Around the League - PLAYOFFS!?

[weems]

There is always hope though... we just have to hope for new management, to retool this. There are still some fantastic talents here, and a decent supporting cast. But it needs new direction, new culture, some changed parts... That might take a down year or two... but look at Tampa for example...

Bad year in 16/17 missing the playoffs for Tampa, traded emerging star forward Drouin for Sergachev, started to bring in more physical bottom six, Changed their D from Hedman, Stralman, Garrison, Sustr, Dotchin/Nesterov to Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, Cernak, Shattenkirk, Coburn/Bogosian/Schenn in two years. In two years, they replaced all but one of their D squad and win the cup.

Look at St. Louis... move on from their core C in Statsny, add RoR, Perron, Bozak and went from missing the playoffs, to winning the cup.

Look at how aggressively Vegas has remade their team... it can be done, but not with this group, management or all of the players... we just need the right Management team, to make the right changes to the players.

Is Shanny afraid to do this though because in a way it would be admitting his original vision + core didn't work after continually backing them?

Maybe what we really need to do is replace Shanny because so far it doesn't really look like he has the answers to get out from this current spot and get them to the next level.

 

[BertCorbeau]

There is always hope though... we just have to hope for new management, to retool this. There are still some fantastic talents here, and a decent supporting cast. But it needs new direction, new culture, some changed parts... That might take a down year or two... but look at Tampa for example...

Bad year in 16/17 missing the playoffs for Tampa, traded emerging star forward Drouin for Sergachev, started to bring in more physical bottom six, Changed their D from Hedman, Stralman, Garrison, Sustr, Dotchin/Nesterov to Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, Cernak, Shattenkirk, Coburn/Bogosian/Schenn in two years. In two years, they replaced all but one of their D squad and win the cup.

Look at St. Louis... move on from their core C in Statsny, add RoR, Perron, Bozak and went from missing the playoffs, to winning the cup.

Look at how aggressively Vegas has remade their team... it can be done, but not with this group, management or all of the players... we just need the right Management team, to make the right changes to the players.

So. Much. This.

Colorado too, moved Duchene and retooled with the help of some good draft positioning

 

[Fogelhund]

Is Shanny afraid to do this though because in a way it would be admitting his original vision + core didn't work after continually backing them?

Maybe what we really need to do is replace Shanny because so far it doesn't really look like he has the answers to get out from this current spot and get them to the next level.

Most successful people fail.. at least once, and recreate/modify what they are doing... it's strange that he doesn't....

 

[wingman75]

Wishful thinking, they should know all of that by now.

Agreed. There is an elevated arrogance level with this core no doubt.

 

[Dr.Funk]

 

[BallardEra]

Is Ovie ever going to score again?

Spencer Carbery clarifies Alex Ovechkin’s injury status and shares when he may return

The Washington Capitals have been without captain Alex Ovechkin for the past three games. While the team has managed to win two of those games, they'd still obviously like to get their leading scorer back as soon as possible. Ovechkin...

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

 

[BallardEra]

Capitals will reportedly have teams ‘lined up’ looking to trade for Nic Dowd at this year’s trade deadline

The Washington Capitals are halfway through their 2023-24 season schedule and currently sit one point out of a playoff spot in the…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

 

[BallardEra]

Samsonov?:

 

[BallardEra]

Detroit beats Florida in OT.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Detroit beats Florida in OT.

In a wild card spot now. 3 points out of 12th in the east.

 

[Stephen]

In a wild card spot now. 3 points out of 12th in the east.

Team will be comfortably out of a playoff spot by the end of the Winnipeg back to back.

 

[Jojalu]

Thanks for nothing Florida!

 

[HolyCrap]

Team will be comfortably out of a playoff spot by the end of the Winnipeg back to back.

I totally agree. Wish you were wrong but you’re most likely right.

 

[BallardEra]

Team will be comfortably out of a playoff spot by the end of the Winnipeg back to back.

I think the Leafs don’t want to lose their favourite teacher and will rally around him over the next 3 games.

Last thing they want is a mean new teacher coming in who won’t hand them out free hall passes.

 

[Evilhomer]

Team will be comfortably out of a playoff spot by the end of the Winnipeg back to back.

Probably just hovering around the same spot they are now. They will win one or two games in the next stretch, and that is usually enough to maintain homeostasis in this league. Unfortunately, it would also be the worst outcome of all because it would probably just delay some of the changes that need to happen.

I think the Leafs don’t want to lose their favourite teacher and will rally around him over the next 3 games.

Last thing they want is a mean new teacher coming in who won’t hand them out free hall passes.

Everyone complains about Marner, but I bet he would be fine under a hard-ass. Nylander, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about.

 

[Stephen]

I think the Leafs don’t want to lose their favourite teacher and will rally around him over the next 3 games.

Last thing they want is a mean new teacher coming in who won’t hand them out free hall passes.

They'll probably go into a bit of free fall here and bounce back later on. But otherwise have no real positive momentum. Will put too much pressure on Woll returning. Generally think they end up out of the playoffs by a couple of points by the end. Just has that 2006 and 2007 vibe when that Islander goalie wins on Brodeur's off day. Already scoreboard watching in January for Florida-Detroit. I think they're going to realize making the playoffs or missing isn't quite in their control anymore. It's gross.

