Confirmed with Link: TOR re-sign D Travis Dermott [1 year, 874K]

[cesareborgia]

You're not the only Leaf fan posting this over the top nonsense, but it really is telling that there are so few informed fans among our fanbase.

Players, especially forwards, get paid largely based on points. Given one of the best metrics of a "point getter" is PPG, since it eliminates any discrepancy due to injuries etc, here is Marner's rank in the NHL for PPG over the past two years...

2019-2020 - 14th (tied with Auston Matthews)
2018-2019 - 15th (ahead of Auston Matthews)

As well, for 2019-2020, only McDavid and Matthews were in that top 14 PPG and younger than Marner. For 2018-2019, only McDavid, Rantanen, Barkov were in that top 15 PPG and younger than Marner.

What this tells you, and this is something every Leaf fan should know, is that Marner is one of the elite playmakers in the game and one of the youngest to boot. This type of young, top end talent costs money, even if he can't crash through people like Wendel Clark and rip a wrister over the shoulder of a goalie (only mentioning this since it's the implied subtext when various mouth breathers in our fanbase negatively mention Marner and Nylander).

Now, I've said this many times before, I do believe that we slightly overpaid for Mitch and it's probably in the 1-2M range or we should have had an extra year on term. Do I think that "overage" will significantly impact us over the 6 years he's signed for? Definitely not. If you overpay for anyone, it's for your top end talent. He will continue to be a top 10-15 PPG player in the NHL, and if he resigns with us in 2025-2026 will end his career 1st or 2nd overall in points as a Maple Leaf alongside Auston Matthews. To incessantly complain over 1-2M for this type of historical talent, especially after all the crap years we've had to deal with since the Ballard days is both sad and self-defeatist. We finally have some top-end talent that we drafted and yet so many in this fanbase want to drag them down instead of enjoying the ups and downs of their 10-15 year ride.

A 2 mil overpayment not having an impact is where you lost me.

We've had bad years in the past, terrible even. Doesn't mean we should lower our standards today because "oh but we had it much worse in the past." This is not a winner's mentality.

 

[cesareborgia]

Agreed. But we can also applaud him on all the successful moves he's made before and after that.

He has gone a long way towards correcting his previous errors this off season, at least on paper.

Admittedly, this is true. I'm happy with the moves made this offseason, on paper, and I'm glad to leave his previous mistakes in the past. It's obvious he's learning as he goes. Just wish we hadn't given the top job to someone who needed a learning curve. That's what Phoenix is for, not the center of the universe.

 

[kk87]

This is one of the best value contracts we have - Dermott should be a top 4 defenseman, and I wouldn't be surprised if he finds himself with Muzzin at some point this season (I think one of he and Lehtonen will likely usurp Holl).

 

[67leafs]

Nice to see,
I grew up with his dad, they owned the hardware store in Tottenham Ontario. Jim wasn’t a bad player himself.......

 

[Machinae]

Lol give me a break TSN.

Toronto media is in literal shambles trying to find a negative spin to anything Dubas has done this offseason.

 

[Dekes For Days]

He plays 71% of all power plays, he gets lots of PP time.

During Kovalchuk's first 4 years in the league, he was 5th in the league in PP TOI/GP.
During Ovechkin's first 4 years in the league, he was 6th in the league in PP TOI/GP.
During Stamkos' first 4 years in the league, he was 23rd in the league in PP TOI/GP.

During Matthews' first 4 years in the league, he is tied for 115th in PP TOI/GP, despite the fact that he was the best PP player of any of these players.

 

[Morgs]

It's really too bad that Namita is heading the analytics division in Seattle. She knows what she's doing. I have a horrible feeling they're going to take Dermott from us unless we protect him or give up a significant asset. He's going to turn into a top-pairing guy on Seattle and we're gonna be looking longingly like Anaheim is doing to Theodore rn.

If I'm Dubas I think I go:

F - Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Tavares
D - Rielly, Muzzin, Brodie, Dermott
G - Campbell (or do we have to expose him?)

Big Names exposed:
Hyman - UFA (even if he gets picked, hopefully he goes to UFA and we re-sign him)
Andersen - UFA
Kerfoot - This would suck but that's a free 3.5M off our cap
Holl - Same with Kerfoot but it's 2M
Engvall - This would just suck, but it sucks the least

If we walk away from expansion without trading a significant asset and only giving up one of Kerfoot/Holl/Engvall I'd say that's pretty successful.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Toronto media is in literal shambles trying to find a negative spin to anything Dubas has done this offseason.

Not really a negative spin...based on our depth, there is going to be a logjam on the blueline if everyone plays to their potential, which is a good thing.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Dermott seems like a bad negotiator lol, but I'll take it.

 

[egd27]

Well you knew someone was going to get screwed over with the "slight overpayments" at the top of the line up, guess it's official now.

