HF Habs: Out of Town Thread: 2025 Playoff edition

[salbutera]

Yeah, their 1st line next year is probably Knies, Matthews & Nylander.

They're going to be in tough to put together a 2nd line.

They can cobble together 3rd & 4th lines from what they already have, but they now seriously lack depth at the forward position.

I'm not sure Cowan makes the team next year maybe he does, but he won't be able to carry his own line.

They have cap room with Marner gone though. Definitely changes are coming, but not a rebuild.

Tavares will resign..and they likely will throw a boatload at Bennett & Ekblad (to cover Marners cap hit - $14M-$16M)

 

[The Great Weal]

I think if Tampa won the first round they'd be in the same spot as the Panthers are at the moment. I had the winner of that series making the finals.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Tavares will resign..and they likely will throw a boatload at Bennett & Ekblad

Word is Bennett doesn't want to play in Canada. Ekblad, we'll see.

 

[salbutera]

I hope Habs players are watching this series - if nothing else, to understand how to shut Canes down

 

[Whitesnake]

So...is this series a testament to how the Canes aren't made for tough playoff hockey or....maybe....it will convince the Leafs to keep the core again and just tweak it...again?

 

[Adriatic]

Canes are getting mauled out there. It doesn't look fun

 

[salbutera]

So...is this series a testament to how the Canes aren't made for tough playoff hockey or....maybe....it will convince the Leafs to keep the core again and just tweak it...again?

Core-4 won’t be together… not after Marner turn down offer, then refuses to lift clause for a trade, agent leaks info about being harassed by fans…

Core-3 is possible though…

 

[red devil]

Panthers need 1 more for a TD

 

[Schooner Goon]

Unreal how badly Florida has been dismantling three of the strongest teams in the NHL in their own rinks. Amazing.

 

[salbutera]

Canes are getting mauled out there. It doesn't look fun

I don’t recall Habs getting molested like this by TBay in 2021 or Caos this year

 

[red devil]

Unreal how badly Florida has been dismantling three of the strongest teams in the NHL in their own rinks. Amazing.

The Panthers have scored at least 5 goals in their last 4 road games

 

[ahmedou]

 

[Don D]

Is Mikkola the most underrated defenceman in the NHL?

Not sure about underrated, but definitely improving!

 

[MarkovsKnee]

So...is this series a testament to how the Canes aren't made for tough playoff hockey or....maybe....it will convince the Leafs to keep the core again and just tweak it...again?

The Leafs are a really good team. They're solid. Issue is when Tampa was in their heyday they were better. The Bruins were better. And, now Florida is better. All 3 are in the same division as Leafs (and Habs).

I really don't know what Toronto does now to improve, but they'll definitely be tweaking it again albeit without Marner.

 

[salbutera]

Barring a miracle … forget IF

 

[Adriatic]

Bottom line you need some assholes on your team to win anything. Florida was exactly where Leafs are now. They added Tkachuk, Bennett, Nikkola and Marchand this year..now they're about to go back to back.

 

[red devil]

 

[Team_Spirit]

 

[Chili]

We talk a lot about size in the playoffs and it plays a role for sure in the physical battles. There are guys though who play their same effective game as the regular season, Marchand is an example. Patrick Kane thrived on the playoffs. When the Wings were winning in the Datsyuk/Lidstrom era they had one of the smallest teams in the league. It's a good idea though to have size on the back end because they will be heavily targeted in a series.

 

[dinodebino]

Habs have too many nice guys and you are right...that needs to change

Being an asshole come with age and experience. The X bros will be assholes. Beck will be an asshole. Mailloux is a verified asshole.

Lots of potential there.

 

[BozoTheClown]

They all look like Milan Lucic

 

[salbutera]

 

[dinodebino]

The Leafs are a really good team. They're solid. Issue is when Tampa was in their heyday they were better. The Bruins were better. And, now Florida is better. All 3 are in the same division as Leafs (and Habs).

I really don't know what Toronto does now to improve, but they'll definitely be tweaking it again albeit without Marner.

They’re the Atlanta Braves of the Bobby Cox era.

 

[the valiant effort]

Siri, who do the Leafs have on defense that compares favourably to the Panthers, Lightning, yesteryear’s Bruins, or perhaps even the 2018 Caps, 2019 Blues, or 2022 Avs?

Here’s what I found:

No one. Contrary to what weirdos on HFHabs and HFLeafs will tell you, the Maple Leafs defense group is not championship-calibre.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Tkachuk-Barkov-Reinhart is an insane line, its like Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Caufield on steroids every player on that line is better offensively and defensively than their counterpart, and bigger