Leafs Talk Mobile

24 Apr 2026 13:29:46
Toronto should seriously consider giving Mark Jankowski a fair deal. He’d be a solid 4th-line center, good on the PK, and can slot in on the wing too. Plays a pretty mistake-free game, and that kind of reliability isn’t freee. I’d say around $1.8M x 4 years.

So what’s the verdict here? Is Jankowski actually a useless player, or are people underrating him?

24 Apr 2026 16:10:11
He has not earned more than $800,000 for the last 6 years why would you give him a million more per season? For 4 years.

25 Apr 2026 08:12:40
He’s not playing for $800k anymore. He had a strong season, and with the kind of tools Jankowski brings, you have to pay a bit for that. The cap is going up too, so locking him in as a 4C and PK guy for a few years would be an easy and sensible move. Toronto’s young centers are still a couple of years away from being NHL-ready, so they need to bring in a capable center through free agency or a trade.

Welcome, Jankowski... or at least hopefully welcome.

Also seen that Jason Robertson for William Nylander trade idea floating around… I’d be on board with that.

25 Apr 2026 12:03:04
So let's see. His salary going backwards for the last 6 years was 800,800,775,750,750,700 in thousands of course. He has had trouble staying healthy or playing full-time in the NHL without stints in the minors. Only the last 2 years has he not gone to the minors in those 6 years. He is a 4th line player. He had a decent year for a fourth liner but still again missed 14 games with injury.

I would give him a offer for $1 million which is a 25% increase but I am not giving him a 225% increase. For scoring .308 points a game. His career average is .300 points a game. So it's not like he blew up and found a big jump in scoring. $1 million is a fair offer for what he is and is going to be 32 at the start of the season.

25 Apr 2026 12:16:00
If you are looking for a player in that salary range that might accept a 1.8 or 2.0 million that will get a lot of interest, that can bring physicality and showed this year he can actually play some offense. Look at A.

J Greer from Florida. Free agent at $850.000 granted that is like earning $1.2 in Toronto, the Florida tax thing. So he may even have to get a hike to $2.5 in Toronto but he brings a big physical edge we are missing too.

25 Apr 2026 18:39:00
What about Teddy Blueger? At a similar price, he’s a smart, reliable option to handle the 4C role.

25 Apr 2026 21:03:51
Plays too soft. We need a 4th line that is fast but physical, they don't have to be high scoring but not weak defensively either, but other teams better lines are aware they are on the ice and nervous when we get home team line matching advantage at certain points in a game.

When Joshua is healthy with two similar players with him they can be that. Lorentz is good in that regard and as I said a Guy like A. J Greer can fill that role but he is also good enough to slot into the 3rd line as well to give toughness there as well.

19 Apr 2026 15:00:06
The Leafs should interview "Joe McDonnell" for GM. He has been the Dallas Stars director of scouting since 2013 and knows how to find talent. If the draft is successful to keep the pick do what is possible to land "Chase Reid". A great skater, first pass, PP, PK, and size.

Do this thing proper and please make a decision on two goalies before the summer. I like the idea of adding Robertson in free agency. No more trading first or second rounders or adding first or second rounders to get a player out. This turn around could take two years.

19 Apr 2026 16:14:58
McDonnell has a great resume in the amateur scouting ranks. But for GM, we need to be aiming higher, not just with Dallas but any organization. You need to be looking at Director of Player Personnel or Assistant GMs. They are the guys who the scouts ultimately give their player assessments to, and of course then those people work together at that point with the GM.

Director of Player Personnel and assistant GMs actually are in the loop and on a first-name basis with every other person in the league in those positions, as well as the GMs. As I said, he has a great amateur scouting resume but is not experienced enough at the higher level to consider.

19 Apr 2026 04:28:36
Hard to read the insane trade props on here that bought into the moron Pelley retool program.

But then again all you long suffering leaf fanatics hold onto any dream that implies success.

Mediocre leadership at the top.
Berube lost the room in December.
Trying to make crash and bangers out of finesse players.
Teamwork is non existent.
Culture is below sea level.


Yup.
Let’s retool!!!!

17 Apr 2026 23:24:18
So with Calgary possessing Picks 34 and 35. Does anyone else think they are going to take Liam and Markus Ruck together? They may not be as elite as the Sedins, but they still have a chemistry together as shown by them finishing 1st and 2nd in the WHL this year in scoring.

18 Apr 2026 03:54:57
I would agree, but I think one of them goes earlier. Both look like late round steals (potentially) for a team with the 26+ pick or in there of.

If I were to bet, I'd say the Nucks might move into a position to take both in order to try and sell this as a Sedin twins situation to fans.

18 Apr 2026 04:01:49
The odds of them going back to back to the same team is highly unlikely. Impossible? No. But highly unlikely.

18 Apr 2026 10:40:21
Yes, one of them is ranked ahead of the other one. Only reason I think Calgary has a shot is because most scouts' consensus that they are very, very good players together but everyone feels they would only be average apart. Most feel that their agent is going to let teams know they would prefer to be on the same team. That might ward off teams separating them.

I also think the pressure of being compared in Vancouver to the Seduns would be immense. Calgary is a good fit also not only because of the back to back draft pick scenario but because their line mate in Medicine Hat who they also have great chemistry with is Andrew Basha who is Calgary property (2nd round pick in 2024). It should be an interesting side story for the draft day.

17 Apr 2026 00:39:09
I’m calling it right now Leafs hire Giilis Berube and staff stay nothing changes next year.

17 Apr 2026 17:15:39
I'm not so sure on Berube. If Pelley is saying more analytics and AI, I don't see Berube as the guy that will want to be guided by that.

17 Apr 2026 19:15:32
@RLF Then why is he still employed is my question. I’m telling you Berube will be here.

17 Apr 2026 19:39:43
Goat. Ok, relax. lol
Why would they fire him before they hire the new GM and possible president? Who is going to hire the new coach if they fire him now? Pelley, the non-hockey guy.
They are going to have to pay him either way. Plus, other coaches can still get fired after the playoffs and they may want to wait and see what shakes loose.

Maybe the have a replacement in mind, but he is still under contract somewhere else.
That's just a few reasons for maybe why he is still employed.

18 Apr 2026 11:35:58
@RLF Well I would point to Tree when he came in he held onto Keefe and used him as a scape goat when they failed pretty much what every media person is saying, if the Leafs are not playing till next September why do you need a coach in place? I guess for me I’d want to take away the bullet of “I just got here and I want to evaluate everything”.

18 Apr 2026 14:08:44
I'm not saying there is no chance he stays. I said he doesn't seen like the coach that aligns with what Pelley says he wants the team to focus on. As for Tree and Keefe, I think you know that is a completely different situation then where they are now.