I love how everyone says that goals are worth than assists. If anything, goals are overrated and assists are underrated. If you look at John Tavares’ 48 goals from last season, the majority of them were tap ins. You know who set them up? That’s right, it was Mitch Marner making the dangle to create space for the scoring chance. If Vladimir Tarasenko scored mostly solo goals during his contract year, then that’s very different because it demonstrates he has the ability to generate scoring chances alone. He only had one solo goal that season and most of them were tap ins.

Good suggestion, but I actually don’t think Spezza is a good comparable for Marner since he is a centre. The only similarity they have is that they’re both playmakers. Spezza also has more size and is physical, so if anything he was worth more than Marner. 7.5 million for a bridge deal is actually fair.

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Iplayedinthenhl

Ceci's contract isn't very good IMO ... but stars getting a lot of money takes away money for depth players.

There are approximately 1.7 assists per goal scored. Assists are by definition more common and easier to get as each scoring play results in only 1 goal and approximately 1.7 assists. For that reason alone goals are by definition more valuable

Only if you overpay the depth, beside depth is easier to find than stars hence the difference in pay. Look at Pittsburgh, without Crosby and Malkin, their depth is just a bunch of okay players. A couple are good players but for the most part their depth is just okay and many make too much money.

This is the exact issue that hurts teams, and GM's just don't seem to learn. Well most GM's. Vancouver has a tonne of overpriced depth players that "They need" to insulate their young stars and yet they are forcing their young stars to carry a team that isn't good enough. Edmonton is another example where they gave out many poor contracts for depth guys that aren't difference makers and now they have no depth and can't afford upgrades to boot.

In TO, they have/will have their core tied up and zero contracts that are bad. Sure Ceci isn't worth 4.5 million but he only has 1 year term so its not really a bad deal. Its nothing once you start looking at contracts like Kerfoot, Johnsson and Kapanen who all make 3.5 or less. Those 3 are probably as good as the secondary players in Tampa, and they are younger and make less money for the same term more or less. Dubas is one of the only GM's that gets where the league is going.

Interesting stat but that is because every goal scored can have two assist providers in the statistic column. It is also important that we look closely at how each goal is scored. Solo goals are worth more than one timers, tap ins and snipes into an open net. For example last season, Tavares scored a goal against the Sens in which Marner made the successful zone entry and toe-dragged Borowiecki before delivering a perfect pass right on the stick for a tap in. You cannot convince me that the scorer deserves more credit than the passer on a situation like that. If goal scoring was everything, then Brett Hull would be the greatest hockey player ever. Yet he’s hardly a top 100.

oh my gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

Fans around the world also keep forgetting that there is a chance that Ceci bounces back for an excellent season. Especially if he plays with Rielly he is already set up to have more success than he did with that pylon Phaneuf. About your point regarding the Penguins, I don’t agree totally. Because if it were true, they wouldn’t have won back to back cups. What happened was that Sid, Geno, Kessel, Guentzel, Letang and Schultz carried the offensive load throughout the regular season. However during the playoffs the more average players making 2-4 million like Kunitz, Rust, Sheary, Kunhackl, Fehr, Bonino and Cullen would all step up their game and contribute. Geno was horrible during the 2016 cup run.

bounce back? bounce back from what? The last time he was good was with Owen Sound.

I’m sorry that you disagree. Brett Hull maybe the second highest scorer of all time, but he was a one dimensional player. All he did was wait in an open area and score one timers or tap ins. He always relied on his teammates to create space and generate scoring chances for him. If it were not for the brilliant creativity from the likes of Adam Oates, Mike Modano and Pavel Datsyuk, Brett Hull would be a nobody. He couldn’t drive the play because his skating, agility, puck skills, stick handling and creativity were all average. There’s a reason why he got drafted in the 5th round, he couldn’t deke or dangle and he couldn’t skate. You can’t expect to be considered a top 100 player of all time if you only score tap ins. Patrick Kane is miles better than the player Brett Hull was.

Sorry, Tavares isn't overpaid, he got paid the going rate for a top UFA. Now Matthews an Nylander are overpaid. So what? Every team has overpaid players, that doesn't mean other 20 players on the team are entitled to be overpaid too.
And no you aren't being honest. Leafs are under no obligation to overpay their players. I understand Marner has hurt feelings.....doesn't really affect the cap structure.

It's like if the standard rate for an "engineer" in 31 firms is $250,000. But is so happens that one engineer in the Maple Company gets $ 300,000. Doesn't mean all the engineers in Maple Co. can expect $ 300,000. They may not like it if someone for whatever reason is getting 20% more than he deserves. Those other engineers can try to get $ 300,000 from the Maple Company or they can try to sign elswhere for $ 300,000. But if the going rate is $ 250,000 , good luck trying to get. more.

Well he was decent in 2015-16 and 2016-17, what I meant to say is that there is always a possibility that he can start to break out into the player he was once expected to become. He is still only 25 after all. I get that you are a Bruins fan therefore you hate the Leafs, but to be fair, the Bruins got outplayed by Toronto in games 1,3,4,5 and 7 in terms of chances created, possession and attacking zone time.

i don't hate the leafs. I don't understand why you would think that, then again, I don't understand the majority of your thoughts.

