After another first round playoff loss changes are already starting to happen in Leaf land. Berube is set to coach the team and there is strong speculation that Mitch Marner is going to be traded sooner than later. Keefe was the scapegoat for the playoff loss and in Berube the Leafs get someone who has won a lot during the regular season and won a Cup with the Blues back in 2019.
From everything I have heard about Berube he is an intense coach and an extreme motivator that is not afraid of making the bold move in the line up to send a message and get the team on the right track. Pretty much the opposite of Keefe, who typically stuck with the status quo instead of making any drastic. changes in the line up.
I think the change was inevitable, but it would have been nice to see the Leafs land Brind'amour. He is most likely staying in Caronlina, but he could have been the guy they needed to take them to the next level.
As far as Marner goes he is my favorite player on the Leaf's so it would be sad to see him go. Why? He does it all and always has a smile on his face so it has been tough to see him fail in the playoffs time and time again. My lasting memory of Marner in the playoffs was when he blocked two shots against the Bruins in the dying seconds during a game to seal a win. That is the type of passion he plays with most of the time and it is unfortunate that for whatever reason he lacks consistency during the most important of the year.
The Marner rumors make sense to me and that is why I think his time in Toronto is done. I read an article posted on Bleacher Report that talked about possible landing spots for Marner and a couple of teams are intriguing. Chicago has Seth Jones who could be that stud defenceman the team needs and the salary's match up. Utah will have a ton of cap room and draft picks they could send the Leafs' way and Vegas always seems to be in the mix for everyone.
My ideal landing spot for Marner would be Dallas. Jason Robertson is one player I would like to see play here because of his Asian connenctions and to give him a chance to play with his brother and finally make him a proven NHLer. That also is not likely to happen, but someone like Robertson would have to be in the package to replace Marner's immense scoring ability. They do have guys like Knies that could fill the void, but he has yet to prove anything in the regular season. He was one of their players in the series against the Bruins and maybe playing on a number one line the whole season will make him have a break out season. Hopefully, Berube gives him and Robertson more of a chance in a scoring role and does not put them at the bottom of the line up more often than not.
What is different from the Marner rumors from rumors in the past involving such players as Nylander is that there are actual destinations and players being named that could be involved in a possible trade. The Nylander rumors just floated around without much substance and ultimately he re signed here and remains a cornerstone of the franchise.
What is good about the latest failure is thal all the players continue to remain optimistic about the team. That is sort of cliche, but it is better than players complaining and wanting out and pointing fingers. I am also not one to make excuses, but both Nylander and Matthews were out for large chunks of the series and having them in the line up could have made a big difference.
At the end of the day the Leafs had to make a drastic move and from all signs they are not done yet. As a fan of the team for over 40 years I am used to the team winning and losing. In recent years I have accepted the failures in the playoffs and just want an entertaining team to watch and anything in the playoffs is a nice bonus. Losing is too painful for me to take this team seriously, but a Cup win would absolutely be something I would cherish as a passionate supporter.
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