Prospect Info: Prospect and Marlies Thread: 2017 - 2018 (continued) Part II

[BoredBrandonPridham]

He's very expensive center depth.

He’s expensive but also a very good, reliable winger and can play center, and I think a great role model for players like Nylander and Marner. Worth it IMO.

Much of your post was that he doesnt fill a need and that we should spend that money where we lack depth. Well we lack depth at center especially without Marleau.

 

[Boutette]

He’s expensive but also a very good, reliable winger and can play center, and I think a great role model for players like Nylander and Marner. Worth it IMO.

Much of your post was that he doesnt fill a need and that we should spend that money where we lack depth. Well we lack depth at center especially without Marleau.

Marleau has been used very sparingly at center, not much more than Nylander, really, and at the trade deadline the team picked up a center, rather than rely on him in that role. That speaks volumes. Role models are fine, as long as they don't end up costing the team a Nylander or a Marner because of a hefty contract that can't be gotten out of and something has to be done to keep from going over the cap. That was my point.

 

[Randy Randerson]

So in yours, we wouldn’t have signed marleau last year so that we could play leivo instead. Gotcha.. your crystal ball is broken.

Marleau isn't the hill I would choose to die on, he's been ok but not justifying his contract and definitely not an unattainable standard for one of the kids to beat. I would have kept a top 9 roster spot for the kids to fight for, would have preferred to see what we have than spend too much money on a declining player that probably tied our hands on bringing back JVR

and again, namecalling is petty

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Marleau has been used very sparingly at center, not much more than Nylander, really, and at the trade deadline the team picked up a center, rather than rely on him in that role. That speaks volumes.

Yes, because he's depth at that position, he's relied upon on the wing, but available to play center when needed due to injury. For example, when Matthews had his injury earlier this year, Babcock had the option to put Marleau at center as he obviously felt either Nylander wasn't ready to play NHL games there or he didn't like the match-ups that would ensue in that stretch of games. Having that depth gives young players more opportunity to learn and to put in a position where they can thrive and gain confidence.

This is basically the definition of having depth.

Role models are fine, as long as they don't end up costing the team a Nylander or a Marner because of a hefty contract that can't be gotten out of and something has to be done to keep from going over the cap. That was my point.

Your point is that you think Marleau's contract is going to stop us from signing Nylander or Marner? That didn't sound like your point at all earlier, and I'm a little surprised.

 

[saltming]

Marleau isn't the hill I would choose to die on, he's been ok but not justifying his contract and definitely not an unattainable standard for one of the kids to beat. I would have kept a top 9 roster spot for the kids to fight for, would have preferred to see what we have than spend too much money on a declining player that probably tied our hands on bringing back JVR

and again, namecalling is petty

I think bringing Marleau into the dressing room has way more impact than just his stats. Every player on the team would have to look up to him due to his career and shows what management expects when they talk about culture.
Imo that is very valuable and if it costs us a JVR I'm ok with that

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think bringing Marleau into the dressing room has way more impact than just his stats. Every player on the team would have to look up to him due to his career and shows what management expects when they talk about culture.
Imo that is very valuable and if it costs us a JVR I'm ok with that

This makes me think of the dressing room talk Marleau gave between periods against Ottawa and ever since then, we've been playing great. Maybe it's just a coincidence but maybe, Marleau's speech turned around the whole damn season for us, who knows? If true then he's worth more than a JVR, maybe a JVR and a half?

 

[saltming]

This makes me think of the dressing room talk Marleau gave between periods against Ottawa and ever since then, we've been playing great. Maybe it's just a coincidence but maybe, Marleau's speech turned around the whole damn season for us, who knows? If true then he's worth more than a JVR, maybe a JVR and a half?

Exactly. When someone like that speaks up the kids in the room listen. Even our "vets" would have to look up to what Marleau has accomplished in his career.
I'm also sure that Babcock knowing Marleau from the Olympic teams and what kind of person he is lead to us going after him.
And I see your JVR and a half and raise you a Bozak

 

[Gary Nylund]

Exactly. When someone like that speaks up the kids in the room listen. Even our "vets" would have to look up to what Marleau has accomplished in his career.
I'm also sure that Babcock knowing Marleau from the Olympic teams and what kind of person he is lead to us going after him.
And I see your JVR and a half and raise you a Bozak

You don't wanna mess with me, I have a Marner in the hole.

 

[saltming]

You don't wanna mess with me, I have a Marner in the hole.

