Dreger: Tavares and Islanders discussing contract extension

[periferal]

I don't have the ability to speak for other fans of my team and I can't get them to admit anything. Sorry.

The Maple Leafs have a **** load of money to play with. They also have a ton of young prospects. It is possible to improve the defence without trading a core forward. You can win a Stanley Cup without a Drew Doughty or Victor Hedman.

The addition of a Tavares alone would help the overall team defence. Puck possession with Matthews, Tavares and Kadri down the middle would be a significant relief on the group of defencemen they currently project to have next season.

The Maple Leafs have so much cap space over the next few years that even while signing Matthews, Marner and Nylander to their new contracts, they'll have $15M+ to improve their team without losing any core players.

Great. I understand the Leafs have cap space.

Now...What is the specific plan to getting at least the two top-4 defenceman that they need?

 

[seafoam]

I only mentioned that because a lot of the other times I see Barzal mentioned in different threads his 85 points was always brought up and how he can possibly be the second or third best player from the 2015 draft class.

Okay, and?

Barzal had an objectively historical rookie year.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Okay, but my point was why is it a guarantee Barzal will regress while other team's top young guns don't seem to have that issue?

It seems to falsely assume the Isles are a less desirable situation for Tavares because his supporting cast won't be as good, whereas if he went to Toronto he'd be playing with a bunch of youngsters guaranteed to get better and better.

Besides Crosby and McDavid how many other young star players who had a great rookie season were able to follow it up with an equal or better second season?

 

[LeafsNation75]

Okay, and?

Barzal had an objectively historical rookie year.

I never said he did not.

I'm just saying some people need to put the breaks on Barzal and the hype around his rookie season, if they expect him to play like that again next season and there is a chance he could regress.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Besides Crosby and McDavid how many young star players who had a great rookie season were able to follow it up with an equal or better second season?

Malkin? P. Kane? Marner? Gaudreau? Laine?

I mean, most of the top-end guys produced similar or better to their rookie years in their sophomore years. The only big exception I can think of is Nathan MacKinnon.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

But what "money advantage" does Montreal (or any Canadian team) have when you take into account the Canadian dollar?

Answer: They don't.

Players get paid in American currency.

If you're asking about the team finances, MTL and Toronto are more profitable than almost every American organization. In terms of the salary cap, it's irrelevant.

Taxes would be a factor.

Dallas could offer him the same amount of money as MTL or Toronto and Tavares would pocket more cash in Dallas. If it's solely about money, other markets have any advantage because of high taxes in Quebec and Ontario. But something tells me Tavares isn't all about money and he actually might be interested in winning a championship.

Which he won't be doing in Montreal without going through a 4-6 year rebuild.

The Habs have 0 chance at winning anytime soon.

I don't think Tavares is going to put himself in that position. He might pocket a few million more but it would be 7 years of torture and losing.

 

[seafoam]

I never said he did not.

I'm just saying some people need to put the breaks on Barzal and the hype around his rookie season, if they expect him to play like that again next season and there is a chance he could regress.

I’m going to copy and paste this in every future Leafs player hype thread.

Thank you.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Malkin? P. Kane? Marner? Gaudreau? Laine?

I mean, most of the top-end guys produced similar or better to their rookie years in their sophomore years. The only big exception I can think of is Nathan MacKinnon.

In the case of Marner he was struggling from October 2017 until January 24, 2018 which was the night he was placed on a line with Kadri and Marleau, that changed his season for the better.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I’m going to copy and paste this in every future Leafs player hype thread.

Thank you.

Wow there is no need to be petty. I was being complimentary towards Barzal and acknowledged how great a rookie season he had. All I said was if he regresses a little next season I wouldn't be shocked.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

In the case of Marner he was struggling from October 2017 until January 24, 2018 which was the night he was placed on a line with Kadri and Marleau, which turned around his season.

Right, but statistically speaking, by the end of the year he improved upon his rookie season. Struggling for a stretch of games doesn't equal regression.

If Barzal scores 85 points again, it doesn't matter if he struggled for the first couple of months so long as by season's end he's equaled or surpassed his point totals from last year.

 

[ToneDog]

I still think Tavares makes it to the listening period, but wants to have his offer from the Islanders with him then, which is why they are talking contract now.

tl;dr Tavares goes into the listening period with his Islanders contract in hand so if he decides to circle back, there’s not much (if any) negotiation to be done at that point. It was also help him decide what he wants to do knowing what his offer from NYI is going to look like.

Jamie Mclennan sheds some insight into how Tavares should be setting himself up prior to the open negotiation window. Makes sense. No rush for Tavares to sign with Isles prior to June 30th.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/mclennan-believes-tavares-on-the-right-path-negotiating~1418944

 

[Scott Malkinson]

Great. I understand the Leafs have cap space.

Now...What is the specific plan to getting at least the two top-4 defenceman that they need?

With the plethora of young talent they have in the system, improving the defence doesn't hinge on trading Nylander, Marner or Kadri.

A package of young players and draft picks could land defencemen that are competent enough to improve the defence. Las Vegas built an excellent team defence from guys who weren't valued enough to be protected in an expansion draft.

I personally would get rid of Jake Gardiner or acquire a more reliable defenceman, in order to bump Gardiner down. That alone would be an improvement. Travis Dermott was likely Toronto's 2nd or 3rd best defenceman during his NHL stint this year. He's 21 years old with very high upside and a lock for the team next year. That is also an improvement.

If they can pry a defenceman like Faulk or Pesce out of Carolina, that would be an improvement. Neither of them are going to cost Nylander, Marner or Kadri. A package of young talent like Kasperi Kapanen and draft picks or other young players could make something like that happen.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I personally would get rid of Jake Gardiner or acquire a more reliable defenceman, in order to bump Gardiner down. That alone would be an improvement. Travis Dermott was likely Toronto's 2nd or 3rd best defenceman during his NHL stint this year. He's 21 years old with very high upside and a lock for the team next year. That is also an improvement.

Since Gardiner can be a UFA next July I would not be shocked if he was traded before than, since they didn't trade JVR before he becomes a UFA.

 

[EastonBlues22]

I'm shutting this nonsense down. The "news" is non-news and the "discussion" is crap.

If this recurs in the next Tavares thread, which will hopefully be more informative than this one, be prepared to be thread-banned and/or infracted if you can't stick to the topic at hand.

Closed.