Are the Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup contenders?

[TheNumber4]

This never fails to make me laugh. A supposed contender takes on a salary cap dump as their starter from one of the worst teams in the league.

The backup plan? A goalie with known attitude issues that another team walked away from, and said team was searching for a solution.

What a f***ing tandem

What’s even more ridiculous is that while they were doing that master plan of goaltending solutions. They criticized the Oilers for a young up and comer in Skinner and having a 2M Smith putting up .923 and .914.

 

[Johnny HFBOARDS]

New title idea:

Are the Leafs a wildcard contender?

Are the Toronto media having layoffs I mean going to the playoffs?

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Sure - it worked for Tampa with Vasi.

Except that Vasi has his 3 major injuries over his first 9 1/2 pro seasons, not 4 1/2.

 

[nhlfan9191]

His point still stands.....the leafs have treated the goaltending position almost as an after thought. When was their last real stud? Belfour?
Posters boys up front getting their cookies is the teams focus and identity. A coaches nightmare.


and Ovechkin totally agrees.

Freddy Andersen was a good goalie for the Leafs in my opinion. The injuries started to catch up with him near the end, but I felt he became a scapegoat for them a lot of years.

 

[PaulD]

Freddy Andersen was a good goalie for the Leafs in my opinion. The injuries started to catch up with him near the end, but I felt he became a scapegoat for them a lot of years.

Lou acquired Freddie and you are right ....he was quality. Bruins got to him in back to back games 7s is all. No shame there. But he won them a lot of games. Kept them in games too. Leafs have not been able to match Freddie since

 

[jcs0218]

It’s not surprising.

The Leafs have to play him due to injuries is exactly my point.

Take any team in the league and give them below .900 goaltending and most of them are going to start losing games.

Usually teams don’t have a third string NHL-calibre goalie.

Why do you think the Maple Leafs are forced to use such bad goaltenders?

 

[Divine]

Why do you think the Maple Leafs are forced to use such bad goaltenders?

Injuries.

Why do you think the Ottawa Senators are forced to use such bad goaltenders?

 

[TheNumber4]

Lou acquired Freddie and you are right ....he was quality. Bruins got to him in back to back games 7s is all. No shame there. But he won them a lot of games. Kept them in games too. Leafs have not been able to match Freddie since

Freddy Andersen was a good goalie for the Leafs in my opinion. The injuries started to catch up with him near the end, but I felt he became a scapegoat for them a lot of years.

Getting rid of Freddie or letting him walk was one of my favourite Leafs self-owns. I agree, he was a good goaltender. Media and fanbase complaints made sure he was a goner though.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Sure - it worked for Tampa with Vasi.

What are you talking about? Vasilievkiy didn't suffer 3 major injuries in his first 4 seasons in the league. How's that comparable to Woll's injury history?

Also, he wasn't handed the reigns until after he'd proven he could perform in the playoffs, the year he took over for Ben Bishop when Bishop got hurt. Tampa didn't go into the year expecting a totally inexperienced (and injury prone) goalie to be their #1.

 

[Divine]

Tampa didn't go into the year expecting a totally inexperienced (and injury prone) goalie to be their #1.

Neither did Pittsburgh when Matt Murray was called up from the minors to win the Cup or STL when Binnington showed up from the AHL to win the Cup or who expected Adin Hill to win the Stanley Cup last year?

I don't think planning to play the goalie who had a .932 save percentage last year in a tandem with the goalie who had a .919 save percentage last year was a bad idea. Whoever played better can start in the playoffs. Woll's numbers were better in the regular season and playoffs last year than Samsonov's - which is why they wanted to give him a chance. I don't think it's unreasonable to do that.

The problem occurred when Samsonov declined significantly and Woll got injured. Now you have to play your third string goaltender.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Neither did Pittsburgh when Matt Murray was called up from the minors to win the Cup or STL when Binnington showed up from the AHL to win the Cup or who expected Adin Hill to win the Stanley Cup last year?

I don't think planning to play the goalie who had a .932 save percentage last year in a tandem with the goalie who had a .919 save percentage last year was a bad idea. Whoever played better can start in the playoffs. Woll's numbers were better in the regular season and playoffs last year than Samsonov's - which is why they wanted to give him a chance. I don't think it's unreasonable to do that.

The problem occurred when Samsonov declined significantly and Woll got injured. Now you have to play your third string goaltender.

How is the Woll situation similar to Vasilevskiy though? You cited Tampa and Vasilevskiy as a perfect comparable situation for Woll and the Leafs going into this season. When they became the team's #1 goalie and what circumstances lead to it happening aren't even remotely close.

Also, Murray wasn't penciled in as the Pens' #1. He took over when Fleury got hurt and they kept running with him because he was playing well. That's not the same as your assertion that the Leafs' plan all along was the #1 job was Woll's and not Samsonov's coming into this season.

