Speculation: How do you see the Atlantic Division shaping up in 5 years?

[notbias]

You remind yourself that 50 point player Sam Bennett has more goals in a single playoff run this year than the 28yo, 100+ point, selke finalist does in his entire career. Then you realize it isn't so bad. Said player is very replaceable when it counts.

Marner outproduces Bennett... but sure, if you only focus on goals.

It is why McDavid is like the 20th best player in the league.

 

[mjd1001]

Buffalo at the top of the division in 2-3 years?

Based on what?

People have been saying that about Buffalo since about 2013, 2 years after this playoff drought started.

Not only has it not happened, they have gotten worse.

They have already had to rebuild the rebuild, and now It looks like they are going to have to rebuild the rebuild that they already rebuilt.

Which is a problems because Kevin Adams is without question the worst GM arguably all of sports, 1000% the worst GM in hockey.

I gave you my answer in my original post. If you want me to add to it:
-Youngest team in hockey is likely (not guaranteed) but likely to get better simply with age and experience.
-Former 1st round pick prospects who are doing well in the minor league aren't guarantees, they are 'lottery tickets', but they still have a lot more of them coming up than many teams.
-most importantly goaltending. They got terrible goaltending this year. Sure, it was a real thing, but its often easiest to fix goaltending (1 player) than it is an entire forward or D-group. UPL giving them a year like he had 2 years ago (or even anyone giving them a SLIGHTLY above average goaltending), has them allow 40-50 less goals this past season. Nothing else changes other than that, their goal differential is about +20 to +30, playoff team level and someplace in the New Jersey-to-Toronto Range.

Yep, you can find a problem with any team that is not as easy to fix as one thinks..but with Buffalo, this past year they scored more goals than the Leafs did, and if you watched them their goaltending let in some of the weakest goals you would ever see.

 

[Fogelhund]

Yeah people should be happy losing for 60 years and being the worst sports franchise in the world

The reality on this, is this will go down as the most successful Leafs regular season era in history. They are third in games won and points over the last nine years, they have the longest playoff qualification streak, the top goal scorer and another top ten points player. As a regular season team, this is a top franchise, and an era that should be remembered well for that.

Yes, the playoff success has completely alluded them, and they own that failure. It’s unfortunate that this has emotionally damaged some fans, to they suggest this is the worst sports franchise in sports history. The emotional response, and lack of ability to see through this is unfortunately very telling.

Sports is entertainment, and the ability to identify and enjoy the good parts, and not get too damaged by the bad, is a healthy relationship with sport. It’s clear who has a healthy relationship, and who doesn’t.

More to the point, it’s posters who need to make every thread a showcase of how miserable it’s made them, instead of actually talking about the topic on hand. Ok, we get it, the Leafs have emotionally damaged you, and you need to tell everyone about it. Objectivity lost, you just mad bro.

 

[Nineteen67]

Brah we haven't won for 60 years, this isn't like Tampa Bay fans being negative or even Detroit fans who were basically a dynasty for 2 decades (and now have sucked for a decade), we are arguably the worst sports franchise in all of sports over the last 60 years.

Even in the past 10 years which "should" be good, we've won 2 rounds or the same amount as Ballard's last 13 years.

People aren't being negative as much as the truth is the team has been beyond pathetic for 60 years, but really atrocious the past 20, 20 years ago we were spinning our wheels in a perpetual retool, the past 10 years brought the most talented group in Leafs history and they won 2 rounds lol.

It’s between the Leafs and the Browns, right?

 

[NVious]

The reality on this, is this will go down as the most successful Leafs regular season era in history. They are third in games won and points over the last nine years, they have the longest playoff qualification streak, the top goal scorer and another top ten points player. As a regular season team, this is a top franchise, and an era that should be remembered well for that.

Yes, the playoff success has completely alluded them, and they own that failure. It’s unfortunate that this has emotionally damaged some fans, to they suggest this is the worst sports franchise in sports history. The emotional response, and lack of ability to see through this is unfortunately very telling.

Sports is entertainment, and the ability to identify and enjoy the good parts, and not get too damaged by the bad, is a healthy relationship with sport. It’s clear who has a healthy relationship, and who doesn’t.

More to the point, it’s posters who need to make every thread a showcase of how miserable it’s made them, instead of actually talking about the topic on hand. Ok, we get it, the Leafs have emotionally damaged you, and you need to tell everyone about it. Objectivity lost, you just mad bro.

Ballard=wins 2 rounds his final 13 years....DARK TIMES
Shanahan=wins 2 rounds in his 11 years .....AMAZING TIMES!!!!

