The Leafs are going full Oiler

[pucky]

The Leafs have apparently been authorized to go into a full rebuild. They are using the "scorched earth" approach and are prepared to be bad for 3-5 years.


But seriously? Haven't other GMs seen that it didn't work out well for Edmonton.

You should never go full Oiler.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/kelly-shanahans-scorched-earth-leafs-plan-wins-mlse-support/article22938348/

This is nonsense by the Toronto media trying to cater and appeal to Leaf fans (and sell papers).

The Leafs have made one minor trade recently. I think it involved an AHLer (Ashton?). There's still no evidence of a major overhaul. Perhaps, wait until several major deals are completed? Then, decide and evaluate? Til then, it's just hot air.

 

[DekeLikeYouMeanIt]

Well.. my condolences then :/

 

[Reality Check]

Why do people think that Babcock would want to coach a re-build, while the Red Wings re-built on the fly, are thriving, and set up for future success with the young new guys?

Because Toronto is the so-called "MECCA" of Hockey!

The chances of Babcock landing in Toronto are about the same as LeBron James wanting to play for the Knicks.

 

[Rawg]

Difference between Edmonton/Other rebuilds, and what would be Toronto is we didnt have the assets to trade, our team was awful due to free agents avoiding Edmonton and players requesting trades out. The players we did have were were not making their contracts worth it and it made it harder for our awful managment to trade them.

 

[Steve]

The Leafs have apparently been authorized to go into a full rebuild. They are using the "scorched earth" approach and are prepared to be bad for 3-5 years.


But seriously? Haven't other GMs seen that it didn't work out well for Edmonton.

You should never go full Oiler.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/kelly-shanahans-scorched-earth-leafs-plan-wins-mlse-support/article22938348/

The Oilers are the anomoly here, more often that not, when you draft high and are PATIENT AND WILLING TO DEVELOP, a rebuid is successful.

Look at the last 10 years of cup winners outside of Detroit (as they are THE development gurus). Also, look at the top teams in the League, they all drafted significant pieces of their teams.

 

[Shwaguy*]

We do have more assets than a team typically does when they start a rebuild at least, if we do it right we can be out of the cellar by year 3 and slowly begin making ground to being a competitive year in-year out, playoff team by year 5

 

[Steve]

We do have more assets than a team typically does when they start a rebuild at least, if we do it right we can be out of the cellar by year 3 and slowly begin making ground to being a competitive year in-year out, playoff team by year 5

We actually have very few assets. Nyander is the only possible top 3 and Brown may make it to a top-6.

On D, we have Reilly.

Outside of that, we have a lot of bottom 6-type and 4-6th dmen.

 

[Shwaguy*]

Why do people think that Babcock would want to coach a re-build, while the Red Wings re-built on the fly, are thriving, and set up for future success with the young new guys?

Legacy would probably be the only reason, he leads Toronto to a cup from the ashes and he's probably the consensus GOAT coach. or at least in the Convo.

that's not the good a reason though

 

[Shwaguy*]

We actually have very few assets. Nyander is the only possible top 3 and Brown may make it to a top-6.

On D, we have Reilly.

Outside of that, we have a lot of bottom 6-type and 4-6th dmen.

ummm JvR? Kessel (He'll return big assets)? Phaneuf? Kadri (Surefire Top 6, possible Top 3)? They are all Assets

Edmonton had NOTHING when they started.

 

[dubey]

I want to say we're going to hire Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish but I wouldn't wish that on anyone

 

[King In The North]

Oilers landing "the worst three 1st overalls" is such a pathetic excuse. Dude, you still have three first overall picks on your team. Others have built better squads with much less.

 

[dubey]

Oilers landing "the worst three 1st overalls" is such a pathetic excuse. Dude, you still have three first overall picks on your team. Others have built better squads with much less.

Oilers scouts are on HFboards all day

 

[Mr Positive]

ummm JvR? Kessel (He'll return big assets)? Phaneuf? Kadri (Surefire Top 6, possible Top 3)? They are all Assets

Edmonton had NOTHING when they started.

That's a good point. The closest thing for the Oil is that we traded Penner for the pick that is now Klefbom. I could only imagine if we had the players to make 3 or 4 trades like that.

 

[cgf]

Go ask a Cubs fans

Yeah but no one goes to cubs games to watch the team play. It's just a nice place to get drunk outside during the summer.

 

[fsanford]

If they go full Oiler they might be wishing for years like this one 5 years from now.

No team wants to go full Oiler, half Oiler maybe, but not full.

One thing Toronto should consider is taking a defenseman with one of those top picks the next few years, just to change things up.
Then be willing to trade some of that hot young talent to get some guys who have gone through the playoffs a few times, and contributed to a teams success in those playoffs.

