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2025 Offseason Thread: Spring Cleaning

If they walk away from Marner they at the very least need to tell Rielly it's time to move on. He isn't delivering value on his contract and they need a younger version of him (or two) anyway.
It sounded like Treliving did recognize the need to bring in another puck moving d-man. It's tough when Rielly doesn't excel in either offense or defense and lost a step from last year and is no longer able to QB a PP unit...
 
herman — and I'm not trying to be an a-hole to you on this — you are eager to get rid of Marner. I don't agree, but whatever. Treliving talked about changing the DNA. My question to you is: Is part of that getting William Nylander to actually (1) play defense and (2) go to the net and take some punishment to score goals in the playoffs?

It pisses me off that he's getting no flak whatsoever. He disappeared when it counted most just like the rest of them. If he's not willing to change HIS DNA, HIS game, to succeed in the playoffs, he can follow Marner out the damn door.
I agree. I've said it a million times that this team wouldn't win anything with the core they have for some of the above. No grit whatsoever in any of them. Watching Nylander shy away from contact made me cringe every time I would see that. Management has finally seen enough I think but things need to change with whoever remains or yes they can be shown the door as well. Unfortunately as repeated many times I don't think that will change. It's something I think you have or don't have not something you acquire.
 

MLHS transcript/notes:
 
Semantics: The most useful of arguments.

All the reporting is that he's not coming back. He spoke about the team in past tense. The only thing left is for him to say "I'm not coming back." At this point it is highly improbable, and so I think the point of debating whether we keep him or not etc. is relatively moot if we're talking about probabilities.

So let me rephrase. It feels pointless to me to argue about Marner and discuss if he should be the one leaving when all the information we have points to Marner very, very likely leaving.
Beautifully written. :)
 
I think the media has been over the top.
The team had the 4th best win% record.
That is roughly about where they finished in the playoffs - arguably & roughly the 4th best team in the playoffs.
They did better against the Panthers than Carolina.
They probably had a less than 10% chance of winning a Cup - a ~90% chance they would not win a Cup - and when the thing that was a ~90% chance of happening happened, folks are carrying on like it is the end of the world.

They took the Panthers, a team that has been to the Cup finals the last three seasons, to a 7th game.
A lot of their playoff losses have been to Cup finalists or Cup winners.
It is a team that is roughly up there with the best Sittler, Gilmour & Sundin teams.
To me, it is a pretty good hockey team.
If Matthews was healthy and Stolarz didn't get hurt, it would probably have been even closer or maybe the Leafs prevail.
Panthers still have hardly any injuries.

Many folks who claim to be so knowledgeable about the game are having a conniption that the thing that was very likely to happen did happen. Part of that seems surreal to me. Sure it is disappointing after years of disappointments. But this is why it is so hard to win. You usually need luck, health, the calls, etc - over and beyond the talent. It is far from a sure thing even when the team is one of the best in the league. Some of the sky is falling stuff seems over the top to me.

I even wonder about the DNA comment by Treliving.
If the Leafs shed some salaries like Kampf (it that's possible with his contract), Jarnkrok and add Sam Bennett to a healthy Matthews & Stolarz, that is a very good hockey team that could win a Cup that is not much of a major DNA change. I'll bet many here have a number of good suggestions on how to improve the team. It is a good team that could use more help to improve its chances.

I must have missed the story where Canada lost the Four Nations Cup because of Mitch Marner's DNA ...

So the doom and gloom and handwringing seems over the top to me.
4th best team in the regular season finished around 4th best in the -playoffs. Somehow that is a shocking travesty. Who was saying they were the best team in the NHL?

For decades, there have been lopsided wins in big games. Team gets behind, opens up ... and bam. I don't read as much into those lop sided wins as many seem to.

One problem going forward is that Treliving never committed to Marner like he did Matthews & Nylander and he tried to trade Marner. Marner may have more say about changing the DNA of this team than Treliving. I wonder if Treliving is just setting the table because he knows he's blown it with the player. They let him get bashed in the media. There was no prompt, heartfelt defense from management.
Along with police apparently having to guard Marner's residence for his family's safety, in part because the media has got out of hand crucifying the guy that the team didn't knock itself out defending, they're about to lose a 102 pt scorer - their leading scorer in the regular season and playoffs since he showed up - for nothing.
They'll be hard pressed to replace him because it is not just the lost 102 pts (with a less than healthy linemate in Matthews). It is that you lose some excellent play in the other end of the ice. That is something you will never see regularly from Nylander or a bunch of top 6 players.

The UFA market doesn't look great now and will be slimmer by July 1. The Leafs don't have a lot of young assets to trade. Those are real impediments to a "DNA" change.

The Leafs seem close to set in goal and on the D in terms of their contracts. The D improved. It is their age that might be the bigger concern.
If it were me, I'd be looking hard at the bottom six forwards and a top 6 (2nd line) left winger or a 3rd line center and put Domi on left wing. The team's talent can be improved. But they may have already lost Marner which could make attracting good/top UFAs more difficult.

Darren Ferris is the same agent for Marner and Sam Bennett (also the agent for Kadri & Edmundson). He might also have more say on the DNA change than the Leafs GM.
 
One problem going forward is that Treliving never committed to Marner like he did Matthews & Nylander and he tried to trade Marner.

