Not many teams in the league have a meaner Dcore than us

[Nineteen67]

What is grcelzyk to do when someone like matthee tkachuk is in front of the net for tips or waiting for rebounds?

Or even John Tavares…..in the game 5 GDT Grcelzyk got a lot of praise from a few of us for being on the ice in that situation.

With all your moaning, it's kind of comical to realize that you are complaining about what will probably be a 110 point team and Cup contender.

105-110 points seem realistic in this league, however it’s a little premature to call them a Cup contender with the unknowns at every position in the organization.

 

[darrylsittler27]

I'm not convinced this defense is either all that tough or all that good.

Tanev's reputation is hyped. Even healthy he's gonna disappoint a lot of people is my guess. Hakanpaa and Benoit won't play enough to deter the opposition from fighting anyone other than Hakanpaa and Benoit.

Treliving signed all these guys because he wanted toughness to play a heavy game.

Except the forwards are still soft as butter. And the guys he signed for defense are over the hill and injury prone. You see other organizations mismanage things like this and you laugh.

Well now that laughing stock is the Leafs.

With the familiarity from Calgary I can at least see the thought behind signing Tanev. But time is catching up to him and the length of contract is pathetic. Added to the cost of OEL and Hakanpaa it's concerning.

Now they have no cap space or roster flexibility and are stuck for years with declining vets on retirement deals.

Yes, this team has peaked and almost all key players are prime or post prime. We also have no picks next year. Who the Leafs sign or don't re sign becomes critical to the future. Let's face it, if the Leafs can't win a couple of rounds anything could happen. I think fans are getting tired of the patchwork orange approach.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

A drowning man will grab any rope they can.

So it's unsurprising Hunter is still being blamed for the team's woes on defense. In 2018 it would have been perfectly acceptable to blame him for the lack of prospects. A whopping SIX YEARS later and there isn't a single defenseman drafted by the Leafs since on the team.

Hunter is actually the only reason they don't completely suck.

It's the players he drafted keeping the team afloat. I'm sorry but at some point the laying of blame at the feet of previous regimes has to end. They've had six drafts to get it right and did not.

This is why trading all those picks away during the Dubas years really hurt.

The team needed to keep injecting youth and instead turned to vets with no upside. There's very little in the way of prospects as a result. It's like inheriting a new car but not changing the oil or filling it up with gas.

Then blame the previous owner for all the problems.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

I think fans are getting tired of the patchwork orange approach.

The clockwork orange fans are tired of the patchwork quilt approach.

 

[Gary Nylund]

With all your moaning, it's kind of comical to realize that you are complaining about what will probably be a 110 point team and Cup contender.

110 points is possible, thinking it's probable seems overly optimistic.

If by contender you mean a team that will make the playoffs then sure. If however by contender you mean a team that you could see actually winning the cup, then this team ain't it.

 

[rumman]

110 points is possible, thinking it's probable seems overly optimistic.

If by contender you mean a team that will make the playoffs then sure. If however by contender you mean a team that you could see actually winning the cup, then this team ain't it.

He’s bet me on not only the Leafs making the conference final, but also Berube being coach of the year, some luck charity is going to get $40.00 of Evil Homer cold hard cash……

 

[Evilhomer]

110 points is possible, thinking it's probable seems overly optimistic.

If by contender you mean a team that will make the playoffs then sure. If however by contender you mean a team that you could see actually winning the cup, then this team ain't it.

I think we are going to find that by late in the season the Leafs will be one of the Cup favourites. It will likely take 30 or 40 games for Berube's system to take root, but once it does then, assuming no season-ending injuries, I think this will be one of the best teams in the league.

 

[darrylsittler27]

I think we are going to find that by late in the season the Leafs will be one of the Cup favourites. It will likely take 30 or 40 games for Berube's system to take root, but once it does then, assuming no season-ending injuries, I think this will be one of the best teams in the league

I think Berube needs help up front to play heavy. I can see the defense but don't see many heavy forwards. What do we do put Reeves and Domi with Mathews? Berube can be positive all he wants but 5 out of your top 6 are soft and Robertson gets injured when he plays that game.

