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The Athletic: Maple Leafs and Panthers rosters weakened the most during the off season

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Sidney the Kidney said:
The Pens let Murray walk (traded him) because he was going to be too expensive and they had a much cheaper (at the time) replacement in Jarry. If the salaries were swapped, then Jarry would have been moved and Murray would be a Penguin.

So I don't think it's fair to categorize the Murray trade to Ottawa as because he didn't live up to the challenge in Pittsburgh. He won them 2 Cups, so I'm pretty sure he lived up to the challenge. He just started to get too expensive.
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Murray won't be exposed on the Leafs like he was on the Sens. He will rebound but he needs to stay healthy.

Jumptheshark said:
i think some people believe by being Bias that it is only a good thing--Bias is a double edge sward. Good or bad they put an emphases on subject


I like Murray and think he will raise to the challange
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Fans don't understand sometimes how goalies are exposed. Murray on that Sens D core was not a great situation. Bad idea for the Sens to trade for him and sign him IMO.

Leafs D has improved IMO. Murray won't be as exposed. He just needs to say healthy
 
How is Tampa not one of the top 2? Losing Palat and McDonagh is a massive hit. Replaced with Myers, Fleury, Namestnikov, Cole. Thats a big downgrade with an aging group.
 
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Habs Halifax said:
Murray won't be exposed on the Leafs like he was on the Sens. He will rebound but he needs to stay healthy.



Fans don't understand sometimes how goalies are exposed. Murray on that Sens D core was not a great situation. Bad idea for the Sens to trade for him and sign him IMO.

Leafs D has improved IMO. Murray won't be as exposed. He just needs to say healthy
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That's the problem though. He can't stay healthy.

The issue the Sens had with Murray wasn't that he was bad, it was that he could never stay healthy.
 
Habs Halifax said:
Murray won't be exposed on the Leafs like he was on the Sens. He will rebound but he needs to stay healthy.



Fans don't understand sometimes how goalies are exposed. Murray on that Sens D core was not a great situation. Bad idea for the Sens to trade for him and sign him IMO.

Leafs D has improved IMO. Murray won't be as exposed. He just needs to say healthy
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This is why I like this trade for Murray. Murray needed to go to a team that would insulate him and allow him to find his game again by just having to be solid. Instead, he went to a team where he faced 40 shots a lot of nights and had to stand on his head in order for them to win.

Now he's on a team that not only will do a better job of insulating him defensively, but also give him much more goal support so that he doesn't have to worry about the game being an automatic loss if he lets in 2 goals.
 
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With the leafs its not about this particular offseason, or the last, but at some point everyone expected some sort of restructure. There is still time, but there aren't many summers left before this could go really wrong.
 
Leafs went from good goaltending to trash goaltending. So the model shouldn’t be a surprise. They’ve also lost decent players due to the greed of their top stars as usual. Dubas has done well to replace these players in the past with bargain bin finds, but if his luck runs out this year I see a huge regression for that team.

Panthers losses are obvious. Getting conned by Tkachuk will start the downfall for that franchise.
 
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It's easier to strengthen a weak team and weaken a strong team than the to weaken a weak team [you're at the floor already] or strengthen a strong team [you're at the ceiling].

I don't think it's anything more than that.
 
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Habs Halifax said:
Panthers D has question marks for sure. Forward group and Goaltending remains very solid. I do think they slip in PP efficiency though (without Huberdeau).

Leafs didn't get worse. I think they will be fine but that Atlantic man... it's tough.

* Sens are better no doubt

* Bruins are a question mark but they always show up.

* Habs will be better. I think bottom 5-10 vs last. Too many players on that roster with career low seasons. Too many injuries with a short offseason and we have MSL for a full year. Price plays more than 5 games. Suzuki and Caufield will produce more. Gallagher, Armia, Dvorak, Byron, Dadonov, Hoffman will have better seasons. Barron, Harris, Guhle will improve as the season moves along. Slaf and Dach are wild cards.

* Sabres should take a little step forward. Seem to have better energy after the Eichel distraction is gone.

* Lightning. Enough said.

* Wings are better.

