Leafs Talk

11 Jul 2026 14:34:05
@kingmatty On the long post on the rumours side. You mentioned about the CB expiring in September. The one that kicks in them is in effect until 2030. So owners and players association have 4 years to address some of these issues we have all pointed out of late. Hopefully sanity prevails. But I won’t hold my breath on it.

11 Jul 2026 13:43:52
Didn’t know that, my bad.

11 Jul 2026 13:53:45
For the most part, still works w my theory of building pics and prospects now. I think getting ahead of this is just good business.

And ya, the NHL and NHLPA gotta solve this offer sheet drama sooner than later.

How does a GM honestly make a 1-5 year game plan right now? This is where having multiple options is the key go’n forward.

11 Jul 2026 14:00:23
Avoiding these ridiculous RFA battles is the way to go (in my opinion). Sooner or later when the NHL and NHLPA solves this those teams who offer these crazy offer sheets will have there hand stuck in the cookie jar.

11 Jul 2026 14:32:33
At some point the cap will plateau. Could it be 4 years from now who knows? But that is when team that spend right to the cap each year will be in trouble. One immediate thing the league for that next agreement is setting that Salary cap (say this year at $104 m) for the highest State we won’t bring provinces in at this time. California is 13% so that affects 3 teams. We all know about the tax free states and then it goes all over with Ohio being the lowest at 2.75%. I think it is time the league evened the playing field.

Bring the cap down in every state to be equivalent for take home pay for players at end of the day. I can guarantee if that was the case thise tax free teams would not appear as often on every players list to be traded or sign as a free agent. This is long overdue in my opinion. The idea the cap is a level playing field for all is an illusion. Seattle will figure that out fast after Jan. 28 going from tax free to 9.9% Milllionaires tax.

11 Jul 2026 14:50:17
Oh! That will definitely be discussed and I sooooo back your point 👊.

It’s gotta be fair for All teams.

10 Jul 2026 04:57:44
So with Chayka's axe falling on so many employees today and some good ones. I am starting to raise a few eyebrows and seeing what some others saw and talked about when he was first hired. He had a reputation of being a big sneaky which has been already documented. But I thought it was very nasty that he fired Mark Leach who is a bit of a legend in scouting. He had huge input in Detroit drafting some crazy good players and there was a reason Jim Nill took him to Dallas when he left Detroit and his track record there to find and push players on management was crazy good there as well. This year was a no brainer with the First pick, but he drafted extremely well through the rest of the draft from all accounts of very knowledgeable hockey industry people.

Last year was his first year at the Table heading things up for the Leafs. They didn't have a first rounder and only had 6 total picks. Yet he managed to nab Koblar, Hopkins and Nansi with 3 of them. They were with McKenna and Danford, and Holinka the top 6 players at the Development camp. From all accounts Hayley Wickenheiser ran a Great Camp. So the draft is done, the camp is done. "Great job Mark and Hayley... Oh by the way you're fired." Good message to send to all your young prospects.

10 Jul 2026 22:34:49
It’s a business suffering
I think having 78 staff members with s***ty results for year’s tells you something?
I know where I have worked for 24 years now the boss is my age and a good owner but he has made some real tough decisions over time
Is he a jerk?
Perception is he is
But he is also successful at the business
He is very fair and generous in profit sharing and raises et al but is also very results oriented

Bottom line
We have waited years for Leafs success
This Chayka has done a crapload in a short time
I say what’s another two years shaved off my life waiting for that cup?
lol
Just my opinion
I respect yours as well.

10 Jul 2026 23:17:58
I understand some of the firings, some strike me as nepotism.

I would have kept Wickenheiser and Leach. I really liked what they brought.

Whether anyone wants to admit this or not, the Leafs have drafted quite well for the limited picks they have and also developed as well as can be expected without any A prospects.

I know it's easy to say nobody comes through the system, but they don't have any picks.

That has nothing to do with the people that are being let go, it's on the GM's/Shanny.

Knies was not a high pick, but I'm told he's worth more than anyone on this team. Where did that come from? Good drafting and development.

Amirov is the one unknown and that was just a sad story that I don't blame anyone for. As much as I do enjoy crapping on Dubas.

11 Jul 2026 16:46:01
Yeah the Amirov situation was extremely sad.

07 Jul 2026 22:42:48
Daniel Alfredsson a Toronto Maple Leaf!!

😂🤣😂🤣

This will give me soooo much ammo to my extended family that lives in Ottawa

😂🤣😂🤣

Let the 💩 talking begin

😂🤣😂🤣

07 Jul 2026 22:40:19
Over there they are not as upset that Alfie left but Chayka Promoted/signed Gruden so Ottawa would not grab him when Aflfredsson was Signed. It sounds like even Gruden was not aware of this move.

Ottawa would have hired him in a heartbeat to replace Alfie. He and Staios and Andlauer have history together when they had the Hamilton Bulldogs and won the OHL and went to the Memorial Cup in 2028.

07 Jul 2026 23:53:30
Did Steve Sullivan get let go as well?

08 Jul 2026 01:20:29
It’s weird they didn’t say he was part of the staff but also never said he was let go.

08 Jul 2026 09:24:50
The bench now is Sullivan, Alfredsson, Hiller and Gruden. Personally I think it’s a mistake to let go of Lalonde. Our PK was the only thing that was good last year.

08 Jul 2026 10:29:07
The bench doesn't include Sullivan. Maybe he coaches the Marlies, who knows what his future is with the Leafs.

