Rate Brad Treliving's TDL

[the real Fox mulder]

I am, it’s a tough pill to swallow but the only two options I can see going into next year is

1. Put Tavares on LTIR before the deadline and bring him back for the playoffs and fill in a mercenary d-core at the deadline
2. Let Marner walk for nothing in the off season and find a top D or two

I believe that Treliving will fired the coach before trading the core. We have the cap space this off season to sign two to three good defenseman and bring in a better second line center. If the core still fails, Tavares is not coming back.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I think he did the right thing. The difference makers are already here. They need to step up and carry the team. IF they fail again to come out of the 1st or 2nd round, can not re-sign Marner. But I also would be looking at bringing in Joel Q to coach.

 

[IceColdBear]

I'm glad we didn't trade our 1st or any top prospects.

I'm less glad we traded two thirds, a fifth, and a sixth round pick for two rental bottom pairing D.

I voted C -.

 

[egd27]

I still say it could have been done this year if they’d moved Brodie out in the deal. Cap in, cap out, expiring deal, shouldn’t have been an issue. Long term, Tavares deal comes off the books in a year, but I don’t want to waste a year waiting for that. I would say tough decisions need to be made, and they do, but we have little actual control until a year out from now.

Can you name 2 or 3 Top D that are both age appropriate and come with at least a couple of seasons of term that you think were attainable for Brodie's expiring contract and the scraps Dubas left ?

 

[PromisedLand]

Mutual contract termination after last signing bonus July 1st, 2024... Tavares we only be owed like $775k after that so it makes sense for both him and the team. Leafs get cap space/Tavares gets more money while signing elsewhere

P.S. What is CRA number again? I'd like to give them a call

 

[Gabriel426]

Interesting question
- From what I can recall (and people free to correct me), all the recent cup winners and/or conference finals teams usually have their "core players" perform and take them ahead instead of any "new additions"

Recent Cup Winners:
- VGK
- Avs
- Bolts x 2
- Blues
- Caps
- Pens x 2
- etc...

(VGK an only exception I think with cap circumvention and bolts with Kucherov); other than that I don't think other teams added "difference makers" at the TDL. They added help for their needs. The difference makers were their core players.

I don't understand why Leafs need to add "difference makers" and not ask their core to be it and be the only team in the league to do so. Is dubas' ghost still hanging around at MLSE LOL

Thats exactly what I think too. Still remember Cup winning teams usually don't make huge splash in comes TDL.

It could be frustrations or just the tone Tre set.
It seems like with Dubas, the medias were always going, needed to go all in, needed supporting players to help the core, actually Jonas still singing that tone. Whereas now with Tre, everyone else seem to be, it is on the core, and the team will only win if the core shows up and be their best.

 

[PromisedLand]

Thats exactly what I think too. Still remember Cup winning teams usually don't make huge splash in comes TDL.

It could be frustrations or just the tone Tre set.
It seems like with Dubas, the medias were always going, needed to go all in, needed supporting players to help the core, actually Jonas still singing that tone. Whereas now with Tre, everyone else seem to be, it is on the core, and the team will only win if the core shows up and be their best.

toronto hcokey media would never call out dubas no matter how trash he was

jonas is dubas' biggest cheerleader. he got called out by Hayes on overdrive and I think Johnston (which was surprising to me b/c he is another dubas cheerleader); for wanting to have a superstar on the 4th line to have a chance at the cup

jonas has been playing EA Sports NHL for too long it seems

 

[Strangle]

I still say it could have been done this year if they’d moved Brodie out in the deal. Cap in, cap out, expiring deal, shouldn’t have been an issue. Long term, Tavares deal comes off the books in a year, but I don’t want to waste a year waiting for that. I would say tough decisions need to be made, and they do, but we have little actual control until a year out from now.

The issue with this is that other teams have to want what you want, too

Would Calgary have traded hanifin or tanev for Brodie and a 1st? Neither of those players have term, either and there is no guarantee they would resign in Toronto anyways.

You probably could have gotten petro but that decision wasn’t made at the time.

But that’s the point, you cannot drastically change this team at the deadline. You can’t in free agency either

You either go with what we have and try to fill in deficiencies a little bit at a time, and keep trying to do that (this is what we have been doing for the past 6 years)

Or -and this is what I think Tre should do- you watch the team in the playoffs this year and you assess the team and the coaching staff in the offseason. The only card left to play now that Nylander has a NMC is to let Marner walk for nothing.

Unless you can convince him or Nylander to waive their NMC, which I would also ask them about.

