How bad is the morale of the fanbase right now?

[JT AM da real deal]

It has nothing to do with fanbase .. it has everything to do with core of squad and mgmt of team

 

[hotpaws]

I'm not happy about the start we've had against the weak competition that we've faced so far as well as our pathetic effort against an very depleted Pens team ,

What really is concerning me however is how bad Muzzin and JT have looked , they've been gradually slowing down the last couple of years but this season so far they've looked like there games have really taken s turn for the worse , especially Muzzin who looks absolutely cooked .

i'm also very concerned that our team looks very slow overall

 

[Apex Predator]

I’ve been hearing from non leaf fans that leaf fans are over reacting and it’s early. It’s not the 6 games that everyone is over reacting it’s the last few years that are finally taken a toll. I don’t understand why this seems to be over looked.

This is why no one likes to play in the Toronto market. Toronto media is nothing like other sports. Try playing in Dallas for the Cowboys. What about Lakers, Yankees, Red Sox? How about Manchester United?

I don’t hear others complaining about playing in those markets. It’s easy as a sports fan that has seen success to say you’re over reacting but walk a mile in leaf fan shoes and let me know how seeing no success since early 2000 feels like.

 

[2 Slick]

I'm as big of a die hard fan as others around here, always stuck with them even when they were at their worst. I just don't have any excitement in my system for this season. Every time I push myself to watch a Leafs game I get that doom and gloom feeling, not the excitement of watching some of the league's best offensive players.

I'm not even watching tonight's game, first one I'll be missing intentionally in years.

I just don't have it in me.

 

[justloveleafs]

The worse it gets, the more animated steve dangle gets, I make my money shorting bloated pig stocks, man if mlse had a viable trading symbol, I would be shorting this pig every time it got a little blip up.. Make an extra five grand a week off of it... But alas, no such luck..

 

[4thline]

My biggest fear is the prospect of another Fletcher/Burke esque "reimagining" of the team, overreacting acting too fast to appease the media/fans and doing far more damage than the situation they were fixing

 

[NightTrain1]

Right now I refuse to watch any full game or even games in general. My love of hockey in general has almost entirely faded and for the first time in 39 years with many many rough times, this is the first time I would actually say I'm embarrassed to still choose the Leafs as my team.

My dislike of this team in general has reached the levels it did with Brian Burke/Dave Nonis/Randy Carlyle/Phaneuf/Lupul. 5 years ago my downward spiral for this team stopped instantly when Babcock, Nylander, Matthews and the boys started coming in. So much youth and talent and so much promise and excitement. But year after year we have been shown the same thing over and over with this core. While coaches, goalies and every other player has been swapped out the only constant is the core and it has proven it doesnt have what it takes to change or win.

Why in the hell should anybody invest their hard earned time or especially money into a team that has no heart, no desire and collects the biggest paychecks in the league. It's a shameful display they put forth and even when they are winning they tend to do so based on sheer skill alone while not showing up for half the game.

 

[NightTrain1]

My biggest fear is the prospect of another Fletcher/Burke esque "reimagining" of the team, overreacting acting too fast to appease the media/fans and doing far more damage than the situation they were fixing

I mean I gotta ask. What's an overreacting for this team at this point? Or for that matter a reimagining of this team in your opinion? Outside of maybe trading Matthews is anything actually overreacting? Shanahan arrived 8 years ago and our rebuild effectively started with the arrival of Babcock and Nylander 7 years ago.

This team was torn down from the very top president right down to the very bottom scouts and training staff. Since then we have also cycled out the goalies, most defense and just about every forward position outside the core 4 and they still play exactly the same way.

 

[4thline]

I mean I gotta ask. What's an overreacting for this team at this point? Or for that matter a reimagining of this team in your opinion? Outside of maybe trading Matthews is anything actually overreacting? Shanahan arrived 8 years ago and our rebuild effectively started with the arrival of Babcock and Nylander 7 years ago.

This team was torn down from the very top president right down to the very bottom scouts and training staff. Since then we have also cycled out the goalies, most defense and just about every forward position outside the core 4 and they still play exactly the same way.

