Speculation: Leafs or Habs! Who you picking to win??
- Thread starter Back in Black
- Start date
PlayersLtd
Registered User
- Mar 6, 2019
- 1,253
- 1,526
Make a push for Hyman maybe. No interest in the attitude any other player on that roster would bring to the excellent mix we have right now.
Do Make Say Think
& Yet & Yet
- Jun 26, 2007
- 51,169
- 9,909
I feel fantastic.
However the Leafs board is a pretty sad read. They have just completely given up.
It still makes me happy but it is far less entertaining than reading the Habs board after we beat them!!
Looking forward for some Habs tears after the Jets send them packing.
However the Leafs board is a pretty sad read. They have just completely given up.
It still makes me happy but it is far less entertaining than reading the Habs board after we beat them!!
Looking forward for some Habs tears after the Jets send them packing.
Senscore
Let's keep it cold
- Nov 19, 2012
- 20,161
- 14,926
All those Leaf fans will be back pushing that rock up a hill in a few months convinced next year will be different.
Yak
Registered User
saskriders
Can't Hold Leads
DJB
Registered User
Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
Ok but who? Marner (~11 M$ for 4 more years) doesn't seem to have the body/makeup to thrive in the playoffs. Tavares (11 M$ for 4 more years) is going on 31 y/o. Matthews is great but 3 years left before UFA is very risky for Ottawa (and would cost a pretty damn big penny, they'd want Tkachuk + Norris + maybe more). The only one that'd make sense is Nylander but they'd want a D-man and a forward depht (would they accept Brannstrom + Connor Brown? Or they'd want Sanderson+?). Personally, I just don't trade Sanderson (Heiskanen was a NO for Erik Karlsson so you get my thinking) unless is to acquire someone like Barkov (extended), Point, Aho, etc, guys that SHOULD NEVER be available.
That team is overrated (big market hype). I don't think they have that much skill... They are actually not that mch different than the Oilers. A few great talents but not much skill behind them.
McDavid + Draisaitl > Matthews + Marner
RNH + Yamamoto + Puljujarvi < Tavares + Nylander + Hyman
Nurse + Barrie + Larsson + Russell/Bear < Rielly + Muzzin + Holl + Brodie
The difference in what gives "more depth" to the Leafs is John Tavares and him missing the whole series probably made the difference in the end (plus Muzzin at the end of game 6 and for the whole game 7). Brodie acquisition alsso helped the Leafs this year.
I think the Leafs also got overrated because of the "names" they had in the lineup. Joe Thornton is completely useless. Jason Spezza really did his best but is also almost 38 y/o. Simmonds is now a grinder, Foligno as well. I love Mikheyev and Engvall though but they don't produce much offense. Same with Kerfoot, he is a fast skating Tierney
So where is all this skill we are talking about? IMO we are building a deeper and more skilled overall lineup. Not as many of those "elite talents" at the top, but if they are not making the difference in the playoffs, what's the point?
Maybe Marc Methot was right
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DJB
Registered User
The Leafs are the early 2000 Sens. They don't have heart.
Their top 6 is buttery soft and yet...so is their bottom 6. Engvall, Mikeyev, Galchenyuk are wasted roster spots.
If I were GM I'd replace those 3 with an actual physical 4th line that can play and it would be huge.
Id also get rid of all those old guys who are done. And I'd move Nylander for a top 4 dman that can QB a pp but is capable enough that they aren't a liability defensively.
Not easy to do but can be done.
Their top 6 is buttery soft and yet...so is their bottom 6. Engvall, Mikeyev, Galchenyuk are wasted roster spots.
If I were GM I'd replace those 3 with an actual physical 4th line that can play and it would be huge.
Id also get rid of all those old guys who are done. And I'd move Nylander for a top 4 dman that can QB a pp but is capable enough that they aren't a liability defensively.
Not easy to do but can be done.
SensFactor
Registered User
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
I wasn’t as concerned with their core as I was their weakened support.
They gave up tons of speed and energy to the point where the top line were the only guys capable of creating anything consistently.
