Only 4 years. Then Matthews goes to Arizona as a FA. Haven't you been paying attention??? Tick-tock....
- hawk35

Arizona Leafs ...... has a nice ring to it.

Include Reilly, and you have a core 5.. You got your core Dman.. Overpaying for a UFA like Pietro is not good business. They need 3-4mil/yr guys that know how to play the position... If you want to know what overpaying your backend looks like, go to San Jose.. I think what people fail to realize is a team with 5 Doughtys still gets scored on..
The tough defensive teams play a tough defensive system.

Boston leads the league with fewest goals against.. No Doughty, No Pietrolangelo, No Hedman.. 40yr old Chara isn't the reason. Rask who has been solid in his through his career, has also been known to go stretches letting on soft goals, and is not suddenly the best goalie in the league... They don't exactly have the smartest coach either...

They have an EXPERIENCED core, and filled in the holes with the right pieces...
- dunner84

I really like Rielly when healthy. Muzzin also. Dermott? Not so sure about him. Maybe this team makes the playoffs as constituted. But I think Leafs nation has their sights set higher than making the playoffs. Should be fun either way

Shanny sounds drunk on blue kool-aid. This team sucks. Dubas should be fired. Should have traded Marner for a top d-man, and not let Kadri go. Also, lol at Kyle Clifford. Did he bring his big red dog?
- Kooleus

You sound like your mom was drunk when you were gestating.

Not really buying this top 4 D talk. If we can get a couple of guys that can keep the front of our net clear, then our GA will obviously come down. Don't care if they rack up points. Just send the biscuit up to the forwards and let them spin their magic. Reilly or Sandin will quarter back the PP options. Out going... Ceci, Barrie and Kerfoot [ hopefully]. We're getting there. Just a tad more tweaking.

And... I"ll admit I was one of those for trading Willy early this year. But seems like he's discovered the front of the net. Really like the way his game is improving.

Don’t bring your Rubber Dinghy with a trolling motor to a Jet Boat race if you don’t want to line up.
- Byfuglien Ate Me

Sure..you are so elite, you schooled me so bad with the unfunny mom joke. Ouch.

Heard a rumor that if the season is totally canceled and the cap remains the same or goes down some. Because the owners took the loss but the players still got paid and since the 2019-2020 technically wouldnt exist. Bettman can revisit the opt out of the collective bargaining agreement and in turn can initiate a 24% player salary roll back like what was done in 2005. Again just a rumor, so no female dogin at me...
- Buck Norris

This is great news.

The Leafs have quite a few years left with the core 4 playing in their prime. Relax.
- mjones242

4 seasons, 3 seasons if Matthews hints at leaving as UFA, then he will need to be traded before the 4th year.

4 seasons, 3 seasons if Matthews hints at leaving as UFA, then he will need to be traded before the 4th year.
- Big Nik

This isn't difficult.

The way to predict the future for the Leafs is simply to ask yourself one question.

"What is the Leafiest thing that could happen?"

Once you know that answer you can rest easy knowing what is coming and learn to deal with it ahead of time.

Applying that to this case, the Leafiest thing is to NOT trade Matthews 3 years from now because they have a shot at the cup. Then they don't win the cup, and Matthews walks as a free agent 4 years from now.

Matthews will retire, and be inducted into the HHOF as a Leaf.

Say it.

Matthews will retire, and be inducted into the HHOF as a Leaf.

Say it.
- Zezel

Not Leafy. I can't allow it. sorry

It's funny that people are going on about how Shanny has said the team will evolve and grow and are saying the team needs other pieces or it won't grow enough, yet Shanny also said they weren't finished acquiring pieces.

I know it's against the COC to suggest people read Mike's blogs, but if you read the blog you'd know Shanahan basically was saying they have't entirely finished putting this team together yet.

His message, when you get down to it, is to be patient, because the team isn't fully built yet and some of the players haven't reached their full potential yet.

When you look at using some of the surplus of talent that we’ve either signed, drafted, or developed to go out and acquire veteran guys who bring a level of physicality to add to that core, I think it shows a reflection that, first off, you can’t do this all overnight and

And I also think at times, at any moment, you can take a snapshot of any team in the NHL and make an assumption that this is your final piece of work, when all of us teams are constantly looking at this as a work in progress.

Anyone that wants to trade Marner for anyone is eating quarantine crayons.
- Blazed

Marner straight up for Drasaitl😈 I like the purple ones best

new blog everyone

Marner straight up for Drasaitl😈 I like the purple ones best
- jribout

Well played sir.