OffThePost.org

Not to be confused with Brad Boyes (see what I did there?).

Reading just now that Keefe (who was recently extended) will be trying Willie Nylander at center. Methinks that won't go well, and this is someone who thinks the hate on Michael's son is largely garbage.

Also reading that it's likely both Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray, who account for a combined $10 million cap hit, will very likely be LTIRetired.

Word is defenseman Conor Timmins took a bad hit in a preseason contest and will miss significant time as a result.

A shame, because he is a legit top-four talent, but he simply cannot stay healthy for any appreciable amount of time. Basically the defenseman version of Nick Robertson.

Jake Muzzin is in Prongerland: on LTIR, named as a pro scout.

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Thought it was real cool how Matthews could take the team to the wood shed again for a new contract and the sports network taking heads paid by the same owners that own the team pretend it was a great extension signing. That greedy bastard... and I thought it was a Dubas problem negotiating with stars, but seems Matthews just has a very persuasive agent.

But when Nylander wants market value the pitch forks will come out you watch.

Sure out of the gate bitching and the Leafs should be a really good team this year, but if your top player is not fully committed to win a cup with the Leafs my outlook remains pessimistic to that ultimate goal being reached with the current core.

So...do they fire the coach now? Sure seems like he's reached peak frustration level. But like many coaches who received their pink slips, he just isn't getting the goaltending.

Dom over at The Athletic called Marner an "empty calorie" points-producer. I'm curious as to what that means--I assume it means he's piled up points in garbage time but not sure.

Friedman has said repeatedly on the 32 Thoughts pod that Toronto may not actually go for it this year and are looking more "big picture." Frankly I would be more than a little pissed if the powers that be was perfectly fine with wasting a prime year of the core four (at least TWO of them are playing like prime-age superstars) but then again there just might be way too much wrong with this roster, especially between the pipes and on the back end.

Steve Dangle's LFRs have been hilarious to watch though. He opened one of the latest just screaming "Brad! BRAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDD!!!" into the camera repeatedly.

I can't recall the fancy stats term they have for it but I think its the difference between players who can create chances for others and those that don't and just ride along and benefit from the opportunities created for them by others. Basically if you move Marner away from Tavares, Nylander, Austin, he can't make the players he is lined up with any better and at $11 million he should be that kind of player or making a lot less money.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

John Tavares taking on opposing teams on the ice and taking on the Canadian Tax Man off of it.

https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nh ... t-with-cra

That was good. 38%...why would anyone want to live there unless they just don't know any different? No one in their right mind would want to play there. Hopefully our brothers in Canada here don't pay anywhere near that ridiculousness.

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No AI has been used in the making of this post

The line about the bonus being integral to him signing there is funny. He took less money to go to the Leafs. Isles, Sharks and Stars all offered more. All the CRA needs to do is point that out and show the photo of him in his Leafs sheets, saying how it was a dream come true. Second time in his career his words will come back to bite him in the ass.

Live video of Tavares right now- https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/9f945cbe-4614-40b7-973c-f0f07f0e0d12

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Who need Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly when you got Bobby McMann! His first career hat trick.

Dare I say it, the Leafs are likely significantly better defensively without Rielly out there.

Leafs on the ropes again. Oh boy.

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And infighting to boot. Apparently if you read Willy Nylander’s I guess he says “Quit fucking crying, dude. This isn’t junior.” Seems pretty clear those remarks were directed at Mitch Marner.

I had a spirited conversation with Butch the other night about this team. You just can't spend 40 Mil on 4 forwards.....that just doesn't work. They are better off getting rid of Marner and Tavares and buying a goalie or some better D. This is a cautionary tale for everyone in the league who thinks this can work.

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No AI has been used in the making of this post

100 per cent agree. They tried to make it work for years and it just hasn't.

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Who would take Marner though? He is way over paid, it would need to be a team with cap space, and I assume he has at least a limited NMC and would be unwilling to get to a rebuilding team. Even if all that works out, what does the Leafs have to offer in the way of prospects and picks? Its a messy situation, and going to be hard to correct.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Marner has a full NMC so I believe he'd have to approve the team he'd go to. Not even like a list of 10 teams like some modified NTCs say.
Holy shit. Looking at their forwards, it's incredible.

List edited to include the #years remaining (after this year ends)
Mathews- NMC 4 years
Tavares- NMC 1 year
Marner- NMC 1 year
Nylander- NMC 8 years
Bertuzzi- NMC UFA
Domi- M-NTC UFA
Kampf- M-NTC 3 years
Jarnkrok- M-NTC 2 years
Reaves (35+ with 2 years left ), Knies (1 year) & Dewar (RFA) are the only Fs without some sort of NTC/NMC.

Defense-
Morgan- NMC 6 years
Brodie- M-NTC UFA
McCabe- M-NTC 1 year
Giordano - 35+ UFA

They're a frigging mess with movement limitations.

Both Samsonov and Jones are UFAs. Woll has another year.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Tavares and Marner have one more year left on their deals. I think the Leafs will have to suck it up until next years trade deadline and see if they can offload them for 2nd round picks. Even if they are stuck with them for the full year, they'll have room to do something in the off season. Nylander and Austin are still young enough and good enough they can get back in it.

Tavares, no cup for you. No legacy love from an adoring fan base. Its kind of interesting watching Ryan Kessler doing his redemption tour in Vancouver. He admits that the Canucks are still where his heart is at. Wishes he had not forced the trade to Anaheim. The Canucks were rebuilding and I didn't blame him for wanting to go to a contender but his insistence on only allowing one team to be an option really hurt the trade return value. If he had allowed a list of 4 to 8 teams the fans would not have felt as burned.

And as much as we loved Kessler, he didn't out and out lie to the fans like Tavares, and didn't mean as much to us. I think he now realizes if had handled it differently he would have been loved by the city for the rest of his life, probably had a place in the organization but is now on the outside looking at others he played with who have roles within and regrets his decision.

He's doing enough to maybe be forgiven, and what he did was not as significant as Tavares. Maybe Tavares has an after life with the Leafs, maybe not. Unless they win a cup, he'll never have the Leafs fans adoration the way he would have from the Isles. There is nothing he can ever do to redeem himself with that fan base.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Edited the list above to show how many years they have left on current contracts. Not AS bad when you take some of that into account, as they've got a few UFAs and next year will have a few more. Of course, that all depends on what kinds of deals they give out to replace those guys.



I don't really care that much about Tavares anymore. Kind of funny, kind of sad to still hear Isles fans going off on him when he visits. But I'm well over his leaving. The Isles are better without him. BUT, I do have to admit I get a good chuckle seeing Leafs fans starting to really turn on him.

But right now, I also can't say that a team down 3-1 is definitely out.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Out in the first round again. Somebody please help Matthews.

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Can some good American patriot GM please rescue Auston Matthews from wasting his career north of the border??? It's disgusting to watch this highly talented American languish through a career of first round exits. That team is never going to win anything.


Seriously though, I was doing shit around the house and checking the score. Saw it was 1-0 Leafs with like 10 minutes to go in the third. I was annoyed, thinking they'd win. Then I thought "this is Leafs-Bruins. The Bruins will tie it and then either end it with seconds left in regulation or in the first 3 minutes of OT." I should have placed a bet.

I do have to admit I like watching Tavares coast into the D zone on Pastrnak's goal, seeming to know it was over, even though play was still going. Looked like someone unplugged his controller. It's not like a C should be backchecking hard. Not like it was an important moment. Or a big game.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.