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Congrats to the Leafs


Samifan

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Thanks gang. Next season will be very interesting. This group really set the bar high (for the first time in a long time) and it will be hard to improve over last season for us because now it will be expected. Let's hope the sophomore blues don't hit any of our rookies..... 

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1 hour ago, BluPuk said:

Thanks gang. Next season will be very interesting. This group really set the bar high (for the first time in a long time) and it will be hard to improve over last season for us because now it will be expected. Let's hope the sophomore blues don't hit any of our rookies..... 

 

Not to be a party pooper :ph34r:, but I think the Leafs will miss the playoffs next season. Here's why:

  • Sophomore slumps for Toronto's key rookies
  • Injury bug will bite
  • Opposition will improve during off-season while Toronto stands pat.

This season it took incredible rookie seasons from Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and co. to just barely scrape their way in. The team was healthy most of the year, and opposing teams had down years (Panthers) or got hit by injuries themselves (the Lightning for example). 

 

I am however, looking forward to two years from now when the Leafs return to the playoffs with one of the strongest core groups in the NHL.  :biggrin:

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5 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Not to be a party pooper :ph34r:, but I think the Leafs will miss the playoffs next season. Here's why:

  • Sophomore slumps for Toronto's key rookies
  • Injury bug will bite
  • Opposition will improve during off-season while Toronto stands pat.

This season it took incredible rookie seasons from Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and co. to just barely scrape their way in. The team was healthy most of the year, and opposing teams had down years (Panthers) or got hit by injuries themselves (the Lightning for example). 

 

I am however, looking forward to two years from now when the Leafs return to the playoffs with one of the strongest core groups in the NHL.  :biggrin:

 

Great job by the Leafs, fans should be proud.

It'll be tougher next year...on top of what you mentioned...no more taking teams by surprise, and likely be seeing a lot less backup goalies next year.

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32 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Not to be a party pooper :ph34r:, but I think the Leafs will miss the playoffs next season. Here's why:

  • Sophomore slumps for Toronto's key rookies
  • Injury bug will bite
  • Opposition will improve during off-season while Toronto stands pat.

This season it took incredible rookie seasons from Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and co. to just barely scrape their way in. The team was healthy most of the year, and opposing teams had down years (Panthers) or got hit by injuries themselves (the Lightning for example). 

 

I am however, looking forward to two years from now when the Leafs return to the playoffs with one of the strongest core groups in the NHL.  :biggrin:

 

I understand where you're coming from about rookie slumps but I don't think that quality rookies are as prone to slumps. During most years TO's rookies, the big 3, would all have deserved consideration for rookie of the year so they aren't run of the mill rookies.

 

TO probably doesn't have to do much to have the team improve next year as there are so many rookies improvement should be natural, I felt Matthews improved as the playoffs wore on , his compete level was increasing visibility the longer the series went on.

 

To a large degree TO only had 3 rookies for most of the year, the others were overdeveloped rookies like Brown 22, Hyman 24, Zaitsev 25 so I doubt we can expect decline. 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, hobie said:

 

I understand where you're coming from about rookie slumps but I don't think that quality rookies are as prone to slumps. During most years TO's rookies, the big 3, would all have deserved consideration for rookie of the year so they aren't run of the mill rookies.

 

TO probably doesn't have to do much to have the team improve next year as there are so many rookies improvement should be natural, I felt Matthews improved as the playoffs wore on , his compete level was increasing visibility the longer the series went on.

 

To a large degree TO only had 3 rookies for most of the year, the others were overdeveloped rookies like Brown 22, Hyman 24, Zaitsev 25 so I doubt we can expect decline. 

 

 

 

 

This is why I suspect Toronto will only make minor deals during the off-season to move a few players out and grab some depth guys as needed for the 3rd or 4th lines. I don't see any blockbuster acquisitions happening.

 

Toronto had a mostly injury-free season. I can't imagine they'll be so lucky next season. A loss to Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Gardiner, Rielly, or Andersen for half a season would be devastating. 

 

I'm not sure how much cap space the Leafs have, or which contracts are expiring, but one can imagine certain players getting some hefty raises soon.

 

If you're Chicago, Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston, or St. Louis, the playoffs seem to be a foregone conclusion every year. Fans of those teams probably don't bat an eyelash when they see spring roll around and their team is in the top 8. Toronto has always been life or death to make the playoffs it seems, and they never make the playoffs more than 2-3 times in a row before requiring a full rebuild. I can picture something like this happening:

 

2017: Playoffs.

2018: Miss.

2019: Playoffs (second round).

2020: Playoffs (conference final, Cup final?).

2021: Playoffs (conference final, Cup final?, Cup win?).

2022: Playoffs (first round).

2023: Miss. Cue next full rebuild. 

 

:)

 

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Injuries hurt all teams but I thought TO did an admirable job when Rielly was injured, Sparks is looking ready to be a fine backup to Andersen next year maybe even ready for his own time in the sun.