That trade attempt was apparently after trying to sign him for around $13M per year,which is, where I come from, a pretty convincing gesture of commitment. There were no trust-shaking trade deadline asks about Matthew or Nylander when they were in the last years of their deals because they’d already committed to the team and signed.
 
That trade attempt was apparently after trying to sign him for around $13M per year,which is, where I come from, a pretty convincing gesture of commitment. There were no trust-shaking trade deadline asks about Matthew or Nylander when they were in the last years of their deals because they’d already committed to the team and signed.
Perhaps I missed it. What legitimate source has said that the team offered Marner 13M?

And where was the convincing gesture from the team last off season? When the media threw Marner under the bus repeatedly? I'm still trying to figure out why people are so miffed that the guy wants to leave.
 
Perhaps I missed it. What legitimate source has said that the team offered Marner 13M?

And where was the convincing gesture from the team last off season? When the media threw Marner under the bus repeatedly? I'm still trying to figure out why people are so miffed that the guy wants to leave.
There isn't a source. And I won't be surprised if he says see ya. It's funny on social media. I wouldn't stay. South, sun, no tax are my priorities.
 
They let him get bashed in the media. There was no prompt, heartfelt defense from management.

lol

Edit: let me clarify why this made me laugh. This is a harsher indictment of Marner than anything I’ve ever written here.
 
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That trade attempt was apparently after trying to sign him for around $13M per year,which is, where I come from, a pretty convincing gesture of commitment. There were no trust-shaking trade deadline asks about Matthew or Nylander when they were in the last years of their deals because they’d already committed to the team and signed.

In May 2024, after the playoff loss, Marner declared he wanted to stay and was willing to get negotiations underway

Mitch Marner wants to remain with the Maple Leafs: ‘That’s the goal’​


There are plenty of articles covering that if that link doesn't work.

This article sums up observations of Treliving:
Sportsnet: Maple Leafs' Treliving identifies top priority as Mitch Marner rumours swirl

The executive's main priority should tell you all you need to know about where the elephant in the room stands, though.
At Treliving's pre-draft availabilities last June, he spoke at length about how critical it was for the organization to lock up all-star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander to long-term extensions. (Mission accomplished.)
This time around, Treliving emphasized a much different priority — despite 99-point right wing Mitch Marner sitting in the same contractual position as his peers were a year ago.
"I don't think it's a secret: Our defence is an area we'd like to see if we can improve. Easier said than done," Treliving stated.
"The right side of our defence, we'd like to help it. Now, at what cost?"

Toronto is undoubtedly on the clock with Marner, whom Treliving has never publicly expressed a desire to re-sign.
Whether that clock winds past July 1, when Marner's juicy signing bonus kicks in; or past training camp, when the questions escalate; or past trade deadline, when playoff rosters get set; or Canada Day 2025, when Marner is free to sign anywhere for — what? — $12.5 million a year is anybody's guess.
The above article was dated June 27th and as of that date, Treliving "has never publicly expressed a desire to re-sign" (Marner). Treliving was very quick to commit to re-signing Matthews & Nylander.

Media had a bunch of fun with that including Chris Johnson declaring Marner would be gone by the start of the season (something to that effect). And recently we hear that Treliving tried to trade Marner to Vegas last summer.

Marner has not been treated like Matthews and Nylander by Treliving. Period.

The article claims Treliving "has yet to exert any public pressure on the player (Marner), and we'd be surprised if he does."
But he really did in a roundabout way. He did not declare him as a priority like he did the other two. He let the media go at Marner. He did not do much to come to his defense in a timely way. He let the negative stuff run and had a bunch of Leafs Nation ready to tar and feather him and all kinds of trade rumours ... which is pressure on Marner to accept a trade.
 
lol

Edit: let me clarify why this made me laugh. This is a harsher indictment of Marner than anything I’ve ever written here.

You know what will be even funnier? When they lose 102 pt player who wanted to stay for nothing with a scant UFA market. The whole league will be laughing .. at them - particularly the team who gets him for no talent cost. He's good enough to play for Team Canada with McDavid but not good enough to play for the Leafs ... This market is like stressed animals who eat their own young.
 
I’m sorry, but if part of the reason Marner isn’t going to re-sign is that Tre didn’t come out and publicly announce getting that contract signed was a priority - despite reportedly attempting to engage in negotiations multiple times over the past year only to be rebuffed by Marner’s team - then he’s even softer and more of a prima donna than most of his harshest critics claim. That’s a me-first player. He can take that attitude and his poor performances in tighter playoff games elsewhere.
 
You know what will be even funnier? When they lose 102 pt player who wanted to stay for nothing with a scant UFA market. The whole league will be laughing .. at them - particularly the team who gets him for no talent cost. He's good enough to play for Team Canada with McDavid but not good enough to play for the Leafs ... This market is like stressed animals who eat their own young.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pro-management on this topic. They should’ve traded him earlier and only have themselves to blame for letting themselves be held hostage by this very predictable situation.
 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pro-management on this topic. They should’ve traded him earlier and only have themselves to blame for letting themselves be held hostage by this very predictable situation.

I think it goes back to Dubas wanting to trade Marner and Dubas getting told no outright by Shanahan. Treliving shows up and has about five weeks before Marner NMC kicks in.

The guy that messed this up is already out the door.
 
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