2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[Nik]

I forget who said it on Twitter but it was something along the lines of breaking up this team on the basis of what happened with Tampa would be like betting all your money on black in roulette because it came up red the last few times.

 

[Bill_Berg]

I forget who said it on Twitter but it was something along the lines of breaking up this team on the basis of what happened with Tampa would be like betting all your money on black in roulette because it came up red the last few times.

Pff that never works. Gotta wait for a string of evens, then bet on odds. That's money.

 

[Bill_Berg]

With no league or team to be mad it, I think I've realized what I've really hated about being a Leaf fan all along. Other fans. Anti-Leafs, other team fans, haters in general. So watch out. I'm out of patience with you sucks and you're going to hear it if I see you bringing garbage in here or anywhere else.

1500000000% agreed. Biggest mistake was reading comments on Twitter. It astounds me how many people seem to be more fans of bashing leafs fans than being a fan of any particular team.

Bash the team. I get that, but the fans? Like they have any influence on the success or failure of their favourite team. It?s pathetic.

I now avoid Twitter for the most part. Attacking fans is ridiculous, and so are outlandish comments 'like this management team wants to lose'. The F they do. You want to say they have a bad plan, have a real debate, great, that's fun, but I'm done with the hate and anger, it just makes me hate and be angry, and I hate being angry.

 

[rjd]

The media here in Ottawa is surprisingly un-biased.  They have given the Leafs their dues even though they lost.  There have been a couple of texts or callers that have taken pot shots at the Leafs, but even there the announcers are saying that it's probably best to just give us a couple of months.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

I forget who said it on Twitter but it was something along the lines of breaking up this team on the basis of what happened with Tampa would be like betting all your money on black in roulette because it came up red the last few times.

Literally any decision that gets made that wouldn?t otherwise have been made if, say, Kerfoot had scored on the OT breakaway or Matthews had tipped that OT shot into the net is a decision made with bad justification for it.

 

[Arn]

Which is why I think they?re most likely to run it back, at least as far as the core is concerned. They won?t come to the ?run it back? without careful thought and consideration, but, after doing that, I suspect they?ll find there aren?t any major moves out there at improve their chances and content themselves with some tweaks to the defense and around-the-edges tinkering to the forwards (Kerfoot trade).

In the end, they had a franchise-best season and then played like contenders against contenders and lost a coin-flip series because their PP gave out and the other team?s depth was 1-2 goals more productive than their own. That happens. It?s a missed opportunity, which is disappointing, but not a sign that there?s a fundamental flaw in the team.

Yup. I also don't think any of the core pieces are going anywhere, but I can definitely see some important non-core pieces getting moved. Someone (or someones) like Kerfoot, Muzzin, etc., could be moved if the right opportunities present themselves. There's room for improvement on the roster, though it's not among the core, but the next groups of players.

I can see the D being re-tooled a bit. If we can imagine Muzzin, Holl and Lyubushkin going, that saves $9m to redistribute round the D. Will touch on Giordano later.

The $1.2m Kessel retained money helps to cover a bit of the Rielly upgrade.

Obviously then Liljegren and Sandin both get new deals and I?d hope they come in around $2m each.

I?d see what we could get for Holl as well. Maybe we get a 3rd or 4th line piece.

I?d let Giordano come back if he takes a Spezza type deal which would maybe free up another $1m or $2m. Then target a ?better? version of Lyubushkin for the top or 2nd pair. The big tough D Man.

That leaves you something like

Rielly - ???
Brodie - Sandin
Giordano - Liljegren



Then you have some young prospects who can come up and maybe a PTO for the 7th guy.


In terms of forwards I?d actually like to keep Blackwell, can?t see Mikheyev stay though. The third and fourth line maybe need better balance

 

[Joe S.]

@arn I get what you?re saying for Giordano but there is no way he takes league minimum. He clearly showed he?s still a top 4 dman. I?m sure he?ll take some kind of reduction, but min? No way.

