News Article: 'This core believes we're right there:'

[Mess]

'This core believes we're right there:' Maple Leafs reflect on another early exit

Toronto Maple Leafs stars John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews all stated a case for patience over significant changes on Wednesday.

Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares on changes: 'The harder thing to do is staying the course' - TSN.ca

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[biotk]

The evidence provided throughout the past two regular seasons and playoffs suggests otherwise.

 

[Amadeus]

We're right there...until game 7 and we go numb.

Honestly, we didn't even deserve to win any game 7s.

 

[Beyonder91]

Yep, this team just needs a few tweaks. The core is good. Matthews, Taraves and Marner are going to dominate next year.

Johnsson can go for some grit.
Barrie, Ceci replacements will be upgrades.
Nylander can be traded for a defenceman. He has the easiest contract to move and can go avoid contact somewhere else.
Is Freddy really that much of an upgrade over Campbell?

This team is really not far off from becoming a juggernaut.

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Robertson - Tavares - X
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Kapanen
Engval - X - Clifford

Muzzin - X
Rielly - X
Sandin/Dermott - Holl/X
Lilj

X
Campbell

 

[Tak7]

Define "right there".

Because the past 24 months have suggested they aren't really close to anything.

 

[qqaz]

I believe in the core of this team. I think it's a team and a style that can win in the playoffs.

Obviously this season was unsuccessful. There does need to be changes. The entire right side of the D needs to be re-built for the 2nd offseason in a row. And some grit and shutdown ability needs to be added, especially in the bottom 6.

But the top 6, Rielly/Muzz on D, and the starting goalie are all good enough to make a run. I believe the coaching is a good fit to go along with it.

The game 7s (and this years game 5) have all been bad, it's true. But the team came back in game 4 like gang busters. I don't think they're somehow incapable of playing when it counts. Good teams get eliminated all the time.

The core is too good to give up on. I really like this team.

 

[thewave]

Wow they need to check themselves in if they believe that. 5150

 

[Caesium]

Dubas made the fatal assumption that the salary cap is always going to go up and signed deals that only made sense within that framework. Now that the cap is going to be stuck for at least the next few years they need to rebuild in some fashion. They either have to dismantle the core, or figure out a way to win with that core with Jack Campbell as their starting goalie and Jake Muzzin as their #1D.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Dubas made the fatal assumption that the salary cap is always going to go up.

You mean the fatal assumption that literally every GM and agent uses?

 

[Gary Nylund]

I believe in the core of this team. I think it's a team and a style that can win in the playoffs.

Obviously this season was unsuccessful. There does need to be changes. The entire right side of the D needs to be re-built for the 2nd offseason in a row. And some grit and shutdown ability needs to be added, especially in the bottom 6.

But the top 6, Rielly/Muzz on D, and the starting goalie are all good enough to make a run. I believe the coaching is a good fit to go along with it.

The game 7s (and this years game 5) have all been bad, it's true. But the team came back in game 4 like gang busters. I don't think they're somehow incapable of playing when it counts. Good teams get eliminated all the time.

The core is too good to give up on. I really like this team.

I hope you're right. I still don't know what to think so I'll just sit back, watch what happens and hope for the best which is of course what I do every year.

Apparently Marner said he wasn't "engaged" for game one of the playoffs, that just makes me go LOL WTF. The 11 million dollar man should be chomping at the bit and waiting for that game ever since losing to Boston, how the hell is it even possible for him to not be "engaged".

From where I sit, that is simply unacceptable. Am I wrong?

 

[Rare Jewel]

You mean the fatal assumption that literally every GM and agent uses?

Well, not every GM can spend to the cap. Some do.

As for the agents, that's their job. A teams cap situation is of little concern really.

 

[Mickey Marner]

We haven't won a playoff series since Paul Martin was PM. This core is not "right there". This rebuild has already been leapfrogged by Colorado and Carolina, enough with the bullshit platitudes and "next year" attitude.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I hope you're right. I still don't know what to think so I'll just sit back, watch what happens and hope for the best which is of course what I do every year.

Apparently Marner said he wasn't "engaged" for game one of the playoffs, that just makes me go LOL WTF. The 11 million dollar man should be chomping at the bit and waiting for that game ever since losing to Boston, how the hell is it even possible for him to not be "engaged".

From where I sit, that is simply unacceptable. Am I wrong?

Yeah that is not going to make him look very good in the eyes of the media that is for sure.

I think Mike Johnson said it best. Right now, there has been a reasonable amount of criticism coming from the media, and that is fair, but a lot of it is totally off-base and just wrong. These guys get paid to know more than fans, but it seems like a lot of them don't, and they are feeding the same false narratives that are being spread around by fans.

