I have serious concerns for next year (2023-24)

[LeafEgo]

We finally made it to the second round last year, got a new GM, and took the biggest haul out of free agency this offseason. We can expect more change through the season to further reshape the team. We might see a coaching change.

It's not that bad.

 

[Nylanderthal]

I remember us losing to Carolina in the 3rd round.

It sucked. No one was popping champagne.

I clearly remember losing to the Kings Canucks Sabres & Canes in the final 4 and they all felt about the same as the years in-between losing in round 1 or 2 to jersey philly etc. obviously there’s a difference but ultimately no one cares about final 4 finishes.

 

[notbias]

I’m convinced if we’d beaten Florida and lost to Carolina round 3 the usual suspects would be acting exactly the same way they are today.

That’s not to say anyone should be satisfied

I mean... we lost in the 2nd instead of 1st and it appears everyone is more disappointed than the 1st round exits...

Losing is losing. I'd like to watch more hockey so losing in the 3rd round is slightly better than the 1st, but not by much, we still lost.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I'll bet you right now the Leafs will finish as a top 3 team in the regular season, absolutely no chance they miss playoffs unless there are multiple catastrophic injuries. I'm talking season ending injuries to guys like Matthews, Marner, Tavares.

I'm dropping an early bet that Leafs win the presidents trophy, we've been an elite regular season team for like 5-6 years now, our division got much weaker.

This year will be different for a couple of reasons, for the first time we have a different GM with a different philosophy. We've never had a true 1LW before, we added Bertuzzi.

"Zach Hyman says hello hello hello. Ah ah ah ah ah. I know this much is truuue. I know I know I know this much is true. Ah ah ah ah ah. I know this much is true."

 

[AvroArrow]

"Zach Hyman says hello hello hello. Ah ah ah ah ah. I know this much is truuue. I know I know I know this much is true. Ah ah ah ah ah. I know this much is true."

Hyman's career high with Toronto was 41 points, in his last season with us he was on pace for 63 points, while playing with Matthews and Marner, which is exactly what Bunting scored with us while playing with Matthews Marner. He is pretty damn elite defensively though.

I really like Hyman, I think he's a great complementary role player, but he isn't a true #1LW, but with the right players around him (Matthews/Marner or McDavid) he has enough IQ and work ethic to make the line work. Ideally you want him as your #2LW, but like I said, with the right players he can move up the lineup and perform at a very respectable level.

Bertuzzi however, hit 62 points, 30 goals in 68 games on a terrible Red Wings team. He is much better offensively and a legitimate #1LW. Even without elite players, he produces top line numbers.

We have never had a LW as talented as Bertuzzi in the Matthews era. Much love and respect for Hyman, but there is a very clear offensive gap. Also I don't wanna hear about his inflated points from playing with the greatest player of this generation, a significant jump in points was obviously expected.

 

[thewave]

This line is full. Please come back another day after we win a cup. Its the Leafs anyways, I am concerned that you arent comfortably numb.

 

[Sypher04]

That's not true, that path of success looks like this:

Regular Season > R1 > R2 > R3 > R4

Losing in R3 is more successful than losing in R1. Whether you come 3rd or 9th in the regular season is something, but in the grand scheme of things, not particularly that important as both teams advance to R1.

This is further exacerbated by the fact that players can't play at 100% through the regular season. It's only in the playoffs that you get to see which teams are the best. You cant tell just how fast Usain Bolt is in the first heat.

Again. I have never said losing in round 3 is not more successful than losing in round 1, or missing the playoffs. Please read my posts again.

The comment you’re replying to was specifically talking to them being both failures to reach the final goal, and purely in relation to the idea of not giving out participation trophies, as brought up by the poster I was replying to.

Having regular season success has been the case in most cases of Stanley cup winning teams. Doesn’t have to be the single most successful club, but you generally do need to have a good to very good season. The idea the regular season isn’t important because the playoffs are more important is a fallacy, even if the back half of that statement is objectively true

 

[ULF_55]

My only concern is coaching.

Running back the same Core of Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Kampf, Rielly, Liljgren, Brodie, McCabe, Giordano, Lafferty, Woll and Samsonov isn't an issue.
Deploying them the same way that hasn't been conducive to post-season success is.

 

[Gallagbi]

My only concern is coaching.

Running back the same Core of Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Kampf, Rielly, Liljgren, Brodie, McCabe, Giordano, Lafferty, Woll and Samsonov isn't an issue.
Deploying them the same way that hasn't been conducive to post-season success is.

What do you mean by deployment? They've been deployed a few different ways, by different coaches, in different structures and circumstances

 

[ULF_55]

What do you mean by deployment? They've been deployed a few different ways, by different coaches, in different structures and circumstances

I don't consider Babcock to have coached this current iteration of the Leafs.

He was fired when Matthews and marner were 22 years old, Nylander was 23, not exactly what you'd call veteran NHL players.

Only coach they've had since is Keefe, the one who doesn't have the team ready to start the games nor prepared to finish the period.

