What are you looking forward to most this season?

[ULF_55]

1. Want to see what Berube's line-up looks like.
2. Really, be pleased if Woll can play for the entire season.
3. Want to see who forces themself into the line-up.

 

[kevsh]

1- Berube's influence the most, though I have doubts any coach will have the discretion he needs from MLSE to have a meaningful impact. The inmates really do run this asylum.

2 - PP/PK. They've got to try something new here. Maybe Berube agrees a change is needed and (lol) the stars can put their egos aside if they're dropped to the second unit? See Point #1.

Least looking forward to the playoffs. I could be surprised if Berube really can alter this group's attitude and approach (see point #1) but I'm doubtful. Babcock found out. Keefe found out. Why would we expect Berube will have any more leeway?

Until I see a fundamental change in this core I expect the results will never change.

 

[IPS]

Yeah there’s Leafy, but that’s not how Mitch operates.

It's a contract year and Mitch knows his way around the regular season.

He's probably gonna have his most productive regular season to date.

MLSE knows it's imperative to have Mitch's reputation fixed before they overpay him. Get a few of the short memories fixated on some flashy production and they got it right where they want it.

 

[Nineteen67]

It is one of the reasons. He inspires no one, he actually discourages team mates with his selfish approach. To ask him to grow a backbone is asking too much, me thinks.

People that have been around him him a differing opinion than yours.

I think the reason he hasn’t been as good in the playoffs is because the way he plays is a little easier to defend. He has a very weak shot for an nhler and teams allow him to play on the perimeter and focus on trying to take away the pass to the shooters. Considering that he’s very weak and not very fast it limits where he can play.

Let’s see if Berube can change things enough and make it easier and put the team and individuals in situations where they can succeed. For example, fix the PP so they are not forced to chase a game or series and don't have to rely on players doing things they’re incapable of doing.

 

[I am Canadian]

I'm pessimistic. Honestly I feel like the only way this teams does what it sets out to do is if Woll has a Binnington like run in the playoffs.

They have added marginally to the defense with two 30+ players who are too old to be real difference makers and have kept the rest of the team essentially exactly the same.

 

[CincoHolio]

I like the schedule to start the year. First dozen games - some real juicy storylines for us fans.

MTL, NJ, PIT, TB, STL(x2), BOS, WPG. NY is in there too. Some nice marquee matchups to kick off the new season.

 

[Evilhomer]

It's a contract year and Mitch knows his way around the regular season.

He's probably gonna have his most productive regular season to date.

MLSE knows it's imperative to have Mitch's reputation fixed before they overpay him. Get a few of the short memories fixated on some flashy production and they got it right where they want it.

I suspect this will end up being dead-on accurate.

 

[Gallagbi]

There isn't much specifically I'm looking forward to. I just like hockey and I like the Leafs,

 

[Kazparov]

Looking forward to a coach who gets them playing Playoff style hockey before game 3 of the first round.

 

[Niagara Bill]

People that have been around him him a differing opinion than yours.

I think the reason he hasn’t been as good in the playoffs is because the way he plays is a little easier to defend. He has a very weak shot for an nhler and teams allow him to play on the perimeter and focus on trying to take away the pass to the shooters. Considering that he’s very weak and not very fast it limits where he can play.

Let’s see if Berube can change things enough and make it easier and put the team and individuals in situations where they can succeed. For example, fix the PP so they are not forced to chase a game or series and don't have to rely on players doing things they’re incapable of doing.

Agreed, but he does not inspire his mates

 

[hockeyguy0022]

Excited to see Jeff Skinner quietly have a monster season kind of secondary in the spotlight.

Could not be a better situation for him. Wouldn't be surpised if he hits 90 pts plus.

 

[Mess]

Despite the Salary Cap going up +$4.5 mil from last year the Leafs will start in their worst Cap situation in a Cap World due to the raises of Matthews and Nylander.

Leafs core 4 now consume $46,653,000 of $88 mil Max Cap ceiling = 53 %

Having 4 of the top 12 highest cap players is really going to put stress on the rest of roster players with SOOOO much consumption on just 4 forwards.,

Due to past NMC the Leafs are in a tough position, so its going to be interesting to see how this all plays out this current year..

With the NHL overall built to have a strong deep team in a Salary Cap World to have Cup success, Leafs once again are the anomaly of top heavy 4 forwards.

 

[TorMapleJays]

More choices can be added upon request

Physicality / Blue Collar - Hard Nosed Hockey

 

[ULF_55]

More choices can be added upon request

2nd. Round of the Playoffs

 

[Racer88]

People that have been around him him a differing opinion than yours.

I think the reason he hasn’t been as good in the playoffs is because the way he plays is a little easier to defend. He has a very weak shot for an nhler and teams allow him to play on the perimeter and focus on trying to take away the pass to the shooters. Considering that he’s very weak and not very fast it limits where he can play.

Let’s see if Berube can change things enough and make it easier and put the team and individuals in situations where they can succeed. For example, fix the PP so they are not forced to chase a game or series and don't have to rely on players doing things they’re incapable of doing.

Sounds to me like he just doesn’t have the talent to be a difference make. All sizzle and no steak

Despite the Salary Cap going up +$4.5 mil from last year the Leafs will start in their worst Cap situation in a Cap World due to the raises of Matthews and Nylander.