 

[Frank E]

Meh. 

It was a fun year to watch our favourite team. 

I look forward to arguing with you all about the inevitable changes afoot goalies what?

 

[Guilt Trip]

It's somewhat ironic then that the biggest mistake Dubas has made as Leafs GM was made out of ruthlessness (trading Kadri).

You're confusing ruthlessness with the cap.

Kadri was not traded for cap reasons. He lost the trust of his teammates and management and Dubas attempted to shore up the D.

 

[Guilt Trip]

@arn I get what you?re saying for Giordano but there is no way he takes league minimum. He clearly showed he?s still a top 4 dman. I?m sure he?ll take some kind of reduction, but min? No way.

Agree. I can see him getting around 3-3.5M. Leafs will have to move on from Muzz and Kerfoot for sure. I don't think Campbell is coming back either. I think they need an upgrade.

 

[Deebo]

I know it's not probably possible because of the NMC, but I'd move Tavares if it was. Without the cap inflation that we expected, his money could be spread around better.

I don't think the financial terms would make it impossible because after the bonus is paid on July 1, he's owed ~17M for 3 seasons. That isn't prohibative for a non-cap team. I don't think he would waive for a non-cap team though, so that's probably not going to happen.

 

[Arn]

@arn I get what you?re saying for Giordano but there is no way he takes league minimum. He clearly showed he?s still a top 4 dman. I?m sure he?ll take some kind of reduction, but min? No way.

Oh no I don?t necessarily think league minimum. I meant more Spezza type deal in terms of taking below maybe what he could get elsewhere to stay with the home town team. And less than he?s on now, hence saving something.

I also think he takes on that sort of veteran leadership role if Spezza does retire.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/simonostler/status/1526396194297192448
Yikes. driver is okay, but yikes.

 

[Zee]

https://twitter.com/simonostler/status/1526396194297192448
Yikes. driver is okay, but yikes.

That's some scary crap.  Just going to a movie with his fiancee and that happens.  Car jackings are on the rise in the GTA, not good.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Last year I was pissed at a lot of things.  Mostly the NHL as a whole. But they are just doing what they think is best to make money. Fine. I may not like it, but we kinda have to accept it.

In other years I've been pissed at the players and management, and maybe I will be again in future years, but not this year.

With no league or team to be mad it, I think I've realized what I've really hated about being a Leaf fan all along. Other fans. Anti-Leafs, other team fans, haters in general. So watch out. I'm out of patience with you sucks and you're going to hear it if I see you bringing garbage in here or anywhere else.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

 

[ZBBM]

We could use Teddy on the 4th line.  He's not afraid to go into the dirty areas and mix it up.

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

 

[Bill_Berg]

Last year I was pissed at a lot of things.  Mostly the NHL as a whole. But they are just doing what they think is best to make money. Fine. I may not like it, but we kinda have to accept it.

In other years I've been pissed at the players and management, and maybe I will be again in future years, but not this year.

With no league or team to be mad it, I think I've realized what I've really hated about being a Leaf fan all along. Other fans. Anti-Leafs, other team fans, haters in general. So watch out. I'm out of patience with you sucks and you're going to hear it if I see you bringing garbage in here or anywhere else.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

This year, for perhaps the first time, my empathy for the players is greater than my sadness for myself.

 

[L K]

Not super surprising (especially given that you only make a move if a better one is available) but Shanahan confirms Keefe and Dubas will be back next year.

 

[Zee]

Not super surprising (especially given that you only make a move if a better one is available) but Shanahan confirms Keefe and Dubas will be back next year.

Steady as she goes!

Honestly though, with a 115 point season and an OT goal away from advancing, I mean what can you do except hope internal growth + different mix of bottom 6 guys can get a different outcome next year?  Keep making the playoffs, getting home ice, and hope the guys push through.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Keep making the playoffs, getting home ice, and hope the guys push through.

OR purposefully make the team slightly worse to secure the 7th seed instead.