Must Feel good to be a Leaf Fan

[mashedpotato]

Outside view here - I'm not a Leaf fan; though it's fashionable to hate on you guys, I have to admit, there's not much content to work with.

You're a legit team. Top to bottom you've skill and speed. Your leadership instills a work effort and compete level that is very impressive. Your defense seems to have been bolstered by youth and experience. Your entire lineup is young and full of potential.

Congrats on your turn around.

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[weems]

Ya I've been such a pessimistic fan the past 10 years or so and was always calling for a rebuild.

Matthews, Nylander and Marner have without one doubt franchise level talent. I know this will be argued but I could see in 2-3 years time no team in the league having 3 forwards of this caliber.

The defence is shaping up nicely. Borgman, Dermott, Rosen, Liljegren is a nice collection of players to have waiting in the wings. The Leafs defence gets mocked by many opposing team fans but I think its going to turn around pretty quickly on its own. I think both Borgman and Demott could play in the league right now but management might want one or both in the minors getting more icetime.

We also have some nice depth prospects who look close to ready who wont make the team.

I think theres a good reason why Vegas has us with the 9th best odds to win the cup. I dont think its necessarly that they think its going to happen this year but the recognize just how much friggin talent is here and at some point very soon this team is going to dominate (just like Edmonton is this season).

 

[ShaneFalco]

After decades of punishment, things are finally starting to look good

 

[LeafsNation75]

The Leafs also got some lucky breaks. For example and with the benefit on hindsight it was great that Nylander feel to them at 8th overall in 2014 and how the Coyotes didn't select Marner 3rd overall in 2015. How many times did the reverse happen where the Leafs selected someone in the 1st round to have a better player get selected a few picks later. I would also add that winning the draft lottery in 2016 to get Auston Matthews was the major break they needed, considering how close they were to winning the Connor McDavid lottery in 2015 and how close they were on the 4th lottery ball drawing.

 

[JadedLeaf]

Outside view here - I'm not a Leaf fan; though it's fashionable to hate on you guys, I have to admit, there's not much content to work with.

You're a legit team. Top to bottom you've skill and speed. Your leadership instills a work effort and compete level that is very impressive. Your defense seems to have been bolstered by youth and experience. Your entire lineup is young and full of potential.

Congrats on your turn around.

Day two of the new like system and already fishing for likes... lol jk. It's definitely a welcome change after the last ten years of being a joke. The novelty hasn't worn off yet. I'm 25, got into hockey when I was 8 so I only seen a few seasons where the Leafs had a decent team. I was too young to really appreciate it but I've realized if there's one thing in the sports world that makes you appreciate watching a good team, it's watching a shitty team for such a long period. Everything coming together as well as it has so far is new territory for me. Sometime during the last season finally felt like the curse was broken.

 

[JadedLeaf]

The Leafs also got some lucky breaks. For example and with the benefit on hindsight it was great that Nylander feel to them at 8th overall in 2014 and how the Coyotes didn't select Marner 3rd overall in 2015. How many times did the reverse happen where the Leafs selected someone in the 1st round to have a better player get selected a few picks later. I would also add that winning the draft lottery in 2016 to get Auston Matthews was the major break they needed, considering how close they were to winning the Connor McDavid lottery in 2015 and how close they were on the 4th lottery ball drawing.

See that's the part that feels the more different than before. It was almost foolish to get your hopes up and expect something good to happen prior to Shanny really taking over. Seems like we righted whatever hockey god ballard pissed off way back in the day now though.

 

[Rare Jewel]

Cheers.

We finally went about building a team the right way back in '14.

 

[Jozay]

yeah

 

[LeafsNation75]

See that's the part that feels the more different than before. It was almost foolish to get your hopes up and expect something good to happen prior to Shanny really taking over. Seems like we righted whatever hockey god ballard pissed off way back in the day now though.