Making bad moves for the sake of change. If we have to move on from Matthews/Marner so be it.
But do it on our terms, in a way that is actually good for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I just don't want to see the equivalent of McCabe/Kubina/Steen/Coliacovo for Van Ryn/Exelby/Stempniak when new management "makes their mark", taking us from an underperforming but asset rich organization to a barren wasteland

 

[Carltons Cup]

For me, my morale towards the franchise is no where near what it was in the 80s. We had no chance at all to win anything and any time we did make the playoffs it was because of how weak our division was (Norris). With this team, there is potential, back then there was none, with this team we have superstar players, back then there was one (Clark).

For me this is more disappointing, because we went through a full rebuild for the first time in my life as a Leafs fan, and results were expected. Maybe we still have a ways to go... Back in the 80s, it wasnt a rebuild it was just a rag tag team of nothing with an angry lame duck owner filling his pockets. I guess the last part hasn't changed lol.

I lived through some of those 80's teams as well. As bad as they were, they at least gave 110% effort every single night (even though they lost most of the time). Same can't be said of our group now.

If this team at least gave an honest effort, I wouldn't be so down on them...

 

[NightTrain1]

Making bad moves for the sake of change. If we have to move on from Matthews/Marner so be it.
But do it on our terms, in a way that is actually good for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
I just don't want to see the equivalent of McCabe/Kubina/Steen/Coliacovo for Van Ryn/Exelby/Stempniak when new management "makes their mark", taking us from an underperforming but asset rich organization to a barren wasteland

ahh come on, who didn't love Jason Blake? lol

 

[slozo]

With no sarcasm/humour intended in regards to my feeling about the Leafs right now . . .

I'm all dead inside.

Just feel hollow, distant, jaded as hell . . . to paraphrase Phil the Thrill, "it's not good man".

 

[Mugzy97]

I’m confident they will bounce back this year.
I’m not surprised people want to blow it up.
I’m of the belief that this core can win.
I believe a hipping out major pieces will not bring better results. We need to try to win with this group or we’re looking at another 10 year rebuild where we may end up with a worse core again.
Our stars are still young so we’ve still got at least a few kicks at the can.
I understand why people are mad, but blaming Dubas seems like a waste of time.

I still think we will take a run at the cup very soon. If not this year then next.

When the leafs are doing well, people still have crazy hot takes. But when they are plying poorly, it brings crazier people out of the woodwork with crazy hot takes and player bashing.

 

[djdev]

lol you just need to look at the threads being created to see how the fanbase feels atm.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I think many, more than ever, just don't care as much anymore.

 

[djdev]

I'm not happy about the start we've had against the weak competition that we've faced so far as well as our pathetic effort against an very depleted Pens team ,

What really is concerning me however is how bad Muzzin and JT have looked , they've been gradually slowing down the last couple of years but this season so far they've looked like there games have really taken s turn for the worse , especially Muzzin who looks absolutely cooked .

i'm also very concerned that our team looks very slow overall

scary part is JT and willy "really wanted to start the season better" according to tavares, so this is him making a big effort to be better.
clearly hasnt worked out well for him, and it looks even worse considering willy has been our best forward lol.

 

[glue]

Right now I refuse to watch any full game or even games in general. My love of hockey in general has almost entirely faded and for the first time in 39 years with many many rough times, this is the first time I would actually say I'm embarrassed to still choose the Leafs as my team.

My dislike of this team in general has reached the levels it did with Brian Burke/Dave Nonis/Randy Carlyle/Phaneuf/Lupul. 5 years ago my downward spiral for this team stopped instantly when Babcock, Nylander, Matthews and the boys started coming in. So much youth and talent and so much promise and excitement. But year after year we have been shown the same thing over and over with this core. While coaches, goalies and every other player has been swapped out the only constant is the core and it has proven it doesnt have what it takes to change or win.

Why in the hell should anybody invest their hard earned time or especially money into a team that has no heart, no desire and collects the biggest paychecks in the league. It's a shameful display they put forth and even when they are winning they tend to do so based on sheer skill alone while not showing up for half the game.

The bolded is exactly where I’m at and I think quite a few fans

 

[Blue Nate]

I'm pretty apathetic about this team. I watched the first game and realized I couldn't care less.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

It helps that most of us are insane.

Thanks for the kind words.

Remember, fan is short for fanatic.

I haven't spent time on this forum in well over a decade, and it seems like as much as things changed, they also stayed the same. The struggles are similar; trying to rationalize a passion for a team with perpetual dysfunction. However, there's also a sense of camraderie; you are all sharing in that dysfunction together, and while agendas will always plague a forum it's kind of like having that crazy drunk uncle that is convinced a zombie apocalypse is coming next year. I guess that is what they mean by "The Passion That Unites Us All." Also, at least you don't have that ridiculous Ian White homer that plagued this board back in my day...how on Earth does one even become an Ian White homer in the first place? Blood relative? I digress.