 

[Divine]

How is the Woll situation similar to Vasilevskiy though? You cited Tampa and Vasilevskiy as a perfect comparable situation for Woll and the Leafs going into this season. When they became the team's #1 goalie and what circumstances lead to it happening aren't even remotely close.

Also, Murray wasn't penciled in as the Pens' #1. He took over when Fleury got hurt and they kept running with him because he was playing well. That's not the same as your assertion that the Leafs' plan all along was the #1 job was Woll's and not Samsonov's coming into this season.

Vasi was injured early in his career.

A poster was saying a goalie who is injured can never be counted on to be healthy is where I said it worked out well for Vasi.

My assertion wasn't for the Leafs. I don't work for the team. The plan was to play both goalies and ride the hot goaltender. I believed Woll to be better than Samsonov. I don't understand what you think the Leafs did wrong here?

Let me present the facts:

They had a 25 year old goalie who put up a .919 save percentage last year
They had a 24 year old goalie who put up a .932 save percentage last year

Did you want them to trade one of them and get a veteran guy or something? I don't see what's so egregious about riding that tandem and playing the better goalie?

 

[Devonator]

Hm. They traded for a Top 4D in McCabe last year. And they added Domi, Reeves, and Bertuzzi as sand paper types already. Maybe just maybe there’s an issue with the core 4.

Come on....I am talking about serious talent not the dross they picked up last year.....

 

[Dr Pepper]

Are the Toronto media having layoffs I mean going to the playoffs?

You just reminded me, it's almost "Bell Let's Talk" season, traditionally the time of year where Bell likes to say they promote mental health while at the same time laying off their own staff.

 

[RRhoads]

Cowboys won Superbowls when there were more than 6 teams.

Leafs won cups when there were more than 6 teams.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Leafs won cups when there were more than 6 teams.

The Leafs have never won three playoff rounds in a single season.

Which is just.....wild, for a team that was founded over a century ago.

 

[jcs0218]

Leafs won cups when there were more than 6 teams.

Yes, back in 1942.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Leafs won cups when there were more than 6 teams.

WW2, a whole 7 lol.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Vasi was injured early in his career.

A poster was saying a goalie who is injured can never be counted on to be healthy is where I said it worked out well for Vasi.

My assertion wasn't for the Leafs. I don't work for the team. The plan was to play both goalies and ride the hot goaltender. I believed Woll to be better than Samsonov. I don't understand what you think the Leafs did wrong here?

Let me present the facts:

They had a 25 year old goalie who put up a .919 save percentage last year
They had a 24 year old goalie who put up a .932 save percentage last year

Did you want them to trade one of them and get a veteran guy or something? I don't see what's so egregious about riding that tandem and playing the better goalie?

The 24 year old goalie had a .907 in the AHL just the year prior.

 

[PaulD]

They absolutely shouldn’t re-sign Marner. You know he will want more than Nylander, which will be 12+ most likely. Leafs need to go in a different direction. Nylander and Marner at more than 23 million combined is lunacy. These wingers ain’t gonna get you to the promised land. Not at those numbers.

Marner and his soft perimeter game is as good as gone.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Hm. They traded for a Top 4D in McCabe last year. And they added Domi, Reeves, and Bertuzzi as sand paper types already. Maybe just maybe there’s an issue with the core 4.

Reaves is a "sand paper" type. Bertuzzi and Domi, .... no. Their fathers? Yes. Domi can still fill a useful spot on the 3rd line, I don't' know what Bertuzzi is doing on that roster other than "we hope he'll become more like his dad."

Corey Perry to the Leafs would do wonders for the Leafs, but I can't see the Leafs doing that.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Reaves is a "sand paper" type. Bertuzzi and Domi, .... no. Their fathers? Yes. Domi can still fill a useful spot on the 3rd line, I don't' know what Bertuzzi is doing on that roster other than "we hope he'll become more like his dad."

Corey Perry to the Leafs would do wonders for the Leafs, but I can't see the Leafs doing that.

Tyler is actually Todd's nephew.

Not sure if his dad ever made it to the bigs.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Nope. They'll be first round cannon fodders (again) if they make the playoffs unless they make a big trade to get a really good goalie and the core buys in committing to work their bums off.

In order to have a good chance of making it to the playoffs in the first place, they'll have to fire Keefe and get a nice coach bump. I don't get why that goof has been employed as long as he has. If I'm a Leafs fan, I'd be absolutely furious right now.

 

[RRhoads]

WW2, a whole 7 lol.

Were 8 teams back in 1932.

Not saying it is a great achievment. Well maybe it is.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Were 8 teams back in 1932.

Not saying it is a great achievment. Well maybe it is.

Well any Cup win is a great achievement, really.

It's just that some teams go a looooong time between achievements.