The Mighty Auston Matthews

[rojac]

Just listened to Nick Kypreos talking about how freaking Arizona offer-sheeting Matthews and him actually being willing to leave the Leafs to play for the bottom-feeding Yotes

Well, Toronto fans have made a lot of noise over the years about wanting players to play in their home towns. And he is currently playing with a player who is living out the dream of playing for his home town team. I see no reason to think that he wouldn't consider it.

But losing Matthews or any top player on an offer sheet is always a possibility. i'm not saying it's going to happen but it's definitely a possible outcome and Leafs fans shouldn't be acting shocked and surprised if it does.

 

[authentic]

If I'm being 100% honest, I still want Marner with Matthews even with Tavares on the team. It just seems like a match made in heaven.

Matthews will 100% become the best player in Leafs history IMO. It's imperative that we maximize his potential. There's no need whatsoever for nonsense limitations to be placed on Matthews.

I've heard some posters go on about how Matthews production needs to be limited because of his upcoming contract? What in god's name do people think goes on in these negotiations? You can't just tell your coach to cut the ice-time and PP-time of your generational talent so you can get him nice and cheap. The very first thing his agent will bring up in negotiations will be that exactly. I'll bet every cent I have that Matthews' agent has communicated this loud and clearly to the Leafs brass. I'm thinking that little "talk" that Matthews and Babcock had in Arizona addressed this exactly, he told him that if there's any more ****ing around with his minutes and usage there will be serious problems.

Babcock should know darn well this is Matthews team and not his. You put your best player in the best position to succeed at all costs, and I'm hopeful from here on out he'll be doing just that.

 

[NoName]

Well, Toronto fans have made a lot of noise over the years about wanting players to play in their home towns. And he is currently playing with a player who is living out the dream of playing for his home town team. I see no reason to think that he wouldn't consider it.

But losing Matthews or any top player on an offer sheet is always a possibility. i'm not saying it's going to happen but it's definitely a possible outcome and Leafs fans shouldn't be acting shocked and surprised if it does.

The Leafs would insta-match an offer-sheet for Matthews. He looks like the 2nd best player of his generation; you don't let a guy like that walk under any circumstances (and from a company finance standpoint, Matthews makes the Leafs tons of money in merch and tickets).

The funny part about Kipper's comment isn't the offer-sheet, it is the Yotes being the team he says will do it. They are a bottom feeder, barely able to spend to the Cap floor. How could they possibly even afford to offer Matthews a max contract? And why in Gods green Earth would Matthews ever sign it? He is the best player on a Cup contender in the biggest hockey media market (with correspondingly rich endorsement deals) in the NHL; why would he give that up to go play hockey in the desert on a perennial bottom-feeder, where the average sport's fan rarely ever watch hockey. Sure, "hometown boy" returning is always a great narrative, we saw it with Tavares, but come on, if the Leafs were the trash team they used to be do you think Tavares would have even considered coming to Toronto? Obviously not.

 

[Menzinger]

Well, Toronto fans have made a lot of noise over the years about wanting players to play in their home towns. And he is currently playing with a player who is living out the dream of playing for his home town team. I see no reason to think that he wouldn't consider it.

But losing Matthews or any top player on an offer sheet is always a possibility. i'm not saying it's going to happen but it's definitely a possible outcome and Leafs fans shouldn't be acting shocked and surprised if it does.

Not really. The Leafs would likely match no matter how absurdly high it goes.

No team will give up a young franchise centre, especially one whose the face of a rebuild to just a few 1st round picks.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I think it’s a fair criticism of the coaches that they didn’t do more to try and shake up that 2nd Unit (Have heard Jonas Siegel suggest Matthews got a bit frustrated when things weren’t changed). I wouldn’t have disrupted that 1st Unit last year, but they at least could have gotten a bit more experimental on the second unit.

But no big deal either way, ancient history at this point

did i say though they couldn't get criticised? no. but - i also don't see why you'd shake up the 2nd - by hurting a well oiled 1st. just like this year, chances are the 2nd's job is pretty much try to get off as fast as you can so the 1st one can get on.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Well, Toronto fans have made a lot of noise over the years about wanting players to play in their home towns. And he is currently playing with a player who is living out the dream of playing for his home town team. I see no reason to think that he wouldn't consider it.

