2022-2023 Around The League

[dahrougem2]

Well that'd suck.

If we have no cap space, how do the Leafs have any to add this guy?

 

[Balthazar]

If we have no cap space, how do the Leafs have any to add this guy?

Muzzin had a spine injury, he isn't coming back and their defense has been good so they can spend the money on a forward.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Feels like something else is going on in New York. Laf is about as can’t miss of a prospect as you can get. Not saying he should be putting up point per game but he’s better than a 30 point bottom 6 player.

Based on what I’ve seen in the NHL idk if I see it. He doesn’t really have any plus skills. He’s a big dude but that kinda seems to be it. He’s not an elite skater, doesn’t have an elite shot. I just don’t think he has anything to separate himself from the competition anymore unlike in junior where he was much more physically developed than most everyone else.

 

[Balthazar]

Just looked at the Leafs on capfriendly, it isn't as bad as we'd think. Most of their players are UFA at the end of this year and Tavares only has 2 more seasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Toronto Maple Leafs salary cap, contracts, roster, draft picks, salary, cap space, stats, salary cap projections, and daily cap tracking

www.capfriendly.com

I honestly thought they had more bad contracts

Of course the elephant in the room is Matthews.

 

[CobraAcesS]

There is absolutely no way he has so little self-awareness, right?

Now he's just feeding the sharks, and they smell blood.

Someone needs to tell him to stfu, seriously. Not only for his well being, but everyone else's fkn sanity as well.

 

[dahrougem2]

Now he's just feeding the sharks, and they smell blood.

Someone needs to tell him to stfu, seriously. Not only for his well being, but everyone else's fkn sanity as well.

No no no, nobody needs to tell him anything. In fact, he should be doing interviews daily. Hell, two-a-days!

 

[CobraAcesS]

Based on what I’ve seen in the NHL idk if I see it. He doesn’t really have any plus skills. He’s a big dude but that kinda seems to be it. He’s not an elite skater, doesn’t have an elite shot. I just don’t think he has anything to separate himself from the competition anymore unlike in junior where he was much more physically developed than most everyone else.

Why is he not doing what Tage is, and why did no one see either of them coming or going?

Even to this day the EJs, Jordan Staals, and Aaron Ekblads of the world are driving scouts crazy?

 

[henchman21]

Just looked at the Leafs on capfriendly, it isn't as bad as we'd think. Most of their players are UFA at the end of this year and Tavares only has 2 more seasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Toronto Maple Leafs salary cap, contracts, roster, draft picks, salary, cap space, stats, salary cap projections, and daily cap tracking

www.capfriendly.com

I honestly thought they had more bad contracts

Of course the elephant in the room is Matthews.

Yeah they actually get a chance to reset things next year if this year doesn't pan out. But Matthews is the key to everything.

 

[dahrougem2]

I'd say the Leafs are going to play hardball with Matthews if he really does want 15M per (since he is not even close to worth that kind of money) but this is Kyle Dubas we're talking about. He might just pay the guy 16M per. Guy gets taken to the cleaner in negotiations.

 

[Chiarelli]

I'd say the Leafs are going to play hardball with Matthews if he really does want 15M per (since he is not even close to worth that kind of money) but this is Kyle Dubas we're talking about. He might just pay the guy 16M per. Guy gets taken to the cleaner in negotiations.

Why isn’t Matthews worth 15?

 

[dahrougem2]

Why isn’t Matthews worth 15?

Because he has one season of 90+ points?

If the cap is let's say 87M for the 24-25 season, 15M per would put him at 17.2% of a team's total cap hit. Even Connor McDavid right now only makes 16.7% of his team's total cap and he is a vastly superior player.

Besides, it's not like he's doing anything this season to justify that absurd contract value. He's on pace for 93 points. Tied for 17th in the league currently. Not exactly looking like "highest paid player in the league" material.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Because he has one season of 90+ points?

If the cap is let's say 87M for the 24-25 season, 15M per would put him at 17.2% of a team's total cap hit. Even Connor McDavid right now only makes 16.7% of his team's total cap and he is a vastly superior player.

The devils advocate in me wants him to sign in AZ, Tage is from there too actually.

 

[dahrougem2]

The devils advocate in me wants him to sign in AZ, Tage is from there too actually.

I want him to go full heel and sign with Boston.

