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Minor Ex-Leaf News

https://twitter.com/x/status/2011893289704952128
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Oct 5, 2025, Carolina picked up Bussi off waivers and waived Cayden Primeau, who the Leafs picked up briefly ...
Primeau was destined to join the Chicago Wolves in the AHL and that is where he wound up when the Leafs waived him.
Primeau was starting for the Chicago Wolves until they went down 2-3 to Colorado. Chicago gave the starting job to their backup who won the last 2 games to beat Colorado and get them to the finals to face the Toronto Marlies.

Bussi might be starting game 4 of the Cup Finals tonight.
I don't know if Primeau is starting in the Calder Cup finals.
But there are reports Cayden Primeau is embarking on "From Russia with Love" in the KHL next season.

In October, you're the backup for the eventual Stanley Cup finalist (and maybe winner).
In June, you're looking at playing in Russia.
It is just a game but the players on the fringes do not have it easy.
 
NHL.com Jets sign defenceman Henry Thrun to a one-year contract
www.nhl.com

Jets sign defenceman Henry Thrun to a one-year contract | Winnipeg Jets

Thrun, 25, played four games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025-26, but spent most of the season helping the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on their path to capturing the 2026 Calder Cup.
www.nhl.com www.nhl.com
Thrun was top pairing left dman for Calder Cup Marlies with Benning on the right side when Benning was healthy
Obviously, they did well.
With McCabe, Rielly, OEL and Andrae ahead of him, he probably saw no great path to the NHL
He signed a 2 way for $850k in NHL, $450K in AHL

With all the forwards Chayka signed, some Marlies forwards may feel similarly.
 
Thrun was very good for the Marlies. One of their main PKers. A little surprised they let him go but I certainly didn't see every game he played like management would have.
 
Darryl Sittler explains what it was like to play with Bobby Orr...
There's a lot more there than the title suggests
A bunch from Tiger Williams with his great story about Bryan Trottier
 
I liked him, not sure he got a reasonable opportunity top 2 lines but
I’m glad Leafs didn’t pay this for a player they weren’t willing to play
him in the right spot
 
lamajama said:
I liked him, not sure he got a reasonable opportunity top 2 lines but
I’m glad Leafs didn’t pay this for a player they weren’t willing to play
him in the right spot
Click to expand...
Leafs coaching was not perfect, but they were correct in identifying that Robertson would not be a fit on the top 6 with the other players the Leafs were committed to, even after the departure of Marner.

The players in top 6 have to be very good two-way players or so overwhelmingly offensively gifted you live with the defensive deficiencies. Robertson is neither of those things. Couple that high threshold with Robbie's penchant for getting knocked off the puck (due to size and bullheadedness) and tunnel vision, it's hard to justify taking a slot from someone more complementary of the other star wingers.

The difference between Robertson and someone of similar size in Easton Cowan (and Mattias Maccelli) is their playstyle. While Robertson has some transition skills, a) he's not creative/deceptive about it b) still easy to strip the puck from and c) falls down a lot, he is more a triggerman than a play chain builder. Cowan has Robertson's motor and fearlessness, but he is a better skater and deploys it in crafty ways that build up play with and for his linemates. If you're going to be a zippy little LW, you have to bring something additive to the line, not just cap off the plays.
 

Ferris doesn't come off nearly as evil as some have made him out to be.
Sounds pretty ethical and supportive of his players.

I'm not clear on the performance bonus grievance. I think Marner got schedule A.
Matthews got Schedule B but who could foresee winning the lottery and the exceptional nature of that?
Many 4th overall picks did get schedule B
What of Schedule B would Marner have got?
The team was under cap pressure. $5 mil in performance bonuses in 2017 ...
I'm not clear on why that would be an enormous grievance for Marner.

I didn't know Marner was playing with a fractured ankle in the Boston series.
I also didn't realize there was no trade figured out with Carolina.

“He was never protected by his organization.”
That is obvious from the Leafs weak response in the media to defend their player.
It seemed to be a part of their failed effort to publicly pressure an expecting, first time father into accepting a trade away from both sides of his family just before his son was born.
Their behavior appears to have been rewarded accordingly.
However, that doesn't line up with Ferris' claim about Marner's situation. They would know in October a baby was arriving in May. So why would Ferris claim Marner was open to a trade to the Western Conference any time after he found out in October he was going to be a Dad in May? I'm not clear on that claim.
 
cw said:

Ferris doesn't come off nearly as evil as some have made him out to be.
Sounds pretty ethical and supportive of his players.

I'm not clear on the performance bonus grievance. I think Marner got schedule A.
Matthews got Schedule B but who could foresee winning the lottery and the exceptional nature of that?
Many 4th overall picks did get schedule B
What of Schedule B would Marner have got?
The team was under cap pressure. $5 mil in performance bonuses in 2017 ...
I'm not clear on why that would be an enormous grievance for Marner.

I didn't know Marner was playing with a fractured ankle in the Boston series.
I also didn't realize there was no trade figured out with Carolina.