But losing Matthews or any top player on an offer sheet is always a possibility. i'm not saying it's going to happen but it's definitely a possible outcome and Leafs fans shouldn't be acting shocked and surprised if it does.

ahuh. the poorest team in the league - is going to offer sheet the richest team in the league and expect them not to match? Okay there.


If it happened - you take the draft picks that Arizona is so happily willing to give away and as their goaltending and other support isn't that hot - you sit back and we draft #one through 4, for the next what? 3-4 years?

Not really. The Leafs would likely match no matter how absurdly high it goes.

No team will give up a young franchise centre, especially one whose the face of a rebuild to just a few 1st round picks.

yah you do. because you don't be like Nashville and match that disgusting contract that Holmgren offered Weber. you take the picks, and escape that cap hell. if Matthews accepted an offer sheet (his right) to go somewhere else. (his right), you take the picks, and adjust. you'd probably take a big hit the first year (or two), but you make it work. (that's what I'd do).

Chances are the Leafs match anyway, and trade pieces to make it work captually.

 

[IPS]

Babcock should know darn well this is Matthews team and not his. You put your best player in the best position to succeed at all costs, and I'm hopeful from here on out he'll be doing just that.

The way I see it - if you're deviating from the most time-tested and proven way of running a PP, you better f***ing get some extraordinary results. Now we did get good results (cause Marner is an absolute boss at running the PP) but we definitely didn't get extraordinary. Looks like those kinds of results are coming in from having Marner and Matthews together.

 

[IPS]

did i say though they couldn't get criticised? no. but - i also don't see why you'd shake up the 2nd - by hurting a well oiled 1st. just like this year, chances are the 2nd's job is pretty much try to get off as fast as you can so the 1st one can get on.

 

[authentic]

The way I see it - if you're deviating from the most time-tested and proven way of running a PP, you better ****ing get some extraordinary results. Now we did get good results (cause Marner is an absolute boss at running the PP) but we definitely didn't get extraordinary. Looks like those kinds of results are coming in from having Marner and Matthews together.

Tavares and Rielly don't hurt either. I was actually surprised he stacked that first powerplay up this year, not that I should be.

 

[Menzinger]

ahuh. the poorest team in the league - is going to offer sheet the richest team in the league and expect them not to match? Okay there.


If it happened - you take the draft picks that Arizona is so happily willing to give away and as their goaltending and other support isn't that hot - you sit back and we draft #one through 4, for the next what? 3-4 years?



yah you do. because you don't be like Nashville and match that disgusting contract that Holmgren offered Weber. you take the picks, and escape that cap hell. if Matthews accepted an offer sheet (his right) to go somewhere else. (his right), you take the picks, and adjust. you'd probably take a big hit the first year (or two), but you make it work. (that's what I'd do).

Chances are the Leafs match anyway, and trade pieces to make it work captually.

None of those picks will likely ever come anywhere close to being as good as Matthews. I don’t mike to sound like a Leafs homer but Matthews projects to be way more impactful than Weber was at the peak of his prime. I mean a “market value” deal for Matthews is likely around 12 million AAV, you really want to let one of the best players in the league be stripped from the team for just a couple million over that (ie the cost of a Connor Brown)?

 

[Menzinger]

did i say though they couldn't get criticised? no. but - i also don't see why you'd shake up the 2nd - by hurting a well oiled 1st. just like this year, chances are the 2nd's job is pretty much try to get off as fast as you can so the 1st one can get on.

I think they could have shaken up the 2nd unit by maybe even changing where they positioned guys, ect without necessarily touching the personnel issue.

Again, ancient history at this point, but the 2nd unit issues reflect more poorly on coaches than personnel imo

 

[IPS]

I think they could have shaken up the 2nd unit by maybe even changing where they positioned guys, ect without necessarily touching the personnel issue.

