Around the League - PLAYOFFS!?

[Al14]

Hard to be we drafted 3 elite players who are sooooo soft. The sad part is Dubas bet everything on them and Shanny has doubled and tripled down on them.

Maybe Shanny should tune into the games still being played. What a f***ing politician.

Shanahan is an IDIOT for not building a team that played in his image !!!

A hard-nosed hockey player has become a weak-kneed hockey executive !!!

 

[ToneDog]

My boy Zach Hyman 2023-24 playoff tracker

Zach Hyman .. 6 playoff games 9 playoff goals @ $5 mil
vs.
My entire Maple Leafs team .. 7 playoff games .. 10 goals total (including 3 X $11 mil players).

Zach Hyman 54 regular season goals + 9 playoff goals = 63 goals total (and counting)
vs.
Auston Matthews 69 regular season goals + 1 playoff goals = 70 goals total.

Come on. Everybody and his aunt was pulling/pushing for Matty to score 70 and he did not disappoint.

 

[MCR74]

Oilers fans putting all the blame on Skinner, Ceci and Nurse.

Their team played against third strong goalie.

McDavid had no shots.

Oilers at one point didn’t register a shot for 23 f*cking minutes in a playoff game.

But sure, blame Skinner.

They have to blame someone. God forbid McDavid ever be held accountable.

I hope Vancouver takes the series. Mind you, a loss in the second round won't prevent Edmonton's idiot fanbase from chest puffing all summer.

 

[ULF_55]

Elias Lindholm seems to like the post season.

Zadorov was always this guy.

Hughes was always this guy, and if anyone had made a trade proposal for him 2 years ago that got scoffed at ... yep you gotta know the audience.
More doesn't mean smarter.

Pastrnak throws down the gauntlet to Nylander.

Did we mention Lindholm is a UFA center?

 

[sxvnert]

Lindholm would be the perfect center for Willy.

 

[Mess]

Come on. Everybody and his aunt was pulling/pushing for Matty to score 70 and he did not disappoint.

Come on. Would everybody and his aunt expect former Leaf Zach Hyman to outscore Austin Matthews in goals in 2023-24 season after Matthews scored an impressive 70 total?

Zach approaching 70 goals doesn't diminish Auston achievement, but Hyman's 9 playoff goals in 6 playoff games vs. entire Leafs teams scoring 10 combined makes quite a statement of what is wrong in TO.

As both a Leaf and Hyman fan, every goal he scores (particularly) after my Leafs foolishly let him walk thinking $5 mil was too much $, but can't help but wonder IF Zach was going this for the Leafs instead.

For example Marner scored 26 regular season goals + Tavares scored 29 while each scored 1 more in the playoffs for a total of 57 total vs. Hyman who has now scored 63 goals by himself.

It might as well be why we might be seeing the Leafs core disassembled when MLSE is realizing they can't win with these spending habits, when have a bunch of $5 mil players achieving better success or bang for you cap buck and most importantly showing up and performing well come playoff time.

 

[ULF_55]

Lindholm would be the perfect center for Willy.

I'd take one Lindholm over Domi and Bertuzzi, with a side helping of ELSC's.

 

[ULF_55]

Come on. Would everybody and his aunt expect former Leaf Zach Hyman to outscore Austin Matthews in goals in 2023-24 season after Matthews scored an impressive 70 total?

Zach approaching 70 goals doesn't diminish Auston achievement, but Hyman's 9 playoff goals in 6 playoff games vs. entire Leafs teams scoring 10 combined makes quite a statement of what is wrong in TO.

Friday can't come soon enough ...

 

[ToneDog]

I'd take one Lindholm over Domi and Bertuzzi, with a side helping of ELSC's.

I proposed trading Marner and signing Lindholm, Tanev and Zadorov (All Tre connections).

 

[Mess]

Friday can't come soon enough ...

Are you expecting a Black Friday special or business as usual like every other Friday in Leafland ?

 

[ULF_55]

Are you expecting a Black Friday special or business as usual like every other Friday in Leafland ?

Some change has to come ...

 

[rumman]

Zadorov scores the tying goal, great up for the game winning goal, a force all over the ice. Glad we didn’t get that physical, “bottom pairing” slug.

maybe in free agency?

 

[Stephen]

I’m trying to think what would happen to Jeremy Swayman’s RFA ask if he went on a long fluke run. Would it nuke Boston’s cap structure and prevent them from going after Elias Lindholm and other forward reinforcements?

 

[Stephen]

Ekblad had a horrid game for sure, but if given the choice I’d take him over Rielly any day of the week, and twice on Sunday……..