Buddy it's not 10 years or even 20 or hell even 30 years of failure that has "emotionally damaged" fans, its the reality of a team finding the worst ways to lose 60+ years in a row while being one of the most prominent sports franchises in the world.

There has been very little good to cheer about in this franchise over 60 years, but I get it you want to delude yourself into thinking that.

You just have such a healthy relationship because you are able to be delusional, delusion is healthy for sure. I bet after them losing to a 40 year old zamboni driver you were telling the people that got mad to stop it because this is a talented core and they'll win when it matters lol.

 

[Fogelhund]

Ballard=wins 2 rounds his final 13 years....DARK TIMES
Shanahan=wins 2 rounds in his 11 years .....AMAZING TIMES!!!!

Buddy it's not 10 years or even 20 or hell even 30 years of failure that has "emotionally damaged" fans, its the reality of a team finding the worst ways to lose 60+ years in a row while being one of the most prominent sports franchises in the world.

There has been very little good to cheer about in this franchise over 60 years, but I get it you want to delude yourself into thinking that.

You just have such a healthy relationship because you are able to be delusional, delusion is healthy for sure. I bet after them losing to a 40 year old zamboni driver you were telling the people that got mad to stop it because this is a talented core and they'll win when it matters lol.

Sorry man, I'm far from a cheerleader, but I'm not mad either.. perspective man, it's entertainment.

I'm not mad at the prior GM's, Coaches or Presidents, for not delivering the Cup "I'm Owed". But, I have enjoyed watching the most talented group of players I've seen on the Leafs, win more games over a longer stretch, than any Leafs team since I've been alive... which almost coincides with our last cup. (Maybe I'm the curse!!) Winning a ton of games, seeing talented players is something to cheer for. Being a top team in the regular season, is a lot of fun. Qualifying for every playoffs, and a longer stretch than any other team, is a lot of fun. They've sucked in the playoffs, and that isn't much fun... but the other 82 games has mostly been good fun, entertainment.

So, I don't allow the playoff losses to take away from me enjoying a team winning, far more than losing, with some incredibly talented hockey players.

I don't allow it to make me emotional about players, or management... because it's just entertainment.

It just seems strange to me, how people continue to be angry, emotionally damaged, for years, decades, and still allow themselves to be so. It's almost like some people enjoy being angry, and even if they won the cup, they'd find something to be mad about. They hide when we win, and only post to "enjoy" being angry and mad. Some strange F'd up behaviour. It's going to be a nice summer, get outside, enjoy the family and weather... if this is emotionally damaging, put it aside.

You want bad, and something to be upset about, go cheer for the Sabres. The Leafs have been a very good team, that doesn't have what it takes to win in the playoffs.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

We will be reducing butter soft by at least one.
That will help playoff hockey.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Need better depth on forward.

 

[Menzinger]

I gave you my answer in my original post. If you want me to add to it:
-Youngest team in hockey is likely (not guaranteed) but likely to get better simply with age and experience.
-Former 1st round pick prospects who are doing well in the minor league aren't guarantees, they are 'lottery tickets', but they still have a lot more of them coming up than many teams.
-most importantly goaltending. They got terrible goaltending this year. Sure, it was a real thing, but its often easiest to fix goaltending (1 player) than it is an entire forward or D-group. UPL giving them a year like he had 2 years ago (or even anyone giving them a SLIGHTLY above average goaltending), has them allow 40-50 less goals this past season. Nothing else changes other than that, their goal differential is about +20 to +30, playoff team level and someplace in the New Jersey-to-Toronto Range.

Yep, you can find a problem with any team that is not as easy to fix as one thinks..but with Buffalo, this past year they scored more goals than the Leafs did, and if you watched them their goaltending let in some of the weakest goals you would ever see.

They're going to have to work hard keeping those young guys from jumping ship before things get better.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Yeah my fear is Matthews doesn’t have that much left in the tank in his career. I think about how he’s able to produce these incredible peaks but runs out of momentum and health and we’re always bargaining that he save himself for this, we’ll gladly take less of that etc. But you compare him to his peer group they just keep chugging along. Just an awful year for him in 2024-25.

If he’s able to rebound and find his old form that will potentially lengthen the Leaf runway by quite a bit. If he’s a stable cornerstone there’s less to worry about, the better shape the program is in for 2028, the more likely he would find the Leafs to be worth re-committing to.

I was watching some videos of Matthews from 8yrs ago and I can surely say he is broken down in some fashion when you compare the old AM and the current AM. He was so much more energetic and his wrist shot was flying off his stick back then. I doubt he even sniffs Ovie's record because he will be out of the league in 5-7yrs IMO.