Can they break the streak?

[FlareKnight]

I don't think we can make any sort of guess at how this team will come out. Last year they started great, but previous years hadn't been that good. They'll either start great or horrible. This time they probably won't have much time to change their course once it gets started.

 

[namttebih]

Was the Cup run part a joke?

The reality for the Leafs is pretty simple. One year ago this was the fifth worst team in the entire NHL.

Management has done very little to improve the roster.

Burke moved out a top four defenceman for a top six forward and he let one of the goalies that played half the games a year ago leave as a free agent.

I'm excited that there is going to be a season, but if you take a rational look at this roster - as it it currently constituted - and I don't see much more than an 11th or 12th place finish in the Eastern Conference.

While I agree with you that they are not a true contender, I do think that if things (and they will be major ifs) go well we could be a playoff team. No, not a lot of major moves were made but I think that this is a year that we can see some fruits of our drafting and patience labor.

-we did swap a top four for a top six yes but Ranger questionably should be able to fill Schenn's blades and if JVR blossoms, watch out

-breakout year from Nazim?

-Komorov comes in and is effective in a shutdown role

-Holzer comes in an munches some minutes

-comeback years for Kulemin, Reimer etc

All of this plus there is obviously the opportunity to make some moves once we get going. In no way do I think that we will make a real run at anything but I think that we will be improved enough to lose a top 14 pick.

 

[exporta]

Thats true. My post was trying to highlight how anything is possible with such a short season though.

About Perry/Getzlaf, wouldn't they be better served re-signing with Anaheim now? They can both get 8 year terms there. An extra year at, say, 8M could be worth the equivalent of 0.5M per year extra from other teams over 7 years

As in the NBA, I suspect that if they were traded they'd still be able to sign an 8yr deal with the team they are traded to.

I think 7 years deals are only limited to ufa's that are leaving their team.

 

[egd27]

A lot will depend on the make up of the 48 game schedule. It has been reported that teams will only play within their conference, but it is unknown how much will be divisional play.

If teams play divisional opponents 6 times, that will make up 50% of the season. In that scenario, I could see teams like Pitt, Flyers, NYR having a more difficult time gaining points as they will be trading off with each other. Teams like Carolina and Washington may benefit and achieve higher point totals feeding off Tampa, Florida (who I don't believe will be as successful) and Winnipeg.

As for the Leafs, if they can have winning records against Montreal, Ottawa, and Buffalo and show some level of respectability against the Bruins, which isn't completely out of the question, they could be a playoff team this year.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

You guys will definitely be in the mix. I think you guys have a solid group of forwards and a good enough defense corps to make it. The big question lies in between the pipes, but it seems many are expecting a Luongo trade which would greatly help you guys in that department.

That said, for once in my life as a Habs fan I'm cheering for you guys to make the playoffs. The last thing I want is you guys drafting another stud player in the Top 5 in one of the best drafts of recent memory.

 

[Winreims]

With a 48 game schedule ANYTHING is possible.. It'll be tough though

 

[Shimso]

I think they are aiming for a 50 game season, but still... your point is correct either way, 48 or 50 games.

Even if its over 50 games, 32-35 wins is not happening. In an 82 game season last year, the Leafs won 35 games. Losing 32-34 games from the schedule and keeping the same amount of wins is not going to happen.

There's no way trading Schenn for JVR and keeping most of last year's roster is going to end up in the Leafs leading the league in wins.

 

[RogerRoeper*]

You guys will definitely be in the mix. I think you guys have a solid group of forwards and a good enough defense corps to make it. The big question lies in between the pipes, but it seems many are expecting a Luongo trade which would greatly help you guys in that department.

That said, for once in my life as a Habs fan I'm cheering for you guys to make the playoffs. The last thing I want is you guys drafting another stud player in the Top 5 in one of the best drafts of recent memory.

I look at a deal being reached as bad news for the Leafs. I liked their chances better at a top pick with a 3 ball lottery.

The pessimists on here saying the Leafs are worse than Columbus are crazy.

 

[Tak7]

I like the odds of the Leafs making the playoffs in a shortened season BETTER than a full 82-game season.

You look back at recent seasons, and there's always been a real strong peak season where the team has played well, but they've never been able to sustain it.

