Damn, it's starting again, that dreaded optimism.

[RunItBackAgain]

I think Leafs are actually better than Carolina and meeting them in RD1 would be perfect

Andersen would post 4 consecutive shutouts for sure.

Likely after we take a 3-0 series lead.

 

[Nineteen67]

Andersen would post 4 consecutive shutouts for sure.

Likely after we take a 3-0 series lead.

I don’t think he’ll be playing in the playoffs, but if he is I’d lean even further towards the Leafs.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Mitch for that term/dollars would be a nightmare. Ideal would be a 1 year show me contract for Nylander money and if he shows he can stop wilting in the playoffs then we can talk about higher term/dollars.

Yes I know that's a pipedream. Both him signing for one year, and showing he can stop wilting in the playoffs. Unfortunately dreams are all we have at this point, no reason to expect anything other than another good regular season followed by a disappointing playoff performance.

He is effectively on "a 1 year show me contract for Nylander money" right now, give or take $600K.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

I want us to win but also want us to recoup draft picks

 

[hobarth]

We won’t. Not much will change for next year unless the core 4 miraculously learn how to play in the playoffs

Mitch was injured with a high ankle strain near to the playoffs, Austin was injured again in the playoffs as he has been pretty much every year for the last 5 years. Willie missed time in the playoffs, it was horrendous for us and the team.

3 of TO's top 4 players were hurting so maybe the results of the playoffs might have been more encouraging, time will tell I guess.

 

[Racer88]

Mitch was injured with a high ankle strain near to the playoffs, Austin was injured again in the playoffs as he has been pretty much every year for the last 5 years. Willie missed time in the playoffs, it was horrendous for us and the team.

3 of TO's top 4 players were hurting so maybe the results of the playoffs might have been more encouraging, time will tell I guess.

No doubt last year was a real mess from that standpoint and it wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’t have 7 years previous playoff failure

 

[ULF_55]

And you believe that will be the case for him for the rest of his career? The odds are very high that his injuries have just been random occurrences that will not be repeated every season.

I doubt he'll ever play more than 60.

 

[ULF_55]

We won’t. Not much will change for next year unless the core 4 miraculously learn how to play in the playoffs

Mitch was injured with a high ankle strain near to the playoffs, Austin was injured again in the playoffs as he has been pretty much every year for the last 5 years. Willie missed time in the playoffs, it was horrendous for us and the team.

3 of TO's top 4 players were hurting so maybe the results of the playoffs might have been more encouraging, time will tell I guess.

The support staff really stepped up.
Like who was the leading goal scorer this time?

 

[hobarth]

The support staff really stepped up.
Like who was the leading goal scorer this time?

TO hasn't had decent support staff for the entire Matthews era, that's not the core 4's fault, Dubie, yes, Trev, yes, Lou, absolutely.

 

[ULF_55]

TO hasn't had decent support staff for the entire Matthews era, that's not the core 4's fault, Dubie, yes, Trev, yes, Lou, absolutely.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

It pisses me off that we haven't beaten Boston in the playoffs since 1959. I'd like to see that change.

 

[Gary Nylund]

He is effectively on "a 1 year show me contract for Nylander money" right now, give or take $600K.

I wish. My guess is that Marner will be getting more than12 next season, the only question is how much more and who he's playing for.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I wish. My guess is that Marner will be getting more than12 next season, the only question is how much more and who he's playing for.

Effectively it is. He has one year (left) of a $10.9M contract to show that he's worth that amount, let alone more.

I'm not sure he can get more, but I don't mind as long as it's not here.

 

[hobarth]

View attachment 905379

TO like most playoff teams need to score 3 goals per game, approximately, to win, generally scoring around 2 per game isn't good enough. In 7 games TO's top support players managed 4 goals, those players being Bert, Domi, Knies and Knies was a rookie.

In the event of injury, the support players are expected to over achieve, to step up like Bert did for Boston last year.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

I’d be more optimistic if our biggest and likely our most impactful acquisition this offseason wasn’t soon to be 35 years old. What Tanev has been the past 5 years is exactly what this team has needed. Whether he’ll be able to provide that going forward is a massive question mark. And he’s at a prime age for his play to drop like a rock, leaving the Leafs standing with their dicks in the wind with an albatross contract around their necks.

 

[Jojalu]

TO like most playoff teams need to score 3 goals per game, approximately, to win, generally scoring around 2 per game isn't good enough. In 7 games TO's top support players managed 4 goals, those players being Bert, Domi, Knies and Knies was a rookie.

In the event of injury, the support players are expected to over achieve, to step up like Bert did for Boston last year.

The support players have never shown up. Even when Kadri and Hyman were here.

Kadri had 10 points in 18 games, Hyman was even worse.

The question is why they have gone on to be guys who can be counted on elsewhere.

Individually the core 4, or 5 if you include Morgs have all performed in one playoff series or another. Collectively they have been awful, including when all 7 of them played together.

The hope has to be that it was either the result of a poor coach or GM and now somehow it will be different.

If not, the results will likely be the same. Last year the Leafs were more than physical enough to take on the Bruins. They suffered from an inabilty to score. They same could be said about the previous team.

