Is this the worst Leaf squad in team history??

[paulhiggins]

As someone who saw the 60's, 70's, and 80's, I'd say this is in fact the most gutless, laziest, and, heartless team ever.

Only been watching since the early 70s but gotta agree with you there.

 

[ironhorse384]

It's bad when they give you pep talks and their star player talks about how much good a quality team in Toronto would do for the league.

 

[ironhorse384]

Dougie Gilmour & Rod Ramage led way worse teams than these clowns.

Gilmour was an immediate impact player. You could tell from the first game that he suited up for the leafs that things were going to be different. As far as I'm concerned I've never seen one guy turn a team around as fast he as did, any leaf team that is.

 

[ironhorse384]

Not the worst talent wise the worst underachieving wise

 

[TheFloater]

Not the worst talent wise the worst underachieving wise

Nailed it right here. In my years of watching the Leafs (since 92), I don't think I've ever disliked a Leafs team as much as this one. They play a gutless, heartless, soulless brand of hockey.

On paper they are a mediocre team. On the ice, they are worse. A lot worse.

 

[Erdinger]

Gilmour was an immediate impact player. You could tell from the first game that he suited up for the leafs that things were going to be different. As far as I'm concerned I've never seen one guy turn a team around as fast he as did, any leaf team that is.

All he wanted when he got here was a million dollars and to be the #1 guy and he just took this team on his back and carried it. Too bad we don't have one guy even close to that here now.

 

[Erdinger]

Nailed it right here. In my years of watching the Leafs (since 92), I don't think I've ever disliked a Leafs team as much as this one. They play a gutless, heartless, soulless brand of hockey.

On paper they are a mediocre team. On the ice, they are worse. A lot worse.

Your HF handle could describe so many of this team's players.

 

[Faltorvo]

As someone who saw the 60's, 70's, and 80's, I'd say this is in fact the most gutless, laziest, and, heartless team ever.

been following since 1970 and i approve this post.

how much talent there is, is relatively irrelevant when the top statement is applicable.

 

[ironhorse384]

All he wanted when he got here was a million dollars and to be the #1 guy and he just took this team on his back and carried it. Too bad we don't have one guy even close to that here now.

Amen to that brother

 

[ironhorse384]

been following since 1970 and i approve this post.

how much talent there is, is relatively irrelevant when the top statement is applicable.

Same

Doesn't it seem like every decade they find some way to **** this team in some fashion or another?

 

[Caesium]

I think people saying this team is decent on paper are overrating players. There is more to the game than goals and assists and even professional sports analysts seem to be fooled into thinking players with a lot of points are good players. I don't think players like Kessel are good players. Players like Kessel are team killers, and if he gets traded I'd put money on whatever team he ends up on finishing worse in the standings in the following year.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

It's not the worst Leafs team but perhaps the most unwatchable. Kessel makes me angry every time I see him turn away from contact or float around the blue line...Our captain is overpaid and very unlikeable as well...There's not much to appreciate/enjoy about this team so I won't be watching any more games this season...In fact I haven't for 2-3 weeks.

 

[Faltorvo]

Same

Doesn't it seem like every decade they find some way to **** this team in some fashion or another?

yup and for me, i am only able to draw one conclusion out of that

there has only been 1 constant in that entire time and that's the lure of big$ our/this fan base offers.

the route of all evil and all the trappings it creates.

 

[Erdinger]

It's not the worst Leafs team but perhaps the most unwatchable. Kessel makes me angry every time I see him turn away from contact or float around the blue line...Our captain is overpaid and very unlikeable as well...There's not much to appreciate/enjoy about this team so I won't be watching any more games this season...In fact I haven't for 2-3 weeks.

I'm the opposite. I don't even leave the room for a minute during the game these days I'm enjoying these turds getting their egos handed to them so much. Hopefully it continues until at least half of them aren't here.

 

[ironhorse384]

yup and for me, i am only able to draw one conclusion out of that

there has only been 1 constant in that entire time and that's the lure of big$ our/this fan base offers.

the route of all evil and all the trappings it creates.

Look back at when Ballard took over the first thing they did was increase seating at MLG.
Conn Smythe said:"only a young man could sit in them and only a fat old rich man could afford them."

 

[Faltorvo]

It's not the worst Leafs team but perhaps the most unwatchable. Kessel makes me angry every time I see him turn away from contact or float around the blue line...Our captain is overpaid and very unlikeable as well...There's not much to appreciate/enjoy about this team so I won't be watching any more games this season...In fact I haven't for 2-3 weeks.

my bile rises when i look at our captain/our leader and see the contract he and his camp extorted out of us.

doubly so when i see a true leader a real "team guy" like

Patrice Bergeron ink for only 6.5m cap

 

[hoglund]

Not the worst talent wise the worst underachieving wise

I would have to agree with that.