Nylander is less likely, as he just signed but Marner is at the end of his deal. So you tell Mitch, after a first round loss again:

“Hey Mitch, we didn’t get it done again and changes need to be made. We don’t see you as part of the solution here going forward, unless you’re willing to sign long term for $8.xx”

“You want $12m? Okay, kid. You’ll get that in free agency. Wish you all the best.”

The only way to make the changes to this team that it needs to be successful, if this team isn’t successful for another year in the playoffs, is to move on from on of the 8 figure contracts.

That’s literally the only way, if you’re not willing to bend the LTIR rules, and it doesn’t look like the leafs are interested in bending the LTIR rules

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

I lreally like the Webber and Dewar moves.
Providing Webber signs with us a 6th for an ELC/pro ready prospect (especially one with such a unique skillset) is pretty great.

I love that Dewar is a 24 year old RFA. Helps an area of need (pk) this season, and opens up some interesting options for next season- could make Kampf redundant and allow us to recoup an asset and free up some cap space. Could combine with Kampf to provide very cheap stability down the middle in the bottom 6. Stylistically is a great C for our Tverbergs/Cowans/Knies/Minten's to come in play an up tempo, in your face style.

Boost/Ed- .
Part of me thinks it should have been one or the other- but I want to see how the D shakes out.
Part of me would trade Boosh+ 1st for Tavev+3rd+5th- but I get holding onto the pick
Part of me thinks those 3rd's would have been better used in the offseason for the inevitable reclamation projects/cap moves that come available for less than their worth every year.

Let's see what happens - a couple 3rd's is a small price to pay if it helps the group finally make a run.

I keep thinking that this team will surprise us only after everyone gives up on them like the Capitals when they won. Has everyone given up enough yet? Hard to say...but when the GM doesn't want to spend much...it sure seems like they are going to be left on their own to decide what happens.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

It's the big 4's contracts and subsequent playoff performances that are ruining this team.

Trying to build this team around 4 highly paid forwards is what stops us from progressing. The fact that some still can't see this is what is still stopping us from progressing.

We'll never win a Cup with Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares taking up the cap space they do. It was pointed out years ago.

The main problem is that these highly paid forwards disappear in the playoffs and we are left with underpaid guys to make up the difference. This has to be the last playoffs where we can watch Mitch disappear before forcing him out via trade to a destination of his choice. I think he has just about had it here anyways with the way he speaks to the media.

 

[Gabriel426]

I keep thinking that this team will surprise us only after everyone gives up on them like the Capitals when they won. Has everyone given up enough yet? Hard to say...but when the GM doesn't want to spend much...it sure seems like they are going to be left on their own to decide what happens.

I certainly got the feel of that since the summer. As I said it at that time and I will say again, I don't think we will ever see a team on paper as good as the one we saw last playoffs.

 

[Gary Nylund]

It's the big 4's contracts and subsequent playoff performances that are ruining this team.

Trying to build this team around 4 highly paid forwards is what stops us from progressing. The fact that some still can't see this is what is still stopping us from progressing.

We'll never win a Cup with Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares taking up the cap space they do. It was pointed out years ago.

To be fair, I thought we had a real shot last spring. But since the cupboards are pretty empty and we've only won one 1 PO round in 7 years, it's hard to argue that it's not time to try something else.

I certainly got the feel of that since the summer. As I said it at that time and I will say again, I don't think we will ever see a team on paper as good as the one we saw last playoffs.

Yup. On paper, that was the best Leaf team I've ever seen (I started watching around 1969 or thereabouts).

 

[Confucius]

Well he didn’t trade away our 1st so he gets a B. Not much help coming from the draft though. One 1st and 1 4th are our highest 2 picks over the next 2 years. Draft shmaft

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

I certainly got the feel of that since the summer. As I said it at that time and I will say again, I don't think we will ever see a team on paper as good as the one we saw last playoffs.

I think the Leafs do better as underdogs. When it was a slight advantage to TB last year we fluked off the win even though we were outplayed IMO. Against FLA they shit the bed because they were expected to roll over them. Let the Bruins boast about sweeping the season series all they want. It might actually help us.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Dean doesnt move the needle like a Knies/Cowan lol.

Not sure what Knies and Cowan have to do with anything. He was a significant prospect that a 1st round pick was recently used to acquire, and it's pretty misleading to act like they didn't spend to add at the deadline because they spent the prospects they used their picks on instead of the picks themselves.

Again, Florida didnt do anything

And that's why they needed their goalie to carry them. Maybe if they added, they could have won a cup.

 

[Kurtz]

To be fair, I thought we had a real shot last spring. But since the cupboards are pretty empty and we've only won one 1 PO round in 7 years, it's hard to argue that it's not time to try something else.

