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2025 Offseason Thread: Spring Cleaning

herman said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1935065823850500295
Are the Leafs front office placing the blame on Marner in internal communications? Or is he just conflating the social media response with organizational position? Marner was poised to be the next Gilmour even with these exact statistical performances.
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I took that to mean that they feel he’s taken too much of the blame from the fans/media and doesn’t want to deal with that in Toronto anymore.
 
I guess it's officially time for pie-in-the-sky offseason wish lists, so, here's mine:
  • Trade Kampf, Jarnkrok, and Robertson for picks and prospects (I think, when teams see what guys sign for as UFAs, Kampf's and Jarnkrok's will look quite palatable - not enough to get a good return, but enough to not need a sweetener)
  • Sign Knies 3x $6.
  • Sign Tavares 6x $4.5M (essentially a 3 year, $8M per deal and three 1 year, $1M deals combined into one for cap savings now). Modified NTC - can chose 15 teams he won't accept a trade to. Potentially add in some deferrals to bring the cap hit down to the $4.25M range, if possible.
  • Sign Marchand (ugh, but, yeah) - 1 year, $6M with as much as he'll accept in easy to achieve performance bonuses (35+ contract)
  • Sign Pius Suter 3x $5M - versatile 3C with some offence
  • Sign Lorentz and Pacioretty to matching 1 year, $1.25M deals
  • Sign Kuzmenko 2x $4.5M - does will playing with higher end players. Speedy, can score, strong playoffs.
  • Sign Burns, 1 year, $1.5M with $3M in performance bonuses
Total cap, not including performance bonuses for Burns would be $94.15M - gives the Leafs some wiggle room plus can carry over bonuses into next season, if needed. If Cowan shows he belongs full time, trade Domi in whatever deal means not retaining or taking back salary.

Knies-Matthews-Kuzmenko
Marchand-Tavares-Nylander
McMann-Suter-Domi/Cowan
Lorentz-Laughton-Cowan/Patches

McCabe-Tanev
Rielly-Carlo
OEL-Burn

Stolarz
Woll
 
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dappleganger said:
If you had told me 8 years ago one of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander would no longer be on the Leafs I would have guessed Nylander.
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Man, it’s wild how this all played out. People used to question Nylander’s character just because of his dad, Michael Nylander had that “me-first” label, fair or not, and now look who’s still standing. If you had told me years ago that between the local kid, the American, and the Swedish-born Canadian, Marner would be the one on the way out first, I wouldn’t have believed you. But honestly, his camp has mishandled things from day one. Always feeling disrespected, always pushing too hard, from the entry-level deal to now. If his second contract had been more in line with guys like Point or Rantanen, the fanbase would’ve embraced him way more. He had a shot to go down as one of the most beloved Leafs of all time. Now it just feels like a missed opportunity.
 
Zee said:
Man, it’s wild how this all played out. People used to question Nylander’s character just because of his dad, Michael Nylander had that “me-first” label, fair or not, and now look who’s still standing. If you had told me years ago that between the local kid, the American, and the Swedish-born Canadian, Marner would be the one on the way out first, I wouldn’t have believed you. But honestly, his camp has mishandled things from day one. Always feeling disrespected, always pushing too hard, from the entry-level deal to now. If his second contract had been more in line with guys like Point or Rantanen, the fanbase would’ve embraced him way more. He had a shot to go down as one of the most beloved Leafs of all time. Now it just feels like a missed opportunity.
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Completely agree about Marner's representatives screwing this up for him.

Also, Nylander is the only guys who signed for 8-years.

I'm curious how Marner does next season. How much was he propped up or insulated by paying on one of the best offensive teams in the NHL the last 8 years? How much of a play driver is he?
 
Zee said:
Man, it’s wild how this all played out. People used to question Nylander’s character just because of his dad, Michael Nylander had that “me-first” label, fair or not, and now look who’s still standing. If you had told me years ago that between the local kid, the American, and the Swedish-born Canadian, Marner would be the one on the way out first, I wouldn’t have believed you. But honestly, his camp has mishandled things from day one. Always feeling disrespected, always pushing too hard, from the entry-level deal to now. If his second contract had been more in line with guys like Point or Rantanen, the fanbase would’ve embraced him way more. He had a shot to go down as one of the most beloved Leafs of all time. Now it just feels like a missed opportunity.
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The problem with that argument is you can say the same about most of the core players.

