Stonehands1990
Registered User
- Apr 2, 2021
- 1,381
- 1,454
We had 3 1st round picks one year and drafted 3 players from the Belleville Bulls to save $ on scouting lol
The Maple Leafs now have the longest Stanley Cup drought in NHL history
- Thread starter TMLegend
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Jimmy Firecracker
Backcheck, Forecheck, Paycheque.
Has it been though?
Over the 53 seasons this team has failed to even make the finals, there are maybe a collective 10-15 years where this team was competitive and/or enjoyable to watch. No season since the 04/05 lockout qualifies there, maybe the 16/17 season when this team defied expectations and made the playoffs, otherwise it's been nothing but shit since then. 6 seasons when Quinn was at the helm, 2 for sure with Burns and Fletcher, could argue for a 3rd season with them in 94/95 even though it ended with a rd 1 exit. Before that the 80's where just a shitshow aside from a couple first round victories, and the most successful season before Ballard really f***ed this team was 77-78 where this team actually had a winning record (more wins than losses and ties combined) and made it to the semifinals.
God what a bunch of f***ing masochists we all are. It's been a disgraceful run for this franchise.
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And from the Strangest Facts in Sports History file; we know who has the longest Cup drought, but which team has won the second most Stanley Cups?
the only way this resolves is when ticket sales start to decline. merchandise sales start to decline. there is less demand for the Leafs on TV so advertising sales start to decline.
it's the only way this gets fixed.
will it happen?
it's the only way this gets fixed.
will it happen?
napoleon in rags
Fred's dead, Baby... Fred's dead
djdev
Registered User
mainly because ballard was a greedy, sadistic, egotistical sociopath..and those werent even his worst qualities lol. after he traded sittler and macdonald and tried to make roger neilson wear a paper bag on his head in order for him not to be fired as head coach things kinda went downhill. he didnt care about hockey only about money and power, at least imo.
the dude literally sold our future out of spite.
and he did way worse stuff i wont post here...
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saffronleaf
Registered User
I enjoyed 7 seasons out of 22 seasons: 98-99, 99-00, 00-01, 01-02, 02-03, 03-04, 16-17.
Started watching 98-99.
The period between Sundin signing with Vancouver and drafting Matthews was exceptionally poor. This year's loss to the Habs takes us right back into the thick of Leafs misery.
saffronleaf
Registered User
this franchise is cursed. if this happens it will just wither away and get relocated instead of spurring them to success.
Jimmy Firecracker
Backcheck, Forecheck, Paycheque.
You're fortunate. I was a kid during the Quinn years and wasn't able to appreciate it enough. Though to be fair should I really have had to? Who expects a sports franchise to be as garbage as ours has been over the past 16 seasons? No all I got from those years was an undying loyalty that has never been repaid.
I've hit my limit now though, full heel turn. I've seriously followed this team since I was a teenager nearing the end of the Sundin years when JFJ tried in a last ditch effort signing Jason Blake and trading for Toskala. I've sat through shit seasons since then, I've defended this franchises carousal of management, coaches, and players time and again even though they've been constantly embarrassed on and off the ice. Been optimistic in the face of some of the most humiliating and historic losses that some franchises don't even see in a lifetime, let alone in a 15+ year stretch like this one. Handing over top picks in stupid trades, losing in brutal fashion in the playoffs, blowing leads in games and in the standings, getting bent over in contract negotiations, losing to a F***ING ZAMBONI DRIVER(!!!), and so on.
Can't even point to anything good in my time following this team as an adult. "Yeah we suck now, but remember when..." what? When nothing? No series wins? No improbable run? Not even a division title? And no, the "North Division" doesn't count, and would be embarrassing to say so anyway given how the playoffs went this year.
f*** 'em. Sick of this Godforsaken franchise. Just get next season over with so we can rebuild the rebuild already. We know how next year is going to end with this core. Maybe next time we'll have a GM with a spine or young players who aren't greedy scumf***s who have to milk every Goddamn dollar they can out of the franchise coming off their ELCs.
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This is not completely accurate. From my recollections, he was much, much worse. In ancient Egypt, if a Pharaoh was a complete disaster, his name was chiseled off all monuments as if he never existed. I propose a similar chiseling for this old chiseling SOB.
Peiskos
Registered User
- Jan 4, 2018
- 3,809
- 3,899
This drought will be pushing 100 years, before it’s anywhere close to being over.
djdev
Registered User
i only posted a few hockey related examples i know of, im not gonna get into the actual dark stuff lol
Suntouchable13
Registered User
Dollars to donuts I bet you there will be a north division banner night next season.
Nor I, but suffice to say that it would be better for everyone to have that whole dark episode removed from our collective memories and make representation to the NHL records people to do so as well. I am sure they would never agree to have the Ballard years removed from the official records but they may well agree to adding an asterisk.
socko
Registered User
Can't believe this picture hasn't made it into the thread yet...
