Well, we're obviously looking forward to having Auston as the captain. Everyone obviously looks up to him and, uh, obviously, I'm going to do what I can to support him. Obviously. Uh. Obviously.
JT shows true leadership as a Captain. Willingly passing the torch is "Class". That is leadership. He genuinely nad unselfishly cares about the Leafs. He will retire here and hopefully win a cup. Well done JT. Leaf Forever!!
@@tami3456 Well, we don't know what it's like in the room. Keon was also quiet, but was very much respected. I'm not into 'the show' and fake comments like 'the next game is so important BS'. He has been a great player and he really cares, probably more than Matthew's as JT grew up here. Guess we'll see, but the Leafs recent playoff exits are largely due to a poor defense and barely adequate goaltending. That is not going to be fixed by making noise in the dressing room. Every player is a pro and knows the stakes and loves being a pro hockey player. Any player who needs 'motivation' would be gone on my team. With the money and the perks they should all be ready loud or 'quiet' captain.
To be honest, I’m at the point where we all knew this was going to happen. Matthews is a true leader… this past playoffs showed the importance of Willie and Matthews as leaders and playing through shit… and actually performing unlike others… Marner should be better under berube and a harder working tougher style will be evident with Berube and his no bullshit approach
The ONLY reason JT was given the C in the first place is bc Matthews mooned a security guard and didn’t tell the team execs about it. (Wasn’t even a full moon as his boxers never came off). So this should’ve happened years ago.
I think JT has been a class act all along as captain. A captain does not always have to be your best player. John wants to be here and his apparent role in changing the captaincy is yet another measure of the class of this fellow. Austen was far too young to be captain when JT was named. Keon was a great captain as well who lead on the ice not in the stupid media. I think Tavares has done a great job and I wish him well.
If you think it was bound to happen you clearly can’t see Matthew’s has never exhibited any leadership or captaincy qualities. Id take max Domi over Matthew’s as a captain in a heartbeat.
I feel bad for Tavares but this is the right move. If they waited until next season it would seem like Matthews was getting the captaincy by default because Tavares will most likely be gone
jt said this is just a lesson , and in business the leafs will sell a few more matthews jerseys with the c on them , but the most important lesson is winning
Removing the captaincy from Tavares makes it easier for either Toronto or Tavares to facilitate a trade. It also makes it easier to sign Marner to an extension before giving one to the Captain of the team. And part of accountability is the eliminating any bullshit which puts one player ahead of others for anything other than merit. The drive and fire of the team is obviously Matthews.
Interesting take. How about they sign JT to an extension for 3 years after this season with an AAV of $1m/year so he can stay and potentially retire a Leaf. He has delivered since he came here, got 65 points last season, and you cannot blame players (see Dion Phaneuf) for accepting big deals, realistic or not. Blame Dubas, not JT. Free up $10M. Marner is gone as his agent will walk him to UFA and he'll sign elsewhere. Leafs CANNOT sign 16 for Willy money, he's not proven he is worth it. Plus, Leafs have said Matthews is a priority, Nylander is a priority over the last 2 seasons, yet said "everything is on the table" this off season with zero commitment to Marner. Trade him if we can.
@@AndyVH66 JT will be getting more than 1 million lmfao probably more like 6-7 depending on the market. He’s still going to get his 60-70 points. I doubt the leafs will want to give him that much though. Someone will overpay if he wants to make the most money. Letting marner walk is a mistake. Just like trade rumours it’s really tough to imagine this team being as good or better without marner. You keep star players generally
@@stephenkinsella4009 It doesn't always work that way. Howe did not work out as captain. Guess we will see. Hope all of the stress doesn't cost him 20 goals.
@@hockey_highlights_and_more The problem, for the most part is not scoring, but keeping the puck out of our net. This team has given up far, far too many shots for the past 20 years. You wear out your goalies and there are too many giveaways and screwups in our own zone by players that are simply not good enough that lead to garbage goals that of course still count the same. We need at least two top defensemen, who know how to limit shots, get out of our zone and coach the younger players without living in the penalty box. We need a steady consistent goalie who can steal a game or two especially when we really need it. Woll started off well, but now seems fragile. This is odd for a guy who is supposed to be so limber. These problems are fundamental to the team and you don't have the cap space to sign such coveted folks. Now, JT has made his money, he might come back for a lot less or he might retire. I dunno, but that is IMHO the only cap space you are going to see aside from annual increases. So, like many teams I dunno how you get good enough everywhere to have a chance to have a chance. They lost in 7 in OT last year. That was just (bad) luck. Regardless, Florida would have killed them in Round 2. It is an old saying that great offenses are stopped by great defenses. The Leafs 'fire wagon hockey' while entertaining in the regular season is simply constrained my the tight checking in the playoffs. As such goals against are REALLY crucial and we need to be able to check the other team into the ice. I thought we did that against TB in G4 a year ago and it worked, but we could not keep it up as it is not in the nature of the players we have. The silly thing about the NHL is that you get to the playoffs often with great offense and adequate defense,. but to win you need the opposite and no team with the cap can afford all of these parts. So, JT did a gracious thing to move the C to AM, but to me at this point it is just for appearances that the team is somehow different. I don't see the substance of it. Yet, but for all those who commented about JT not attacking Marchand when he hit Lilligren, well AM didn't either, no one did. Not sure what that means, but ... getting suspended for retaliation is stupid as well. The Leafs went with 4 great players who will help them do well in the regular season and fill the seats and sell jerseys. However, that skill set will most probably not win it all in the playoffs. However, they are committed so they will have to play this out.
Great news, i always thought he should be, hope he follows in the footsteps of in past greats Cs, Sundin, Clark,Gilmour,Vaive, Sitt, Keon, the cheif Armstrong
Tavares isn't stupid. He's far older than AM, his best days are behind him. I think Treliving/Berube made a suggestion and JT is classy enough to see the future. Much better for the team than how it ended for Sittler or Sundin.