@Goat
A couple years ago the Leafs finished 1st in the Atlantic, but underlining stats were not good. They rode the coattails of elite goaltending.
I think it's the same sort of thing with the PK. They ranked high, but their underlining stats were not good. They punched above their weight class.

08 Jul 2026 10:32:12
Whether you like Dangle or not, this put a smile to my face.

02 Jul 2026 02:22:04
Saw that Porter Martone went to the Flyers Development camp. He was not required at all to go. He wanted to. That is the future Captain of the Flyers right there. Showing Leadership right away in the organization. Cole Beaudoin Utah said had those same kind of qualities in his Combine interviews. He is going to be a good addition to the Rangers in the future and could possibly end up as a captain there someday himself.

Those are the kind of players you want to draft and identify those qualities early. Coaches and players that have been around Ben Danford say the same thing regarding him. That is why I hope they don't trade him away. I really think he could be the new Leader of this team in a few years.

01 Jul 2026 21:51:17
Long post following as a semi analysis. Curious on others thoughts at the end of it.

So.... I am seeing I am not the only person underwhelmed with out returns today. We now have a Wealth of 3rd (Mostly 4th) liners. Sissons, Blueger are not exactly speed demons, Duhaime can fly, Roslovic in a straight line is fast but he is not exactly agile and won't make anyone lose a jockstrap.

Roslovic can be a 20 maybe 25 goal scorer with the right line, but is a total defensive liability so may need protecting on the right line. Sissons,Blueger and Duhaime between them last year got 19 goals in 193 games.

Nick Paul had a down year as he rebounded from off season Wrist Surgery so we will see how he bounces back and if he can get 40 points again he will be a positive add to the 3rd line. My son in law says when he was in Ottawa you could see he would eventually be a player that could put meaningful points up, but he said "When Nick Paul is on the Ice, everyone knows and they keep their head up. He can hit hard and hits clean and doesn't take bad penalties."

Bobrovsky might have 1 or 1 and a half years left in him, so the Term was good on that. And I think he will be comfortable with Stolarz there, but also we know with his age and Stolarz problems A.A will get probably 20 games in this year and Bob won't be a bad tutor to have. Just wish we could have got him at $5m but that would not have happened.

So out of all of those Paul might be the one hidden gem for us in that Trade for Hildeby and the picks. I don't like that he still has a 16 team no trade list but... his contract is not a huge one if he produces. The others.... well I think most of the signings today will either not be at training camp or could be waived or traded as the season starts. Not one has any movement or trade protection and none have contracts longer than 2 years other than Duhaime at 3 years.

My feeling is that we acquired all these players to have some spare parts tp trade some of them in package deals?

If trading some in packages is not the plan.....then looking at the players and looking at the length of contracts and the fact we are now maxed out on Cap.... are Matthews and Nylander looking and saying "You lied to us.... this team is not serious about contending, time to move me out" Is this the start of a rebuild and are these are just rental players while the rebuild begins?

01 Jul 2026 23:34:50
In my opinion the Leafs got better all round, but was it enough to make the playoffs?

02 Jul 2026 00:06:53
I respect your opinion but I don’t see how stocking up our 4 line to ridiculous extremes makes us stronger all around. To me the only very serviceable skater we got was Nick Paul. Roslovic is very unreliable. Bobby McMann could be streaky and go in spurts. Roslovic has a reputation of literally almost gone missing for months not games.

My point is one thing we have needed since last September and we still have not addressed is a high or soon to be e high calibre centreman.

We kept throwing out Knies name in trades for Werenski when we should have been concentrating on a bigger need and that is is get that Centre so we can have JT move to 3rd line to ease his minutes and to give us a stronger 3rd line. Right now we are a team that has a 1st line and a 2nd line and a 4a and a 4b line we are lacking a true productive 3rd line.

02 Jul 2026 00:15:09
Love your passion 👊

02 Jul 2026 00:56:09
I like that they got role players. Not like previous years where they put Maccelli on the 3rd line. I wanted Anders Lee real bad but they were happy getting these mid players, we didn’t really get much tougher either. McEwen probably won’t see any games with the big club so what’s the point of that? Guys will at least have a role next year.

02 Jul 2026 11:57:03
@clarky The league isn’t about toughness. It’s about building a 4 line team. Carolina just won the cup with literally no fighters; he was in the press box. You need guys that can play physical but also not be a total liability. I think the Leafs did ok here.

02 Jul 2026 14:41:17
I wish we offer sheeted Hayton.

02 Jul 2026 16:19:56
You don't see many offer sheets anymore but Sunny Mehta did it out of spite. Apparently Utah had a trade done with New Jersey for someone or some draft capital and backed out at the last minute. So Mehta decided to offer sheet and screw Utah over. If they don't match he gets Hayton, if Utah does match it hurts their cap but because Hayton would be entering his last year before becoming a UFA they can't trade him during that year after resigning him from an offer sheet match.

So if they match they have him for another year and he can walk at the end of it. It will be interesting to watch what happens.

01 Jul 2026 19:43:41
Chayka is still making it hard for me to like him after the Bobrovsky deal.
He hopefully knows something we don’t!
Got some scoring with Roslovic and two blue-collar PK experts with grit and compete skill sets but limited offence.
Too much money for Sissons especially when you see Mikheyev’s deal with TBL.

01 Jul 2026 20:18:27
Agree. Bob is about to be 38, and had a poor season, not a fan.

Sissons is fine, but too much money for sure.

Roslovic is also fine.

Hildeby trade looks like one that haunts us for years.