I have reserved judgement, saying my piece in the offseason. I crawl from under my rock to explain the issues.

[Leafsfan74]

I liked the pickup of Bertuzzi, Reaves was reasonable as when he gets physical, it impacts the game.

The rest of the offseason was a loss. Losing Schenn, Acciari and ROR was too much to overcome. That was the best playoff ready team this core had and they disappeared against FLA.

The pickups of Domi and Klinberg didn't make sense to me. I am not a fan of either player.

If Leafs could have found a partner they needed to trade from their core. A.M may own every Leaf record when is career is said and done but he won't win a Cup here.

GMs strategy of building up the middle is moot, the Leafs have had centre depth for years. They need precisely the types they lost in the offseason, almost to a player! They also need cap space which would mean selling Marner or Nylander if the Corporation would have allowed it.

At least Bert and Domi should bring something come playoffs, if they make it..

It won't be a long run though. This core has never been built for real hockey and MLSE doesn't care.

As you were.

Click to read more...

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I liked the pickup of Bertuzzi, Reaves was reasonable as when he gets physical, it impacts the game.

The rest of the offseason was a loss. Losing Schenn, Acciari and ROR was too much to overcome. That was the best playoff ready team this core had and they disappeared against FLA.

The pickups of Domi and Klinberg didn't make sense to me. I am not a fan of either player.

If Leafs could have found a partner they needed to trade from their core. A.M may own every Leaf record when is career is said and done but he won't win a Cup here.

GMs strategy of building up the middle is moot, the Leafs have had centre depth for years. They need precisely the types they lost in the offseason, almost to a player! They also need cap space which would mean selling Marner or Nylander if the Corporation would have allowed it.

At least Bert and Domi should bring something come playoffs, if they make it..

It won't be a long run though. This core has never been built for real hockey and MLSE doesn't care.

As you were.

I like this thread topic (I agree with you), but we need to workshop through this problem.

There's no discussion if we declare that "it's over".

All the players you mention had expiring contracts and had a good chance of walking.

But a GM still has ways to clean up a team: demotions, waivers, trades, fire a coach, etc.

What practical advice would you give BT?

 

[BallardEra]

Meh, they just need another team meeting to talk things out.

 

[All Mod Cons]

I liked the pickup of Bertuzzi, Reaves was reasonable as when he gets physical, it impacts the game.

The rest of the offseason was a loss. Losing Schenn, Acciari and ROR was too much to overcome. That was the best playoff ready team this core had and they disappeared against FLA.

The pickups of Domi and Klinberg didn't make sense to me. I am not a fan of either player.

If Leafs could have found a partner they needed to trade from their core. A.M may own every Leaf record when is career is said and done but he won't win a Cup here.

GMs strategy of building up the middle is moot, the Leafs have had centre depth for years. They need precisely the types they lost in the offseason, almost to a player! They also need cap space which would mean selling Marner or Nylander if the Corporation would have allowed it.

At least Bert and Domi should bring something come playoffs, if they make it..

It won't be a long run though. This core has never been built for real hockey and MLSE doesn't care.

As you were.

We didn't lose Schenn, Acciari and ROR. We borrowed them. None of them had any intention of staying beyond their 3 months. That's the issue with continually throwing away futures for rentals. Said futures cannot now be used for players to stick around. We rented about a 3rd of a roster last season. That's fooking nuts.

 

[Jojalu]

I liked the pickup of Bertuzzi, Reaves was reasonable as when he gets physical, it impacts the game.

The rest of the offseason was a loss. Losing Schenn, Acciari and ROR was too much to overcome. That was the best playoff ready team this core had and they disappeared against FLA.

The pickups of Domi and Klinberg didn't make sense to me. I am not a fan of either player.

If Leafs could have found a partner they needed to trade from their core. A.M may own every Leaf record when is career is said and done but he won't win a Cup here.

GMs strategy of building up the middle is moot, the Leafs have had centre depth for years. They need precisely the types they lost in the offseason, almost to a player! They also need cap space which would mean selling Marner or Nylander if the Corporation would have allowed it.

At least Bert and Domi should bring something come playoffs, if they make it..

It won't be a long run though. This core has never been built for real hockey and MLSE doesn't care.

As you were.

There is really no reason to think Matthews can't win a cup in Toronto.

A lot can change over the next 5 years.

I would guess this will be the last year the 4 of them will be together unless they make it to the SCF.

The Leafs will need to bridge Knies or lock him up for a decent price, have Minten and Cowen to be able to contribute on ELC's, hit on their 1rst this year and wait for Tavares to come off the books.

