POLL: Retool or Rebuild?

[stealth1]

Making the playoffs is the stated goal of the franchise because every home playoff game brings in roughly 10 million dollars.
A team that does not have the foundation to compete for a Cup, also knowing they have guys that actually hinder winning, will do whatever they can to get as many playoff gates as possible. Not the same owner, but this is the reason they insisted on a salary cap.

That's part of it. There is owners out there that want to win a Cup. Vegas is a good example. They make moves to win at all costs.

 

[ULF_55]

Nor has anyone said he wants to stay. As a matter of fact, credible insiders report he wants to leave if he doesn't get his way.

No there has been no credible reports.

Only quotes are him saying he wants to win in Toronto has believes in the team.

 

[Nineteen67]

That's part of it. There is owners out there that want to win a Cup. Vegas is a good example. They make moves to win at all costs.

They stated winning in their initial season. The owner is in it to win. I don’t their revenues but I doubt they’re 10 per home game
The Leafs would love to play 12-16 home games and that may be their long term plan but they can’t do that with Matthews and Nylander eating up cap dollars and ice time.

Logically they’re going to see if they can sneak in next season, draw Ottawa or a Metro team and bank it as a successful season.
Next year they’ll have to rethink what they do when the move Matthews and hopefully Nylander.

 

[rielledup]

Carolina just showed you can win without a true stud # 1dman or a superstar #1C.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

like it or not this is clearly a retool unless Matthews says otherwise and quite frankly the chances of it a being a successful retool have gone up drmaticlly with Mckenna coming in.

one of the things they needed was a top 6 winger, now instead of spending millions on Tuch they can spend that money on the defense and the bottom 6 because the top 6 is set assuming they take Mckenna

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Carolina just showed you can win without a true stud # 1dman or a superstar #1C.

Florida already showed that a couple of times. Key seem to be having a selke candidate as first line C and C.
Both Carolina and Florida do have a stud on D. At least a bonafied top paring guy that is good defensively.

What you need is depth and then more depth and everyone buying in.

 

[rielledup]

Florida already showed that a couple of times. Key seem to be having a selke candidate as first line C and C.
Both Carolina and Florida do have a stud on D. At least a bonafied top paring guy that is good defensively.

What you need is depth and then more depth and everyone buying in.

Florida already showed that a couple of times. Key seem to be having a selke candidate as first line C and C.
Both Carolina and Florida do have a stud on D. At least a bonafied top paring guy that is good defensively.

What you need is depth and then more depth and everyone buying in.

I would put Barkov on a different tier than Aho and some might have Barkov in superstar category. When has Aho ever been a serious selke candidate?

If you're talking about Slavin he's elite in his own end but gives you so little offense I don't think many people who follow hockey would classify him as a true stud #1.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I would put Barkov on a different tier than Aho and some might have Barkov in superstar category. When has Aho ever been a serious selke candidate?

If you're talking about Slavin he's elite in his own end but gives you so little offense I don't think many people who follow hockey would classify him as a true stud #1.

I was talking about Staal.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Florida already showed that a couple of times. Key seem to be having a selke candidate as first line C and C.
Both Carolina and Florida do have a stud on D. At least a bonafied top paring guy that is good defensively.

What you need is depth and then more depth and everyone buying in.

Florida didn't show that, they have both a 1C and 1D

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Carolina just showed you can win without a true stud # 1dman or a superstar #1C.

Aho is absolutely a 1C

 

[CapspaceKiller]

Aho is absolutely a 1C

Yeah, I was going to say, Aho is definitely a 1C allstar level player. He's not a superstar, but he's a great player.

Carolina's strengths are literally at C and D

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Florida didn't show that, they have both a 1C and 1D

Never said they did not. But they dont have point producing super stars on C and D.

 

[rielledup]

Aho is absolutely a 1C

I said superstar 1C. Aho is not in the same category as guys like Eichel,Suzuki,Barkov,Mackinnon,Drai,Mcdavid.

 

[Perratrooper]

Carolina just showed you can win without a true stud # 1dman or a superstar #1C.

I would say Carolina has debatably two stud #1dman with Slavin and Miller

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Carolina just showed you can win without a true stud # 1dman or a superstar #1C.

Staal was dominant.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I would say Carolina has debatably two stud #1dman with Slavin and Miller

Slavin is a #1D

 

[rielledup]

Staal was dominant.

In the finals he was, but he's clearly not a stud #1 C. He had 12 points in 19 games in the playoffs and 36 points in the regular season. Can't believe I have to explain this

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

In the finals he was, but he's clearly not a stud #1 C. He had 12 points in 19 games in the playoffs and 36 points in the regular season. Can't believe I have to explain this

There's more to the game than points. He was dominant all playoffs.

 

[Gallagbi]

Staal was dominant.

He had a great finals, but it's the lowest scoring Conn Smythe winner since the 60s and he didn't log a ton of minutes.

It was a weird cup run, tough to pick a winner for them (which I guess is your point)

 

[rielledup]

There's more to the game than points. He was dominant all playoffs.

Yes I know, but you need more than great defence and have to put up numbers to be a true #1.

 

[rielledup]

Yeah, I was going to say, Aho is definitely a 1C allstar level player. He's not a superstar, but he's a great player.

Carolina's strengths are literally at C and D

Can you guys read? I specifically said SUPERSTAR.

 

[Gallagbi]

Carolina's strengths are literally at C and D

The depth they have there, not so much the top end talent

 

[matand]

Better to be full rebuild then let mathews walk hes not resigning with us, the sooner people accept this fhe better we already lost so much not trading mariner,

 

[Ports]

What do you think they should have learned? Because you're basically outlining that a 4+ year consecutive bottom out rebuild is the only way to win and we know that's not the only way

And those early days had first round picks on the Blueline (Sandin, Lilj) the top picks you mentioned plus guys acquired/developed here largely like JVR, Kadri, Bozak

Just winning and making the playoffs isn’t good enough anymore. They need the patience to build an actual cup contender and not just pay a handful of star players while ignoring the rest of the lineup. They need to build a more mobile defense and deeper forward group neither of which was done previously. That’s what I hope they’ve learned.

 

[Wilzo]

Just winning and making the playoffs isn’t good enough anymore. They need the patience to build an actual cup contender and not just pay a handful of star players while ignoring the rest of the lineup. They need to build a more mobile defense and deeper forward group neither of which was done previously. That’s what I hope they’ve learned.

Agreed.

What if they get back to the playoffs but are a 5-8 seed? That's much more likely atm than a top 4 perennial contending team. Another reasonable expectation if they make the playoffs is losing in the first round, again. Is that going to be enough for Matthews to want to sign off the next 4-5 years of his career? Even 2 more years?

I think the organization is hoping for a lot this year. In the back of their minds though, they must know that a rebuild is very much on the table 12 months from now.