 

[Nineteen67]

I think we are going to find that by late in the season the Leafs will be one of the Cup favourites. It will likely take 30 or 40 games for Berube's system to take root, but once it does then, assuming no season-ending injuries, I think this will be one of the best teams in the league.

That’s reasonable. If it works, the core buys in, and they actually play hockey then maybe. There’s too many “ifs” with this organization to consider them contenders today.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I think Berube needs help up front to play heavy. I can see the defense but don't see many heavy forwards. What do we do put Reeves and Domi with Mathews? Berube can be positive all he wants but 5 out of your top 6 are soft and Robertson gets injured when he plays that game.

Heavy how? Knies, McMann, Domi, Matthews, Reaves play heavy due to having the size, but then we have a group of greasy guys without the size as well. But still that is half of our forwards, and most of our top 6 who play with grit and size.

That exludes Tavares who isn't heavy but plays a grind game

 

[NMacrules]

Not good for you guys if he hates playing in a Canadian market, then.

But he was always glowing about Vancouver when he was here.

And he was also a giant useless muffin watching a lot of him in Arizona before we got him.

If you think OEL is going to be a physical presence for you, you are going to be horribly disappointed.

Thats not what he said.

 

[rumman]

I think Berube needs help up front to play heavy. I can see the defense but don't see many heavy forwards. What do we do put Reeves and Domi with Mathews? Berube can be positive all he wants but 5 out of your top 6 are soft and Robertson gets injured when he plays that game.

I don’t think Reeves nakes the tesm to be honest, perhaps packaging Lilly and one of the sofeter forward can be turned into a functional forward with grit…….

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think we are going to find that by late in the season the Leafs will be one of the Cup favourites. It will likely take 30 or 40 games for Berube's system to take root, but once it does then, assuming no season-ending injuries, I think this will be one of the best teams in the league.

Being one of the favorites is one thing, actually winning is another and being one of the best regular season teams means nothing when the playoffs start.

 

[notbias]

The grit, heart, and soul of this team was systematically stripped away from 2018-19 to 2020-21. Martin and Komarov were traded and walked. Kadri was dumped because he couldn’t be trusted. Brown and Moore traded. Hyman allowed to walk. These were guys that could form a strong nucleus of camaraderie, toughness, and do anything it takes attitude and we allowed it to disappear. Replacing the aforementioned players with softies like Kerfoot, Engvall, Mikheyev, Gauthier, Kampf, and Kase.

There were some unforeseen issues that aren’t entirely on Dubas. Muzzin’s injury issues were a catastrophe with how effective a D-Man he was and the physicality he played with. Bogosian hating Canada and bolting after one season was also not his fault. However there were unforced errors, like some of the moves mentioned above, or the infamous Marchment for Malgin trade.

From 2021 on it was always a scramble for Dubas to trade for and manufacture that “willing to do whatever it takes” grit, toughness, and heart needed to win on this team. Mortgaging so much of the future on scrubs like Foligno and Nash. Signings like Vesey and Ritchie, desperate to find a physical replacement in the top six to fill the Hyman-shaped hole. Having to pay more for McCabe and O’Reilly because we had to attach Acciari and Lafferty with them to fill out the bottom six with grinders who were actually physical. Bringing Schenn in because he built a right side defence with charmin-soft Brodie and Holl. Every TDL was like a student doing a last-minute paper that was due the next morning, only the “paper” in this context is an NHL roster.

Now it’s not like Dubas left us nothing to work with. He drafted Knies and signed McMann. And McCabe came with a contract for two more years. Bunting was a nice find and could’ve been re-signed but all parties are better off currently. But man, did this Maple Leaf squad go from being a team to being a merry-go-round of mercenaries and tweeners.

So they messed up by not keeping the same group around for longer?

Kadri 19GP 3-7-10
Martin 6GP 0-2-2
Komarov 15GP 0-1-1
Brown 20GP 1-4-5
Hyman 32GP 5-8-13
Moore 7GP 1-0-1

Total 99GP 10-22-32

Marchment never played in the playoffs, but with other teams 41GP 10-4-14 (irrelevant and bad).

