John Tavares completely changed their course and it’s hard to say it was for the better. Staying the course would have left them with Nazem Kadri at 4.5M performing as one of the best #2 centremen in the league which leaves more than enough to sign Pietrangelo, a player and position they ACTUALLY NEED... but instead, they paid $11M for a player to be their #2 which changed Kadri’s role, then a year later trade Kadri for pennies on the dollar.
The incompetence is laughable. No, nobody predicted the pandemic or flat cap, but you can’t put yourself in such a tight spot.
How many 10+ million dollars does fellow Atlantic division team the Tampa Bay lightning have? What about Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins? The perfection line costs less than 25M - the Bolts have the best d man, top 3 winger and top 10 centre whose a PPG Selke candidate for less than 25M.
.... the Leafs top 3 make 33M with zero playoff wins and no major hardware.
These overpayments prevent them from building a contending bottom 6 and will likely cost them their starting goalie and best defenseman within the next 3 years as well, and that Tavares contract is going to be ugly when he’s still making $11M at 34-35 years old.
Kadri was the only one who was pushing back while the rest of the team looked scared. I’ll take 12 Kadri’s in the playoffs over 12 John Tavares’. Oddly enough the Bruins had discipline problems with Marchard early, as did the Captials with Tom Wilson. Thankfully for those teams, they had far more intelligent management who didn’t make an emotional decision... Both players ended up playing instrumental roles in a Stanley Cup win.
HOF’er Joe Sakic jumped at the opportunity to add a player like that (he looked great in the playoffs this year) ... and this was after Kadri nixed a deal to Calgary when former NHL defenseman Brad Treliving was looking to acquire him.
Kadri is a guy you want in the trenches with you... but it’s hard for Dubas and many Leaf fans to grasp when they’ve never been there Go look at Marner-Kadri duo that played about half a season in Marner’s second year. (Year Marner was taken off Bozak-JVR line, spent time on 4th line etc) That was Marner’s first extended stretch of PPG while Kadri was exceptional in his own right.
Kadri was back to back 30 goal scorer as 2C behind Matthews and net front on PP1... for 4.5M. Is Tavares better than Kadri? Sure. Is he more than double the player? Not even close.
Dubas was like a kid with his parents credit card with no thoughts of next month or next year... Had he thought it through he might have realized they had holes to fill and Tavares was a luxury they couldn’t afford. The money could have gone to Pietrangelo this year, a player they actually needed.
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
____-Kadri-Marner
Muzzin-Pietrangelo
Rielly-
That core is better AND cheaper, allowing more budget for bottom 6 fwds and bottom 3 defenseman.
The focus should be on versatile two-way forward to fill out the roster like Anthony Cirelli, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Pat Maroon etc... Instead, Dubas targets useless water bugs like small Jimmy Vesey, or washed up offensive players like Thornton, Spezza, and Simmonds.
This will be funny when Leaf fans think they’re underachieving again without considering this is what happens when you try to put your Xbox team on the ice in real life.There is no easier money betting against the Leafs in the playoffs. That’s IF they manage to make it this year.
Pietrangelo wasn't going to be on the market for 2 years, and any number of circumstances could've let him to re-sign in St Louis. Assuming he was going to FA two years out is pretty foolish.
Not bothering reading or responding to the rest of your post because it's the same doom-and-gloom drudge that's been clogging up this forum since the Leafs lost in the playoffs.
Every single one of your posts bashes the Leafs, why are you a fan? Take a hike.
The question is, if Tavares wanted to play for his home town team, you take a home town discount that is not putting you over the cap. What Tavares asked for and earned does not make you a leader but more of a greedy individual. I could care less if he left $2 million on the table, MacKinnon could be earning $10 million or more but he thought of his team first. Those are players you want on your team, not greedy ones.
riddle me this. if the leafs don't sign JT, matthews misses games, nylander misses half the year on a contract holdout, and marleau/brown/kadri don't have career years - the leafs likely miss the playoffs.
the next year they dump zaitsev, sign kappy/johnsson and don't trade for barrie because they don't have anybody who is blatantly expendable like kadri was. they likely miss the playoffs or have very middling or mediocre success in the reg. season and likely have a first round exit
why is pietrangelo coming to toronto in that case?
Pietrangelo wasn't going to be on the market for 2 years, and any number of circumstances could've let him to re-sign in St Louis. Assuming he was going to FA two years out is pretty foolish.
Not bothering reading or responding to the rest of your post because it's the same doom-and-gloom drudge that's been clogging up this forum since the Leafs lost in the playoffs.
