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2025-2026 Off Season Thread - The Rehappening

Preston said:
Every option on the table sucks balls. My favorite one is the least realistic, and that's to sign Marner and trade nylander for a #1 d that likely isn't even available. Even that option sucks balls. So I'll just sit back and bitch about whatever decision they make.
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Why would your favorite one be trading Nylander, the one guy who actually consistently elevates during the playoffs (albeit closeout games mostly like the others)?

That's my least favorite, given that he's also signed for $11.5M through the end of his career.
 
Preston said:
LOF is not gonna believe this one but...

View: https://x.com/nylanderthews/status/1931381121800950048?t=hDsreA4ze1xJCDmFlbc11Q&s=19
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I don't not believe it.

I said the other day, if they're killing it and win the cup again, why would he leave? It's different for a guy who is leaving just any team, but they could potentially be frequent finalists.

Would he possibly want to come? Maybe. Will he? I doubt it. If I had to bet, I think they extend him within a few days after the finals. That's why everyone already lacing up their boots to kick Marner out on July 1, I keep asking, to bring in who? Because I don't believe the Panthers guys will be around. Maybe Marchand, if he wins again now, decides to see if he can be the guy who does it for us and be a Leaf to close out his career.
 
My favorite/most realistic option is using the situation (bad playoff result, media and fans turned on him, and no sexy teams who will pay him his crazy ask) to bring back Marner at a lower price ($12M) long term, bringing back Tavares for as cheap as we can possibly get him to take, signing Knies for $7M, and then ditching the clutter (Kampf, Krok, etc.) and Domi and using the savings to get whichever of the three Panthers makes it to UFA. And if that's somehow Ekblad, remove one of the D (most likely OEL) and creating some more space to make it all happen.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
Why would your favorite one be trading Nylander, the one guy who actually consistently elevates during the playoffs (albeit closeout games mostly like the others)?

That's my least favorite, given that he's also signed for $11.5M through the end of his career.
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I still hate it because yeah I don't like trading Nylander! But he gets the cushy minutes and when he isn't scoring, he can be a useless floater. But yeah he's awesome and that's not why I'd consider trading him.

I'd trade him because he's their only piece that could possibly be part of a package to land something they haven't had for my entire life: a real, legit top 5 or maybe 10 d in the NHL. But yeah those guys are never actually available so it's all hypothetical and contingent on that player being available. Which is another reason why my favorite scenario won't happen. But it's the best option from an asset management perspective, balanced with a "let's change shit up" perspective by far.
 
Preston said:
I still hate it because yeah I don't like trading Nylander! But he gets the cushy minutes and when he isn't scoring, he can be a useless floater. But yeah he's awesome and that's not why I'd consider trading him.

I'd trade him because he's their only piece that could possibly be part of a package to land something they haven't had for my entire life: a real, legit top 5 or maybe 10 d in the NHL. But yeah those guys are never actually available so it's all hypothetical and contingent on that player being available. Which is another reason why my favorite scenario won't happen. But it's the best option from an asset management perspective by far.
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I have this argument with a buddy in my office almost daily. He keeps saying trade Nylander and get a king's ransom for him, keep Marner, because otherwise you're losing Marner for nothing. And I keep saying who cares - you keep Nylander for all the reasons already stated and just use Marner's cap space. And if there's nothing good to use it on, don't tie yourself up in bad contracts, just wait a year to see if McDavid goes UFA.

If we knew things were going to turn out this way, then the trade to have made was Marner a year ago when he wouldn't extend. But we're way past that.
 
Preston said:
You're way too attached to these players
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I don't dispute this.

I can't remember if I made this analogy here before, but I basically see the situation as waiting for a parking spot in a busy mall (the spot being the Cup). If you drive around hoping to just time it right and get lucky to find someone leaving and win a spot that way, great, but it was likely all luck. The better approach is to sit tight and just wait for a spot to open up in front of you. It may take some time, but it will happen. I think if we stick with these guys, it will happen soon. If we ditch it, it'll likely all fall apart.

Either way, it may never happen at all. But I think odds are better to keep the still young superstar and hope it all clicks soon. Again, they did take a big step forward this year. Whether the score in the final game was 6-1 or 2-1 in OT, a loss is still a loss and who gives a shit. We'd all feel a lot better if we lost that way, and I doubt the appetite to blow things up would be anywhere near as strong.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
I don't dispute this.

