No More Soft Players & Career Losers On The 3rd & 4th Lines

[TheScandal89]

Even Point and Kucherov took couple years to make the NHL from their draft year and time to develop. they didnt just come out the players they are today. Perhaps give our prospects time to develop.....

Yeah Robertson was taken in the 2nd round I would say we have done pretty well considering we have been trading our 1st round picks

Grundstrom is the only player who looks like he could turn into a decent NHLer. Im not sold on Korshkov or Durzi. its been years I wouldn't worry about that one.

What was so wrong with our drafting anyways? moving the pick that took Kleven for Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemela looks like straight gold after their WJC last year Veeti Miettinen looks interesting and it's overall been wayyyy too early

Yeah it sucks that we had Verhaeghe when we let him go we all knew there was a small chance he turned into something. Who's to say he would have developed with us the same way and become the same player.
I wouldn't worry about that one.

Just be patient and let our scouts do their job. they deserve some credit, we actually have a nice little pipeline of prospects. how good..... we will see

Topi is gonna be another Sandin, looks good i the regular season but will make the poor turnover when getting lined up by a bigger man, he already sustained a serious shoulder injury this year being outmanned in the corner. Unless we plan on running the NHLs softest defence with Sandin, Liljegren and Niemla then we gotta draft some tougher guys. I suggested Brenden Schneider because we don't have that type of defender in our system at all but most disagreed and were happy to add another scorer.

Hiro looks pretty good, I have a lot of hope for him. I have hope for him.

Looking threw our picks, Dubas really doesn't like drafting Canadian players does he?

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Topi is gonna be another Sandin, looks good i the regular season but will make the poor turnover when getting lined up by a bigger man, he already sustained a serious shoulder injury this year being outmanned in the corner. Unless we plan on running the NHLs softest defence with Sandin, Liljegren and Niemla then we gotta draft some tougher guys. I suggested Brenden Schneider because we don't have that type of defender in our system at all but most disagreed and were happy to add another scorer.

Hiro looks pretty good, I have a lot of hope for him. I have hope for him.

Looking threw our picks, Dubas really doesn't like drafting Canadian players does he?

u just never know how these kids will turn out. and I honestly dont care about the whole should draft more canadians. at the time Im on board with BPA.

 

[Zack47]

Following up my earlier comment about balanced teams: look at the Islanders now. People can't even tell you the numbers of the lines until you get to 4th. That's what I want: 9 similar level equally effective forwards who just keep coming over the boards and have talent..

The reason we comment on the bottom 6 is the imbalance problem. No one is facing this: if the bottom 6 is a non-entity, it changes how you play against the top 6, big time...

 

[IPS]

Topi is gonna be another Sandin, looks good i the regular season but will make the poor turnover when getting lined up by a bigger man, he already sustained a serious shoulder injury this year being outmanned in the corner. Unless we plan on running the NHLs softest defence with Sandin, Liljegren and Niemla then we gotta draft some tougher guys. I suggested Brenden Schneider because we don't have that type of defender in our system at all but most disagreed and were happy to add another scorer.

Hiro looks pretty good, I have a lot of hope for him. I have hope for him.

Looking threw our picks, Dubas really doesn't like drafting Canadian players does he?

That's just so great that Dubas can keep pulling up these talented small offensive D out of the draft but how bout we try draft and develop a Brandon Carlo or Colton Parayko??

 

[TheScandal89]

That's just so great that Dubas can keep pulling up these talented small offensive D out of the draft but how bout we try draft and develop a Brandon Carlo or Colton Parayko??

I don't know if Dubas knows how to draft that, he's more concerned drafting european offensive players that we have an abundance of. I wantes to draft Schneider for this reason, Amirov has a higher potential, if he reaches it, but we have no Schneider in our D pool. We have plenty of Amirov types.

We'll see what he does with our what, 3 picks this year lol.

 

[Donnie740]

I don't know if Dubas knows how to draft that, he's more concerned drafting european offensive players that we have an abundance of. I wantes to draft Schneider for this reason, Amirov has a higher potential, if he reaches it, but we have no Schneider in our D pool. We have plenty of Amirov types.

We'll see what he does with our what, 3 picks this year lol.

Dubas has constantly proclaimed he’s going to build a team based on speed and skill while ignoring size and physicality because his spreadsheets calculate that’s how to win in the “modern” game.

 

[Faltorvo]

Please , you all know damn well that dumbasses progressive SJW regime has no room at all for "toxic masculinity". We are playing to his "vision of the modern game",,such a trail blazer he is,,,just like when he tried the new "RFA" scene and contracts. KD the loser,,, was the only one to fall for that crap. This team will play like gutless wimps as long as he is here.

