The Leafs have 72 of 90 allowed players, with 23 on the main roster and these 40 prospects, are the remaining 9 players that bad that they aren't included in the prospect rankings?

Rielly has the most potential and upside. He just hasn’t put it all together yet.
- bryant

The Leafs can't afford him and he should have been traded atlready or dealt before the deadline. But he won't be because Dubas' is trying to save his own neck.

It's piss poor asset management.

The Leafs have 72 of 90 allowed players, with 23 on the main roster and these 40 prospects, are the remaining 9 players that bad that they aren't included in the prospect rankings?
- Reubenkincade

As deliberately stated it’s the top 40

If they aren’t considered that than no, they won’t be included

The Leafs can't afford him and he should have been traded atlready or dealt before the deadline. But he won't be because Dubas' is trying to save his own neck.

It's piss poor asset management.
- fifty__missions

Or maybe staying competitive is more important than holding onto players?

Who do you play instead of Rielly that could do just as good of a job? The leafs have nobody with his capabilities. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of the D group on this team.

The Leafs can't afford him and he should have been traded atlready or dealt before the deadline. But he won't be because Dubas' is trying to save his own neck.

It's piss poor asset management.
- fifty__missions

I must have missed where Tampa traded Blake Coleman, David Savard and Yanni Goude before they gave away Tyler Johnson and Goodrow

Teams that are going for it don't throw away their best players. I've said this before - once you've been at your rebuild for a while and properly stock piled the cupboards (and here Dubas deserves criticism, because for the value they've acquired with 2nd rd picks, they still need to keep their 1st rd picks to build up the farm) THEN you can start moving out pieces because you've already got someone waiting in the wings (like we did when Felix passed Fuhr). We don't have that. But we're going for it.

Rielly is very unlikely to move.

Rielly is absolutely an $8mil Dman

Marner is a $10.9mil forward.

Leafs fans are ungrateful towards the star players we have.

Except Matthews, everyone loves him.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

1. I agree, except it's the market not his talent.

2. If he can begin to consistently produce in the playoffs, be a little more clutch, absolutely.

3. Opinionated, as some could say you are inconsistently biased towards some, ie: Nylander, than others, ie: Rielly.

4. Matthews is (frank)ing awesome. Everyone should love him. They'd be stupid not to....especially for the Leafs and fans who haven't had a center like him since Sundin.

Rielly is overrated. There, I said it. He's a damn good skater and a decent passer... His skating is the only part of his game I would consider elite.

He can't play defense. He is horrific positionally and prone to (frank) ups. He's soft, he has a weak shot... His offense is predictable and generic.

Muzzin and Brodie are far superior all around defenseman, there's no question.

For someone who's so automatic to obsessively whine about Nylander's defensive game to rant and rave about how amazing Rielly is when his actual job is to play defense is (frank)ing bananas.
- joel878

Rielly is an insane first pass Dman and has great skating ability to skate the puck out of danger and has had some amazingly 'offensive' seasons.

If anyone is looking at the highlights of his hits, crosschecks in front of the net, a solid box out or a cycle break....not many to find.

Rielly needs a #1. Rielly, Chara (in his prime) would be the perfect top pairing IMO.

The Leafs can't afford him and he should have been traded atlready or dealt before the deadline. But he won't be because Dubas' is trying to save his own neck.

It's piss poor asset management.
- fifty__missions

Exactly THIS!

1. I agree, except it's the market not his talent.

2. If he can begin to consistently produce in the playoffs, be a little more clutch, absolutely.

3. Opinionated, as some could say you are inconsistently biased towards some, ie: Nylander, than others, ie: Rielly.

4. Matthews is (frank)ing awesome. Everyone should love him. They'd be stupid not to....especially for the Leafs and fans who haven't had a center like him since Sundin.
- underhill14

If it’s what he’s worth on the market, then that’s what he’s worth 🤷‍♂️

We can go through the entire league and judge each player based on their recent performance. There are some criminally overpaid players, as well as underpaid. Marner is neither. Tavares’ contract is definitely more of an issue than Mitch’s, but no one ever talks about it.

