Sportsnet’s Luke Fox joins Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne to unpack the end of season media availability for the Toronto Maple Leafs and what could come next.
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37 Comments
how could you resign Doubus at this point?? The core 4?? Keeping this together?? It won't work
Ideally you trade John Tavares but you end up having to eat so much of the cap hit that you can't. So you trade Micheline marner. Don't trade willy
Of course the core want to stay, they make millions and are golfing by early May.
Edit the country club Maple Leafs are back.
So many Leafs aren't coming back next season…
I’m confused???
Why is Mathews a top player ? When you look at the stats he’s not even close to other players in goals assists points plus minus….
Its still the same right from the Harold Ballard days,the Arena is always sold out,so who cares.There making big bucks.
Dubas could possibly get a 3 year contract over from the leafs than Matthews gets offered 13 million for 3 to 4 years. Will Tavares loose the C and go to Matthews that's the big question?
Canadian media is such a joke. Mad about losing to a team 19 pts below the Lafs in the standings.. not taking into account they were the best team in the league last year adjusting to a trade and were almost unbeatable after the all star break and took out the Bruins who were the best team in NHL history, something the Lafs couldn't do with unlimited trys… they were lucky to win a game
Dubas playing the deflection BOO HOO Boo Hoo game, using his family as a shield for his failure, what a crock. If MLSE offer him a contarct he would be back in a heart beat
Keep Matthews ……get rid of the millionaires Marner and Tavares before he gets to old, have a fire sale for couple Knies clones
We all got families. Dubas is paid to do a job. He should have fixed his mistakes from prev years
Of course Matthews wants to come back….he gets paid ridiculous to do NOTHING…😮 Send Marner to my sens will take him in a heartbeat
Id take a Dubas another chance over Marber on this team. Marner has to go. Idgaf if he from Leaf land, his contract negotiations never acted like it. That guy gets punched by Tkatchuk and doesnt do nothing to show bite, he looks at the ref…that guy is a joke. Trade him. Matthews too if need be. Cap space seems to be worth more when they are around.
hockey at the nhl level is not just all bout skills, skills is not enough..the leafs got exposed the panthers why??? because we all know that the leafs has more skilled players than the panthers. skills can only get you so far. the playoff is a whole different beast, you need grit and toughness to go along with your skills. the leafs got pushed around by the panthers simple as that.
There's something toxic in this team.
Dubas' boo-hooing how his poor family is "affected" by the Leafs annual playoff implosion? I've done three deployments. Don't talk to me about "time lost" or "the effect on your family".
You absolutely need a better goalie and less age on “D”
They lost, get over it. Next year, don't have high expectations of them and you won't be so disappointed.
Kyper didn't think Habs would win even one game vs. Leafs, when Habs took it in 7, 2 years ago LOL. So much fun to see Habs humiliate them and make it to the Finals after that!
kyper is so salty man lol. the new o-dog or whatever.
Keep the 4. But play them differently. Part with Keefe. And hire an experienced NHL coach. Who can play dump and chase. Because dipsey doodle does not work in the playoffs. Put Matthews on the first line with a banger and a forechecker. Ditto line 2 with Marner. Ditto line 3 with Nylander. Ditto line 4 with Tavares. Make roles clear and simple. Leafs have the roster. But they insist on pretty passes off the rush. And they will wait another decade on the sidelines.
A sports organization is a centralized, command and control hierarchy. The Leafs were arguable in disarray and Shanahan appears to have imprinted a strong culture and has enabled moves like bringing in talent at the management, coaching and playing level. He, along with Dubas, have structured a professional minor league feeder system and the loyalty and opportunity extended to their minor league and now NHL coach is honorable. The most successful coaches in the NHL tend to have been around for a while and have brought along a successful ethos that they gained either as a player, previous coach and sometimes both. In the playoffs coaching will naturally go with the guys that got you there.
