Speculation: Leafs rushed the rebuild

[Sniper99]

LOL, OP needs to get a grip, classic leafs nation

preach brotha.

Couldnt believe what I was reading when I came across this thread title. We didnt rush this rebuild at all.

 

[Trapper]

We wouldn't be better but we wouldn't have these annoying cap issues that has everyone up in arms and we could rebuild at a more leisurely pace. I've been waiting for a proper rebuild for about 40 years now, I'm in no rush. It's more important to me that as a fan base we all get along which clearly isn't the case now, first it was the Nylander contract, now Matthews ... before we maybe weren't a good team but at least we all got along for the most part. Was that really so bad?

We all want the Cup even if we don’t always get along or have different views.

I’ve been waiting as long as you and through that time have more of feelings vs. advanced stats to success.

Using the draft and asset management have always been high on my priority list. Kudos to management finally embracing it and assembling things accordingly.

But my feelings suggest that the sum of the parts is not equipped for the long playoff haul. It’s nothing personal with Dubas, Nylander, Marleau, go down the list.

My feelings are we are spending too much on forward and not balancing the D. In addition, it’s not all the right kind of forwards to get the job done. Elements are missing from forwards and balance is missing from D. We are too top heavy on passive forwards.

Time will tell. Win the Cup of course and I’ll be wrong everyday of the week. Not even the Cup, make a strong showing to the Conference final with those I think might not get the job done at the forefront and my feeling will be better.

 

[Gabriel426]

The Tavares signing is responsible for driving up Leafs salaries as his becomes a measuring stick for Leafs internal pay scale.

Yes and no. I just think the league is heading a direction where top stars will get pay but those good mid 6 players will be getting pay less and less unless they go to crappy teams. That will change when a team full of non superstars team win a Cup then GMs might elect to build their teams with 4 lines of good players instead of top heavy.
To me I look at it this way, would you have a Stastny and Larkin with Bozak and JVR or Matthews and Moore with JT and Ennis bc their caphit is pretty much the same.

 

[nsleaf]

Rebuild? That's done, just need to decorate.

 

[Stephen]

Up until we signed Tavares, the rebuild ended itself because the kids and the health of the organization was good. You can't deflate that kind of progress. Adding Tavares blows the salary structure up, but also is Toronto's way of putting another blue chip asset into the system to match Buffalo adding Dahlin. You don't just stop building because you're not picking in the top 5 or adding cheap ELC talent.

 

[Stephen]

If Tyler Ennis is any indication, we'll start seeing a lot more mid to late former top 6 players bought out and not re-signed as they get squeezed by mega stars coming out of ELC's. This will create a new affordable class of mid career free agents come onto the market looking for jobs on good teams to rehabilitate their careers. In the future, a team like the Leafs can fill in the gaps with young prospects on ELCs and what I want to call LCE's. "Last Chance Evaluations."

 

[Dough72]

So much this. Time has passed the man by and Matthews and his agent would have eaten him alive. Considering Komarov squeezed him for 3 million per year without even trying, Matthews would have gotten 15 for sure. Luckily Dubas is young, full of energy, has excellent support staff and knows how these young guys think and ended up negotiating a fair deal.

he seems more quiet and reserved than full of energy to me, but the idea that he is younger and therefore a harder worker is questionable to say the least. His job isn't manual labor so his work ethic will depend on his personality and I don't think anyone really knows his personality yet. Also not sure why his age would be more beneficial to understanding players than gm's who have spent far more of their life actually interacting with NHL hockey players. Either way what matters is understanding a player's psychology on the ice not off it and that's a skill I suspect gms who rely most heavily on analytics struggle the most with.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I know, other teams must be so glad that they don’t need to worry about paying their untalented roster and be forever in Cap Heaven.

Exactly!

Need a hug or something? Or we can just start a Jays thread where they are rebuilding .

Yup, any time the Leafs are bringing me down I just remind myself that we still have the Jays.

Yes, it was bad then and its very good now, who cares if fans don't agree? Pretty boring on here when everyone agrees.

Looks like the sarcasm went over your head.

We all want the Cup even if we don’t always get along or have different views.

I’ve been waiting as long as you and through that time have more of feelings vs. advanced stats to success.

Using the draft and asset management have always been high on my priority list. Kudos to management finally embracing it and assembling things accordingly.

But my feelings suggest that the sum of the parts is not equipped for the long playoff haul. It’s nothing personal with Dubas, Nylander, Marleau, go down the list.

My feelings are we are spending too much on forward and not balancing the D. In addition, it’s not all the right kind of forwards to get the job done. Elements are missing from forwards and balance is missing from D. We are too top heavy on passive forwards.

Time will tell. Win the Cup of course and I’ll be wrong everyday of the week. Not even the Cup, make a strong showing to the Conference final with those I think might not get the job done at the forefront and my feeling will be better.

