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Iggwilv

Which witch is which
Member Since
Nov. 2, 2022
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Toronto Maple Leafs
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Winnipeg Jets
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Forum: Boston BruinsNov. 2, 2022 at 9:01 p.m.
Thread: 5 BOLD predictions for the Bs this year
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>BruinsFan35</b></div><div>Here are five very difficult thresholds for the Bruins, both players and the team as a whole, to hit, but are still within the realm of possibility. This will be fun to look back at once the year is done. feel free to write your own underneath this. Here we go

1. The Bruins will have 3 Point-Per-Game players. I'm leaving this open for anyone to do, but if I had to guess which three, I'd go Pastrnak, Marchand, and either Hall or Krejci.
2. One of Lysell, McLaughlin, or Studnicka will earn full-time spot by mid season in the Top Nine, most likely pushing Craig Smith or whoever plays 3LW down or to the trade block.
3. Ullmark will become the de facto starter by the Trade Deadline
4. Krejci, in his return season, will hit at least 60 points and 20 goals (over 82 games)
5. The Bruins will be at least the #2 seed in the Atlantic Division AND will win at least ONE playoff series.</div></div>

Hi Leafs fan here... let's have some fun.
1. Possibly, but I'm going with two... Marchand and Pastrnak. (Toronto will have 4)
2. 1 down, two to go.
3. Well, two average goalies battling for 1 spot means you have a 50% chance of being right. (Samsonov will finish the season with better stats than your goalies)
4. He'll get injured... oh wait, already happened. :D
5. Will slough off as the year goes on and lose in the first round. (Leafs will pass you in the standings and Mathews will pass Pastrnak in goals, however we will also lose in the first round)

