NHL 2017 -Official Discussion Thread

[StCapps]

Matty and Willy will get him over the hump, those two are going to launch him into a Marleau-aissance, pretty sure that's why he signed in the end, the chance to play with Auston Matthews and William Nylander, they're big stars already, drawing NHL free agents to them, he chose them, over Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn even.

I don't blame him for wanting to play in Toronto, I blame Toronto for wanting him to play there. Maybe your team is so damn awesome they'll get Marleau over the hump, but I really doubt it, good luck, y'all are going to need it, I don't care how good you are.

[Smitty-48]

Well, whatevs, but with Matty and Willy, I'm betting Patty has a monster year, those two take so much checking with them as they blow around the zone like a storm, and dish the puck so sweetly, I could see him getting in the 35 goal range quite frankly, I mean, hell, Zach Hyman could have had 25 goals with them, if he could put the puck in the ocean that is, Marleau, the consitently strong, veteran two way goal scoring power forward, perfectly compliments the Leafs top line, which, by any standard, is one of the very top lines in the league.

Marleau-Matthews-Nylander? Pretty sure that line will be feared, league wide. And Marleau has 574 career assists, I mean, could Matthews score 50? Doesn't seem that crazy an idea.

The best thing about Marleau tho, and why I support the Leafs taking a chance on him; four straight 82 game seasons, with 33, 19, 25, and just last year 27 goals, at 34, 35, 36, and 37 years of age? I mean, good lord, the man is a freak of NHL nature, more so than even Jaromir Jagr is, his consitency and longevity, is literally stunning, normally you wouldn't want to take a chance on a 37 year old, but hell, this is Patrick Marleau, one of the most constitently performing veteran players of all time.

In terms of role and price, this is the Leafs version of bringing in a Milan Lucic to play with a Connor McDavid, and as far as I'm concerned, the Leafs got the better player on the better contract, by far, adding Patty Marleau is more like adding Marion Hossa, and unlike Lucic, if things don't work out, in two years, the Leafs can make Marleau go away with relative ease, there's plenty of teams which hover around the cap floor, who would take that contract just to put them over on the cheap.

There's always a risk-reward factor, to any free agent signing, but when you break this deal down, the upside it potentially great, while the downside is relatively minimized, good man, good pro, good signing, anyway you slice it.

[StCapps]

Marleau being better than Lucic is not a good selling point. So his contract is good compared to some other donkey contract, so what? That was a bad signing, this is a bad signing. The Leafs aren't where the Blackhawks were when they signed Hossa to that deal, at this point in the process, taking on a similar type of contract makes little sense for Leafs. I don't think the possible upside outweighs the possible downside of spreading San Jose Chokitis to your young stars. Find another fit who doesn't have an extended history of losing when it matters, and pay them instead, that would have been the way to go, but too late now, that San Jose Voodoo is going to get all up in your business and you better hope your teams immune system is up to the task.
/shrugs

[Smitty-48]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the signing that I can see, the Leafs have $10.55 million to spend over the cap this year, the Leafs have contracts coming off the books next year with $37.5 million in projected cap room, the Leafs have their best players on ELC's right now, they're not trying to tank, they can't even fit anymore prospects on the team they have so many contracts, they didn't give anything up to get Marleau, he a perfect mentor for young players, good man, good pro, a veteran leader, an NHL ironman, he can play up and down the lineup, he can play any role required, he's coming off a 27 goal season, and he was the best player available on the market, I have absolutely no problem with the Leafs being agressive in the next couple of years and trying to win, go for it I say, and loves me some Patrick Marleau, one of my favourite players in the league, so I am entertained already, which is the business the Leafs are in.

And as for your idiotic jib-jabber about "chokes" and "voodoo"? Well, he's a back to back Olympic Gold Medal Champion with Team Canada, so even were we to lend any credence to your moronic prattle, the "voodoo" doesn't apparently extend to teams other than San Jose which are coached by Mike Babcock, so it's all good, captain concern troll, relax.

The Leafs actually have more than a full roster for next year, and they still have $8 million in net cap room, so there may be more deals to come, which, since we aren't actually trying to tank anymore and rather are trying to win, bring it on, so long as the contracts are short term like this one, there's no harm done.

Patrick Marleau to the Leafs, nothing given up to get him, and no cap hit long term?

[StCapps]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the signing that I can see, the Leafs have $10.55 million to spend over the cap this year, the Leafs have contracts coming off the books next year with $37.5 million in projected cap room, the Leafs have their best players on ELC's right now, they're not trying to tank, they can't even fit anymore prospects on the team they have so many contracts, they didn't give anything up to get Marleau, he a perfect mentor for young players, good man, good pro, a veteran leader, an NHL ironman, he can play up and down the lineup, he can play any role required, he's coming off a 27 goal season, and he was the best player available on the market, I have absolutely no problem with the Leafs being agressive in the next couple of years and trying to win, go for it I say, and loves me some Patrick Marleau, one of my favourite players in the league, so I am entertained already, which is the business the Leafs are in.