 

[Chiarelli]

Because he has one season of 90+ points?

If the cap is let's say 87M for the 24-25 season, 15M per would put him at 17.2% of a team's total cap hit. Even Connor McDavid right now only makes 16.7% of his team's total cap and he is a vastly superior player.

Besides, it's not like he's doing anything this season to justify that absurd contract value. He's on pace for 93 points. Tied for 17th in the league currently. Not exactly looking like "highest paid player in the league" material.

I dunno I guess I consider matthews to be one of the top 3 players in the game right now. If not top 2 so I may lose you here but in 08-09 Ovi made 16.8% of washingtons cap space (9.54/56.7). Matthews at 15 is 18.2% (15/82.5) and that’s after three flat years. He’s arguably more impactful than Ovi being that he’s a center and he’s probably the closest thing to him as a scorer.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I want him to go full heel and sign with Boston.

I was just thinking about how near we are to the end of an era in Boston.

That would just be weird

 

[The Abusement Park]

Why is he not doing what Tage is, and why did no one see either of them coming or going?

Even to this day the EJs, Jordan Staals, and Aaron Ekblads of the world are driving scouts crazy?

He just doesn’t have the skill to do it I don’t think. At least not against NHL players.

 

[henchman21]

Because he has one season of 90+ points?

If the cap is let's say 87M for the 24-25 season, 15M per would put him at 17.2% of a team's total cap hit. Even Connor McDavid right now only makes 16.7% of his team's total cap and he is a vastly superior player.

Besides, it's not like he's doing anything this season to justify that absurd contract value. He's on pace for 93 points. Tied for 17th in the league currently. Not exactly looking like "highest paid player in the league" material.

Matthews is currently the best goal scorer in the league (Ovi is the only one that is close). That is worth a lot of cheddar.

He's having a 'down' year so far and he's still PPG and heading to 40g, at least. This is a guy that is on the verge of getting his 300th goal in his 7th season, with two of them being shortened seasons. Only guy in the near future that can even think about 700 goals in a career is Matthews. And he plays good defense. $15m is rich, but he can get it. If you get him for $13, he's worth every penny.

 

[dahrougem2]

I dunno I guess I consider matthews to be one of the top 3 players in the game right now. If not top 2 so I may lose you here but in 08-09 Ovi made 16.8% of the washingtons cap space (9.54/56.7). Matthews at 15 is 18.2% (15/82.5) and that’s after three flat years. He’s arguably more impactful than Ovi being that he’s a center and he’s probably the closest thing to him as a scorer.

Yeah we definitely aren't going to agree on that, I don't believe Matthews is one of the top 3 players in the league. Hell, this season he hasn't been the best player on his own team. IMO it's been Marner.

There are several players I think are more impactful in the league today. In no particular order I'd have Heiskanen, McDavid, Draisaitl, Kaprizov, Kucherov, and Makar as more impactful players. Whether that be overall game or ability to just control games whenever on the ice. Could probably make an argument for several other players as well.

Don't get me wrong, he's a tremendous player and I think last year he was phenomenal (though still don't believe he was the proper Hart winner) but not a guy I'd make the highest paid in the league.

For the record, I don't think Nathan MacKinnon deserves to be highest paid either starting next season. I think he took the Avs to the cleaners on that negotiation.

Matthews is currently the best goal scorer in the league (Ovi is the only one that is close). That is worth a lot of cheddar.

He's having a 'down' year so far and he's still PPG and heading to 40g, at least. This is a guy that is on the verge of getting his 300th goal in his 7th season, with two of them being shortened seasons. Only guy in the near future that can even think about 700 goals in a career is Matthews. And he plays good defense. $15m is rich, but he can get it. If you get him for $13, he's worth every penny.

97 sure is bridging that gap now isn't he? If the gap hasn't been fully closed already. Dude is on pace for 70 goals this season.

 

[henchman21]

97 sure is bridging that gap now isn't he? If the gap hasn't been fully closed already. Dude is on pace for 70 goals this season.

It is one season and let's see him get 60 first (the grind tends to lower scoring as seasons progress, Matthews paced 70 early too). Matthews already has a 60g season in his pocket, while missing 9 games (which is my biggest knock on him... never fully healthy).

The past 3+ seasons (including this one) Matthews has 166 goals. 16 more than anybody else, but the real kicker is he has 120 even strength goals which is 19 more than anybody else.

