How will we know the rebuild is over?
- Thread starter LaymanX
- Start date
I wont care as long as we become competitive again, it would be great to be like a calgary or ottawa this year in a couple seasons, competiting for the last spot, makes the regular season amazing to watch(I remember feeling this back in 2010-11 when reimer came in, thought the leafs were on the rise that year).
then you just build on that success, any kind of playoffs is great, then after a couple years of making it and winning a round or two is when the team will probably start contending for a cup, if everything goes well, which is not easy to accomplish.
Beaviz81
Registered User
- Mar 8, 2015
- 354
- 0
You could do like San Jose, always being dominant in the regular season, yet never a true contender due to lack of team toughness and defense. I mean it would be amazing hearing the more delusional fanbois of TML then yap about how close they would be to win the cup.
ironhorse384
Registered User
A1LeafNation
Obsession beats talent everytime!!
- Oct 17, 2010
- 27,470
- 17,456
It could be over by the draft if everything goes Leafs way.
Win the draft lottery. Sign Babcock. Trade Kessel+ for Jones(NASH)+.
Babcock
JVR McDavid Nylander
______Kadri _______
Rielly Jones
Gardiner Phaneuf
Bernier
..rebuild over.
tooncesmeow
Registered User
Not really. Even if we get McDavid a lot of our prospects aren't necessarily ready, besides, you guys seriously overrate how much a top pick does for a team. Look at Colorado or Edmonton. Duchene+Mackinnon+Johnson+Landeskog and they are still a basement team or at best a fringe playoff contender. And those are only on the nights where Varlamov carries them. Edmonton is in what? Year 6 of their rebuild? They still don't look any closer to contending.
Calgary on the other hand started their rebuild in earnest in the summer of 2012? That was with their selection of Jankowski at 21. And yet, despite only picking in the top 10 twice (6 and 4) they've managed to put together a young roster with lots of upside with late draft picks like Gaudreau, Brodie, frugal pick ups like Giordano (undrafted) Russell ( 5th roundpick) Drew Shore (free agent signing) Jiri Hudler (free agent signing) and Jonas Hiller (free agent signing)
In 3 years they've overhauled their roster and will probably compete in the playoffs and be a bigger threat then the Leafs in the 5 years of building this team to knock it back down.
Calgary on the other hand started their rebuild in earnest in the summer of 2012? That was with their selection of Jankowski at 21. And yet, despite only picking in the top 10 twice (6 and 4) they've managed to put together a young roster with lots of upside with late draft picks like Gaudreau, Brodie, frugal pick ups like Giordano (undrafted) Russell ( 5th roundpick) Drew Shore (free agent signing) Jiri Hudler (free agent signing) and Jonas Hiller (free agent signing)
In 3 years they've overhauled their roster and will probably compete in the playoffs and be a bigger threat then the Leafs in the 5 years of building this team to knock it back down.
This depends partly on the quality of the top pick. McDavid is heads-and-tails above all of the players either of those teams have picked. And, of course, this also depends on how you surround those players. Edmonton's drafting philosophy has been "Defense? Who needs that?" You could say something similar about COL. Johnson has always been a dubious 1st Overall pick.
Calgary is a house built on sand.
Wafflewhipper
Registered User
- Jan 18, 2014
- 14,114
- 5,694
When our depth is perceived to be elite. Nothing else should be considered done. Competition from below when the team is top 10 in the league is the indicator. They need to stock and develops for three years with no desire to fast track.
CelticDruid
Registered User
My thoughts?: Where's the evidence that there's a rebuild? Provide it.
The Leafs still had most of their core and won some games. They beat Tampa, even. I say they are not really rebuilding. There's even reports that Nonis will remain as GM. So, where's the evidence of them rebuilding? Waiting...
Maple Leaf
VIP
- Sep 18, 2009
- 8,902
- 4,355
tooncesmeow
Registered User
Calgary has a decent prospect pool, and has center depth, when you look at free agency, theres a lot of scoring wingers that can be had to fill out the bottom 9 positions for decent money. Still they have good prospects, the only thing they lack is a young superstar D but even then Brodie and Giordano are great players and Calgary gets better goaltending and has a full healthy roster they can probably make a deep playoff run. They're certainly in a much, much bettter position then say.. we are.