To me it says the opposite. It says JT FULLY understands the future of the franchise moving forward requires a decreased role for him, personally. I can see him finishing his career in Toronto as the 3rd line center without a C or A. If he was not willing to budge on anything he would’ve kept the C.
Glad it finally happened, hopefully they re-do the rest of the leadership group, I'm happy with Mo wearing the 'A', but I'd like to see a couple more vocal guys wear a letter, hopefully we get Domi wearing the 'A' under Berube, he's nothing but a team player. And even McCabe, guy gives his all for the team and has some much needed edge/bite to his game, don't like having the entire leadership group being softies.
@@eatingsnowman You don't know how they are in the room. AM is sure not a knuckle dragger! What works is what works. Losing in overtime in the 7th game is just luck. Florida would have killed them either way. The Leafs are an entertaining team, in many ways like the oilers. It's just luck who they play and all the small stuff. You can have lots of grit and live in the penalty box. It's not 1975.
I think Matthews will make a good captain and probably deserves it but I think it's a real prick move to do this to Tavares. This tells me Toronto will either trade Tavares or not renew his contract next year.
@@AK-ix6xg - That crossed my mind but then I figured it was too much to hope for. Not that I have anything against JT, it's just that paying a 34 year old JT $11M could be better spent elsewhere.
@@BigH0mie89 they are sarcastically predicting JT won’t be able to handle those minutes all year. Obviously there isn’t a much better option but I do predict Domi will have more 2C starts than JT. Just a feeling
I wouldn't make Matthews Captain!!! Mathews is not a true leader! A Captain should be a leader, Mathews doesn't have true leadership skills like Brad Marchand, Crosby, or McDavid!!!
Let’s see shanny 10 years playoff success, nada. Fire dubas? Fire Tavares C, after goalie fails after fails, d fails after fail. I’m disgusted with the leafs chances, no offence to Mathews. I realize underwear scandle scuffled when he should have gotten the c then. Fire shanny, fire brad for the love of leaf hockey
Honestly, I'm kind of disgusted by it all. They couldn't just let JT finish his contract with the C. Then again, I expect this from the Leafs brass. And they wonder why management was voted 30th in fan front office, confidence. Keith Pelley lied, they ARE in the business of selling jerseys. What a shit show.
Matthews has not shown the leadership skills to be captain. I was thinking Rielly would make a better captain. And guys, this doesn't make the team look different.
With no disrespect to those who think is the next best thing to slice bread. But what are the differences between Travares and Mathews? What qualities does Mathew have that Travares lacked ? Or failed at? The criticism that Travares lacked the physical aspect of being the Captain. Mathews hasn't exactly been overly physical or shown aggression with he has come to defending himself! Unless smiling while being ragged dolled , crabbed by the collar or going to the defense of a teammate who may need some assistance! I would have been in more favor of Morgan Rielly seeing he is the longest tenure Maple Leaf, can play physical, shown aggressive side and not affraid to mix things up to help a teammate! Is this move solely been done for appearances sake and because that Mathews offensive prowess last face of the team, then nothing has changed. Jake McCabe Morgan Reilly Max Domi would have been a really change instead of switching numbers and putting the C on a player that is similar to the one they have taken the C from
Matthews has been a playoff disappointment at centre. Domi outplayed Matthews at centre in last year’s first round. Matthews generates too few assists to be a elite centre. He is not even in the top 25 current NHL assist leaders. It was sad watching Auston failing to score 70 goals last year - when he likely burnt himself out & screwed up his playoffs. Elite snipers like Matthews and OV belong on the wing. Time to think about giving up building a successful Leaf playoff team around Matthews - as 50% of his career is over and older players most often decline.
1:02 Nick. You make a statement: August 12th, bizzare, from that standpoint, but. Then you don’t say anything that backs up your strong opinion of the timing. You spose to be as journalist 😀
It doesn't have to be a direct comparison between the two. We've had several years of Tavares as captain, it's time to see the team with Matthews as captain.
I respect JT as a player, but for me, he's does not show the leadership qualities. Even with the Islanders, he wore the C, but never seemed like he was the true Captain. Was surprised Leafs gave him the C right away, and thought Rielly would have been a better choice. Matthews is now the obvious choice. Leafs hoping that with the C on his jersey, Austin will amp up his intensity and desire to take a step toward to a higher level. Guess we'll see if that happens.
Any idea if they will be taking Marners A and giving it to JT? Both are in contract years with Johnny more likely to return it may be the optimal move. 🏁
@@johngallagher72 I see. It seems odd, considering the fact that JT is not likely to be re-signed. Why not just wait until then. This reflects poorly on Leafs' management
@@gordonbgraham yup ..one more giant misstep ...they should have just let 91 run it out ..."Thought 34 and 16 would be Toews and Kane. Misread the prophecy did we" Yoda ...if he was a hockey scout and not a Jedi Master.
@@BangHeadShotDed perhaps for fans, but it is a business and winning is luck. Teams can really only ensure their team is competitive after that it's up to the gods. With all the hype, no one can just go out and build a champion. In sum, you have a given professional hockey team in a city. It gives the people 41 homes frames of hockey entertainment each year. The rest is just luck.
Find a way to trade J.T. and NICK ROBERTSON, PACKAGE THE 2 OF THEM TEGETHER IF J.T. MIGHT WAVE HIS NO TRADE CLAUSE, THAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO EXTEND- MARNER LONG- TERM AS A LEAF...!
Doesn't matter a bit. Leafs are the Dallas Cowboys of the NHL! Play well all season then fold like a cheap chair in the early rounds of the playoffs. The problem STARTS WITH THEIR FANS. Expecting a Stanley Cup isn't a realistic expectation. The league is tough and the teams are so equal. I don't see Toronto winning their division, let alone a cup. Support your team, they are a good team and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, Curb your expectations! The Leafs are not bottom feeders but they ARE FAR FROM THE ELETE!
