Maple Leafs are better, but are they a playoff team?

[cw]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?season=20112012&type=LEA
It's still kind of shocking to see Tampa & Buffalo now only one point behind with a game in hand and Carolina & the Islanders 4 pts back with a game in hand.

OTH, continuation of the free fall could result in quite a good draft pick.

Sadly, I've resigned myself to missing the playoffs and hoping for as good a pick as possible.

This might be stupid, but the draft is top heavy with Russians and D-men.  Would Burke draft a Russian?  And D is probably a bit more of a secondary need than a top end forward (preferably center).

As Rick Dudley said the other day when being interviewed about Carter Ashton, where they come from isn't something they talk about.

Brian hasn't drafted a Russian born player since the lock out from what I can tell but prior to that he drafted Nikolishin, Korotkov and Gorenko in Hartford while taking Chubarov, Duma, F Fedorov, Gladskikh, Mikhailov, Koltsov, Krikunov and Topol over the years in Vancouver.

A number of teams have avoided drafting Russians in recent years because of the lack of a NHL agreement with them and the KHL.

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/number-of-russian-players-taken-in-the-nhl-entry-draft/article2076223/

 

[cw]

A decent 1st rounder could be the difference if Burke makes a move for Schneider / Lindback / Bernier.

But we have been down that road before.. twice post lockout where a prized 1st is dealt for a young(ish) goalie and he's a bust.  I honestly don't know if they could bring in any young goalie here and expect him to flourish without some serious help.

This team has several young goalies.  It makes far more sense to let them develop and invest in a proven veteran by trade or signing to protect/provide insurance.

You know... dare I say... like how things worked out with Anderson in Ottawa.  Only I hope the Leafs keep Reimer to work under the vet and get better as opposed to you guys unloading Elliot.

Agreed. This market seems to chew up and spit out promising young goalies. Was Felix Potvin the last one who played consistently well in Toronto? Clearly a veteran goaltender is in order for at least the next 2 years as we bring along guys like Reimer, Owuya, and Scrivens.

The defence also needs a real tried and tested stud IMO. Suter would be ideal.

And of course that ever elusive big strong centre would bring some push back up front.

So I'm on board with cw, in that we really need all three pieces to contend. But looking at where we were only a few years ago, I think Burke has filled out the roster with some good pieces that could be ready to go when the team takes the next big jump forward.

Getting a good starting goalie and landing a good dman/near stud like Suter combined with the development of their youth may well not be enough to win them a Cup without other improvements but they would become a very competitive club.

 

[Tigger]

A number of teams have avoided drafting Russians in recent years because of the lack of a NHL agreement with them and the KHL.

Sure but that's not as much of an issue now though is it?

 

[cw]

A number of teams have avoided drafting Russians in recent years because of the lack of a NHL agreement with them and the KHL.

Sure but that's not as much of an issue now though is it?

The KHL remains a concern - see Radulov.

I'm not sure if they ever got a transfer agreement worked out with Russia - there were some rumblings but I don't recall for sure seeing confirmation of that.

Radulov did play in the QMJHL. Having said that, there is less of a concern for the Russians currently playing in the CHL.

 

[Madferret]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

 

[cw]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

Between 2002 and 2005, the Sens drafted 9 Russians. None of them made it to the NHL (one played 3 NHL games while another played 6 NHL games and another played 11 NHL games). All nine of them are still active in the KHL this season.

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

Between 2002 and 2005, the Sens drafted 9 Russians. None of them made it to the NHL (one played 3 NHL games while another played 6 NHL games and another played 11 NHL games). All nine of them are still active in the KHL this season.

Senators' experience with Ca$hin Ya$hin cannot be forgotten as well.

 

[Erndog]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm?season=20112012&type=LEA
It's still kind of shocking to see Tampa & Buffalo now only one point behind with a game in hand and Carolina & the Islanders 4 pts back with a game in hand.

OTH, continuation of the free fall could result in quite a good draft pick.

Sadly, I've resigned myself to missing the playoffs and hoping for as good a pick as possible.

This might be stupid, but the draft is top heavy with Russians and D-men.  Would Burke draft a Russian?  And D is probably a bit more of a secondary need than a top end forward (preferably center).