Besides if Edmonton built a decent D, it still wouldn't be enough. Drafting at the top slots definitely helps, but you need to be better then that. Even if McDavid is the next Crosby, it still took guys like Letang at 62nd overall, or guys like Orpik, Kunitz, Gonchar, etc. to get them to where they went. Malkin, Crosby, Fleury helped, it really did, but it could never have gotten them to the cup on their own. If the Leafs want to win, and if the rebuild is going to take less then 8 years, it'll be through getting NHL players from the later rounds and making frugal acquisitions in free agency and trades.
RayNibbs
Registered User
Calgary hit gold drafting monahan and bennett. They're going to be absolutely great in a couple years, with monahan already being dominant. Also with gaudreau becoming as good as he is, which is mindblowing at times. Their scouting did very, very well, we can only hope we get similar scouting in the coming drafts. Also they have hartley as their coach, that guy has control of the room and this shows on the ice. If the leafs can pickup a coach that is willing to lead the young guys and play them, and is compentent ofcourse, not horabad, then we MAY be able to compete for a spot in 2-3 years.
They need to bring in Jay Feaster, the man built a Cup winner in Tampa. That wuould accelerate the rebuild by 2 years.
RyanOhReally
Registered User
I think after next year we'll kind of grow some expectations of a possible surprise, and then get shut down a couple of months in when we still realize that we're the worst team in the league...
With the draft changing to how it is, we have start tempering our tank-spectations. No longer will it be "Matthews/Chychrun" but more "Steel/Day" with the 4th/5th pick.
But yeah, we're looking to build a hard working team so I'd say that in 2-3 years we'll be looking for how Calgary's season went this year but for us. It could be more of a case of how the Jets have been. A clearly solid team that just can't make the Playoffs with such good teams in the division/conference.
Rangers
Canadiens
Lightning
Islanders
Penguins
Red Wings
Capitals
Panthers
Sabres
Blue Jackets
Flyers
Senators
Bruins
I don't see us being better than any of those teams in 3 years. Which is good for a tank, but most fans won't want to tank for more than 2-3 years.
With the draft changing to how it is, we have start tempering our tank-spectations. No longer will it be "Matthews/Chychrun" but more "Steel/Day" with the 4th/5th pick.
But yeah, we're looking to build a hard working team so I'd say that in 2-3 years we'll be looking for how Calgary's season went this year but for us. It could be more of a case of how the Jets have been. A clearly solid team that just can't make the Playoffs with such good teams in the division/conference.
Rangers
Canadiens
Lightning
Islanders
Penguins
Red Wings
Capitals
Panthers
Sabres
Blue Jackets
Flyers
Senators
Bruins
I don't see us being better than any of those teams in 3 years. Which is good for a tank, but most fans won't want to tank for more than 2-3 years.
HoweHullOrr
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2013
- 11,623
- 2,227
paulhiggins
Registered User
- Feb 4, 2006
- 2,807
- 827
You will know it's over when they trade a 1st round pick for an established player, to put them over the top. I hope they don't do it but I fear they will, and trade it way too early.
When the Leafs start making a few short-term moves to "win now", that will be the signal that the rebuild is over.
As we know, this doesn't mean those moves will always be made when they should be, but it's the most significant indicator of management's direction.
In the Calgary case, even though the team is doing well, they clearly did not make those types of moves at the trade deadline (which most people including me was the right decision). They realize that even though they are having a surprisingly good year, there is a lot of work to do.
I hope that Leafs management, whoever it is, doesn't jump at our first somewhat competitive season and decide they can start trading picks and prospects again to make the playoffs. This needs to be a long term project, even if the team starts winning sooner than expected.
As we know, this doesn't mean those moves will always be made when they should be, but it's the most significant indicator of management's direction.
In the Calgary case, even though the team is doing well, they clearly did not make those types of moves at the trade deadline (which most people including me was the right decision). They realize that even though they are having a surprisingly good year, there is a lot of work to do.
I hope that Leafs management, whoever it is, doesn't jump at our first somewhat competitive season and decide they can start trading picks and prospects again to make the playoffs. This needs to be a long term project, even if the team starts winning sooner than expected.
You'll know that the rebuild is over when there are better things to talk about than what players do after practice is over.
This is a joke right? JVR (one of the worst defensive forwards in the league) and two rookies with 0 nhl games, and a 2nd line center.... followed by 3 defensemen who have been on this team and put up some of the worst defensive numbers/shots against in modern history. Yeah, no. This kind of thinking is exactly what they CAN'T do to build a winning team.
Lucky Leaf
**** the oilers