Let's be real, Is this even going to make a difference? This core has been WAY too soft up to this point! Real leadership in a salary cap league is taking a little less so the Leafs can ice a cup contending team instead of half the cap being wrapped up in 4 players! Matthews, Willy and Marner could of all set this example (like Crosby and company in Pittsburgh and THEIR 3 Stanley Cups) but instead have chosen to get every penny! The joke is in TO each player could of taken $1 million less and easily made it up in endorsements! So again, is this even going to make a difference? I guess we'll see!
@@willyupshaw I do. Bucyk was a good captain and his being a captain never prevented Orr from being the best player in the game nor the Bruins winning two Cups under his leadership. Bob Gainy wasn’t the Habs best player either. That didn’t affect Lafluer from being an elite player. Captain doesn’t mean “best player”
Matthews with the C..... 2 years too late. Keefe fired....3 years too late. Marner traded..... 3 years too late and counting. So so so Leafy. So so so Toronto.
This is so insignificant. Only in Leafland is this considered major news because there’s nothing else to celebrate with this team for the past 20 years. When they lose again in the 1st round next spring they’ll say that it was Matthews 1st year as captain and he was adjusting to it and that’s why he had 4 points in 7 playoff games. Just wait until next year!!!
@@T-bone9 lets look at historical facts rather than opinion. 1. Matthews in a head to head battle couldnt dominate Pierre Luc Dubois in the bubble. Leafs lose series. 2. Montreal has no legit first line centre . Leafs lose series. 3..I'll give you the Boston losses since he was going head to head against Bergeron. 4. Remind me last year who Bostons #1 centre was and sorry times up on imjury execuses. 5. Last year i watched the games against Edmonton and Colorado and 34 was outplayed by the opposing centres. ...1-5 historical facts but I eagerly hold my breath with all Leaf natiion for that long deep playoff run.
@@johngallagher72 My prediction is that this captaincy will invigorate him to take more of an ownership role and hopefully he'll have better success in the playoffs
@@T-bone9 i hope u r tight ...i wasnt being salty with either response above just pointing out a noticeable treand. People counter my argument above saying he could become Ovechekin or Yzerman and win later in his career. I hope you all are right.
@@willyupshawIt's just creating a problem where there wasn't one. This isn't going to change the leadership group. They're still going to be the same guys who can't win when it matters. And now you're putting pressure on your best player pressure that even sundin didn't realize he was going to deal with when he took the C. It feels more like a PR stunt to try to say hey look. We made a lot of changes when they're mostly surface level and not directed towards the core themselves. Besides a letter moving on a jersey.
@@T-bone9 Laughs are going nowhere because Matthews is a total bust. No heart, can't show up in playoffs, afraid to stand up for himself. They deserve all these playoff failures. One round in 8 years, what a laughing stock.
@@jamesmccormick7657ok, thanks for coming. Matthews is a total bust? Obviously your comments are not to be taken serious, have a good hockey take next time
Tavares was a disappointment as captain. No emotion, no real answers to the questions posed to him and endless bad performances in the playoffs. Matthews has been the real captain for the last 2-3 years. Good and gutsy move by the Leafs.
I have to agree. Never thought he should have had the C in the 1st place. He never showed leadership qualities with the Islanders. Nothing against him personally. Some guys are born to wear the C, others are not.
I wouldn’t say he was a disappointment as captain. Dude definitely learned a lot, having the tremendous honor of being captain of the Toronto maple leafs
Everything you said was true minus the “bad performances in playoffs” he scored in more important games than the Mexican, that rocket Richard winner yet to score in a game 7
@@predestinedbyGod mexican, lol. I hope this C will light a fire under his butt more for the playoffs. AM did score in game 7 vs Boston to give them 1-0 lead in 3rd
Matthew's has done nothing to be a NHL captain. Since when does a teams best player warrant a captaincy. This is just a sign of warped decisions vomiting thru the air in our now warped world where supposed show trumps go in the entertainment world and beyond. Think of great captains and you quickly realize that how many goals they score is way down the list in a captains right to stand out front as a worthy team beacon. Matthew's may grow into that. That's possible. But it's also possible that he may never get there.
Joke of an organization. They’ll never get another decent free agent signing again. Why would talent go to a team that treats them like a doormat. It’s been Matthew’s team for years? That’s an embarrassing sentiment - Matthew’s is not a leader, nowhere close.
JT signing has been an absolute disaster for the Leafs. If you have a cap hit of 11 million, you have to score 100 or more points in the regular season. Forget 100 or even scoring more than 100, Pyjama Boy has never even had 90 points as a 11 million dollar player. Pretty embarrassing considering all the talent he plays with at even strength and on the power play. Not only that, but his playoff numbers, as a Leaf, are absolute TRASH. 24 points in 38 playoff games is horrendous for a 11 million dollar player. Even if you ignore his disappointing regular season and playoff numbers, Pyjama Boy is a bad leader who has no charisma and aura. The Islanders went to the ECF twice when Pyjama Boy left the team. 😂😂😂
This just shows how poor the character of the Maple leafs organization. JT is not the player he was, but he has much more heart than Matthew's, Marner and Nylander combined.
A big bye bye to the most gutless and heartless Captain in Leafs pathetic history. This over paid bum couldn't lead this team on a trip to the f#@king washroom and it showed come playoff time the last 6 years.
@@willyupshaw It's hard to tell. It could be looked at as an embarrassment to push him out too. Pushing out Tavares, someone who only had 2 points in the playoffs and didn't pass the eye test, would go a long way to improving this team without having to lose Marner, who is still useful in the regular season (unlike Tavares will be this year) and is still a defensive-minded player in the playoffs, even if he's not the go-to player. If I had a choice, I would keep Marner knowing that I had an extra 11 million to improve the forward group more. It would produce a really great team and fix the LW and Center problems the roster has so that they can contend this year rather than waiting until next year. I really don't want this year to be a waste.
