Toronto Girlfriends

Maple Leafs 2018 - 19

superstar_88

The Chiseler
Jan 4, 2008
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5 on 5 they don't look like they have a whole lot of chemistry. They're left to play a grinding game and they're not a grinding team. Tavaras hitting the post on the PP in the 1st really hurt them. That would have been a gimme for Matthews.
 

smuddan

Well-known member
Mar 7, 2007
2,393
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Actually, yes - I won't write an essay about it, but the observation is based on their last 95 games, not the futuristic 60.
It's irrelevant in any case; Babcock and Shanahan are so tight he's not going anywhere anytime soon. So let's put the focus on polishing up our golf clubs; April is coming.
The Leafs had 105 points in 82 games last season, and now 16 in 13 games. I'm not so sure which 95 games you based your observation on and how fair it is for you to say another coach could have done better.

You could possibly blame him for the early exits in the playoffs, but imo both years it had more to do with the following than with his coaching:

1) young core with little playoff experience;
2) lack of grit, toughness and size in the roster for the playoffs;
3) sub par performances by key members, Andersson, Gardner, Matthews, just to name a few.

I have least worries about the regular season. I don't think they'll finish worse than 3rd in the division. Having said all that, will I be shocked if he's fired if the team goes out in the first round again regardless of how they do in the regular season ? Absolutely not. I've said many times that this team as is cannot win the cup and that's Babcock's vulnerability for a downfall. Dwane Cassey is an example. Having won coach of the year award and the team finished 1st in the division but failures in the playoffs did him in.
 

Indiana

Well-known member
Feb 23, 2010
4,063
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Auston Matthews injured again, season 3: come contract negotiations in July, expect Dubas to butt heads with Matthew's agent over a discounted contract if he misses any significant number of games again this year. Hopefully it's a minor injury.
What this guy says.
I’d say that’s a couple mil discount right there.
No 13-15 million to a kid made of porcelain.
 

saxon

Well-known member
Dec 2, 2009
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What this guy says.
I’d say that’s a couple mil discount right there.
No 13-15 million to a kid made of porcelain.
Matthews agents will give no discount because of injuries. Crosby and Stamkos have missed significant number of games but they still got the $ they wanted.
 

chuckertmg

Active member
Mar 26, 2013
632
191
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not always sure...
Matthews agents will give no discount because of injuries. Crosby and Stamkos have missed significant number of games but they still got the $ they wanted.
That argument would be walking right into a trap.
Crosby's cap hit is $8.7 million per year, Stamkos is $8.5 million over long term deals.
Dubas' response: "Perfect, since those are your comparators, let's use those as our comparators..."
 

SirWanker

Active member
Apr 6, 2002
1,672
8
38
Agincourt
5 on 5 they don't look like they have a whole lot of chemistry. They're left to play a grinding game and they're not a grinding team. Tavaras hitting the post on the PP in the 1st really hurt them. That would have been a gimme for Matthews.
Plus the poster by Marleau in the 3rd. If those two went in, it would have been a tied game at that point.
 

SirWanker

Active member
Apr 6, 2002
1,672
8
38
Agincourt
That argument would be walking right into a trap.
Crosby's cap hit is $8.7 million per year, Stamkos is $8.5 million over long term deals.
Dubas' response: "Perfect, since those are your comparators, let's use those as our comparators..."
shhhhh! Don't give delusional counterpoints to Nyland's agent
 

GameBoy27

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2004
13,026
3,092
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pitiful! major scoring slump or what including powerplays.
I'm still not too worried. Teams go through ups and downs. They actually didn't play poorly last night, 32 SOG. Maybe gripping their sticks a little too tightly. AM out has shaken up all the lines. A few posts and a few unlucky bounces. Not the end of the world as some are making it out to be.
 

saxon

Well-known member
Dec 2, 2009
4,768
536
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That argument would be walking right into a trap.
Crosby's cap hit is $8.7 million per year, Stamkos is $8.5 million over long term deals.
Dubas' response: "Perfect, since those are your comparators, let's use those as our comparators..."
Tell Matthews agent that and he’ll laugh at you. As the salary cap rises the contracts for the league’s elite young players will continue to be in the $11-13 million range. I’m anticipating a work stoppage next season and I think the large contracts will be an issue the owners may want to address.
 

harryass

Well-known member
Oct 27, 2010
3,268
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I'm still not too worried. Teams go through ups and downs. They actually didn't play poorly last night, 32 SOG. Maybe gripping their sticks a little too tightly. AM out has shaken up all the lines. A few posts and a few unlucky bounces. Not the end of the world as some are making it out to be.
I'm not worry as its long season but the Leafs should be playing a lot better with Matthews or no Matthews.
 

glamphotographer

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2011
18,587
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Canada
I'm freaking out! The sky is falling! The Leafs can't score! Matthews is gone for a month. We need Nylander now but Dubas is a dumbass. If we can't get Nylander. Leafs should tank for Jack Hughes lottery. Ok stay calm the Leafs can go 69-0 the rest of the way.
 

Ref

Committee Member
Oct 29, 2002
5,143
1,076
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web.archive.org
Solid game tonight and the bounces went their way.

As long as they are getting bonafide chances and playing well defensively, they will come out on the positive side of the ledger more often than not.
 

superstar_88

The Chiseler
Jan 4, 2008
6,271
1,693
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they were on the road. Of course they won. Tues game vs Vegas at home. If they score in the 1st 2 periods it'll be a major accomplishment.
 

shack

Nitpicker Extraordinaire
Oct 2, 2001
53,858
11,784
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Toronto
Shanahan declared on September 13th that the rebuild was over - that this franchise is at the start of it's new era and this is the team that will dominate the next five years.
So run down to the party store and buy your confetti before it runs out.
I was joking about how with the Leafs' recent lack of offense and losses, people here were already talking about how the Leafs are not nearly as good as people were making them out to be and what moves need to be made.
 

superstar_88

The Chiseler
Jan 4, 2008
6,271
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With an offensively laden team Rielly could very well win the scoring title this year for a defenseman.
 

smuddan

Well-known member
Mar 7, 2007
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With all the speculations surrounding the Nylander negotiations, I just find it hard to believe that he's seriously looking for $8 mil per on a long term deal. I mean, other than Chiarelli, which GM in his right mind would pay that for a 60 point winger ?

I suspect he's looking for something in the $7 mil neighborhood and the Leafs are offering not much more over 6. His agent has the freedom to talk to other gm's and might have been told that if offered a Nylander trade, some gm would be willing to sign him for what he's looking for, a figure that just wouldn't work in the Leafs' cap structure. That could be the reason they're sticking to their demand and force the Leafs to trade him if they don't want to pay him.

The Leafs are probably thinking no way they could receive equal return value in a trade, but 7+ mil will no doubt hurt their abilities to sign Matthews and Marner later. On top of that, they'll need all the cap space for filling the holes of the pending unrestricted free agents as well as resigning Kapanan.

So if signing him for 7mil per is out of the question, the other alternatives would either let him sit out the year or trade him. Neither option is what Dubas has hoped for.
 
Ashley Madison
Toronto Escorts