafs D is going to move) and wait for a deflection.
- Unholy_Goalie

Oh I am aware. I am just pointing-out something that seems completely irrelevant to everyone, but should not be. You can win cups with being stacked down the middle. The Leafs are as good as anyone.

Followed by trading Nylander for someone better then Rielly and trading Rielly for someone better then Nylander
- PatC80

now that sounds like a plan

can't wait to hear the details worked out tonight after 2am

The Leafs are not the Penguins but in any case, Brian Dumoulin says hello. He led them in PK time and ice-time. And that was Hainsey of almost 3 years ago. He can't do it anymore. Not to mention with Murray behind him, Crosby and Malkin in front of him etc. it's kind of a bad comparison to make. Especially in the face of history which shows that what Pittsburgh did that year was the exception, not the rule.
- Unholy_Goalie

I think the better debate is who can the Leafs toss some draft picks/prospects at to nab a rental defenceman in February?

Does Kronwall still have good minutes in him?