 

[larmex99]

Does anyone think this is for real? I bet that it will start as a few trades for some picks or prospects but as soon as they start to develop the GM will be canned in favor of a trading fool who will promise a cup in a few years but deliver like Dave Nonis, Brian Burke, Cliff Fletcher, Fergie Jr etc. No patience in TO management, ownership or fan base that I have seen in a LONG time. Tough to turn around a freight train going down hill.

 

[luongo321]

Difference between Edmonton/Other rebuilds, and what would be Toronto is we didnt have the assets to trade, our team was awful due to free agents avoiding Edmonton and players requesting trades out. The players we did have were were not making their contracts worth it and it made it harder for our awful managment to trade them.

Edmonton management is an absolute disgrace. I agree. Their owners won't fire anyone though.

 

[larmex99]

Edmonton management is an absolute disgrace. I agree. Their owners won't fire anyone though.

And Leaf team is way better, huh?

 

[Lilou]

So many wasted years. 2006 to now. The worst franchise in hockey. How embarrassing.

 

[Voight]

They arent going full Edmonton. Calgary is a better example.

They have good pieces to build around in Kadri/JVR/Gardiner/Rielly/Nylander/Bernier. (Read that in an article, they are going to build around those 6) All Edmonton had was average players like Gagner/Cogliano and a bunch of old vets like Horcoff and Moreau.

 

[Voight]

Oilers landing "the worst three 1st overalls" is such a pathetic excuse. Dude, you still have three first overall picks on your team. Others have built better squads with much less.

Its literally the worst excuse in sports message board history. Im so tired of hearing it.

They could've picked Seguin/Landeskog/Murray (or Lindholm/Trouba/Rielly etc) and been a much better team by now.

 

[biturbo19]

The Leafs arn't in such a bad shape at all, Shanahan just needs to show he's got the balls to make moves.

The Leafs have a good base core. They have Rielly, Nylander, Bernier, Percy, Gauthier, Gardiner, JVR, Komarov, Holland, Panik, Kadri. If you can find a suitor for Kessel, you're getting at least a key young player back + a 1st round pick.

Clarkson needs to go to the minors. Then, Bozak dumped for a pick or two, and Phaneuf for a decent return if possible.

The Leafs would be left with a so-so roster, but some very good young players. They're also gonna have a high pick in 2015, and probably again in 2016.

From then on, they should enter a window in which they'd be considered one of the top up-and-coming teams around, if Shanahan doesn't screw up. They'll also possess one very hot commodity these days: cap space.

Leafs skeleton:

Van Riemsdyk - Nylander - ??
2015 1st - Kadri - 2016 1st
Komarov - Gauthier - UFA
McKegg/Carrick - Holland - Panik

Rielly - ??
Gardiner - Finn
Percy - Granberg

Bernier - UFA

This is not a rocket science roster, basically just sign one or two UFA for depth and what really needs to be done is finding another potential front-line player either a F or a D via the Kessel trade... Then just get as much assets as possible from trading the likes of Lupul, Franson, Phaneuf, Winnik, Santorelli, Reimer and Bozak and the rest should play itself out with good player development and smart moves by Shanahan. Draft well and and developp well, that's they key.

So effectively the plan is:

1)Get rid of Phaneuf and Kessel.
2)Pencil Nylander in as a #1C.
3)Try to find a first line forward and top pairing defenceman to fill Kessel and Phaneuf's spots.
4)Ice fundamentally the same roster minus the two best players.
5)Wait 2 years.
6)Profit?

 

[SchennSational1022*]

They can rebuild all they want but it actually starts with making good draft picks. Leafs have very few of those the past 10 years. What has changed that makes you think with a full rebuild they'll pick correct players now?

 

[Voight]

So effectively the plan is:

1)Get rid of Phaneuf and Kessel.
2)Pencil Nylander in as a #1C.
3)Try to find a first line forward and top pairing defenceman to fill Kessel and Phaneuf's spots.
4)Ice fundamentally the same roster minus the two best players.
5)Wait 2 years.
6)Profit?

He's projected to be a #1 C. I know its just a projection but by watching him play he has really shown he can and will be a #1 centre. Possibly in the second tier with the Backstroms of the league. He isn't being rushed either so that really helps.

 

[Zenos]

That's a good point. The closest thing for the Oil is that we traded Penner for the pick that is now Klefbom. I could only imagine if we had the players to make 3 or 4 trades like that.

Hemsky should have been dealt much sooner. His injury history certainly played into it, but a prime hemmer was at least worth a mid-round first rounder.

Turning Visnovsky into Whitney into a whole lot of nothing wasn't great asset management either.

Nor was the whole Souray fiasco.

I agree, the Oilers were already a sinking ship after the exodus of Pronger, but what little resources they did still possess, were simply squandered.