Again, ancient history at this point, but the 2nd unit issues reflect more poorly on coaches than personnel imo

So the 1st unit was much better than the 2nd unit? We know. That 1st unit produced amazing on a per minute basis.

Great. My next question: why wasn't the 1st unit played more then? Babcock just not interested in scoring more goals and winning more games? Because Marner (despite performing incredible on the PP) actually got shorted on PP time too, just not as bad as Matthews.

Some people are just completely incapable of perceiving the bigger picture.

 

[Daisy Jane]

None of those picks will likely ever come anywhere close to being as good as Matthews. I don’t mike to sound like a Leafs homer but Matthews projects to be way more impactful than Weber was at the peak of his prime. I mean a “market value” deal for Matthews is likely around 12 million AAV, you really want to let one of the best players in the league be stripped from the team for just a couple million over that (ie the cost of a Connor Brown)?

so you are saying in 4 draft years. the unlikihood of having a Matthews/Hughes/Dahlin impactful player (or players who are Marner/Connor/Laine/Eichel/etc good) is unlikely and not being as good as Matthews? seriously?


your argument was that teams shouldn't do that with the face of your franchise. but if your face of the franchise signs an offer sheet to play somewhere else, is he truly the person you want to be the face of your franchise? because it shouldn't be assumed that "oh they'll match it and can stay." the thought should be. if I sign this, I could go.

i mean. i'll flat out say the argument is moot because Arizona being dirt poor couldn't really do it, and the Leafs would match it so it being even a topic of conversation is silly. but i've always maintained I want players who want to be here, and if you sign an offer sheet how badly do you want to be here?

 

[Faltorvo]

He’s very much seperating himself from everyone else in the league aside from mcdavid and making a claim as a generational player in his own right. As far as his contract goes it’ll be 8 years in length and somewhere between Tavares and mcdavid, seeing as he’s the second best player in the nhl so the 2nd highest cap hit is fair. Make it all bonuses and front loaded. It’s the easiest deal to make among our upcoming/current deals.

oh IDK about that

Hedman.

 

[Faltorvo]

One of the best finisher's I've ever seen.

You can see how much more strong and explosive he's got over the offseason and the scary part is he's still going to get better.

We're so friggin lucky we won that lottery.

so figgen lucky that new ownership bought into the shannaplan

 

[ShaneFalco]

Dude has taken his play to another level so far this year. Babcock has mentioned it to

 

[Faltorvo]

I am so triggered at how the media just wants to tear Auston Matthews away from Toronto. Just now on Prime Time Sports they were having a roundtable discussing a potential offersheet from Arizona and how he can turn that franchise around. **** off, just **** off.

let me float this premise out there

our sports media is way way too stupid to talk any other way

lets face it, all they have had/known for 12 years or so is a shattered and utterly dysfunctional leafs franchise , all they know how to be is a vulture picking at a dead carcass

well that carcass is long long gone and they are way too stupid to figure out how to pivot

all these hacks know is strife and division.

 

[Faltorvo]

Love how other fanbases are trying so hard to spin Matthews' success into a negative

It's not a stretch to say that he could have the greatest individual season in Leafs history

ya it is, i literally cannot see a 127 point season.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

ya it is, i literally cannot see a 127 point season.

You're obviously not considering different eras

 

[Faltorvo]

Saying he was awful with Matthews is just flat out lying.

He's doing the same thing he's always done in the NHL. He's a little better at it now and I think he fits well with Tavares too. Let's not pretend he was a completely different player to when he was on Matthews line though.

some people know hockey and some just don't get it

 

[Faltorvo]

You're obviously not considering different eras

well no offence but , i don't see anyone spending a lot of time breaking this down that way

for instance, all this talk about MR breaking one of Orrs records already

or all the records that we broke 2 years ago with the rookies.

records are records , no one is going to "era adjust" what is happening now and say they beat a Gretzky record.

take last years 105 team point season , do we honestly care that it happened in a 82g season (compared to the past)? do we care the team has a 2nd shot at the 2 points with ot/shoot out?

of course not,,it is what it is and records are records

32g + 95a=127p,,,,,,100 pims,,,,,,,POs 21gp 10g+25a=35p 30 pims

53 more points then any leaf that season.

that my friend is a very very high bar to jump over.