He’s very injury prone and a spazz. I would take Montour and Forsling over him any day. I’d take ex-Panther Weegar too.

 

[rumman]

He’s very injury prone and a spazz. I would take Montour and Forsling over him any day. I’d take ex-Panther Weegar too.

roger that, but who would you take between Rielly or Ekblad? that was the discussion.......

 

[Stephen]

roger that, but who would you take between Rielly or Ekblad? that was the discussion.......

Difficult for me to answer objectively at the moment. Very hungry for change and upset with Morgan’s performance. But also feel like Ekblad isn’t anywhere close to an answer. Let me think about it.

 

[Mess]

Some change has to come ...

Without significant change 2024-25 might be the most difficult in terms of with Auston and Willy's new raises and Marner and Tavares on the books the Leafs team will have 4 of the top 12 highest players/cap hits in the game. All 31 other teams have 8 combined in the top 12,

The same team that has won 1 single round (or 5 playoff games max) in a single season with their current Cap management strategy.

Besides Shanny hired in 2024 and this is also his decade record as the head of the snake for all this playoff failure and how "We can and We Will" Shanaplan has been a bust.

Something has to give.

 

[ULF_55]

Without significant change 2024-25 might be the most difficult in terms of with Auston and Willy's new raises and Marner and Tavares on the books the Leafs team will have 4 of the top 12 highest players/cap hits in the game. All 31 other teams have 8 combined in the top 12,

View attachment 867755

The same team that has won 1 single round (or 5 playoff games max) in a single season with their current Cap management strategy.

Besides Shanny hired in 2024 and this is also his decade record as the head of the snake for all this playoff failure and how "We can and We Will" Shanaplan has been a bust.

Something has to give.

Can you imagine if Nylander was as inept in the playoffs as Pettersson has been?

After both signing new huge deals, and Pettersson has 0 goals and 3 assists in 7 games.

The posse would have the rope over the branch.

 

[Stringer Bell]

Carter Verhaeghe
Mason Marchment
Dakota Joshua
Justin Brazeau

All were our property
All 6'2" or bigger
All contributing to round two of the playoffs

 

[TheShape]

I’m trying to think what would happen to Jeremy Swayman’s RFA ask if he went on a long fluke run. Would it nuke Boston’s cap structure and prevent them from going after Elias Lindholm and other forward reinforcements?

Boston have a decent amount of cap space and can easily free up an additional 5m moving Ullmark, they’ll be fine.

 

[Nineteen67]

I’m trying to think what would happen to Jeremy Swayman’s RFA ask if he went on a long fluke run. Would it nuke Boston’s cap structure and prevent them from going after Elias Lindholm and other forward reinforcements?

He’ll take a fair deal and try to win, like almost everyone else in the NHL.

 

[Superstar]

Carter Verhaeghe
Mason Marchment
Dakota Joshua
Justin Brazeau

All were our property
All 6'2" or bigger
All contributing to round two of the playoffs

Nah, Denis Malgin and Nic Petan were better...both were above 2'6"...

 

[ULF_55]

Nah, Denis Malgin and Nic Petan were better...both were above 2'6"...

You have it .... dyslexia ... someone thought they were 6'2"

 

[Nineteen67]

Without significant change 2024-25 might be the most difficult in terms of with Auston and Willy's new raises and Marner and Tavares on the books the Leafs team will have 4 of the top 12 highest players/cap hits in the game. All 31 other teams have 8 combined in the top 12,

View attachment 867755

The same team that has won 1 single round (or 5 playoff games max) in a single season with their current Cap management strategy.

Besides Shanny hired in 2024 and this is also his decade record as the head of the snake for all this playoff failure and how "We can and We Will" Shanaplan has been a bust.

Something has to give.

Taking up even more of the cap % at 53%.

 

[Mess]

Can you imagine if Nylander was as inept in the playoffs as Pettersson has been?

After both signing new huge deals, and Pettersson has 0 goals and 3 assists in 7 games.

The posse would have the rope over the branch.

Winning as a team masks individual performance of expensive players as its the depth that is key to winning. As long as a team remains the Star player might still have his time to shine and contribute.

However when a top heavy team full of $11 mil players bows out early because your depth with limited cap space can't carry the team and the season ends the focus turns to the players making the big money.

Vancouver is in round #2 and up in the series so Pettersson is not an problem.

Passengers on the road to the Stanley Cup are given cover by productive teammates as again WINNING >>> Individual Contribution because there is "I" in team.

If the Leafs were still playing in round #2 there would be no autopsy of what went wrong underway.