The leafs should _____ offseason thread

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

I'm no Leafs apologist, I think they're a generally horribly constructed team but one has to think that this year was just bad injury luck. I have no issue claiming that they win that series if they had a full lineup. Losing Nylander for 3 games and then Matthews is a blow that most teams wouldn't be able to come back from. But I understand their fans are frustrated and don't care either way. Just an outsiders perspective of a series that took Game 7 OT to be decided, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that with margins that thin they probably win the series fully healthy. Or at least maybe missing some bottom line guys instead of Matthews and Nylander.

Also, important point here - it's no longer simply "enough" to just make the playoffs. I hope teams realize this and put more emphasis on getting 2 points throughout the regular season. There were a TON of mailed in games this year from Vegas, Toronto, NYI etc etc. You have GOT to avoid bloodbath first round matchups if you want to win the cup. The playoffs are too long and too physical to be getting into a 7 game war of attrition in the first round. You leave your entire season up to a coin flip series that even if you win you're getting a chunk taken out of you to move on. Matchups are also huge and teams should be jockeying for whatever first round matchup suits them better even if that means sitting guys in games 81/82

 

[Leafblooded]

You lost me at Habs

 

[serp]

Tried new coaching, tried getting better supporting cast players, it’s time to shake up the core. Worst case scenario after a big trade is pretty much the status quo- first round fodder. A major jolt is needed

Keefe has been Leafs coach for 5 seasons . So i'd say his time should be up too. Not just a core shake-up but also another coach and Shanahan probably also should go.

Keefe is one of the longest tenured coaches in the league now.

 

[DamonDRW]

As much as I love seeing Leafs drama, I have to admit that they never had an easy opponent in the first round. It has a not like Oilers that constantly see diminished Kings in their 1st round.

 

[serp]

As much as I love seeing Leafs drama, I have to admit that they never had an easy opponent in the first round. It has a not like Oilers that constantly see diminished Kings in their 1st round.

They lost to the Blue Jackets in the play-in in 2020 and that loss to the Habs in 2021 after beeing up 3-1 is just inexcuseable. After those losses something really should've changed but instead they just kept it going for 3 more seasons.

 

[Dirty Dan]

My take from what I watched was .

Matthews had the effort . But seemed he didn't have a lot of support on his line. He doesn't seem like a Line driver. Missing Nylander I think hurt. Nylander strikes me more of a line driver play maker player with nice finish.

Tavares best days are long behind him. Could be a decent 3rd line depth player but he is making 1C money. Resign him for cheap or let him walk.

Marner is not built for playoffs. He doesn't even try to battle along the boards. He looks like he is scared of contact. He has a top notch defensive side to his game and he is full of skill. But often grit can rub out skill as we see with him year after year. Resign for much cheaper or trade/let him walk.

They had decent goaltending. Was great at times and also poopy at times. Was good enough to win with it seemed.

They have too much money tied into 4 forwards who get shut down year after year. They have had a lot of time to figure it out and haven't. They need to free up some of that cap space and bring in some depth and character guys that play the right way and have energy. They don't have the worst D but it could like most teams add depth. Depth cannot be under estimated in the post season.

They are in need of a retool. Which they should be able to do by the end of next year with Tavares and Marner contracts coming off the books. They have some of the right pieces but need to figure it out. I unfortunately don't think Their GM is the right guy to do it.

They can't resign Marner for cheaper. They have him on the PP, PK. Have him putting up close to 100 points

How do you sign that guy to a 7mil deal on paper. Don't know how the leafs keep getting these Selke nominations

 

[La Bamba]

What about the other 24 teams that are eliminated?

this response encapsulates the loser mentality perfectly lol

a cope mechanism

 

[Norwegianoiler]

I made it to “contamined”

Soft. Can't get through many posts with that attitude. We need more robust readers around here if that's your standard. Backcheck, read again, backcheck, read again, and then fight to find meaning in the corners. Take no shifts off.

