It's not happening as quick as you like, but you can't constantly change a roster over and over and expect different results in the playoffs. Players need time to mature, mesh, and grow from prior experiences. Ovechkin won a cup after 13 years in the league. McDavid and Draisaitl are still chasing it, it's not always quick like Chicago and Pittsburgh.
You won't get fair value for any of the core 4 in a trade, Matthews wants to stay, Nylander wants to stay. A lot of teams didn't make it as far as they would've liked (COL, EDM, NYR) yet they won't be making the extreme moves everyone wants the Leafs to make.
Whether you blame Dubas or not, he is working a job a lot of users on this site DREAM to obtain and yet, he's debating stepping away because he's stressed out and mentally drained. You can't say he doesn't care or doesn't want to win. That guy is an elite GM in this league.
The players underperformed, absolutely, but you won't find any better options via trade, I can promise you that.
You know what the beauty of this situation is? Even if this team craps the bed this season, however unlikely that is, Nylander, Brodie, Matthews, and Lafferty are all pending UFAs and you could recoup ALL the draft picks you traded away these past 2-3 years in one deadline. Yes, that means a "rebuild" or "retool" whatever you want to call it. But at least you're getting a greater return that will help the team long term.
Thing is..they're going to make the playoffs, so the recouping assets isn't a factor.
Thing about all the teams you mentioned is that they didn't have half the salary cap locked up in 4 players. The $$ were more spread throughout the lineup. How long do you roll out the same lineup and see them go out the same way? You've got enough proof that the concept doesn't work.
Thing is..they're going to make the playoffs, so the recouping assets isn't a factor.
Thing about all the teams you mentioned is that they didn't have half the salary cap locked up in 4 players. The $$ were more spread throughout the lineup. How long do you roll out the same lineup and see them go out the same way? You've got enough proof that the concept doesn't work.
Edmonton has $36M in Nurse, McDavid, Ekholm and Draisaitl. COL is about to have $40M in Nichushkin, Rantanen, Mackinnon and Makar. NYR have $38M in Trouba, Zibanejad, Panarin, and Fox.
If the Leafs decide to move somebody in the core 4, they'll be significantly worse next season. At that point you might as well rebuild around Knies/Liljegren/Woll because you'll just be wasting the prime years of whoever isn't traded.
Edmonton has $36M in Nurse, McDavid, Ekholm and Draisaitl. COL is about to have $40M in Nichushkin, Rantanen, Mackinnon and Makar. NYR have $38M in Trouba, Zibanejad, Panarin, and Fox.
If the Leafs decide to move somebody in the core 4, they'll be significantly worse next season. At that point you might as well rebuild around Knies/Liljegren/Woll because you'll just be wasting the prime years of whoever isn't traded.
Edmonton hasn't won anything. Neither have New York.
Colorado won before the MacKinnon extension. Toronto have just been failing longer with the same players. Surely you have yo switch it up. Theyve rolled over with no fight year after year. Regardless who the supporting cast is.
You're waisting their primes now.
Edmonton hasn't won anything. Neither have New York.
Colorado won before the MacKinnon extension. Toronto have just been failing longer with the same players. Surely you have yo switch it up. Theyve rolled over with no fight year after year. Regardless who the supporting cast is.
You're waisting their primes now.
They still have lots of years though. If your argument is the 40M to 4 fwds issue, then just wait a couple years for Tavares to be gone. Willy, Mitch, and Auston will still have many good years. Maybe not as many as we wanted, but still a good and long chance to win a cup.
Funny enough, I think the worst thing that happened to our team was being too good too early. Had we not made the playoffs for the first 2 years of the Matthews era, the expectations of the team to win every year (even though the kids weren’t ready until last year) and “trade the core” narrative wouldn’t exist. We’d probably have a shot at a true #1 d man, too.
McDavid, Connor
250 000 $)
Hammerwise a aimé ceci.
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