Just 3 years ago...

[BTP]

Horacheck, 18 wheelers, Phaneuf, Jersey tossing, getting humiliated by division rivals. Jesus Christ. Its good to look at these vids now and be able to laugh.

How far we've come

Click to read more...

 

[Pookie]

Accelerated rebuilds are less painful. Hopefully it works

 

[Mugzy97]

Accelerated rebuilds are less painful. Hopefully it works

Our rebuild wasn't accelerated, it was done properly. But the players we got are top notch, performing well above expectation, and that's why it feels like a fast rebuild.

 

[Pookie]

Our rebuild wasn't accelerated, it was done properly. But the players we got are top notch, performing well above expectation, and that's why it feels like a fast rebuild.

The risk is next year. There isn’t a talent injection coming like we saw earlier and we are potentially losing 2/5 on the PP for nothing.

Had they sold those assets last year, we may have replacement prospects that would increase the odds.

Buying rentals and not trading vets for the sake of 6 playoff games veered a little from the plan. That’s what I mean by acceleration.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Our rebuild wasn't accelerated, it was done properly. But the players we got are top notch, performing well above expectation, and that's why it feels like a fast rebuild.

No it feels like fast rebuild because it was.

it started July 1 2015 with the Kessel trade and it ended either in June 2016 when they landed their star goalie and franchise center within 48 hours.

Or July 2nd 2017 the moment Marleau put pen to paper.

 

[LeafSadist]

Wafflegate can be used by Montreal now.

 

[Mugzy97]

No it feels like fast rebuild because it was.

it started July 1 2015 with the Kessel trade and it ended either in June 2016 when they landed their star goalie and franchise center within 48 hours.

Or July 2nd 2017 the moment Marleau put pen to paper.

Other teams like Edmonton and Buffalo landed their franchise centers as well, but they aren't doing what we're doing. Matthews is unbelievable, but along with him the play of Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Rielly, Gardiner, Andersen, JVR, Hyman and maybe others, is what has us breaking records.

 

[Pookie]

Wafflegate can be used by Montreal now.

You mean Crepes-gate?

 

[Pookie]

Other teams like Edmonton and Buffalo landed their franchise centers as well, but they aren't doing what we're doing. Matthews is unbelievable, but along with him the play of Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Rielly, Gardiner, Andersen, JVR, Hyman and maybe others, is what has us breaking records.

True. Though the biggest factor in the season is probably the play of Freddy. And he cost this rebuilding team a 1st and 2nd round pick.

Rebuilders generally don’t move picks until they are in a position to improve for the present.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Other teams like Edmonton and Buffalo landed their franchise centers as well, but they aren't doing what we're doing. Matthews is unbelievable, but along with him the play of Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Rielly, Gardiner, Andersen, JVR, Hyman and maybe others, is what has us breaking records.

But Buffalo certainly doesn't have their goalie and you can question if Edmonton does,

Toronto got both within 48 hours

 

[Daisy Jane]

The risk is next year. There isn’t a talent injection coming like we saw earlier and we are potentially losing 2/5 on the PP for nothing.

Had they sold those assets last year, we may have replacement prospects that would increase the odds.

Buying rentals and not trading vets for the sake of 6 playoff games veered a little from the plan. That’s what I mean by acceleration.

no it doesn't.
they had veteran experience to support the younger players that are good enough to actually contribute.
people seriously need to stop saying "for nothing" as if we are not benefiting from it.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The risk is next year. There isn’t a talent injection coming like we saw earlier and we are potentially losing 2/5 on the PP for nothing.

Had they sold those assets last year, we may have replacement prospects that would increase the odds.

Buying rentals and not trading vets for the sake of 6 playoff games veered a little from the plan. That’s what I mean by acceleration.

oh brother. We don't have to have a talent injection like Matthews-Nylander-Marner all coming at the same time because that's unheard of. We're going to be replacing guys like Komarov, Martin, and Bozak with better players. The only value we might be losing is JVR

 

[Pookie]

no it doesn't.
they had veteran experience to support the younger players that are good enough to actually contribute.
people seriously need to stop saying "for nothing" as if we are not benefiting from it.

Well when the same people want to blame a vet and replace him with a 9 game rookie.... when the facts don’t fit... I tend to have a raised eyebrow on the whole “experience matters” discussion.

Not saying you fit that category. You are consistent on that.

 

[kb]

True. Though the biggest factor in the season is probably the play of Freddy. And he cost this rebuilding team a 1st and 2nd round pick.

Rebuilders generally don’t move picks until they are in a position to improve for the present.

Of course rebuilders move picks. The Leafs had more than one of each that year. And it solidified a position that had been a steaming pile revolving door for a decade. Anyone remember a top-10 pick for Cory Schneider? Nothing negative was said about that. Calculate the odds of the where those picks ended up being actually leading to impact players like Freddy.