 

TO has the money to make a huge splash with FA this summer, Radulov maybe or Shattenkirk.

 

Chicago, Wash., Pitts., were all at one time in the same boat as TO and TO like them has added quality players that should be able to maintain and even improve results in the future. TO isn't like Col. or Cal., they made the playoffs even tho certain metrics were not met, TO aced all the categories that should be satisfied as a guarantee of future success. TO's actual results this year were beneath what a team of it's advanced stats should have achieved.

 

Words I think all the past garbage is clouding your ability to see what we now have and what we have with any kind of competent management should endure and thrive beyond 6 years, starting next year.

 

 

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15 hours ago, hobie said:

Injuries hurt all teams but I thought TO did an admirable job when Rielly was injured, Sparks is looking ready to be a fine backup to Andersen next year maybe even ready for his own time in the sun.

 

TO has the money to make a huge splash with FA this summer, Radulov maybe or Shattenkirk.

 

Chicago, Wash., Pitts., were all at one time in the same boat as TO and TO like them has added quality players that should be able to maintain and even improve results in the future. TO isn't like Col. or Cal., they made the playoffs even tho certain metrics were not met, TO aced all the categories that should be satisfied as a guarantee of future success. TO's actual results this year were beneath what a team of it's advanced stats should have achieved.

 

Words I think all the past garbage is clouding your ability to see what we now have and what we have with any kind of competent management should endure and thrive beyond 6 years, starting next year.

 

 

 

1. That would be great news.  

 

2. If they did make a splash over the summer, it could definitely accelerate the rebuild.

 

3. That probably has a lot to do with their record in overtime and shootouts. They lost so many OT and SO games.

 

4. Perhaps. I just don't want to get my hopes up prematurely. Broken hearts take time to mend.:hocky:

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I see Lou is already laying the groundwork for possible failure next year which I find very convenient for him and the Shanaplan. The onus is on him to improve the team which of course will be significantly harder as there are no Matthews, Marners or Nylanders  on the horizon.

 

Last year there was little movement during the summer league wide, few trades, insignificant FA signings but we should expect that, that will change this summer with the expansion draft. TO probably did the most last summer trading for Andersen and signing Zaitsev so another summer like that and we should see an even better Leaf team that's ready to compete out of the gate instead of after the first month.

 

I'd like to see Hyman replaced on Mathews' line, JVR moved and a quality d-man added to begin with. I'd also like to see at least 1 more quality rookie added, Dermot maybe, beyond Kapanen.

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On 4/24/2017 at 5:38 PM, murraycraven said:

a whole lot to be excited about in Tronno for sure.   Was a fun series to watch...

 

super star young talent, arguable the best coach in the game and no more waffles for a bit....

 

They should have been blue waffles I tell ya... ;)

 

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4 hours ago, hobie said:

I see Lou is already laying the groundwork for possible failure next year which I find very convenient for him and the Shanaplan.

 

Making the playoffs this season was critical in preparation for another 20% hike in ticket prices. :hocky:

 

4 hours ago, hobie said:

I'd like to see Hyman replaced on Mathews' line, JVR moved and a quality d-man added to begin with. I'd also like to see at least 1 more quality rookie added, Dermot maybe, beyond Kapane

 

Not a JVR fan? I thought he was decent secondary scoring. He's Toronto's Phil Kessel basically, now that Kessel is gone. 

 

I think the focus needs to be on defence. Toronto needs one more solid defensive line. Zaitsev, Marincin, and Carrick are crap in my opinion. Zaitsev gets some points, and that's nice, but you might as well be short-handed when he's out there defending. He is useless in his own zone. Marincin and Carrick are "please release now" material in my books. I want them gone. 

 

If the Leafs could grab two veteran defencemen that are rock solid in their own zone, it would make a huge impact on this team -- provided we don't have to give anything up to get them. You could pair one of them with Gardiner and the other with Rielly. Add Hunwick and (Polak?) to that mix and we have a solid group that would be one of the best in the NHL. :)

 

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I think the Leafs will try to make a big move this summer, adding a top pairing D-man and perhaps another top 6 forward. The reason is that they are in the somewhat unique position of having 3 young stars on ELCs. This kind of forces their window open early, in that they will have a ton of cap space for the next couple of years before they have to pay these guys, and they can afford to overpay guys like Shattenkirk or Radulov as long as the term isn't too long.

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21 hours ago, Metadeke said:

I think the Leafs will try to make a big move this summer, adding a top pairing D-man and perhaps another top 6 forward. The reason is that they are in the somewhat unique position of having 3 young stars on ELCs. This kind of forces their window open early, in that they will have a ton of cap space for the next couple of years before they have to pay these guys, and they can afford to overpay guys like Shattenkirk or Radulov as long as the term isn't too long.

 

Yes, one or the other or both at obscene money for a short term. 10 mil. plus is off the cap books this year with another 6.5 mil coming off next year. For so many years TO spent to the cap ceiling with little hope of being even an average team.

