The core, on offense. On defense: well....

[ZBBM]

It's absurdly early to declare anything like this, but man, based on the games so far I could totally go for a long-term forward core of

Matthews
Nylander
Marner
Brown

and build the offense around them.  I look at these guys and can legitimately dream of them being our Toews/Kane/Hossa/+ someday.  And not so far away.

On defense, Zaitsev has intrigued so far.  Who knows what his topline is?  Rielly, I think, hasn't been very good these first few games but he is probably a first-pairing guy and at worst a #3.  But we need more.

I guess my not very originally secondary point is, no matter where we may be in the standings as the trade deadline approaches, I would listen to offers for JVR/Kadri/Bozak/Komarov, any of the veteran skaters, for a good defenseman or a good pick that can be used to draft defensemen.

The primary point, though, is that I really don't want to see them have to part with one of my suggested core guys to get that needed defenseman.  I'd try almost anything else first.

 

[mr grieves]

There's no denying that Rielly is off to a very slow start, and, even at his best, it's far from certain that he'll ever be the #1D we want. #3 at worst though, sure.

But I also think the Leafs' D being horribly exposed these last few games is largely on vets (Polak, Hunwick) and marginal guys (Marincin), and I think you might be overreacting to Rielly's rough start, neglecting Gardiner, and underselling the potential of promising players on the roster (Corrado, Carrick) and in the system (Dermott, Nielsen). If management treated the D as they did the forwards, and demoted the marginal Polak and Hunwick as they did the equally marginal Laich and Greening, would we have as much cause for concern? I'd wager we'd see errors, as we do with Matthews and Nylander, but not an inability to perform... 

So, I guess my response to the primary point has two parts. First, there might be players in the system sufficient to construct a legitimate top 4 -- but only time (and opportunity) will tell. And, second, if we have to part with one of the top 3 to acquire a sure-shot, bonafide #1D, well... how many elite forwards do most contenders have? Two, I think, is the average, and losing one of Matthews, Marner, or Nylander might just be the price you have to pay if you want to relieve your uncertainty about the blue line.

 

[hockeyfan1]

I'd give Reilly some time to see exactly how and where his development is going.  I'm not ready to renounce him yet.

As per the detence in general, it looks more like the vets are not leading the way.  Zattsev, Gardiner are steady.  Looks good there.  Then what?
Need to see and give a chance as to what some of our prospects can do.

If the team is in a learning process, then management needs to learn (and fine tune) too.

 

[McGarnagle]

Out of curiosity, I looked at the pending D UFAs in 17. Yikes.
Burns
Markov
Streit
Wideman
Kulikov
Shattenkirk
Stone
Del Zotto
Smid

I can't see SJ letting Burns go, so there's nothing there I'd be salivating over. It's going to have to be Draft/Trade to substantially improve the D corps I would think.

 

[sickbeast]

The team has impressed me thus far.  A lot.  To take a team like Chicago to overtime is very impressive.  With better goaltending they would be doing much better.  They probably could have drafted a couple of decent defensemen with the picks they wasted on Andersen...

 

[freer]

The team has impressed me thus far.  A lot.  To take a team like Chicago to overtime is very impressive.  With better goaltending they would be doing much better.  They probably could have drafted a couple of decent defensemen with the picks they wasted on Andersen...

You need a good Goalie, which Lou that he was getting. Management probably is not counting this year as a tank year, and are hoping we will be close to making the playoffs, and Sparks and Bibeau were not going to get us there. We also have a few good D-men in the AHL who will be ready to come up next season

 

[sickbeast]

Bernier could have played out his contract.

 

[freer]

Bernier could have played out his contract.

Yes I am sure you are correct if you honestly wanted to tank this season because he is absolutely garbage

 

[sickbeast]

Andersen honestly doesn't look any better at this point. I don't think they are tanking this season but I also don't think they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, with Andersen or without him. He certainly wasn't worth the draft picks. Let alone the contract.

 

[Redleaf]

I would suggest that even the best goaltenders in the game struggle from time to time. I would also suggest that that happens more to goalies that are coming off recent injuries, starting on a new team and with new systems, playing behind a porous defence, and those without a wealth of experience in the national hockey league. Having all those things working against him, I would be willing to give him more than just 4 games with his new team before coming to my final analysis or before pronouncing him a BUST.

 

[freer]

Andersen honestly doesn't look any better at this point. I don't think they are tanking this season but I also don't think they have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, with Andersen or without him. He certainly wasn't worth the draft picks. Let alone the contract.