I truly believe I’m fair to Nylander. I praise him a lot but hey, let’s only focus on the negative so it can be used against me.

If it’s what he’s worth on the market, then that’s what he’s worth 🤷‍♂️

We can go through the entire league and judge each player based on their recent performance. There are some criminally overpaid players, as well as underpaid. Marner is neither. Tavares’ contract is definitely more of an issue than Mitch’s, but no one ever talks about it.

I truly believe I’m fair to Nylander. I praise him a lot but hey, let’s only focus on the negative to it can be used against me.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

I gotta say, the bolded sounds about right to me.

Now should you give him that much money? That's another question.

I must have missed where Tampa traded Blake Coleman, David Savard and Yanni Goude before they gave away Tyler Johnson and Goodrow

Teams that are going for it don't throw away their best players. I've said this before - once you've been at your rebuild for a while and properly stock piled the cupboards (and here Dubas deserves criticism, because for the value they've acquired with 2nd rd picks, they still need to keep their 1st rd picks to build up the farm) THEN you can start moving out pieces because you've already got someone waiting in the wings (like we did when Felix passed Fuhr). We don't have that. But we're going for it.

Rielly is very unlikely to move.
- Monkeypunk

Sorry, apples/oranges comparison.

We have not had an IOTA of the success Tampa has had getting in this situation. We are in a dogfight just to make the playoffs. And we need to deal with our assets properly, not to try to save a couple management jobs.

Rielly is an insane first pass Dman and has great skating ability to skate the puck out of danger and has had some amazingly 'offensive' seasons.

If anyone is looking at the highlights of his hits, crosschecks in front of the net, a solid box out or a cycle break....not many to find.

Rielly needs a #1. Rielly, Chara (in his prime) would be the perfect top pairing IMO.
- underhill14

It's the same fish-out-of-water thing that goes on with this team.

Rielly is not a franchise defenseman - he's a solid #2 guy. We're using him as our #1. That creates a disparity in expectation vs. capability. But it's nothing new for Leaf fans to be over sold on one of our players (Bozak, Kessel, or really everyone from 2006 - 2014, or everyone that wasn't Clark, Vaive or Salming from around 1981 - 1991 -- I'm sure I'm forgetting some omissions, but you get the point!).

It's the same fish-out-of-water thing that goes on with this team.

Rielly is not a franchise defenseman - he's a solid #2 guy. We're using him as our #1. That creates a disparity in expectation vs. capability. But it's nothing new for Leaf fans to be over sold on one of our players (Bozak, Kessel, or really everyone from 2006 - 2014, or everyone that wasn't Clark, Vaive or Salming from around 1981 - 1991 -- I'm sure I'm forgetting some omissions, but you get the point!).
- Monkeypunk

Even Mats Sundin had difficulty living to expectations and he was one hell of a hockey player.

If it’s what he’s worth on the market, then that’s what he’s worth 🤷‍♂️

We can go through the entire league and judge each player based on their recent performance. There are some criminally overpaid players, as well as underpaid. Marner is neither. Tavares’ contract is definitely more of an issue than Mitch’s, but no one ever talks about it.

I truly believe I’m fair to Nylander. I praise him a lot but hey, let’s only focus on the negative to it can be used against me.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

The problem for many leafs fans is that if you aren’t a goal scorer you’re not worth much. Doesn’t matter if Marner is essentially the best player on the team for the PP, PK, and top line minutes (all around game is what I’m referencing). If he’s not a hitter or a scorer so many people consider him not worth much.

Also unlike Matthews my guess is he’s in Toronto a long time

I gotta say, the bolded sounds about right to me.

Now should you give him that much money? That's another question.
- Scabeh

They should.

Rielly has shown he can handle the pressure of the market, and has leadership qualities.

The Leafs can't afford him and he should have been traded atlready or dealt before the deadline. But he won't be because Dubas' is trying to save his own neck.

It's piss poor asset management.
- fifty__missions

Mitch Marner should have been traded this off-season.