Sorry Travis

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Well you knew someone was going to get screwed over with the "slight overpayments" at the top of the line up, guess it's official now.

Sorry Travis

yep, the most important thing about the signing is how much it sucks to have high end players on the team

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Marner on pace for 96 points and I agree he didn't have a great yr.
Mathews on pace for 93 points
Nylander on pace for 71 points

we have Marner and Mathews that if they finish the careers as a maple leaf will be 1 and 2 in points all time .

Will leaf fans ever be happy.

All 3 are over paid by 1 mil

I agree mostly. But I'd say Marner is overpaid by significantly more than 1 mil, and Matthews marginally more than 1 mil.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

He plays 71% of all power plays, he gets lots of PP time.

During Kovalchuk's first 4 years in the league, he was 5th in the league in PP TOI/GP.
During Ovechkin's first 4 years in the league, he was 6th in the league in PP TOI/GP.
During Stamkos' first 4 years in the league, he was 23rd in the league in PP TOI/GP.

During Matthews' first 4 years in the league, he is tied for 115th in PP TOI/GP, despite the fact that he was the best PP player of any of these players.

You’re making it look like Matthews got more PP time relative to Ovie than he did. At least in Ovechkin’s case that was in a span of time where there was a lot more PP’s per game league wide than Matthews’ ELC. If I remember correctly, it was by like a factor of 2 when I checked.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Dermott seems like a bad negotiator lol, but I'll take it.

He didn't have much to negotiate with.

Sandin can take his spot tomorrow and he had no arb rights.

Leafs could have very well made him sit with no real implications to the roster.

 

[Dekes For Days]

At least in Ovechkin’s case that was in a span of time where there was a lot more PP’s per game league wide than Matthews’ ELC. If I remember correctly, it was by like a factor of 2 when I checked.

Yeah, all of them also played in a league environment where PPs were handed out considerably more than during Matthews' time.

 

[Mickey Marner]

It's really too bad that Namita is heading the analytics division in Seattle. She knows what she's doing. I have a horrible feeling they're going to take Dermott from us unless we protect him or give up a significant asset. He's going to turn into a top-pairing guy on Seattle and we're gonna be looking longingly like Anaheim is doing to Theodore rn.

If I'm Dubas I think I go:

F - Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Tavares
D - Rielly, Muzzin, Brodie, Dermott
G - Campbell (or do we have to expose him?)

Big Names exposed:
Hyman - UFA (even if he gets picked, hopefully he goes to UFA and we re-sign him)
Andersen - UFA
Kerfoot - This would suck but that's a free 3.5M off our cap
Holl - Same with Kerfoot but it's 2M
Engvall - This would just suck, but it sucks the least

If we walk away from expansion without trading a significant asset and only giving up one of Kerfoot/Holl/Engvall I'd say that's pretty successful.

Could expose Woll or Dell if we extend him.

 

[TheDoldrums]

He didn't much much to negotiate with.

Sandin can take his spot tomorrow and he had no arb rights.

Leafs could have very well made him sit with no real implications to the roster.

If he wanted to push things he could've tried to solicite an offer sheet. Given his fantastic underlying numbers in admittedly soft usage, he would've been a great target for a smart rebuilding team to steal for $2.5 million or something.

 

[A1LeafNation]

If he wanted to push things he could've tried to solicite an offer sheet. Given his fantastic underlying numbers in admittedly soft usage, he would've been a great target for a smart rebuilding team to steal for $2.5 million or something.

Those teams have no money...hence all the 1 year min deals across the league.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Those teams have no money...hence all the 1 year min deals across the league.

Detroit, LA and NJ definitely have money. The Devils already took one of our players that was priced out.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Detroit, LA and NJ definitely have money. The Devils already took one of our players that was priced out.

They are also rebuilding...why would they offersheet when they want to keep picks

 

[TheDoldrums]

They are also rebuilding...why would they offersheet when they want to keep picks

It would cost one 2nd, maybe just one 3rd if they cap the offer at $2.1. Pretty acceptable risk to get a young guy with top 4 potential.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Yeah, all of them also played in a league environment where PPs were handed out considerably more than during Matthews' time.

Lol, that's exactly what I was saying. League rank underestimates the difference in PP time because globally there were more PPs across the league.

 

[LeafChief]

yep, the most important thing about the signing is how much it sucks to have high end players on the team

Haha love this. Can't like it though if you catch my drift.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Lol, that's exactly what I was saying. League rank underestimates the difference in PP time because globally there were more PPs across the league.

I know, but it was a quick way to show that even usage within the league they were in wasn't consistent with past 50-60 goal scorers.

 

[A1LeafNation]

It would cost one 2nd, maybe just one 3rd if they cap the offer at $2.1. Pretty acceptable risk to get a young guy with top 4 potential.

I don't see it.

Teams don't have money and barely offersheet.

Usually teams have to overpay to offersheet.