The Official 2026 Off-Season Thread: Revenge of the Nerds

[Pwner]

Remember, the mediots were all saying that Berube would be back next year before Chayka was hired. And it was reported that Berube had garnered some political power and authority behind the scenes last year under Tre.

Matthews was not taking any chances.

 

[Preston]

I thought it was right after the Chayka Sundin announcement. Like a few days after.

The article came out a day after but he said that he had been "working on it" for awhile

 

[hockeylover]

View: https://x.com/scottcwheeler/status/2059305272313528547?s=20

 

[CH1]

View: https://x.com/theTonyFerrari/status/2059296979121791106?s=20

 

[zeke]

All of it was unnecessary tho. The team played a garbage non nerdy style, favouring anti nerd personnel and deployment

Matthews doesn’t need to play 5D chess. He’s not solving the Middle East crisis.

Just a frank 10 min zoom call with John and Mats. Let’s not pretend coaches who don’t make the playoffs don’t get fired unless some Machiavellian plot is involved

Yep.

The conspiracy theories are dumb. Matthews had no need to send out secret messages. And i doubt he even hates berube tbh.

 

[Cal Gal]

"Hate" might be too strong a word, but so would "like."

 

[hockeylover]

View: https://x.com/LMTake_/status/2059313199908794647?s=20

 

[MyNameIsJonas]

If Chicago ends up with Stenberg, and can go into 2026 with he, Kansterov, Frondell and a full year of Lardis in the top 6 i'd be pretty happy not trading/signing for a F

Stenberg Bedard Bertuzzi
Frondell Nazar Kansterov
Lardis Moore Tuevo

I can squint and see decent/upside

 

[Volcanologist]

how is Chicago ending up with Stenberg again?

 

[LeafGm]

View: https://x.com/scottcwheeler/status/2059305272313528547?s=20

Kind of an interesting dichotomy that as much as Stenberg seems to be the unanimous alternate 1st overall pick of any draft contrarian, there’s also an increasing number of mock drafts that have him dropping out of the top-3 entirely, with the Leafs taking McKenna, San Jose taking a defenseman and Vancouver taking Malhotra.

 

[CH1]

how is Chicago ending up with Stenberg again?

see post below yours

 

[Volcanologist]

see post below yours

mm...I see perhaps one of San Jose or Vancouver possibly passing on Stenberg for a dman, but not both. IMO.

 

[hockeylover]

View: https://x.com/Leafslatest/status/2059325650121425130?s=20

 

[MindzEye]

Trade value will never be higher.

 

[hockeylover]

View: https://x.com/nylanderthews/status/2059334060854411295?s=20

 

[zeke]

View: https://x.com/theTonyFerrari/status/2059296979121791106?s=20

Nice goal.

Keeps him almost on par with the 3 month older Mighty-Luc Koblar

C Koblar 7gms, 5gls, 8pts, +7
W Svenberg 7gms, 4gls, 8pts, +1

 

[LeafGm]

Trade value will never be higher.

What’s the case for trading him, though?

This team isn’t rebuilding, and it needs more PMD, not fewer. And OEL’s contract isn’t bad—signed for his age 35 & 36 seasons at $3.5M.

Seems to me you’d have a very difficult time finding an equivalent or better player for anything close to that cap hit.

 

[zeke]

Nice goal.

Keeps him almost on par with the 3 month older Mighty-Luc Koblar

C Koblar 7gms, 5gls, 8pts, +7
W Svenberg 7gms, 4gls, 8pts, +1

sorry - 2 months older, not 3.

 

[hockeylover]

This isn’t #datadriven (well it might be but I just havent looked) but my eye test wants to at least get rid of Carlo and Benoit + add Raddysh.

 

[MindzEye]

What’s the case for trading him, though?

This team isn’t rebuilding, and it needs more PMD, not fewer. And OEL’s contract isn’t bad—signed for his age 35 & 36 seasons at $3.5M.

Seems to me you’d have a very difficult time finding an equivalent or better player for anything close to that cap hit.

35 and turning around with the assets we get for him to get a potentially better defender would be elite nerd shit?

He's a 35 yr old #4-5 defender, why not sell high and go get someone we might be able to keep around. That same 1st might get us Jordan Spence.