https://thehockeynews.com...1-surgery-seven-year-deal

As long as he is on the plus side of the ledger and a presence on the PK. I can forget about last season. I do not think anyone has ever doubted his heart and warrior presence. He just needs to be a stay home smart no stupid penalty d man.

https://thehockeynews.com...1-surgery-seven-year-deal

As long as he is on the plus side of the ledger and a presence on the PK. I can forget about last season. I do not think anyone has ever doubted his heart and warrior presence. He just needs to be a stay home smart no stupid penalty d man.
- Nfdbulldawg

So Mayfields injury was mismanaged. Can't say I'm surprised.

So Mayfields injury was mismanaged. Can't say I'm surprised.
- PeteM

Based on the information that has been provided you could make a case for mismanagement by the Isles.

https://thehockeynews.com...1-surgery-seven-year-deal

As long as he is on the plus side of the ledger and a presence on the PK. I can forget about last season. I do not think anyone has ever doubted his heart and warrior presence. He just needs to be a stay home smart no stupid penalty d man.
- Nfdbulldawg

To be fair you don’t really have much of a choice. We have him for quite some time. Hope for the best…

So Mayfields injury was mismanaged. Can't say I'm surprised.
- PeteM

Is that what you took from it? I thought it was more of mayfield wanting to push through and play? Maybe I read it wrong.

Is that what you took from it? I thought it was more of mayfield wanting to push through and play? Maybe I read it wrong.
- kindlyrick

Probably a little bit of both. Credit to Mayfield for gutting it out for the team but the front office probably should have shut him down and let him heal in time to get him back at some point.

https://sports.yahoo.com/...-25-starts-140000278.html

Not much to talk about this summer....

https://sports.yahoo.com/islanders-success-2024-25-starts-140000278.html

Not much to talk about this summer....
- JohnScammo

Leafs stripping Tavares of his captaincy. Gonna announce 34 as the new Captain. Interesting.

Is that what you took from it? I thought it was more of mayfield wanting to push through and play? Maybe I read it wrong.
- kindlyrick

I have no doubt that Mayfield wanted to push through and play. But at some point, way before they eventually pulled the plug, he knew he was struggling and the team had to know he was struggling. I can't believe that none of the spare D men in the organization at the time weren't better than Mayfield at 75 or 80%.

Frank Seravalli
@frank_seravalli
#stlblues have tendered offer sheets to both #Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

Edmonton has 7 days to match the offers.

Frank Seravalli
@frank_seravalli
#stlblues have tendered offer sheets to both #Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

Edmonton has 7 days to match the offers.


- eichiefs9

We get two in one day after hearing for years that no GM would ever do it.

We get two in one day after hearing for years that no GM would ever do it.
- JimmyP

They are pretty rare, so it is fun when one happens. It'll be interesting to see if Edmonton matches one, both, or none of the offer sheets though. They're already in a tough spot with the cap and this will only complicate it further. Although it does look like E. Kane is going to be starting the year on LTIR, so that might help their case.

Throwing a curveball to Stan Bowman before he even steps into the batters box though

Plus, as someone on Twitter pointed out, Doug Armstrong has said he's going to retire after 2026 so maybe that factored in to his willingness to do this.

Leafs stripping Tavares of his captaincy. Gonna announce 34 as the new Captain. Interesting.
- kindlyrick

So it turns out that Mr. Pouty, Mr. One-way Game, does not make a good captain???!!! Let me show you my shocked face.

Tell me it is August for hockey fans without telling me it is August for hockey fans.

https://eyesonisles.com/p...rk-islanders-01j55qf0bce0

So it turns out that Mr. Pouty, Mr. One-way Game, does not make a good captain???!!! Let me show you my shocked face.


- JohnScammo

So it turns out that Mr. Pouty, Mr. One-way Game, does not make a good captain???!!! Let me show you my shocked face.


- JohnScammo

Not to get into the whole Snow topic, but his business model was to draft “good character” and there’s been a litany of “nice guys” drafted who didn’t really succeed. Tavares is one of them. His skating was never elite, and yet he’s paid elite money.
The theme of the isles has been taking guys with upside and putting them on the first line hoping they become first liners. Not saying Tavares isn’t a first line guy, but he’s not on the leafs.
Would have been nice to have gotten a return for Tavares (and Okposo) but it is what it is. Happy to see Tavares as one of maybe 2 players of all time to reach 1000 pts and never see the third round. Also nice to see the Leafs opting for an American captain over their prized local Canadian.
I can see Dubas trading for his boy at some point. Birds of a feather…