So the Leafs could have Reimer'ish goaltending, and be a team flirting with the wild card with a couple more fringy prospects. Do you think that makes the Leafs better now - or in the future - compared to where they are today?

I shake my head sometimes.....well, a lot actually.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I hated that team

 

[BM14]

Wafflegate can be used by Montreal now.

**Poutine Gate.

 

[Ratboy]

Wafflegate can be used by Montreal now.

They're doomed. I'll take my sheudenfreude with a side of poutine.

 

[Longshot]

Our rebuild wasn't accelerated, it was done properly. But the players we got are top notch, performing well above expectation, and that's why it feels like a fast rebuild.

It actually was accelerated by the fact that Brian Burke's accelerated re-build didn't work. The seasons that ended with the Leafs drafting Rielly, Nylander and Marner didn't begin as re-build years (although, the Marner year was when Shanny was evaluating the organization and canned Carlyle, so it was more of an in-between year).

 

[Ratboy]

**Poutine Gate.

Haha great minds!

 

[Daisy Jane]

Well when the same people want to blame a vet and replace him with a 9 game rookie.... when the facts don’t fit... I tend to have a raised eyebrow on the whole “experience matters” discussion.

Not saying you fit that category. You are consistent on that.

ehh like everything the truth lies in the middle.

with the Komarov/AJ thing, i don't think it's necessarily veteran vs. rookie, it's more speed vs. what komarov is bringing right now. I don't think Komarov should have been signed when he did (but from everything i've read that was a cookie towards the room because he was super popular), and his butt should have been traded during his all star year. but he didn't.

i feel if Komarov was more stable (which i think he's not right now), the lack of speed would be okay. but he's not and he's not fleet of foot. having depth to have options - is not a bad thing. Babcock himself said AJ 'surprised' him, so i don't think it's fair to just dismiss the fact that AJ has made some sort of impression (akin to Dermott, because i don't think the plan was he was supposed to be up here and this impactful, according to Lou).

i feel when you or others go ''accelerated rebuild' it's dismissive (or just assuming that the leafs jumped the gun). I don't feel that they did. It's not management's fault the team is this good. nd even though there are some def. youthful warts, I don't think it behooves the team to remove all the veteran filled players (like some wanted because 'we're rebuilding' without thinking that wouldn't impact the team in negative way), nor is it a bad thing when you sacrifice a lower end 2nd round pick for more added depth - especially when they continue to compensate that "1" pick with getting assets elsewhere.

ideally does it make sense to do what the Leafs are doing every season? No.
does it make sense to do it sometimes?. yes.
it makes sense to this team to do it now and we're benefiting from what they are bringing. that's a good thing.

 

[FlareKnight]

Good timing, fortune and management got us here in a surprising amount of time. The expansion draft helped shake some things loose, good lottery luck got us Matthews, and a focus on skill (particularly in the first round) got us guys like Nylander and Marner instead of say Nick Ritchie. And good management had us keep guys we could use instead of tossing everything out that had any remote value like say what Buffalo did.

How long or little it takes to rebuild depends on circumstances and how you handle yourself. But the Leafs made the most of what they had. They took advantage of opportunities to get a guy like Andersen when he was available.

It is remarkable to look back. 3 years ago it was pretty rough to put it lightly. Glad we're looking at a much brighter present than I could have dreamed of back then.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I hated that team

me too
i hated every single person on that team, and would have been happy had we traded everyone and just started all over again. blegh.

 

[BTP]

me too
i hated every single person on that team, and would have been happy had we traded everyone and just started all over again. blegh.

I hated them too, funny enough though I didnt hate Horacheck, I just felt bad for him.

Im glad the players that are still here got to see the turn around though.

 

[Fogelhund]

oh brother. We don't have to have a talent injection like Matthews-Nylander-Marner all coming at the same time because that's unheard of. We're going to be replacing guys like Komarov, Martin, and Bozak with better players. The only value we might be losing is JVR

Replacing Bozak with a better player, could be a question mark at this point.

 

[Bluelines]

The risk is next year. There isn’t a talent injection coming like we saw earlier and we are potentially losing 2/5 on the PP for nothing.

Had they sold those assets last year, we may have replacement prospects that would increase the odds.

Buying rentals and not trading vets for the sake of 6 playoff games veered a little from the plan. That’s what I mean by acceleration.

Its fair to say we aren't going to see a talent injection like Marner, Nyalnder, Matthews next year but how many team have 6 guys with their skill set? It appears we have more than a few defensive prospects that could be legit defenders... Lilly who is expected to be a top 3 guy is a year or so away, Dermott who IMO will be a top 3 guy will be here next year. Johnsson while not an every day top 6 is a legit 2nd line PP guy, can kill PIMs and can play on the bottom 2 lines and do spot duties in the top 6.

I think we have our core now minus maybe one or two players, now we are looking for complimentary energy players.

Hopefully Babcock's systems/experience and youth gaining experience will help this team absorb the loss of Bozie, Komarov and JVR.