Going up to a billionaire who made a massive fortune by royally screwing people and saying "I bet you can't afford to pay this" is a surefire strategy.
- BINGO!

Habs knew they were not getting him IMO, it was mostly to shut up the media/fans

oh crap, forgot about the trade, was it protected in case of 1st overall?
- Symba007

Top 10 protected.

not sure how it works this year, if the Leafs don't win the lottery for the 1st overall, where do they end up drafting?
- Symba007

There's two things I know for sure from my extensive experience of managing the team drunk from my couch.

#1. Team needs a bit of a retool. Become more multi dimensional and have a more reliable blueline. How that looks is up for debate and surely to be debated endlessly. But it should be evident this offensive powerhouse approach and a team devoid of heart, character, grit.. Everything.. Doesn't work.

#2. Time to move on from Andersen. I don't blame him for where the team is at, and I don't care who considers him to have been good or bad. Reality is its contract time, he's not worthy of a mega contract (team couldn't fit it anyways), and allowing him to walk for free isn't an option.

And if there's to be a #3, get rielly extended this summer so we know what that looks like for #1 please.

My damn well right answered the "Marner, Reilly and a pick now" question. I blatently stated that you would trade those two straight up for Eichel and Dahlin. But whatever you think there, champ.

To make it clear Id never trade our Hart Candidate center and Norris candidate D for Seth Jones, and certainly not for Marner and Reilly. I think this makes it clear. Im done for today. The inability of some of you to comprehend points has exhausted me. Good luck tonight. Lafrienierre is exactly the grit the Leafs nesd.
- ThundernLightning

Backpedaling looks good on you.

Hart and Norris candidates that haven't come close to being nominated.

Thanks for sticking around so long and putting a smile on my face with you incompetence on what would otherwise be a sad morning.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Signing JT was a mistake. Let's face it.
It costs us Kadri and our first round pick (13th pick) this year short of winning the lottery.
Yes, Kadri got suspended last 2 years but you can't blame him this year for losing.
JT hasn't been terrible but hasn't lived up to $11 million a year especially in the playoffs. The Leafs are not a well balanced team.
His money is needed to sign a top defenseman to play with Reilly.
Now, one of Nylander or Marner will have to go to get a top defender.

I think the Leafs are all over the Devils and Sens to try and get them to take back a top salary in exchange for their giving up one of their three first round picks.
- spatso

I dont

Marner was playing great under Babcock.
Under Keefe he took 2 steps back.
That Keefe 'breakout system' is boring and predictable as (frank) by the way.
- MaximusAurelius

I think there's a correlation between Marner's play and how often/frequently he plays with Hyman... .then Hyman is the break-out guy so Marner's not left hanging on the wall waiting to get hit.

I don't think there's too much debate about how much Marner and Tavares complimented each other last year....

so it comes down to decisions for Dubas/Shanahan to make... do they move Marner given the above and assume they won't get that much in return for him because of his CAP hit... or do they move Nylander.

one way or the other... they need more Hyman type guys, and few fewer little shifty guys.

Signing JT was a mistake. Let's face it.
It costs us Kadri and our first round pick (13th pick) this year short of winning the lottery.
Yes, Kadri got suspended last 2 years but you can't blame him this year for losing.
JT hasn't been terrible but hasn't lived up to $11 million a year especially in the playoffs. The Leafs are not a well balanced team.
His money is needed to sign a top defenseman to play with Reilly.
Now, one of Nylander or Marner will have to go to get a top defender.
- floater_willy

Yes, I think so.

Habs knew they were not getting him IMO, it was mostly to shut up the media/fans
- Symba007

I think so too. Aho didn't want a long negotiation and they knew Dundon was going to play hardball because he does that on EVERYTHING, so this was a fast way to get it all done.

Signing JT was a mistake. Let's face it.
It costs us Kadri and our first round pick (13th pick) this year short of winning the lottery.
Yes, Kadri got suspended last 2 years but you can't blame him this year for losing.
JT hasn't been terrible but hasn't lived up to $11 million a year especially in the playoffs. The Leafs are not a well balanced team.
His money is needed to sign a top defenseman to play with Reilly.
Now, one of Nylander or Marner will have to go to get a top defender.
- floater_willy

ill never say it was a mistake signing a top tier #1...its just foolish

Signing JT was a mistake. Let's face it.
It costs us Kadri and our first round pick (13th pick) this year short of winning the lottery.
Yes, Kadri got suspended last 2 years but you can't blame him this year for losing.
JT hasn't been terrible but hasn't lived up to $11 million a year especially in the playoffs. The Leafs are not a well balanced team.
His money is needed to sign a top defenseman to play with Reilly.
Now, one of Nylander or Marner will have to go to get a top defender.
- floater_willy

JT is worth a (frank) ton more than Kadri and a mid round 1st pick.


Come on now.