“He was never protected by his organization.”
That is obvious from the Leafs weak response in the media to defend their player.
It seemed to be a part of their failed effort to publicly pressure an expecting, first time father into accepting a trade away from both sides of his family just before his son was born.
Their behavior appears to have been rewarded accordingly.
However, that doesn't line up with Ferris' claim about Marner's situation. They would know in October a baby was arriving in May. So why would Ferris claim Marner was open to a trade to the Western Conference any time after he found out in October he was going to be a Dad in May? I'm not clear on that claim.
Click to expand...
Differences in when his wife is pregnant. Early on she can fly, isn't as exposed, still probably has the energy to see and do things. Later on, in her third trimester, all those things become much harder for her, with flying completely off the table. I didn't listen to the comment, but it was probably they would have accepted a trade up until a certain point because then his wife could move with them. After that point though, he probably wasn't going to go anywhere for the good of his family. Which is commendable in a husband and a father, and shouldn't be swept under the rug as part of his character.

I am upset that things didn't work out with Marner here. I don't think it was any one thing. I don't think the guy is evil, or deserves some sort of payback because of it. At this point we just need to move on, and I wish the media would move on from it as well, because I don't like to be reminded of how good a player he was, the fact that he once played for the Leafs and that that is no longer the case.
 
Thank you for noting that there are some inconsistencies to what the agent claims, what Marner said previously in front of cameras, and in general, some repetitive narratives being spun at every opportunity for the purpose of ostensibly 'protecting' Marner and his reputation.

The 'not defending Marner in the media enough' aggrievance makes no sense; officially recognizing what random fans say and trying to dispute things in the public sphere legitimizes those fringe opinions and foments more of the same. The Leafs, officially, have never said anything other than how much they value Marner, appreciated his play and energy and joy, and tried to pay him the longest and highest salary in total value they've ever offered in the cap era to date to a WINGER.

Marner would be seen in far more favourable light if Ferris simply didn't say anything at all; not sure if he is speaking of his own volition, but certainly hasn't been told to shut up by his client as these same tales have been spun out basically every year since 2019. Many of the fan issues with Marner stem from how these forced narratives being foisted and blamed on the fanbase/organization are coming off as blatant self-aggrandizement and self-victimization, which conflates into perceptions of Marner's character.

If there is a Ferris client that really deserves more defense in public because of how the Leafs treated him, it's Nazem Kadri.
 
herman said:
Thank you for noting that there are some inconsistencies to what the agent claims, what Marner said previously in front of cameras, and in general, some repetitive narratives being spun at every opportunity for the purpose of ostensibly 'protecting' Marner and his reputation.

The 'not defending Marner in the media enough' aggrievance makes no sense; officially recognizing what random fans say and trying to dispute things in the public sphere legitimizes those fringe opinions and foments more of the same. The Leafs, officially, have never said anything other than how much they value Marner, appreciated his play and energy and joy, and tried to pay him the longest and highest salary in total value they've ever offered in the cap era to date to a WINGER.

Marner would be seen in far more favourable light if Ferris simply didn't say anything at all; not sure if he is speaking of his own volition, but certainly hasn't been told to shut up by his client as these same tales have been spun out basically every year since 2019. Many of the fan issues with Marner stem from how these forced narratives being foisted and blamed on the fanbase/organization are coming off as blatant self-aggrandizement and self-victimization, which conflates into perceptions of Marner's character.

If there is a Ferris client that really deserves more defense in public because of how the Leafs treated him, it's Nazem Kadri.
Click to expand...
Exactly. If there's one player who has others come in front of the camera to complain about how badly they've been treated throughout their career it's Marner, full stop, and continuing to do so only brings more attention to it, not less. I've heard more about Marner's career being "unfair" than anything from guys who've dealt with career ending injuries or died via CTE which is absolutely astonishing.

If you want to stop dealing with the narrative that you're constantly complaining and a shrinking violet, well, there's an obvious solution to that.
 
herman said:
Thank you for noting that there are some inconsistencies to what the agent claims, what Marner said previously in front of cameras, and in general, some repetitive narratives being spun at every opportunity for the purpose of ostensibly 'protecting' Marner and his reputation.

The 'not defending Marner in the media enough' aggrievance makes no sense; officially recognizing what random fans say and trying to dispute things in the public sphere legitimizes those fringe opinions and foments more of the same. The Leafs, officially, have never said anything other than how much they value Marner, appreciated his play and energy and joy, and tried to pay him the longest and highest salary in total value they've ever offered in the cap era to date to a WINGER.

Marner would be seen in far more favourable light if Ferris simply didn't say anything at all; not sure if he is speaking of his own volition, but certainly hasn't been told to shut up by his client as these same tales have been spun out basically every year since 2019. Many of the fan issues with Marner stem from how these forced narratives being foisted and blamed on the fanbase/organization are coming off as blatant self-aggrandizement and self-victimization, which conflates into perceptions of Marner's character.