 

[RunItBackAgain]

I think the Leafs don’t want to lose their favourite teacher and will rally around him over the next 3 games.

Last thing they want is a mean new teacher coming in who won’t hand them out free hall passes.

That’s exactly what’s happening.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Reinhart still on pace for the highest single season shooting percentage since Marakov in 90/91 and the 13th highest all time.

Whoever signs him after this season is going to have another Huberdeau contract on their hands.

 

[Dekes For Days]

It's almost as if we've been starving for so long as a franchise for young star talent, that we've really looked past this core's deficiencies and not wanting to admit they play a certain style that doesn't really translate when the games go up in intensity.

It's almost as if we've been starving for so long as a franchise for playoff success, that we've really imagined and exaggerated supposedly abnormal deficiencies in the best parts of our team, and created false narratives about play styles, because patience and understanding and admitting the realities of the NHL playoffs is more difficult than just finding the next internal thing to blame.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Bad year in 16/17 missing the playoffs for Tampa, traded emerging star forward Drouin for Sergachev, started to bring in more physical bottom six, Changed their D from Hedman, Stralman, Garrison, Sustr, Dotchin/Nesterov to Hedman, McDonagh, Sergachev, Cernak, Shattenkirk, Coburn/Bogosian/Schenn in two years. In two years, they replaced all but one of their D squad and win the cup.

Look at St. Louis... move on from their core C in Statsny, add RoR, Perron, Bozak and went from missing the playoffs, to winning the cup.

Look at how aggressively Vegas has remade their team... it can be done, but not with this group, management or all of the players... we just need the right Management team, to make the right changes to the players.

Colorado too, moved Duchene and retooled with the help of some good draft positioning

Drouin for Sergachev would be closer to trading Knies for a young promising D, not trading our core. Tampa also didn't improve and win because of changing their depth defensemen or supposedly making their bottom six more physical. They improved and won because their star forwards developed and eventually excelled, their goalie turned into a god, and they inserted a lot of internal depth that featured the likes of 5'8" Johnson, 5'9" Gourde, etc.

Statsny wasn't anything special, and St Louis going from Statsny to ROR was an upgrade of their star forwards to something both better and more expensive. That's not being suggested here.

Vegas remade their team by sacrificing depth to add star players. That's not being suggested here.

Duchene also wasn't anything that special, and was traded because of a trade request, for a pick that fluked into 4th overall. Not only is that not replicable, but it's also not why they won, which had more to do with them inserting star players like Makar and Rantanen, and Mackinnon turning from a disappointment into a superstar.

None of these are comparable to a team trading away one of the best players in the world, during competitive years, that wants to stay here, who are still 26, for lesser pieces - which seems to be the common suggestion.

 

[Divine]

Well another failed trade for Ottawa. They keep trading for players who don’t want to stay.

First DeBrincat, now Chychrun.

 

[rumman]

The teams in the Metro don't matter. I know that people want to be down on the Leafs right now, but the reality is that neither Tampa nor Detroit are going to catch Toronto, so a wild card spot won't come into play.

With your record of accuracy I’m betting both Detroit and Tampa catch the Leafs………

 

[rumman]

The only thing this core has not experienced is missing the playoffs. If that does not wake them up, nothing will. As you say, it is the last shred of hope.

Wasn’t losing to the Blue Jackets missing the playoffs?

It's like a steak dinner. You can swap our your roasted corn for garlic potatoes, but if your red meat has no marbling, there's no amount of tinkering with the side-dishes that will rescue the meal.

We've paid for Japanese wagyu, but have been repeatedly served eye of round.

We can't afford any more mis-steaks.

Delicious analogy……..

 

[Evilhomer]

With your record of accuracy I’m betting both Detroit and Tampa catch the Leafs………

I would happily take that bet.

 

[Fogelhund]

Drouin for Sergachev would be closer to trading Knies for a young promising D, not trading our core. Tampa also didn't improve and win because of changing their depth defensemen or supposedly making their bottom six more physical. They improved and won because their star forwards developed and eventually excelled, their goalie turned into a god, and they inserted a lot of internal depth that featured the likes of 5'8" Johnson, 5'9" Gourde, etc.

Statsny wasn't anything special, and St Louis going from Statsny to ROR was an upgrade of their star forwards to something both better and more expensive. That's not being suggested here.

Vegas remade their team by sacrificing depth to add star players. That's not being suggested here.

Duchene also wasn't anything that special, and was traded because of a trade request, for a pick that fluked into 4th overall. Not only is that not replicable, but it's also not why they won, which had more to do with them inserting star players like Makar and Rantanen, and Mackinnon turning from a disappointment into a superstar.

None of these are comparable to a team trading away one of the best players in the world, during competitive years, that wants to stay here, who are still 26, for lesser pieces - which seems to be the common suggestion.

Teams changed and adapted to make themselves better, instead of standing pat. There is no need to micro analyze if our situation is EXACTLY the same... no two teams situations are ever EXACTLY the same. I mean, Tampa changed 5 of 6 D, and somehow that is only changing their "depth defenseman?"

In the end, they are comparables of teams that changed directions, by whatever means necessary, and went from out of the playoffs, to winning the Cup. It happens, and no, the details are never EXACTLY the same.