Thoroughly unexcited.

[kevsh]

3 home games against 3 not-great teams and they've been shaky at best.
Defensively, they better figure out the new system soon because it's painful to watch.

Going into season 8(?) of the M&M Era and the team still needs a top pairing D-man, at minimum. Because as it stands today, can anyone honestly say this blueline + Samsonov/Woll is Stanley Cup caliber? As we've seen in postseasons past, the Big 4 aren't enough to carry this team on their own.

And by now it should be clear Willie is either re-signing or walking as a UFA, so unless Treliving wants to package Knies++ to get a big piece for the blueline, the team we see now is likely pretty much the one we're going into the playoffs with (I also don't see Brad pulling a Dubas and picking up 3,4,5 players at the deadline for firsts++)

 

[Suntouchable13]

3 home games against 3 not-great teams and they've been shaky at best.
Defensively, they better figure out the new system soon because it's painful to watch.

Going into season 8(?) of the M&M Era and the team still needs a top pairing D-man, at minimum. Because as it stands today, can anyone honestly say this blueline + Samsonov/Woll is Stanley Cup caliber? As we've seen in postseasons past, the Big 4 aren't enough to carry this team on their own.

And by now it should be clear Willie is either re-signing or walking as a UFA, so unless Treliving wants to package Knies++ to get a big piece for the blueline, the team we see now is likely pretty much the one we're going into the playoffs with (I also don't see Brad pulling a Dubas and picking up 3,4,5 players at the deadline for firsts++)

That’s the thing, they are not good enough to carry this team but they are too expensive which makes it difficult to surround them with proper talent. I don’t understand Shanahan and Tre not willing to shake up the core.

 

[shaner82]

That’s the thing, they are not good enough to carry this team but they are too expensive which makes it difficult to surround them with proper talent. I don’t understand Shanahan and Tre not willing to shake up the core.

I get Tre not shaking it up. He's brand new. Unless he was hired with the mandate of exploring trade options for Marner/Nylander, he was never going to do it. Now I do think Shanahan should have given him that mandate. I personally think Marner needs to go, along with other changes, but that's just me. I know he's a good player, but it's not working. JT needs to go too, but that's obviously not happening

 

[Gallagbi]

I get Tre not shaking it up. He's brand new. Unless he was hired with the mandate of exploring trade options for Marner/Nylander, he was never going to do it. Now I do think Shanahan should have given him that mandate. I personally think Marner needs to go, along with other changes, but that's just me. I know he's a good player, but it's not working. JT needs to go too, but that's obviously not happening

Basically everyone was under the assumption his mandate was changed. Funny how it ended up

 

[kevsh]

The mandate has been pretty clear from the beginning: Build around the stars.

Fine print: And that means you do not move them, any of them, ever, unless they force you to (most likely by being a problem child and hurting the Maple Leafs brand).

Hence, why this organization, regardless of who the GM is, will not change anything or anyone of substance. Just build .. around .. the stars.

 

[Gilmour1996]

McCabe and Domi traded before playoffs. Not for awhile though.

 

[Antropovsky]

Gonna be hard to compete when other team's have their top players signed long term for 8-9 million and we will have ours at 11-13.5 million.

Our young players jumped from entry level to ufa contracts and short term. Three more year's of Matthews at 11.6 wouldn't be so bad. Marners contract was an albatross from the get go.

Greed. Yet we are continuing to reward them and keep them together.

Next year we will be paying Marner and Matthews 3.5 million more than Mcdavid and Draisaitl are paid.

Next year Marner and Matthew will make 5 million more than Barkov and Tkachuk (they are signed until 2030). It might get even worse when Marner re-signs.

 

[horner]

Until the cap goes up and JT is gone we can't complete rebuild on d .
Brodie Gio Muzzin and Murray will be of the books.
There's 2 Carolina dman that are UFA's, hopefully one of them reach free agency

At the deadline
I think Ljiligren will be traded.
Our 1st the year will be traded.

We will have Cowen knies Minten Holmberg and McMann on ELC contracts

Kokkonen I think he may be ready next yr

Kampf cap hit is to high I think he will be traded as well

 

[Evilhomer]

Gonna be hard to compete when other team's have their top players signed long term for 8-9 million and we will have ours at 11-13.5 million.

Our young players jumped from entry level to ufa contracts and short term. Three more year's of Matthews at 11.6 wouldn't be so bad. Marners contract was an albatross from the get go.

Greed. Yet we are continuing to reward them and keep them together.

Next year we will be paying Marner and Matthews 3.5 million more than Mcdavid and Draisaitl are paid.

Next year Marner and Matthew will make 5 million more than Barkov and Tkachuk (they are signed until 2030). It might get even worse when Marner re-signs.

Matthews and Marner are also better players than Barkov and Tkachuk, so they should be paid more. McDavid and Drai were just about timing. Let's see what their next contracts look like. Both will be making more than Matthews and Marner.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I'm so excited ... not!

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Same team, same coach, same system (likely). Only changes were old-school tough guy additions and Tyson Barrie 2.0. No movement on Nylander/Matthews/Marner contracts when they had leverage. What's even the point of Reaves when the team seems to have a policy against fighting and even seemingly body contact? Pretty sure this is my lowest interest level since I was a little kid in the 70s. What is there to look forward to next season that will be any different than the last 6? I honestly don't get it. At the very minimum they should have replaced Keefe (not because he did anything wrong but because it would be the easiest major change - and something has to).