Such a shame, could have been a retired legend with the Isles,respected in the community and would have won the Cup in their long playoff runs over the past several years. Now he can't even finish his final year as Captain.
For the record he was never worth his contract. His stats matched up with 8 and 9 million dollar guys. He had the worst stats of anyone paid 10 or over and many guys with 8 and 9 mil contracts destroyed his stats. He also brought zero on ice leadership, no hits, no sticking up for his teammates. He gets off easy because he is. " a nice guy" in Canada. He would have been booed out of New York , Philly and rightly so. Not to mention that he didn't even carry his line at any point as a leaf. Marner or Nylander are the main reasons why he even got the stats that he did. Cant wait to see him go!
@@T-bone9 no but you should fight for your captaincy he doesnt have the competitive fire that all the greats had. his legacy is not going to be anything spectacular . yes very good player but wont be talked about as a great player when its all said and done
@@bb-gc2tx well. at the time he was named captain in 2019, there was no other choice on the team, the other core 3 guys were too young. You could have made a case for Reilly but that's it
@@T-bone9 he probably got a gurantee from team they are going to resign him next year his main concern is staying in toronto because of his wife.had a friend who worked for isles up until 2021 make no mistake Mrs tavares runs that show and is the main reason he signed with leafs He said she was a major C and all of the other wives and girlfriends could not stand her. he said the isles wives in that era were all very tight and she really didnt fit in and gave off the vibe that she thought was better than all of them
The team is literally floundering season after season making meaningless moves here and there that don't amount to squat. A mediocre team no matter who the captain or the coach is.
Great move. Time for Austin to move to next level. Forget what happened. Next!
And no, Morgan is not the leader.
Obviously it is a tremendous honor to have the "C" taken from me
that's EXACTLY what captain robot is gonna say!! 🤣🤣🤣
LMFAO too true, the robot will say exactly this
Well, we're obviously looking forward to having Auston as the captain. Everyone obviously looks up to him and, uh, obviously, I'm going to do what I can to support him.
Obviously. Uh. Obviously.
"Really learned a lot from it"
right on the money. he's going to have to change up the pajamas now.
Fantastic man
Hope he realizes that being a captain is about more than scoring goals
For real
JT shows true leadership as a Captain. Willingly passing the torch is "Class". That is leadership. He genuinely nad unselfishly cares about the Leafs. He will retire here and hopefully win a cup. Well done JT. Leaf Forever!!
Yup 100%
give me what he smokes.
Tavares was too quiet for a captain and never got the players fired/motivated. Too many lessons learned for his final year as captain.
@@tami3456 Well, we don't know what it's like in the room. Keon was also quiet, but was very much respected. I'm not into 'the show' and fake comments like 'the next game is so important BS'. He has been a great player and he really cares, probably more than Matthew's as JT grew up here. Guess we'll see, but the Leafs recent playoff exits are largely due to a poor defense and barely adequate goaltending. That is not going to be fixed by making noise in the dressing room. Every player is a pro and knows the stakes and loves being a pro hockey player. Any player who needs 'motivation' would be gone on my team. With the money and the perks they should all be ready loud or 'quiet' captain.
To be honest, I’m at the point where we all knew this was going to happen. Matthews is a true leader… this past playoffs showed the importance of Willie and Matthews as leaders and playing through shit… and actually performing unlike others… Marner should be better under berube and a harder working tougher style will be evident with Berube and his no bullshit approach
More changes are coming. Go Leafs Go!
The ONLY reason JT was given the C in the first place is bc Matthews mooned a security guard and didn’t tell the team execs about it. (Wasn’t even a full moon as his boxers never came off). So this should’ve happened years ago.
The right decision and probably won’t affect much.
It's about time Matthews is the C its his time and hes the face of the team !!
Balls in AM court now to see if he could bring the Leafs a cup GLG
yep, 100%
AM has no balls
@@RG-lr4pkhe can grow balls though
Hopefully this forces Matthews to grow a pair and he becomes an absolute machine.
Getting ragdolled by Stamkos is not a good look for a captain.
PR dept needing to stay relevant and in the news. Still the same regular season darlings.
I think JT has been a class act all along as captain. A captain does not always have to be your best player. John wants to be here and his apparent role in changing the captaincy is yet another measure of the class of this fellow. Austen was far too young to be captain when JT was named. Keon was a great captain as well who lead on the ice not in the stupid media. I think Tavares has done a great job and I wish him well.
Totally agree with your take.. thanks
Great move. Bound to happen. 👍🏻
If you think it was bound to happen you clearly can’t see Matthew’s has never exhibited any leadership or captaincy qualities. Id take max Domi over Matthew’s as a captain in a heartbeat.
I feel bad for Tavares but this is the right move. If they waited until next season it would seem like Matthews was getting the captaincy by default because Tavares will most likely be gone
jt said this is just a lesson , and in business the leafs will sell a few more matthews jerseys with the c on them , but the most important lesson is winning
I think this will bring the best out of Mathews on and off the ice.
It’s weird to see them on the opposite sides.
Can you imagine if the Islanders took the C off of Taveras and giving it to Barzal, he would have lost his mind!