IN a shortened season, that peak could be good enough to get the team into the playoffs. Less games = less time to have that epic slide.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

I look at a deal being reached as bad news for the Leafs. I liked their chances better at a top pick with a 3 ball lottery.

The pessimists on here saying the Leafs are worse than Columbus are crazy.

It's one of the reasons I'm ecstatic for a season, with no disrespect to you guys as fans. The Leafs had tremendous odds at a top pick should the NHL have gone back to the previous ball lottery system from 05.

I honestly believe the Leafs make the playoffs, or make a real good push anyways. If the goaltending gets cemented with Luongo or other, or should Reimer finally stay healthy and consistent than as far as I'm concerned there is no way you guys are anywhere near a lottery pick and most likely right in the mix of the playoffs. As bad as Columbus is a hilarious statement to make. You guys are definitely better than my Habs this season, the only possible way Montreal finishes a head of Toronto is if Carey Price absolutely stands on his head and wins the vezina. Only way.

 

[hockeyfanz*]

Some of us are pointing out the basics of statistics and sample sizes and stating how you will likely see a few teams per conference in places they wouldn't be if the full season played out. The rest of us are arguing that because the top end stays the same that nothing else differs.

Oh I understand what you are saying....Im saying BS. You are talking from both sides of your mouth. Im saying it will make no difference..the Leafs will be a .500 team and miss the playoffs. That would also be my predicition for an 82 game season. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that the team would be better or worse in a shortened season. None. 48-50 games is still enough games for the cream to rise to the top, IMO....The volatility and unpredictability would increase with less games for sure....but there are still enough here to suggest that the results will be very similar. Why do you think the NHL picks 50 games? To maintain the integrity of the season. Thats why. This has been discussed enough. We will see at season's end who the anomolies are from the shortened season but even then....you have no way of proving that they wouldn't have performed the same in an 82 game sked either unless you are a seer.

 

[Mess]

Oh I understand what you are saying....Im saying BS. You are talking from both sides of your mouth. Im saying it will make no difference..the Leafs will be a .500 team and miss the playoffs. That would also be my predicition for an 82 game season. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that the team would be better or worse in a shortened season. None. 48-50 games is still enough games for the cream to rise to the top, IMO....The volatility and unpredictability would increase with less games for sure....but there are still enough here to suggest that the results will be very similar. Why do you think the NHL picks 50 games? To maintain the integrity of the season. Thats why. This has been discussed enough. We will see at season's end who the anomolies are from the shortened season but even then....you have no way of proving that they wouldn't have performed the same in an 82 game sked either unless you are a seer.

If the NHL allowed 25 of 30 teams to make the playoffs, then in 2 of the past 3 seasons including the one just completed the Leafs would still have missed them. That speaks to the lack of cream in this crop.

However while a bad team does not become good overnight often, by bringing back 95% of the same roster, however the shorter the season the closer the teams remain because the NHL rewards loser points in a desire to maintain parity and keep teams in the playoff race longer before the cream finally rises.

Basically the smaller the sample size the more unreliable the results are, so even Leaf fans can hope that our Leafs don't settle to their regular natural finishing point because the team isn't very good, and the season ends with 7 teams behind the Leafs in the final standings. If this were a full season then slim to none would be the hopes of a playoff spot. IMO

 

[LeafsNation75]

I hope they can make the Playoffs, so all we can do is watch the games and hope for the best.

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

We always play good first the past 2 seasons...well now this is the first half. If we can get around 32-35 and some confidence, we can not only make the playoffs but make a run to the cup

Thoughts?

35 wins? Out of 48? Keep dreaming.

 

[LeafsNation75]

We always play good first the past 2 seasons...well now this is the first half. If we can get around 32-35 and some confidence, we can not only make the playoffs but make a run to the cup

Thoughts?

If Toronto can get off to a good start I just hope they can at least make the Playoffs. I don't want to say they are a Stanley Cup contender because right now they are not. However if they did trade for Luongo I say he would at least give them a better chance of making the Playoffs.

 

[Donald McRonald]

I suppose if Randy Carlyle can hammer home the team defense concepts until they become second nature, AND if the goal-tending is solid enough; then it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the Leafs make the playoffs. But the cup finals are stretching things just a bit too far imo.

