How many jobs are on the line?

[Maple Leaf]

Upgrade the goalie and try again

 

[Mohar Ikram]

Upgrade the goalie and try again

I can seriously said that Campbell are not the problem at all.

Unless you're talking about backup goalie.

Maybe make the 3rd line a swiss army knife somehow? That's always Tampa did with their 3rd line (Goodrow - Gourde - Coleman and now Paul - Colton - Hagel)

 

[GalacticaActual]

Scorched earth is the only way

 

[Byron Bitz]

This is a good point. We've been hearing for years on this forum that Trotz was the reason the Isles turned things around. If this is true then get f***ing Trotz right now.

This. And if Dubas won’t fire Keefe because they are buddies then Shanahan needs to step in.

 

[Drytoast]

Campbell is not the problem. At least not in this series.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Upgrade the goalie and try again

Might need to clear some cap space to upgrade the goalie. That means we’re doing much more than just upgrading the goalie.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Scorched earth is the only way

It depends on what you really are trying to do for the image of the organization. An albatross contract trade going down would probably make things a lot more comfortable and less toxic. It seems people follow along to poke fun at tropes on social media and get involved in discussions of personal nature's. ie. Who is attracted to who what they banter is who needs a slap. All the dumb simp fanboy stuff the podcast nation wants to use as fuel. No one really cares what most of these morons say. Reality is reality.

 

[JKG33]

Might need to clear some cap space to upgrade the goalie. That means we’re doing much more than just upgrading the goalie.

And they need a GM that doesn't waste cap space on "upgrades" like Mrazek

 

[GojuLeaf]

It would be great to dump everything and get us in position to tank for another 5-10 years.

 

[JKG33]

Honestly I'd do it. Tavares can't lead shit, I question how much Matthews wants to win, and Marner and Nylander are charmin ultra soft.

Individually they're valuable players but together they're the core of a team that's worse than the sum of its parts

 

[LeafsFan89]

I don't think Keefe is really the problem (besides his love affair with Holl). Remember in the last leg of the season, there was an article circulated that said Keefe was on the core to play "playoff hockey" against all opponents, not just the good teams. Then after awhile the core pushed back saying "Get off of us. When the playoffs come around, we will show up strong".

I think that is very telling of this core. They showed up this playoffs, but still came short. To have the audacity and ego to say that after winning f*** all in the postseason for the last five years at the point tells me this core needs to be changed.

Unfortunately, whichever piece (preferably JT) is traded, I don't think you really win that trade.

 

[DuklaNation]

And they need a GM that doesn't waste cap space on "upgrades" like Mrazek

Mrazek was an obvious bad signing especially at that rate given Leafs cap situation. Fire Dubas. A good GM doesn't make this mistake. Only a desperate GM does that.

 

[ponder]

The first move is clearly firing Dubas. He inherited an incredible core from Lou, absolutely loaded with young talent and cap flexibility, and in 4 years has not made it out of the 1st round once. That’s far too much failure.

Whoever replaces Dubas needs to force JT out. I know he has an NMC, but they need to find a way to do it. It probably involves being a massive asshole to him, making it very clear he’s not wanted and we can’t succeed with him. We’re simply spending too much on 4 forwards, and JT is the oldest and most overpaid of the group by far. This has to happen.

After that I’m pretty ambivalent, just hire a good GM and let them do their thing.

 

[zeke]

Agreed.

Let's get back to having gritty teams that are life and death to make the playoffs every year.

 

[robertmac43]

Scorched earth is the only way

What do we do when the earth is so badly destroyed we cannot rebuild it?

 

[authentic]

Gotta love Foote, Hedman and NHL refs.

 

[HomelessPepper]

Lol k bud when are your fake glasses coming in the mail so you can look more like your idol.

He is good at making faces when his team is getting teabagged in round one again.

Dude is too scared to do what is required to win

You sound like you need a life and identity outside of hockey. I hope you find them.

