How exactly? The Leafs can, and will back up the Brinks truck for Matthews. IMO the only way he leaves is if he wants to.
- Kinger34

And I think he wants to. Or at least will explore the idea heavily. Losing, not in his home town or country and a daily circus of media and fan attention. It helped us sign Tavares but it could cost us Matthews.

They could give Matthews 15 million a year for 8 years, absolutely, but who else could they afford at that point? He already struggles with being shut down in the playoffs, imagine with even less help around or behind him and an aging Tavares at 11 million a year too.

How exactly? The Leafs can, and will back up the Brinks truck for Matthews. IMO the only way he leaves is if he wants to.
- Kinger34

All last summer people were saying that Reilly would walk for nothing. Now it’s Matthews, but that won’t happen either.

Stan Bowman? Where have you been?
- shack67

Scotty. Still watching games, still a hockey genius.

This is all... wrong... On a lot of levels.

You're talking about MLSE. No money? They will literally fire anyone out of cannon into the sun to pay Matthews whatever he wants. Any suggestions they can't afford him are ridiculous. That's before you consider that the guy will have made over 70 million in salary alone prior to that point in his career, would it not be a little narrow minded to assume his only consideration is money?

As for the management group, I mean ooof. This is going to be the biggest tell of whether a person is capable of having a mature measured response to this loss all summer. Because if someone is that jaded that they can't see the steps forward this management group brought the team this year, well, that's all you need to know. Is the assumption here that a new GM wouldn't come in and put years of work into implementing their own footprint? They're just gonna come in and make a couple finger snap moves and it's straight to the cup hey...
- joel878

Leafs have the cash but will they have the cap space to pay him whatever he wants and still ice a good enough team around him and the rest of the guys they have locked up to huge contracts. They're already struggling to piece together depth, just imagine with another 5 or 6 million missing.

Scotty. Still watching games, still a hockey genius.
- Rare_Jewel

And is 88

And is 88
- jribout

Doesn't look a day over 78.

I'd still take his opinion in who to hire to run the team as GM and behind the bench over Shanahan or Dubas.

And is 88
- jribout

Between the 7pm bedtime and the afternoon naps I worry that he might miss a few things.

I just saw the Cush cleanup in the other thread.

I just saw the Cush cleanup in the other thread.
- Scabeh

Then why the hell are you still here??

Then why the hell are you still here??
- 21peter

You know me, I'm walking the fine line between being happy a rival lost and being genuinely compassionate for the people I love in this thread.

I feel bad for you guys.

The team deserved a better fate and probably would have won against half the field or more.

A couple of things really did stand out. The no shows early in the series and lacking a big skilled winner to win those board battles when they matter.

Obviously the roster needs tweaking but I feel you're so much closer than you were even a year ago.

You know me, I'm walking the fine line between being happy a rival lost and being genuinely compassionate for the people I love in this thread.
- Scabeh

And doing a great job at it too

You know me, I'm walking the fine line between being happy a rival lost and being genuinely compassionate for the people I love in this thread.
- Scabeh

I just saw the Cush cleanup in the other thread.
- Scabeh

On Sunday’s I take out the trash!

I hate blaming the refs... the Leafs should have been in a position where sketchy calls wouldn't matter... but they weren't so the calls mattered... Frustrating to watch but some day we'll be on the benefitting side of poop calls...
- SofaKingBored

When will that be? The reverse multiverse?

You know me, I'm walking the fine line between being happy a rival lost and being genuinely compassionate for the people I love in this thread.
- Scabeh

I also think you keep a close watch on this heart of mine

On Sunday’s I take out the trash!
- Cush29

Billy Smith style

Scotty. Still watching games, still a hockey genius.
- Rare_Jewel

Great coach when you get away with (frank)ing with player’s heads. poopty manager. Nobody would hire him today

It's always funny to see the sadness from other teams showing up here. What must it be like to have such a poopty team that your whole sports-fan existence is reduced to cheering against a team because you have nothing to cheer for.

I just saw the Cush cleanup in the other thread.
- Scabeh

I feel bad for you guys.

The team deserved a better fate and probably would have won against half the field or more.

A couple of things really did stand out. The no shows early in the series and lacking a big skilled winner to win those board battles when they matter.

Obviously the roster needs tweaking but I feel you're so much closer than you were even a year ago.
- golfingsince

Knies and Robertson really need to become contributing players next yr.

Lily and Sandin I think are going to be an improvement and help the D a lot.

Offensively Leafers will be good.. Shore up that D and get a better bottom 6 mix..
Cliffy / Wayne train and Spezz should be done as Leafs.
- dozerD10

I mean, you're really making a ton of sense here. You sure Dubas won't return your calls? His loss to be honest.

I just saw the Cush cleanup in the other thread.
- Scabeh

Looks like the shiny new rope was too good to resist.

Two things:

1. Tampa's bottom six buried ours.

2. Our PP ineptitude killed us. Again.

Rolling this thing back again without significant changes and expecting a different result is insane.

Two things:

1. Tampa's bottom six buried ours.

2. Our PP ineptitude killed us. Again.

Rolling this thing back again without significant changes and expecting a different result is insane.
- fifty__missions

Too many fancy panstcy's on the power play. Need people to get in front of the net and grind, creating more room for the other 3 people on the unit.