Removing the captaincy from Tavares makes it easier for either Toronto or Tavares to facilitate a trade. It also makes it easier to sign Marner to an extension before giving one to the Captain of the team. And part of accountability is the eliminating any bullshit which puts one player ahead of others for anything other than merit. The drive and fire of the team is obviously Matthews.
good points here
Interesting take. How about they sign JT to an extension for 3 years after this season with an AAV of $1m/year so he can stay and potentially retire a Leaf. He has delivered since he came here, got 65 points last season, and you cannot blame players (see Dion Phaneuf) for accepting big deals, realistic or not. Blame Dubas, not JT. Free up $10M. Marner is gone as his agent will walk him to UFA and he'll sign elsewhere. Leafs CANNOT sign 16 for Willy money, he's not proven he is worth it. Plus, Leafs have said Matthews is a priority, Nylander is a priority over the last 2 seasons, yet said "everything is on the table" this off season with zero commitment to Marner. Trade him if we can.
@@AndyVH66 JT will be getting more than 1 million lmfao probably more like 6-7 depending on the market. He’s still going to get his 60-70 points. I doubt the leafs will want to give him that much though. Someone will overpay if he wants to make the most money. Letting marner walk is a mistake. Just like trade rumours it’s really tough to imagine this team being as good or better without marner. You keep star players generally
He should have been from the get go
Third best “bold move” incoming.
Hands down Austin Matthew is the Leafs best player it’s a no brainer he deserves the captaincy!!
@@stephenkinsella4009 It doesn't always work that way. Howe did not work out as captain. Guess we will see. Hope all of the stress doesn't cost him 20 goals.
Because he scored 69 goals?
@@henrivanbemmelif scoring 20 Less goals and them making it past the second round I’d be pretty happy with that
@@hockey_highlights_and_more The problem, for the most part is not scoring, but keeping the puck out of our net. This team has given up far, far too many shots for the past 20 years. You wear out your goalies and there are too many giveaways and screwups in our own zone by players that are simply not good enough that lead to garbage goals that of course still count the same. We need at least two top defensemen, who know how to limit shots, get out of our zone and coach the younger players without living in the penalty box. We need a steady consistent goalie who can steal a game or two especially when we really need it. Woll started off well, but now seems fragile. This is odd for a guy who is supposed to be so limber. These problems are fundamental to the team and you don't have the cap space to sign such coveted folks.
Now, JT has made his money, he might come back for a lot less or he might retire. I dunno, but that is IMHO the only cap space you are going to see aside from annual increases. So, like many teams I dunno how you get good enough everywhere to have a chance to have a chance.
They lost in 7 in OT last year. That was just (bad) luck. Regardless, Florida would have killed them in Round 2. It is an old saying that great offenses are stopped by great defenses. The Leafs 'fire wagon hockey' while entertaining in the regular season is simply constrained my the tight checking in the playoffs. As such goals against are REALLY crucial and we need to be able to check the other team into the ice. I thought we did that against TB in G4 a year ago and it worked, but we could not keep it up as it is not in the nature of the players we have.
The silly thing about the NHL is that you get to the playoffs often with great offense and adequate defense,. but to win you need the opposite and no team with the cap can afford all of these parts.
So, JT did a gracious thing to move the C to AM, but to me at this point it is just for appearances that the team is somehow different. I don't see the substance of it. Yet, but for all those who commented about JT not attacking Marchand when he hit Lilligren, well AM didn't either, no one did. Not sure what that means, but ... getting suspended for retaliation is stupid as well.
The Leafs went with 4 great players who will help them do well in the regular season and fill the seats and sell jerseys. However, that skill set will most probably not win it all in the playoffs. However, they are committed so they will have to play this out.
Great news, i always thought he should be, hope he follows in the footsteps of in past greats Cs, Sundin, Clark,Gilmour,Vaive, Sitt, Keon, the cheif Armstrong
JT passing the C to Matthews says one glaring thing: They talked about a discounted extension and JTs camp said no.
@@AK-ix6xgyou've got to be kidding ...
Tavares isn't stupid. He's far older than AM, his best days are behind him. I think Treliving/Berube made a suggestion and JT is classy enough to see the future. Much better for the team than how it ended for Sittler or Sundin.
@@AK-ix6xg We see things differently. He's been one if my favourite players. Winning is luck and JT has showed up in the playoffs far more than AM.
To me it says the opposite. It says JT FULLY understands the future of the franchise moving forward requires a decreased role for him, personally. I can see him finishing his career in Toronto as the 3rd line center without a C or A. If he was not willing to budge on anything he would’ve kept the C.
@@mst3k54 Yes, that seems reasonable, but honestly in the games I watched last year he seemed almost as effective as Marner.
Won't make a bit of difference
Glad it finally happened, hopefully they re-do the rest of the leadership group, I'm happy with Mo wearing the 'A', but I'd like to see a couple more vocal guys wear a letter, hopefully we get Domi wearing the 'A' under Berube, he's nothing but a team player. And even McCabe, guy gives his all for the team and has some much needed edge/bite to his game, don't like having the entire leadership group being softies.
@@eatingsnowman You don't know how they are in the room. AM is sure not a knuckle dragger! What works is what works. Losing in overtime in the 7th game is just luck. Florida would have killed them either way. The Leafs are an entertaining team, in many ways like the oilers. It's just luck who they play and all the small stuff. You can have lots of grit and live in the penalty box. It's not 1975.
At $11 million a year, Tavares will never miss the 'C'.
I think Matthews will make a good captain and probably deserves it but I think it's a real prick move to do this to Tavares. This tells me Toronto will either trade Tavares or not renew his contract next year.
We just witnessed this guy quit on the team and now he's captain. 🤣 It just keeps getting darker and darker for us Lead fans.
I hate it when a captain loses the C but remains on the same team. It has been done before in the NHL a number of times but with mixed results.
@@AK-ix6xg - That crossed my mind but then I figured it was too much to hope for. Not that I have anything against JT, it's just that paying a 34 year old JT $11M could be better spent elsewhere.
Tavares is going to be a great 3rd line centre this year.