Then 3 or 4 years from now, if the GM can slowly build the backend, they should have the cap to make a deep run.

 

[DuklaNation]

Its just the Muskoka 5 all over again.

 

[Leafsfan74]

I like this thread topic (I agree with you), but we need to workshop through this problem.

There's no discussion if we declare that "it's over".

All the players you mention had expiring contracts and had a good chance of walking.

But a GM still has ways to clean up a team: demotions, waivers, trades, fire a coach, etc.

What practical advice would you give BT?

My advice now that the core remains would be to trade Domi and Klinberg by the deadline.

The reality is though that these perpetual cap restraints aren't fixable. Never were. This required the trading of Marner (my personal choice to go) AND/or Nylander as I warned a few months ago They obviously will find cap space once Tavares contract expires but the team lacks the DNA.

Really there is little hope unless he finds other out-of-favour players on other teams as Dubas found at the deadline but this leopards spots can't be changed.

I said it before that if this team/core couldn't win with the additions they found last year, they never were going to. What is the definition of insanity?

 

[BallardEra]

What happened to Erik Gustafsson? I think he could have done whatever Kilingberg was brought in to do.

 

[m1ker]

Put Knies on the first then pick up a cheap shut down LW to play with Kampf-Jarnkrok.

Then you are still screwed on 4C and defence and probably goalie.

 

[BallardEra]

Put Knies on the first then pick up a cheap shut down LW to play with Kampf-Jarnkrok.

Then you are still screwed on 4C and defence.

I would target Nic Dowd for 4C.

 

[cyris]

Put Knies on the first then pick up a cheap shut down LW to play with Kampf-Jarnkrok.

Then you are still screwed on 4C and defence and probably goalie.

The problem is there are too many terrible defensive forwards right now. Its hard to hide Reeves, Domi, Bertuzzi, Knies(rookie) and have any lineup that isn’t a mess.

I want them to waive Reeves and call up Robertson but that would require management admitting they made a huge mistake.

If they did that they could have a strong offensive 3rd line and a strong defensive 4th line but since they won’t do that our entire bottom 6 will get caved in, and Matthews and Marner will continue to get over played and started in the defensive zone.

 

[kevsh]

I said it before that if this team/core couldn't win with the additions they found last year, they never were going to.

Exactly.
The problem isn't additions (not working out), it's the group that's already here.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Remember Brads first press conference he tried spinning this is not the core 4 but a 21 man team. Well now he is seeing why he was wrong. We go as far as they take us and they have proven they can't do it all barring some miracle

 

[Gary Nylund]

Exactly.
The problem isn't additions (not working out), it's the group that's already here.

Yup. M&M are the de facto leaders of the team, and neither one of them has leadership skills.

 

[fahad203]

Ever since Spezza left we have issues with depth. Our bottom 6 is horrible offensively, no contribution but also no zone time

Reaves can't play every night. Simple as that.
Domi is done. He reminds me of Galenychuk. Living off his draft position

Our D has aged badly. Our younger D are hurt in Lilly and Timmins

 

[TheGreatOne11]

Fingers are just crossed this is a team built for the playoffs and that they'll wake up at the right time I guess.

Weirder things have happened. I don't think this teams as strong of a team as last season, but hopefully Bertuzzi finds that next gear in the playoffs we've been craving for years.

 

[Puckstuff]

I liked the pickup of Bertuzzi, Reaves was reasonable as when he gets physical, it impacts the game.

The rest of the offseason was a loss. Losing Schenn, Acciari and ROR was too much to overcome. That was the best playoff ready team this core had and they disappeared against FLA.

The pickups of Domi and Klinberg didn't make sense to me. I am not a fan of either player.

If Leafs could have found a partner they needed to trade from their core. A.M may own every Leaf record when is career is said and done but he won't win a Cup here.

GMs strategy of building up the middle is moot, the Leafs have had centre depth for years. They need precisely the types they lost in the offseason, almost to a player! They also need cap space which would mean selling Marner or Nylander if the Corporation would have allowed it.

At least Bert and Domi should bring something come playoffs, if they make it..

It won't be a long run though. This core has never been built for real hockey and MLSE doesn't care.

As you were.

To be honest I’m not even sure Treliving is a fan of Klingberg or Domi. ROR didn’t want to return and Schenn was asking for a lot, so we pivoted to Domi and Klingberg on 1 year deals.

 

[Stephen]

Remember Brads first press conference he tried spinning this is not the core 4 but a 21 man team. Well now he is seeing why he was wrong. We go as far as they take us and they have proven they can't do it all barring some miracle

I have said this about the Edmonton Oilers over the years and their lack of sustained success, but it's also true of the Leafs.