 

[TootooTrain]

I don't know what to think. Last year Kessel and Lupul came out guns 'a blazin which drove the successful first half. Then ofcourse the entire team fell off a cliff. A year or two before that they won their first 4-5 games, then lost something like 12 out of 13. Add in the mix of a new coach and a new system in a shortened season. I have absolutely no idea what this team will do.

 

[onebighockeyfan]

I don't know what to think. Last year Kessel and Lupul came out guns 'a blazin which drove the successful first half. Then ofcourse the entire team fell off a cliff. A year or two before that they won their first 4-5 games, then lost something like 12 out of 13. Add in the mix of a new coach and a new system in a shortened season. I have absolutely no idea what this team will do.

I think you post sums it up pretty clearly. They will not make the playoffs again.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Oh I understand what you are saying....Im saying BS. You are talking from both sides of your mouth. Im saying it will make no difference..the Leafs will be a .500 team and miss the playoffs. That would also be my predicition for an 82 game season. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that the team would be better or worse in a shortened season. None. 48-50 games is still enough games for the cream to rise to the top, IMO....The volatility and unpredictability would increase with less games for sure....but there are still enough here to suggest that the results will be very similar. Why do you think the NHL picks 50 games? To maintain the integrity of the season. Thats why. This has been discussed enough. We will see at season's end who the anomolies are from the shortened season but even then....you have no way of proving that they wouldn't have performed the same in an 82 game sked either unless you are a seer.

Yes I think the NHL picks 48 games based on statistical analyses and no we have no other bodies of evidence from which to draw any conclusions.

 

[hackm]

So we're going to go from 35 wins in 82 games to 35 wins in 48 games? JVR must be one helluva #1C/Starting Goalie/PWF/defenseman.

 

[charliolemieux]

PIT
NYR
PHI
BOS
Are the best teams. In the East .

WAS
CAR
BUF
OTT
TBL
Should be good enough to fight for the postseason.

FLA
NYI
MTL
NJD
WPG
Will their new youth, and continued development be enough to propell them into the mix? Goaltending could mean the difference between the basement and playoffs.

TOR
Same goaltending. Same #1C. Our best young Offensive Dman is out with concussion symptoms. Is KEssel in shape? Will Kulemin return to 30g form? Will Carlyles system be successful?

So many questions.

If they can come out hot then they have a chance. An early bad stretch like Boston had will bury this team. The LEafs simply aren't strong enough to dominate for long enough to make up a 8-10pt gap between them and the last playoff spot.

Will they make it?
Coaches gotta coach and players gotta play. We will see, but the chances are slim.

 

[Frankie]

the shorter the season, the better chance for upsets. anything can happen in such a short amount of games.

that's why this season really doesn't count. its not a valid, legitimate season. this stanley cup winner will have a huge asterisk next to it.

 

[-DeMo-]

the leafs biggest problem is they can't play a full 82 game schedule as they've always hit a slump in each of the last 3 season's that sunk there season's. so given a shorten season any team can get hot for a 20 game stretch win a bunch of games and then coast to the playoffs as others wont be able to catch up.

 

[-DeMo-]

the shorter the season, the better chance for upsets. anything can happen in such a short amount of games.

that's why this season really doesn't count. its not a valid, legitimate season. this stanley cup winner will have a huge asterisk next to it.

I disagree with that does NJ's first cup have an asterisk next to it? no one remembers that they won the shorten season. I wonder if they ever considered lossing one round of playoffs for an extra couple weeks of the season.

 

[LeafsNation75]

the leafs biggest problem is they can't play a full 82 game schedule as they've always hit a slump in each of the last 3 season's that sunk there season's. so given a shorten season any team can get hot for a 20 game stretch win a bunch of games and then coast to the playoffs as others wont be able to catch up.

Let's say that happnes to the Leafs this season, how many others will say Toronto only made the Playoffs because of a 48 or 50 game schedule and haven't made them playing a full 82 game schedule. With a lot of Leafs haters out there those comments will happen if they make the Playoffs this season. Personally I don't care about stuff like that because I want to see them in the Playoffs, however a lot of other fans don't and would make that excuse.