On 4/26/2017 at 2:07 PM, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Making the playoffs this season was critical in preparation for another 20% hike in ticket prices. :hocky:

 

 

Not a JVR fan? I thought he was decent secondary scoring. He's Toronto's Phil Kessel basically, now that Kessel is gone. 

 

I think the focus needs to be on defence. Toronto needs one more solid defensive line. Zaitsev, Marincin, and Carrick are crap in my opinion. Zaitsev gets some points, and that's nice, but you might as well be short-handed when he's out there defending. He is useless in his own zone. Marincin and Carrick are "please release now" material in my books. I want them gone. 

 

If the Leafs could grab two veteran defencemen that are rock solid in their own zone, it would make a huge impact on this team -- provided we don't have to give anything up to get them. You could pair one of them with Gardiner and the other with Rielly. Add Hunwick and (Polak?) to that mix and we have a solid group that would be one of the best in the NHL. :)

 

 

It's only a price increase to those willing to pay.:dizzysmiley-1: 

 

Kessel had other responsibilities like transitioning the puck, passing, scoring, carrying the puck but JVR is only useful when he scores, he's useless at all other times on the ice.

 

The 3rd pairing d-men is where teams need to economize, Carrick and Marincin are 3rd pairing quality and if TO wants/needs better players the wallets will need to be opened meaning money will not be available elsewhere.

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On 4/26/2017 at 7:26 PM, JR Ewing said:

The Leafs don't have to decline next year for there to be a chance of missing the playoffs; Tampa Bay just has to stay something even resembling healthy.

I think you're assuming that the Leafs will not improve at all? IMHO the Leafs are a better team than Tampa already and come next season they will improve on that. I also think that the Habs are on a downward slide and will miss the play-offs. At any rate, there is much more involved than just Tampa Bay staying healthy IMHO. :o:

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1 hour ago, BluPuk said:

I think you're assuming that the Leafs will not improve at all? IMHO the Leafs are a better team than Tampa

 

I just don't see it. Tampa finished 1 point behind the Leafs despite having 2 more wins; overtime losses were the difference for Toronto. Tampa did this despite missing 65 games from Steve Stamkos and almost 1/4 of the season from Tyler Johnson. Even Mike Babcock said that if "we had those injuries, we wouldn’t have a sniff."

 

https://theathletic.com/50821/2017/04/08/listen-mike-babcocks-postgame-remarks-following-5-3-win-over-penguins/

 

Imagine that

a) Auston Matthews scored at a 90 point pace instead of 69, and

b) Was only in the lineup for 17 games.

 

Consider the impact that would have on the Leafs record and how it might make you consider their chances next year if his health were better. This (and more) is what the Lightning were missing this year, and they still only came up a couple of gimmick losses short of the Leafs. The Lightning were better, but tremendously impacted by injury.

 

 

1 hour ago, BluPuk said:

 

 

 

already and come next season they will improve on that. I also think that the Habs are on a downward slide and will miss the play-offs. At any rate, there is much more involved than just Tampa Bay staying healthy IMHO. :o:

 

You're right that there are a lot of balls in the air with these sorts of things, and my comment was said more for the sake concision than precision. My actual stance is better stated as: if the Lightning stay anything close to healthy next year, things could be very different.

 

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I think you are right about Tampa making the playoffs if they had had fewer injuries - I'm not arguing that. All I'm saying, is that was last year, which is gone now, and next season is a whole new start. I think the Leafs will make the playoffs again next year and it's possible that Tampa may too.

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23 hours ago, hobie said:

It's only a price increase to those willing to pay.:dizzysmiley-1: 

 

Kessel had other responsibilities like eating cookies, being grumpy, and not exercising. transitioning the puck, passing, scoring, carrying the puck.  JVR is only useful when he scores, he's useless at all other times on the ice.

 

The 3rd pairing d-men is where teams need to economize, Carrick and Marincin are 3rd pairing quality and if TO wants/needs better players the wallets will need to be opened meaning money will not be available elsewhere.

 

I'd settle for one more veteran defenceman if that defenceman was a top 10 guy in the entire NHL. ie: All-star. Then the second addition could be another forward for depth. :)

 

 

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8 hours ago, BluPuk said:

I think you are right about Tampa making the playoffs if they had had fewer injuries - I'm not arguing that. All I'm saying, is that was last year, which is gone now, and next season is a whole new start. I think the Leafs will make the playoffs again next year and it's possible that Tampa may too.

 

The Bruins are a strong candidate to miss the playoffs next year, since they're on the cusp of a rebuild. But then they're the Bruins... and they never rebuild, nor do they miss the playoffs. :IDunnoSmiley:

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18 minutes ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

I'd settle for one more veteran defenceman if that defenceman was a top 10 guy in the entire NHL. ie: All-star. Then the second addition could be another forward for depth. :)

 

 

 

OK, let's say your d-man fantasy is possible who would you give up from the Leafs that would entice TO's trading partner to make the deal, Marner? I would think a player of that ilk would cost TO a lot.

 

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