The problem? Dubas has hitched his wagon to the Core 4 and knows if they don't have a run where they win a couple of playoff rounds he's done.

So Rielly gets to stay as an "own rental" for the season and will likely walk for 7x8 to some other team leaving the Leafs with a gigantic hole - one in which Rielly can't even fill even if he did re-sign.

Which is to say: the Leafs are in a bad situation. They're also, arguably, a worse team to begin the season than they were last year.

Not good. Not good at all.

Sorry, apples/oranges. We have not had an IOTA of the success Tampa has had in this situation. We are in a dogfight just to make the playoffs.
- fifty__missions

The Leafs will make the playoffs. They are still a top-10 team that has yet to get their crap together in the playoffs. As we've said - this is it. If they don't succeed in the playoffs this year, major changes are due. Perhaps those changes provide the cap space or the return to get a #1 D or keep Rielly.

The Lightning must have had at least 6 straight years where they were considered cup contenders before they finally won. Do I think they are better constructed than we are? Yeah, I do. But it doesn't change the fact that most teams fail before they succeed. Unfortunately for all of us, the Leafs are really good at failing.

Mitch Marner should have been traded this off-season.

The problem? Dubas has hitched his wagon to the Core 4 and knows if they don't have a run where they win a couple of playoff rounds he's done.

So Rielly gets to stay as an "own rental" for the season and will likely walk for 8x8 to some other team leaving the Leafs with a gigantic hole - one in which Rielly can't even fill even if he did re-sign.

Which is to say: the Leafs are in a bad situation. They're also, arguably, a worse team to begin the season than they were last year.

Not good. Not good at all.
- mjones242

Agreed on all fronts.

Sorry, apples/oranges comparison.

We have not had an IOTA of the success Tampa has had getting in this situation. We are in a dogfight just to make the playoffs. And we need to deal with our assets properly, not to try to save a couple management jobs.
- fifty__missions

We currently have a small window of opportunity.

Trading away assets now for futures is not the right move.

The Leafs will make the playoffs. They are still a top-10 team that has yet to get their crap together in the playoffs. As we've said - this is it. If they don't succeed in the playoffs this year, major changes are due. Perhaps those changes provide the cap space or the return to get a #1 D or keep Rielly.

The Lightning must have had at least 6 straight years where they were considered cup contenders before they finally won. Do I think they are better constructed than we are? Yeah, I do. But it doesn't change the fact that most teams fail before they succeed. Unfortunately for all of us, the Leafs are really good at failing.
- Monkeypunk

I would not be so confident that this team is a playoff lock.

The problem for many leafs fans is that if you aren’t a goal scorer you’re not worth much. Doesn’t matter if Marner is essentially the best player on the team for the PP, PK, and top line minutes (all around game is what I’m referencing). If he’s not a hitter or a scorer so many people consider him not worth much.

Also unlike Matthews my guess is he’s in Toronto a long time
- Dozzer

Man I hope so.

I hope he finishes his career as the highest scoring Leaf, wearing the C, banner in the rafters, and with multiple Stanley Cup rings.

They should.

Rielly has shown he can handle the pressure of the market, and has leadership qualities.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

The Leafs don't have the money, though.

We currently have a small window of opportunity.

Trading away assets now for futures is not the right move.
- Atomic Wedgie

The window of opportunity, more accurately described, is can Dubas' and Shanny save their own asses?

It's no way to run a hockey team.

Even Mats Sundin had difficulty living to expectations and he was one hell of a hockey player.
- Scabeh

Mats wasn't Wendel. No matter the fact that a recent poll from the Athletic has him as the best Leaf, he wasn't tough enough, didn't fight, he was just another "Chicken Swede". The Don Cherry knuckle-draggers never really accepted Mats.

And Mats was a phenomenal hockey player. In my humble opinion, I thought Forsberg was the best Swedish hockey player of that period, but the people of Sweden thought it was Mats Sundin.

The Leafs don't have the money, though.
- Atomic Wedgie

That’s why they’re going to yeet Nylander.