Yup
lmfao i said this today to a buddy today. Domi will start more games as 2C. whether thats good or bad idk yet but i totally agree
3rd line centre? You need a second line centre first, and the last time I checked, they don't got one. Do people just talk out they're ass here. 😂
@@BigH0mie89 they are sarcastically predicting JT won’t be able to handle those minutes all year. Obviously there isn’t a much better option but I do predict Domi will have more 2C starts than JT. Just a feeling
I was expecting them to do this last year. Not that it will make a difference, it's more symbolic than anything.
I wouldn't make Matthews Captain!!! Mathews is not a true leader! A Captain should be a leader, Mathews doesn't have true leadership skills like Brad Marchand, Crosby, or McDavid!!!
How does the media, yes you guys, spin this positively?
If JT was a good captain, he would be in the role still.
It is "Auston Matthews' room" and this is a change?
Let’s see shanny 10 years playoff success, nada. Fire dubas? Fire Tavares C, after goalie fails after fails, d fails after fail. I’m disgusted with the leafs chances, no offence to Mathews. I realize underwear scandle scuffled when he should have gotten the c then.
Fire shanny, fire brad for the love of leaf hockey
Honestly, I'm kind of disgusted by it all. They couldn't just let JT finish his contract with the C. Then again, I expect this from the Leafs brass. And they wonder why management was voted 30th in fan front office, confidence. Keith Pelley lied, they ARE in the business of selling jerseys. What a shit show.
Matthews has not shown the leadership skills to be captain. I was thinking Rielly would make a better captain. And guys, this doesn't make the team look different.
Time to see how much Johnny T really loves being a maple leaf
With no disrespect to those who think is the next best thing to slice bread.
But what are the differences between Travares and Mathews?
What qualities does Mathew have that Travares lacked ? Or failed at?
The criticism that Travares lacked the physical aspect of being the Captain. Mathews hasn't exactly been overly physical or shown aggression with he has come to defending himself! Unless smiling while being ragged dolled , crabbed by the collar or going to the defense of a teammate who may need some assistance!
I would have been in more favor of Morgan Rielly seeing he is the longest tenure Maple Leaf, can play physical, shown aggressive side and not affraid to mix things up to help a teammate!
Is this move solely been done for appearances sake and because that Mathews offensive prowess last face of the team, then nothing has changed.
Jake McCabe Morgan Reilly Max Domi would have been a really change instead of switching numbers and putting the C on a player that is similar to the one they have taken the C from
Matthews has been a playoff disappointment at centre. Domi outplayed Matthews at centre in last year’s first round. Matthews generates too few assists to be a elite centre. He is not even in the top 25 current NHL assist leaders. It was sad watching Auston failing to score 70 goals last year - when he likely burnt himself out & screwed up his playoffs. Elite snipers like Matthews and OV belong on the wing. Time to think about giving up building a successful Leaf playoff team around Matthews - as 50% of his career is over and older players most often decline.
1:02 Nick. You make a statement: August 12th, bizzare, from that standpoint, but. Then you don’t say anything that backs up your strong opinion of the timing. You spose to be as journalist 😀
Ya the parade route is being mapped because of the new captain. Captain Underpants
Lol
I think JT was more of a team player than AM ever will be.
It doesn't have to be a direct comparison between the two. We've had several years of Tavares as captain, it's time to see the team with Matthews as captain.
Ok that's sounds great but JT hasn't been able to get this team over the hump. This move could propel AM to be that team guy
Let's hope
I respect JT as a player, but for me, he's does not show the leadership qualities. Even with the Islanders, he wore the C, but never seemed like he was the true Captain. Was surprised Leafs gave him the C right away, and thought Rielly would have been a better choice. Matthews is now the obvious choice. Leafs hoping that with the C on his jersey, Austin will amp up his intensity and desire to take a step toward to a higher level. Guess we'll see if that happens.
@@michaelkirkpatrick7483 what leadership qualiities has 34 shown ...it was Willy who called out Marners temper tamtrum .
Any idea if they will be taking Marners A and giving it to JT? Both are in contract years with Johnny more likely to return it may be the optimal move. 🏁
i hope so because i genuinely think nylander deserves it over marner. nit picky though it probably doesnt matter that much as far as alternates go
Finally! Now we can win the cup.
You've got to be kidding me ...
@@henrivanbemmel 😂
I'll believe it when it happens.
Press conference tomorrow at 11am ...im ok with it as long as its Tavares' idea.
@@johngallagher72 I see. It seems odd, considering the fact that JT is not likely to be re-signed. Why not just wait until then. This reflects poorly on Leafs' management
@@gordonbgraham yup ..one more giant misstep ...they should have just let 91 run it out ..."Thought 34 and 16 would be Toews and Kane. Misread the prophecy did we" Yoda ...if he was a hockey scout and not a Jedi Master.
@@johngallagher72 Bobby Orr, the best player in hockey was never a captain. JT has been an upstanding model of integrity.
@@gordonbgraham why don't u think he won't be re-signed? I'll take him back at 3-4M a year
They decided to announce this on August 14 because it’s my birthday… at least I’m choosing to believe that lol
Its just rearanging the furniture on the Lido deck of the Titanic.
Hardly ... so they haven't won the Cup, they're still a damn fine hockey tea..
@@henrivanbemmel Cup is the only thing that matters, dont forget that.
@@BangHeadShotDed perhaps for fans, but it is a business and winning is luck. Teams can really only ensure their team is competitive after that it's up to the gods. With all the hype, no one can just go out and build a champion. In sum, you have a given professional hockey team in a city. It gives the people 41 homes frames of hockey entertainment each year. The rest is just luck.
Needed to happen, love John but ya im glad they did it and I think it leads to an extension for John
Find a way to trade J.T. and NICK ROBERTSON, PACKAGE THE 2 OF THEM TEGETHER IF J.T. MIGHT WAVE HIS NO TRADE CLAUSE, THAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO EXTEND- MARNER LONG- TERM AS A LEAF...!
