Changes needed to win a Cup in 5 years

[Pantokrator]

I do not follow the Leafs closely, but I was wondering if the Leafs get Connor McDavid, what changes need to take place in order to be a serious Cup contender in the next 5 years?

Obviously having McDavid will go a long way toward this goal, and I know this is speculation, but what other players or types of players need to be obtained and who needs to be jettisoned in order to keep the situation cap-friendly?

For example, do you see Kessel and JVR lighting it up as his wings, or would one or both of them need to go to make room for a different player?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

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[CalgaryLeaf*]

1) draft better

2) develop talent better

3) coach better

4) manage better



5) draft better

6) draft better

7) draft better

8) draft better

9) draft better

10) draft better

 

[Beaviz81]

1) draft better

2) develop talent better

3) coach better

4) manage better



5) draft better

6) draft better

7) draft better

8) draft better

9) draft better

10) draft better

Yeah and attract good and cheap players. Its not feasible right now.

 

[Lobstertainment]

Step 1 win lottery

step 2 draft McDavid

step 3 Rogers buys Wirtz Corporation

step 4 trade core for Chicago's core

step 5 remind Bettman about TV contracts and to shut his yap

 

[The Thin White Duke]

Let's not get too crazy here, actually having picks would be a solid start.

Doing literally nothing on trades and picking the highest ranked player off a random HF mock draft list would have been more effective over the last 7 years than what management has accomplished.

 

[Durkin67]

I do not follow the Leafs closely, but I was wondering if the Leafs get Connor McDavid, what changes need to take place in order to be a serious Cup contender in the next 5 years?

Obviously having McDavid will go a long way toward this goal, and I know this is speculation, but what other players or types of players need to be obtained and who needs to be jettisoned in order to keep the situation cap-friendly?

For example, do you see Kessel and JVR lighting it up as his wings, or would one or both of them need to go to make room for a different player?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Good question...

I'd start by surrounding him with high character players who can be a role model on and off the ice. A strong coaching staff. centred on teaching good habits and creating a positive environment in which success as a "pack" is paramount, not just individual success. I wouldn't expect him to light the world on fire out of the gate, and I would rid the room of any negative influences, and that means getting a captain who can rally the troops and control and deflect the noise going on all around them.

McDavid is an absolute prodigy. But, this is a team game. I'd focus on the team and ask him to buy in and be a part of that concept.

Whether it's McDavid, Strome Hanifin or Marner, that's the approach that I think they need to employ.

 

[kihei]

Win a cup in ten years would be a more realistic title.

 

[BlueBaron]

Tough question.

I don't think we should change our plan just because we get him. Maybe we keep Kessel and that is absolutely the only McDavid exception I would make. Why ? Because I think having an elite player to experiment with would be good for him and it could wake up Kessel (who has already vowed to return next year in the best shape of his life).

Otherwise, you still have to rebuild our D needs 3-4 new guys (Gardiner, Rielly a Robidas being the main guys)

You need a third and fourth line and two second line wingers.

Once you get to 80-90% of that you can start to push , until then it's pointless.

 

[LeafsFIO*]

If the Leafs get McDavid he will not play with Kessel and JVR. He'll play the first 30 games or so on the third line barring injuries, get PP time with JVR and Kessel if he's still around, and move into the top-six periodically. He'd be a top-six guy in the back half of his first year but they'd give him some tough minutes to start his career. Like every other forward taken first overall by a team not named the Oilers.

I'd think the third line on opening night would be Komarov on the right, to open up the ice for McDavid, and then you could alternate on the other side. You could put a scorer from the AHL (Brown?) on the other side so he could feed the puck to him, and for some of the tougher shifts get a utility enforcer to protect him (not a tough guy per se, just someone big who can help out if people try to take liberties w/him).

Second half he'd play with JVR a bit, big body who can score.

Rushing a phenom onto the top line and risking disappointment if he doesn't score 70 points is barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Commander Clueless]

You know how the Leafs do all that stuff relating to hockey?

They need to do that better.




...and a metric ****-tonne of luck.

 

[jmart21]

Win a cup in ten years would be a more realistic title.

Exactly.

People throwing out 5yr expectations are only going to be disappointed.

It'll be 7-8+ years for respectability to be gained again.

 

[613Leafer]

Winning 5 years from now would take multiple things going very well for us.

One or more of our high picks would have to become an elite franchise player, and then we'd likely have to get at least one core core player out of a later pick. We'd have to develop our own Bergeron, Subban, Weber, Quick, etc from later in the draft. And then we'd also likely have to make a few very solid UFA signings and/or trades.

As long as we make moves that keep giving this team more room for growth, building up a deep group of longterm assets, prospects, picks, etc, along with plenty of capspace to support that youth with some free agent signings, I think we'll start moving in the right direction sooner rather than later. Rielly + Nylander + one of Marner/Strome/Hanifin is a very solid start.

 

[Duke16]

Winning 5 years from now would take multiple things going very well for us.

One or more of our high picks would have to become an elite franchise player, and then we'd likely have to get at least one core core player out of a later pick. We'd have to develop our own Bergeron, Subban, Weber, Quick, etc from later in the draft. And then we'd also likely have to make a few very solid UFA signings and/or trades.

As long as we make moves that keep giving this team more room for growth, building up a deep group of longterm assets, prospects, picks, etc, along with plenty of capspace to support that youth with some free agent signings, I think we'll start moving in the right direction sooner rather than later. Rielly + Nylander + one of Marner/Strome/Hanifin is a very solid start.

