Can they make you president already?
Armchair GM Thread 2025/26
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
I think Leafs zeitgeist focuses too much on getting the best skill per dollar on the cap, and not quite enough on players that own the boards where most of the game is spent.
Florida's success is partly due to their really good players at reasonable cap hits (state tax laws help); but primarily it's their playoffs-proven system of fully-bought-in players, that's easy to slot nearly anybody who can skate on to. I think Maurice has done a crazy good job philosophically and tactically. In addition, the front office and coaching staff and players all game their respective systems to the utmost: timely LTIR, cajoling the refs, casual picks against every forecheck and falling onto goalies because oopsie ice is slippery there.
The Leafs are still in the middle of shifting from Dubas/Keefe puck (constant positionless possession*) to Treliving/Berube (win the slot, mucky puck), so their personnel and cap allocations were not in alignment, leading to loss in efficiency (see Leafs PP putting the puck on net vs OTT vs refusing to put the puck on net unless it was highlight of the night worthy vs FLA).
Cap clearing through attrition and transactions will gradually get better alignment. I think the Leafs are trending towards more playoff success, but managerial inaction on the highest impact issue during these past 2-3 offseasons is going to hurt a bit in the short term.
* I believed in this! until 2021. Playoff hockey is a different sport and really the only ruleset that matters.
Florida's success is partly due to their really good players at reasonable cap hits (state tax laws help); but primarily it's their playoffs-proven system of fully-bought-in players, that's easy to slot nearly anybody who can skate on to. I think Maurice has done a crazy good job philosophically and tactically. In addition, the front office and coaching staff and players all game their respective systems to the utmost: timely LTIR, cajoling the refs, casual picks against every forecheck and falling onto goalies because oopsie ice is slippery there.
The Leafs are still in the middle of shifting from Dubas/Keefe puck (constant positionless possession*) to Treliving/Berube (win the slot, mucky puck), so their personnel and cap allocations were not in alignment, leading to loss in efficiency (see Leafs PP putting the puck on net vs OTT vs refusing to put the puck on net unless it was highlight of the night worthy vs FLA).
Cap clearing through attrition and transactions will gradually get better alignment. I think the Leafs are trending towards more playoff success, but managerial inaction on the highest impact issue during these past 2-3 offseasons is going to hurt a bit in the short term.
* I believed in this! until 2021. Playoff hockey is a different sport and really the only ruleset that matters.
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I stopped reading when they suggested that we re-sign Holmberg.
dappleganger
Well-known member
The Leafs need to move away from fringe players regardless of how much the fans like *some things they bring to the table. They need a solid player at each position. Players that contribute every game that can't be taken out of the lineup barring injury.
I think they managed that this year on defence. now need a forward group to match. If a player isn't guaranteed to be on your post-season roster, get someone better.
It'll be interesting to see how they spread the depth around. If we can get JT on a cheap-ish contract in the 3C slot and get a 2C then I think we're in pretty good shape for further roster building.
GhostofPotvin29
Active member
But almost all the top playoff teams are also great possession teams. Part of why Florida beat the Leafs is they had the puck the vast majority of the time and anytime the Leafs had it all they could do was ice it or dump it out to centre.
Zee
Well-known member
Eventually
OldTimeHockey
Well-known member
The leafs issue, and it's the same issue that existed in the past, is they are primarily a perimeter team. They can't put pucks on net from the actual scoring areas when the whistles go away and full on tackle hockey is in effect. There's not enough fearless hockey being played by the Leafs. Case in point, the Leafs always turn into a dump and chase team as soon as things get tight/tough. They'd rather hope for a won race or a bad turnover by the opposing team as opposed to bring the puck into traffic and taking an asskicking in the process.
This always bugged me when people tried to justify the very mediocre possession numbers against Ottawa as just being "Berube hockey". When the Blues won the Cup Berube came in mid way and took them from one of the worst possession teams in the league to one of the best. Like sure maybe there's something to be said about how the Dubas/Keefe teams possession wasn't the right kind but constantly being outshot is
OldTimeHockey
Well-known member
I was of the same mindset. When the Leafs were getting dominated on the shot clock, it was only a matter of time that they started paying for that.
herman
Well-known member
I agree with that; the Leafs depth personnel, for the most part, are bad at winning pucks off the boards, so it's a lot of DZ cycle time and one-and-dones in the OZ.
L K
Well-known member
The only thing I hope is that maybe this was a "learn to not suck in the defensive zone first" and then branch out with more puck possession moving forward. That just really seems like a hard argument to believe when we are about to watch one of our best puck possession players walk for free.
GhostofPotvin29
Active member
herman
Well-known member
John Shannon (he still exists?), claims that Sam Bennett has basically decided there are only two teams he would sign with: FLA or TOR
I'm not saying he's right or wrong.
It's a bit early, but I would also posit that this is likely a similar situation for Connor McDavid (EDM or TOR) for his next decision, a la John Tavares going to market.
I'm also going to point out that Sam Bennett is very good friends with and former linemate of the aforementioned Connor McDavid, and if the two of them ever want to re-kindle that nostalgic glory, TOR is the only place their Venn Diagrams overlap.
Manifesting that two players will collude to take small hometown discounts in the midst of a steeply rising cap to finally bring a Cup back to Toronto is not a real plan, but it's also not entirely out of the question.
I'm not saying he's right or wrong.
It's a bit early, but I would also posit that this is likely a similar situation for Connor McDavid (EDM or TOR) for his next decision, a la John Tavares going to market.
I'm also going to point out that Sam Bennett is very good friends with and former linemate of the aforementioned Connor McDavid, and if the two of them ever want to re-kindle that nostalgic glory, TOR is the only place their Venn Diagrams overlap.
Manifesting that two players will collude to take small hometown discounts in the midst of a steeply rising cap to finally bring a Cup back to Toronto is not a real plan, but it's also not entirely out of the question.