2019-2020 Toronto Maple Leafs Summer Edition

[Kin]

At any rate, the deficiencies for me begin and end at defence (and hemorrhaging 1st rounders)

I agree the defence needs to be better but the sort of player that the loudmouths say the Leafs need is Jake Muzzin. There is no purer version of the defense first, penalty killer. He did it for Stanley Cup winners, he did it for Team Canada. The Leafs did go out and get that guy.

 

[Kin]

Some eloquent shit Nik, I give you credit for that. You do have a big brain.

I would never have said the Leafs are "early" in their rebuild because it's not what I think. I think they rushed through a rebuild and did it with half-asses.

 

[Bender]

Lou is half the reason we are where we are and not in a good way. I'm so tired of fans romanticizing a past that delivered fuck all.

Hey, maybe we should just give the reigns back to Cliff Fletcher while we're at it.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I hear ya Bender. The supposed fans that want both Dubas and Shanny fired is ridiculous. I think all of Lou's mistakes have been taken care of now. We'll see what Dubas does now. I havent lost faith in him yet.

 

[BrownRolo]

Regarding the age old canard of "toughness", I don't recall at any time this year that the team needed it added as an overriding attribute, anyway. Clifford really didn't wow me with any contribution post acquisition apart from giving that CBJ player a concussion, and it's hard to get behind that personally as a must-have skillset.

I remember not long ago when the "grit" talk got us david clarkson, so best to tread lightly. I must admit though, I had a very soft spot for leo komorov, who I think became a bit of a whipping boy, but I thought was underrated in terms of his contribution. Put me down for a few of those.

At any rate, the deficiencies for me begin and end at defence (and hemorrhaging 1st rounders)

Yeah, Clifford had that one hit which was probably charging other than that he didn't do much.

Muzzin is the guy we need. He is like sneaky dirty and has no problem laying out the opposition in completely non-necessary ways. He would fit right in on the Bruins. We need a few guys like that.

 

[BrownRolo]

The more I watch the playoffs I see the Leafs need a dirty player. In the playoffs that stuff doesn't get called and even if it does get called you know there will be an even up call that will give you a PP.

 

[Bullfrog]

The more I watch the playoffs I see the Leafs need a dirty player. In the playoffs that stuff doesn't get called and even if it does get called you know there will be an even up call that will give you a PP.

A two-time 30-goal scoring 2nd line centre with a solid defensive game would be nice.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Problem was he couldn't get his head out of his ass long enough to be effective in the playoffs.

 

[Bender]

The more I watch the playoffs I see the Leafs need a dirty player. In the playoffs that stuff doesn't get called and even if it does get called you know there will be an even up call that will give you a PP.

A two-time 30-goal scoring 2nd line centre with a solid defensive game would be nice.

Good player, fucked the team two years in a row. Sorry bud.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Well one good Leafs-adjacent thing to happen this year is Martina's acting debut on Wyonona Earp has been fantastic.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I tried to watch that show and gave up. Didn't work for me.

 

[Arn]

The more I watch the playoffs I see the Leafs need a dirty player. In the playoffs that stuff doesn't get called and even if it does get called you know there will be an even up call that will give you a PP.

A two-time 30-goal scoring 2nd line centre with a solid defensive game would be nice.

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1296210266032660480

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1296210815616524296

 

[Strangelove]

The more I watch the playoffs I see the Leafs need a dirty player. In the playoffs that stuff doesn't get called and even if it does get called you know there will be an even up call that will give you a PP.

A two-time 30-goal scoring 2nd line centre with a solid defensive game would be nice.

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1296210266032660480

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1296210815616524296

Man I miss those mitts.

Now we're left with Kerfoot and about 5 other identical stone-handed small forwards.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Seeing Kadri have a great first round kind of pisses me off. He should have been doing that for us the last 2 years but he had to get stupid. He'd probably still be here.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/oocbruins/status/1296249801743294466

 

[Kin]

Man I miss those mitts.

Now we're left with Kerfoot and about 5 other identical stone-handed small forwards.

I have to confess, I'm still really puzzled that this never morphs into people looking at the Tavares signing harder.

I like Tavares. I think he's a good player and everything and I think the fact that the modern NHL is a league where signing a player of his calibre for a reasonable market rate can be a net negative for the team is one of the things that's killing my interest in the sport but there's really no getting around it right now that it:

A) Was at a price that, relative to league salaries, Tavares has never justified with his play

B) Set a salary structure for the team that probably hurt them in the 3 RFA negotiations

C) Bolstered a position where the Leafs were arguably at their strongest

 

[OldTimeHockey]

A) Was at a price that, relative to league salaries, Tavares has never justified with his play

B) Set a salary structure for the team that probably hurt them in the 3 RFA negotiations

C) Bolstered a position where the Leafs were arguably at their strongest

All correct. The Leafs and the fans seemed to go fall head over heals in love with Tavares. Rightly so, as he is a great player. But the signing shouldn't have happened. Not at that cost. I'm not saying that the team is losing because of him. But it certainly threw a wrench into the rebuild.

 

[Highlander]

A) Was at a price that, relative to league salaries, Tavares has never justified with his play

B) Set a salary structure for the team that probably hurt them in the 3 RFA negotiations

C) Bolstered a position where the Leafs were arguably at their strongest

All correct. The Leafs and the fans seemed to go fall head over heals in love with Tavares. Rightly so, as he is a great player. But the signing shouldn't have happened. Not at that cost. I'm not saying that the team is losing because of him. But it certainly threw a wrench into the rebuild.

I didn't like the signing at the time, was never big on Johnny T. and at the price, Whew.  I guess they felt they had to make the statement that "this is the new Leafs" especially after not enticing Stamkos enough.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/ATFulemin/status/1307690437482815489

Ah, memories.

 

[L K]

I do think it isn't unreasonable to look at Tavares as maybe the worst contract the Leafs have.  He's a really good player BUT he's 11M on the cap and he arguable isn't a top 10 player at his position.  His contract certainly takes more of a bite with the cap freeze.