We are basically an NBA starting 5 with a revolving door of bench warmers.

I don't know if that's because the Big 4 and Rielly simply take up all the oxygen in the room... (I don't that's what it is, and they have been the only group that has come out and been productive...) or if we have basically developed a culture of mercenaries looking to 'bet on themselves' and ride the coattails to another UFA pay day... but in the process, everyone just looks like a misfit Nick Ritchie.

 

[Stephen]

To be honest I’m not even sure Treliving is a fan of Klingberg or Domi. ROR didn’t want to return and Schenn was asking for a lot, so we pivoted to Domi and Klingberg on 1 year deals.

Ryan O'Reilly's been pretty good in Nashville, but Schenn got hurt right away so while we needed the 2022-23 versions of those guys I'm not sure how long they will be at that level either.

Also the team had some transition game issues down the stretch, in the Tampa series and were pretty bad in the Florida series, so we are misremembering how good the team was with those guys.

I hate to say it, but we miss the clean puckhandling of a Kerfoot, and the straightline rushing speed of an Engvall and Mikheyev. Not saying I miss those guys, but those ingredients are sorely absent.

 

[theTTC]

Fingers are just crossed this is a team built for the playoffs and that they'll wake up at the right time I guess.

Weirder things have happened. I don't think this teams as strong of a team as last season, but hopefully Bertuzzi finds that next gear in the playoffs we've been craving for years.

That's what I thought too as pre-season approached. The Core Fore gets us handsomely through the regular season, beating up on the disabled to finish comfortably high in the standings. Then when they inevitably disappear in the playoffs, not having the leadership qualities and intestinal fortitude to stand up to determined foes, the new guys Tre acquired would move to the forefront to provide the abrasiveness and guts necessary to successfully push through.

I should know better. Leafs are like Crappy Tire on the first day of a big sale - they never fail to disappoint.

 

[leafsfan5]

What happened to Erik Gustafsson? I think he could have done whatever Kilingberg was brought in to do.

He is on the New York Rangers, putting up 6 points (3G + 3A) in 11 games for 0.825 million

Klingberg has the same role here for 4.15 million, and he has 5 points (0G + 5A) in 11 games. Talk about a whiff

 

[Strangle]

How did this team lose Muzzin and Kadri, go from clowning on Tkachuk to having him destroy the remaining players souls last year?

This team needs 4 or 5 Jake Muzzin’s.

Losing him, I think, was the last pin holding back the floodwaters of p***yfication on this team.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

I’ve said it before and will say it again Luke Wilson summed it up nicely a couple years back on overdrive saying the leafs have no leader to drag them into battle.

That rugged behavior is needed from your best players and our best players are soft and quiet. We’ve had plenty over the years in secondary roles and the hope was it would rub off on the guys at the top and in year 8 it hasn’t. We will never win with JT AM and MM at the top of the heap. You could maybe keep one and surround with guys willing to go into battle.

In all honesty I would trade all three of AM MM and Willie and ride out the last couple of years of JT. But that is very unrealistic. So I would ship out Marner if you can force him
Out with his NMC and wait out JT and then surround AM and Willie with a completely different cast of characters. I would put all the money into the backend and fill out the forward lines with more mid market guys.

The best teams from the 90s and 00s had a couple stars - killer and Wendel, Mats and Mogilny and then endless guys who would run through a wall for the leaf. Save for a missed call and bad injury or two they would have been in the cup and both.

Probably none of these will happen so I will just ride along and hope for some milestones or something cause we ain’t winning anything with this team.

 

[mjd1001]

I wasn't a fan or really any of the moves in the offseason. Nothing I thought would hurt the team, but nobody that would help them compared to what they paid.
But hey, when the top of the roster is taking so much of the money, you really don't have as many options as you should.

 

[mjd1001]

In all honesty I would trade all three of AM MM and Willie and ride out the last couple of years of JT. But that is very unrealistic. So I would ship out Marner if you can force him
Out with his NMC and wait out JT and then surround AM and Willie with a completely different cast of characters. I would put all the money into the backend and fill out the forward lines with more mid market guys.

We have gone over this quite a bit over the offseason and everyone has said their say, but I agree with you for the most part. I personaly would have traded 2 of the 3 of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander. Would what you get in return make you better now? Maybe not. but maybe? But you would get a LOT in return. I just don't see this team getting better than it is now. They are at their 'peak'. If things go their way is that 'peak' good enough to get to the cup? Actually, if they have some luck, it might be. But to me its not likely, and while we are watching playing that 'can they win the cup lottery ticket', they aren't that enjoyable/likeable.