GDT: Second Round of the 2025 Playoffs

[Sir Loin]

what is that stain on the ice fans are done

Soft serve.

 

[Kevin Musto]

If only Dylan Strome was available at 4th overall

Strome is better in the playoffs than Marner

And if they had Strome as their 2C, they would have never wasted cap space on Tavares

So yeah very unfortunate for them

 

[Sir Loin]

Canes/Cats gonna be good.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

what is that stain on the ice fans are done

Poutine juice

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

LOL as always

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Quite a bit of hockey related revenue got stuck on the ice.

Fans threw jerseys and other merch, too.

 

[BobbyJet]

That would be wrong decision

Bennett is not going to age well after big deal and Ekblad has already shown signs of decline

Not sure but I think Bennett and Ekbad have reached their prime... where each goes from here is anyone's guess.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

A reminder a rebuild/teardown can be fools gold, you still need guys that actually win when the games matter again

 

[Cowch]

LOL as always

I cant believe theyre 7 years in to this core and have so little to show for it. Can't even highlight the main reason. Just an all around lackluster outcome lol

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Every way you look at it the Leafs core has to end. Pretty much can spin just how terrible Leafs core has performed with so many examples

Leafs core in 9 years = 2 series wins
Hawks same time frame = 1 series win

Hawks have made playoffs once in that span while Leafs have made playoffs 9 years in a row

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I cant believe theyre 7 years in to this core and have so little to show for it. Can't even highlight the main reason. Just an all around lackluster outcome lol

9 years really

Reilly, Nylander, Marner and Matthews have been together for 9 years

 

[Taze em]

A reminder a rebuild/teardown can be fools gold, you still need guys that actually win when the games matter again

My hot take is that Toronto is the example of what can happen when you draft pure BPA.

Would Toronto be better off with Marner or with the next pick Noah Hanifin. They panicked then and they were too good at that point in 2015, whiffed on Sandin and Lijegren which just happens that late.

In a rebuild I think early on you need to have SOME balance.

 

[Sir Loin]

LOL as always

Holy shit, are these real?

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Holy shit, are these real?

Toronto sells a lot of merchandise my guy.

 

[Taze em]

We literally dangled Seth Jones at Toronto for half a decade and they use firsts in Laughton and McCabe and on and on. It’s so poetic that Seth ended them. I’d be fascinated to talk to a Leafs fan and hear if they’d do the old Knies formJones deal with 20/20 hindsight. I feel like they’d be crazy not to their franchise just ended.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Hagel and Flower for Knies even would've been interesting for them

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

 

[ClydeLee]

My hot take is that Toronto is the example of what can happen when you draft pure BPA.

Would Toronto be better off with Marner or with the next pick Noah Hanifin. They panicked then and they were too good at that point in 2015, whiffed on Sandin and Lijegren which just happens that late.

In a rebuild I think early on you need to have SOME balance.

They were in great shape with Marner.. signing Tavares, not just signing him, but when your players were better and unsigned for the future was a huge mistake.

Compounded by saying, we will do everything to keep these 3 players. When they should of been used as ammunition for a trade. Doughty was fliting with wanting to come to Toronto, he was at a low point and probably getable. But anything. They've never had a #1 dman, who you can trust out on the ice in all situations offense/defense or enough depth to surround their top guys and balance the lines. You draft BPA, but you can't refuse to make changes

 

[Pez68]

Toronto's largest cap hits are absolutely invisible in games 5, 6, and 7. I remember seeing Kane, Toews, Keith, and Hossa's stats in those games at the end of their run, and they were insane. Just all big game players.

Laffs are never winning shit.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Felt very Anaheim vs Chicago in 2015

 

[Taze em]

They were in great shape with Marner.. signing Tavares, not just signing him, but when your players were better and unsigned for the future was a huge mistake.

Compounded by saying, we will do everything to keep these 3 players. When they should of been used as ammunition for a trade. Doughty was fliting with wanting to come to Toronto, he was at a low point and probably getable. But anything. They've never had a #1 dman, who you can trust out on the ice in all situations offense/defense or enough depth to surround their top guys and balance the lines. You draft BPA, but you can't refuse to make changes

100%. The biggest mistake they made was Tavares. He's been so good for them but it's brutal misallocation of resouces.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Problem with the Leafs is they never developed any D worth a damn. Goalie either.

Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Knies, and Tavares sound good until you remember that the best D behind them is Morgan Reilly or maybe Chris Tanev.

Embarrassment of riches in front. Embarrassment in back. Almost like a mullet. Just an absolute mess back there.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Toronto's largest cap hits are absolutely invisible in games 5, 6, and 7. I remember seeing Kane, Toews, Keith, and Hossa's stats in those games at the end of their run, and they were insane. Just all big game players.

Laffs are never winning shit.

What was the Hawks record in games 5-7...something absurd

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Adding to Leafs misery has to be they have traded away so much future to get "Core" help

Traded 2025 1st + 2026 2nd to Blackhawks for McCabe and Lafferty (That 1st is wow locked in at #25)
Traded 2026 1st to B's for Carlo
Traded 2027 1st to Flyers for Laughton

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Leafs gonna Leaf.