[Signing] Leafs sign Tavares (7 yrs, $11mil AAV)

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by simmer2

11M per year for 7 years is a sweetheart contract?

he no doubt left millions on table. yes.

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I'm not sure this works out at the end of the day as I think it's going to cause problems with Matthews who already isn't a fan of the head coach. If Matthews isn't happy about being on the 2nd powerplay unit I can't imagine he's going to be thrilled about being the 2nd line centre which he will be as Babckock will ride Tavares. Everyone will say the right things going into training camp but I think it's a story to watch.

Being on the 2nd PP unit behind Tyler Bozak? Yeah, if I'm Matthews I'd be a little pissed. Behind Tavares is at least understandable. The only reason that 1st unit was so great was because of Marner though. You watch, JVR's PP goals are gonna drop huge now that he doesn't have Marner feeding him.

And I think Matthews was more pissed about being saddled with Hyman and Brown in the playoffs. I like Brown but he is a 3rd line grinder with a little offensive ability and should not be on that line. Now Matthews and Nylander and Hyman get to play together full time as a 2nd line (so easier QOC). I think it was tough for 3 sophmores to always be keyed in on by the opposition.

If possible the Leafs need to sign Marner and Matthews this offseason though. Marner with Tavares is going to be insane. Look what he did with JVR and Bozak. He is going to put up a lot of points I think.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

Being on the 2nd PP unit behind Tyler Bozak? Yeah, if I'm Matthews I'd be a little pissed. Behind Tavares is at least understandable. The only reason that 1st unit was so great was because of Marner though. You watch, JVR's PP goals are gonna drop huge now that he doesn't have Marner feeding him.

And I think Matthews was more pissed about being saddled with Hyman and Brown in the playoffs. I like Brown but he is a 3rd line grinder with a little offensive ability and should not be on that line. Now Matthews and Nylander and Hyman get to play together full time as a 2nd line (so easier QOC). I think it was tough for 3 sophmores to always be keyed in on by the opposition.

If possible the Leafs need to sign Marner and Matthews this offseason though. Marner with Tavares is going to be insane. Look what he did with JVR and Bozak. He is going to put up a lot of points I think.

Matthews is an alpha player and I'm simply not sure he's going to be happy playing 2nd fiddle long term to Tavares. That said they should be pretty good offensively next season but it's a real shame about that defense.

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Matthews is an alpha player and I'm simply not sure he's going to be happy playing 2nd fiddle long term to Tavares. That said they should be pretty good offensively next season but it's a real shame about that defense.

I don't know. Malkin and Crosby seem to be fine. I don't think Matthews is some diva.

Defense we will see. I wouldn't say it's a real shame. 2 50 point Dman is ok in my books. Dermott is great. Win every game 6-5 like they did in October last year. It sure was fun to watch.

[jlh2640]

Huge signing, love JT but I hate the Leafs. Too bad they aint got anyone to play defence

[Calgary4LIfe]

Tavares and Marner seem like a good fit together, but until they play, you just don't know for sure. They might clash, or just not be that strong of a pairing. Tavares has a long record of making decent players great, but maybe he isn't used to playing with a great player himself?



A good example is when the Blues brought in Gretzky - the NHL's greatest playmaker - to play with the NHL's best goal scorer in Hull. How did that work out? It didn't last very long, and it wasn't awful, but it wasn't even close to being Hull and Oates.


I hate to say it, as I hate the Leafs, but this makes them a whole lot closer to being an NHL contender. I still maintain that with that defence, they won't be. Don't tell me about "Pittsburgh did it" and so on - Pittsburgh is a veteran team with Crosby leading the way as a 2-way player. The Leafs are NOT Pittsburgh.


However, finding competent enough defencemen to make a good run at the cup will be easier than trying to find a franchise elite center.



Do I ever hate the Leafs. The amount of news about that franchise that is forced down our throats is nauseating enough already.

[browna]

I agree with this probably being an issue at some level with Matthews. If nothing else, an issue when thenprodding Toronto media continues to bring it up.

You’ve already seen the press dissect his relationship with the coach, now add in a player with a higher profile level, and Matthews gruffness when it comes to answering these questions won’t sit well with the media types as it relates to how Matthews perceives the shiny new toy in JT.

With so many media in Toronto, angles are created simply because someone is trying to get ahead of the rest of the media pack (ie calling parents of players for their medical prognosis). With Matthews not being a good interview at all with his style on answering, I can see the shine coming off his star sooner than later as he gets annoyed with the questions that are forthcoming.

