2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[Zee]

Interesting to hear him say that the Leafs last offer to Campbell was around $2.75mil and that he doesn't expect him back though.

There's still a lot of time for that to change. I'm also curious as to when that offer was made. I'm not convinced he'll get significantly better offers on the open market this summer - though, the goalie market could be very interesting, as there are a number of (mostly bad) teams who will probably be looking to add but not a ton of proven starters as UFAs.

Koskinen's deal in Edmonton is done, they have $4.5M to roll on a goalie, I could see them taking a chance on Campbell.

 

[bustaheims]

Koskinen's deal in Edmonton is done, they have $4.5M to roll on a goalie, I could see them taking a chance on Campbell.

They still have Smith signed for next season, only 15 guys on the current roster signed, and just over $7M in cap space to fill out their roster. They're looking at about half their available cap space taken up just by plugging holes at the league minimum. Without other moves or completely foregoing upgrades elsewhere, they don't have room to offer much more than the Leafs did.

 

[Zee]

Koskinen's deal in Edmonton is done, they have $4.5M to roll on a goalie, I could see them taking a chance on Campbell.

They still have Smith signed for next season, only 15 guys on the current roster signed, and just over $7M in cap space to fill out their roster. They're looking at about half their available cap space taken up just by plugging holes at the league minimum. Without other moves or completely foregoing upgrades elsewhere, they don't have room to offer much more than the Leafs did.

Smith is old and more suited as a backup though, he only makes 2.2M too.  I get their cap situation, but I'm sure they would be the type of team willing to spend a bit more on goaltending given it's been a problem for them for several years. The Mrazek contract is a problem for the Leafs, if you can't get that $3.8 off the books, how much are willing to spend total in goalie costs?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

They still have Smith signed for next season, only 15 guys on the current roster signed, and just over $7M in cap space to fill out their roster. They're looking at about half their available cap space taken up just by plugging holes at the league minimum. Without other moves or completely foregoing upgrades elsewhere, they don't have room to offer much more than the Leafs did.

That's including Klefblom, so assuming he's back on LTIR which appears to be the case that'll open up another $4mil or so. But they'll presumably try to re-sign Kane and Puljujarvi and Yamomoto will need new deals as RFAs so yeah they'll be right up against the cap.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Interesting to hear him say that the Leafs last offer to Campbell was around $2.75mil and that he doesn't expect him back though.

There's still a lot of time for that to change. I'm also curious as to when that offer was made. I'm not convinced he'll get significantly better offers on the open market this summer - though, the goalie market could be very interesting, as there are a number of (mostly bad) teams who will probably be looking to add but not a ton of proven starters as UFAs.

They give Campbell a low ball offer but gave Mrazek an extra mil in free agency last year? This is just craziness.

I kind of passively listened to the Friedman hit this morning, but my recollection of what he said was that $2.75M was pretty early in the process of negotiation. Not sure if it may have been even before Mrazek signed?

 

[bustaheims]

Smith is old and more suited as a backup though, he only makes 2.2M too.  I get their cap situation, but I'm sure they would be the type of team willing to spend a bit more on goaltending given it's been a problem for them for several years. The Mrazek contract is a problem for the Leafs, if you can't get that $3.8 off the books, how much are willing to spend total in goalie costs?

I'm not saying they won't be interested. Just that their cap situation mean they can't offer dramatically more than the $2.75M the Leafs did. I suspect they max out in the $3.5M range.

 

[ZBBM]

The primary job of the GM is to do whatever he can to make the team better.  Dubas is in many ways the very model of a modern general manager: takes care of the players as individuals, exemplary with the community, wired up to the latest trends, etc., aside from all the usual GM duties.  But, like the team, the one thing he seems to lack is ruthlessness when he needs to call it forth.

I'm not saying trade Nylander, ask Tavares to waive, dump Keefe for Trotz.  What I am saying is that Dubas (and Shanahan) better be seriously discussing all those types of scenarios in their post-mortem.  Because if they aren't willing to break the hearts of their friends, they are not up to the job.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

It's somewhat ironic then that the biggest mistake Dubas has made as Leafs GM was made out of ruthlessness (trading Kadri).

 

[Arn]

It's somewhat ironic then that the biggest mistake Dubas has made as Leafs GM was made out of ruthlessness (trading Kadri).

Isn?t he UFA at the end of this season?  :-X

 

[CarltonTheBear]

It's somewhat ironic then that the biggest mistake Dubas has made as Leafs GM was made out of ruthlessness (trading Kadri).

Isn?t he UFA at the end of this season?  :-X

Yup and I'm hoping he gets multiple bank truck's worth of money on his next deal so after that one he can return home.

 

[Guilt Trip]

The primary job of the GM is to do whatever he can to make the team better.  Dubas is in many ways the very model of a modern general manager: takes care of the players as individuals, exemplary with the community, wired up to the latest trends, etc., aside from all the usual GM duties.  But, like the team, the one thing he seems to lack is ruthlessness when he needs to call it forth.

I'm not saying trade Nylander, ask Tavares to waive, dump Keefe for Trotz.  What I am saying is that Dubas (and Shanahan) better be seriously discussing all those types of scenarios in their post-mortem.  Because if they aren't willing to break the hearts of their friends, they are not up to the job.

There is no doubt in my mind that these guys discuss every possible scenario. They just don't sit there and say, let's run it back and see how it goes.