So I can totally understand why Matthews is saying that he is not going to listen to the outside noise, because none of it is productive or even accurate.

 

[Notsince67]

Yep, this team just needs a few tweaks. The core is good. Matthews, Taraves and Marner are going to dominate next year.

Johnsson can go for some grit.
Barrie, Ceci replacements will be upgrades.
Nylander can be traded for a defenceman. He has the easiest contract to move and can go avoid contact somewhere else.
Is Freddy really that much of an upgrade over Campbell?

This team is really not far off from becoming a juggernaut.

Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Robertson - Tavares - X
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Kapanen
Engval - X - Clifford

Muzzin - X
Rielly - X
Sandin/Dermott - Holl/X
Lilj

X
Campbell

Forgot lehtonen.

 

[Notsince67]

I hope you're right. I still don't know what to think so I'll just sit back, watch what happens and hope for the best which is of course what I do every year.

Apparently Marner said he wasn't "engaged" for game one of the playoffs, that just makes me go LOL WTF. The 11 million dollar man should be chomping at the bit and waiting for that game ever since losing to Boston, how the hell is it even possible for him to not be "engaged".

From where I sit, that is simply unacceptable. Am I wrong?

And Nulander was not at all engaged in an elimination game.

 

[cesareborgia]

You could have been there. But certain players decided to hold the team hostage for a paycheck, and certain GMs decided to write blank checks.

The skill of this core isn't the problem. It's their mentality. They just don't care; and therefore do not have what it takes. A GM surrounding this spoiled core with sissies certainly hasn't helped.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Dubas made the fatal assumption that the salary cap is always going to go up and signed deals that only made sense within that framework.

Every single deal by every single GM is signed with the correct assumption that the salary cap would go up. Blaming Dubas for an unforeseen global pandemic that unexpectedly changed all forecasts is pretty ridiculous.

 

[qqaz]

I hope you're right. I still don't know what to think so I'll just sit back, watch what happens and hope for the best which is of course what I do every year.

Apparently Marner said he wasn't "engaged" for game one of the playoffs, that just makes me go LOL WTF. The 11 million dollar man should be chomping at the bit and waiting for that game ever since losing to Boston, how the hell is it even possible for him to not be "engaged".

From where I sit, that is simply unacceptable. Am I wrong?

Ya. I mean this is all a bit subjective. So there's reason to believe either side. Marner was a dud in the play-in round. But there's times he looks like one of the most talented and creative players in the NHL. How do you keep him? How do you cut ties?

And being mid-pandemic certainly doesn't make anything here easy to judge.

 

[613Leafer]

It's not like we're a President's Trophy team that's gotten unlucky in the 1st round.

We've been well behind the division lead the last few years in the regular season, and obviously have our playoff problems.

If by "right there", they mean we're two solid top 4 D and 1-2 grittier middle 6 forwards away from being a top contender, then ok. But you could say that about half the teams in the league.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Ignored are all the posts I made about the economy going south within the next couple years.

Recession or not, the cap was going up significantly in coming years prior to the global pandemic.

That the rule changes impacted player stats to the +++

Matthews and Marner were among the best players prior to signing their post-ELC contracts in the entire cap era, and their contracts are fine in comparison, even when you adjust for league scoring levels.

some GMs also knew and did not sell the farm to pay their kids.

More accurately, other GMs didn't have players that were as good.

 

[diceman934]

And Nulander was not at all engaged in an elimination game.

What playoff game has Nylander been engaged I am still waiting. This playoffs he said he would be ....but sadly he was worse. He is gone thankfully

 

[Notsince67]

What playoff game has Nylander been engaged I am still waiting. This playoffs he said he would be ....but sadly he was worse. He is gone thankfully

Well we are damned sure marner isnt going anywhere. I'll just eat my popcorn and watch the Willy fan club's head explode if he is moved.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Depends what they mean by right there. If "right there" means out of the playoffs, then they're right.

 

[Stephen]

They clearly have a lot of talent and upside but if winning a Stanley Cup is climbing Mount Everest, losing a play-in round is like not able to find the exit at the base camp gift shop.

 

[OptimusReim]

Dubas calls the Marner criticism "idiotic", which I think for a kid who demanded (and received) a top 10 contract, in a league where he hasn't really proven anything (i.e. in the playoffs), I think it's more than fair and perhaps this less than tenured General Manager need to open his eyes.

The lack of accountability on the members of this organization, from management to players is concerning.

Really hope they can turn it around because we do have some pieces, but more of the same, as so many in the organization are preaching for is asking for a report of history.