Yup. On paper, that was the best Leaf team I've ever seen (I started watching around 1969 or thereabouts).

Better than those early 2000 teams? Cujo/Eddie in net, Kaberle/Mccabe/Svehla/Leetch on D, Sundin/Roberts/Mogilny/Tucker/Niewendyke/Owen Nolan.

Mind you, no cap back then so lots of stacked teams at the time. Not the case now.

 

[LeafSteel]

^^^

You consider Lybushkin and Edmundson as non-impact? They have immediately become 2 of the most physical players on the team, for a team desperately lacking this exact thing.

Absolutely, I consider Boosh and Edmundson non-impact players.

At least Boosh comes in as a RHD, but they are both depth more than anything on another team with a good defensive corps.

Just because our defensive corps is weak, it doesn’t make them better than they are, just like Tyler Bozak wasn’t a true 1C just because had no other options but to use him that way.

All Edmundson and Boosh do is toughen up our roster. They don’t put us over or push things further. We are still getting bounced in the 1st round.

 

[4thline]

I'm less glad we traded two thirds, a fifth, and a sixth round pick for two rental bottom pairing D.

I feel very differently about those two trades

3rd +6th to try and take advantage of Rielly's demonstrated ability to succeed with a physical 5D/bottom pair partner? Cool. Low cost move to fill a distinct hole, patch the D and hope for lightning a bottle.

3rd +5th+ Lagesson to upgrade the 3LD/7D combo from Benoit/Lagesson to Edmundson/Benoit- less sold.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Better than those early 2000 teams? Cujo/Eddie in net, Kaberle/Mccabe/Svehla/Leetch on D, Sundin/Roberts/Mogilny/Tucker/Niewendyke/Owen Nolan.

Mind you, no cap back then so lots of stacked teams at the time. Not the case now.

After some reflection, I overrated last years team. On paper last year's team was really good but I suppose by now I should know better than to think this group will live up to their potential in the playoffs. And the goaltending was certainly top notch back then so yeah, I guess I was wrong to say that.

 

[Gilmour1996]

With the delay in signing Nylander, I would have let him walk right into free agency if I couldn't trade him at the deadline. He's crap defensively. This would also send a clear message to Marner....be greedy and you'll be greedy someplace else. I don't like Marner either...he plays an elite girls' game but can still be effective if you play him with men. Would never sign Tavares when his contract expires either. Build around Rielly and Matthews. I think Shanny is making these decisions, not Tre.

 

[Ports]

Didn't put us any closer to winning the cup, he's far worse than Dubas. People will realise in short order.

Dubus sure made Pittsburgh closer to winning the cup with that Karlsson trade didn’t he. Imagine if he did that here ?

 

[Ports]

This team is 16 months away from having the cap space to retool this roster and change the core group who have proven they can’t win when it counts. Treliving knows that so why blow prospects and 1st round picks when those propsects with upside potential and team control should be ready to make contributions then ? He knows this version of the team is unlikely to come out of the division or challenge for a cup now anyway. Hopefully Shanahan is gone after this season and a new President who knows what he’s doing (a Jim Rutherford type with previous success as a GM) is hired to steer the ship in a different direction. So far, I like that Treliving is making the roster tougher to play against in the playoffs. At least they won’t get bullied by Boston or Florida. I’m sick of watching that happen every spring.

Don't kid yourself my friend. Even if they lose in the first round, Marner is not going anywhere.

You’re probably right if Shanahan still has a job.

 

[Ports]

There is nothing stopping us from being able to beat Boston. I don’t understand the defeatist attitude people keep going with. I understand this week was suboptimal, but regular season series hasn’t generally been a great barometer of playoffs and even if it was we were only beaten in regulation 2 out of the 4 times. The Bruins are probably favoured but not by a significant margin. The leafs will have to play their A game, I’d expect no less to advance, but we are fully capable. It’s gonna be a war, those two losses this week sting because having home ice for a potential game 7 would have been nice.

I like the optimism and hopefully you’re right but ignoring how this core group has failed to rise to the occasion in the previous 7 playoffs is what makes people skeptical. The Bruins and Panthers both know if they play them hard and tight they can be neutralized and will never push back.

 

[Ports]

LOL. He's gonna get $12 million x 8 from Shanny.


And when they fail like they always have? Do you think there will be changes?

Not a chance.

You really believe he’ll settle for $12M. He’ll want $13M+. Thankfully Dubas isn’t here to give it to him.

 

[Razz]

Perfect TDL from Brad. He knew he would not have many assets so he signed his rentals in the summer and kept the assets for when the team is properly ready for a big deadline push

The stars have to carry this year and next. Fair given the cap and their salary demands.