 

[Norwegianoiler]

this response encapsulates the loser mentality perfectly lol

a cope mechanism

Perhaps. But let's not forget the purpose and usefulness of coping mechanisms. We speak of them as if they are innately negative. They are instinctive barriers between us and the unbearable truths. Exposing ourselves completely to these all the time can be damaging and not least exhausting. Better to dip our toes in the water and make little concessions to the truth, piece by piece. Maybe we just need to get pucks deep more and take it one shift at a time?

 

[God]

The only soft Leaf is maybe Marner. Their playoff failures have been due to the fact that their defense corps is bad. Bertuzzi and Domi are fun folk hero signings but that money (and the Klingberg money) should've gone to literally anybody else.

Keefe is also an average coach and they need another voice in that room.

 

[Chet Manley]

There are alot of coaches available if they don't sit on their hands too long.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

Soft, weak, fragile and heartless. Not just today, but running back 5 plus decades.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Could be partially the losing mindset, but I really think it’s more about culture around the core four.

Pretty much given the keys to the city and mega contracts before accomplishing anything. That Marner “gods” comment seems somewhat telling.

That locker room needs a culture shift.

Getting Marner and Tavares off the book, along with other pending free agents should be top priority. That’ll open up opportunities to build the team properly.

I liked the additions Treliving brought in, if they have more space to work with they can improve.

Heck, despite the outcome they played really well against a top Boston side. Had they had a semblance of a good dcorps they would have closed out game 7 and there wouldn’t be this thread.

 

[Toby91ca]

As a Habs fan, I have to say that ... where? One goal away from winning the first round? And then what? The Leafs were nowhere. This first round matchup featured two pretty weak teams, case in point Boston is a favorite to get tossed quickly in the second round. Yet this comment sounded exactly like it would if they just lost a SCF game 7.

To be fair, Boston had home ice advantage in that series and were supposed to win no? They are a favorite to get tossed quickly in 2nd round? They won game 1, 5-1 last night

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

This kinda thing makes me laugh considering people give Yzerman shit for signing plugs that keep the team from settling into a loser mindset.

 

[Hugh Mongusbig]

Give the core 4 another run with a new coach?
I hear some saying they’re getting outcoached (NHL channel hosts)
So a new voice maybe?

Tried that already. That's what the last 4/5 years has been. This loser core couldn't win with a proven hardass coach like Babcock, who they chased out of town for being too mean.. they then go out and got a "players coach", Keefe, the anti-babcock and that hasn't gotten any better results either.

I don't think Scotty Bowman could do anything with this bunch. It's not the coaching, it's the players, or more specifically, the current mix of players that makes up the current core.

Get rid of 1 or better yet, 2 of the current core and build around the other 2. spread the cap savings out on building a better team around them.

 

[banks]

I don't even care about mentality or excuses anymore. It doesn't matter. They actually played really well, and could easily have taken the series if a few things bounced differently. But that doesn't matter either. It's just too many chances with the same core. They now need change for change's sake.

They could be saying all the wrong things in their exit interviews, or all the right things. It doesn't matter. Change it up anyway, you can't reward failure again in this kind of results-oriented business. They're pro athletes, they know the job. This core failed for 8 straight years when they were expected and paid to do great things. It's time to end it.

The GM is new, he'll stay. Matthews won another Rocket and was nominated for a Selke. You can't find that elsewhere, he'll stay. Everyone else, coaches, players, executives, trainers, and team presidents should be up in the air.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

What shocks me is the fact that every year, they find new and innovative ways to disappoint their fans. You can predict the Leafs will lose, but you can never predict how.

I even told myself there's no way they'll get bounced in yet another game 7 by the Bruins and thought they'd be done by game 6 but no, they made it to game 7 and made their fans hopeful, only to crush them again. It's not enough to just lose, they have to make it spectacular.

This is a special kind of talent.