[PlayfulGenius]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Matthews is an alpha player and I'm simply not sure he's going to be happy playing 2nd fiddle long term to Tavares. That said they should be pretty good offensively next season but it's a real shame about that defense.

He won't be playing behind Tavares in a season or 2, I'd wager

Tavares is great, and he'll be the 2nd line centre for the majority of this contract.

He'll be #1 now, of course.

[Timbo]

I never have hated the Leafs so this trade will pique my interest in them even more.
However the Flames will crush them, or so says my inner homer voice.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Matthews is an alpha player and I'm simply not sure he's going to be happy playing 2nd fiddle long term to Tavares. That said they should be pretty good offensively next season but it's a real shame about that defense.

Every single player in the NHL are "alpha" players or they wouldn't be there.

Just a silly take.

[Dion]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1013468844034179072

[getbak]

Poor kid grew up a fan of both the Leafs and the Star Wars prequels.

[Pizza]

Originally Posted by Dion

https://twitter.com/user/status/1013468844034179072

um yeah, I take it you don't read the thread you post in

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1013468844034179072

[Dajazz]

If anything this will make Matthew even better by learning by an elite veteran player. This is a good signing, anyone saying something else is just sour grapes. I doubt there is a (sane) Flames fan that would not take this contract - you just make it work.

[calgarywinning]

The clear reason for this twitter repost is the Flames organization failed to offer JT a ride in a Naboo Star Wars prequel fighter.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

he no doubt left millions on table. yes.

Sure but it's still 11M for an 80 point player...not saying I wouldn't do it but eventually it's poor value.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by Corral

They will sort it out.

What does seem apparent is that the landscape in the NHL has shifted with these new monster contracts for top players. Teams like Calgary could pay these dollars, but players who can earn $10 mil plus will choose to play elsewhere to enjoy their money. The so-called 'small market' syndrome is back, where teams like Calgary have to put it all together and win with their star players before they qualify for UFA status (e.g. the current Gaudreau and Monahan deals). But this time, the small market problem won't be solved with a salary cap.

This is simply not true. A fair number of free agents signed with smaller-midsize markets(etc. St. Louis, Calgary) in the last couple of days. It is primarily about money and the desire by most players to win the Stanley Cup. The actual location would probably be third on the list.

Taveras specifically is a perfect fit in Toronto, he fits in as a 90s Yzerman for the Leafs who needed a captain to lead the ship. The Islanders are missing a lot more pieces and are still probably a few years away from contending despite the fact that Long Island is am amazing location and far more attractive then Toronto.

Its different from the NBA in that regard. I would agree though that if the cap continues to get higher we will be back at the pre-cap days. We are not there yet.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by PlayfulGenius

He won't be playing behind Tavares in a season or 2, I'd wager

Tavares is great, and he'll be the 2nd line centre for the majority of this contract.

He'll be #1 now, of course.

He's 27 years old. You think his game is going to decline before he's even 30 to the point that he can no longer carry a 1st line? Lets not forget Babcock is the head coach here and he's a guy that plays games with players he's not a fan of (Hudler for example). If Matthews pouts or doesn't jump when he says "jump", you can bet that Babcock will not go out of his way to put him ahead of Tavares.

I think the Leafs have a window where this will work but this will not be a Crosby/Malkin situation where long term Matthews is happy to be #2.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Haha what?

More like they ####ed him and wasted the best years of his career fumbling around with an idiot as their GM.

Originally Posted by Nsd1

Nah, they wasted his talent up until now. They deserve this.

I have looked into the future and found that these are the exact same posts word for word in made in the year 2026 when McDavid has enough of the Oilers and jumps ship as a UFA.

Word. For. Word.

[Corral]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

This is simply not true. A fair number of free agents signed with smaller-midsize markets(etc. St. Louis, Calgary) in the last couple of days. It is primarily about money and the desire by most players to win the Stanley Cup. The actual location would probably be third on the list.

Taveras specifically is a perfect fit in Toronto, he fits in as a 90s Yzerman for the Leafs who needed a captain to lead the ship. The Islanders are missing a lot more pieces and are still probably a few years away from contending despite the fact that Long Island is am amazing location and far more attractive then Toronto.

Its different from the NBA in that regard. I would agree though that if the cap continues to get higher we will be back at the pre-cap days. We are not there yet.

Well i hope you are right. Just to be clear, i am talking about top notch free agents - not all of them. Yeah maybe the cap needs to get a bit higher before this happens. Its good to see James Neal decide to come here today.