Goaltendinv has let down some pretty decent variations of this team, not having a great D-Corps has as well. But in the end, when your top 4 can't steal a series, or overcome the weaknesses of the team while eating half of the cap, then the blame needs to fall on them.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Effectively it is. He has one year (left) of a $10.9M contract to show that he's worth that amount, let alone more.

I'm not sure he can get more, but I don't mind as long as it's not here.

I think you're dreaming. I'd bet a lot right now that someone will pay him 12+ no matter how badly he bombs in the playoffs again.

 

[Nineteen67]

Mitch was injured with a high ankle strain near to the playoffs, Austin was injured again in the playoffs as he has been pretty much every year for the last 5 years. Willie missed time in the playoffs, it was horrendous for us and the team.

3 of TO's top 4 players were hurting so maybe the results of the playoffs might have been more encouraging, time will tell I guess.

Marner came back from the injury well before the playoffs. There was a stark difference between the playoff effort and the chase for 70 effort.

Oddly enough the Leafs played better when Matthews took a few days off.

TO hasn't had decent support staff for the entire Matthews era, that's not the core 4's fault, Dubie, yes, Trev, yes, Lou, absolutely.

The let Lou go and abandoned the rebuild at the same time. Ultimately that decision wasted 8 yrs.

 

[rumman]

No doubt last year was a real mess from that standpoint and it wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’t have 7 years previous playoff failure

The fact that 53% of the cap is tied up in 4 players means that if any one or more of the said four get hurt your chances of success are greatly diminished, poor cap allocation will always be what kills any chance for this team to succeed because you can’t win dedicating so much cap to so few players………

TO hasn't had decent support staff for the entire Matthews era, that's not the core 4's fault, Dubie, yes, Trev, yes, Lou, absolutely.

You can’t afford quality support staff when half the cap goes to 4 forwards, but they’ll continue trying to put a square peg in a round hole………

 

[Nineteen67]

I think you're dreaming. I'd bet a lot right now that someone will pay him 12+ no matter how badly he bombs in the playoffs again.

he’ll get real close to 12 on the open market. I think he’s holding out hope the Leafs will pay what he wants them to pay (13x8).

 

[weems]

TO hasn't had decent support staff for the entire Matthews era, that's not the core 4's fault, Dubie, yes, Trev, yes, Lou, absolutely.

I agree with this but there also might be a reality that when your team is so heavily structured around 4-5 players, more often than not you're going to be left with a very underwhelming supporting cast. Maybe you get lucky one year and find the right depth pieces or maybe you've crushed the draft a few years in a row and have a bunch of cheap young players but most often you'll be left with a group that you need alot to go right for.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Marner came back from the injury well before the playoffs. There was a stark difference between the playoff effort and the chase for 70 effort.

Oddly enough the Leafs played better when Matthews took a few days off.

The let Lou go and abandoned the rebuild at the same time. Ultimately that decision wasted 8 yrs.

They played great playoff style hockey in games 5/6, less great but still the right style in game 7 and that's what's been so frustrating about this team - you know that they can be better, so why aren't they?

he’ll get real close to 12 on the open market. I think he’s holding out hope the Leafs will pay what he wants them to pay (13x8).

I've been saying for a while now that he'll be offered more than 12 for sure, it's just that that offer is more likely to come from a team where winning the cup isn't part of the plan. To a team that just needs to sell tickets during the regular season, Marner's worth it too.

Now getting 12+ from a serious contender, that's another story and I'd be surprised if there was a contender dumb enough to do that.

 

[Nineteen67]

They played great playoff style hockey in games 5/6, less great but still the right style in game 7 and that's what's been so frustrating about this team - you know that they can be better, so why aren't they?

I've been saying for a while now that he'll be offered more than 12 for sure, it's just that that offer is more likely to come from a team where winning the cup isn't part of the plan. To a team that just needs to sell tickets during the regular season, Marner's worth it too.

Now getting 12+ from a serious contender, that's another story and I'd be surprised if there was a contender dumb enough to do that.

I think they don’t do as well because the big three take up so much ice time and teams adapt to their tendencies after 5 or 6 games.

Some GM will hope it makes them into a contender.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Kadri had 10 points in 18 games, Hyman was even worse.
The question is why they have gone on to be guys who can be counted on elsewhere.

Because the playoff production level hasn't really been about the individuals.
People overestimate how much playoff production is representative of an individual, and underestimate how much it is impacted by the unique situation the team experiences.

 

[hobarth]

TO has devoted a great deal of the Cap to very few players which means that proper care must be given to how the rest of the team is put together. Nylander's and Matthews' contracts tells us that TO's management well continue to pay these players well.

TO is getting old and with each signing TO continues to get even older, TO's d has 4 of it's top 6 at or above 30. I would think that realizing how possibly crippling it is to give out so much $ to so few players, a more comprehensive team building plan would've been adopted. Why must a team with 115 points use draft capital to pick up marginal players, why wouldn't that team be using those resources to add to the team now and for into the future, the O'Rielly addition, might have made sense if he was also signed. Why was it thought that a 37 year old Marleau signing made sense, maybe for 1 year,, why give Kampf so much $s, Reaves too and term.

It seems most of the decisions since TO accumulated the core 4 hasn't been grounded and was actually counter productive.