News Article: Leafs' Offseason Report Card = B+

[Nineteen67]

I don’t disagree with what he said, perhaps it’s premature to give a grade at this point, but since he did, I would concur that A grades should be reserved for excellence and B grades for those that did very good.
At the end of the day, who cares what he thinks. He’s just like us, he’s commenting without all the information.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Has to be an A. We are stronger down the middle with Tavares. The departures of Bozak, JVR and uncle Leo will allow some of the Marlies to make the Leafs on a full time basis. I would love to have gone after a top pairing defenceman, but their was none really available in free agency. Plus all the big name free agent D in 2019 seem to be signing extensions.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Have to be the first one out there to get the attention. Seems to have worked.

I should adopt this strategy lol.

 

[Notsince67]

Thank goodness Augello didn't mention the lack of toughness throughout the line up. Fans might actually reflect on the B+.

I'm sorry folks, but I'm going to mention it.

Where would you address toughness exactly?

 

[Brown Dog]

Where would you address toughness exactly?

Wish we could add Wayne Simmonds. He'd be a great addition.

 

[Hunter368]

I think B+ is a fair grade overall.

 

[ottomaddox]

Where would you address toughness exactly?

4O Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M5J 2X2

Most of the players wearing blue and white.

Soft Captain: Jake Gardiner
Alternate: William Nylander

 

[Notsince67]

4O Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M5J 2X2

Most of the players wearing blue and white.

Soft Captain: Jake Gardiner
Alternate: William Nylander

Defensively, toughness is a matter of style. Polak was tough...he sucked at zone exits though.
As for Nylander, I'm sure his lack of toughness has been addressed by the coach as it seems unlikely that a new GM would be dealing with that right now.

 

[LeafFever]

Wish we could add Wayne Simmonds. He'd be a great addition.

I always loved Simmons. I just worry he's UFA after this season, is almost 30 and plays that grinding style where he probably is past-his-prime already.

 

[ottomaddox]

Defensively, toughness is a matter of style. Polak was tough...he sucked at zone exits though.
As for Nylander, I'm sure his lack of toughness has been addressed by the coach as it seems unlikely that a new GM would be dealing with that right now.

This team never hung on to Polak as though he was a difference maker. "Hung on" I mean treat him as an important player. He's not that good and he's a 6th defenseman on most teams including TOR. He played 17 min a night, where as Hainsey/Gardiner/Rielly all played around 22 min.

The problem is that many of our key players are soft.

Do you really think that we lost a playoff series to BOS because of Roman Polak? Now that he and Martin are gone we will be a contender? Did you see how physical WSH, TBL, WPG and VGK were last playoffs?

We might have all the skill in the world, but that will dry up when the whistles go away in the post season.

 

[Notsince67]

This team never hung on to Polak as though he was a difference maker. "Hung on" I mean treat him as an important player. He's not that good and he's a 6th defenseman on most teams including TOR. He played 17 min a night, where as Hainsey/Gardiner/Rielly all played around 22 min.

The problem is that many of our key players are soft.

Do you really think that we lost a playoff series to BOS because of Roman Polak? Now that he and Martin are gone we will be a contender? Did you see how physical WSH, TBL, WPG and VGK were last playoffs?

We might have all the skill in the world, but that will dry up when the whistles go away in the post season.

I can't say I agree with you. The leafs went 7 games despite a 1st line that couldn't score well and some bad goaltending. Gardiner was not responsible for 4 games of losses

 

[LeafFever]

This team never hung on to Polak as though he was a difference maker. "Hung on" I mean treat him as an important player. He's not that good and he's a 6th defenseman on most teams including TOR. He played 17 min a night, where as Hainsey/Gardiner/Rielly all played around 22 min.

The problem is that many of our key players are soft.

Do you really think that we lost a playoff series to BOS because of Roman Polak? Now that he and Martin are gone we will be a contender? Did you see how physical WSH, TBL, WPG and VGK were last playoffs?

We might have all the skill in the world, but that will dry up when the whistles go away in the post season.

Do you honestly think we lost to Boston because of toughness?

 

[Leafslet]

we lost to Boston bevause they were the better team. Now we are the better team.

 

[LeafFever]

we lost to Boston bevause they were the better team. Now we are the better team.

I think we also gave away the series by having a majority of our core play poorly, our goalie giving us .896 save% in the series and Kadri getting suspended. What are the chances that will happen again even if we did not add Matthews?

 

[ottomaddox]

Do you honestly think we lost to Boston because of toughness?

No. That was not my point.

I think people are implying that Martin and Polak omissions are going to make us better.

My point is:

1. We are not tough period.
2. Polak is not important and never was.
3. Martin is not important and never was.

^Number 2 and 3 have nothing to do with point #1.

OUR KEY PLAYERS LACK TOUGHNESS!

POLAK AND MARTIN WERE NEVER KEY PLAYERS!