Leafs core 4 now consume $46,653,000 of $88 mil Max Cap ceiling = 53 %

Having 4 of the top 12 highest cap players is really going to put stress on the rest of roster players with SOOOO much consumption on just 4 forwards.,

View attachment 903365

Due to past NMC the Leafs are in a tough position, so its going to be interesting to see how this all plays out this current year..

With the NHL overall built to have a strong deep team in a Salary Cap World to have Cup success, Leafs once again are the anomaly of top heavy 4 forwards.

Kind of goes against the narrative that the only problem with the team structure was that the cap didn’t go up as expected. Now the cap make a good sized jump ans we are even further in the ditch with the big 4. What a train wreck

 

[Nineteen67]

Sounds to me like he just doesn’t have the talent to be a difference make. All sizzle and no steak

So far that’s been the case. If they can change their attack to work around his lack of speed and strength, yet use his vision and touch, it would help him, especially on the PP. I feel I would effective against Keefe’s PP where the goal was to stand still and see how slow you can pass the puck without it getting intercepted. Fix that and they won’t need as many ES goals.

I though last year was his last chance, but they’re giving him at least one more year, and if he’s no good again, then walk away. Poor asset management, but they’ve been doing that for 6 years so why quit now.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Kind of goes against the narrative that the only problem with the team structure was that the cap didn’t go up as expected. Now the cap make a good sized jump ans we are even further in the ditch with the big 4. What a train wreck

Cap will be better next year without Marner.

 

[Mess]

I always say "Play the Kids" so I hope there are some kids on the roster this year.

 

[ULF_55]

Cap will be better next year without Marner.

Cap will be impacted by the difference between:

Tavares 11mm + marner 10.9mm
and
marner 12mm + Tavares 6mm

 

[Racer88]

So far that’s been the case. If they can change their attack to work around his lack of speed and strength, yet use his vision and touch, it would help him, especially on the PP. I feel I would effective against Keefe’s PP where the goal was to stand still and see how slow you can pass the puck without it getting intercepted. Fix that and they won’t need as many ES goals.

I though last year was his last chance, but they’re giving him at least one more year, and if he’s no good again, then walk away. Poor asset management, but they’ve been doing that for 6 years so why quit now.

All of the above is true

 

[Al14]

I'm not looking forward to a darned thing this coming season. I expect more of the same as the last 8 years!

Absolutely nothing much has really CHANGED with the roster of this Leafs team. Just more shuffling of the deck chairs. Pelley, Shanahan, and Treliving LIED to us at the season ending presser by saying that big changes were coming.

Treliving himself has even said that he was satisfied with the 'modest' changes. Adding a couple of 30 something D-men does not constitute major changes as was promised by management.

Stripping the C from Tavares, and giving it to Matthews, does not constitute major change IMHO. IMHO, letting Bertuuzi leave as a free agent does not constitute major change, especially when he has not been replaced on the roster.

How does a the letter C on his jersey change Matthews? Will it help him to be more of an impact player more often. Will he score more consistently instead of in spurts here and there? Does Matthews new raise get him over the hump to make him a 70 goal scorer in the regular season? Does Matthew finally become a 12 to 15 goal scorer in the playoffs?

Money Mitch Marner has proven in spades that he is NOT a playoff performer. He avoids contact at all cost during the regular season, and then becomes a terrified little boy during the playoffs when tight hockey and physicality rises significantly. Will any of this change with Berube? Will resigning Marner to a larger cap hit magically transform him to be playoff warrior?

Will head coach Berube, and his staff, be able to instill a better work ethic, and killer instinct, in our current core of players? Will the new coaching staff be able to inspire the entire team to play hard from the opening puck drop to the final buzzer? Both Babcock and Keefe were rarely able to have our core players, and the rest of the team, show up on time for an entire game.

I could go on, however it's a waste of time. MLSE and Leafs management are going to do what they want and are not listening to the fans that wanted REAL CHANGE. Doing the same things over and over expecting different results is the MO of our Leafs and MLSE.

Go ahead, extend Money Mitch Marner for $12M plus. Sell more jerseys! Insane idiots, from Pelley on down !!!

JMHO.

 

[notbias]

Despite the Salary Cap going up +$4.5 mil from last year the Leafs will start in their worst Cap situation in a Cap World due to the raises of Matthews and Nylander.

Leafs core 4 now consume $46,653,000 of $88 mil Max Cap ceiling = 53 %

Having 4 of the top 12 highest cap players is really going to put stress on the rest of roster players with SOOOO much consumption on just 4 forwards.,

View attachment 903365

Due to past NMC the Leafs are in a tough position, so its going to be interesting to see how this all plays out this current year..

With the NHL overall built to have a strong deep team in a Salary Cap World to have Cup success, Leafs once again are the anomaly of top heavy 4 forwards.

Impossible, we finally have a real GM, this is fake news.

How could he allow those raises to happen?

 

[notbias]

Kind of goes against the narrative that the only problem with the team structure was that the cap didn’t go up as expected. Now the cap make a good sized jump ans we are even further in the ditch with the big 4. What a train wreck

The cap has barely gone up... this doesn't prove or disprove anything.

The cap also went up more this year than Dubas' entire tenure as GM here... that is how bad it was during that time...

 

[Fogelhund]

I'm looking forward to hockey. Hockey is fun when you let it be.

 

[ACC1224]

People that post here pretty much daily all summer long and then say they don't care about the upcoming season are either insane or lying.