Friedman: Kyle’s Summer of “Kawhi”

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Maybe in Free Agency in 2 years. The Jets aren't trading Hellebuyck.

Yeah I figure they are a year away from considering trading him

 

[capfit9]

He's a good GM.

There I said it. No, I'm not being sarcastic or joking either. He gets way too much crap because the team couldn't close, but he fixed their "crap defense", got out of the Marleau contract he had NOTHING to do with (funny enough that Lou gets no crap for this one for reasons), and kept their core together while supplementing their lost depth (Hyman for Bunting for example).

1) assets
2) cap
3) time (contracts)

he has none of those things and the team he believes in hasn't gotten past the first round

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

May I interest you in one 99 point JT Miller for Liljegren, Sandin and a 1st?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

He has generally made good moves. Fixing the D and the goaltending with Campbell was good enough these playoffs.
That said he has blind spots. For example, thinking he can address team toughness by adding plugs like Clifford and Simmonds on the fourth line playing 6 minutes a night. Other GMs have moved on from that model and have tough players who can score and play much greater minutes. Tampa is a good example.
A second area where he has not been good is adding depth that can actually come through in playoff type hockey. I read that the bottom six had zero goals in the last 4 games of the Tampa series. When the top 6 got neutralized for both teams Nick Paul came up huge.
On balance I’d give him another year.

 

[Aqualung]

I don’t think a big deal is necessary. This team went toe-to-toe with Tampa Bay and could have conceivably beaten any other team currently in the playoffs and just had the misfortune of having the reigning champs has their first round opponent. Looking at the series stats there was very little separating Tampa Bay and Toronto.

I would hazard the best thing would be is to find a little bit more grit, compete level and value where ever possible (ie 3/4 line players and bottom pairing defense).

 

[Space Coyote]

Nylander, Marner and Rielly all have to go

And replace them with?

 

[ClydeLee]

This is lunacy, the big step isn't that they need another big add. This isn't the NBA, they need that youthful depth to join in and add the final pieces. They have a couple guys so close who could be the pieces next year but they don't need another big add. They have enough of that.

 

[Morbo]

And replace them with?

air, apparently

 

[WingsMJN2965]

He's a good GM.

There I said it. No, I'm not being sarcastic or joking either. He gets way too much crap because the team couldn't close, but he fixed their "crap defense", got out of the Marleau contract he had NOTHING to do with (funny enough that Lou gets no crap for this one for reasons), and kept their core together while supplementing their lost depth (Hyman for Bunting for example).

Good GM's usually don't pay a guy $1M over market value in the 11th hour of a hold out while his team is top 3 in scoring, 8 months before his two superstars are due extensions...

Dubas' inability to negotiate a contract has killed what should've been a good window for a good core.

 

[violaswallet]

I think Florida is a good template: they began with an elite three players and built around them with depth. While far better than Dadonov and Hoffman, the Nylander-Tavares addition to 16-34-44 is similar in as far as devoting too much of their resources to a few players. I think they’d be better served doing as Zito did and allocating across more players like Zito did with Reino, Verhaege, Gudas and Duclair instead of adding a superstar contract like Tavares. (NB: Bunting is a good start)

 

[super6646]

Good GM's usually don't pay a guy $1M over market value in the 11th hour of a hold out while his team is top 3 in scoring, 8 months before his two superstars are due extensions...

Dubas' inability to negotiate a contract has killed what should've been a good window for a good core.

No, losing 4 game 7s and a game 5 in the bubble is killing the window.

Nylander and Matthews are both turning out to be more than fair value for their contracts at this point. You can MAYBE argue that Marner is overpaid, but that would be nitpicking.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

I think Florida is a good template: they began with an elite three players and built around them with depth. While far better than Dadonov and Hoffman, the Nylander-Tavares addition to 16-34-44 is similar in as far as devoting too much of their resources to a few players. I think they’d be better served doing as Zito did and allocating across more players like Zito did with Reino, Verhaege, Gudas and Duclair instead of adding a superstar contract like Tavares. (NB: Bunting is a good start)

It also helps that Florida didn't pay their big 3 Cup money before they actually won a Cup.

