Your Reaction if Leafs Finish The Season as a Bottom 10 Team

[Kiwi]

Barely missing the playoffs and finishing 9th-11th in the east is garbage. Need to be in the top 3 of the draft.


Better off just to full on tank and go for the best draft position.

I wouldn't go that far but we should sell
Tanking is going to be tough unless we send down all our young players

 

[realgoodleafs]

A +10 place improvement is a good step in the rebuild. Keep building through the draft.

 

[Keato]

I said earlier in the season I still expected a bottom 10 performance. Obviously given their play missing the playoffs would be more disappointing than anticipated (though I still voted acceptance), but we've seen this song and dance with other rebuilding teams; miss the first year, make it the second, compete the third.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I'd be okay with that. We'll get another solid draft pick to add to the group.

 

[indigobuffalo]

Well I think clearly it's easy to manipulate the public opinion of hockey fans.

To those of us paying attention we basically spent all last season deliberately holding back Kadri and Rielly, shelved Bozak and JVR, played whoever the worst goalie was, and traded away every other player that could win a game for us.

Now keep in mind until we went full tank mode and despite Bernier basically capsizing the season we were very competitive season long and charged back up the standings.

Then this off-season we add a 1OA 1C who is in the top 5 goals, our top selection from the year before is just as good if not better than, we added a true 1G, unleashed Kadri and Rielly, added another top 4 D in Zaitsev.

If we miss the playoffs it's a bad sign. A real bad sign.

 

[Raym11]

could care less where they finish, mildly disappointed but nothing i wouldnt expect if they did bottom out.


Next year is when i start to care

 

[Keato]

Well I think clearly it's easy to manipulate the public opinion of hockey fans.

To those of us paying attention we basically spent all last season deliberately holding back Kadri and Rielly, shelved Bozak and JVR, played whoever the worst goalie was, and traded away every other player that could win a game for us.

Now keep in mind until we went full tank mode and despite Bernier basically capsizing the season we were very competitive season long and charged back up the standings.

Then this off-season we add a 1OA 1C who is in the top 5 goals, our top selection from the year before is just as good if not better than, we added a true 1G, unleashed Kadri and Rielly, added another top 4 D in Zaitsev.

If we miss the playoffs it's a bad sign. A real bad sign.

I wouldn't agree with this. Kadri wasn't unleashed, his shooting stats just shot through the roof. Our team most nights is hovering around 50% rookies, which is, as far as I know, more than any NHL team currently has, or has had in a long time, and even though they've been some of our best players, they are still rookies. This is the point in the season they might hit the wall, since non existent of them have played this many games in this short a span against this level of competition. Our goaltending has stabilized, but one of the larger issues, our defence, still shows it needs large amounts of improvement. Missing the playoffs this year is not the end of the world. Maybe if we don't make the playoffs next year, should they make moves to improve our D, or the year after, then the alarm bells can ring.

 

[mmalady]

i said it before and i'll say it again...the game 7 debacle changed me forever..I got my head out of the clouds and used it analyze the group we have ...this allows me to manage my expectations appropriately..so with all the rookies and inconsistant vets, a bottom 10 finish seems likely.

 

[Pookie]

I think I would be most disappointed if they make deadline moves that aren't in the long term interests of the team.

Refusing to be sellers if there are deals on the table for players like JVR, Bozak, Hunwick and Polak. Players who are older and nearing expiring deals.

Equally, if we start adding vets to the roster that have a 1-2 year shelf life at the expense of picks that would be disappointing.

Stick with the plan and if we win we win. If we drop from playoff contention this year as a result of sticking to the plan, so be it.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I think I would be most disappointed if they make deadline moves that aren't in the long term interests of the team.

Refusing to be sellers if there are deals on the table for players like JVR, Bozak, Hunwick and Polak. Players who are older and nearing expiring deals.

Equally, if we start adding vets to the roster that have a 1-2 year shelf life at the expense of picks that would be disappointing.

Stick with the plan and if we win we win. If we drop from playoff contention this year as a result of sticking to the plan, so be it.

This exactly

 

[ULF_55]

Barely missing the playoffs and finishing 9th-11th in the east is garbage. Need to be in the top 3 of the draft.


Better off just to full on tank and go for the best draft position.

I've be fine if they miss the playoffs by a single point.

Then they win the lottery.

 

[Mess]

Never expected the playoffs this year, despite being the pioneer and leader in preaching the "play the kids" belief to success.

However despite strong play at times this year, with "the kids" leading the surge still not expecting the playoffs.