Doesn't matter a bit. Leafs are the Dallas Cowboys of the NHL! Play well all season then fold like a cheap chair in the early rounds of the playoffs. The problem STARTS WITH THEIR FANS. Expecting a Stanley Cup isn't a realistic expectation. The league is tough and the teams are so equal. I don't see Toronto winning their division, let alone a cup. Support your team, they are a good team and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, Curb your expectations! The Leafs are not bottom feeders but they ARE FAR FROM THE ELETE!
Just no. I'd rather see Rielly as captain over Matthews any day.
Let's be real, Is this even going to make a difference? This core has been WAY too soft up to this point! Real leadership in a salary cap league is taking a little less so the Leafs can ice a cup contending team instead of half the cap being wrapped up in 4 players! Matthews, Willy and Marner could of all set this example (like Crosby and company in Pittsburgh and THEIR 3 Stanley Cups) but instead have chosen to get every penny! The joke is in TO each player could of taken $1 million less and easily made it up in endorsements! So again, is this even going to make a difference? I guess we'll see!
Why does the best player on the team need to be the Captain?!
It doesn't...Bobby Orr was the best player in the NHL. Never a captain.
Because he's earned it.
@@willyupshaw And Orr? Didn’t he “earn” it?
@@gordonbgraham I have no opinion on the decision making of the Boston Bruins' management in the 1970s.
@@willyupshaw I do. Bucyk was a good captain and his being a captain never prevented Orr from being the best player in the game nor the Bruins winning two Cups under his leadership. Bob Gainy wasn’t the Habs best player either. That didn’t affect Lafluer from being an elite player. Captain doesn’t mean “best player”
Matthews with the C..... 2 years too late. Keefe fired....3 years too late. Marner traded..... 3 years too late and counting. So so so Leafy. So so so Toronto.
Tavares & Marner are gone next year
You can rotate the tires on a POS car but it's not going to turn it into a Ferrari. It's still a POS car....
Looking forward to more cliché comments from Mr. Roboto Tavares. Domo arigoto. 🤖
Classless move....
Why?
This is so insignificant. Only in Leafland is this considered major news because there’s nothing else to celebrate with this team for the past 20 years. When they lose again in the 1st round next spring they’ll say that it was Matthews 1st year as captain and he was adjusting to it and that’s why he had 4 points in 7 playoff games. Just wait until next year!!!
Oh grow up you sound like a 12 year old. Fans are going to talk about this as they’re allowed to why does that even remotely bother you
You’re right. No other fanbase cares about who their captain is
Is this JT's greatest lesson learned? 😅😂😂
Also if you take off your blue rose coloured glasses Barkov may have leap frogged Matthews in the list of top centres in the NHL .
ah no, obviously you're a hater so your hockey sense really don't count. Why don't you call Paul Maurice right now and see who he would rather have?
@@T-bone9 lets look at historical facts rather than opinion. 1. Matthews in a head to head battle couldnt dominate Pierre Luc Dubois in the bubble. Leafs lose series. 2. Montreal has no legit first line centre . Leafs lose series. 3..I'll give you the Boston losses since he was going head to head against Bergeron. 4. Remind me last year who Bostons #1 centre was and sorry times up on imjury execuses. 5. Last year i watched the games against Edmonton and Colorado and 34 was outplayed by the opposing centres. ...1-5 historical facts but I eagerly hold my breath with all Leaf natiion for that long deep playoff run.
@@johngallagher72 My prediction is that this captaincy will invigorate him to take more of an ownership role and hopefully he'll have better success in the playoffs
@@T-bone9 i hope u r tight ...i wasnt being salty with either response above just pointing out a noticeable treand. People counter my argument above saying he could become Ovechekin or Yzerman and win later in his career. I hope you all are right.
@@johngallagher72 its all good, thanks for clarifying
I think this is the wrong move. I don't think 34 should be the captain and you are tossing a wrench into next season instead of waiting.
It's not a wrench after opening night.
@@willyupshawIt's just creating a problem where there wasn't one. This isn't going to change the leadership group. They're still going to be the same guys who can't win when it matters. And now you're putting pressure on your best player pressure that even sundin didn't realize he was going to deal with when he took the C. It feels more like a PR stunt to try to say hey look. We made a lot of changes when they're mostly surface level and not directed towards the core themselves. Besides a letter moving on a jersey.
Just another classless move by a team with no integrity.
hockey is a business, get over it. Leafs have gone nowhere under his leadership although he's prob a great guy
@@T-bone9 Laughs are going nowhere because Matthews is a total bust. No heart, can't show up in playoffs, afraid to stand up for himself. They deserve all these playoff failures. One round in 8 years, what a laughing stock.
@@jamesmccormick7657ok, thanks for coming. Matthews is a total bust? Obviously your comments are not to be taken serious, have a good hockey take next time
Tavares was a disappointment as captain. No emotion, no real answers to the questions posed to him and endless bad performances in the playoffs. Matthews has been the real captain for the last 2-3 years. Good and gutsy move by the Leafs.
I have to agree. Never thought he should have had the C in the 1st place. He never showed leadership qualities with the Islanders. Nothing against him personally. Some guys are born to wear the C, others are not.
I wouldn’t say he was a disappointment as captain. Dude definitely learned a lot, having the tremendous honor of being captain of the Toronto maple leafs
ok well did score the OT winner against TBY to get them into round 2, my how we forget
Everything you said was true minus the “bad performances in playoffs” he scored in more important games than the Mexican, that rocket Richard winner yet to score in a game 7
@@predestinedbyGod mexican, lol. I hope this C will light a fire under his butt more for the playoffs. AM did score in game 7 vs Boston to give them 1-0 lead in 3rd
great move. also nick ... who cares if it was August 12th , who cares if it was September 1st..