TheScandal89
Registered User
- Jun 26, 2016
- 1,685
- 1,431
People like to Blame Ballard for the 70s/80s and as much as he really did curse us, you can't blame him for the teams Sundin had around him. There was no cap. When you look back in those days and compare us to the Devils, Avalanche and Red Wings, its unbelievable how bad it was mismanaged.
When it comes down to it the team's problem is, was and always will be, its inability to draft outside of round 1, and round 1 has been a coin flip for us aswell. I mean we have made some picks for guys who have been servicable like Kaberle, Gunnarson, Stralman, etc but the point remains. When you go threw our 2nd and 3rd round picks its fairly upsetting.
When it comes down to it the team's problem is, was and always will be, its inability to draft outside of round 1, and round 1 has been a coin flip for us aswell. I mean we have made some picks for guys who have been servicable like Kaberle, Gunnarson, Stralman, etc but the point remains. When you go threw our 2nd and 3rd round picks its fairly upsetting.
HolyCrap
Team before player
- Oct 2, 2015
- 5,396
- 6,376
“Regular Season North Division Champions”. Our core will be proud to hang this from the SBA.
napoleon in rags
Fred's dead, Baby... Fred's dead
saffronleaf
Registered User
Leafs fans in the SBA must protest this when it happens. Throw beers. Whatever you can.
cupcrazyman
Stupid Sexy Flanders
The Lightning have what the Maple Leafs want. It might just be a matter of time | The Star
Leafs fans and critics of the team are dwelling on the negative: salary structure and the inability of the stars to produce over the final three games against Montreal in the opening round. Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who replaced Lou Lamoriello in 2018, appears to be taking a page out of BriseBois’s playbook: sticking with it.
By re-signing Wayne Simmonds and Jason Spezza, and signalling they’re open to talks with pending free agents Frederik Andersen and Zach Hyman, Dubas is showing faith in everything that has taken them this far. Of course, five opening-round playoff losses in a row is not far enough, but Dubas isn’t taking advice from his naysayers. Significant change doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
Similarities between the Leafs and Lightning include:
• Heavy investment in player and staff development at the minor-league level. Both Cooper and Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe were “called up” from the minors after winning the Calder Cup.
• Salary-cap creativity, including using the long-term injured reserve to maximum advantage.
Significant differences:
• Draft philosophy. The Leafs have valued offence over defence.
• Size on the blue line. The Lightning defence is two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier on average. Leaf Morgan Rielly is six-foot-one, 219 pounds. The Lightning’s Victor Hedman is six-foot-six, 241 pounds.
• In net. With apologies to Jack Campbell and Andersen, no Leafs goalie compares to Andrei Vasilevskiy.
• Age. Most of Tampa’s best players are in their late 20s or older. The Leafs’ core skews younger with Auston Matthews (22), Mitch Marner (23), William Nylander (24) and Rielly (26).
With age comes experience. This is how Cooper described the growth of Kucherov, now 28 and leading all playoff scorers with 32 points in 21 games.
Leafs fans and critics of the team are dwelling on the negative: salary structure and the inability of the stars to produce over the final three games against Montreal in the opening round. Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who replaced Lou Lamoriello in 2018, appears to be taking a page out of BriseBois’s playbook: sticking with it.
By re-signing Wayne Simmonds and Jason Spezza, and signalling they’re open to talks with pending free agents Frederik Andersen and Zach Hyman, Dubas is showing faith in everything that has taken them this far. Of course, five opening-round playoff losses in a row is not far enough, but Dubas isn’t taking advice from his naysayers. Significant change doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
Similarities between the Leafs and Lightning include:
• Heavy investment in player and staff development at the minor-league level. Both Cooper and Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe were “called up” from the minors after winning the Calder Cup.
• Salary-cap creativity, including using the long-term injured reserve to maximum advantage.
Significant differences:
• Draft philosophy. The Leafs have valued offence over defence.
• Size on the blue line. The Lightning defence is two inches taller and 20 pounds heavier on average. Leaf Morgan Rielly is six-foot-one, 219 pounds. The Lightning’s Victor Hedman is six-foot-six, 241 pounds.
• In net. With apologies to Jack Campbell and Andersen, no Leafs goalie compares to Andrei Vasilevskiy.
• Age. Most of Tampa’s best players are in their late 20s or older. The Leafs’ core skews younger with Auston Matthews (22), Mitch Marner (23), William Nylander (24) and Rielly (26).
With age comes experience. This is how Cooper described the growth of Kucherov, now 28 and leading all playoff scorers with 32 points in 21 games.
usernamezrhardtodo
Registered User
- Mar 26, 2014
- 2,504
- 3,072
The other major difference is that Tampa is smart enough to see when they made a mistake. When they tried the whole 'Skilled but Small' thing and it didn't work because CBJ checked them out of the playoffs...they got bigger and they didn't get useless players like Simmonds to do it. They got players we thought were useless like Schenn and Bogo. They learned from their mistakes and didn't make other half hearted attempts at fixing it or double down on a failed experiment.
If you listen to Cooper...he sounds like a guy who figured out the formula. We have no such person in our management team.
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Dubas is staying the course because he has to. Add another year to that record.His whole vision is flawed and the players walk all over him.
