HAPPY NEW YEAR!: What do you want to see from the Leafs in 2016?

[LV*]

1. Trade Lupul, PAP, Boyes, Spaling, Bozak (highest value of all time), Polak, Reimer, Matthias.
2. Replace Lupul/PAP/Boyes/Spaling/Bozak/Matthias with Leivo/Leipsic/Carrick/Arcobello/Clune?
3. Sparks backs up Bernier
4. Call up Nylander for the last 5ish games of the season and back to the AHL playoffs
5. Marner develops into a monster, other prospects all continue progression (hopefully Kasperi rips it)
6. Win the AHL Calder cup.
7. Draft in the top 3, take Matthews/Chychrun.
8. Sign Stamkos

edit: I would also like to add signing Jimmy Vesey

 

[hullsy47]

Auston Matthews. Steven Stamkos. Full recovery for Nylander. More Marner development.

i concur ......plus let develop dermott so we can finally move jake gardiner ,

 

[613Leafer]

1) Sell the pending UFAs. PAP, Polak, Matthias, Spaling, etc.

2) Sell off ~2-3 of Bozak, Lupul, Phaneuf, Komarov, JVR, and/or Kadri. Obviously preferable to move Phaneuf/Lupul, and Id only move one of Bozak/Kadri, not both. JVR would cost quite a lot for me to give up, though Komarov I would strongly consider shopping to try and sell high on.

3) Sign Stamkos in the off-season to a reasonable contract. I dont want him for 12M per year, but if we can get him around 10.5M. Step 2 above clears a bunch of capspace to make this possible, while also adding substantially to our farm.

4) Address goaltending!!! Draft a top goalie prospect with a 2nd round pick, and look into acquiring a top young goalie if possible (e.g. Gibson, Murray, Vasilevski, etc). This can be an achilles heel, even if the rest of the roster looks good. It can also take 5+ years to develop a goalie, so I think we need to make some moves to improve our goaltending depth both short and long term.

Overall, I think we have plenty of room to make some moves to help for the longterm (sell pending UFAs and move a couple of other contracts), clear capspace, and add to the farm. And then also make a move like Stamkos that fits the cap both short and longterm, as guys like Nylander/Marner/etc are 5+ years away from their big career contracts, at which point the Phaneuf/Lupul/Horton contracts will all be gone.

We already have a top 5 farm system, and after hopefully drafting top 5 in this upcoming draft + drafting ~12+ times overall in the 2016 draft, I think there's a good chance our farm system becomes the consensus best in the league. Put a 26 year old Stamkos in front of a top top farm system, and I think we can reasonably expect long-term success.

 

[deletethis]

No collapse in effort in the last months of the season like has happened in previous seasons. Not that I don't expect the team to struggle for wins after some vets are sold off at the trade deadline.

 

[Mike1]

A top 5 pick, William Nylander recovering well & continuing his good play, Marner still lighting it up in junior, Pittsburgh squeaking in the playoffs, a Marlies Calder Cup, a solid trade deadline & signing Steven Stamkos...hopefully

 

[teeder333*]

Be nice if we could draft both Laine and Puljarvi, wow, they are studs. But if we get just one of them, guess Kapanen might have a job, helping them along. He doesn't seem to have a lot of goals in his arsenal.

Truly would be happy with either of them or Matthews, I think those three are the cream of the crop with Alexander Nylander not far off.

I don't see anyone else trading us a pick that could get in that top four or five, unless we got a desperate teams pick that really did well in the lottery. Where theres a will, there's a ...

Getting rid of Lupul would be a miracle now. Not going to happen without salary retention, like a lot of it.

Getting rid of Bozak? Hmm guy is playing really well, if someone puts up a first, Lou will bite I would imagine.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Someone taking Phaneuf and Lupul without taking on salary would be wonderful
Trade one of Bozak or Kadri
Look hard at trading JVR
The one-year guys, ship them out.
Move Reimer
Stamkos in the Blue and White would be nice
Top 3 pick

 

[Dwolf63]

That management not listen to the idiots on this board. That they don't do a whole sale fire-sale for picks that strips the team of the players they will need in order to let the upcoming young players develop in a "safe environment".

I think those of you who think the leafs will trade anyone and everyone will be unpleasantly surprised. When Babcock spoke of making this a safe place to play, it wasn't only about recruiting free agents.

When you bring up youngsters you want to be able to shelter and protect them. You don't want to be losing a lot, because no matter how you try, it will impact their psyches.

