This looks worse then this year and the year before that. The only good part of this is having knies

How are these buncha rose petals gonna defeat the Avs?

If the Leafs won the cup, then Bunting would probably have priced himself out or not be worth resigning at 4m+.

true but I think its well known that his numbers are inflated because he plays with Matthews and Marner. He's also from Toronto so he might take a deal, but ultimately he will probably go to the highest bidder. I think 5 mill in Toronto would be a very fair deal probably an overpayment, I really cant see him signing anywhere for 6-7 mill. That's what Mackinnon is currently making and Bunting is leagues below Mac.

Tampa is still the team to beat, the Avs might make it to the final again but the there are few in their own division that can challenge them. The final 4 in the west are probably going to be Vegas, Edm, Blues (maybe NSH instead), and Col, I wouldn't be surprised if the Avs, get bounced in the Conference Finals or even the Semi-Finals.

Any top team in the Atlantic are going to have to go through a gauntlet to get to the Conference Finals. Tampa has played a lot of hockey in the past 3 years. If Tampa goes out early, I wouldn't be surprised if whoever makes it out of the Atlantic or the Rangers were to beat the Avs in the Finals if they do make it all the way. If Toronto makes it all the way, then that means they are doing something right defensively, and they can out score the Avs easily.

Yeah, I would see him more like 5m if he would take a discount, something similar to Hyman. He's not very young so if he's putting up the numbers and the analytics are in his favor. He's going to get paid if they win and he's a big contributor.

Mackinnon signed a long time ago, his contract was 10% of the cap or so when he signed. Just look at Nichushkin as a comparable.

No…no

Unfortunately for Kyle Dubas a pocket calculator can't measure heart. The Avs, under Sakic & Bednar, built a culture of brotherhood & trust. Most relevant to Dubas: you don't sign a player to a multi year deal, and then turn around and trade them after one year. Players notice, both internally and externally. This kind of back stabbing undercuts everything he says.

Dubas needs to put down the computer and make connections with real people.

Are you talking about Mrazek? It just didn't work, both parties were probably happy to move on. Dubas actually has a track record of trading guys to places to give them opportunity to play, so I think he's making connections just fine, you make him sound like he's McPhee or McCrimmon, they are probably the only GMs that are seen as backstabbers for trading people.

What Colorado has going is nice but the only way the Leafs face them is in the Finals which means they would have put things together. AVS might embarrassed the Bolts in the Finals, but don't be surprised if Tampa comes back stronger next year and wins or someone else from the East.

LOL Dubas made huge blunders trying to trade respected veterans Kadri and Marleau. Dubas likes to sign players and then trade them after one year like AJ, KK, and PM. Doesn't have the slightest clue how to manage people.

Dubas would have tried to trade Kadri after the eight game suspension vs Blues. The big difference is Sakic stuck with him. That's what builds trust and raises a locker room. Not a spreadsheet.

Kadri got suspended in consecutive playoff rounds in Toronto (What else was Dubas supposed to do?) and then the following year in Colorado, just because he won the Cup after a career year doesn't erase the past. That's like pretending that the Leafs didn't fail 6 consecutive post-seasons in the first round/play-in if they won the cup this year.

As for Marleau, he was in his final year and not playing up to par to that contract, and they needed the cap. Are you going to go after JBB for trading McDonagh who is still able to play?

I know that when a team wins the cup the fanbase gains a tier or two of insufferably but maybe tone it down a bit, bud?

You ask a guy to play D, possibly sacrifice points that earn dollars, or block a shot and break a leg or foot, who's gonna say yes? The guy who sees his teammates get treated like expendables? Or the guy who sees people get treated like family?

Regarding ice time, callups, and contracts, the Avs have unwritten rules about tenure that are consistently followed to build trust. The Maple Leafs don't follow those same rules and it's hard for me to see their players buying into doing whatever it takes to win.

We know McDonaugh was NOT happy about being traded and it was a contentious situation. I expect TBL to take a big step back this year.

Neither GM is going to get blame for those moves. The only move that might come back to haunt Dubas (if he's still even around) in terms of player relations is not pushing harder to sign Andersen and then Campbell as well. The goaltender position is the only one that they seem to treat as expendable if they aren't signing for a certain amount. That might have implications in relation to signing Matthews and Marner, but not Free Agents or new players like you were suggesting earlier.

Tampa could very well take a step back this year, and the next but I wouldn't be surprised if they one another sometime in the next 3 years. Them taking a step back doesn't have to do with losing two of the guys in terms of locker room relations, but potentially losing their contributions . They saw McDonagh and Palat being let go this season like several before them. I think they will be more motivated by that, as they will likely have to move on from more next year, possible Stamkos+Killorn, and that was a big motivator for them when they knew TJ and others were going to be gone.

Another thing to consider is that the Atlantic and the East as a whole is only getting better, so Tampa going out in the first round next year for example this season could have to be more about others getting better than them getting worse.