trujaysfan
Well-known member
You have 0 incentive to tank without your own 1st round pick the next 2 years.
The Official 2026 Off-Season Thread: Revenge of the Nerds
- Thread starter MindzEye
- Start date
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
This is mostly where I'm at with it as well. I think there's a style of play aspect in there as well. He's publicly spoken about needing a better puck moving blueline. He clearly wants to get back to being a team trying to score buckets of goals.
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
He doesn't say the stuff he says at the outset of his final press comments about loving being captain of the Leafs and all that, if he hates it and wants to go.
He wants to stay, but he wants the ship to be righted because this was easily the worst season of his career. Injuries. Didn't crack 30 goals. Marner gone. Berube grinding them to death and squeezing the fun out of the sport for both players and fans alike. Injured to end the season with all the drama about nobody stepping up for him. I said several times during the season that he looked miserable, and it was because he was. They will fix it and he'll be fine.
The only question is, would it actually be in the team's best interest outside of what he wants to trade him at this juncture. I don't think so, not at his lowest, with all this drama in the air, and two years left. Turn things around with the gift that is McKenna and cap space and free agency and make him happy and healthy again.
He wants to stay, but he wants the ship to be righted because this was easily the worst season of his career. Injuries. Didn't crack 30 goals. Marner gone. Berube grinding them to death and squeezing the fun out of the sport for both players and fans alike. Injured to end the season with all the drama about nobody stepping up for him. I said several times during the season that he looked miserable, and it was because he was. They will fix it and he'll be fine.
The only question is, would it actually be in the team's best interest outside of what he wants to trade him at this juncture. I don't think so, not at his lowest, with all this drama in the air, and two years left. Turn things around with the gift that is McKenna and cap space and free agency and make him happy and healthy again.
LeafGm
Well-known member
I'll be surprised if this whole Matthews situation isn't anything more than the standard meeting you'd expect between new management and a franchise player/captain. And he'll want to know what's going to happen with coaching, what the direction of the team is, what style they're going to play, if they plan to keep trying to win now and how, etc. But I doubt a trade request is even being considered.
Of course if he does ask for a trade, then trade him this off-season. Same goes if he indicates after July 1st, 2027 (when he's eligible to sign an extension) that he's not willing to re-sign before the final year of his deal starts.
Of course if he does ask for a trade, then trade him this off-season. Same goes if he indicates after July 1st, 2027 (when he's eligible to sign an extension) that he's not willing to re-sign before the final year of his deal starts.
LeafGm
Well-known member
No. I think if you move him, it's not without getting at least one very high-end young roster player in return as part of the deal.
The Kings will only be a suitor for Matthews if he hits the free agent market. They don't have the assets to trade for him. And Utah? Really? Kinda seems like a kid who grew up cheering for the Nordiques going to play for Colorado.
The Sharks would be an interesting suitor. They've got a bucket of interesting young assets (Will Smith, Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson, their 2nd overall pick).
Preston
MBow30 alt account
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Yeah, I don't get Jonas' list of suitors there other than San Jose which makes some sense though their group doesn't really have any post breakout guys other than Will Smith. If we're taking futures here, it would have to be some sort of system crippling event for San Jose. We (or the GM we just hired) isn't really in the position to turn Auston Matthews into a collection of stuff that might kinda replace him in 5 years.
We'd be way better off working with a team like Dallas (who would very much be interested) for Robertson (who they've never really wanted to pay) or Johnston + enough good young stuff to make up the difference. Anaheim would be another team worth talking to, they have a group of young forwards who have all broken out into legit 1st line things, though I think their window would be seen as wide enough at this point that they wouldn't want to overpay.
The only other things that make sense for us would be markets I'm not sure if he would go to. Detroit for Seider, Columbus for Werenski and stuff.
leafman101
Well-known member
UFA's with > 0 rel xG and > 1.5 QoC
1. Anders Lee - 0.72
2. Patrick Kane -0.29
3. Darren Raddysh - 0.17
4. Alex Tuch - 0.08
5. Tmmothy Liljegren -0.06
6. Rasmus Andersson - 0.02
1. Anders Lee - 0.72
2. Patrick Kane -0.29
3. Darren Raddysh - 0.17
4. Alex Tuch - 0.08
5. Tmmothy Liljegren -0.06
6. Rasmus Andersson - 0.02
LeafOfFaith
Well-known member
The biggest complication with trading Matthews in one of these proposals is we'd be decimated at C.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Not going to replace Auston Matthews at C though. If he wants to leave (which I don't think will end up being the case when it all washes out), you're just trying to get back equivalent (or heaven forbid, more) impact to the lineup than he brings by himself. But yeah, given the option you try to get a centre in the deal. Robertson + Hintz, Johnston + whatever. But if Detroit was offering a Moritz Seider centric package, who is the stud #1 we haven't had since fucking Salming, I wouldn't turn up my nose at that for sake of short term problems at centre.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
thehabhater
Some call me Tim
Krystal McKenna, the mother of Penn State men’s hockey’s Gavin McKenna, has been charged with selling or furnishing liquor to minors, according to a criminal docket filed on April 29.
The offense occurred on Jan. 31 in State College, the same date Gavin was charged with felony aggravated assault following an alleged altercation in downtown State College, according to court documents.
Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 3 at 8:30 a.m.
Gavin, the projected No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s NHL draft, ultimately had his felony charge dropped, though a misdemeanor simple assault charge and other summary charges are still ongoing.