 

[Faltorvo]

so you are saying in 4 draft years. the unlikihood of having a Matthews/Hughes/Dahlin impactful player (or players who are Marner/Connor/Laine/Eichel/etc good) is unlikely and not being as good as Matthews? seriously?


your argument was that teams shouldn't do that with the face of your franchise. but if your face of the franchise signs an offer sheet to play somewhere else, is he truly the person you want to be the face of your franchise? because it shouldn't be assumed that "oh they'll match it and can stay." the thought should be. if I sign this, I could go.

i mean. i'll flat out say the argument is moot because Arizona being dirt poor couldn't really do it, and the Leafs would match it so it being even a topic of conversation is silly. but i've always maintained I want players who want to be here, and if you sign an offer sheet how badly do you want to be here?

great post

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

well no offence but , i don't see anyone spending a lot of time breaking this down that way

for instance, all this talk about MR breaking one of Orrs records already

or all the records that we broke 2 years ago with the rookies.

records are records , no one is going to "era adjust" what is happening now and say they beat a Gretzky record.

take last years 105 team point season , do we honestly care that it happened in a 82g season (compared to the past)? do we care the team has a 2nd shot at the 2 points with ot/shoot out?

of course not,,it is what it is and records are records

32g + 95a=127p,,,,,,100 pims,,,,,,,POs 21gp 10g+25a=35p 30 pims

53 more points then any leaf that season.

that my friend is a very very high bar to jump over.

Looking at records being broken and having the greatest individual season are not mutually exclusive

Are you going to tell me that Pierre Turgeon (Scored 132 points in 92-93, same season Gilmour had 127 points) had a superior season to any season Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin has ever had?

So yes, when you look at records 100 points in 1992 is equal to 100 points in 2018
But when you're looking at how great a season that player had, 100 points in 1992 and 100 points in 2018 does not mean they had an equally impactful season

 

[Menzinger]

so you are saying in 4 draft years. the unlikihood of having a Matthews/Hughes/Dahlin impactful player (or players who are Marner/Connor/Laine/Eichel/etc good) is unlikely and not being as good as Matthews? seriously?


your argument was that teams shouldn't do that with the face of your franchise. but if your face of the franchise signs an offer sheet to play somewhere else, is he truly the person you want to be the face of your franchise? because it shouldn't be assumed that "oh they'll match it and can stay." the thought should be. if I sign this, I could go.

i mean. i'll flat out say the argument is moot because Arizona being dirt poor couldn't really do it, and the Leafs would match it so it being even a topic of conversation is silly. but i've always maintained I want players who want to be here, and if you sign an offer sheet how badly do you wa

Yes, there is zero guarantee you will get an NHLer at say an Eichel level with those draft picks. It’s a complete gamble - I mean what makes you think you’d be guaranteed to have a 1st overall option as a result of a Matthews offersheet?

And again, for your second paragraph, it’s just a business move. Imo the face of your franchise is your best player, regardless of their emotional attachment to the city. Though I suppose you may disagree here.

An offersheet isn’t a betrayal it’s a sign of what a player thinks their value is. They give their home team a chance to match - it’s up to the Gm if it’s worth it. And with a player of Matthews caliber, it’s almost always worth it. Matthews could be the best players the Leafs have drafted In 30+ years. You simply do not let that calibre of player leave for a few random chances to try and draft a player that calibre again.

 

[Faltorvo]

Looking at records being broken and having the greatest individual season are not mutually exclusive

Are you going to tell me that Pierre Turgeon (Scored 132 points in 92-93, same season Gilmour had 127 points) had a superior season to any season Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin has ever had?

So yes, when you look at records 100 points in 1992 is equal to 100 points in 2018
But when you're looking at how great a season that player had, 100 points in 1992 and 100 points in 2018 does not mean they had an equally impactful season

now now now, don't expand on what quote i replied to , he stated greatest leaf season ever.