I don't agree with this. At least let Berube decide after training camp. Bad move
Matthew's has done nothing to be a NHL captain. Since when does a teams best player warrant a captaincy. This is just a sign of warped decisions vomiting thru the air in our now warped world where supposed show trumps go in the entertainment world and beyond. Think of great captains and you quickly realize that how many goals they score is way down the list in a captains right to stand out front as a worthy team beacon. Matthew's may grow into that. That's possible. But it's also possible that he may never get there.
Matthews has been an over paid loser every year. It's a joke.
Being the highest paid paid doesn’t mean you should be captain . This will not make the team better
Wrong choice
And do you know how much will change because of this? Nothing.
Joke of an organization. They’ll never get another decent free agent signing again. Why would talent go to a team that treats them like a doormat. It’s been Matthew’s team for years? That’s an embarrassing sentiment - Matthew’s is not a leader, nowhere close.
JT signing has been an absolute disaster for the Leafs. If you have a cap hit of 11 million, you have to score 100 or more points in the regular season. Forget 100 or even scoring more than 100, Pyjama Boy has never even had 90 points as a 11 million dollar player. Pretty embarrassing considering all the talent he plays with at even strength and on the power play. Not only that, but his playoff numbers, as a Leaf, are absolute TRASH. 24 points in 38 playoff games is horrendous for a 11 million dollar player. Even if you ignore his disappointing regular season and playoff numbers, Pyjama Boy is a bad leader who has no charisma and aura. The Islanders went to the ECF twice when Pyjama Boy left the team. 😂😂😂
tavares signing with leafs screwed both leafs and isles.he cost isles the cup in 2021 isles beat tampa in 2021 if they had him
You are correct sir. That was the boner that they trip over to this day.
Matthews should have said no until Tavares contract is up! Or making both alternatives and have no capt!!!
Brutal call.. john is born to be captain. Just throwing insult in Johns face. Hate it. Auston has a bad attitude, not a good captain. Bad call
robots shouldn't be captains.
I never felt he was ever captain material in the NHL.
hes soft weak and emotionless .one of the worst captains in nhl history
He can console himself with all the money he's earned. He's not entitled to the captaincy. He had plenty of chances to lead this team where he didn't.
Johnny's a big boy, he'll be alright, they say he was involved in the process so even he knew it was coming
This just shows how poor the character of the Maple leafs organization. JT is not the player he was, but he has much more heart than Matthew's, Marner and Nylander combined.
LOL
A big bye bye to the most gutless and heartless Captain in Leafs pathetic history. This over paid bum couldn't lead this team on a trip to the f#@king washroom and it showed come playoff time the last 6 years.
34 should have been given the C before Tavares signed in Toronto; we all know it didn’t happen because of Babcock’s antiquated ways.
Or he's getting traded.
Hmmm....I'd think they'd just trade him. To me, this suggests that they are unlikely to have a trade planned.
@@willyupshaw It's hard to tell. It could be looked at as an embarrassment to push him out too. Pushing out Tavares, someone who only had 2 points in the playoffs and didn't pass the eye test, would go a long way to improving this team without having to lose Marner, who is still useful in the regular season (unlike Tavares will be this year) and is still a defensive-minded player in the playoffs, even if he's not the go-to player. If I had a choice, I would keep Marner knowing that I had an extra 11 million to improve the forward group more. It would produce a really great team and fix the LW and Center problems the roster has so that they can contend this year rather than waiting until next year. I really don't want this year to be a waste.
Such a shame, could have been a retired legend with the Isles,respected in the community and would have won the Cup in their long playoff runs over the past several years. Now he can't even finish his final year as Captain.
I’m sure that the 11 million dollars he’s going to make this year will help him sleep at night!!
At $11 mill he has never once delivered a worthy productive season. 11 million.
yeah, first year he got 47 goals
@@AK-ix6xghe's the one that scored in OT against Tampa to get them past the first round. What are you talking about.
@@AK-ix6xgok dude, chill. The whole team hasn’t gotten it done, we know, thanks for coming
For the record he was never worth his contract. His stats matched up with 8 and 9 million dollar guys. He had the worst stats of anyone paid 10 or over and many guys with 8 and 9 mil contracts destroyed his stats. He also brought zero on ice leadership, no hits, no sticking up for his teammates. He gets off easy because he is. " a nice guy" in Canada. He would have been booed out of New York , Philly and rightly so. Not to mention that he didn't even carry his line at any point as a leaf. Marner or Nylander are the main reasons why he even got the stats that he did. Cant wait to see him go!
tavares being ok with this just proves how soft he is
well ya know, he kinda has no choice, lol. Is he gonna demand a trade or something?
@@T-bone9 no but you should fight for your captaincy he doesnt have the competitive fire that all the greats had. his legacy is not going to be anything spectacular . yes very good player but wont be talked about as a great player when its all said and done
@@bb-gc2tx well. at the time he was named captain in 2019, there was no other choice on the team, the other core 3 guys were too young. You could have made a case for Reilly but that's it
@@T-bone9 he probably got a gurantee from team they are going to resign him next year his main concern is staying in toronto because of his wife.had a friend who worked for isles up until 2021 make no mistake Mrs tavares runs that show and is the main reason he signed with leafs He said she was a major C and all of the other wives and girlfriends could not stand her. he said the isles wives in that era were all very tight and she really didnt fit in and gave off the vibe that she thought was better than all of them
@@bb-gc2tx mmm, thats interesting. I mean he is from T.O., I don't see him leaving the Leafs after this year, he made his money,
Glad Matthews is getting the C bc Tavares is a damn robot! 🤖
Tavares is void of any personality get rid of him & Marner already...
Bush league.
we got 2 months to trade marner or nick is going to throw his pc out the window
The team is literally floundering season after season making meaningless moves here and there that don't amount to squat. A mediocre team no matter who the captain or the coach is.
Good John Tavares worst captain in team history. He is garbage.
Was he a great captain, maybe not. Was he garbage? come on dude