WordsOfWisdom Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Pat Quinn as coach+ GM followed by Ferguson and then Burke REALLY mortgaged the future of this team to the degree you see it today. They turned down Scotty Bowman, who said he would GM the leafs if he had complete autonomy, because they did not want to give autonomy. Then they gave autonomy to Burke?????? I understand your desire to build through drafting and agree with it. These GM's traded like EVERY pick and young piece of talent for 8 years and that hurts less since they could not pick worth crap to begin with. I mean, they made some trades that worked out like Getting McCabe and Tucker, but... Fredrik Modin for Cory Cross?A 2nd round pick(Cammalleri) and prospect for Aki Berg?Boyes, McCauley and a 1st(Stuart) to the Sharks for old Owen Nolan?a 1st, 2nd and 2 prospects for a rental of old broken Leetch?Raycroft for Rask?2nd round pick(Roman Josi) and Brenden Bell for Yanik Perreault?the 1st, 2nd and 3rd which the Sharks traded up for Couture for Toskala and Bell?Trading up 2 spots for Luke Schenn and giving your 1st, 2nd and 3rd?Trading Steen to the blues for Stepeniak?They traded Anton Stralman for the pick that became Brenden Saad, but then flipped Saad's pick to pick up a guy who has yet to see NHL action?Seguin pick, Hamilton pick for Kessel. That one kinda looked good for awhile. But OUCH. Now Hamilton looks to be a franchise D in the making, and Seguin an art ross winner. It just goes on and on.http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00008490.html Looking at their draft history is kinda depressing. I REALLY hope Shanahan can help you turn the corner. Babcock at least came out and never said he was going to turn you into a winner overnight like everyone else. He knows this is going to be a build/Teach and painful process. Now it becomes a game of who to bring up, who to leave in the minors and not ruin their confidence early. Probably a 3-4 year process at least. You do have some decent prospects in the system. That's a remarkable history of self-destruction. If the Leafs were a person, they would be a cutter. Cutter: One who cuts themselves to relieve themselves from an emotional pain.Cutting is not something one advertises, and when someone does cut they are generally ashamed and hide it as well as they can.Can be done with any sharp object, such as, but not limited to, knives, razors, broken glass, broken cd's, scissors, and safety pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92WickedHockey Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 The Leafs are definitely moving in the right direction, they finally have a proven quality coach behind the bench again who in my opinion the best since Pat Quinn rest his soul. I like Mark Hunter and his scouting abilities, scouting has been the Leafs biggest problem, their complete inability to find diamonds in the rough will hopefully improve. Overall I agree with Babcock that it will get worse before it gets better. But then again the Leafs were in a playoff spot when Carlyle was fired and the wheels fell off once he was fired which suggests the Leafs are much better than what they were under Horachek. It depends on what management is going to do, will it be a retool or a complete and utter demolition? Apparently Cody Franson said he is interesting in coming back and that Babcock makes Toronto more appealing to free agents - Quote "I definitely think it makes [Toronto] more interesting," Franson told TSN 1050 Radio. "... Definitely, with Mr. Babcock going there, it's an exciting time for people in that organization and I think it makes it more intriguing to free agents for sure." Along with "One hundred percent; I've always said that I loved it in Toronto," the 27-year-old said. "... I'm hopeful that Toronto's in the mix come July 1 and my phone will definitely be on and hoping that they're one of the teams that calls." - http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=768717 Will be an interesting summer that's for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 That's a remarkable history of self-destruction. If the Leafs were a person, they would be a cutter. HA HA....that had me roaring. Very cool you can find some humor in the whole debacle. Really though, you probably have no choice, taking it to serious and your head would explode!! This is the dawn of a new era for the Leafs, FINALLY they have a man at the helm who is a LEGIT hockey mind, Shanny....AND a coach who has won cups and builds on skating and a solid 200 foot game... With an awesome pick like Nylander in their back pocket AND the 5th pick coming up....this will be the very first time in DECADES that the Leafs will actually have star centers in the 1-2 slots. I only hope and pray for the Leaf fans that they come out of this draft with either Marner or Strome. If Hanfin were to fall, I would fear they would take him, BUT>>>>>they really need this 1-2 punch on offense....they need it real bad. Nylander and Strome/Marner....they could all be 90 point centers....guys you would be proud to call CORNERSTONES!! Some VERY exciting times in Leaf land....exciting indeed. All this sucking is finally gonna pay off, cause not only did they suck, they did it with some great hockey minds running the ship....FIRST time in a long time you could say that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @jammer2 Think Marner plays C in the NHL? I see him as a winger there. A damn good one though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @jammer2 Think Marner plays C in the NHL? I see him as a winger there. A damn good one though. I know Marner has played both positions for the Knights this year, but I like him way more at center than the wing. He can capitalize on his creativity a lot more as a pivot. The more room he has to skate, the better his game will get, so restricting him to the wing is counter productive to which ever team drafts him. He's a stunning skater, so let him fly....center is where I'd play him. Not sure about his face off stats, quite often, for some reason, it's a hard stat to find for CHL prospects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @jammer2 I'd just be concerned about his size at centre. He'll make the NHL this season I'd think. The knock on RNH is his size as an NHL centre...and he's got 2-3 inches and about 30 lbs on Marner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @flyercanuck I think the old saying, you can't hit what you can't catch will apply here, in spades. When he enters the league, he will immediately be in the top 5% of skaters. Often, it's hard to project how a kids skating will translate to the NHL, but honestly, this is as easy as projecting Taylor Hall to the NHL....Mitch is just as fast as Hall, and Hall can really, really fly. I think Mitch would make a great center. A lot of the sties have him listed as RW/C....and I've seen mocks call him both and RW and C separately. I think the general consensus is that he's a C....but perhaps a lot depends on who is drafting