It’s not back-toold-school time
As much as I’d like to see Mitch Marner signed at the right price — around $10 million (U.S.) long term; closer to $8 million short term) — another stalemate that drags into the season should be completely unacceptable from management’s perspective. It ties Kyle Dubas’s hands for any other player moves and they end up with a compromised asset struggling to get up to speed for the majority of the season. Is the kidglove approach we’ve seen to date really necessary? What’s wrong with taking a firm stand with Marner’s camp? William Nylander’s holdout seriously hampered the team last season and no one wants to see a replay of that. Is this negotiating strategy too old-school for the delicate egos of today’s modern player? — Dave in Kelowna There’s lots of RFAs unsigned. This is the reality. No one is getting traded. (The Leafs, by the way, went 20-8 or something without Nylander, so it’s not like they suffered without him.) Let’s all take a deep breath, walk away from the edge and let the players earn what both sides ultimately agree they’re worth. What if Marner holds out like Nylander and the team has to adjust? Can the Leafs still make the playoffs? His absence really waters down the offence. — Peter in New York. If Marner stays out until Dec. 1 — and, remember, we don’t know if Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott will be ready, either — the Leafs’ road to the playoffs will be tougher. Montreal, Florida and Buffalo got better. Tampa Bay and Boston are still Tampa Bay and Boston. Points will be harder to get. What in the world is going on here. Nick Kypreos leaves, then Doug MacLean leaves. I just don’t buy that Nick Kypreos, who loves his job at Sportsnet Lite (as I may call the sports network now), would walk away because he wants to go on to other “things.” — Jeff M. It’s called cost-cutting. It’s happening all over the media world. I would like to know what happens to a team that is over the cap. Also, when are the owners and GMs going to grow some backbone and tell the players that there is no more, so take it or sit out the season? The fans are getting tired of all the unsigned players. — A.C. Kavanagh Simply put, teams are not allowed go over the cap. It is policed daily. If a team faces an “over” situation,a player (or two) must be moved.
And no GM wants to ruin his relationship with a player with a take-it-or-leave-it approach. The days of Punch Imlach tactics are gone. I’m curious as to what the Leafs’ lineup is going to look like this season. — Ken W. Here’s my Leafs (all healthy and signed) depth chart ...
Forwards: Zach Hyman-John Tavares-Mitch Marner; Ilya Mikheyev-Auston MatthewsWilliam Nylander; Andreas Johnsson-Alexander KerfootKasperi Kapanen; Jason Spezza-Frederik Gauthier-Trevor Moore.
Defence: Morgan Rielly-Cody Ceci; Jake Muzzin-Tyson Barrie; Travis Dermott-Ben Harpur.
Goal: Frederik Andersen; Michael Hutchinson.