Now McDavid is a better player overall... mostly because he controls the game better and is an elite playmaker. Matthews is the better goal scorer and is much better defensively than McDavid.

 

[Balthazar]

For the record, I don't think Nathan MacKinnon deserves to be highest paid either starting next season. I think he took the Avs to the cleaners on that negotiation.

It's nearly impossible to get centers like Mack, McDavid and Matthews. You have to suck on a rare good year when there's one available and win the lottery.

When these players become UFA they can ask whatever the f*** they want and the team will give it to them. Much easier to figure out what to do with the cap hit than trying to replace them.

 

[CobraAcesS]

It is one season and let's see him get 60 first (the grind tends to lower scoring as seasons progress, Matthews paced 70 early too). Matthews already has a 60g season in his pocket, while missing 9 games (which is my biggest knock on him... never fully healthy).

The past 3+ seasons (including this one) Matthews has 166 goals. 16 more than anybody else, but the real kicker is he has 120 even strength goals which is 19 more than anybody else.

Now McDavid is a better player overall... mostly because he controls the game better and is an elite playmaker. Matthews is the better goal scorer and is much better defensively than McDavid.

If scoring keeps up we may actually see one of these guys do 50 in 50 at some point. That would be pretty cool. Not sure it's happened while I've been into Hockey.

 

[henchman21]

A kinda bonkers stat... Matthews combined for the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons averaged .81 goals per game, or a 66 goal pace. For two seasons, Matthews actually scored at roughly the rate McDavid is today.

If scoring keeps up we may actually see one of these guys do 50 in 50 at some point. That would be pretty cool. Not sure it's happened while I've been into Hockey.

I think it will happen, but it will have to happen in the next ~5-7 years or we will be waiting decades. We are in an offensive flow currently, coaching, defense and goaltending will get their ebb again where we get 10-15 years of low scoring hockey again.

 

[Chiarelli]

A kinda bonkers stat... Matthews combined for the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons averaged .81 goals per game, or a 66 goal pace. For two seasons, Matthews actually scored at roughly the rate McDavid is today.


I think it will happen, but it will have to happen in the next ~5-7 years or we will be waiting decades. We are in an offensive flow currently, coaching, defense and goaltending will get their ebb again where we get 10-15 years of low scoring hockey again.

I think the two catalysts to scoring are Expansion/diluted talent, and how the game is called. We may actually be in peak scoring right now (for this era).

 

[CobraAcesS]

A kinda bonkers stat... Matthews combined for the 20-21 and 21-22 seasons averaged .81 goals per game, or a 66 goal pace. For two seasons, Matthews actually scored at roughly the rate McDavid is today.


I think it will happen, but it will have to happen in the next ~5-7 years or we will be waiting decades. We are in an offensive flow currently, coaching, defense and goaltending will get their ebb again where we get 10-15 years of low scoring hockey again.

Off hand do you remember the last person to do it?

I hope it does happen, that's the kind of thing that gets the entire NHL fan base following it.

Scoring is up, and goalie averages seem down. If there was ever a legit chance it's in the near future for sure

I think the two catalysts to scoring are Expansion/diluted talent, and how the game is called. We may actually be in peak scoring right now (for this era).

Remember the very conservative goalie equipment adjustments too. I think that was done correctly.

 

[henchman21]

Off hand do you remember the last person to do it?

I hope it does happen, that's the kind of thing that gets the entire NHL fan base following it.

Scoring is up, and goalie averages seem down. If there was ever a legit chance it's in the near future for sure


Remember the very conservative goalie equipment adjustments too. I think that was done correctly.

I think the last to do it at the start was Hull. If you pick midseason, Matthews pulled a 51 in 50 last season.

I think the two catalysts to scoring are Expansion/diluted talent, and how the game is called. We may actually be in peak scoring right now (for this era).

I think there are a few reasons that all kinda add up. Expansion, switch from 3rd and 4th line plugs, a generation of goalies gone, coaching changes, equipment changes, reffing has tightened up... but if we have seen anything, over time we will see a sway back towards defensive hockey. One team will figure it out and all will copy in time. Plus, with how wildly needed good goaltending is, a new generation of elite goalies will be developed... basically starting today where their impact is 8-12 years away.