"Same team, same coach, same system (likely)."

- I was right.

"Only changes were old-school tough guy additions and Tyson Barrie 2.0"

- I was right.

"No movement on Nylander/Matthews/Marner contracts when they had leverage."

- I was right.

"What's even the point of Reaves when the team seems to have a policy against fighting and even seemingly body contact?"

- I was right.

"At the very minimum they should have replaced Keefe (not because he did anything wrong but because it would be the easiest major change"

- I was right.


Hate to be that guy but, you know.

- I was right.

 

[mjd1001]

Going into season 8(?) of the M&M Era and the team still needs a top pairing D-man, at minimum. Because as it stands today, can anyone honestly say this blueline + Samsonov/Woll is Stanley Cup caliber? As we've seen in postseasons past, the Big 4 aren't enough to carry this team on their own.

This is 100% true to me. You add a top pair guy to this roster on the back end, add a guy who is a top 30 D-man in the league, and this team might be cup favorites with just that ONE move.

Two problems. To add a guy like that, you have to give up a lot. You aren't going to do it with late first round picks only, and if you give up a big piece from the current roster, now you created a hole there. 2nd problem is how much those guys get paid. The reason you ONLY need a top-Dman is because how good your forwards are/can be. You have those forwards because they took all the money.

The nature of giving top dollar to your 'big 4' is that now you only really need one or two more really good pieces on the back end to be the cup favorite. The other part of that nature is that BECAUSE you gave top dollar to them you no longer have the ability to get that one or two more legit pieces for the back end.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

./bump

Absolutely nothings's changed since I made this thread and in fact, I'd say everything has played out how I predicted. This is not a bad team, is just not a good team and they keep doubling and tripling down on a bad strategy.

 

[egd27]

./bump

Absolutely nothings's changed since I made this thread and in fact, I'd say everything has played out how I predicted. This is not a bad team, is just not a good team and they they keep doubling and tripling down on a bad strategy.

Thoroughly unexcited but still here at the halfway point. Guess they must be holding your interest somehow.

 

[NylanderBros]

Gonna be a really interesting stretch for us, I still can’t believe we signed Klingberg and Reaves to those deals and re upped Kampf.

 

[Confucius]

Thoroughly unexcited but still here at the halfway point. Guess they must be holding your interest somehow.

Matty going for 60, William to break 100, Woll to come back and play like a brick wall, the team as a whole, got to hope. Next season 17 million coming off the books, Brodie, bertuzzi, domi, and Sammy. We only need 2 top 4 d, 17 million should get us that.

 

[horner]

Jay Rosehill on morning take is dead on we have no heart and play lackidazaly.

 

[Stephen]

Matty going for 60, William to break 100, Woll to come back and play like a brick wall, the team as a whole, got to hope. Next season 17 million coming off the books, Brodie, bertuzzi, domi, and Sammy. We only need 2 top 4 d, 17 million should get us that.

This round of expiring contracts and the big JT albatross expiring will free up a lot of flexibility for the Leafs to remake the team behind a core group of Matthews, Nylander, Rielly and presumably Marner. Woll, Knies becoming more reliable will help pad out the outer core. But we need a few quality pieces, a couple of kids to step up and to heal the system a bit too. Maybe get a fresh voice in there.

 

[LeafGrief]

I'm actually more interested in games right now than I was at the start of the season. This is primarily because the team has something to play for re: the playoffs. But also because it's fun watching the 18 wheeler start up and drama on the forums is absolutely peak fandom.

I'm not really excited about the team at all, but I think the next few months will be far more entertaining than last year's snooze fest.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Thoroughly unexcited but still here at the halfway point. Guess they must be holding your interest somehow.

I'd be thoroughly unexcited about being addicted to opioids too but I'm guessing they'd still keep me coming back for more.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

This round of expiring contracts and the big JT albatross expiring will free up a lot of flexibility for the Leafs to remake the team behind a core group of Matthews, Nylander, Rielly and presumably Marner. Woll, Knies becoming more reliable will help pad out the outer core. But we need a few quality pieces, a couple of kids to step up and to heal the system a bit too. Maybe get a fresh voice in there.

You and Confucius are assuming the organization will make better decisions when they have new upcoming options. Based on what exactly?

 

[ULF_55]

I'm interested in the changes that are happening.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Jay Rosehill on morning take is dead on we have no heart and play lackidazaly.

I remember back in the good old days a few years back when people would criticize fans for being critical of the team and those people who criticized people are now criticizing the team.

It's legit mind-boggling to me that only now, after all these years, so many of the fanbase are starting to see the issues. They've been there for 5 years.

 

[ULF_55]

I remember back in the good old days a few years back when people would criticize fans for being critical of the team and those people who criticized people are now criticizing the team.

It's legit mind-boggling to me that only now, after all these years, so many of the fanbase are starting to see the issues. They've been there for 5 years.

Anyone wonder if drawers didn't drop things might be different?

 

[Maple Leaf]

Same team, same coach, same system (likely). Only changes were old-school tough guy additions and Tyson Barrie 2.0. No movement on Nylander/Matthews/Marner contracts when they had leverage. What's even the point of Reaves when the team seems to have a policy against fighting and even seemingly body contact? Pretty sure this is my lowest interest level since I was a little kid in the 70s. What is there to look forward to next season that will be any different than the last 6? I honestly don't get it. At the very minimum they should have replaced Keefe (not because he did anything wrong but because it would be the easiest major change - and something has to).

wow you were right