If Matthews didn't get 10+ million on his deal. At the end of the day goal scoring trumps assists but Marner's right there with Matthews for production in the regular season and playoffs. They are right there with each other in terms of defensive value. Why not more criticism for Matthews lack of playoff performance in the same way that Marner gets it.

Why not more criticism of Nylander's selective defensive play. It's great when he is scoring goals in the first couple of games against Florida. Where the hell was his offense in the back half of the series because he sure has hell didn't play defense then.

Paul Marner being a terrible hockey Dad hurt him. His agent isn't a friendly agent and that hurt him. Marner's media approach is very coached and careful with how he talks and that made him seem distant. But it seems unfair to lay that all on him when Matthews gives constant generic answers and is vague as hell about any of his health issues (while letting the team down).
 
I know that the likelihood that McDavid stays in Edmonton is probably much higher than him leaving but free agency in 2026 right now is way better than this year (I know that a lot of the high end guys will sign extensions this summer and change that a bit). I kind of hope that the Leafs are aggressive with players on 1 year deals and leave some flexibility with the cap for next year.

Locking a bunch of guys like Pius Suter into multi year deals is fine, but in 2026 we lose the cheap deals on guys like Mcmann/Laughton and are going to have to heavily rely on free agency to sign depth with our abysmal farm system.
 
Zee said:
...Now it just feels like a missed opportunity.
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Wrong combination of players (and their families/agents) at the wrong time (covid cap, rookie gm in Dubas, other management factors). You are correct - huge missed opportunity. Now I think Treliving gets 1, maybe 2 shots to make something of it - this offseason and next. Build around the remaining superstar talent up front, solid though aging defense, and 2 good goalies. The sand in the hour glass is running low.
 
GhostofPotvin29 said:
I took that to mean that they feel he’s taken too much of the blame from the fans/media and doesn’t want to deal with that in Toronto anymore.
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Given how his camp is conducting this exit, I suspect the fans (and some media) are probably going to carry that forward to this next destination as long as he's in the NHL (and beyond, honestly). Like Tavares getting hate-booed for wanting to go home and sort of leaving them in the asset-lurch is a pittance compared to this. The Leafs fanbase is legion, and the spite here is toxic.
 
herman said:
Because it was a false rumour
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1935071107738124549

That's a weird one, especially as it came directly from the OHL twitter account. With that said development camp invites aren't really the biggest of deals. Elliott is committed to the NCAA next season (which is almost certainly the best place for him as I doubt he's pro ready regardless of his numbers with the Knights) so he wouldn't be attending anyone's actual training camp or signing a pro deal this year anyway.
 
L K said:
The problem with that argument is you can say the same about most of the core players.

If Matthews didn't get 10+ million on his deal. At the end of the day goal scoring trumps assists but Marner's right there with Matthews for production in the regular season and playoffs. They are right there with each other in terms of defensive value. Why not more criticism for Matthews lack of playoff performance in the same way that Marner gets it.

Why not more criticism of Nylander's selective defensive play. It's great when he is scoring goals in the first couple of games against Florida. Where the hell was his offense in the back half of the series because he sure has hell didn't play defense then.

Paul Marner being a terrible hockey Dad hurt him. His agent isn't a friendly agent and that hurt him. Marner's media approach is very coached and careful with how he talks and that made him seem distant. But it seems unfair to lay that all on him when Matthews gives constant generic answers and is vague as hell about any of his health issues (while letting the team down).
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This is what people forget: Matthews came out of his rookie deal at $11.6M, and yeah it was a big number, but the guy had already won the Calder and followed it up with multiple Rocket Richards, a Hart, and a Lindsay. He earned that number, at least for the regular season. Meanwhile, Marner’s camp was out here asking for the same kind of money, and he just isn’t that guy. Forget the whole center vs. winger debate, Matthews is flat-out the better player. He drives play, he tilts the ice, and he’s the one who can take over a game. That’s why his number should be higher, and why the comparison was always off.
 
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