Bernier is a undersized goalie who was never going to be a #1. Andersen proved he can be #1 last year. Besides Bernier contract was only 500.00 less then Andersen's

 

[herman]

Don't be fooled by the blown late leads: TOR is playing well. Need to learn to hold on tight at the end but at least they're creating leads.

? Sean Tierney (@SeanTierneyTss) October 23, 2016

 

[Highlander]

If Neilson keeps on his current trajectory then I think we may have found a stud D man in that pick.  He seems to be doing everything right with the Marlies.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

If Neilson keeps on his current trajectory then I think we may have found a stud D man in that pick.  He seems to be doing everything right with the Marlies.

No he doesn't, he's had some offensive highlights but both he and Dermott have looked bad in their own end a lot of the time.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Having all those things working against him, I would be willing to give him more than just 4 games with his new team before coming to my final analysis or before pronouncing him a BUST.

We wrote him off after his first pre-game skate. Where have you been?

 

[TBLeafer]

The core being built starts with the two that got six year signings and grows from there.

Based on age:

Kadri
Zaitsev
Rielly
Brown
Nylander
Marner
Matthews

That's a solid core 7.

If they sign Koma, Bozak, JVR and Gards at the end of next season, provided none of them are selected by Vegas this summer, then they will be doing so as a complimentary player to support that core.

 

[disco]

You can see the skill/game-breaker players now, Auston, Willie and Mitch inserted this year above our most skilled last year (Naz, JVR). This being about year 2.5 of a SCORCHED EARTH rebuild, man the future is bright. Had extra picks last year, have extra this year and more again next year I believe. If we can hit a stud defenceman and a franchise goalie with one of them, we'll eventually become something like the Hawks hopefully, contending for a long string of years. The core will be homegrown and ours for a decade.

 

[herman]

http://theleafsnation.com/2016/10/25/the-leafs-aren-t-that-concerning-and-the-wins-will-come

1. Toronto have five points in their first five games. Last year, it took 11 games to hit the five point plateau.

2. Through these first five games, Toronto has coughed up seven individual leads in four games. Last year, it took the Leafs until the fourth game of the season to get ahead in a game, and until November 15th to get their seventh lead of the season.

3. Rookie phenom Auston Matthews has blessed our hearts and our souls by being dominant to the tune of eight points in his first five NHL games played. The last time a Leafs rookie made the team out of his first training camp, Luke Schenn picked up his eighth point of the season on March 14th.

4. In fact, last season, it took until November 3rd for any Leafs player to score 8 points; Morgan Rielly being the one to achieve the feat.

5. Keeping on the subject of Auston, let's look at his line. The trio of Zach Hyman, William Nylander, and Himself currently sit sixth in the league in team-relative shot attempts, with a Corsi-For percentage of 55.74% that ranks 5th if you don't adjust for those around them. Adjust for score effects (the Leafs have blown a bunch of multi-goal leads, after all), and they move up to fourth while the JVR-Bozak-Marner line sneaks into 8th. Presently, the kid line has more goals than any other in the league at even strength, with 5.

6. In fact, the team on, the whole, has been a bit of an offensive juggernaut of late. Even without adjusting for score, Toronto is one of the most lethal even-strength teams in the game to start the year, but once you do that, Corsica has the Blue and White in 2nd in the league in rate of shots towards the net (2nd unadjusted), 2nd in unblocked attempts (9th), 1st in shots on goal (4th), 3rd in expected goals (7th), 2nd in scoring chances (4th), and 3rd in actual goals (4th).

 

[ZBBM]

Not sure why you left this out:

7. Defence appears to be the major concern, though. But even then, score adjustment ranks the Leafs 15th in shot attempt against rate (26th), 12th in unblocked attempts (19th), 4th in shots against (10th), 10th in expected goals against (8th), and 9th in scoring chances against (15th). That's an above average defensive team to start the year, and that's despite certain shot-bleeding defensive defencemen existing. The areas where they're weak un-adjusted align with the idea of team's attempting riskier shots while trailing against Toronto (score effects), which suggests that the team is, by and large, doing the right things.

This was written before last night's gong show, so all those numbers are going down I expect.

I don't think anyone is unhappy with the offensive play of the young forwards -- they are showing that offense is not now, and likely won't ever be, a problem.  And I think discerning fans understand that their poor defensive play so far is something that will improve with Babcock's coaching (it's not for lack of effort, as far as I can see ... none of them are floating).

The problem is squarely with the defensemen and goaltending.  There, the Leafs are "that concerning."

 

[herman]

Not sure why you left this out:

Made you click  ;D