Leafs vs Sabres. Which Big 3 will be more successful.

[Team Cozens]

Leafs vs Sabres. It will be interesting to see which strategy turns out to have more success. Leafs built around their Big 4 offense (now Big 3) with lots of regular season success particularity on the PP and in OT. They didn't have a lots of cap space to build up their D. Sabres on the other hand are building around their D with Dahlin (1st OA), Power (1st OA) and now Byram (4th OA). It will take some time to see the results as the Sabres trio is only 23, 22, 21 where as Nylander, Matthews and Marner are already 27, 26, 26. What you say.

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[Ezpz]

I will vote for potential since we already know Toronto's three aren't winning anything.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I will vote for potential since we already know Toronto's three aren't winning anything.

Ridiculous answer to start this thread off right.

 

[JimmyApples]

Leafs aren’t built for the playoffs. Gimme the Sabres big 3

 

[Mattilaus]

Sabres don't get any confidence from me until they can actually make the playoffs. Voting Toronto's top 3 because Sabres haven't earned the benefit of the doubt.

 

[BB88]

Based on what we’ve seen I’d guess in 10 years time we’ll look back and say Buffalo

 

[Despote]

Based on what we’ve seen I’d guess in 10 years time we’ll look back and say Buffalo

Based on what we've seen I'd guess in 10 years time Buffalo still hasn't made the playoffs.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I am just gonna say we have had this conversation about the Leafs and Sens core for what 3? 4 years now? It is Peter Griffin taking the mystery box over a boat because it could be a boat. HF never learns though!

 

[VaporTrail]

Sabres fan voting Leafs at this point.

 

[BB88]

Based on what we've seen I'd guess in 10 years time Buffalo still hasn't made the playoffs.

Right now all they have to do is beat 1 playoff series win

That’s not the worst bet to take

 

[Ezpz]

I am just gonna say we have had this conversation about the Leafs and Sens core for what 3? 4 years now? It is Peter Griffin taking the mystery box over a boat because it could be a boat. HF never learns though!

Leafs have dipped early in the playoffs every year and at least one of the big 3 no-shows every year. I'm not sure how we're expecting them, now several years into their primes, to suddenly improve. Tavares is also washed up so they're even less deep than they were in previous years.

Keith-Seabrook-Hjalmarsson were a much bigger reason for the Hawks three cups than Kane or Toews or even Hossa. You don't win a cup with anti niemi in net from offense. Seabrook's decline and trading Hjalmarsson ended the Hawks run more than anything else. They never made the playoffs again after that except in the bubble.

Unless you think individual awards are the measure of success and you're misinterpreting the entire premises of the thread.

 

[Steven Toast]

Leafs core has actually had some success at this point, and were also a playoff team when their core players were buffalos age.

 

[Leafidelity]

Toronto's core 3 has never missed the playoffs, from their rookie seasons onward

 

[The Podium]

The Leafs core make the playoffs every year but they haven’t figured it out so obviously it’s Buffalos core who haven’t even sniffed the playoffs

 

[Dirty Dog]

I am just gonna say we have had this conversation about the Leafs and Sens core for what 3? 4 years now? It is Peter Griffin taking the mystery box over a boat because it could be a boat. HF never learns though!

It’s a mystery box vs a broken boat. If you want a working boat in this analogy, the leafs are no boat

 

[Chainshot]

Leaf trio.

 

[Stephen]

The Leafs core make the playoffs every year but they haven’t figured it out so obviously it’s Buffalos core who haven’t even sniffed the playoffs

Also have to remember this Leafs core once went H2H vs Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, E. Kane, Okposo, Olofsson, Skinner, Mittelstadt, Ristolainen, McCabe, Dahlin, Ullmark, etc. in a more age appropriate message board match up and see how that has gone over the years.

Sabres can be a great team, talent doesn't seem to be your problem though and hasn't been for a long time given the great players who have played in Buffalo. Something else going on in the hockey ops that seems to be holding you back. Toronto isn't really your benchmark though... you're trying to become a playoff team like the Sens and Wings.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Leafs have dipped early in the playoffs every year and at least one of the big 3 no-shows every year. I'm not sure how we're expecting them, now several years into their primes, to suddenly improve. Tavares is also washed up so they're even less deep than they were in previous years.

Keith-Seabrook-Hjalmarsson were a much bigger reason for the Hawks three cups than Kane or Toews or even Hossa. You don't win a cup with anti niemi in net from offense. Seabrook's decline and trading Hjalmarsson ended the Hawks run more than anything else. They never made the playoffs again after that except in the bubble.

Unless you think individual awards are the measure of success and you're misinterpreting the entire premises of the thread.

I am not and never compared them to the Hawks though? This idea of taking a core that hasn't even proven to be able to make the playoffs over a not over the hill Leafs core that is a playoff team year in year out is ridiculous though. The thing about winning in the playoffs is to have a chance you actually have to be there though.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Star forwards can carry an average team. Star defensemen can't really do that, goal prevention is still vastly weighted to goaltending and they're simply not going to tilt the ice the way forwards can. I'd also say Byram and Power have a long way to go before being stars.

 

[Crow]

Star forwards can carry an average team. Star defensemen can't really do that, goal prevention is still vastly weighted to goaltending and they're simply not going to tilt the ice the way forwards can. I'd also say Byram and Power have a long way to go before being stars.

Makar + and Duncan Keith + both carried their teams to a cup.

I’m still taking the leafs though.

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

This is hard to answer. Toronto has had thier trio for seven years and has made it to the playoffs every year and has been to the second round of the playoffs once. So to me, the question is will Buffalo be in the playoffs next year and beyond and get past the second round within the next 5-6 years. I'm betting yes. I think Buffalo will beat that starting next year. They will make the playoffs from next year on and go futher then the second round withen the next six years.

 

[TS Quint]

The Leafs stars have been chokers. But will continue to get chances to prove themselves.

The Sabres stars...most aren't really stars yet and haven't shown the ability to even get the opportunity to choke.

Sabres shouldn't be in the conversation with the Leafs. They need to at least make the playoffs to begin this conversation. Then those Sabres players need to be the top 3 players on the team.

 

[Martin Skoula]

This is hard to answer. Toronto has had thier trio for seven years and has made it to the playoffs every year and has been to the second round of the playoffs once. So to me, the question is will Buffalo be in the playoffs next year and beyond and get past the second round within the next 5-6 years. I'm betting yes. I think Buffalo will beat that starting next year. They will make the playoffs from next year on and go futher then the second round withen the next six years.

The problem is the imminent Sabres Dynasty is going to run into the imminent Sens Dynasty every year. What happens when an unstoppable force (the deepest forward group in the league) meets an immovable object (the Sabres D)?

 

[JimmyApples]

The Leafs stars have been chokers. But will continue to get chances to prove themselves.

The Sabres stars...most aren't really stars yet and haven't shown the ability to even get the opportunity to choke.

Sabres shouldn't be in the conversation with the Leafs. They need to at least make the playoffs to begin this conversation. Then those Sabres players need to be the top 3 players on the team.

The problem is, we have seen the Leafs ceiling: make the playoffs, if super lucky, lose in the second round. I’d probably take the risk of just missing the playoffs over the guarantee of making it but choking every year.

 

[TS Quint]

The problem is, we have seen the Leafs ceiling: make the playoffs, if super lucky, lose in the second round. I’d probably take the risk of just missing the playoffs over the guarantee of making it but choking every year.

I don't think you know what the term ceiling means.