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Leafs 2024-2025 Season Thread
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JT back on the Island and Domi back in Columbus would be sweet perfection.
Maybe someone should give the Panthers credit for the Leafs' collapse. The Panthers are now demolishing the Canes even more quickly and thoroughly than they did the Leafs and Bolts.
I look at it more as a huge lost opportunity for the Leafs. Carolina is a relatively soft team by playoffs standards.
Their two best forwards are small and not really superstars. They have Andersen and we all know what he can look like in the playoffs. Carolina has lost their last 14 Conference Finals games. Leafs would have been the number 1 seed moving forward with all other Division winners out although the book makers would probably still have them as the worst odds cause they're the Leafs after all.
There are only so many prime years left for the core. Cupboards are minimal and they're missing their next three first round draft picks this year inclusive so near impossible to load up for playoffs at trade deadlines. Regardless of the missed opportunity in Game 3 OT to put a stranglehold on the series they had a one game winner take all on home ice.
What Berube has learned about this team is that they're weak "between the ears". Those are his words. Lacking the mental fortitude. He needed to see this first hand up close and personal. Now let's see what he can do about this moving forward. Or perhaps see what Treliving can do about it. This is the only year in the Matthew's era that Leafs traded two first round picks at trade deadline.
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Toronto was so close to winning the series and the depth and grit of the Panthers showed up. Had the Leafs won game 3 in OT they would have have advanced to the next round.
This series was the final lesson the Leafs needed to learn what it takes to win in the play-offs.
Too bad they are going to lose Marner as he is one of the top ten forwards in the league. He is not the problem with the Leafs, it is their lack of depth for the final two lines. That problem is on Shannahan and his I'll conceived decision to hire Dubas as his GM. IMHO, had he kept Lou as the GM (or hired Hunter or an experienced person) they would have kept the salaries under better control and had more room to get the players to fill out the rest of the team.
I like what Treleving and Berube are doing and Toronto is very close. Perhaps ridding themselves of Tavares (and unfortunately Marners) contracts will open up cap space to fill out the rest of the team. Though if they can keep Tavares at a substantial discount he is a good third line centre and key face off guy.
Top 10 regular season forward yes. Top 10 playoffs forward? Don't know about that. Draisatl contract kicks in next season at 14 million for 8 years. Marner most likely will get the exact same contract 14 million.
Playoffs stats:
Draisatl 86 games 47 goals 127 pts
Marner 70 games 13 goals 63 pts
For 14 million you gotta be dominating in the playoffs. That's not Marner.
You gotta be dangerous and put the fear in the opposition each and every time you're out there.
Rantanen just signed an 8 year 12 million contract. Let's look at his playoffs stats.
95 games 43 goals 121 pts. Clearly he's also dominating in the playoffs.
Playoffs stats:
Draisatl 86 games 47 goals 127 pts
Marner 70 games 13 goals 63 pts
For 14 million you gotta be dominating in the playoffs. That's not Marner.
You gotta be dangerous and put the fear in the opposition each and every time you're out there.
Rantanen just signed an 8 year 12 million contract. Let's look at his playoffs stats.
95 games 43 goals 121 pts. Clearly he's also dominating in the playoffs.
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You get your money in the regular season. You earn it in the playoffs. No Leaf player has done that.
If I were the Leafs GM, I'd sign Sam Bennett, Ekblad, and Marchand. Taveres can walk if he doesn't take $5M.
You assume they would want to come here. The Leafs would have to overpay them and then us the fans will complain as always. Ekblad hasn't played a full season in 6 years.
Those guys love the pressure, or maybe they are just all talk and no substance? MLSE Docs will pump Ekblad full of steroids, and the NHL will never detect it.
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