Signing JT was a mistake. Let's face it.
It costs us Kadri and our first round pick (13th pick) this year short of winning the lottery.
Yes, Kadri got suspended last 2 years but you can't blame him this year for losing.
JT hasn't been terrible but hasn't lived up to $11 million a year especially in the playoffs. The Leafs are not a well balanced team.
His money is needed to sign a top defenseman to play with Reilly.
Now, one of Nylander or Marner will have to go to get a top defender.
- floater_willy

so youre worried about losing Nylander because they have Tavares?

took me 9 tries for Leafs to get #1

http://www.tankathon.com/nhl

so youre worried about losing Nylander because they have Tavares?
- drexel

they should just buyout Tavares right now. what a waste of money getting him was.

JT is worth a (frank) ton more than Kadri and a mid round 1st pick.


Come on now.
- Santo_44

Come on now yourself. You're missing the point. We need a top pairing on defense. We should have used or use future tense JT's money on a top RHD to go with Reilly.

This is a deep draft. The 13th overall pick is nothing to sneeze at.

Matthews / Kadri is still a good 1, 2 punch up the middle. We are sorely lacking on d.

so youre worried about losing Nylander because they have Tavares?
- drexel

No, I'm worried about not having a top RHD to go with Reilly. Along with the other assets we had to give up to get JT (Kadri and 1st). Pretty easy to see what this team is missing when compared with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski on the other side.

Come on now yourself. You're missing the point. We need a top pairing on defense. We should have used or use future tense JT's money on a top RHD to go with Reilly.

This is a deep draft. The 13th overall pick is nothing to sneeze at.

Matthews / Kadri is still a good 1, 2 punch up the middle. We are sorely lacking on d.
- floater_willy

Who the (frank) is this 10 million dollar RHD for Rielly? Some magical man dropping from the sky?

They signed a free superstar, I am sure Dubas would of loved if he was a d man. But hey next time a superstar D hits the FA let me know.

Signing JT was a mistake. Let's face it.
It costs us Kadri and our first round pick (13th pick) this year short of winning the lottery.
Yes, Kadri got suspended last 2 years but you can't blame him this year for losing.
JT hasn't been terrible but hasn't lived up to $11 million a year especially in the playoffs. The Leafs are not a well balanced team.
His money is needed to sign a top defenseman to play with Reilly.
Now, one of Nylander or Marner will have to go to get a top defender.
- floater_willy

Signing Marleau to a ridiculous contract cost us this year's pick.

they should just buyout Tavares right now. what a waste of money getting him was.
- wingz4life

Tavares with 9mil av real money for 5 years should at least get you Jake Gardiner

Come on now yourself. You're missing the point. We need a top pairing on defense. We should have used or use future tense JT's money on a top RHD to go with Reilly.

This is a deep draft. The 13th overall pick is nothing to sneeze at.

Matthews / Kadri is still a good 1, 2 punch up the middle. We are sorely lacking on d.
- floater_willy

Exactly right. The Leafs had Matthews already. JT was not a huge need with this team. You could have used the money on D and much needed grit over signing JT. JT brings only offense and no other intangibles. He is not a good fit as captain in a pressure cooker like Toronto. The Islanders needed JT offense. The Leafs really did not. This is not an Islander fan trolling.

Tavares with 9mil av real money for 5 years should at least get you Jake Gardiner
- senstroll

watch Gardiner win the cup with the canes lol

I think there's a correlation between Marner's play and how often/frequently he plays with Hyman... .then Hyman is the break-out guy so Marner's not left hanging on the wall waiting to get hit.

I don't think there's too much debate about how much Marner and Tavares complimented each other last year....

so it comes down to decisions for Dubas/Shanahan to make... do they move Marner given the above and assume they won't get that much in return for him because of his CAP hit... or do they move Nylander.

one way or the other... they need more Hyman type guys, and few fewer little shifty guys.
- BorjeFan4Ever

Marner is the ultimate perimeter player.

Columbus is the ultimate shut down the real estate that is really important team.

You really can't argue with his 1 5-on-5 point this series. He was invisible.

Exactly right. The Leafs had Matthews already. JT was not a huge need with this team. You could have used the money on D and much needed grit over signing JT. JT brings only offense and no other intangibles. He is not a good fit as captain in a pressure cooker like Toronto. The Islanders needed JT offense. The Leafs really did not. This is not an Islander fan trolling.
- ses111

Nah.

All 31 teams are taking a superstar c in his prime without having to give up value. You are brainless if you think otherwise.

Signing Marleau to a ridiculous contract cost us this year's pick.
- Atomic Wedgie

No one is excusing that Marleau contract. That was Lou and was stupid.
However, Dubas knew about that deal when he took over and still signed JT.
Without JT, they could have kept Marleau this year and also kept their first and still been in the same position. ie. no playoffs.

watch Gardiner win the cup with the canes lol
- wingz4life

and Reimer as the goalie..which imo is much more hilarious