A two-year wait with Kadri replacing Tavares is not worth it?
MacKinnon could be earning $10 million or more but he thought of his team first. Those are players you want on your team, not greedy ones.
MacKinnon was not worth 10 million when he signed his contract. Up to that point his best season was his rookie season and he wouldn't become the 90+ point wonder for 2 more years.
riddle me this. if the leafs don't sign JT, matthews misses games, nylander misses half the year on a contract holdout, and marleau/brown/kadri don't have career years - the leafs likely miss the playoffs.
the next year they dump zaitsev, sign kappy/johnsson and don't trade for barrie because they don't have anybody who is blatantly expendable like kadri was. they likely miss the playoffs or have very middling or mediocre success in the reg. season and likely have a first round exit
why is pietrangelo coming to toronto in that case?
The Leafs missed the playoffs after moving Kadri, while he went to the second round for the first time in his career.
MacKinnon was not worth 10 million when he signed his contract. Up to that point his best season was his rookie season and he wouldn't become the 90+ point wonder for 2 more years.
Quoting: TheLeafsSeason
The question is, if Tavares wanted to play for his home town team, you take a home town discount that is not putting you over the cap. What Tavares asked for and earned does not make you a leader but more of a greedy individual. I could care less if he left $2 million on the table, MacKinnon could be earning $10 million or more but he thought of his team first. Those are players you want on your team, not greedy ones.
mackinnon signed his 8 year, 6.3M dollar deal here, equivalent to about $7M with today's cap
I think Tavares was a bit unnecessary at the time, however the other big signing was karlsson I believe, which in hindsight would've been the worse choice.
The Leafs missed the playoffs after moving Kadri, while he went to the second round for the first time in his career.
you say that like we had kadri in the other 2 years lol
the team was playing at a 103 point pace, they make the playoffs without covid happening. The isles weren't even in a playoff spot during the pause, nor was montreal, yet they advanced further than the leafs. this year is nothing more than an aberration.
Kadri spent the previous playoffs suspended for the majority of the one series.
Joe Sakic gave up useless Barrie for him when he knew Barrie had no value, and still managed to trick Dubas into thinking he was a Norris defensemen. Look how the trade turned out now. You don't win Tavares' on your team, ask Islanders fans when they went further into the playoffs than the Leafs for the second time, after Tavares left their organization, while Kadri went to the second round after his first year leaving the Leafs.
Stopped reading the moment you said Kadri was one of the best 2Cs in the league like there isn't a huge disparity between him and players like Malkin, Backstrom, Draisatl and on and on and on.
If I see one more post hating on William Nylander and John Tavares by you it's getting reported. This is your warning. I'm sick of it, we don't come to this site for you to post constant hate. I don't want to report you. But things have gone far enough, just please stop.
The question is, if Tavares wanted to play for his home town team, you take a home town discount that is not putting you over the cap. What Tavares asked for and earned does not make you a leader but more of a greedy individual. I could care less if he left $2 million on the table, MacKinnon could be earning $10 million or more but he thought of his team first. Those are players you want on your team, not greedy ones.
mackinnon didnt take a discount, he took what he could get because he was nowhere close to being worth 10
after keefe took over, barrie was 13th in the NHL in points among defenceman
he wasn't a good fit, but our blue line was better with him than without him. If he hadn't traded for him it would've either been hainsey coming back or it would've been filled internally by 19 year old sandin/marincin, who, last I checked, likely wouldn't finish top 15 in scoring among NHL defenceman
If I see one more post hating on William Nylander and John Tavares by you it's getting reported. This is your warning. I'm sick of it, we don't come to this site for you to post constant hate. I don't want to report you. But things have gone far enough, just please stop.
think about it, a leaf hater took the time to make an account pretending to be a leafs fan so he can troll the leafs, rent free all day
after keefe took over, barrie was 13th in the NHL in points among defenceman
he wasn't a good fit, but our blue line was better with him than without him. If he hadn't traded for him it would've either been hainsey coming back or it would've been filled internally by 19 year old sandin/marincin, who, last I checked, likely wouldn't finish top 15 in scoring among NHL defenceman
The "Keefe taking over" excuse does not work anymore. He was bad and we need to deal with the reprecussions.
If I see one more post hating on William Nylander and John Tavares by you it's getting reported. This is your warning. I'm sick of it, we don't come to this site for you to post constant hate. I don't want to report you. But things have gone far enough, just please stop.
Have you heard of freedom of speech and the block button? All you can do is ignore, you don't have to comment or read what I have to say.
SadSensFan14 liked this.
Robertson,
Reply
CapFriendly
CapFriendly