 

[socko]

Please , you all know damn well that dumbasses progressive SJW regime has no room at all for "toxic masculinity". We are playing to his "vision of the modern game",,such a trail blazer he is,,,just like when he tried the new "RFA" scene and contracts. KD the loser,,, was the only one to fall for that crap. This team will play like gutless wimps as long as he is here.

The highest paid guys in the league are a collection of older players who used their UFA status, a guy who beat the rest of the league by 36 points in a 56 game season AND signed for 8 years, and the guys who dummied Kyle Dubas.

 

[ottomaddox]

At this point it should be obvious the Leafs core - - ie the top two lines - - has no clue how to win in the playoffs.

Which means the leadership and playoff toughness will need to come from the 3rd and 4th lines.

For the love of God, STOP filling those lines with soft players who float on the perimeter like Mikheyev/Engvall/Boyd and lifetime losers like Thornton/Foligno who’ve had a entire career of underachieving playoff chokes.

The 3rd line needs to be a lockdown defensive unit that can always match against any top line and with a C who’s strong on face offs.

Need at least two vets who’ve won a Cup and have big alpha dog personalities so they won’t be afraid to give Matthews or Marner a slap to wake up and tell the coach to FRO when he tries useless ideas.

Need one, but preferably two, guys who play a dirty agitating style that borders on being viscous. Kadri type would be ideal but no competent GM is going to give up a guy like that. Corey Perry type will suffice.

Also need at least one but preferably two guys who enjoy fighting because physical intimidation is one of the surest ways of winning.

This is completely contrary to building a finesse team of small skill players - - which is why the Leafs consistently lose every year in the playoffs.

This is a 2-3 year plan and still would require moving one of the core pieces.

 

[Trapper]

This is a 2-3 year plan and still would require moving one of the core pieces.

It requires moving the GM.
Then the core can be evaluated for who would like to buy in.
But you need a GM who takes a look at what the playoffs really are and bring back our identity of Burns/Quinn. Blue collar skill. Not boy band or Country Club.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Following up my earlier comment about balanced teams: look at the Islanders now. People can't even tell you the numbers of the lines until you get to 4th. That's what I want: 9 similar level equally effective forwards who just keep coming over the boards and have talent..

The reason we comment on the bottom 6 is the imbalance problem. No one is facing this: if the bottom 6 is a non-entity, it changes how you play against the top 6, big time...

Dubas wants to reinvent warfare by using mostly Sniper nests to win a battle instead of ground troops. You might pick off a bunch of guys and have them scared for a bit...but eventually they start coming in waves and you need the grunts to push them back. We don't have that.

How anyone thought Thornton was some kind of pushback guy when he oozes a laidback-no shits given attitude is beyond me. Simmonds could fight but at the same time was really bad at hockey. Dubas got that one wrong again. We didn't ask for fighters, we asked for serviceable hungry guys who won't wilt in the playoffs. Simmonds could hardly pass or skate with anyone higher than the 4th line...yet out there on the 3rd line he went. He was too small to hit anyone and cause any kind of urgency to move the puck.

 

[Donnie740]

This is a 2-3 year plan and still would require moving one of the core pieces.

You can’t be serious with such a ridiculous comment. That sounds like a Kyle Dubas excuse.

It’s MUCH easier to turn over the bottom six than it is to turn over the top six.

Look at the UFAs Toronto will be able to get rid of and replace with competent NHL players:
Riley Trash - - totally worthless $2.75m
Joke Thornton - - washed up career loser $700k
Simmonds - - washed up $1.5m
Foligno - - washed up $5.5m

Leafs currently have $13m available cap room for next year. Dumping Kerfoot in the expansion draft gives them $16.5m

Can’t afford to be giving one guy $6m out of that amount. If they spend wisely on solid 3rd and 4th line guys like Spezza and Corey Perry at $750k each there’s more than enough money to re-build the bottom six in the off season.

 

[fahad203]

Last year, these are the same players fans wanted, and now they are career losers?
Maybe these are fans admiting they were wrong about the grit players.

Last year we wanted players that play gritty and can still play, the players we brought in did neither
So yeah, we still want the players we wanted last year.

 

[Donnie740]

Last year we wanted players that play gritty and can still play, the players we brought in did neither
So yeah, we still want the players we wanted last year.

Exactly.

The Dubas Fanboi Club tried to insist a washed up career loser like Joke Thornton is a “tough and gritty” player with lots of “leadership”.

It’s embarrassing how clueless some people are.

 

[17 Clark]

Dubas has constantly proclaimed he’s going to build a team based on speed and skill while ignoring size and physicality because his spreadsheets calculate that’s how to win in the “modern” game.

I guess the rest of the league forgot to take note

 

[fahad203]

You can’t be serious with such a ridiculous comment. That sounds like a Kyle Dubas excuse.

It’s MUCH easier to turn over the bottom six than it is to turn over the top six.