 

[LightningStorm]

Leafs and Raps are a complete false equivalency. Leafs core still hasn't won a playoff series, while the DeRozen/Lowry Raps won 4 playoff series in the 3 seasons leading up to the Kawhi trade. They just simply couldn't get past Lebron's Cavs all 3 years, which were during the 4 straight Warriors/Cavs finals.

While both struggled and lost against great teams (Cavs, Bruins, and Bolts), the difference is the Raps won series they were suppose to win during that time. They didn't have any playoff losses even close to the caliber of the Leafs ones to the CBJ and Habs.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

No, losing 4 game 7s and a game 5 in the bubble is killing the window.

Nylander and Matthews are both turning out to be more than fair value for their contracts at this point. You can MAYBE argue that Marner is overpaid, but that would be nitpicking.

When you realize that the reason they can't get over that hump is because they have no depth because they can't afford it... Because Dubas couldn't negotiate a contract.

 

[super6646]

When you realize that the reason they can't get over that hump is because they have no depth because they can't afford it... Because Dubas couldn't negotiate a contract.

I actually cannot f***ing believe I have to defend the Leafs on this one. Bunting 63 pts at 1.475m, Kerfoot 51 pts at a 3.5m cap hit, Kase 27 pts in 50 games at 1.25m, Spezza 25 pts at league min, Mikheyev under 2m to provide 21 goals in 53 games, etc. Yes their top guys are being paid, but to say the Leafs have poor depth is just repeating rhetoric.

The guy has been able to consistently bring in quality depth on the cheap. Yes he flunked out on Ritchie, but he has had quite a lot of wins too. I sure as hell wish Calgary's gm could sign 20 goal scorers and 60 pt getters for scraps.

 

[Heldig]

Hopefully he lands John Gibson or Conor Hellebycuk

How do you propose to acquire Hellebucyk?

 

[WingsMJN2965]

I actually cannot f***ing believe I have to defend the Leafs on this one. Bunting 63 pts at 1.475m, Kerfoot 51 pts at a 3.5m cap hit, Kase 27 pts in 50 games at 1.25m, Spezza 25 pts at league min, Mikheyev under 2m to provide 21 goals in 53 games, etc. Yes their top guys are being paid, but to say the Leafs have poor depth is just repeating rhetoric.

The guy has been able to consistently bring in quality depth on the cheap. Yes he flunked out on Ritchie, but he has had quite a lot of wins too. I sure as hell wish Calgary's gm could sign 20 goal scorers and 60 pt getters for scraps.

When you're trying to defend your depth by citing guys that have 25 points...

Thank you for proving my point.

 

[super6646]

He got out of the Marleau contract by paying a 1st so he could keep players like Kap and Johnsson who did nothing really for them and ended up trading anyways?

He ended up with the 15th pick for Kaps and was able to find players to supplement him without having to expend assets. Not bad for a supposed blunder in the end.

 

[Asinine]

All this clown does is try to add big names. That's why he sucks. He manages the team the same way a 15 year old manages their NHL22 roster.

 

[super6646]

When you're trying to defend your depth by citing guys that have 25 points...

Thank you for proving my point.

When your trying to make a point by picking out one thing and ignoring the 3 other players I brought up with significantly more production lol. Like come on man, you just intentionally ignored the overall point to make yourself feel better or something?

And since when is 25 pts bad for a depth guy who plays bottom 6 minutes?

 

[ijuka]

He's a good GM.

There I said it. No, I'm not being sarcastic or joking either. He gets way too much crap because the team couldn't close, but he fixed their "crap defense", got out of the Marleau contract he had NOTHING to do with (funny enough that Lou gets no crap for this one for reasons), and kept their core together while supplementing their lost depth (Hyman being replaced by Bunting for example).

He didn't fix their bad defense. RHD is still a problem like it was when Dubas became Leafs GM. Playing LHDs on the right side doesn't fix the lack of RHD.