Not to get into the whole Snow topic, but his business model was to draft “good character” and there’s been a litany of “nice guys” drafted who didn’t really succeed. Tavares is one of them. His skating was never elite, and yet he’s paid elite money.
The theme of the isles has been taking guys with upside and putting them on the first line hoping they become first liners. Not saying Tavares isn’t a first line guy, but he’s not on the leafs.
Would have been nice to have gotten a return for Tavares (and Okposo) but it is what it is. Happy to see Tavares as one of maybe 2 players of all time to reach 1000 pts and never see the third round. Also nice to see the Leafs opting for an American captain over their prized local Canadian.
I can see Dubas trading for his boy at some point. Birds of a feather…
- kindlyrick

If Tavares does end up leaving Toronto after his contract is up (or if he actually waives his NMC and accepts a trade) I have to imagine it's only going to be to a true contender. Probably won't happen while he's under his current contract, but I could very much see him signing with a team that has some cap space next summer, a need at center, and is a true contender. As things stand currently, I would put my money on Dallas. He's a competitive guy and I have to imagine it's eating at him that he's only made it out of the 1st round twice in 15 years.

Tell me it is August for hockey fans without telling me it is August for hockey fans.

https://eyesonisles.com/p...rk-islanders-01j55qf0bce0

- Nfdbulldawg

I'm sure he's dying to waive his NMC to come back to the place that has been trashing him and booing him at every turn

Not to mention he'd have to pick a new number

If Tavares does end up leaving Toronto after his contract is up (or if he actually waives his NMC and accepts a trade) I have to imagine it's only going to be to a true contender. Probably won't happen while he's under his current contract, but I could very much see him signing with a team that has some cap space next summer, a need at center, and is a true contender. As things stand currently, I would put my money on Dallas. He's a competitive guy and I have to imagine it's eating at him that he's only made it out of the 1st round twice in 15 years.
- eichiefs9

Dallas would be a good fit for him, but to twist the plot further, the Rangers would be a comical landing spot.

Dallas would be a good fit for him, but to twist the plot further, the Rangers would be a comical landing spot.
- kindlyrick

Agreed on the Rangers. Their center depth is relatively strong, although I don't have great faith that Chytil can stay healthy. And I'm not totally sold that he'd go and sign with the Islanders biggest rival, but I'm sure that wouldn't be the main factor in his decision making.

If Tavares does end up leaving Toronto after his contract is up (or if he actually waives his NMC and accepts a trade) I have to imagine it's only going to be to a true contender. Probably won't happen while he's under his current contract, but I could very much see him signing with a team that has some cap space next summer, a need at center, and is a true contender. As things stand currently, I would put my money on Dallas. He's a competitive guy and I have to imagine it's eating at him that he's only made it out of the 1st round twice in 15 years.
- eichiefs9

You would think JT would want to leave the Leafs and especially since the captaincy was taken away. JT may not want to leave Toronto though and admit defeat.

You would think JT would want to leave the Leafs and especially since the captaincy was taken away. JT may not want to leave Toronto though and admit defeat.
- ses111

It sure seems like his preference would be to stay, but I would imagine that he would have to take a pretty significant pay cut to do that. And that's assuming the Leafs want to pay to have him back. Even at a 50% pay cut he's still taking up cap space that they could go out and dedicate to rounding out their blueline or figuring out a big upgrade in net.

It sure seems like his preference would be to stay, but I would imagine that he would have to take a pretty significant pay cut to do that. And that's assuming the Leafs want to pay to have him back. Even at a 50% pay cut he's still taking up cap space that they could go out and dedicate to rounding out their blueline or figuring out a big upgrade in net.
- eichiefs9

The Leafs would be dumb enough to want to bring him back. They have not exactly been willing to break up the core.

Tell me it is August for hockey fans without telling me it is August for hockey fans.

https://eyesonisles.com/p...rk-islanders-01j55qf0bce0

- Nfdbulldawg

This ship has sailed and there's no point in bringing him back now. But I still believe that if Tavares had never left, both franchises would have been better off. Toronto would have had the resources to add the high-quality support players they've needed but had to cheap out on, and Tavares would have given the Isles the extra scoring punch they sorely lacked during their short window.

But, since he did leave, Isles fans have to pretend we never needed him and Leafs fans have to pretend he was a masterful addition that made them an elite team.

This ship has sailed and there's no point in bringing him back now. But I still believe that if Tavares had never left, both franchises would have been better off. Toronto would have had the resources to add the high-quality support players they've needed but had to cheap out on, and Tavares would have given the Isles the extra scoring punch they sorely lacked during their short window.

But, since he did leave, Isles fans have to pretend we never needed him and Leafs fans have to pretend he was a masterful addition that made them an elite team.
- UIF

This ship 100% has sailed UIF. Never made sense for Toronto to spend that money on JT when they had Matthews. Leaf fans like to say they did not give anything up for JT. They gave up a ton of Cap room that could have been spend elsewhere. The Leafs were one of the teams that did not need JT. The signing was all emotion and no brains.