And as for your idiotic jib-jabber about "chokes" and "voodoo"? Well, he's a back to back Olympic Gold Medal Champion with Team Canada, so even were we to lend any credence to your moronic prattle, the "voodoo" doesn't apparently extend to teams other than San Jose which are coached by Mike Babcock, so it's all good, captain concern troll, relax.

The Leafs actually have more than a full roster for next year, and they still have $8 million in net cap room, so there may be more deals to come, which, since we aren't actually trying to tank anymore and rather are trying to win, bring it on, so long as the contracts are short term like this one, there's no harm done.

Patrick Marleau to the Leafs, nothing given up to get him, and no cap hit long term?

Could have had Saad for the same price tag. Y'all fucked up, instead of the under 25 young winner, you took the over 35 old loser. Terrible. Hell you could have had Panarin for that money too and Nate MacKinnon, he's only $0.05 million more than Marleau. Anyone can win on Team Canada, as long you are only throwing away one forward roster spot, on the Toronto Maple Leafs, that's a different story entirely. The rest of Team Canada carried Patrick Marleau, the Leafs won't be able to do the same, for one their defense is nowhere near as good and Carey Price isn't in net. Get real, Babcock is not god, he can only turn Marleau into a winner when he's a fourth line checker on a stacked super team, something tells that isn't transferable to the Leafs, you certainly don't want to pay a fourth liner $6.25 million a year, and he's too good to play that far down your line up.

Babcock should have left Marleau off the Team both times, both times I was floored by the stupidity of the pick, but he likes him for some retarded reason. Leaving other folks off the squad to take Marleau was just fucking stupid, thank god we are soooo damn good our immune system can deal with the Marleau curse. I don't think any other team has an immune system that can cover his ass, Babcock is not a miracle worker, he can get the most of his players quite consistently, but he can't turn Marleau into a winner on the Toronto Maple Leafs, the hockey gods will never allow it. Patrick Marleau is doomed to lose on any team that doesn't have him playing very little minutes on a stacked super team in international competition, that's just the way it is. I guarantee the Leafs won't win the cup as long as he is playing any significant role on the squad.

[Smitty-48]

Nope, obvious concern trolling is obvious, but the Leafs don't need a Panarin, Saad would cost the Leafs a Nylander to acquire, neither could be acquired on a three year contract UFA, MacKinnon is only paid what he's paid because he simply never panned out on the Avs putting up big numbers on his ELC, and also could not be acquired without giving up a comparable asset, the Leafs had a specific requirement for a veteran, for a heavy player, for a two way player, for an all purpose player, who could if necessary replace a JVR and/or Bozak in the depth chart, and be an option as an interim captain, for a maximum of only three years, all without giving up any assets to acquire, Patty Marleau fit the requirement perfectly. As to the rest of your blather, there's no basis of fact there, just Patrick Marleau hating, which is silly, cause he's awesome, and has been, consistently, for twenty years, and the likes of Shanahan, Lamoriello, and Babcock, don't believe in curses, or chokes, or voodoo, nor any such silly nonsense.

[StCapps]

Nope, obvious concern trolling is obvious, but the Leafs don't need a Panarin, Saad would cost the Leafs a Nylander to acquire, neither could be acquired on a three year contract UFA, MacKinnon is only paid what he's paid because he simply never panned out on the Avs putting up big numbers on his ELC, and also could not be acquired without giving up a comparable asset, the Leafs had a specific requirement for a veteran, for a heavy player, for a two way player, for an all purpose player, who could if necessary replace a JVR and/or Bozak in the depth chart, and be an option as an interim captain, for a maximum of only three years, all without giving up any assets to acquire, Patty Marleau fit the requirement perfectly. As to the rest of your blather, there's no basis of fact there, just Patrick Marleau hating, which is silly, cause he's awesome, and has been, consistently, for twenty years.

He's first ballot, Hall of "Very Good" Guy. So overrated. He's Michael Bisping, except he never won the Middleweight title in a fluke. He's Urijah Faber without the WEC.

[Smitty-48]

He's first ballot, Hall of "Very Good" Guy. So overrated.

His numbers say first ballot hall of fame; 1,493 508 574 1,082 459 160 393 17 21 98 9 3,798 13.4

[StCapps]

He's first ballot, Hall of "Very Good" Guy. So overrated.

His numbers say first ballot hall of fame; 1,493 508 574 1,082 459 160 393 17 21 98 9 3,798 13.4

He should wait, a long time, if I had any say. That goes for Thornton too. Those fucking chokes can wait 10 years as far as I am concerned. I'm sure they won't because they overrated by the media in particular, but I have no influence over their silly opinions.

[Smitty-48]

Well, obvious hostile witness is obvious, but Marleau is perfect for the Leafs purposes, he's a special case at 37, a younger 37 in the league, there is none, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Marleau pull a Jagr, and keep playing past 41, three years playing with this shoot the lights out Leaf team of superkids, is going to be a Marleau-aissance.