He traded 1 year of Marleau contract for Seth Jarvis and that was a successful trade in your eyes? Could have just had Marleau play for that year and taken the hit. Seth Jarvis will likely be at least a point per game player.

He traded Kadri for Barrie. Lost.

He traded 1st+ for Foligno. No comment.

Bunting was a Leafs fan and wanted to sign specifically with Leafs. How do you give Dubas credit for that? Don't act like he was some great find, he had already established himself in Arizona and any team would have been happy to sign him. Leafs got him because he wanted on Leafs. Same with Tavares, by the way.

Kept their core together by giving massive payments and couldn't even get Matthews to sign for more than 5 years. Because of term, Matthews's contract is actually worse than McDavid's while being the worse player and playing in a more desirable market.

The apologists are out in full force. Dubas had a contender handed to him on a silver platter and made bad move after bad move. Few people could have messed it up any harder.

 

[Mobiandi]

He should have traded William Nylander years ago. Dubas actually assembled the right pieces this year but his coach and his goaltending is way below average and that's what lost the series

Watch it be a Mark Scheifele trade. That would be hilarious

 

[nbwingsfan]

He ended up with the 15th pick for Kaps and was able to find players to supplement him without having to expend assets. Not bad for a supposed blunder in the end.

He also could have had Seth Jarvis as well as that 15th pick (or similar). That “getting out of Marleau contract” did nothing for them other than losing a 1st.

 

[super6646]

He didn't fix their bad defense. RHD is still a problem like it was when Dubas became Leafs GM. Playing LHDs on the right side doesn't fix the lack of RHD.

He traded 1 year of Marleau contract for Seth Jarvis and that was a successful trade in your eyes? Could have just had Marleau play for that year and taken the hit. Seth Jarvis will likely be at least a point per game player.

He traded Kadri for Barrie. Lost.

He traded 1st+ for Foligno. No comment.

Bunting was a Feafs fan and wanted to sign specifically with Leafs. How do you give Dubas credit for that? Don't act like he was some great find, he had already established himself in Arizona and any team would have been happy to sign him. Leafs got him because he wanted on Leafs. Same with Tavares, by the way.

Kept their core together by giving massive payments and couldn't even get Matthews to sign for more than 5 years.

The apologists are out in full force.

Foligno trade was a massive mistake. Won’t see me fighting on that one. Thought the leafs went full dumb on that one trading for “grit”.

Kadri trade looks bad if you look at his production THIS season, but kerfoot is still a good piece they have cost controlled for another year.

Bunting “established” with 26 nhl games lmao.

Massive overpayments for a… 60 goal scorer… and 97 pt getter… and under 7m for 81 pts is overpayment now? Okay then. I sure as hell don’t have problems with a gm paying those guys lol.

TJ Brodie is a top pairing rhd they got for 6x5. “Not fixing the right side” my ass.

Keeping a broken down Marleau to lose valuable depth pieces… imagine the field day hf would’ve had on that one. Yes kap ended up being traded after that season… which they got a 15th overall pick for. Jarvis is a nice player, but again dubas didn’t sign Marleau. He played his hand as best as he could on that one.

No gm is perfect. Nice to know us flames fans are leafs apologists now LMAO.

He also could have had Seth Jarvis as well as that 15th pick (or similar). That “getting out of Marleau contract” did nothing for them other than losing a 1st.

You don’t get the same kapanen trade in that scenario though lol. He would’ve had to be have been traded in 2018-19 and the leaf’s would’ve had 0 leverage.

Johnssen and kapanen were 20 goal scorers… your telling me without hindsight it’s better to trade those two to keep Marleau?

 

[WingsMJN2965]

When your trying to make a point by picking out one thing and ignoring the 3 other players I brought up with significantly more production lol. Like come on man, you just intentionally ignored the overall point to make yourself feel better or something?

And since when is 25 pts bad for a depth guy who plays bottom 6 minutes?

OK bud. You're right. The Leafs have great depth. Should have a good Cup run this year.