* Panthers are not as strong but they are still a playoff team.

* Leafs have lots of depth. Goaltending is as good or better than last year cause they have two options now. Mrazek was very bad last year.



He's be fine in my opinion (Habs fan). Leafs will drive the play and their D has improved. Murray won't be exposed as much as he was with the Sens.

The combo of Murray and Samsonov will be solid. Better than Campbell and Mrazek.
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Stop with the PP efficiency for the Panthers please. Im expecting them to be more efficient this upcoming season with a new coach, new strategy, and Huberdeau off the left circle.
 
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Sidney the Kidney said:
This is why I like this trade for Murray. Murray needed to go to a team that would insulate him and allow him to find his game again by just having to be solid. Instead, he went to a team where he faced 40 shots a lot of nights and had to stand on his head in order for them to win.

Now he's on a team that not only will do a better job of insulating him defensively, but also give him much more goal support so that he doesn't have to worry about the game being an automatic loss if he lets in 2 goals.
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Do you really think the Leafs "d" is going to insulate Murray? I have my doubts about that.
 
Alternative title: "The Athletic understands having Maple Leafs in the title of an article is good for the click count".

Go Wings said:
Simple, Tampa is far deeper than Florida or Toronto so they will be able to overcome those losses better.
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Tampa is far deeper than the team that took them to 7 games?
 
Both will still make the playoffs. Toronto are a pretty dominant regular season team and another year older with more experience helps Spencer Knight who should make up for some of what Florida lost.

Neither team looks like they will be winning the cup this season though.
 
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Dread Clawz said:
I can't wait to see all the reactions when the Panthers and Leafs finish in the top 2 spots in the Atlantic again.
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And? Didn't that happen last year LOL

You guys are gonna struggle a bit IMHO

But most of you think you will be worse this year.

benedictTavares said:
Panthers getting dinged for their playoff performance. I’m not sure they got worse but did the moves they made get them passed TB? I feel like TB may have taken a small step back.
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Their blueline is suspect and Bob.

He is always good for a post season meltdown
 
SoundAndFury said:
Alternative title: "The Athletic understands having Maple Leafs in the title of an article is good for the click count".


Tampa is far deeper than the team that took them to 7 games?
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Tampa has much better defensemen and goaltending than the Leafs IMO. Rather than focus on the 7 games, you can also look at it as a team that's won 11 playoff series the past three seasons versus 0.
 
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The Maple Trees were able to sign a superstar tender in Matt Murray. Not sure how their "roster" was "weakened."
 
WarriorofTime said:
Rather than focus on the 7 games, you can also look at it as a team that's won 11 playoff series the past three seasons versus 0.
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Yes. Because the PO series played 3 years ago are much more relevant to the roster comparison for the upcoming season than 7 head-to-head games a few months ago. When you are right you are right.

Tampa's defense past top-3 is just a filler at this point. You calling it "much better", "far deeper" etc. shows exactly where the flaw in your evaluation is.
 
SoundAndFury said:
Yes. Because the PO series played 3 years ago are much more relevant to the roster comparison for the upcoming season than 7 head-to-head games a few months ago. When you are right you are right.

Tampa's defense past top-3 is just a filler at this point. You calling it "much better", "far deeper" etc. shows exactly where the flaw in your evaluation is.
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I mean the Lightning have a core of proven champions, the Leafs have a core of guys that got respected in a handshake line, I think people are definitely going to focus in on the difference on what they've accomplished when looking beyond. Do the Leafs have a player anywhere close to a Hedman? A Vasilevskiy? I think "much better" is not unfair...
 
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SoundAndFury said:
Yes. Because the PO series played 3 years ago are much more relevant to the roster comparison for the upcoming season than 7 head-to-head games a few months ago. When you are right you are right.

Tampa's defense past top-3 is just a filler at this point. You calling it "much better", "far deeper" etc. shows exactly where the flaw in your evaluation is.
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Not much more...you added that modifier for some reason.

They ARE relevant though. Team continuity is a staple of championship teams...agree? Playoff experience is also a factor.

No one cares about the reg season finish
 
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