him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @jammer2 His speed is top notch, even in the NHL. There's zero concern there. Maybe you start him out at the wing, and hope he grows a bit. Let him play C the odd time against less physical opponents (do you really want Marner facing off against Getzlaf?). The skill as a playmaker is there. I'd just be worried about the beating he's going to take at about a buck sixty as a centre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @flyercanuck It's a tough call to make. I'm pretty sure Johnny Hockey was listed as a RW/C....and he made the transition to the wing seamlessly. He was a full 2 inches shorter and a full 10 pounds lighter than Mitch during his rookie year, and yeah, he took a bit of a pounding at times, but got through it all right. If the Leafs were to draft Marner, it might give them a natural first line of Nylander, Marner and JVR. Myself, I'd want a strong 1-2 punch, with both Nylander and Marner playing on the top pp with each other, but spreading out the offense under normal circumstances....either way,. a good problem to have. There is a good chance that Marner becomes every bit as skilled and dangerous as Eichel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @flyercanuck It's a tough call to make. I'm pretty sure Johnny Hockey was listed as a RW/C....and he made the transition to the wing seamlessly. He was a full 2 inches shorter and a full 10 pounds lighter than Mitch during his rookie year, and yeah, he took a bit of a pounding at times, but got through it all right. If the Leafs were to draft Marner, it might give them a natural first line of Nylander, Marner and JVR. Myself, I'd want a strong 1-2 punch, with both Nylander and Marner playing on the top pp with each other, but spreading out the offense under normal circumstances....either way,. a good problem to have. There is a good chance that Marner becomes every bit as skilled and dangerous as Eichel.Or Tyler Johnson Johnson is a testament to size being something a C can overcome. He is 5'9, 180lbs now lol. The Smart small guys will be asking coaches how guys like Johnson and StLouis handled certain situations where size was starting to hamper them and learn learn learn to adapt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 @J0e Th0rnton You know, I hate to admit this, but it is truly astounding how many pure super stars the Knights have sent to the NHL...spanning several decades. First, there was Sittler, followed decades later by Shanahan, then Rick Nash after him....then Corey Perry and then you have Patrick Kane....and then todays stars like Max Domi and Mitch Marner. This is one team that has always drafted well....with all kinds of different GM's....it is amazing the talent they have sent to the NHL over the years....that is not even counting the fringe stars, like John Carlson, Steve Mason, Gagner etc....what a solid organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 The Leafs are definitely moving in the right direction, they finally have a proven quality coach behind the bench again who in my opinion the best since Pat Quinn rest his soul. I like Mark Hunter and his scouting abilities, scouting has been the Leafs biggest problem, their complete inability to find diamonds in the rough will hopefully improve. Overall I agree with Babcock that it will get worse before it gets better. But then again the Leafs were in a playoff spot when Carlyle was fired and the wheels fell off once he was fired which suggests the Leafs are much better than what they were under Horachek. It depends on what management is going to do, will it be a retool or a complete and utter demolition? Apparently Cody Franson said he is interesting in coming back and that Babcock makes Toronto more appealing to free agents - Quote "I definitely think it makes [Toronto] more interesting," Franson told TSN 1050 Radio. "... Definitely, with Mr. Babcock going there, it's an exciting time for people in that organization and I think it makes it more intriguing to free agents for sure." Along with "One hundred percent; I've always said that I loved it in Toronto," the 27-year-old said. "... I'm hopeful that Toronto's in the mix come July 1 and my phone will definitely be on and hoping that they're one of the teams that calls." - http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=768717 Will be an interesting summer that's for sure. Translation: "Nashville discovered how much I suck defensively and they don't want me around anymore. I'd like to come back to Toronto!" OMG! Franson was the worst defenceman on the Leafs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom Babcock would NEVER EVER give Franson a call.....just saying, guys who offer a wicked shot from the point and who SUCK in their own zone are going to be a thing of the past in TO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom Babcock would NEVER EVER give Franson a call.....just saying, guys who offer a wicked shot from the point and who SUCK in their own zone are going to be a thing of the past in TO... Thank goodness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Translation: "Nashville discovered how much I suck defensively and they don't want me around anymore. I'd like to come back to Toronto!" OMG! Franson was the worst defenceman on the Leafs! Yeah, I am not a Franson fan. I have this horrible feeling that means Doug Wilson will entertain the idea of signing him since we need a Dman on the right side. Wilson would look at the age before the player faults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Why the Leafs have sucked.....How did we get to the third page without mentioning "salary cap"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Clueless Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Why the Leafs have sucked.....How did we get to the third page without mentioning "salary cap"? Nah we're past blaming that. On to more practical things. Like ancient Aztec gold curses. And Justin Bieber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Nah we're past blaming that. On to more practical things. Like ancient Aztec gold curses. And Justin Bieber. We know all about curses here in Philadelphia. And we blame Canada for Justin Bieber. And Nickleback. Among other things: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hf101 Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Maybe they spend too much time playing baseball? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Why the Leafs have sucked.....How did we get to the third page without mentioning "salary cap"? They sucked with no salary cap as well. They are equal opportunity suckers. However, as a hypothetical exercise, how big do you think the Leafs team payroll would need to be before even MLSE couldn't fudge it up and the team actually won something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Maybe they spend too much time playing baseball? And they're good at it too! Maybe they should change sports! LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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