BayStreetBully
Registered User
I haven’t posted in 4 months, since the start of the playoffs. So this is not a knee jerk reaction to either another Leafs first round collapse or the ongoing Marner shenanigans. The Leafs organization would be well-advised to consider that I am not the only one in this city that feels this way:
Marner’s greed is just the latest in a year long saga that follows the greed of Nylander and Matthews, and the incompetence of Dubas and his inability to sign any of the kids to acceptable contracts.
It starts with Dubas, who is not capable of being a good negotiator. I have no idea why a billion dollar organization handed the keys to a 30 year old kid with zero NHL experience. He acts like a friend to the young Leafs, which would be fine except he takes it too far because it clouds his ability or willingness to take a hard stance with Nylander, Matthews and Marner. We didn’t need a friend last year. We needed a GM. We didn’t have one, and because of that Dubas caved with Nylander, which in turn set the tone for a terrible contract with Matthews.
And what did Nylander have to show for his new contract? Nothing but dismal “production”, and his “contribution” to a first round loss. The Leafs would’ve been just as well off taking a hard stance with Nylander and letting him sit out. At least Dubas could have showed the world he wasn’t to be messed with. The problem with Dubas is that as a young kid himself, he has no perspective of time. He thinks every current year is the only year that matters. He has no regard for the long term. It was this lack of time perspective that made him cave with Nylander, and which makes me fear he will do the same with Marner. Some might say we can’t afford to waste a year by letting our stars sit. I say we would find success eventually, whether in 2 years or 20 years (time perspective). But you can’t let your RFAs walk all over you and handicap your cap long-term relative to the other 30 teams, and certainly not when you have 3 of them to deal with.
Speaking of Marner, he had the city handed to him on a silver platter, and he’s throwing it all away. His true value, considering his RFA status and the artificial bump up in production playing with Tavares, should’ve been $9 million tops, and over 8 years. His ask of $11 million+ is so ridiculously over the top that there should be no question Dubas should let him sit out the season before paying that much. If Marner isn’t willing to sign a max deal for $9-9.5 million, he should sit. Making him sit is fine. A trade is fine if the return is good. An offer sheet? Don’t entertain matching it and just take the picks. That’s fine. What’s not fine? An overpayment with Marner.
I’ve been a Leafs fan since the Gilmour days, and have stuck around for all the losing seasons, but my patience and my fandom for the Leafs is hanging on by a thread. Maybe I’m just getting too old now to accept all this nonsense. As I said above, I can accept sitting Marner, I can accept a good trade and I can accept an offer sheet, but I can’t accept an incompetent overpayment. If Marner gets anything more than $10,000,000 over 8 years (or $6 million over a 3 year bridge), then I’m done as a fan. And I’m already prepared for that, as all signs point to Dubas overpaying once again.
I have never been a basketball fan, but the Raptors captured my attention this spring after the overpaid young Leafs did nothing to justify their contracts. Hard to imagine that the Leafs have always had priority with me, but it was the Raptors that came from nowhere to deliver. Who knew basketball was this fun! Tim Leiweke said in 2014 that the Raptors would be bigger than the Leafs in 10 years. I laughed, but now knowing how I feel, I know I’m not the only one in this city to feel this way. It’ll probably take longer than 10 years, but it’s absolutely possible for the Raptors to overtake the Leafs in this city, and it’s because of greed from people like Marner and incompetence from Dubas that this one Leafs fan is feeling less of a Leafs fan and more of a Raptors fan today.
What can Dubas and Marner do so they don’t lose the average fan? Dubas needs to take a stand on behalf of the organization and grow a backbone and be willing to let Marner sit, long before he offers a terrible contract. 2 overpayments with Nylander and Matthews were bad enough. There can’t be a 3rd. You can’t be 100% Harold Ballard, but you need to be at least 1% Ballard. And what can Marner do? He needs to knock off this nonsense and sign a $70 million deal over 8 years, which allows you to remain an icon in this city. Surely your quality of life won’t suffer with that type of money? But who am I kidding. I’m already prepared to be disappointed one last time. But you’ve been warned, Leafs. My fandom is hanging on by a thread, and I’m not the only one.