I am sorry for the capital letters, but I hate it when HFBoarders try to narrow you into some camp that they are opposed to. I am not in that camp so stop trying to put me there.

PS - Yes Kadri plays with some edge, but we need 2 or 3 more guys like him.

 

[HC7]

Wish we could add Wayne Simmonds. He'd be a great addition.

Great idea, lets lose Nylander/not be able to acquire a D, so we can add Simmonds.

 

[nsleaf]

No. That was not my point.

I think people are implying that Martin and Polak omissions are going to make us better.

My point is:

1. We are not tough period.
2. Polak is not important and never was.
3. Martin is not important and never was.

^Number 2 and 3 have nothing to do with point #1.

OUR KEY PLAYERS LACK TOUGHNESS!

POLAK AND MARTIN WERE NEVER KEY PLAYERS!

I am sorry for the capital letters, but I hate it when HFBoarders try to narrow you into some camp that they are opposed to. I am not in that camp so stop trying to put me there.

PS - Yes Kadri plays with some edge, but we need 2 or 3 more guys like him.

What would you do to address your perceived lack of toughness with the key players besides flippantly posting the Leaf's street address?

 

[ottomaddox]

What would you do to address your perceived lack of toughness with the key players besides flippantly posting the Leaf's street address?

This is Dubas' cross to bear.

I could suggest many players and solutions, but I would be cut down for saying so.

I get the feeling that many people feel that the team that MGMT has constructed is the way the NHL is going, or the change that they wish the NHL to go. I see teams like WSH, PIT, BOS, CHI, LA, and I see them winning the cup the way teams always won the cup: skill, toughness, goaltending, defensive play, speed, finishing body checks, shot blocking, etc.

I like Tavares signing and would never down play that. So far I see this team as skilled, but soft. That isn't enough to go deep into the playoffs.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

Maple Leafs offseason report card: Toronto lands John Tavares, but still has holes to fill

Best quotes:


"The signing of Tavares is a home run for Toronto and could vault them to serious contender status in the Eastern Conference, but the club did not address their thin defensive corps, which could keep them from getting past either Tampa or Boston in the Atlantic Division.

The Leafs still have nearly $14 Million in available cap space, which could mean that adding a top four blueliner will be something that they try to do before the trade deadline."

That's horribly misleading and poor journalism.

Nylander has to be signed, roster has to be filled out, Matthews and Marner rookie bonuses need to be covered, etc.

 

[nsleaf]

This is Dubas' cross to bear.

I could suggest many players and solutions, but I would be cut down for saying so.

I get the feeling that many people feel that the team that MGMT has constructed is the way the NHL is going, or the change that they wish the NHL to go. I see teams like WSH, PIT, BOS, CHI, LA, and I see them winning the cup the way teams always won the cup: skill, toughness, goaltending, defensive play, speed, finishing body checks, shot blocking, etc.

I like Tavares signing and would never down play that. So far I see this team as skilled, but soft. That isn't enough to go deep into the playoffs.

Can't say I disagree, but I believe toughness is a state of mind and the Leafs key players can and hopefully adjust to the playoff grind.

Do not worry about being cut up by others because it's just opinions after all, to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[ITM]

This is Dubas' cross to bear.

I could suggest many players and solutions, but I would be cut down for saying so.

I get the feeling that many people feel that the team that MGMT has constructed is the way the NHL is going, or the change that they wish the NHL to go. I see teams like WSH, PIT, BOS, CHI, LA, and I see them winning the cup the way teams always won the cup: skill, toughness, goaltending, defensive play, speed, finishing body checks, shot blocking, etc.

I like Tavares signing and would never down play that. So far I see this team as skilled, but soft. That isn't enough to go deep into the playoffs.

Can't have it both ways with either assertion. Can't say with credibility that HFBoards posters are monolithic in their criticism and won't succeed in narrowing you into a distinct category of critic, while narrowly framing the context of some HFBoards critics as monolithic, whatever the subject might be. Same thing holds true with defining latter-day champions as being defined by the kind of toughness that characterized teams from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Nor is it accurate to compare the recent LA Kings clubs and their ingredients of toughness with Pittsburgh's central characteristic as being the same sort of big-bodied toughness that Sutter's club won the Cup with or the Bruins led by Chara and Lucic.

When I watched the Penguins before their first Cup of two against Detroit at The Joe, it was their puck pursuit, TEAM speed and transition game and skill that left me confident to predict they were good enough team to two Cups in a row. Vegas (you mentioned elsewhere) represents a complete anomaly but they share TEAM speed and transition with Pittsburgh.

I would say one thing you've not mentioned is...YOUTH. Our club is young. That is our key players are young. Very young. And throughout last year's season, there were pockets of plays made that demonstrated an ability to A) Persevere through pressure and B) Execute similar pressure in puck pursuit/retrieval and C) Do so for extended periods of time.