They have taken the torch from the Washington Capitals in terms of finding new and inventive ways to mash their fans hearts into a pulp. At least Washington mostly blew it in the second round.

 

[Rob Brown]

this response encapsulates the loser mentality perfectly lol

a cope mechanism

Not really. If you go look at the Leafs boards, there is tons of negativity/honesty/blunt reactions. Leafs fans are fully aware of the failures and that something has to change. We all know the current Leafs team/org is collectively a loser. Do you think you know something that we don't?

His point is that people like you obsess over the Leafs losing but don't seem to comment on the other teams that were also bounced. If the Bruins blew the series would there be a thread by OP? Probably not.

 

[Blue Shakehead]

Matthews and Nylander injure themselves down the stretch trying to hit individual accomplishments in meaningless games. Woll injures himself trying to maintain his shutout with 0.1 second left in a 2-0 game. That is 9 year old behavior.

 

[Rob Brown]

Matthews and Nylander injure themselves down the stretch trying to hit individual accomplishments in meaningless games. Holl injures himself trying to maintain his shutout with 0.1 second left in a 2-0 game. That is 9 year old behavior.

Matthews and Nylander didn't injure themselves down the stretch. One was sick after Game 2 and then got hurt in Game 4 and the other had migraines, which isn't an injury that could have been sustained in a game.

Holl is also a defenseman on Detroit. If you're going to chirp at least get the name correct. That is 9 year old behavior.

 

[hatterson]

The only soft Leaf is maybe Marner. Their playoff failures have been due to the fact that their defense corps is bad. Bertuzzi and Domi are fun folk hero signings but that money (and the Klingberg money) should've gone to literally anybody else.

Keefe is also an average coach and they need another voice in that room.

They scored 12 goals in 7 games. In the losses they scored 1, 2, 1, and 1 goals. Defense wasn't what killed them this year. It was offense not showing up (and special teams being legendarily bad)

 

[Blue Shakehead]

Matthews and Nylander didn't injure themselves down the stretch. One was sick and then got hurt in Game 4 and the other had migraines, which isn't an injury that could have been sustained in a game.

Holl is also a defenseman on Detroit. If you're going to chirp at least get the name correct. That is 9 year old behavior.

Excellent points, well argued. I forgot about all the playoff games Tom Brady had to miss because he was chasing records. Actually they weren't even records - they were stats. lmfao.

When you boil it all down, its the culture of defending this loser mentality and then blindly supporting it with $850 ticket prices that allows it to happen. Mitch Marner is the only star who was actually playing through a legitimate injury and he's getting run out of town. Bravo.

 

[Rob Brown]

Excellent points, well argued. I forgot about all the playoff games Tom Brady had to miss because he was chasing records.

When you boil it all down, its the culture of defending this loser mentality and then blindly supporting it with $850 ticket prices that allows it to happen. Mitch Marner is the only star who was actually playing through a legitimate injury and he's getting run out of town. Bravo.

You said they were injured in games down the stretch. Matthews played in Games 1, 2 (and dominated, I might add), and 3, so how was he hurt down the stretch? He got sick then got hurt in Game 4. Nylander had migraines, that would have made it difficult for anyone to play, so how was he hurt down the stretch? You're just making shit up and passing it off as truth.

Ticket prices are a whole different topic but I'd add that you can get into the building for far less than that (as I do every year), so spare me the nonsense.

 

[MCR74]

You said they were injured in games down the stretch. Matthews played in Games 1, 2 (and dominated, I might add), and 3, so how was he hurt down the stretch? He got sick then got hurt in Game 4. Nylander had migraines, that would have made it difficult for anyone to play, so how was he hurt down the stretch? You're just making shit up and passing it off as truth.

Ticket prices are a whole different topic but I'd add that you can get into the building for far less than that (as I do every year), so spare me the nonsense.

So nice of a Habs fan to be concerned with the Leafs dressing room, don't you think?