The team is long in the tooth and this is just a sputtering diesel engine. Off to a good start but it's not going to hold up.
You may now sh*t all over the Leafs in response.
Forum: Armchair-GMNov. 2, 2022 at 2:22 p.m.
Thread: Iggwilv
The key to setting this team right is cap relief to allow for flexability.
You can't trade Mathews or Tavares. Rielly is a no-move and recently signed longterm. Trading Nylander provides some cap relief but the loss of his offense for a smaller return is not as beneficial as freeing 10.9 in cap space and the significant return for Mitch Marner. (I also prefer Nylanders ability to break through defensive lines, his ability to physical protect the puck is superior to Marner. Yes, he is frustrating, but he's performed very well in play-offs and if he's pushed he performs where-as Marner has tantrums. I also respect Nylanders ability to remain calm and poised. He doesn't get unglued the way Marner does. I totally get that when he's off it's horrendous, but the difference is that the opposition is incapable of getting under his skin. Marner is a target – EVERY NIGHT by EVERYONE because they know he get's emotional, frustrated and he shows it openly. Get to Marner and you affect Mathews - that is a huge detriment to the team).
Marner is a franchise player for half the teams in the league... the Leafs already have their franchise player – Mathews. Keeping both of them is redundant. Marner is susceptible to pressure and this is exploited by opposition, rendering him ineffective in high pressure games (ie play-offs). When Marner is shut-down you effectively eliminate 50% of Mathews offense, which ultimately kills the first line.
Based on this perspective Marner is the greatest asset for another team to acquire and the Leafs to use to build depth.
So who would want him?
Everyone... because his offense and skill is fantastic. I have focused on 5 teams that would probably love to take a swing on acquiring Marner who have assets the Leafs could use.
Seattle – would love a franchise player and have Yanni Gourde, Adam Larrson and Jared McEwan as potential trade options.
Vancouver – less options, but a conversation of acquiring Quinn Hughes wouldn't be off the table. But that's probably unattractive to the Canucks.
New Jersey – assets galore, but things are finally clicking there and I doubt they would want to derail their momentum.
Nashville – Taner Jeanot and Dante Fabbro would be great additions, but Leafs would have to take back a heavy contract as well and the options there aren't appealing to Nashville or the Leafs.
So.... I have focused on L.A..
The trade to L.A. Is not to bring back offense. It's to round out the depth and add size, grit and tenacity. Which the Leafs are sorely lacking. There is no trade involving Marner that will come out as a win for the Leafs based on a return of offense. SO... the best way to win a Marner trade is to address what the Leafs need, not an “equal” return. This means you have to bite the bullet, accept the disparity in return and take a chance. L.A. Is one of the few teams that has the pieces and still holds on to their own depth at the price of attaining a franchise superstar. I include Nick Robinson in this trade as he's an L.A. Boy and is an attractive prospect for the Kings.
In return the Leafs get....
Matt Roy - a tough, physical right handed depth defenseman. He also can fight.
Lemieux is a tenacious depth winger. He dictates the drive of his line and finishes checks.
Trevor Moore is big solid winger who is becoming a top 6 power winger, he can also be a bottom 6 offensive threat. I think we collectively groaned when Leafs traded him... I'd love to have him back.
Viktor Arvidsson is a return of salary as L.A. Needs some cap space to take Marners contract. He's skilled offensive player if the Leafs keep him, good top 6 winger.... but I would flip him for Foligno.
Acquiring a player of Marcus Foligno's ilk is a literal imperative for Toronto. This is the type of forward they are lacking. He's big, he throws hits, he fights, he can score, he's dependable and dammit he's a Foligno... and I love the Foligno's.
Trading Alex kerfoot just feels like a “it's time” move. Send him back home to Vancouver (they could use some more offense) and just bring back a return of 4th line center and a late draft pick. It's a steal for Vancouver really, but desperate times requires some unpleasant moves. He's gone for nothing in the off-season anyways. Nils Aman is turning into a good 4th liner in only his 2nd year. He was drafted in 6th round and it's staring to look like he's got more to offer than just 6-8 mins / game.
Malgin, Holl and Engvall are just not worth the time anymore. These guys can bring back some late picks. We've held onto these guys for too long and it's obvious they cannot improve beyond what we've already seen. This is the type of bottom 6 the Leafs need to move away from.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsNov. 2, 2022 at 11:23 a.m.
Thread: Toronto Maple Leafs 2022 season Discussion
It's a story of two teams - the elite, highly paid skilled players who were saddled with the enormous task of ending the Cup drought... and the bottom-end filler players that are brought in to take up roster spots at bargain basement prices on limited term.
You will never build a champion team this way.
There is simply not enough salary room to round the team out with depth and character players. I've been beating this dead horse for 3 yrs now - THIS TEAM WILL NEVER WIN A CUP WITH MITCH MARNERS SALARY ON THE BOOKS!!!!
It cannot be done, and no amount of "We'll make it happen" wishfull thinking is going to change this reality.
This is not a reflection of Marner as a player, he's elite and regardless of his flaws there is no difference in what he brings to the team whether he's paid 1 million or 10.9 million, but the 10.9 million does not allow the team to acquire better bottom 6 players. The typical counter argument is "But Tavares is paid too much money and they never should have signed him". This is wrong. Tavares is playing at a discount from what he could have been paid, he had proven himself, is/was elite and there is no argument that exists that he should not be paid market value in a league were salary is structured to pay out players later in their career. He was also signed prior to any of these other players... Mathews, Nylander and Marner were signed AFTER Tavares, so the decision to max out those remaining players after making Tavares your focus is the error - not signing Tavares.
The glaring problem with the team is that they have no bottom 6 depth (although David Kampf is awesome, I love this guy). The top 4 are carrying the team and two of these guys - Marner and Nylander are too soft to carry that pressure. Nylander becomes disengaged and Marner just collapses. He becomes too emotional and the opposition exploits this. Once you shut down Marner you effectivelly limit 50% of Mathews offense, which renders the top line useless. The secondary problem with the team is they have no toughness spread throughout the team. When you're only tough guys are two call-ups (Clifford and Simmonds) from the minors you are no longer dictating the tone of the game, you're reacting to the possibility of a game getting chippy. Again, this is to easily exploited by opposition and this is why we see liberties being taken with Mathews every game. The opposition knows there is no reprisals. They have no fear. The Leafs need to get tougher.
So what's the solution?
Marner must be traded. The return for Marner will be huge (it should be anyways) and the cap relief is far more important than Nylanders cap relief. Nylander is not a "franchise" player, whereas it could be argued (stretching the truth somewhat) that Marner is a franchise player (for some teams anyways). The Leafs have their franchise guy - Mathews. You don't need two. Tavares and Nylander are elite secondary players. Trade Marner for depth - lot's of it. Make sure that depth comes with size, grit, attitude and general instinct for punching other people in the face who try to run our elite players. If you trade Marner with the focus on trying to get a return of skill you will lose that trade 100% of the time. I'm not saying the Leafs need a goon, but what they do need is guys who can push back... or push first.
I have no idea what other teams want or how they think, so gaming out trades so people in the forum can dump all over peoples "ideas" seems like a lesson in futility... none of us have any clue what is a good trade or whether one team would "Do that deal"... but the essence of armchair GM'ing is to have fun and toss around ideas.
Heres Mine.
Marner and Robertson and third rd pick to Los Angeles for .... Brendan Lemieux, Trevor Moore, Matt Roy, Viktor Arvidson and (hopefully) a 1st rd pick in 2022 or 2023. Lemieux brings some tenaciousness to the left wing, Trevor Moore is a solid 3rd/4th line depth winger with size and bottom 6 scoring, Matt Roy is a tough right handed D-man, Arvidson is taking salary back from LA but still provides 2nd line scoring.
I would follow this with - "whatever it takes to get Marcus Foligno out of Minnesota" (within reason of course). And if you cannot see the benefit of a Marcus Foligno on the Leafs roster you need to just stop watching hockey NOW. Foligno is exactly what the Leafs need, big, tough, forward checking role-player who can score.
Moving Alex Kerfoot is also required. I doubt you can get much for him but I would try for a solid 4th line center and a draft pick. Nils Aman from Vancouver is a good start.
Players like Engvall, Holl, Malgin need to be moved out for 4th and 5th round draft picks.... because they aren't worth anything more.