It has been a failure, of course some might consider one playoff win a minor success.
It is but that's an extremely low bar, that perhaps some people are okay with.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

I'm sure we all have concerns, much like every other fan base in the summer.
I could see it taking Treliving 2-3 years+ to change the culture of the team to a willing and battle ready group. So if you're not a patient sort, unfortunately, I see frustration in your future.

 

[Canadian Finn]

if nothing else, us old school leafs fans are patient, lol.

 

[Gallagbi]

I don't consider Babcock to have coached this current iteration of the Leafs.

He was fired when Matthews and marner were 22 years old, Nylander was 23, not exactly what you'd call veteran NHL players.

Only coach they've had since is Keefe, the one who doesn't have the team ready to start the games nor prepared to finish the period.

It has been a failure, of course some might consider one playoff win a minor success.
It is but that's an extremely low bar, that perhaps some people are okay with.

So what deployment are you advocating for?

 

[Orfieus]

Sometimes you flip a coin five times, and it comes up heads every time.

It doesn't mean tails is less likely than heads, or the coin is bad, or tails is bad and can never occur.

We have a good team, we could use another really good defenceman, but this is a team that will have a chance to win every year they're together - that is a good thing.

We've had 7 playoff chances and only made it past the 1st round once. And playing hockey isn't like flipping a coin

 

[Canadian Finn]

nor like playing a video game, and yet....

 

[Strangle]

I don't like moves Treliving has made so far

I don't like MM is still on the team, he should have been traded

I don't like AM still doesn't have a contact (I really don't like how AM is so adverse to long term contracts)

I don't like the defense AT ALL

I'd say my biggest concern is this team is going to be too complacent and I think there is a real chance Toronto might actually miss the playoffs

I have never been this low on the team, at least when Toronto was tanking we could look forward to the future, what do we have to look forward to now? Toronto hasn't done ANYTHING with this core, why should I think this year will be any different?

The team is better on paper than the team was last year. No Holl, goaltending added Woll (looked great last year) and ditched Murray.

Forwards lost bunting and added burtuzzi, lost kerfoot and added domi?

How can you say the team is worse because ‘MM is still on the team’ and ‘Mathews doesn’t have a long term contract’?

That does make any sense

 

[Eternal Leaf]

The team will be fine in the regular season. I also think the other big dogs in the division got a bit weaker.

However, this team is still going to get exposed in the playoffs and some of these new additions are going to become major issues defensively (i.e. Klingberg, Domi). Reaves is useless and shouldn't have a spot on a playoff team.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

The team will be fine in the regular season. I also think the other big dogs in the division got a bit weaker.

However, this team is still going to get exposed in the playoffs and some of these new additions are going to become major issues defensively (i.e. Klingberg, Domi). Reaves is useless and shouldn't have a spot on a playoff team.

This is rather strong. Holl and Kerfoot did their own special kind of "contributions" to the Leafs last season. I wouldn't call them "useless", but they too could have been debatable as to whether they are worthy of being on the team for the playoffs.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Don't worry
This season will be the same as every other season

 

[All Mod Cons]

I don't like moves Treliving has made so far

I don't like MM is still on the team, he should have been traded

I don't like AM still doesn't have a contact (I really don't like how AM is so adverse to long term contracts)

I don't like the defense AT ALL

I'd say my biggest concern is this team is going to be too complacent and I think there is a real chance Toronto might actually miss the playoffs

I have never been this low on the team, at least when Toronto was tanking we could look forward to the future, what do we have to look forward to now? Toronto hasn't done ANYTHING with this core, why should I think this year will be any different?

The previous GM has made it very hard to make impactful changes. Current management don't have much they can really work with.

 

[LeafChief]

The previous GM has made it very hard to make impactful changes. Current management don't have much they can really work with.

What a silly post.

 

[Nineteen67]

I'm sure we all have concerns, much like every other fan base in the summer.
I could see it taking Treliving 2-3 years+ to change the culture of the team to a willing and battle ready group. So if you're not a patient sort, unfortunately, I see frustration in your future.

I think this was the plan going into last season, win a round then do a proper rebuild with Dubas as GM. But I think there was some friction that messed up that plan, and they’re scrambling now.
They might be able to salvage it, but I’m not real confident Bubbles Treliving

 

[Bluebear]

did it suck as bad as our continuous first round exits?

I can't speak for you but...

It was way worse....I don't think I've had anything but low expectations for this group....I thought we might win the cup that year...

 

[al secord]

The previous GM has made it very hard to make impactful changes. Current management don't have much they can really work with.

Do you really believe this? Lol. I doubt you truly do.

 

[Mess]

The previous GM has made it very hard to make impactful changes. Current management don't have much they can really work with.

When 1/2 a teams Salary Cap is locked up in just 4 forwards and 3 X $11 mil players have full NMC that can't and wont go anywhere leaving only Nylander as a potential tradeable player of that core.. If you add Morgan Rielly the next highest paid player $7.5 mil AAV with a full NMC as well for the next 4 years that =$48 mil of an $83.5 mil cap = Approximately 57% of your team locked in stone.

Treliving is left with 43% remaining cap space and 15 players outside those 5 core above to put him mark in the team. Options are limited because cap space is limited.