Look at the UFAs Toronto will be able to get rid of and replace with competent NHL players:
Riley Trash - - totally worthless $2.75m
Joke Thornton - - washed up career loser $700k
Simmonds - - washed up $1.5m
Foligno - - washed up $5.5m

Leafs currently have $13m available cap room for next year. Dumping Kerfoot in the expansion draft gives them $16.5m

Can’t afford to be giving one guy $6m out of that amount. If they spend wisely on solid 3rd and 4th line guys like Spezza and Corey Perry at $750k each there’s more than enough money to re-build the bottom six in the off season.

No to Perry. Perry has been solid but he is not aging well. One 38 year old is enough.
No more projects. They really haven't worked out well for us except for Spezza

Would love to get a hold of a player like Miles Wood from NJ. Good size and decent skills but can skate

Besides Joey Anderson, I don't think we have anyone internal who is suitable for bottom 6 role
Hoping for a surprise maybe from Gogoliev or Abramov to steal one of those roles

I mean if Abramov shows some scoring touch and skates around, he should be given a nod. It's not like his lack of experience will hurt us, players with experience did jack

 

[hullsy47]

It requires moving the GM.
Then the core can be evaluated for who would like to buy in.
But you need a GM who takes a look at what the playoffs really are and bring back our identity of Burns/Quinn. Blue collar skill. Not boy band or Country Club.

The only way 5ge leafs get better is if dubas gets canned
He has tunnel vision truth be told Hyman should be a priority over marner

 

[ottomaddox]

You can’t be serious with such a ridiculous comment. That sounds like a Kyle Dubas excuse.

It’s MUCH easier to turn over the bottom six than it is to turn over the top six.

Look at the UFAs Toronto will be able to get rid of and replace with competent NHL players:
Riley Trash - - totally worthless $2.75m
Joke Thornton - - washed up career loser $700k
Simmonds - - washed up $1.5m
Foligno - - washed up $5.5m

Leafs currently have $13m available cap room for next year. Dumping Kerfoot in the expansion draft gives them $16.5m

Can’t afford to be giving one guy $6m out of that amount. If they spend wisely on solid 3rd and 4th line guys like Spezza and Corey Perry at $750k each there’s more than enough money to re-build the bottom six in the off season.

I certainly cannot take your comments serious. I think your nicknames make your post ridiculous. Plus I am blocking you. Bye.

 

[AllDay28]

The good thing is if Lou was here he’d sign that soft perennial loser 3rd liner Patrick Marleau to a 3x6.

 

[Donnie740]

I guess the rest of the league forgot to take note

You haven’t watched any games since Toronto was eliminated, have you?

LVK physically dominated Montreal last night with their heavy forechecking. That’s what wins in the playoffs, my friend.

 

[dubplatepressure]

You haven’t watched any games since Toronto was eliminated, have you?

LVK physically dominated Montreal last night with their heavy forechecking. That’s what wins in the playoffs, my friend.

Are you really this traumatized that you haven't vented enough about this yet?

Therapy, brother.

 

[613Leafer]

We need more capspace. It's that simple.

With an extra ~5M last offseason, you could have swapped Thornton + Simmonds + Vesey for Mikael Granlund + Craig Smith + Derrick Brassard, and still had an extra 250K to show for it. That would have frankly made a MASSIVE difference in the playoffs, and IMO would have given us depth up front to rival even TB.

~5M is also about what we overpaid for Matthews, Marner, and Nylander combined, considering what the precedents on the market were at the time, and considering they only signed 5-6 year deals.

 

[fahad203]

We need more capspace. It's that simple.

With an extra ~5M last offseason, you could have swapped Thornton + Simmonds + Vesey for Mikael Granlund + Craig Smith + Derrick Brassard, and still had an extra 250K to show for it. That would have frankly made a MASSIVE difference in the playoffs, and IMO would have given us depth up front to rival even TB.

~5M is also about what we overpaid for Matthews, Marner, and Nylander combined, considering what the precedents on the market were at the time, and considering they only signed 5-6 year deals.

You are not getting all those players under 5 mill. Granlund himself is looking towards $4.m a year

 

[17 Clark]

You haven’t watched any games since Toronto was eliminated, have you?

LVK physically dominated Montreal last night with their heavy forechecking. That’s what wins in the playoffs, my friend.

You’re basically repeating what I said are you paying attention before your writing physicality wins not sure what you were understanding

 

[613Leafer]

You are not getting all those players under 5 mill. Granlund himself is looking towards $4.m a year

I'm going by what happened last season.

Granlund was 3.75M, Smith was 3.1M, and Brassard was 1M (total 7.85M).

Compared to Simmonds 1.5M + Thornton 0.9M + Vesey 0.9M (total 3.3M). An extra 5M in capspace on top of that is 8.3M, easily enough to have signed Granlund, Smith, and Brassard instead of Simmonds, Thornton, and Vesey.