And independent of whatever way the NHL is going...When you can construct your center position with the #1 and #7 picks of one draft and the #1 pick of another...you're doing the right thing. Our wings might not be prototypical power forwards and perhaps more information about the players we have might move Dubas to specifically address that problem, but the possibilities we have in Marner and Nylander and now Johnsson should excite any hockey fan given the level of skill they possess and are being centered by...

I'm sure you're mindful as well that it's very, very, very difficult to convince other clubs to trade their young, tough, big skilled defenceman...even if Nylander was the offer. I"m sure you're equally aware of how hard it is to rightly diagnose the Duncan Keith's of the second rounds of every year's Entry Draft...just ask Chicago.

Suffice it to say, I'm always interested in another person's perspective as how best to address the needs of the team. I'd just like the starting point to address the needs that have been met first, in their proper context.

 

[stickty111]

The great thing is that Leafs are a tough team, and not soft

 

[Anthrax442]

Please make a warning before I click on this hack's link.

 

[ottomaddox]

Can't have it both ways with either assertion. Can't say with credibility that HFBoards posters are monolithic in their criticism and won't succeed in narrowing you into a distinct category of critic, while narrowly framing the context of some HFBoards critics as monolithic, whatever the subject might be. Same thing holds true with defining latter-day champions as being defined by the kind of toughness that characterized teams from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Nor is it accurate to compare the recent LA Kings clubs and their ingredients of toughness with Pittsburgh's central characteristic as being the same sort of big-bodied toughness that Sutter's club won the Cup with or the Bruins led by Chara and Lucic.

When I watched the Penguins before their first Cup of two against Detroit at The Joe, it was their puck pursuit, TEAM speed and transition game and skill that left me confident to predict they were good enough team to two Cups in a row. Vegas (you mentioned elsewhere) represents a complete anomaly but they share TEAM speed and transition with Pittsburgh.

I would say one thing you've not mentioned is...YOUTH. Our club is young. That is our key players are young. Very young. And throughout last year's season, there were pockets of plays made that demonstrated an ability to A) Persevere through pressure and B) Execute similar pressure in puck pursuit/retrieval and C) Do so for extended periods of time.

And independent of whatever way the NHL is going...When you can construct your center position with the #1 and #7 picks of one draft and the #1 pick of another...you're doing the right thing. Our wings might not be prototypical power forwards and perhaps more information about the players we have might move Dubas to specifically address that problem, but the possibilities we have in Marner and Nylander and now Johnsson should excite any hockey fan given the level of skill they possess and are being centered by...

I'm sure you're mindful as well that it's very, very, very difficult to convince other clubs to trade their young, tough, big skilled defenceman...even if Nylander was the offer. I"m sure you're equally aware of how hard it is to rightly diagnose the Duncan Keith's of the second rounds of every year's Entry Draft...just ask Chicago.

Suffice it to say, I'm always interested in another person's perspective as how best to address the needs of the team. I'd just like the starting point to address the needs that have been met first, in their proper context.

Yes I can. I just did.

 

[stickty111]

Can't have it both ways with either assertion. Can't say with credibility that HFBoards posters are monolithic in their criticism and won't succeed in narrowing you into a distinct category of critic, while narrowly framing the context of some HFBoards critics as monolithic, whatever the subject might be. Same thing holds true with defining latter-day champions as being defined by the kind of toughness that characterized teams from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Nor is it accurate to compare the recent LA Kings clubs and their ingredients of toughness with Pittsburgh's central characteristic as being the same sort of big-bodied toughness that Sutter's club won the Cup with or the Bruins led by Chara and Lucic.

When I watched the Penguins before their first Cup of two against Detroit at The Joe, it was their puck pursuit, TEAM speed and transition game and skill that left me confident to predict they were good enough team to two Cups in a row. Vegas (you mentioned elsewhere) represents a complete anomaly but they share TEAM speed and transition with Pittsburgh.

I would say one thing you've not mentioned is...YOUTH. Our club is young. That is our key players are young. Very young. And throughout last year's season, there were pockets of plays made that demonstrated an ability to A) Persevere through pressure and B) Execute similar pressure in puck pursuit/retrieval and C) Do so for extended periods of time.

And independent of whatever way the NHL is going...When you can construct your center position with the #1 and #7 picks of one draft and the #1 pick of another...you're doing the right thing. Our wings might not be prototypical power forwards and perhaps more information about the players we have might move Dubas to specifically address that problem, but the possibilities we have in Marner and Nylander and now Johnsson should excite any hockey fan given the level of skill they possess and are being centered by...

I'm sure you're mindful as well that it's very, very, very difficult to convince other clubs to trade their young, tough, big skilled defenceman...even if Nylander was the offer. I"m sure you're equally aware of how hard it is to rightly diagnose the Duncan Keith's of the second rounds of every year's Entry Draft...just ask Chicago.

Suffice it to say, I'm always interested in another person's perspective as how best to address the needs of the team. I'd just like the starting point to address the needs that have been met first, in their proper context.

The issue is facts and logic dont matter.