As long as he has a NMC he's not going anywhere.
2025-2026 Leafs Season
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Lots of players with NMC waive it, if things are going tough on their current team. Not all, but the majority will although they hold leverage of destination which limits return (like we saw with Panarin). But if the Leafs are expecting no return that might not factor in.
Has Rielly reached that point of waiving the NMC -- possibly not.
And threatening waiving him like the Rangers did Trouba won't help, because he will not claimed at full ticket.
So its a possible stumbling block. But might not be either.
NMC means he can't be placed on waivers or left unprotected in an expansion draft. Trouba had a NTC. Now show me a Leaf player other than Kaberle who waived theirs. He won't just accept it.
In the last 10 years while they have been competitive have they really went to many players to waive their NMC/NTC?
Their is Marner of course, but Marner was playing on a team that was competitive and that would make the playoffs. I could see how he wanted to see it through and then become a free agent .
If the Leafs are competitive or semi-competitive then getting him to waive will be tough. If they are not competitive its a fully different story. I know the Muskoka Five lingers in people memories, but that is more of the exception,
Top end skill before this year, but not "depth" of skill.
The number of Olympic players tends to correlate well with depth of skill, so your metric is generally solid. Although mix matters too -- generally if you have more Euro's on the team you could have a few weaker players make those team.
I would say the one exception is Montreal. I think they are developing a solid core of skill. And 4 of those already skilled players are not going to the Olympics.
- Caufield
- Hutson
- Demidov (obviously)
- Dobson
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What do you mean obviously not this year?
When you made the post you were obviously speaking in the present.
Certainly Leafs had high end skill but they were all at forwards. Other teams had and has high end skill as well.
TB has Kucherov and Point on forward and once even Stamkos replaced with Guentzel. Hedman on D and Vasilevsky in goal. Now they also have Hagel and Cirelli.
Colorado has MacK and once Rantanen and now Necas. Makar on D and Toews also.
Dallas Robertson and Rantanen. Wyatt Johnston also on forward. There's Heiskanen on D. Harley also and Oettinger in net.
Florida has Barkov, Reinhart, Tkachuk, Bennett, and now Marchand on forward. Jones and Forsling on D, Bobrovsky in net.
Vegas has Eichel and Stone on forward and now Marner. They also had Marchessault who played like a superstar. On D Theodore and Pietrangelo before he was injured.
Leafs have always been lacking in D, in net, in bottom 2 lines. It's always something while other teams with as much high end skill if not more have balance in all positions.
I suppose Edmonton is the the closest to how Leafs were built. They have McD and Draisaitl but they are 2 of the best in the world and truly difference makers.
No doubt about Montreal hence why they're back to back playoffs and improving. The core is tres young. I don't see them not making the players in the years to come. The only thing that can hold them back is injuries or goaltending.
TB has Kucherov and Point on forward and once even Stamkos replaced with Guentzel. Hedman on D and Vasilevsky in goal. Now they also have Hagel and Cirelli.
Colorado has MacK and once Rantanen and now Necas. Makar on D and Toews also.
Dallas Robertson and Rantanen. Wyatt Johnston also on forward. There's Heiskanen on D. Harley also and Oettinger in net.
Florida has Barkov, Reinhart, Tkachuk, Bennett, and now Marchand on forward. Jones and Forsling on D, Bobrovsky in net.
Vegas has Eichel and Stone on forward and now Marner. They also had Marchessault who played like a superstar. On D Theodore and Pietrangelo before he was injured.
Leafs have always been lacking in D, in net, in bottom 2 lines. It's always something while other teams with as much high end skill if not more have balance in all positions.
I suppose Edmonton is the the closest to how Leafs were built. They have McD and Draisaitl but they are 2 of the best in the world and truly difference makers.
No doubt about Montreal hence why they're back to back playoffs and improving. The core is tres young. I don't see them not making the players in the years to come. The only thing that can hold them back is injuries or goaltending.
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Mitch Marner has had more clutch moments in the 4 Nations/Olympics than 9 years of Leafs playoff hockey.
Way to go Mitch!
Way to go Mitch!
Key difference there's no 3 on 3 overtime in the NHL playoffs.
What Mitch needs is space and there isn't any in the NHL playoffs.
That's what happens when you have a real team around you.
I'm sure if it was just him, McDavid and MacKinnon with a bunch of nobodies around him the results would be the same.
Leafs are back at it on Wednesday vs Jon Cooper's Tampa Bay Lightning. Will Matthews flash that gold medal in Cooper's face. Ot Maybe the Leafs start trading for assets.
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Ho should go for another Gold at the World Hockey Championship, to get 2 out of the trifecta. The cup he wins may not be with the Leafs.
So the Leafs have plenty of Americans on the team and in key positions as well.
There's Matthews, Knies, Robertson, and Joshua part of the top 9 forward group.
There's McCabe and Carlo both top 4 on D.
Both their goalies Woll and Stolarz are Americans.
Fringe players Mermis and Thrun are also American.
There's Matthews, Knies, Robertson, and Joshua part of the top 9 forward group.
There's McCabe and Carlo both top 4 on D.
Both their goalies Woll and Stolarz are Americans.
Fringe players Mermis and Thrun are also American.
If it weren't for the Olympics I wouldn't know who Boldy was.
His stats are exceptional. Right from the get go as a rookie he's been good.
This is his fifth season. He's the second best forward on a very good team.
This season his stats aren't that far off from Kaprizov. At this stage he's more seasoned and better than Knies.
I can see why the U.S. played him with Matthews.
Knies is most likely not 100%. He had a good start to the season but he's looked slow lately.
In 4 years Knies will be in his prime. If he doesn't improve and make the Olympics team that would be a huge disappointment.
He's only in his 3rd season. The National team prefer players like him rather than pure offensive players like Robertson and Caufield.
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Italy is tough on Canada Hockey at Olympics.
I still thought Marner's pop-up pizza shop would have been better in Italy though. Mind you he did score in OT in a nothing burger game not a medal game. Same old.
The outcome was good for hockey and good for our boy Auston. Now bring that FU mentally back with ya.
I still thought Marner's pop-up pizza shop would have been better in Italy though. Mind you he did score in OT in a nothing burger game not a medal game. Same old.
The outcome was good for hockey and good for our boy Auston. Now bring that FU mentally back with ya.