What makes Leafs fans special is extreme loyalty and dedication to a sports franchise that has done very, very little to actually warrant that loyalty. You all are the best fanbase in the NHL and to me it's not even debatable. No other fanbase is this loyal and ownership/management has done literally everything in the book since the 1970's to break the will of each and every one of you. To date, no matter how dire things have been, they have failed to do so on a massive scale. That is f***ing hardcore. People can say what they will about Steve Dangle (I myself tend not to be the biggest fan), but the title of his book (This Team is Ruining My Life...but I love them) is the most Leafs fan thing ever.

If the Leafs ever win the Stanley Cup I will probably cry. Not for myself because I don't watch anymore and I don't deserve to truly share in that emotion, but for those fans that watch every game, year after year...for the diehards. No fanbase deserves a Cup even close to as much as this one. I know life isn't fair, but man, I really hope it happens while I'm alive so I can check in with everyone from afar and smile.

Just promise not to kill each other before that happens.

 

[Jojalu]

I’ve been hearing from non leaf fans that leaf fans are over reacting and it’s early. It’s not the 6 games that everyone is over reacting it’s the last few years that are finally taken a toll. I don’t understand why this seems to be over looked.

This is why no one likes to play in the Toronto market. Toronto media is nothing like other sports. Try playing in Dallas for the Cowboys. What about Lakers, Yankees, Red Sox? How about Manchester United?

I don’t hear others complaining about playing in those markets. It’s easy as a sports fan that has seen success to say you’re over reacting but walk a mile in leaf fan shoes and let me know how seeing no success since early 2000 feels like.

Go ask Cleveland fans. Or Cubs and Red Sox fans who endured 100 years of failure.

Sharks fans who have never won the cup.

Lots of franchises never win. I just endured the Bills being terrible for 20 years.

It's sports. It's supposed to be an escape. Sabres fans have it worse.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

ahh come on, who didn't love Jason Blake? lol

View attachment 473932

I swear to God that motherf***er was legendary at firing the puck right into the chest of the goaltender. every f***ing time.

I was so happy when he was traded.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Very Low, like losing 9-2 to Nashville on home ice with Peter Horachek as our coach kinda low and losing to a god damn Zamboni driver low.

Damn near gave up on them that night we lost to Nashville that bad and was told to go take a walk. Then the rumors came that Shanahan and Co. were coming to take over and thought, "Finally some management!!" and Horachek was fired the next day

Welp, F***!

Remember when Brett freaking Lebda was -3 in a 9-3 win over the Thrashers?

 

[bbgobie]

These are the stages of Grief

• denial
• anger
• bargaining
• depression
• acceptance

Pretty sure we've reached Acceptance already and hence why many are open to starting over.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

So basically. We had a team that was never probably good enough to win a cup but they came close and gave so many memories that I still cherish. A team that never had a chance because they didn't have any structure, and now a team of spoiled brats. That's how I've seen it for over a year and every month it just solidifies that belief. Everyone wants marner gone now, but I was saying to do this over a year ago. He is not a hockey player. He's a skill guy that when things tighten up, he pisses his pants and gets stepped over. Instead of getting better and improving, he deflects blame, says it's no big deal and the cycle continues. I have hope for Matthews. I think Nylander is a great player that has weeded out bad habits, through constructive criticism. I like MO. I like Spezza. I think huge changes are needed to salvage anything we have left. It's hockey. You need grit. You need edge. We have one of the easiest teams to play against. We had guys like Kadri and Hyman that made it difficult for other teams physically or by being scrappy players that will get dirt on them to contribute any way they could. Well, we have a GM that doesn't think that's important. I would do everything in my power to move marner/tavares and fire dubas. These are players that just time and time again show me they ain't it, yet they take up well over 20 million per year. dubas is the worst of them all. He builds his team like an EA NHL GM. Watch 1 Islanders playoff series and then watch this cowardly bunch. It's hockey, not an arcade skill video game.

AMEN.

A F***ing MEN

 

[justloveleafs]

Just an innocent question... Does Marner at his cap hit have any trade value...

How much did he even have in trade value in the regular season last year at his huge salary.

I am a big believer in selling high and buying low...But this guy.....