 

[cupcrazyman]

Campbell is not the problem. At least not in this series.

I agree.The problem is not in net.Dubas made the right moves addressing the goalie situation.Only scoring 1 goal in a game 7 is the real problem.

 

[MLSE]

We gave the Lightning a run for their money, we didn't choke.

This is a great hockey club. Make depth changes and run it back.

Maybe think about Trotz?

 

[JKG33]

Agreed.

Let's get back to having gritty teams that are life and death to make the playoffs every year.

Nothing wrong with 1st round exits every year, might as well keep boy wonder at the helm to make it 7 in a row!

 

[mikeyz]

I have a feeling Keefe might be the only one gone. Dubas will get another year and Campbell is done in Toronto.

After sleeping on it and trying to find clarity, I agree with this. But if they lose in the 1st round again next year, it's scorched earth time IMHO.

 

[Oshawa General]

People here call Dubas intelligent? Based on what exactly? Graduated from Brock with sports management degree (I didnt even know that was a program, especially given the obvious low demand for it in the private sector)? I cant quite figure out how Dubas even got this job. Based on what? Impressive power point presentation skills? Its baffling.

This is a real interesting post, when you check the history of Dubas, the question has to be, why was Shanahan so impressed with this guy, why was he even hired at that young age, he has won absolutely nothing, track record in Junior was mediocre

 

[HomelessPepper]

How can you be a “good GM” if you are incapable of winning in the playoffs or winning a division title? Dubas has accomplished nothing.

Cleaning up Lou's mess and improving the team year over year is nothing? What do you honestly expect a new GM to do? You think a new GM is just gonna walk in and win the cup bing-bang-boom? Aside from maybe LV, no GM turns over a roster more than Dubas.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Your bottom 6 MUST have wingers that are physical, can skate, go to the crease, strong on the boards. Kerfoot is not a contending team's 3rd line C. Look at the playoff stats for this roster's bottom 6 aside from Spezza. Awful. There are other issues but this part can be addressed within your cap limitations IF you have a good GM. Unfortunately, Dubas is not willing to change his approach which requires his immediate removal. Still in denial phase.

Dubas traded Marchment for a tiny winger (Malgin) who had skill (supposedly) and played 20gms for us. He found Marchment in a dustbin....put up with all the injuries for years and then traded him for NOTHING. Guess what kind of player we could use right now to crash the net?

 

[seventieslord]

Knies, Niemela and Robertson are within the top 25-30 prospects in the league. They were all drafted after the mid 2nd round.

That is outstanding, and not arguable. Sorry people.

Yes, it is arguable. A panel of actual NHL scouts when asked by The Hockey News, ranked Niemela 35th in the league, Amirov 37th, Knies 42nd and Robertson 63rd among NHL-affiliated prospects, as of February

Those are all good players that should play (and they're not superstars and they don't have to be) but they are by no means "top prospects". Even if they were all top 25-30, that's not a needle-moving player. Every team in the league has a couple guys they think are top-30. We had needle-moving prospects: we drafted them in 2014, 2015 and 2016. We have nothing like them on the horizon. If we did, they'd be ranked top-5 by THN or already playing as teenagers.

On the other hand, someone said that the leafs have a bottom-3 prospect pool and that is also ludicrous. We are firmly middle of the pack. And that's all Dubas' doing. The 2020 Leafs ranked 23rd as 16/34 grew out of prospect age and very little else was on the horizon. The two years that have passed since then with the leafs being a contending team that continuously makes "win now" moves should have resulted in a shallower prospect pool and it hasn't.

Is that good or bad? Depends who you ask. Is it good that the Leafs have young assets they refuse to surrender to give themselves the best shot at the cup? Isn't the cup what truly matters? Who could they have acquired if they were willing to move Knies and a 1st? JT Miller? On the other hand, can't a good organization, even a contending one, always keep one eye on the future? I don't have the answer myself but I'm sure there are people strongly in each opposing camp, and many somewhere in the middle.