 

[Faltorvo]

Look back at when Ballard took over the first thing they did was increase seating at MLG.

tbvh i was nieve and did not pay any attention to the smaller nuances of a pro organisation till i got into my late 30s

it was when i learned of this draft

1989 Entry
Draft

1989 Entry 3 1 Scott Thornton C Belleville Bulls [OHL] 941 144 141 285 1459
1989 Entry 12 1 Rob Pearson R Belleville Bulls [OHL] 269 56 54 110 645
1989 Entry 21 1 Steve Bancroft D Belleville Bulls [OHL] 6 0 1 1 2
1989 Entry 66 4 Matt Martin D Avon Old Farms H.S. (Conn.) 76 0 5 5 71
1989 Entry 96 5 Keith Carney D Mount St. Charles H.S. (R.I.)
1989 Entry 108 6 Dave Burke D Cornell University [ECAC]
1989 Entry 125 6 Mike Doers W Northwood Prep (N.Y.)
1989 Entry 129 7 Keith Merkler F Portledge H.S. (N.Y.)
1989 Entry 150 8 Derek Langille D North Bay Centennials [OHL]
1989 Entry 171 9 Jeff St. Laurent F Berwick H.S. (Maine)
1989 Entry 192 10 Justin Tomberlin F Greenway [Minn H.S.]
1989 Entry 213 11 Mike Jackson R Toronto Marlboros [OHL]
1989 Entry 234 12 Steve Chartrand F Drummondville Voltigeurs [QMJHL]

and heard part of the reason this happened was that ballard made his scouts pay for their own travels costs and Belleville was one of the cheaper destinations the scouts could afford to check out, welll then it hit me like a sledge hammer.

 

[ACC1224]

Not the worst talent wise but certainly the worse effort wise.

 

[Erdinger]

and heard part of the reason this happened was that ballard made his scouts pay for their own travels expediences and belleville was one of the cheaper destinations the scouts could afford to check out, welll then it hit me like a sledge hammer.

Plus didn't he only pay Stellick $30K a year to be GM?

 

[ironhorse384]

my bile rises when i look at our captain/our leader and see the contract he and his camp extorted out of us.

doubly so when i see a true leader a real "team guy" like

Patrice Bergeron ink for only 6.5m cap

What I still can't figure out was why the big panic to sign this guy. I mean look at his game he's at very best a 5mill/yr player and that's more than what I think he's worth financially. The leafs could've offered him 4.5 for 4 years and if he turned it down, like I'm sure he would've, then trade him at the dead line, but nope let's overpay and strap ourselves cap wise for the next seven years. This is the one the biggest problems I see with this organization is that "knee jerk react" to everything.

 

[ironhorse384]

tbvh i was nieve and did not pay any attention to the smaller nuances of a pro organisation till i got into my late 30s

it was when i learned of this draft

1989 Entry
Draft

1989 Entry 3 1 Scott Thornton C Belleville Bulls [OHL] 941 144 141 285 1459
1989 Entry 12 1 Rob Pearson R Belleville Bulls [OHL] 269 56 54 110 645
1989 Entry 21 1 Steve Bancroft D Belleville Bulls [OHL] 6 0 1 1 2
1989 Entry 66 4 Matt Martin D Avon Old Farms H.S. (Conn.) 76 0 5 5 71
1989 Entry 96 5 Keith Carney D Mount St. Charles H.S. (R.I.)
1989 Entry 108 6 Dave Burke D Cornell University [ECAC]
1989 Entry 125 6 Mike Doers W Northwood Prep (N.Y.)
1989 Entry 129 7 Keith Merkler F Portledge H.S. (N.Y.)
1989 Entry 150 8 Derek Langille D North Bay Centennials [OHL]
1989 Entry 171 9 Jeff St. Laurent F Berwick H.S. (Maine)
1989 Entry 192 10 Justin Tomberlin F Greenway [Minn H.S.]
1989 Entry 213 11 Mike Jackson R Toronto Marlboros [OHL]
1989 Entry 234 12 Steve Chartrand F Drummondville Voltigeurs [QMJHL]

and heard part of the reason this happened was that ballard made his scouts pay for their own travels costs and Belleville was one of the cheaper destinations the scouts could afford to check out, welll then it hit me like a sledge hammer.

ya and the two guys that were any good from that draft Thornton and Carney they got rid of. So what's the excuse for the scouting staff now???

 

[jcfogerty]

As someone who saw the 80's teams I would say this is the most gutless,laziest team ever.

Amen to that.

 

[Faltorvo]

Plus didn't he only pay Stellick $30K a year to be GM?

idk

i remember stellick talking about it once

something to the effect

" i was walking down the hall way and ballard came up to me and said, your now our GM" or the likes.

or was it " who are you again, well no matter, your our new gm"


something insane like that for a pro franchise.

 

[Erdinger]

What I still can't figure out was why the big panic to sign this guy. I mean look at his game he's at very best a 5mill/yr player and that's more than what I think he's worth financially. The leafs could've offered him 4.5 for 4 years and if he turned it down, like I'm sure he would've, then trade him at the dead line, but nope let's overpay and strap ourselves cap wise for the next seven years.

In typical Leafs fashion it was done as a reaction to him having a good 20 game stretch. I think it was the max they could have paid. I don't think even Phaneuf's agent was asking for any more than what they gave him. Remember when Grabovski went on that goal scoring tear and rather than wait the Leafs gave him the huge contract mid season. He immediately stopped scoring. Leafs never learn.