I can't remember if I made this analogy here before, but I basically see the situation as waiting for a parking spot in a busy mall (the spot being the Cup). If you drive around hoping to just time it right and get lucky to find someone leaving and win a spot that way, great, but it was likely all luck. The better approach is to sit tight and just wait for a spot to open up in front of you. It may take some time, but it will happen. I think if we stick with these guys, it will happen soon. If we ditch it, it'll likely all fall apart.

Either way, it may never happen at all. But I think odds are better to keep the still young superstar and hope it all clicks soon. Again, they did take a big step forward this year. Whether the score in the final game was 6-1 or 2-1 in OT, a loss is still a loss and who gives a shit. We'd all feel a lot better if we lost that way, and I doubt the appetite to blow things up would be anywhere near as strong.
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Buy a truck and make your own spot
 
soco22 said:
Ditto, there is no way to come out of this without management looking bad. We have no trade chips to replace him & UFA class isn’t strong enough to make better use of the $12-14 mill we will save by letting him walk. Likely will spend the money on junk that will fuck with our cap for the next 5-7 years.
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The reason why management can't save themselves from looking bad is because getting rid of Marner was something that should have happened BEFORE his no move kicked in. Once they let the clock run out on that they were his bitches and it was always going to end badly for them.
 
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LeafOfFaith said:
My favorite/most realistic option is using the situation (bad playoff result, media and fans turned on him, and no sexy teams who will pay him his crazy ask) to bring back Marner at a lower price ($12M) long term, bringing back Tavares for as cheap as we can possibly get him to take, signing Knies for $7M, and then ditching the clutter (Kampf, Krok, etc.) and Domi and using the savings to get whichever of the three Panthers makes it to UFA. And if that's somehow Ekblad, remove one of the D (most likely OEL) and creating some more space to make it all happen.
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I love that not only is bringing Mitch back realistic to you, but it's at a lower price.

Dude is getting a bag
 
MyNameIsJonas said:
I love that not only is bringing Mitch back realistic to you, but it's at a lower price.

Dude is getting a bag
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If he wants the bag, it's there for him from the likes of SJ or Anaheim.

I don't believe the extra money will be worth it to him to leave for that shit.

If he wants to stay, it will be at a lower number. Tavares decided to forego posturing - he knows that he needs to accept a very undermarket deal in order to close out as a Leaf. Marner will have to arrive at a similar conclusion when he sees what the options are, because he's not going to break $13M here.

But it's unclear if the Leafs want him at any amount right now. Like I said before, I think Tre is waiting to see what happens with the Florida UFAs and, rightly or wrongly, if he can get two of them instead, he'll do that. If they extend in FL or don't want to come to TO, then I think he will revisit Marner and use all the leverage against him, and Marner will have to decide what's more important - Leaf for the rest of his career or a few extra dollars to go to a far less desirable situation.

It'll be similar to the prior Willy contract where Dubas put him in a corner and made him decide if he will sit the year or sign. With Marner, it'll be leave the team forever or sign. Again, if it even gets there.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
If he wants the bag, it's there for him from the likes of SJ or Anaheim.

I don't believe the extra money will be worth it to him to leave for that shit.

If he wants to stay, it will be at a lower number. Tavares decided to forego posturing - he knows that he needs to accept a very undermarket deal in order to close out as a Leaf. Marner will have to arrive at a similar conclusion when he sees what the options are, because he's not going to break $13M here.

But it's unclear if the Leafs want him at any amount right now. Like I said before, I think Tre is waiting to see what happens with the Florida UFAs and, rightly or wrongly, if he can get two of them instead, he'll do that. If they extend in FL or don't want to come to TO, then I think he will revisit Marner and use all the leverage against him, and Marner will have to decide what's more important - Leaf for the rest of his career or a few extra dollars to go to a far less desirable situation.

It'll be similar to the prior Willy contract where Dubas put him in a corner and made him decide if he will sit the year or sign. With Marner, it'll be leave the team forever or sign. Again, if it even gets there.
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Like im not trying to get into it with you, honest, but it's really wild to me that you dont see Marner for who he likely is.
 
LeafOfFaith said:
You realize you don’t actually know your position to be factual or correct, hence the “likely” you threw in there?
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Well yeah, i tend to be careful with my language. No one knows for sure, but i would suggest my hypothesis of him is much much more likely to be correct than yours. We have enough info and guesswork to know who the Marner's are.
 
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