 

[dubey]

Indifferent

The team has already surpassed everyone's expectations tenfold

 

[Mad Brills*]

Yeah, if they struggle next year, then it's time to worry.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Not gonna happen so not a option. They are one of the best teams in the league in a little slump. What a jinx thread though.

 

[Dayjobdave]

totally good with it. Add another bundle of assets and keep building

 

[TheBigThree]

I'd be happy with a bottom 10 finish, however anything past that not so much.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

The season has been a nice surprise so far, rookies have been stellar, wasn't expecting a playoff experience just an added bonus really.

 

[Bomber0104]

I'd be very happy with another top 10 pick.

As happy as we all are with the way things are shaping up with our young guns, it's still better to have too much prospect wealth than not enough.

 

[Menzinger]

Barely missing the playoffs and finishing 9th-11th in the east is garbage. Need to be in the top 3 of the draft.


Better off just to full on tank and go for the best draft position.

Not necessarily.

This is a team driven by its youth. Even if the Leafs barely miss he playoffs - to go from 30th to that position would be a great indicator of successful player development.

Personally I'm pretty underwhelmed by the top 10 of the draft anyways.

 

[BlueBaron]

Most of us, including myself, had them pegged as a bubble playoff team. It was a developmental year and while the playoffs would be nice, it was far from a guarantee on a team full of rookies.

I think that is revisionist history. I think most of us expected another low finish after being last the previous season and only adding rookies to the line up. Yes there were people who thought we were a bubble or better team but these fans had their blue goggles on and were a minority. I am fairly sure there was a poll that reflects this.

I admit I have been massively shocked by how we have done and the numbers our rookies are putting up and I was almost convinced of our playoff destiny (which is still not impossible) but I also fully expect slumps and struggles from such a young team.

This team has heart and character and one of the best coaches in the game so I will not make any conclusions at this point, but I will be happy with all the positives I have seen regardless of the final standings. It's difficult to deny we are trending in the right direction.

 

[Bullseye]

Look for a strong performance tonight vs the Bruins. Playoff talk will be in vogue.

 

[Pyrophorus]

None of the above.

I said 20th, and I'd be alright with it. Any lower and I get disappointed.
Bottom 5 is devestation realm-though good pick again, maybe Liljegren-I'd also be shocked.

 

[Drew311]

Well I think clearly it's easy to manipulate the public opinion of hockey fans.

To those of us paying attention we basically spent all last season deliberately holding back Kadri and Rielly, shelved Bozak and JVR, played whoever the worst goalie was, and traded away every other player that could win a game for us.

Now keep in mind until we went full tank mode and despite Bernier basically capsizing the season we were very competitive season long and charged back up the standings.

Then this off-season we add a 1OA 1C who is in the top 5 goals, our top selection from the year before is just as good if not better than, we added a true 1G, unleashed Kadri and Rielly, added another top 4 D in Zaitsev.

If we miss the playoffs it's a bad sign. A real bad sign.

Totally disagree. There are multiple teams in the league who have made baby-step strides in their respective rebuilds over the past ~5 years. Edmonton, Buffalo, Carolina, Arizona, etc. have not come close to the amount of progress since bottoming out. I get the Leafs are different and improved on paper this season, but you can't deny how young this team still is. The fact that they are sniffing the playoffs this season is a big accomplishment, not a bad sign.

 

[meefer]

IF the Leafs fall to 10 or below I'd be ok with it. And, I think there's going to be a better chance of it happening than some expect as I believe, if they are true to their word, that management will be sellers at the TDL because of their stated intent to continue with the rebuild process. This has been a great year, I'm very happy to see the development of the rookies and I'm looking forward to a few new faces next year. But, at this year's TDL, I see the Leafs offloading 2 or 3 of our vets for youth and/or picks, be they in this year's or next year's draft.

If the rookie crop rankings remain as they are today, I believe N. Patrick and N. Hischier go 1/2 and then Timothy Lijlgren would be the next up. Would the #3 team consider trading that pick for a package? Arizona has 6 picks in 17, would they want more picks if they were picking in the 3 spot? The Isles have 5 picks...would they consider moving down to acquire a few more options if they won the #3 overall? If Florida got lucky and grabbed the 3 spot would they want to upgrade from their 4 picks to help their cause??? And, would the Leafs be confident in Lijlgren's chances of being the RHD they've been looking for?

If the Leaf's were confident, if the Leafs fell into the bottom 10, if the Leafs sell off a few vets and garner another first and if a team is looking to trade the 3rd for a package... . A whole lot of ifs, but heck, this is what we do.