McKenzie: "Leafs preparing several creative proposals for Tavares if he hits UFA."

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If they try to circumvent cap by paying Tavares through off-ice deals via advertisers -- they hinted at that with Stamkos -- the NHL needs to take away a pick.

If they landed Tavares I don't think they care about a pick, you land Tavares or to lesser extent Carlson you are all in at that point

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

they finished 7th overall and sensible people should realize that jvr and bozak aren't the difference makers between winning and losing the series. they were an inferior team to the bruins in all but 1 game

No Kadri being an idiot and getting himself suspended likely was

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Is there a Go fund me page yet?

I'll throw in a $20

 

[bert]

Look I think Tavares stays with the Islanders but comparing the Stamkos and Tavares situations is a little unfair IMO.

Stamkos would have been leaving a top end contender to join a team that finished 30th overall the year before.

Tavares would be leaving a team worse than Toronto to join a 100+pt team already without him.

Again, I don't think he leaves the Island, but pretending like the Stamkos and Tavares situations are the same is probably unjust here.

This you are correct about and I agree 100 percent. However if I am Tavares I want to know what the plan is for the D if im going to Toronto. Its great to have an incredible group of forwards but the way the NHL is going all the offense starts in the back end and you have to get the players the puck to score.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Assuming creative means underwhelming

 

[seafoam]

It will interesting to see if it is actually has any impact on him going there or if it’s one of those things that will show the fanbase the amount of effort they put into courting Tavares.

Seems like it was leaked to try and sway Tavares to make it to the listening period, considering a few days ago it was reported JT and NYI were talking money.

 

[Jmo89]

McKenzie is usually good for news but this seems like clickbait. Half the league is putting together proposals for JT if he hits free agency. All of them will be creative in some way.

 

[Americanadian]

To everyone whining and complaining about the cap: Tavares and Matthews are both likely to come in at 10.5 (Kopitar, Eichel), Nylander 6 (Ehlers), Marner 6.5 (just under Pastrnak, Gaudreau), based on comparables. Assuming when the Marner/Matthews deals kick in (2019-2020) the cap is 85M.

Hyman 2.25 - Matthews 10.5 - Nylander 6
Johnsson 1 - Tavares 10.5 - Marner 6.5
Marleau 6.25 - Kadri 4.5 - Brown 2.1
Grundstrom .925 - Lindholm .925 - Moore .925
Martin 2.5

Rielly 5 - Player X 6
Dermott .87 - Zaitsev 4.5
Edler 3 - Liljegren .925
Borgman .925

Andersen 5
Pickard .95

Total with Kessel's 1.2: 83.27

If they dump Martin and I don it gets easier. If I don't add in Edler at 3M on the 3rd pair it gets easier. The Leafs can afford this. If any of the big 3 and/or Tavares make 1M+ more than I anticipated the Leafs can fit it in. If Nylander takes a bridge like suspected it gets easier.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Can a rookie gm be capable of persuading a superstar player to join their team?
Leafs would have had a much better chance if they still had Lou

 

[Mikeyg]

we'll throw out the tried and true marleau trap. Hey JT come to toronto to play with the great conner bro.... I mean AUSTON MATTHEWS!!!!

he'll never see the ploy coming!

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Can a rookie gm be capable of persuading a superstar player to join their team?
Leafs would have had a much better chance if they still had Lou

Because Brendan Shanahan would just be to busy fishing to show up for a meeting with Tavares I am guessing right?

 

[LeafFever]

McKenzie is usually good for news but this seems like clickbait. Half the league is putting together proposals for JT if he hits free agency. All of them will be creative in some way.

Of course because it could be sen as a positive for the Leafs so it cannot be true.

 

[LeafFever]

Can a rookie gm be capable of persuading a superstar player to join their team?
Leafs would have had a much better chance if they still had Lou

You mean the same Lou who can't sign Tavares right now?

 

[Mikeyg]

Of course because it could be sen as a positive for the Leafs so it cannot be true.

damn toronto sports network at it again!

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

This you are correct about and I agree 100 percent. However if I am Tavares I want to know what the plan is for the D if im going to Toronto. Its great to have an incredible group of forwards but the way the NHL is going all the offense starts in the back end and you have to get the players the puck to score.

Which is exactly what Rielly and Gardiner do

 

[Puckstuff]

We're used to every single big free agent never choosing us; but for the reasons mentioned in this thread; their is a legitimate 25 % chance he comes here. I think adding Tavares and a new RD would make us Stanley cup favourites, honestly. Not expecting anything though.

 

[LeafFever]

This you are correct about and I agree 100 percent. However if I am Tavares I want to know what the plan is for the D if im going to Toronto. Its great to have an incredible group of forwards but the way the NHL is going all the offense starts in the back end and you have to get the players the puck to score.

Leafs have one of the highest scoring D corps in the NHL FYI. They had 2 50+ point Dmen.
And really, any place Tavares goes will likely have more questions than the Leafs. The favourite to sign him is the Islanders. Look at that team's issues.

 

[Mitchy]

I'd be shocked if he didn't re-sign with the Islanders, but jeez, stop with the salt.

 

[LeafFever]

I'd be shocked if he didn't re-sign with the Islanders, but jeez, stop with the salt.

I'm not that sold. He will be listening to other teams next week.

 

[Mikeyg]

Guys shanny put me in charge of the marketing pitch, what do you think?

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

You mean the same Lou who can't sign Tavares right now?

Lou has only been with islanders organization for about 3 weeks...
And it would be a dumb decision from Tavares to sign with the islanders when he can wait 1 week and see what the other teams are offering. That is true even if Tavares was already 100% he was going to re-sign with the islanders.

 

[LeafFever]

Lou has only been with islanders organization for about 3 weeks...
And it would be a dumb decision from Tavares to sign with the islanders when he can wait 1 week and see what the other teams are offering. That is true even if Tavares was already 100% he was going to re-sign with the islanders.

Yeah well it's not a mistake to go with the 32 year-old multiple teams already wanted as their GM and letting the 76 year-old go.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Yeah well it's not a mistake to go with the 32 year-old multiple teams already wanted as their GM and letting the 76 year-old go.

When did multiple teams wanted Dubas as their gm?

 

[Bounces R Way]

Gonna look pretty stupid when he chooses San Jose and they already put up a statue on Legends Row for him. Guess they could just redo it in Doughty's likeness for next year.

 

[IWD]

Something around 25-26m cap hit on 3 centers might leave the Leafs a tad thin elsewhere.

They really do need to overhaul their defense.

No need to overhaul it. Sometimes it's not about what resources you have, but how you utilize them. One move could potentially fix the Leaf defence. If the Leafs replace Gardiner with a similar calibre RHD, the entire dynamic of the corps would change.

Rielly-RHD
Hainsey-Zaitsev
Dermott-Carrick

I don't think Hainsey can sustain his level of play for his age, so Dermott takes over eventual duties as they platoon the second- and third-pairing LHD spots. It also buys time if Dermott falters. Maybe a lesser signing in the summer for a third-pairing RHD, and I imagine that Liljegren and Borgman will get some time on the third pairing when injuries inevitably happen.

It's not unreasonable to think that Gardiner, packaged with one of the young forwards and a first could return a similar calibre RHD and improve that right side significantly.