It’s a cautionary tale for us in terms of sacrificing team chemistry, energy and speed to try and front-load the team.
Even with Tavares, that bottom six was not going to win a Cup.
This vaunted “grit” they talked about were old and slow in Foligno and Simmonds.
You need speed and energy and pressure to get things done in the post season.
In any event, we had a preview of this Leafs’ team true colours when they blew that 5-1 game to us earlier in the season.
They gave up tons of speed and energy to the point where the top line were the only guys capable of creating anything consistently.
It’s a cautionary tale for us in terms of sacrificing team chemistry, energy and speed to try and front-load the team.
Even with Tavares, that bottom six was not going to win a Cup.
This vaunted “grit” they talked about were old and slow in Foligno and Simmonds.
You need speed and energy and pressure to get things done in the post season.
In any event, we had a preview of this Leafs’ team true colours when they blew that 5-1 game to us earlier in the season.
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You have to give a credit to Habs coach, who installed a very nice system, when players collapsing on a puck carrier with active sticks and with a constant threat to hit. If you add a blatant holding, which is never called during the playoffs, Marner is absolutely useless in this situation. He could be insulated along big bodies like Tkachuk and company. But Leafs are not build in that shape or form. Imaging if Tkachuk and Batherson will be able to hang on opponents like an old coat. It is a game changer right there. If I would be Marner, I would explore a team, where he could be insulated like this to be affective in the playoffs. The road to success for Marner is not playing with an another best offensive player, who does nothing to create a room for you, but just waiting for a nice pass to score. But to be on a line with players who make a room for your creative plays and have a decent finishing ability themselves. I can not believe it, that Leafs management could not figure this out.
We have to stop acting like Brady will 100% be a massive playoff performer because he has leadership abilities and intangibles. He has played 0 playoff games and until he does it is unknown how he performs in the big moments. Nylander was by far the best leafs player in this series so I’m not sure why Toronto would even remotely consider this deal.
What a wonderful day today. The grass seems greener, the air feels fresher. The leaf memes are rolling in. 
Amazing hearing despondent leaf fans wanting to trade Marner for Tkachuk.
I cant decide which clock time to set my old broken analag clock at for posterity: 5 to 1 or 3 to 1.
Amazing hearing despondent leaf fans wanting to trade Marner for Tkachuk.
I cant decide which clock time to set my old broken analag clock at for posterity: 5 to 1 or 3 to 1.
trentmccleary
Registered User
They don't even have enough picks to do anything at the trade deadline next year, unless they start cannibalizing the 2023 draft too. If they do that, you'd have to think that Dubas would have a very short leash and a new GM would inherit a complete mess of an organization.
Remaining picks:
2021 = 2nd, 5th, 6th
2022 = 1st, 2nd, 7th
2023 & beyond = full slate
I like Nylander and Sandin and I thought they played well, but hell no I wouldnt trade Brady until we see what he's fully capable of. He's literally built for playoff hockey.
I don’t know much about the Leafs prospect pool, but with so few picks coming and their salary structures, I think they badly need a few prospects to outperform their ELCs if they want to be successful. Filling up their bottom 6 with washed up vets isn’t effective.
playasRus
Registered User
- Mar 21, 2009
- 9,284
- 2,015
One of the few reasons why Brady on a bridge would make sense for us, but not fo rhim. Although Poor Playoff performance won't change his long term contract demans in 3 years if he's scoring 60-70 points and we get swept the last two years of his bridge. He'll still be an 8+ mil x 8 years.
SPF6ty9
Registered User
Agreed that Brady has no playoff experience yet, but I do remember him being a monster at the WJC which may be the closest environment he's been in yet. The thing with Tkachuk is, he's a useful player when he isn't scoring.
As for Nylander, he played a great series, I would question whether it was the product of the Habs selling out to stop the Matthews line. With Tavares out, Nylander was the only big secondary threat they had, better to let him do his thing and focus on stopping Matthews and Marner. Pretty sure in prior series' Nylander was up there for them as a scapegoat. I remember him spending all his time out on the perimeter against Columbus last year.
You give me a choice of Nylander or Brady, I'll take Brady easy.
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