And then we add another potential top 10 pick acquired from Kessel, plus any others acquired, a probable top ten pick next season and then the rest of the roster filled out with Marlies and other picks; we'll be great in no time!!

 

[Diatomic]

Exactly.

People throwing out 5yr expectations are only going to be disappointed.

It'll be 7-8+ years for respectability to be gained again.

7-8 is a little too far, Rielly will be 27-28 lol. I think we make the playoffs again in 3 years and become a consistent playoff team then onward.

 

[Mugzy97]

Draft Mcdavid and trade Dion for a guy like Shea Theodore or Josh Morrissey

JVR-McDavid-Kessel
Nylander-Kadri-Brown

Theo/Morrissey-Reilly

Give that a couple years and
All theoretical of course.

 

[tooncesmeow]

I do not follow the Leafs closely, but I was wondering if the Leafs get Connor McDavid, what changes need to take place in order to be a serious Cup contender in the next 5 years?

Obviously having McDavid will go a long way toward this goal, and I know this is speculation, but what other players or types of players need to be obtained and who needs to be jettisoned in order to keep the situation cap-friendly?

For example, do you see Kessel and JVR lighting it up as his wings, or would one or both of them need to go to make room for a different player?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

To actually answer OP:

Trade for a Top pairing D-man or sign someone
Get a coach to set up a successful system
Move Bozak and Lupul and pick up some 2nd line guy that could play PK and provide secondary scoring
Benier gets to the next level.

That would put us in Cup range, as much as any other top tier NHL team.

 

[CaymanIslands]

Zero chance...in 5 years a lot of the top picks wont even be on roster from 2106 2017 2018 drafts

 

[ITM]

The President of the club, this very week,expressly stated that he wasn't going to set time limits to the rebuild.

Given what this fan base has gone through for decades and the lowest common denominator grandstanding that has plagued our front offices...Why on Earth would any informed Leafs fan hear Shanahan's unmitigated pronouncement to the contrary only to turn right back and jump into the puddle of mud our organization just got cleansed from? Why?

Does Uncle ITM need to get the switch out?

In all seriousness, as a fan base, we've just been given the NHL organizational rebuild's version of the Rosetta Stone. We may now enjoy the entire ride up and enter into any number of encouraging scenarios,speculation, conversations with zero "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss" anxiety about any of it.

"The challenge here in Toronto is not to come up with the plan; the challenge in Toronto is to stick with it. That's the hard part."

"It takes as long as it takes."

And we should be echoing that as a mantra every time a number whispers to our lesser natures, because we do hold a modicum of influence. Media types pick up on it and exploit it. If the challenge in Toronto is to stick to plans, if Shanahan thought it important to note the value of patience, then it suggests there's a necessarily interdependent relationship from the bottom, up.

Never mind five years. "It takes as long as it takes" and that's just fine.

You know, it can't be lost on Shanahan that Jimmy Devallano drafted Steve Yzerman in 1984. That it wasn't until another 13 years after the cornerstone was drafted that any number of ideal scenarios (the 1989 Entry Draft, hiring Scotty Bowman, trading for Brendan Shanahan, etc) were necessary in order to finally push through to a Cup.

Five years as a suggestion, as a hypothetical and as a rule is an exercise in demanding that the exception be the rule.

This organization and this fan base need to stay focused on the long road, and reject the enthusiastic lie of those ******* short cuts.

Can we say enough already?

 

[leafsfan5]

lol 5 years, we are rebuilding this thing now. Not a re-tool, let our prospects season into great players.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

(1) get rid of Salary Cap
(2) Leafs flex their financial muscle like the Yankees do in Baseball.
(3) Scoop up all the RFA.
(4) Attract the best coaches.
(5) Win Win Win.

other than that.
(1) rebuild
(2) pray alot.

I think the Leafs are at a significant disadvantage in the Cap Era.
Nobody wants to play in Toronto: five times the hassle of the media and the money is no better. Sounds like a long term recipe for failure. The Leafs could hit 100 years of no Stanley cup.

 

[8816 others]

This rebuild needs to be done right, so 5 years isn't enough time

 

[Shwaguy*]

I'd expect that we CAN be right near the top of the league within 5 years, If you consider the fact that we already have a couple top 10 picks coming up (Rielly and Nylander), as well as it looks like our drafting late rounds has been a bit better lately (Brown, Johnson, Loov et all, not all will make it but it's likely some do)

 

[HamiltonNHL]

This rebuild needs to be done right, so 5 years isn't enough time

How long does it take on average for the average NHL draftee to reach the top of their game ?

Average age at draft 18 ?
Players peak at 22-27, drop off at 28 (source: http://awinninghabit.com/2014/08/30/fantasy-hockey-helper-age-nhl-players-score-points/ )

Sounds like you have 4-9 years to see your current prospects bloom.

So .. a team is less likely to turn things around after a blow up in less than 4 years.

 

[I am Canadian]

How long did the Islanders rebuild take? That's the realistic one to look at.

5 years to get competitive IMO, who knows about Cups.

 

[jmart21]

7-8 is a little too far, Rielly will be 27-28 lol. I think we make the playoffs again in 3 years and become a consistent playoff team then onward.

Reilly's age doesn't matter. We aren't re-tooling to build a team around a young guy we already have. We're talking a full organizational tear down and rebuild. It's not going to be playoffs in 3 years.

It's going to take as long as it does and IMO at least 2 ELC cycles until we start to see what we might have on our hands.


People like to knock the oilers, but it's been what 5yrs since they openly admitted to a rebuild?