The run and gun regular season offensive show sells tickets and jerseys and from that perspective the Leafs are thriving. The playoffs are a different beast. The defense appeared to be flat footed and gave up repeated turnovers resulting in Goals. Goaltending wins Cups and virtually everyone with their name engraved on Lord Stanley's hardware benefited from a Goalie who was able to stand on his head for 10-12 weeks in the spring and early summer. So it appears the culture has been established and the organization from a business standpoint is humming.
Professional sports is also about winning. A great culture can be diminished by a group that accepts non performance and losing year after year. For all players, the NHL is big business and big contracts that are paid in full from day 1 to the last day of the regular season ensure that their financial incentives are not aligned with a long and punishing post season. Mathews, Marner and the Connor McDavid's all have their financial security guaranteed regardless of whether they win a playoff round.
Perhaps instead of a relatively nominal playoff bounty offered, The NHL could prorate contracts over 10 months from the opening game to the Cup final. Instead of paying tv money etc directly to teams, they could beef up the playoff pool. For example a player that signs a USD$8m contract becomes eligible for a 25% top up contribution from the NHL. The now USD$10m contract is prorated over 10 months (Sept-June) but the player only earns the back end of the contract if he is still alive in the playoffs and payments stop when teams are eliminated. This financially aligns players with a winning playoff outcome. The big contract owners proportionally earn more but even the grinders who have smaller contracts have a chance to massively improve their earnings.
So changes to the Leafs are required.
#1 priority IMHO is goaltending. The young guy Woll looked good when called upon and might have the secret sauce but Samsonov was often caught out of position and gave up too many weak goals. Move Samsonov
Defense was outmatched with both Florida opponents and the Leafs need their Coffey, Leetch, Lidstrom anchors to transition up ice without turnovers. Emphasis on a combination of speed and nastiness.
In terms of trade bait up front I think you need to shake things up. Not necessarily wholesale changes but certainly a blockbuster with at least one of Tavares, Marner or Mathews needing to go. A Losing attitude is a virus that needs to be cut out. Edmonton went all in this year and are also out in the 2nd round to Vegas so perhaps there is a blockbuster McDavid and or Draissaitl for Mathews and or Marner. An explosive move that could shake up both rosters. Another move is Mathews and Samsonov for the #1 pick with Chicago. Grab a potential generational talent and clear cap space.
Is a coaching change warranted? Perhaps. Keep in mind NHL coaches earn their chops through experience and just blowing the coach out does not change a losing culture. And it could be positive but only if a world class guy is ready to step in. Joel Quenneville comes to mind. He took a bullet for what happened in Chicago but is a proven winner.
Also add a McSorley, Semenko type that offers the snipers a little more room to operate.
Thoughts?
trade Keefe and AM to Arizona for Barry Trotz and as much as you can get.
I think Matthew's should put down his moms purse and start checking with his shoulders instead of his ass.
Leafs dont care they get paid millions
Kip u were a player ur wrong u can't trade them off but Mathews is not a 13 million dollar player Mc David is a all around player and the best in the league
Lots of low life trolls on this video, sad.
Dubas Keefe NEED to go. Matthew should go to LA. Marner should go to the Oilers. Then get all new pieces
All leafs fans are upset that they lost by a panthers but can’t admit we’re a good team. The excuse is always “The second wild card” just admit that they’re good and stop making excuses
Nylander is the one guy who has to stay. Very talented player, scores big goals.
Matthews is gone. Relieve some cap and he just cant play playoff hockey in Toronto. Keep Chilly Willy, only one of the core 4 that can play playoffs.
To Luke’s point about Matthews wearing all Leafs gear, all the top players were actually wearing Leafs gear. Matthews had the hoodie + hat, Tavares hoodie + hat, Marner hoodie, Nylander hoodie, Rielly hoodie. Ironically, it was everyone else outside those core players that were wearing their street clothes.
I hope the laffs do nothing, keep Dubas, keep the core, keep Keefe, keep the zamboni driver…the futility will continue…the ROC loves it.
While you're throwing out the trash ….
Nic Kypreos must be fondly rememberibg when Pat Burns called Peter Zezel fat with all this talk of nicety and inclusivity
Tavares needs to go he is not a captain who can raise this team
Trade #88 to the Rangers for #13?