I've said time and time again, the Leafs being good is good for the league. Ceci sucks. I thought that when he was the senators, so I don't see why I would think otherwise now.

The bruins were not out played in game 7. They got a 2 goal lead and played accordingly.

absolutely nonsensical take for a guy who is in the top 25 for points.

If you think that what Tavares got was fair, then surely you will admit that the going rate for UFAs these days is way too high. In 2013 when Crosby signed his contract as a top UFA, the AAV value of his deal was around 12.5 million in last season’s market. Surely the difference between Crosby and Tavares is greater than just a 1.5 million gap, and we are talking as if both players took less than what could’ve been offered, which they did. I am very confident that if Marner played for the Penguins, he would’ve signed for a maximum of 8.5-8.75 million dollar deal for a 5 year term or something like that. This is because he has 2 elite and accomplished superstars in Crosby and Malkin both making a little less than their actual value, to set an example for him. In Toronto, all he has is Matthews and Nylander who took big money for themselves, so obviously this upsets Marner’s dad and they are seeking justice.

Just because he’s top 25 in points doesn’t make him a top 25 All Time Player. His all round game and ability to drive the play were lacking. Have you ever watched him? Most of his points came from taking shots from an open area, he’d either generate a goal or a rebound which resulted in an assist. His teammates did all the work to create him scoring chances. Alexander Ovechkin is miles better than Brett Hull. Also so was Jaromie Jagr.

Marner has an argument to be paid what matthews is getting because he does more for the team, PK, PP, led team in points last 2 years etc. Does a finisher like Tavares raise his point total, of course. Does he achieve the same success with matthews? who knows. Marner hasnt missed significant time like Matthews has. Just because marner is a winger doesnt make him any less valuable to a team. would you rather have gaudreau or monahan? would you rather kane or toews? i mean wingers CAN outplay their center counterparts and in my opinion marner outplayed matthews in every way except goals scored. For fairness of contracts you cant find a comparable because there is no comparable for a 21 year old coming off an elc with a 96 point season. Toronto messed up big by overextending on Matthews contract. If that contract is 7 or 8 years marner could sign a 5 year deal worth 10m or 10.5. the problem isnt that matthews is making 11.6m its that he got that AND a shorter 5 year deal. Which is what all RFA's are trying to negotiate now (smart to do so) to get the most potential earnings. Marner isnt the only notable RFA that isnt signed right now. look across the league. Is marner asking too much as an RFA im going to say yes. Is now the time he should be trying to get the most for his abilities though? also yes. Tricky situation for these players but if you were in there shoes wouldnt you be doing the exact same thing?

All Bruins fans hate the Leafs, I had a hockey coach who supported the Bruins so I can prove that. I know Ceci has not demonstrated to be a very good defenseman, in fact he’s worse than Zaitsev. However, he was a first round talent in juniors and maybe a change of scenery will be good for him. Maybe game 7 was more evenly matched, but they got a 2 goal lead when the Leafs has more shots, chances and possession.

Crosby, Kessel and Schultz along with Murray were terrific and carried the team. There will always be depth guys with some playoff heroics and fans go crazy over those guys but at the end of the day its always the stars that take teams deep.

should i go in order of delusion? Nah, I'll just go in your order.
1. You know a bruins fan that hates the leafs, thus all bruins fans hate the leafs? That is what you just said. It is unbelievable how stupid that is. Just think about that line of thought for a second. clean it up.
2. First round talent in junior....HE'S 25!!! Should we be expecting Yakupov to tear up the league because he was first overall talent once upon a time? C'mon. How about Ryan Murray? Elite number one d man? Griffin Reinhart (that's all just from that same draft). Again, clean it up.
3. You know what happens when teams get 2 goal leads in a game 7? They dump the puck in. Can you guess what that leads to? Typically more possession for the other team.

Ugh. Your entire post was just gross.

okay first of all, read these sentences again. qre shooting the puck at the net and creating rebounds not scoring chances?

you're undervaluing his offensive ability and overvaluing the aspects of the game which he naturally lacked and worked to overcome. he upped his skating and defensive ability in his latter years, especially on the stars.

Why are you discussing the Croasby contract that happened so long ago. Tavares at 11m, Panarin at 11.642 (or whatever), Doughty at 11m. These are modern figures for UFAs
You keep mentioning the Matthews and Nylander as if it has that much meaning. It doesn't, except for for hurt feelings. Marner is free to sign with any team for as much money as he wants. His wants comparing himself to Matthews is meaningless to every other team in the league, and it might not have THAT much relevance to the Leafs.
To the Leaf haters that keep mentioning Matthews contract, the Leafs have a very valid comparable in Aho.
Just saying Marner's Dad "upset" just might not have leverage at all. The other option Marner have is go the "Trouba" route with Winnipeg which was going to get him UFA status four years after his ELC.

marner should accept 2.8 million because that's how much jagr got in his fourth season