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Forum: Armchair-GMSun. at 11:49 a.m.
Thread: A different way of looking out our failures
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>aadoyle</b></div><div>Leafs in regular season were second in goals for and were fine in the regular season but in playoffs 12 goals in 7 games = unacceptable

TOR has always been a good regular season team under Keefe but as said before regular season does not matter its playoffs

If we look at the standings besides Canadian division league wide for TOR

2023-2024 10th
2022-2023 4th
2021-2022 4th
2019-2020 12th
2018-2019 7th

In their own division

2023-2024 3rd
2022-2023 2nd
2021-2022 2nd
2019-2020 3rd
2018-2019 3rd

Dont matter how high or low you place in your division what matters is winning and advancing in the playoffs. We have seen WC teams beat top seeds as again all this it dont matter. TOR could finish top of their division and still would lose and its cause they have not found their playoff form yet and roster construction aint there yet</div></div>

I think the Leafs' playoff scoring woes can be attributed to a lot of things but I think one reason that hasn't really been spoken of is that we have consistently not had good goaltending. It's pretty clear our strategy in the playoffs the past few years changed so that we just insulate our goalie as much as possible and leave the game up to a 50/50 coin toss. This might mean fewer defensive breakdowns but also fewer high-danger scoring chances (meaning lower-scoring games). Funny enough, I think our offence issue in the playoffs can actually be solved by having an elite goalie (obviously easier said than done) because we can afford to make defensive mistakes in sacrifice of more offence.

I also had a feeling you were going to bring up the fact that WC teams have beaten top seeds, and I feel like this is something a team like the Leafs would be misled by. At this point, they probably already have. I don't think any team should aspire to be a WC team, and I'm sure you don't either. But those teams like the Habs and Panthers rode off incredibly hot goaltending. That's it. I really think 99% of playoff series come down to who's goalie performs better. And if you look at every series and every game, you'll find this to be true. The only time we won a series was when our goalie outplayed the other team's (Sammy &gt; Vasy). Then you also look at this year's series. The only games we won were when Woll outplayed Swayman. If Woll is in net for game 7, does he let in that Lindholm goal? Obviously, the margin of error is smaller because we don't score as much in the playoffs, but I can't help but feel that if we scored more goals, we'd also let in more.
Forum: Armchair-GMSun. at 1:05 a.m.
Thread: A different way of looking out our failures
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>aadoyle</b></div><div>You forgot CBJ which was lower and we were the favourites

But either way its not an excuse

TOR was a good regular season team but playoffs as everyone should know are a different ball game and TOR struggles in them especially in closeout games.

Marner especially has highlighted this issue. Dont matter the standings or whose favoured its how you play in the moment and leafs have failed time and time again with the one exception being 2022-2023 but they then moved the failure to R2.</div></div>

I just don't know why so much emphasis is on how we play in the postseason when we're not and have never really been a best-of-the-best regular-season team, either. We can't and shouldn't really expect to win a Stanley Cup if we have never finished at the top of our division (outside of the COVID season). I think we've only finished in the top five in the league once, off the top of my head, too. Overall, it's nothing too impressive.
Forum: Armchair-GMMay 9 at 2:32 p.m.
Thread: Tanev and Roy
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>rgwhite17</b></div><div>So I wouldn’t say I view it like that. The leafs keep losing in the playoffs because they can’t score enough. And mainly because the powerplay can’t score. They need to fix that powerplay, Marner is a big part of why it’s a problem. They all are in a way but Marner is predictable and isn’t a shooting threat, neither is Rielly. Trading Marner for a d that can run Pp1 or to have money to sign one (Montour) can fix that issue.
They also give multiple games away in a series from just not being ready to play it seems. Games 1 and 4 this year. Game 3 in the second round last year. Games 2 and 4 in 2022. That has to be an issue in the room, maybe a new coach can change these things but I don’t think it will be enough.
Leafs are paying Matthews and nylander enough to drive a line each in the top 6, they shouldn’t need Marner. Spend the money to make the team deeper all around.</div></div>

That's a valid opinion. I just don't see having an extra 12 million in cap guaranteeing a better team. Sure, having it all in 1 player like Marner has its downfalls, but 12 million in cap space can easily be given to like 3 mid-players or smth, idk. And I definitely don't trust Treliving with that money either, lol. Like, Kadri and Coleman together make the same amount as Marner. Can you be certain that having those two players (or players like that) would make the team substantially better now and in the future over having 1 Marner? Maybe they'll produce more in the playoffs, but I just don't see that as a guarantee.

