Are you disappointed that they are sticking with the core?

[Trapper]

you have to stay with the core until they are past their primes. You can't giveup on them when physically they are capable of being stronger better. Once they have peaked and there is no way they can comeback and have career years it would be time to move on and lick our wounds.

We don’t have that luxury.
Tavares is turning 32 signed for 11 million.
He can still be solid but he’s not getting any faster or going to exceed his cap by growing up.

Matthews and Nylander are UFAs in 3 years with a NMC in the final.
Think the social media is bad now after a 3-1 blown lead this year? Fail again and see. Dubas has walked them to UFA without consequences. They don’t have to do anything here. They will have a golden opportunity down the line in the US if they want.

Time is not a luxury as is waiting until their primes.

 

[ShaneFalco]

It's what they do best

 

[Racer88]

It's what they do best

I sure hope this doesn’t indicate that Thorntonis coming back with the Leafs next year

 

[Drytoast]

There is no way in hell management would EVER go with a structured defensive minded coach. Like zero chance whatsoever.

If there's anyway to make Dubas even worse - it's reducing Matthews/Marner's offense by a lot in a defense-first system and making those contracts look a whole other level of bad. Individual numbers and awards are the one thing they have to cling to in order to make those contracts look even close to palatable.

I dunno. Dubas already knows the contracts look horrible. I mean the entire blow back from the disappointment this postseason, and the constant calls for Marner's trade has hammered it home.

(I actually wonder how Spezza's comments are going to go over against the top 4 next season?)

And Dubas has shown glimpses of pivoting based on his most recent trades and the types of players he is signing.

But...alas. You are probably right.

 

[Drytoast]

It's what they do best

Thorton has to beover 6'7 jesus christ he's huge.

 

[Ports]

Man, the whining is still going strong. As soon as the Leafs string a few wins together next season, the bandwagon will fill right back up.

Not unless they win in the playoffs for me. Regular seasons mean little at this point.

 

[Ports]

Isn't really odd? I mean, it's like a former Doctor who disavows Medicine after he retires and calls it butchery or something.

I agree it’s weird but don’t forget Shanny was instrumental in getting the rules changed after the 1st lockout for a faster, more wide open game. Maybe he thought building a pond hockey team was the way to go.

 

[Ports]

I think there are some options out there right now like Rielly for Jones or Marner for Eichel as examples where they could trade star for star and they can try coming at the post season with different faces for next season. But, as soon as you start to take away you run the risk that you regress and not progress. The fresh face could be less productive.

I think they can re-sign Rielly on a team friendly deal around 6.5M for another 6 or 7 years. He's 27 now and will be 34 or 35 by the end of that deal. He's a young #1 defenseman and the Leafs are a playoff team with star talent surrounding him. Teams like the Sharks and Caps didn't bail on their players and they were rewarded with a lot of playoff success.

I think I would change the mix up if it were me. But, I'd be satisified with simply changing the supporting cast into well rounded bone crushers instead.

Is Reilly a number one defenseman on a contending team though ? To me he isn’t. Too poor defensively, not physical and doesn’t have a good enough shot from the point to play on PP1.

 

[Stigma]

It's what they do best

If this is Marner's account, can he wait, like, one week to post these pictures? Just wait until the cup finals are finished. What a clueless twerp.

 

[justashadowof]

It's what they do best

Leadership.

 

[justashadowof]

Hey, I never want to imply that these players don't wish to win in the playoffs, of course they do. I mean to imply that they wish to win in the playoffs on their conditions.

 

[Trapper]

Hey, I never want to imply that these players don't wish to win in the playoffs, of course they do. I mean to imply that they wish to win in the playoffs on their conditions.

I agree and have said as much.
Of course they want to win, who doesn’t?

But it’s a different game come playoffs where everyone plays like Zach Hyman and half of your skill set becomes laughable.
They want to play like game 22 vs. Buffalo in the playoffs.

