[Signing] Maple Leafs re-sign Jake Muzzin

[Ghostsof1915 32,228]

Wow.

Just Wow. 

They could simply have traded Matthews to Arizona for Hall and Ekman-Larsson.

Moved Nylander for a 1st and prospects to a team with Cap Room.

And have the money to resign Hall, and have some actual depth.

 

But Dubas, gotta Dubas. 

[Bitter Melon 3,332]

16 hours ago, The_Rocket said:

That’s uh, quite steep. Just turned 31, average offensively, skating already slowing down. 
 

I get he a good defenseman but that’s a lot of money per year for a LHD when you have no RH options 

I think its a perfect deal. He got the Toronto Special: Overpayment.

[Canadian 348]

They’re going to miss the playoffs, and need to trade one or two of their big forward pieces. They should trade Matthews and Nylander at the very least for two more top top 4 defensemen and/or a better goalie along with prospects.

 

The second they brought Tavares in at his cap, set them back a couple years because they have no depth. If they trade one or two high end forwards for quality defense and goalie, and have some cheaper young talent, they would be way better off.

[Monty 13,545]

Muzzin has good numbers and, when a team is gelling and actually smart defensively, he also had a very good Corsi (see: LA’s good years). 
 

He’s easily worth this money, and the Leafs extending him was not only a smart use of cap, but also a needed one. You don’t let a guy like that go.

 

The problem for them now is they need to deal from a position of strength. Either trade Matthews or Marner (obviously not ideal), but then get way better defensively.

 

But they won’t do this as long as Dubas is still the GM.

[khay 3,599]

I honestly think it was a mistake to sign Tavares.

 

The last thing they needed was another top end center with Matthews just beginning his career and Kadri being an effective second line center, sort of like poor man's Kesler.

 

They could have signed an extra top 6 winger or two really good middle six forwards, or fit in another high quality defenceman with that money.

 

If I'm Dubas, I'd look to trade Tavares but he has NMC so it's going to be tough. 

 

[Monty 13,545]

34 minutes ago, khay said:

I honestly think it was a mistake to sign Tavares.

I’d agree with this, but only to the money doled out to him. Center depth is a necessity. The problem is the cap hits combined. Having two top centers is needed, but not at a combined cap of $22M+.

[Monty 13,545]

6 hours ago, khay said:

If I'm Dubas, I'd look to trade Tavares but he has NMC so it's going to be tough. 

I think, if I’m correct, the way the contract is structured, aside from the NMC, is more the problem, because it’s structured as a signing bonus. His remaining years he’s paid $910k per year in actual pay (bi weekly payouts), but paid the remaining as a signing bonus at the beginning of each season. I was listening to TSN1050 a few months ago, and they said that they couldn’t move Tavares, even if they tried. No other team wants to pay their players out at the beginning of each season.

 

Brilliant move, Dubas  

[khay 3,599]

15 minutes ago, Monty said:

I’d agree with this, but only to the money doled out to him. Center depth is a necessity. The problem is the cap hits combined. Having two top centers is needed, but not at a combined cap of $22M+.

Right and that's what I meant, not that two quality centers aren't needed.

 

At 22M+, it's a luxury. I think they would have been fine with Matthews + Kadri at 16-17M.

[ruilin96 5,782]

13 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Wow.

Just Wow. 

They could simply have traded Matthews to Arizona for Hall and Ekman-Larsson.

Moved Nylander for a 1st and prospects to a team with Cap Room.

And have the money to resign Hall, and have some actual depth.

 

But Dubas, gotta Dubas. 

I still stand bringing in Tavares was the wrong move. AM should be the guy they build around, and they should use that 11.5 million on defense.

[Monty 13,545]

1 hour ago, ruilin96 said:

and they should use that 11.5 million on defense.

Pretty sure Subban and his $9M AAV could be available for next to nothing.  

[D-Money 11,747]

4 hours ago, Monty said:

I think, if I’m correct, the way the contract is structured, aside from the NMC, is more the problem, because it’s structured as a signing bonus. His remaining years he’s paid $910k per year in actual pay (bi weekly payouts), but paid the remaining as as signing bonus at the beginning of each season. I was listening to TSN1050 a few months ago, and they said that they couldn’t move Tavares, even if they tried. No other team wants to pay their players out at the beginning of each season.

 

Brilliant move, Dubas  

[D-Money 11,747]

5 hours ago, Monty said:

I’d agree with this, but only to the money doled out to him. Center depth is a necessity. The problem is the cap hits combined. Having two top centers is needed, but not at a combined cap of $22M+.

It could have worked...had they not also kept 2 wingers at a combined cap of $18.5M+.

 

If Tavares and Matthews are worth their salaries, they should be able to prop up more affordable wingers and still be effective, leaving more money for the defense.

[King Heffy 27,284]

6 hours ago, D-Money said:

It could have worked...had they not also kept 2 wingers at a combined cap of $18.5M+.

 

If Tavares and Matthews are worth their salaries, they should be able to prop up more affordable wingers and still be effective, leaving more money for the defense.

They managed to prop Nylander up despite him being one of the laziest floaters in the history of the league.

[Alflives 33,529]

35 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

They managed to prop Nylander up despite him being one of the laziest floaters in the history of the league.

Second coming of Inge Hammarstrom? 

[aGENT 33,033]

Couldn't be happening to a better team 

 

 

[Jimmy McGill 39,840]

34 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Couldn't be happening to a better team 

 

 

I kept tweeting to Dube "Benn for a 2nd.... Benn for a 2nd" but he just gave me the cold shoulder. 

[aGENT 33,033]

4 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I kept tweeting to Dube "Benn for a 2nd.... Benn for a 2nd" but he just gave me the cold shoulder. 

[Jimmy McGill 39,840]

Just now, aGENT said:

100%, because then I won't have to hope the Bruins win a round. 

[aGENT 33,033]

Just now, Jimmy McGill said:

100%, because then I won't have to hope the Bruins win a round. 

I've got a few Bruins in fantasy though, so I'm ok with them going a couple rounds. I've also got a few Panthers  

[rekker 9,238]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

Couldn't be happening to a better team 

 

 

Of course! Dubas is a genius. Good grief. Maybe he should catch crap for only having one or two quality dmen on that roster to begin with. Frig, reports like this are why I detest the Leafs.

Edited February 26, 2020 by rekker