With the arrival of Muzzin our D is much better. I do understand your concerns though. We need to win a round, that's a must. Then if we play well and fall short against TB, that's not the end of the world either.

he seems more quiet and reserved than full of energy to me, but the idea that he is younger and therefore a harder worker is questionable to say the least. His job isn't manual labor so his work ethic will depend on his personality and I don't think anyone really knows his personality yet. Also not sure why his age would be more beneficial to understanding players than gm's who have spent far more of their life actually interacting with NHL hockey players. Either way what matters is understanding a player's psychology on the ice not off it and that's a skill I suspect gms who rely most heavily on analytics struggle the most with.

I wasn't totally serious with my post but I do feel pretty good about our management team overall.

 

[hfman]

what a joke this topic is lol

 

[thunder16]

We should have just waited for Tavares to sign with another team and then we could trade Mathews, Marner, Nylander, and 2 first round picks for him.

 

[ER89]

Signed him for 5 years at a 8 year price when he was a RFA

You ain't Mr. Steal anyone's job with takes like these man

 

[HarrisonFord]

Lmao are people actually complaining that we signed a guy on pace for 50g and 90pts?

 

[Trapper]

Marner,Nylander,Johnsson,Kapanen are enough of the skilled wingers.

Now we need to get heavier.
Marleau in another year replaced by a PWF.
Muzzin replaces Gardiner. Heavier.
We need a solid top 4 RHD. Heavier and better D to replace Zaitsev.
Work Lily slowly and safely on the 3rd D unit.
An aggressive 4C with speed and PK. Like a Cousins in Arizona. Goat is too passive for me.

 

[Faltorvo]

Lmao are people actually complaining that we signed a guy on pace for 50g and 90pts?

Honestly brother , when you see what Tbay pays for their young stud 50g 100p center , ya folks will sht.

 

[saltming]

We wouldn't be better but we wouldn't have these annoying cap issues that has everyone up in arms and we could rebuild at a more leisurely pace. I've been waiting for a proper rebuild for about 40 years now, I'm in no rush. It's more important to me that as a fan base we all get along which clearly isn't the case now, first it was the Nylander contract, now Matthews ... before we maybe weren't a good team but at least we all got along for the most part. Was that really so bad?

 

[hector morrison]

Honestly brother , when you see what Tbay pays for their young stud 50g 100p center , ya folks will sht.

You don't think his agent will use the media to raise his salary . Or maybe multiple offer sheets are already waiting for him. No agent worth their salt would leave those rocks un-turned.

 

[Faltorvo]

You don't think his agent will use the media to raise his salary . Or maybe multiple offer sheets are already waiting for him. No agent worth their salt would leave those rocks un-turned.

I firmly believe when we see Points contract we will

 

[BM14]

You rushed this thread topic.

 

[hector morrison]

I firmly believe when we see Points contract we will

There will be few interesting signings coming up!

 

[spiderham616]

The only thing rushed IMO was that the Leafs would have been better off trading JVR and Bozak last season at the deadline to get assets to land a Tanev type. Tanev + Muzzin would have made our blueline top tier going into the playoffs.

And I was begging the Leafs to do this all of last year, surprising Mike Augello was right about this issue all of last year too.

Own rentals last year when Leafs were just emerging was rushed, JVR and Bozak aren't exactly playoff type players either, more PP specialists.

 

[hfman]

I knew they would.

They weren’t ready to add a huge UFA like Tavares. The timing they had to make a choice and I get it. I said at the time how much I hated the decision.

Here it is now proving to us all why it was the wrong one. Yes he’s a hell of player but he destroyed the cap structure on the team. Leafs should of re signed their core before going after Tavares.

That should of been priority number one not getting another high priced forward. It arguably took away 3 years of us being competitive. Can’t even imagine what the Marner contract will look like either. Fact is also Tavares was a luxury not a need at all.

Doubt Matthews contract looked like this if not for Tavares.

Reported asks for Marner 9X8 and Matthews 12.34*8 in the summer (although Matthews there was a lot of different insider opinions on what the number in the summer was but either way it was 8 years.)

this is an even bigger LOL after tonight's game

 

[dubey]

this is an even bigger LOL after tonight's game

I'm sure OP gets it now after 10 pages of why he's wrong

Let this one die

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Tavares the UFA was worth $11 x 7. You picked like the only contract that doesn't suck that Dubas can claim he had his hands in.

And that was mostly It's decision to take a discount, so it's hard to say who to credit for that.

 

[Pocket Hercules]

I'm sure OP gets it now after 10 pages of why he's wrong

Let this one die

Nah...too many idiotic Leaf fans with their knee jerk reactions after reading an Toronto Sun article written by hack reporters like Simmons and Feschuk need to be force fed a heaping plate of crow. Eat it....EAT IT!!!!!

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

The mistake was, Dubas failing to take the "gamble" of signing Marner and AM this summer while their prices were still reasonably low.

In retrospect the priority should have been Matthews, Marner, then Nylander. Give Nylander what was left after inking those two and if he didn't like it see ya.