 

[ShaneFalco]

We've seen it time and time again, this core will not put the work in. TB looks angry and determined. We looked passive except for a short time in the third when trailing

 

[Byron Bitz]

I doubt it. You'll have your usual suspects cheering on this team no matter what and telling everyone how great they are. But I get the feeling this most recent loss to Montreal was the straw that broke the camels back for a lot of people. People are fed up with this organization and it's ineptitude, a few meaningless regular season victories isn't gonna make that go away.

Yep the worst part about this latest series loss is it has made the regular season completely meaningless to us. Every summer it’s hard enough waiting for hockey to start up again now we have to wait until next years playoffs for meaningful hockey.

 

[Peasy]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

 

[Trapper]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

True but the real talent is getting everyone to believe it will be different.

Last year people: Simmonds is bad why was Keefe using him

This year people: Re-sign Simmonds? Yeah that’s pretty good if the deal is ok.

You can’t put a price on that type of control.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Shanahan’s presser after the season:
“Those elements I thought we had addressed over the offseason will continue to be important pillars for our team — defensive play, sticking up for each other, being able to play physically in games where we are tested that way.”

Seems like pretty basic stuff Shanny but it's somehow a leap for this team

 

[Trapper]

Shanahan’s presser after the season:
“Those elements I thought we had addressed over the offseason will continue to be important pillars for our team — defensive play, sticking up for each other, being able to play physically in games where we are tested that way.”

Seems like pretty basic stuff Shanny but it's somehow a leap for this team

That’s because Shanahan and Dubas have let the core set the elements.

Do you think Boston is waiting for their players to get the elements? The identity?
They set the identity. They couldn’t turn Phil Kessel into the identity, you have it or you don’t.

What Shanahan says he wants is not what he allowed to be constructed.

 

[ShaneFalco]

That’s because Shanahan and Dubas have let the core set the elements.

Do you think Boston is waiting for their players to get the elements? The identity?
They set the identity. They couldn’t turn Phil Kessel into the identity, you have it or you don’t.

Yup and if you don't, you're moved. it doesn't matter who you are
Here they play as individuals

 

[HellasLEAF]

The team needs a #1 defenceman.

If that means one of the core needs to go so be it. Only Matthews is untouchable on this team imo.

 

[justashadowof]

Yep the worst part about this latest series loss is it has made the regular season completely meaningless to us. Every summer it’s hard enough waiting for hockey to start up again now we have to wait until next years playoffs for meaningful hockey.

Although you and I have been permanently disillusioned regarding the relevancy of regular season NHL hockey, I suspect there's still plenty of rubes left to invest meaning into the NHL regular season. The NHL's business model counts on that.

 

[justashadowof]

I agree and have said as much.
Of course they want to win, who doesn’t?

But it’s a different game come playoffs where everyone plays like Zach Hyman and half of your skill set becomes laughable.
They want to play like game 22 vs. Buffalo in the playoffs.

What can fool us about The Regular Season Leafs is that they absolutely deliver in terms of respectable regular season level intensity and tempo. The assumption is that The Playoffs Leafs are willing to do more than than the RSL.

 

[egd27]

Yep the worst part about this latest series loss is it has made the regular season completely meaningless to us. Every summer it’s hard enough waiting for hockey to start up again now we have to wait until next years playoffs for meaningful hockey.

You may enjoy last 20 games of next season once the Wild Card race heats up.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.

I always think of that as stupidity as opposed to insanity.

 

[Bomber0104]

The team needs a #1 defenceman.

If that means one of the core needs to go so be it. Only Matthews is untouchable on this team imo.

Scanning the 31 teams around the league with a true #1 defenceman...

How many were traded-for? Drafted? Signed UFA?

That sample of outcomes will give you at least some indication of how possible it will be for the Leafs to land one, and through which avenue.

 

[Trapper]

You may enjoy last 20 games of next season once the Wild Card race heats up.

Can you imagine it here if we are just on the outside of the top 3 in the Atlantic and in a wild card race.

The last time we were in the Atlantic before the COVID play in happened, we had 81 points in 70 games and Florida had 78 points in 69.