If there is a Ferris client that really deserves more defense in public because of how the Leafs treated him, it's Nazem Kadri.
Click to expand...
Aren't you kind of letting the Leafs off the hook by saying a lot of the claims are baseless, which are the claims you disagree with, while then penalizing Marner for the claims you agree with though? In both cases, there isn't any smoking gun here. A lot of it is conjecture that is basically supported through innuendo, no matter what side of the fence you come down on.

As fans I feel all of us do this with every player. If we "like" them, we form a bias, and then everything that gets reported on that player is then filtered through that bias. That bias can change over time based on things that happen, and that is different for everyone. Sundin is a good example of this. For most people Sundin is a beloved former Leaf to this day, but there is a part of the fanbase that really didn't like that he wouldn't accept a trade near the end of his career, and that soured some people on him. There are lots of examples of this throughout every team. Look at the Ottawa fanbase and their perception of Brady Tkachuk today versus three years ago.

The only thing that matters to the Leaf fan base at this moment is winning a cup. When that doesn't happen, people are going to get blamed, rightly or wrongly. Lots of it goes into that equation, team sport vs. salary cap, commitment vs talent, coaching vs. luck. There isn't really ever one thing. However, I think as a fan you can accept all that if your team has smart management. I think smart management gives you the best chance to win, because it filters down from the top. I think bad management can luck into great players (I'm looking at you Oilers, and yeah unfortunately the Leafs) which can give you a shot to win, but over time that gets exposed.
 
Last edited:
rjd said:
Aren't you kind of letting the Leafs off the hook by saying a lot of the claims are baseless, which are the claims you disagree with, while then penalizing Marner for the claims you agree with though? In both cases, there isn't any smoking gun here. A lot of it is conjecture that is basically supported through innuendo, not matter what side of the fence you come down on.
Click to expand...
That certainly fair, and I'm not saying the claims are baseless. But one side keeps bringing them up and treating these as cardinal sins that led to the player's decision to... play here for another full 6 years and stay for the entire duration because it was sooooo bad?

I think we can all see with actual on-ice, on-camera, written statements, and hiring decisions, that the Leafs did everything they could to support and optimize Marner in Toronto. I can't say they did it perfectly, but it's all on the table: hired vaunted sports therapists, top line minutes even when it stopped working, every special team assignment even when it stopped working, ludicrous second contract, put him front and centre on all the fun happy publicity and marketing, sheltered him from speaking to press after games, gave talking points to his teammates to extol his virtues, fired the GM that had a longstanding policy of not paying schedule Bs because he liked to put the team ahead of the individual (but made an organizational exception for a 1st overall pick), fired the coach that kept him apart from more points for the coach that tied him at the hip to a generational scoring centre, fired the GM that was hinting at trading him (or more likely Willy, who they've reportedly market-checked basically every offseason)...

And on the other side of the ledger, Ferris is essentially saying the Leafs tried to negotiate a lower salary and then tried to trade him when he clearly wasn't going to extend. Are these not standard operating procedures for any and all sports organizations?

I'm having trouble naming one player that was treated with softer velvet gloves by the Leafs than Marner, who could have very easily been the most beloved hometown draft pick ever (and was for that first 4 years since he was drafted).
 
herman said:
That certainly fair, and I'm not saying the claims are baseless. But one side keeps bringing them up and treating these as cardinal sins that led to the player's decision to... play here for another full 6 years and stay for the entire duration because it was sooooo bad?

I think we can all see with actual on-ice, on-camera, written statements, and hiring decisions, that the Leafs did everything they could to support and optimize Marner in Toronto. I can't say they did it perfectly, but it's all on the table: hired vaunted sports therapists, top line minutes even when it stopped working, every special team assignment even when it stopped working, ludicrous second contract, put him front and centre on all the fun happy publicity and marketing, sheltered him from speaking to press after games, gave talking points to his teammates to extol his virtues, fired the GM that had a longstanding policy of not paying schedule Bs because he liked to put the team ahead of the individual (but made an organizational exception for a 1st overall pick), fired the coach that kept him apart from more points for the coach that tied him at the hip to a generational scoring centre, fired the GM that was hinting at trading him (or more likely Willy, who they've reportedly market-checked basically every offseason)...

And on the other side of the ledger, Ferris is essentially saying the Leafs tried to negotiate a lower salary and then tried to trade him when he clearly wasn't going to extend. Are these not standard operating procedures for any and all sports organizations?

I'm having trouble naming one player that was treated with softer velvet gloves by the Leafs than Marner, who could have very easily been the most beloved hometown draft pick ever (and was for that first 4 years since he was drafted).
Click to expand...
That's exactly it. You'd think he was the most maligned player in Leafs history. It took Sittler years of having his team dismantled before his very eyes to force him out of Toronto. Mahovlich is owed a massive apology from fans and staff. Mats wanted to stay even when the org wanted to push him out. Even Dion and Phil had it rough in comparison.

I mean jeez, at this point I feel much worse for Knies considering he actually gave the Leafs a sweetheart second deal, essentially had been traded and is still repeatedly coming up in trade rumours, but you don't hear his reps going "people need to start respecting Knies more." I know if I heard that I'd respect him less and I suspect the fanbase would as well.
 
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