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

[LeafGm]

I will say this one thing, not to put a damper on all the positives lately, but we have to see what Matty does from here on out.

Is he just Marner part deux, and stuck because he had more term left, and has similar bullshit crybaby nonsense that defines him, or does he step up from here and become a true captain, who is all in on the team, says he wants to be here for his career, signs the next extension without drama, takes his game up a notch in the playoffs, and starts to smile a bit when he's on the ice.

Because, not gonna lie, I have definite concerns about him after this past season and summer, and I really am going to be optimistic about him impressing us in every aspect of his role here now. I hope he doesn't let me down.

He hasn't been bad in the playoffs by any means, but just for once I'm dying to see him show that he has it in him to go on a 69-goal Auston Matthews-style heater for the duration of a playoff run. Especially if the team plays to his strengths in terms of their coaching & gameplay and gives him some more offensive support. That'd be the ticket to him truly becoming a legend here. At the end of the day, Doug Gilmour scoring at a 137 & 127 point pace in back-to-back deep playoff runs is why he's still beloved 30+ years later.

 

[LeafOfFaith]

We’re gonna find out in the next 1- 2 years