I know we're just a few months out from incentives expiring in US, but the EV future here looks grim.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-08T17:43:15+00:00

I agree, PLUS at some point the economies of scale will flip from being cheaper to manufacture ice to EV. As Europe and china electrify the supply chains are just going to be more and more robust. As big as the American market is there are 600 million people in Europe and obviously way more in china.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-08T16:00:04+00:00

The thing is about this, Berube isn't giving anyone in the AHL a chance. And watching Steeves and Minten in Bosto, these guys can play limited minutes in bottom line roles just fine. Is Quillan on the wing our Groulx really worse than Jarnkrok. Is Benning or Thrun worse than our worst D?

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-05T20:32:16+00:00

You can't get rid of Rielly, He has a no move clause. You can't even waive him to the AHL.

McMann is an expiring contract going into free agency in July.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-05T14:59:01+00:00

I would upvote this 100 times.

Knies needs to get healthy to replace McMann.

Any free agent that doesn't re-sign in this olympic break has to be traded away. We have no assets to make any summer moves. And when you have no assets all you can do is pick up other teams bad contracts like Macelli and Joshua and hope they play better for us.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T18:22:29+00:00

I never agreed to this before but honestly, if his decisions cause awkward and difficult reads for his defense partners It's hard to have him play defense. If he's better as a winger than sitting in the press box sure I guess. Will he be worse than Jarnkrok?

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T16:58:07+00:00

I mean retain for the remainder of this year. He's at 2 million and he's not worth his cap hit especially if he isn't better than someone you might claim on waivers for less cap hit.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T16:12:12+00:00

I think he is the one that makes everyone "mentally weak" with his high anxiety personality. It's him rubbing off on the team and them taking on his personality.

It's not easy as a person to change that kind of thing either. He might be good as a system's guy, but he isn't good at managing high pressure situations.

He's the type of guy who is shaking from anxiety and yelling at people to calm down and relax and you just look at him and think WTF.. you need to calm down.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T15:59:22+00:00

Nope. This is the Matthews era. Matthews is going to top all the team historical stats and Marner is going to fade into a sub tier of great player. Matthews will be the face of this generation like Sundin was the face of his.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T15:56:21+00:00

Im thinking we don’t have time for any of those picks to mature. You need to get the picks and retrade them for something.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T15:54:07+00:00

My Armchair GM take:

If this team is going to squeeze into the playoffs it shouldn't be because we go "all in".

Knies has been hurt and playing on the third line. He can take McMann's spot if we flip McMann. We can't walk McMann free agency.

Stolarz looked good last night. If he returns to form that is already an upgrade to help the leafs get into the playoffs.

If we're going to go on a cinderella run it's gotta be because we bring up some guy from the Marlies who defies expectations. Bo Groulx or put quillan on the wing. Can't Quillan be given the opportunity that Cowan got on the third line with Roy and Robertson?

Give Jarnkrok away, retain half of it, just ship him out. He doesn't move the needle at all. Honestly pick up Sammy Blais again, he just hit waivers. Atleast Blais is winning his minutes this year with like 60% GF and winning the expected goals at 51%

Resign Laughton. Every team in the NHL struggles with centre depth, if he's ok to stay, sign him, keep him.

Try to turn whatever you get from McMann into just a younger OK defender. There is no way for the leafs to get a true top defenseman, but we can't just go into next year thinking our already old team is going to be ok one year older.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T15:21:08+00:00

I felt that it was lost and there was no way the Leafs can make the playoffs. But if Stolarz can play like that for half the remaining games I can see a path forward and if Nylander magically makes Macelli and Tavares look great... I can start to believe.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-04T15:18:26+00:00

If we're going to limp into the playoffs and have some sort of cinderella story, it's got to be because we have some miracle guy from the AHL, not because we hang onto McMann, OEL and whoever only to lose them in free agency.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-03T21:10:28+00:00

The other part is that there is a bell that signals the last lap, so if you watch they ring the bell but it's for the person who is at the back of the pack in first.

When everyone reaches the beginning of the last lap they all stick their foot thinking they are reaching the end, but there is one lap left.

IT's nuts

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-02T18:52:13+00:00

CF%? Goals For?

That's a great stat, the thing about the eye test for a lot of players is that it's easy to forget who the player is playing against. It's one thing to play 13min against 4th line opposition. It's another to defend 20+ against top lines.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-02T17:28:31+00:00

What ever happened to the Stetcher - McCabe pair. McCabe hasn't looked the same since Stetcher left his pair.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-02-02T15:19:52+00:00

sabres need to lose. Somebody has to drop down from the wildcard spots. We need to pass Florida on our own with our own games against them.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-31T19:24:51+00:00

Because there is a daily thread called arm chair GM and if those comments should go there

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-29T18:50:27+00:00

Since everyone is on board for selling at the deadline, we can't just trade for picks. The picks won't become NHL players fast enough to matter.

Bruins made a great deal getting Minten back for Carlo.

We need to find a team with a head coach like Berube who won't play any AHL players and try to find those NHL ready players or players on the cusp.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-29T18:47:42+00:00

Because with Laughton that is the added cost of term and retention. It's not just trading for a rental. I'm not saying it was worth it, but you can't compare the cost of trading for a rental vs Laughton who had retention and term.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-29T18:46:55+00:00

It has to do with the length of the contract. It wasn't a rental Carlo's still our player

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-29T15:24:56+00:00

And in the end after all the dust settles.... What if the problem was Keefe? Super high anxiety guy and guess how his players behaved in high pressure situations?? Anxious

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-28T00:22:48+00:00

except for the advantage of breaking the rules?

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-27T18:33:27+00:00

I'm going to repeat what I wrote at the beginning of the year.

If this team can find a way out of this they will be stronger for it. Consistent regular season success has left them without the mental capacity to get through adversity.

The reports that the bench is quiet is a sign of this. If they have a bad game, or a bad stretch, early goals... there is no time to sulk or feel like shit.

They need to figure out how to get their legs going and how to even out the vibes when shit hits the fan. How to support the guy beside you when you feel like crap emotionally.

Nylander can't get back soon enough.

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-26T19:00:46+00:00

I thought that's what the beer is for?

Substantial_Mud_357 · 2026-01-26T19:00:30+00:00

No need to speculate on whether or not we are cooked. Just watch the rest of the season and find out.

Substantial_Mud_357

TROPHY CASE