Rather you want your team to already be .500 or above when the young kids start coming in - which is what this year is actually all about. It's not about only reclaiming cheap signings to trade for assets.

What the Leafs are actually doing is developing a place-holder core. This is a group of players who will not be the core going forwards but will be the core for now. Young prospects will come up, play in a sheltered role, and when they're able to take up the core position THEN the core place holder will either be traded, or depending on age, service, loyalty - will fall back into more of a support mentoring role.

This is the real way to build long term success. Development of prospects doesn't stop after the AHL. Players have to continue to grow and develop when they enter the NHL too - no matter how long you baste them in the minors.

My wish for the year isn't for the Leafs to do anything as it is for everyone to get this, and stop pushing for a fire-sale.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Question is Self-Explanatory

Happy New Year Everyone

I am down with keeping the winning percentage of late going and a few minor trades. The younger prospects taking line-up spots next camp. The draft and picking a couple goaltenders in it.

A major trade to identify top end depth on defense. Knocking down our goals against consistently and our goals for and goals against ratio improving.

Holding down a playoff spot at this time next year would be awesome.

 

[Morbo]

getting Matthews.

 

[CaymanIslands]

Picking out of the top 6 this year will be a massive failure long term

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Leafs in 2016 I'm only looking at the rest of this season.

If we don't see the 18-wheeler show up that would be quite something.

I know we're probably going to end up at the bottom (which is good) but it would be nice to see consistency for once vs. massive losing streak that makes you question the whole thing completely.

That's what I'm looking for this year.

The draft is a long way away and it should be very important but it's just too far away to think about now.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Picking out of the top 6 this year will be a massive failure long term

This draft is atleast 15 deep bud. Thats high end players! There is some players way down the rankings that are trending to go up. Gauthier being just one. The defensemen in this draft is stronger than last years draft i believe.

We don't absolutely need 6th or better to get a Nhl player. Far from it actually. Its a good year for some defense and Goaltenders.

 

[meefer]

*Matthews
*At least one more 1st
*Bye, bye Dion
*As many picks as we can get
*A surprise, out of the blue type of thing, not a Stamkos who has been talked about, but a real shocker, just to make me go...ohhhhh yaaaaa.

Happy New Year to all from Thailand. Cheers

 

[Dahlman1221]

Penguins take the last playoff spot and then lose in the first round so we get the 15th pick at the draft

 

[soulie]

Happy New Year all. My 2016 wishlist - here we go...

1. Win the lottery and have first pick overall.
2. Trade all pending free agents who have value for something.
3. Mitch Marner physically develops a more "pro" style body.
4. Kasperi Kappanen starts a meteoric rise and cements himself as a legit player.
5. Stamkos on a contract that doesnt handcuff this team for the long term.

 

[ACC1224]

Cup same as every year.

 

[Steve]

Matthews
Stamkos
Get Pittsburgh's pick this year
Trade all UFA's and JVR.

 

[Kamiccolo]

This draft is atleast 15 deep bud. Thats high end players! There is some players way down the rankings that are trending to go up. Gauthier being just one. The defensemen in this draft is stronger than last years draft i believe.

We don't absolutely need 6th or better to get a Nhl player. Far from it actually. Its a good year for some defense and Goaltenders.

We're not trying to draft an NHL player with our first. We're trying to draft a core piece who will be a star. A Kane, Crosby, Ovi, Girioux, Weber, Doughty.... or at the very least Parise type players.

 

[Budsfan]

Happy New Year Everyone.

Lets make the Play-offs!

 

[Tak7]

Trade the pending UFAs.

Lose.

Draft high.

Rinse and repeat next season

 

[tmlms13]

how about winning the stanley cup this year?

Multiple high draft picks isn't necessarily the best method. Looking at you Edmonton.

 

[Suntouchable13]

how about winning the stanley cup this year?

Multiple high draft picks isn't necessarily the best method. Looking at you Edmonton.

Ummm... you have to be somewhat realistic. Sure, we all would love it if the Leafs won the Cup this year. We know that it's not going to happen, though. Everybody is wishing for more realistic things, rather than some fantasy.

 

[LeafGrief]

Trade the UFA's. Trade one of JVR or Bozak for a return including a 1st. Have Pittsburgh make the playoffs. Lose a few more games and guarantee a high pick. Go into the draft with 4+ picks in the top60.

 

[ECanuck]

Play good hockey.

Play with a purpose.

Oh yeah, and don't forget about scoring that big goal like in the backyard rink or street corner.

That's it from me.