 

[bustaheims]

There is no doubt in my mind that these guys discuss every possible scenario. They just don't sit there and say, let's run it back and see how it goes.

They definitely discuss the same scenarios fans like us bring up. And, outside of trading Matthews and Marner, I have to imagine, they've giving everything due consideration. They'll listen to whatever offers are out there and, if they feel a move makes the team better, they'll make it. What they're not going to do is make moves for the sake of making moves or to look like they're doing something.

 

[Joe S.]

Maybe I?m in the minority but I would absolutely run back the same team next year. If they can somehow upgrade the goaltending, then great. I?m also ok moving on from Spezza, it?s been fun but I think it?s time for him to move to the coaching staff. Simmonds too but I think he has another year left.

This playoff format is complete horseshit. I don?t believe for a second that the leafs wouldn?t have beaten every single team in the east, especially the way they played. TB was the only team that worried me.

And if TB doesn?t roll through the east they should wonder what went wrong.

 

[Joe S.]

With no league or team to be mad it, I think I've realized what I've really hated about being a Leaf fan all along. Other fans. Anti-Leafs, other team fans, haters in general. So watch out. I'm out of patience with you sucks and you're going to hear it if I see you bringing garbage in here or anywhere else.

1500000000% agreed. Biggest mistake was reading comments on Twitter. It astounds me how many people seem to be more fans of bashing leafs fans than being a fan of any particular team.

Bash the team. I get that, but the fans? Like they have any influence on the success or failure of their favourite team. It?s pathetic.

 

[Zee]

Maybe I?m in the minority but I would absolutely run back the same team next year. If they can somehow upgrade the goaltending, then great. I?m also ok moving on from Spezza, it?s been fun but I think it?s time for him to move to the coaching staff. Simmonds too but I think he has another year left.

This playoff format is complete horseshit. I don?t believe for a second that the leafs wouldn?t have beaten every single team in the east, especially the way they played. TB was the only team that worried me.

And if TB doesn?t roll through the east they should wonder what went wrong.

They'd have to be pretty creative in terms of upgrading the goaltending, I don't even know where you get that guy?  Would have to be a trade I suppose since the UFA market isn't so hot.

 

[Bullfrog]

Maybe I?m in the minority but I would absolutely run back the same team next year. If they can somehow upgrade the goaltending, then great. I?m also ok moving on from Spezza, it?s been fun but I think it?s time for him to move to the coaching staff. Simmonds too but I think he has another year left.

This playoff format is complete horseshit. I don?t believe for a second that the leafs wouldn?t have beaten every single team in the east, especially the way they played. TB was the only team that worried me.

And if TB doesn?t roll through the east they should wonder what went wrong.

If that's the case, I'm in the minority with you. I'd be tempted to move on from Holl, especially if they re-sign Giordano. But on the other hand, he gives good value for only $2M.

I really like Kase, but I can see him moving on. Even with injuries, he's worth more than his $1.25M. If he comes back for that? Definitely.

No idea how they're going to keep Mikheyev, but they need to bring him back. Way too valuable as a penalty killer.

Other than that, I'd be fine going forward with the exact same team. They broke records and have the best scorer in the league. This is a very, very good team.

 

[mr grieves]

There is no doubt in my mind that these guys discuss every possible scenario. They just don't sit there and say, let's run it back and see how it goes.

They definitely discuss the same scenarios fans like us bring up. And, outside of trading Matthews and Marner, I have to imagine, they've giving everything due consideration. They'll listen to whatever offers are out there and, if they feel a move makes the team better, they'll make it. What they're not going to do is make moves for the sake of making moves or to look like they're doing something.

Which is why I think they?re most likely to run it back, at least as far as the core is concerned. They won?t come to the ?run it back? without careful thought and consideration, but, after doing that, I suspect they?ll find there aren?t any major moves out there at improve their chances and content themselves with some tweaks to the defense and around-the-edges tinkering to the forwards (Kerfoot trade).

In the end, they had a franchise-best season and then played like contenders against contenders and lost a coin-flip series because their PP gave out and the other team?s depth was 1-2 goals more productive than their own. That happens. It?s a missed opportunity, which is disappointing, but not a sign that there?s a fundamental flaw in the team.

 

[bustaheims]

Which is why I think they?re most likely to run it back, at least as far as the core is concerned. They won?t come to the ?run it back? without careful thought and consideration, but, after doing that, I suspect they?ll find there aren?t any major moves out there at improve their chances and content themselves with some tweaks to the defense and around-the-edges tinkering to the forwards (Kerfoot trade).

In the end, they had a franchise-best season and then played like contenders against contenders and lost a coin-flip series because their PP gave out and the other team?s depth was 1-2 goals more productive than their own. That happens. It?s a missed opportunity, which is disappointing, but not a sign that there?s a fundamental flaw in the team.

Yup. I also don't think any of the core pieces are going anywhere, but I can definitely see some important non-core pieces getting moved. Someone (or someones) like Kerfoot, Muzzin, etc., could be moved if the right opportunities present themselves. There's room for improvement on the roster, though it's not among the core, but the next groups of players.

 

[ZBBM]

It's somewhat ironic then that the biggest mistake Dubas has made as Leafs GM was made out of ruthlessness (trading Kadri).

You're confusing ruthlessness with the cap.

 

[ZBBM]

Jeez people, if Steve Jobs thought like you all we'd all be still be wearing sundials strapped to our wrists.  The only way to succeed is to kill the beautiful thing you made.  8) 8) :