As Rick Dudley said the other day when being interviewed about Carter Ashton, where they come from isn't something they talk about.

Brian hasn't drafted a Russian born player since the lock out from what I can tell but prior to that he drafted Nikolishin, Korotkov and Gorenko in Hartford while taking Chubarov, Duma, F Fedorov, Gladskikh, Mikhailov, Koltsov, Krikunov and Topol over the years in Vancouver.

And across the league, the number of Russians drafted and even playing in the NHL has dropped significantly.  I can't find the number but its very very low right now. 

This draft will probably be the first in a while to buck the recent trend.

I can't remember the exact number, but it's in the 20's.

That's really low when you think of it.

 

[bustaheims]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

I'd rather the Leafs regret making a poor/unsuccessful draft choice than see another goalie that was acquired at the expense of valuable assets flame out, and see the other team turn those assets into valuable pieces of their organization.

 

[Madferret]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

Between 2002 and 2005, the Sens drafted 9 Russians. None of them made it to the NHL (one played 3 NHL games while another played 6 NHL games and another played 11 NHL games). All nine of them are still active in the KHL this season.

Cw mate are you agreeing with me?

 

[cw]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

Between 2002 and 2005, the Sens drafted 9 Russians. None of them made it to the NHL (one played 3 NHL games while another played 6 NHL games and another played 11 NHL games). All nine of them are still active in the KHL this season.

Cw mate are you agreeing with me?

Not necessarily for the guys currently in the CHL.

 

[Edeagle]

I can't believe what I've watched over the last couple of weeks. Even given the last 5 or so years.. this has been an unimaginable meltdown, I was completely unprepared. I have tickets to the game St. Pat's day in Ottawa, I don't even want to go any more.. but it's my friend's birthday. I'm seriously considering not wearing any Leaf gear.

*Winnipeg is up 3-0 on Florida right now.. we're choking in the dust of half the freaking SE division. What a joke, we're done.

 

[Bonsixx]

I can't believe what I've watched over the last couple of weeks. Even given the last 5 or so years.. this has been an unimaginable meltdown, I was completely unprepared. I have tickets to the game St. Pat's day in Ottawa, I don't even want to go any more.. but it's my friend's birthday. I'm seriously considering not wearing any Leaf gear.

Say it ain't so.

 

[Edeagle]

I can't believe what I've watched over the last couple of weeks. Even given the last 5 or so years.. this has been an unimaginable meltdown, I was completely unprepared. I have tickets to the game St. Pat's day in Ottawa, I don't even want to go any more.. but it's my friend's birthday. I'm seriously considering not wearing any Leaf gear.

Say it ain't so.

It is so.. I might wear my Leaf socks.. 
I'll discreetly cheer for them while they more than likely get hammered by a play-off team that was almost unanimously picked to finish dead last (why are the analysts always right when they pick Toronto to be horrible?)..
I'll then drink way too much green beer and spend the 3rd period crying quietly in the bathroom. Woe is me.. woe is all of Leafland  :'(

 

[Deebo]

I haven't put my Leaf jerseys on in years apart from the one I use on the Ice.

 

[Madferret]

I'd rather burn that 1st on one of those aformentioned goalies than on a Russian - I'd consider the Russian the bigger flight risk

Between 2002 and 2005, the Sens drafted 9 Russians. None of them made it to the NHL (one played 3 NHL games while another played 6 NHL games and another played 11 NHL games). All nine of them are still active in the KHL this season.

Cw mate are you agreeing with me?

Not necessarily for the guys currently in the CHL.

Fair enough - you see where I'm coming from at least

 

[hap_leaf]

No they are not a playoff team and at this juncture I would be hard pressed to say we are "better".  Only 2 teams have let in more goals than us over the season.  Schenn is not getting better, Kulemin has regressed, Kadri has not stuck with the team and only Gardiner seems to inspire fans and analysts that he may develop into a good player.  Millions of dollars of player salary sits in the pressbox every game.  We will be the only team since the lockout to have not made the playoffs.
Sometimes it seems a Leaf fan is a glutton for punishment.