Marner’s greed is just the latest in a year long saga that follows the greed of Nylander and Matthews, and the incompetence of Dubas and his inability to sign any of the kids to acceptable contracts.
It starts with Dubas, who is not capable of being a good negotiator. I have no idea why a billion dollar organization handed the keys to a 30 year old kid with zero NHL experience. He acts like a friend to the young Leafs, which would be fine except he takes it too far because it clouds his ability or willingness to take a hard stance with Nylander, Matthews and Marner. We didn’t need a friend last year. We needed a GM. We didn’t have one, and because of that Dubas caved with Nylander, which in turn set the tone for a terrible contract with Matthews.
And what did Nylander have to show for his new contract? Nothing but dismal “production”, and his “contribution” to a first round loss. The Leafs would’ve been just as well off taking a hard stance with Nylander and letting him sit out. At least Dubas could have showed the world he wasn’t to be messed with. The problem with Dubas is that as a young kid himself, he has no perspective of time. He thinks every current year is the only year that matters. He has no regard for the long term. It was this lack of time perspective that made him cave with Nylander, and which makes me fear he will do the same with Marner. Some might say we can’t afford to waste a year by letting our stars sit. I say we would find success eventually, whether in 2 years or 20 years (time perspective). But you can’t let your RFAs walk all over you and handicap your cap long-term relative to the other 30 teams, and certainly not when you have 3 of them to deal with.
Speaking of Marner, he had the city handed to him on a silver platter, and he’s throwing it all away. His true value, considering his RFA status and the artificial bump up in production playing with Tavares, should’ve been $9 million tops, and over 8 years. His ask of $11 million+ is so ridiculously over the top that there should be no question Dubas should let him sit out the season before paying that much. If Marner isn’t willing to sign a max deal for $9-9.5 million, he should sit. Making him sit is fine. A trade is fine if the return is good. An offer sheet? Don’t entertain matching it and just take the picks. That’s fine. What’s not fine? An overpayment with Marner.
I’ve been a Leafs fan since the Gilmour days, and have stuck around for all the losing seasons, but my patience and my fandom for the Leafs is hanging on by a thread. Maybe I’m just getting too old now to accept all this nonsense. As I said above, I can accept sitting Marner, I can accept a good trade and I can accept an offer sheet, but I can’t accept an incompetent overpayment. If Marner gets anything more than $10,000,000 over 8 years (or $6 million over a 3 year bridge), then I’m done as a fan. And I’m already prepared for that, as all signs point to Dubas overpaying once again.
I have never been a basketball fan, but the Raptors captured my attention this spring after the overpaid young Leafs did nothing to justify their contracts. Hard to imagine that the Leafs have always had priority with me, but it was the Raptors that came from nowhere to deliver. Who knew basketball was this fun! Tim Leiweke said in 2014 that the Raptors would be bigger than the Leafs in 10 years. I laughed, but now knowing how I feel, I know I’m not the only one in this city to feel this way. It’ll probably take longer than 10 years, but it’s absolutely possible for the Raptors to overtake the Leafs in this city, and it’s because of greed from people like Marner and incompetence from Dubas that this one Leafs fan is feeling less of a Leafs fan and more of a Raptors fan today.
What can Dubas and Marner do so they don’t lose the average fan? Dubas needs to take a stand on behalf of the organization and grow a backbone and be willing to let Marner sit, long before he offers a terrible contract. 2 overpayments with Nylander and Matthews were bad enough. There can’t be a 3rd. You can’t be 100% Harold Ballard, but you need to be at least 1% Ballard. And what can Marner do? He needs to knock off this nonsense and sign a $70 million deal over 8 years, which allows you to remain an icon in this city. Surely your quality of life won’t suffer with that type of money? But who am I kidding. I’m already prepared to be disappointed one last time. But you’ve been warned, Leafs. My fandom is hanging on by a thread, and I’m not the only one.
