General Leafs Talk

[nutman]

I'm cautiously optimistic for the coming season.

You know, this is a strange year for me that way. I know I have a little more reason to be optimistic than perhaps any year post lock-out but I have very little of it for this team this year. I really have absolutely zero expectation of making the playoffs but at the same time, there a a handful of players on this team that I'm really excited about watching this year... perhaps more so than in the last two/three years.  In a nutshell, I'm optimistic but not in a way that translates to any post-season aspirations... If that makes any sense.

Why is that... this team looks very good, i would say you are aiming very low Floyd.

 

[maplesyrup]

I'm cautiously optimistic for the coming season.

You know, this is a strange year for me that way. I know I have a little more reason to be optimistic than perhaps any year post lock-out but I have very little of it for this team this year. I really have absolutely zero expectation of making the playoffs but at the same time, there a a handful of players on this team that I'm really excited about watching this year... perhaps more so than in the last two/three years.  In a nutshell, I'm optimistic but not in a way that translates to any post-season aspirations... If that makes any sense.

Why is that... this team looks very good, i would say you are aiming very low Floyd.

Too many good teams in the east, nutman. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think this is our year... but we're getting there.

 

[nutman]

I agree that the east is going to be strong but i also think we have a team that is turning the corner. i believe we are going to be right in the mix from the start. there is not much to dislike about this team, but i do have one big concern, and that is the special teams, if we can stay in the middle of the pack or better we will be a very good team.

i think our forward lines will be awsome, i think we will have three very good lines, and add the d and goaltending, i think this season will be fun. 

 

[moon111]

I think the Leafs will need to score 25 more goals and stop 25 more goals against to make the playoffs. 

Keys to this happening:

• Reimer to continue where he left off.
• First line chemistry/Connolly's impact
• Third line depth/offense improves
• More offense from the D.

 

[nutman]

I think the Leafs will need to score 25 more goals and stop 25 more goals against to make the playoffs. 

Keys to this happening:

• Reimer to continue where he left off.
• First line chemistry/Connolly's impact
• Third line depth/offense improves
• More offense from the D.

3rd line of kadri, Armstrong and Bozak should do just fine in bringing more goals from the 3rd line.

 

[moon111]

I haven't warmed up to Lupul just yet.  If someone else took the #1 LW spot, the Leaf's 3rd line would end up being 2/3rd of last year's first line. 

 

[Jalili]

The East looks really balanced this year. There's not much separating the top teams from the rest (excluding maybe a few bad teams like Ottawa and Florida.)

 

[nutman]

The East looks really balanced this year. There's not much separating the top teams from the rest (excluding maybe a few bad teams like Ottawa and Florida.)

I think every game will be big.

 

[maplesyrup]

Just going over the The Hockey News' Fantasy Pool Guide and I stumbled over a couple interesting Leaf related stats I wasn't aware of...

1. Even Strength Sv%; James Reimer's was .933. Good for 3rd in the league behind only Tim Thomas (.947) and Roberto Luongo (.934.)  8)

2. Giveaways; Luke Schenn had 95. Again, good for 3rd in the league behind Ilya Hovalchuk (104) and Joe Thornton (98.)  ??? Now, he led all NHL defensmen in hits and was 12th in the league in blocked shots so I guess we'll forgive him.

 

[Erndog]

The East looks really balanced this year. There's not much separating the top teams from the rest (excluding maybe a few bad teams like Ottawa and Florida.)

I agree.  I even think Ottawa and Florida won't be pushovers.  They are probably the 2 weakest teams in the East sure and certainly won't make the playoffs but they aren't going to be teams that get steamrolled every night. 

 

[Kin]

The East looks really balanced this year. There's not much separating the top teams from the rest (excluding maybe a few bad teams like Ottawa and Florida.)

I think that's the kind of thing that's easy to say right now but could probably be said every year at this point. 4-5 teams will probably pull away from the pack by mid-season and establish themselves as the more legitimate contenders.

I think you can say the same about the West though. The East and West both will probably have two or three lousy teams, two or three top flight contenders and then a bunch of teams in the middle.

 

[Scot4bz]

So the courier just dropped off my tickets for this year.