I've got a Matthews up my sleeve... oops! I meant in the hole

 

[Gary Nylund]

I've got a Matthews up my sleeve... oops! I meant in the hole

I don't want to play with you any more.

 

[egd27]

Role models are fine, as long as they don't end up costing the team a Nylander or a Marner because of a hefty contract that can't be gotten out of and something has to be done to keep from going over the cap.

LOL.....yea the Marleau contract is going to potentially cost us Nylander or Marner.

It's fine if you don't like the Marleau contract, but there's no reason to cite ridiculous implications of it.

 

[Menzinger]

Marleaus contract isn’t going to disrupt what the big three make.

It MAY be a hindrance to signing another expensive UFA though.

 

[Kiwi]

Marleaus contract isn’t going to disrupt what the big three make.

It MAY be a hindrance to signing another expensive UFA though.

Unless we can find a way to wriggle out of that third year the Marleau contract is definitely going to be a hindrance cap wise

 

[Boutette]

Unless we can find a way to wriggle out of that third year the Marleau contract is definitely going to be a hindrance cap wise

At the very least, wriggling out of that contract is probably going to cost us a decent prospect or draft pick. And then there's the clamoring for Kovalchuck, Thorton and other 35+ players who will demand a retirement premium. What do we do as well for defense then? Either way, reserving huge percentages of capspace for expensive retirement contracts to last decade's superstars is hardly a good idea if you want to remain competitive over the coming decade.

 

[stickty111]

Johnsson - Mueller - Smith
Moore - Gauthier - Baun
Timashov - Greening - Clune Marchment - Brooks - Bracco

Marincin - Holl
Borgman - Liljegren
Nielsen - Rosen

Sparks

Game is on TSN 2

 

[Boutette]

LOL.....yea the Marleau contract is going to potentially cost us Nylander or Marner.

It's fine if you don't like the Marleau contract, but there's no reason to cite ridiculous implications of it.

It does when you look at the team's pressing needs and making cap space for that along with devoting large portions of our cap to expensive 35+ players in positions where we have the absolute least need of them.

 

[X66]

It does when you look at the team's pressing needs and making cap space for that along with devoting large portions of our cap to expensive 35+ players in positions where we have the absolute least need of them.

Look at the way the contract is structured, it's so heavily front loaded that it would not surprise me at all if the team and player agree that he'll be traded to a team that needs to make the cap floor and retire.

 

[egd27]

It does when you look at the team's pressing needs and making cap space for that along with devoting large portions of our cap to expensive 35+ players in positions where we have the absolute least need of them.

Ok.....you stand by your assertion that the Marleau contract may cost us Nylander or Marner and I'll stand by my assertion that it most certainly will not.

 

[Boutette]

Look at the way the contract is structured, it's so heavily front loaded that it would not surprise me at all if the team and player agree that he'll be traded to a team that needs to make the cap floor and retire.

And to do that its going to cost us either a prospect, a draft pick or by taking a bad contract, which is my point. You can't afford in the cap era to pay players premiums based on how great they were 5-10 years ago if you want to be successful for the next 5-10 years.

 

[Boutette]

Ok.....you stand by your assertion that the Marleau contract may cost us Nylander or Marner and I'll stand by my assertion that it most certainly will not.

It may if it comes to adding a #1 defenceman to a team that is up against the cap, already has several high paid wingers including a 39 year old who decides he doesn't want to go to the team the Leafs want to trade him to (which is the contract he signed). Its weird that 10+ years in some people still don't understand what a salary cap is and how it restricts teams.

 

[AppsSyl]

Really liking the Borgman - Liljegren pairing so far today in the Marlies game. They compliment each other nicely.

 

[FreeBird]

Ok.....you stand by your assertion that the Marleau contract may cost us Nylander or Marner and I'll stand by my assertion that it most certainly will not.

Your correct, Marleau contract is front loaded, he probably retires after next year

 

[saltming]

Ok.....you stand by your assertion that the Marleau contract may cost us Nylander or Marner and I'll stand by my assertion that it most certainly will not.

Or maybe a team like San Jose would take him so he could retire a shark?

 

[member 262271]

Pretty soft goal on Sparks there. It's weird actually being able to watch this team.

 

[egd27]

Its weird that 10+ years in some people still don't understand what a salary cap is and how it restricts teams.

Not as weird as thinking that this Leafs management team somehow overlooked the cap implications to the point that they would lose one of Marner or Nylander because of a short term contract.