Is this board now saying that playoff underachievers should be kept around?

Some players found some success after the Leafs, but that is irrelevant to their time here.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Heavy how? Knies, McMann, Domi, Matthews, Reaves play heavy due to having the size, but then we have a group of greasy guys without the size as well. But still that is half of our forwards, and most of our top 6 who play with grit and size.

That exludes Tavares who isn't heavy but plays a grind game

You think Mathews is built to play a heavy game? That top 9 needs help.

I don’t think Reeves nakes the tesm to be honest, perhaps packaging Lilly and one of the sofeter forward can be turned into a functional forward with grit…….

I think unless we make a trade Reeves is your 13th guy.

 

[notbias]

Heavy how? Knies, McMann, Domi, Matthews, Reaves play heavy due to having the size, but then we have a group of greasy guys without the size as well. But still that is half of our forwards, and most of our top 6 who play with grit and size.

That exludes Tavares who isn't heavy but plays a grind game

Domi is softer than Marner between whistles...

 

[HockeyVirus]

You think Mathews is built to play a heavy game? That top 9 needs help.

Respectfully have you watched him? Like he has played a heavy game IMO since his Hart season. He's just not blowing guys up in open ice.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Respectfully have you watched him? Like he has played a heavy game IMO since his Hart season. He's just not blowing guys up in open ice.

I notice he has had some injury issues and wonder if letting others play that heavy game isn't wiser. I just think we need more toughness in that top 9.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Respectfully have you watched him? Like he has played a heavy game IMO since his Hart season. He's just not blowing guys up in open ice.

When the game is on the line the leafs top forwards are as soft as a babys bum and that is the bottom line and the achilles heel and even don cherry said so

 

[notbias]

When the game is on the line the leafs top forwards are as soft as a babys bum and that is the bottom line and the achilles heel and even don cherry said so

If only we drafted Ritchie like Cherry wanted...

 

[Evilhomer]

Being one of the favorites is one thing, actually winning is another and being one of the best regular season teams means nothing when the playoffs start.

Of course. Whether they perform under the pressure of later playoff rounds will always be the question until they succeed. No different than any other winner in the making. Tampa was a failure until they weren't. Go back and read some threads on this board after they were swept by Columbus. Until you win you are a loser.

 

[BlackAdam]

Give the Leafs the Mean D-Core Cup

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

Respectfully have you watched him? Like he has played a heavy game IMO since his Hart season. He's just not blowing guys up in open ice.

Matthews mainly uses good body position and stickwork to win board battles. To the extent "heavy game" actually means anything, I'd say it requires using body mass to knock people off the puck more than smarts. Like Malkin is 6'3 and apparently was 1st in takeaways last season ahead of Matthews, would you say he has a heavy game?

Anyway cool it's great if we've got the angriest D corps in the league but hopefully some of them can reliably handle the puck too.

People need to stop acting like early 30s players are old and about to fall off a cliff or suffer a major injury at literally any moment.

Larsson's 33 and signed for four more years. Tanev's 34 and signed for 6. We just watched Brodie fall off a cliff starting a year ago, and Muzzin fell apart by 33 too... are we just supposed to ignore that?

 

[Evilhomer]

Larsson's 33 and signed for four more years. Tanev's 34 and signed for 6. We just watched Brodie fall off a cliff starting a year ago, and Muzzin fell apart by 33 too... are we just supposed to ignore that?

I don't think there is any mystery to Tanev's contract. You're hoping to get 2, maybe 3, high-end years out of him. After that, he simply plays lower down in the lineup or you eventually buy out the contract. No one will care so long as you win a Cup during that period.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Of course. Whether they perform under the pressure of later playoff rounds will always be the question until they succeed. No different than any other winner in the making. Tampa was a failure until they weren't. Go back and read some threads on this board after they were swept by Columbus. Until you win you are a loser.

We can't even get to the later rounds, never mind performing once we get there. We're the laughing stock of the NHL and until we show we can win in the playoffs, any talk of us being contenders is a joke.