This year's "bonus" for ticket subscribers is a fleece lined blanket (white sheepskin like lining and the outside is like a huge flag of the 1967 team logo (I love it - my wife says it is banned from any "public" areas of the house.....should have known better than to marry a born and raised in Quebec Habs fan!).

One other interesting item of note - this years tickets have differentiated pricing based on the day of the week (Saturdays are more than mid week games) or whether it is a "premium" game (such as the first Jets game even though it is a weekday).

Never heard that was coming into play.....

 

[caver]

I haven't warmed up to Lupul just yet.  If someone else took the #1 LW spot, the Leaf's 3rd line would end up being 2/3rd of last year's first line.

I think it's possible that Lupul might have a breakout year and be one of those comeback/surprise players. Not probable,just possible. 

 

[sampson]

Grabovski's tenacity and never give up attitude though did it for me.

I've not been his biggest fan and that impressed me about him.

I hope this year you will be his biggest fan!

 

[Bender]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/HockeyBuzz-Hotstove/The-Hotstove-Ed-14-Worst-Offseason-Move/160/38023

I know this probably isn't even worth talking about: But how can you criticize the Connolly deal as one of the worst moves of the offseason? We did not have a player with his skillset, he's filling a need, does not have an NMC and while he is overpaid, its not extremely high and only two years. He's a stopgap solution, we're not married to him.

What grinds me up is that they reference health issues for Connolly (and Lupul)  but not for Fleischmann, who had a pulmonary embolism! Who has an NMC, absurd term and is primarily successful for playing alongside Matt Duchene or Alexander Semin. They're stuck with him if he bombs somewhere down the road.

I call balony on Connolly being the worst transaction of the offseason.

 

[Zee]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/HockeyBuzz-Hotstove/The-Hotstove-Ed-14-Worst-Offseason-Move/160/38023

I know this probably isn't even worth talking about: But how can you criticize the Connolly deal as one of the worst moves of the offseason? We did not have a player with his skillset, he's filling a need, does not have an NMC and while he is overpaid, its not extremely high and only two years. He's a stopgap solution, we're not married to him.

What grinds me up is that they reference health issues for Connolly (and Lupul)  but not for Fleischmann, who had a pulmonary embolism! Who has an NMC, absurd term and is primarily successful for playing alongside Matt Duchene or Alexander Semin. They're stuck with him if he bombs somewhere down the road.

I call balony on Connolly being the worst transaction of the offseason.

Two guys did pick the trade for Lebda and Slaney as the worst move, that is the correct answer.

 

[bustaheims]

My guess is if any other team other than the Leafs make the Connolly deal, it goes completely unnoticed. I'm not going to try to argue that it's a great deal, but, a bad deal? Connolly was the 2nd best UFA centre on the market this summer, and he signed for reasonable term and money. It's far from the worst deal of the summer. In fact, it's firmly in the middle of the pack in terms of quality.

 

[Deebo]

They call Connolly the worst move, I would say its risky.

Most UFA contracts are risky though, Buffalo commited 27 million to Ville Leino -- a player with 30 carreer goals.

At least the Leafs risk is short term.

 

[Bender]

http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/#clip531532

What a heartfelt story. I have so much respect for James, this kid is unbelievable.

 

[Kin]

I know this probably isn't even worth talking about: But how can you criticize the Connolly deal as one of the worst moves of the offseason? We did not have a player with his skillset, he's filling a need, does not have an NMC and while he is overpaid, its not extremely high and only two years. He's a stopgap solution, we're not married to him.

I don't know that I'd call it one of the worst moves of the off-season but I remember that when Connolly was mentioned as a possibility here pre-July 1st a lot of people reacted pretty negatively to taking a flyer on him even on a one year deal. In a summer where some pretty good #1 C's ended up getting moved, I think a lot of people saw him as a kind of crummy consolation prize.

Did the Leafs upgrade with him? Probably. If they hadn't signed him the #1 C spot would be filled with Bozak again and they'd be hoping he has a bounce back year. As it is it's filled by Connolly and they're hoping he's healthy. That's a better situation to be in but not by leaps and bounds.