The risk of trading Marner and getting worse outweighs the risk of keeping him and not improving, to me.
Forum: Armchair-GMMay 9 at 1:42 p.m.
Thread: Tanev and Roy
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>rgwhite17</b></div><div>Man I feel where you’re coming from but it’s terrible fans would feel that way.
I think a lot of people are afraid we go back to a team that can’t even make the playoffs but the base of a strong team is still there even without Marner. Over 100 points this year when Samsonov couldn’t stop anything until January and riding Martin jones in net with other injuries to the group.
A stronger goalie tandem and blue line should lead to a great regular season again even without marners 90 points. Cheaper forwards can get 50-60 points and move points can come from the blue line.
What if they traded Marner for Theodore and signed at least one of zadorov, tanev or Roy?
Still money remaining for another goalie and forwards in the 3-6 million range.</div></div>

I still don't think our team would improve that much (if at all) if we went through with that trade. I think it's safe to say that we're just making a change for the sake of it. But I think if you look at the history of the NHL, I can't recall one time when a contending team traded a superstar in one of their best players and actually improved or came out as a winner of the trade. A lot of these proposals on this site just seem like the main intention is to get rid of Marner without actually focusing on what could actually improve our team. Obviously, most of these fans believe that just by getting rid of him, we're improving. I personally don't share that same view, but I can see why some might.
Forum: Armchair-GMMay 9 at 10:17 a.m.
Thread: Tanev and Roy
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>rgwhite17</b></div><div>I don’t really understand how a new era more serious about winning starts with an at least 12 million Marner extension. I get JTs money has weighed us down a bit too but every team has a bad contract or two. Edmonton is in the second round with Campbell 5 million in the AHL all year. Seguin and benn are probably overpaid for what they can do now.

You’d be looking at 37 million for matthews, nylander and Marner. Ya the cap is going up but I don’t understand what else this group needs to prove to get everyone on board that it doesn’t work.
I’m not even saying you couldn’t spend 35+ million on 3 forwards but not these 3.
They all have had issues underperforming at times but matthews and nylander are extended and counting in playoffs are the better players than Marner. Its time to try something else and give the team some cap flexibility.</div></div>

I know I sound like a broken record, but the odds Marner waives his NMC is incredibly low.

By allocating only 37 million to 3 forwards, the rest of the team may look completely different from previous years, which could somehow allow Marner to perform in the playoffs to something idk.

If I'm being honest, I just don't see a scenario where we trade Marner and become a better team. The way I see it, we're going to lose in the playoffs either way. At least by keeping Marner, I get to watch exciting hockey 3-4 times a week, lol.
Forum: Armchair-GMMay 9 at 1:00 a.m.
Thread: Tanev and Roy
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>fangm</b></div><div>Not impossible but very hard for sure.

I'm not critical of your AGM, just saying that it feels at this stage like the problem you are mentioning (which I agree with) isn't just reflected by the choice of supporting cast but is now fundamentally ingrained into Marner/Matthews specifically and I'm not sure it's possible to change that.</div></div>

I’ve sort of just become content with the fact that this core cannot and likely will not be changed. I still think it’s possible to build a team around Marner Nylander Matthews that wins big games. Having said that, I don’t think this team wins with Tavares. And I think the clear route forward is to just wait out this dreadful Tavares contract, officially marking the end of a wasted era, and a start of a new one more serious about winning. I’d like to clarify, I do not support the structure of allocating 40 million (or whatever it is at this point) to 4 forwards. However, I don’t think trading Marner is the best (or necessary) solution to this issue.
Forum: Armchair-GMMay 8 at 10:29 p.m.
Thread: Spurgeon
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Leafboy101</b></div><div>As a Leafs fan I would love Jared Spurgeon, he’s underrated and can move the puck decently as well….although that contract will age horribly and we are over cap in this scenario, kampf wont be on LTIR so this would be a move only if say Marner or Tavares got moved and I just don’t see it happening unfortunately</div></div>

I just placed Kampf in LTIR because I think his cap is easy to dump, and he's a pretty obvious candidate to be replaced with Minten coming in. I just don't want a bunch of Ducks fans yelling at me in the comments about why they wouldn't give up a 26' 7th for him or something like that. If the cap is what you're worried about in this scenario, I think it's easily solved by trading Lilly and/or signing a cheaper D-man than Tanev. Either way, very doable.

I also don't think the contract will age horribly. Obviously, we'd have to see how the injury would affect his play, but I'm definitely not too worried about his age. Many elite D-men have shown it's possible to stay at that level. It's also only 3 years. Even if he gives us 2 years of elite play, that's a win.