I remember others saying something similar about making up with the "Hockey Gods" when Shanahan was able to bring back Dave Keon, changing their logo and retiring the numbers which were previously just honored.

 

[firstemperor]

I'm not sold on this team until they give results but yea, it feel's nice to watch a young team with insane talent/skill. Getting to watch the growth of young guys (too many to name) but particularly the big 3 is an absolute pleasure every night. Some of the things they can pull off are unreal sometimes.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

bout damn time

 

[A1LeafNation]

The leaf haters about to get a turkey dump...

 

[Clark4Ever]

The Leafs haven't had a young core to get really excited about since the 70's.

It's been a long time coming.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Outside view here - I'm not a Leaf fan; though it's fashionable to hate on you guys, I have to admit, there's not much content to work with.

You're a legit team. Top to bottom you've skill and speed. Your leadership instills a work effort and compete level that is very impressive. Your defense seems to have been bolstered by youth and experience. Your entire lineup is young and full of potential.

Congrats on your turn around.

Thanks man. It didn't happen without it's share of pain and garbage hockey, but the main thing is we're a respectable team now with legitimate cup aspirations in the near future. Cheers and good luck to your team (unless of course you cheer for the Sens, Jets, Habs, Bruins, Canucks, Penguins, Hawks or Red Wings. f*** those teams lol).

 

[Bullseye]

Nice to read such a positive post from a non-Leaf fan. Thanks. The team finally looks like a real solidly built entity.

 

[Battle Lin]

it feels good man

 

[JadedLeaf]

Sure Gary... not a Leafs fan. Guess the post history gets deleted and it's a good time for a fake circle jerk thread.

Fake? Damn it... I'm so competitive... I was going to finish first AND third..

 

[Larcos_Unal]

 

[Cleetus]

I just hope we turn a lot more heads this year, I feel this team is going in the right direction, hope we come out on fire and get a lot of early wins! go leafs go!

 

[leburn98]

The turning point was hiring Shanahan. It was he who hired Babcock, brought in Lou, Dubas and Hunter.

I would give an honorable mention to Bell and Rogers. Regardless of what you think of them as businesses, I don't think anyone can deny that they've been an incredible owner so far. Seriously, how many owners would be willing to take on an uninsured contract like Horton's just to save some Cap space? Not to mention spending a ton on management and coaching.

As for players, Matthews is the obvious turning point. When we won the lottery, it felt like 50 years of misery and bad luck vanished. Matthews' 4 goal debut only cemented that belief for me.

 

[SprDaVE]

Amazing how using the draft effectively and actually developing players can do.

 

[weems]

The turning point was hiring Shanahan. It was he who hired Babcock, brought in Lou, Dubas and Hunter.

I would give an honorable mention to Bell and Rogers. Regardless of what you think of them as businesses, I don't think anyone can deny that they've been an incredible owner so far. Seriously, how many owners would be willing to take on an uninsured contract like Horton's just to save some Cap space? Not to mention spending a ton on management and coaching.

As for players, Matthews is the obvious turning point. When we won the lottery, it felt like 50 years of misery and bad luck vanished. Matthews' 4 goal debut only cemented that belief for me.

Tim Leiweke deserves alot of credit.
He was loud and sometimes obnoxious but he brought in Shanny, Ujiri, Tim B and all 3 of those teams have turned around amazingly.

 

[Anthrax442]

I got to say, I am still with the lot of folks who is taking the "cautiously optimistic" approach.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Tim Leiweke deserves alot of credit.
He was loud and sometimes obnoxious but he brought in Shanny, Ujiri, Tim B and all 3 of those teams have turned around amazingly.

Agreed. Couldn't wait to get out of here but he initiated change

 

[Anthrax442]

Tim Leiweke deserves alot of credit.
He was loud and sometimes obnoxious but he brought in Shanny, Ujiri, Tim B and all 3 of those teams have turned around amazingly.

I thought it was all Drake