Leafs Regular Season Predictions
- Thread starter VaughanBender72
- Start date
HellasLEAF
'93 to Infinity
- Sep 14, 2006
- 15,322
- 1,744
I always get slightly more optimistic as it turns into September.
Was thinking more 13-10, now it's more like 9,8,7.
Was thinking more 13-10, now it's more like 9,8,7.
Kamiccolo
Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.
Yes let's hope we miss the playoffs for another unknown draft pick. You would think some people think the point of the NHL is to draft a hot name and not make the playoffs and try to win the cup.
TheGroceryStick
Registered User
Trapper
Registered User
- Nov 21, 2013
- 23,746
- 11,015
Leafs haven't had 90 points in the last 8 years and 100 in the last 10. This is also in the age of the get a free point for making OT and 2 if you win the shoot out. Optimism is good but I'd say around 84-88 until they prove they are not in the same boat as the other non playoff teams.
And you think we can win with the current roster we have? Laughable. Getting a top 5 pick in this years draft would do wonders for this team.
HarrisonFord
President of the Drew Doughty Fan Club
If Bernier, Kessel and Phaneuf stay healthy, we'll make the playoffs.
If one of those 3 gets injured for an extended period of time, we'll be a lottery pick
If one of those 3 gets injured for an extended period of time, we'll be a lottery pick
p.l.f.
use the force
31-42-9
Bernier's godlike performances from last year become less frequent and we end up with 71 points.
Bernier's godlike performances from last year become less frequent and we end up with 71 points.
Kamiccolo
Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.
I've heard the same thing every year. A top 5 pick would help every team every year. Sadly, at some point you need to stop focusing on getting a top pick for next year and decide this is the year we make the playoffs.
We can easily make the playoffs with our roster if we stay healthy. The east is wide open, and after Boston, every team can finish from last to 2nd.
How else are we going to win if don't build a solid foundation? I mean it's pretty tempting passing over McDavid, Eichel, Hannifin, Barzal, etc. Anyone of those players can improve our chance of winning the cup. You look at pass champion and you see they have 1C, 1D and 1G. We potentially have two of the three (1D, 1G). Kadri/Bozak leading this team to the final is debatable.
Look as much as I hate lossing, getting McDavid type of player or even Barzal type of players would benefit our team in the long run.
Kamiccolo
Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.
Okay so what happens when we tank the year and one of those guys bust. We forget that every year a couple of top 10, and sometimes a top 5 guy busts. We just don't know it yet because it takes a while to see and by then everyone is focused on the last three years of top picks.
Guys don't hit their hyped ceilings all the time. They also don't make it in the NHL. I would rather put together the best team possible every year and try to win than lose on purpose. Honestly, what I would do is lose all the floaters (which the leafs did do this year by replacing a lot of the bottom 6 who seemed to be there just for the ride), get some hard working guys in, and get a bit of depth to help our star players.
I don't want to say your wrong, because recent history says otherwise, but teams like the Rangers, Devils, and Oilers made the finals with no #1C. Hell, they just had good depth and good goaltending. They all lost, but things could have gone either way.
In fact, I hate to say it, but Montreal might have made the finals without a #1 C as well if Price didn't go down.
The leafs have a bunch of young, elite potential peices, who along with our already elite peices, will make a great team in the very near future. Only missing peice is a center.
In Goal, Bernier seems to have shown he has the potential to be a great starter, who can show up when needed.
On D, after Phaneuf who is already a #1, we have Gardner looking to become an elite #3 smooth skating D, Reilly who looks like a lock for a top pairing D with potential for a #1, Finn, who is on track to be a great #4 dman. We will have the top end talent. That top 4 will be lethal.
The leafs also did a great job with depth. We will have some of the best bottom pairings and bottom 6 lines in the NHL once our two way banging tough leaders come up.
Our top 6 is only missing a #1 C, but even that might get filled. Our top line we have a 60 point power forward, and a top 10 winger.
Our 2nd line in the future we will have a great center who may become a low end #1, and Nylander who if he doesn't become our #1 C, might be a kane like winger on our 2nd line.
All in all this team is built, and we need experience.
I also want to throw out one idea. If we suck for a few more years, players might want out, or not to come here. If we make the playoffs and show we are on the right track, one of Stamkos or Tavares might decide to come home if they see the team is on the right path. That means we fill our #1 C position just by being competitive.
achtungbaby
Registered User
- Oct 31, 2006
- 4,792
- 25
Same old, same old. We've sucked for awhile now, enough with hoping a free agent comes in and saves us. I'm more worried about building a solid base, Solid guys down the middle, Great goaltending and great defensemen.
I'm picking us to finish either just in, or just out. No man's land.
Kubus
Registered User
- Jun 22, 2014
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I personally don't think it will be FAs that will save us but the development of our own players. Bernier I think will continue his play from last year, and finally put together a 65+ game season. Kadri & Gardiner will continue to improve their overall game and be given more responsibilities. I think JVR will finally take it to that star level, at the very least I expect another 30/30 season from him.
Add to that that Clarkson can't be any worse. It's hard to expect the FAs to bring less than the guys who they are replacing.
So overall I think we are movin' on up.
The Winter Soldier
Registered User
- Apr 4, 2011
- 70,806
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If Dion plays like he did to Mar 1 of last year. When he was +21, and he stays healthy. He will anchor this defence again. If our #1 line carries their play from last year to this year, and if Bernier and Reimer play to their best levels. This team is not bad enough to tank and get a lottery pick. A 6 to 12 bottom finish is probable.
If these things happen for the above players, I expect us to be in the playoff race till at least February - March.
What will determine if we make the playoffs is our #2 line, and the progression of Gardiner and Rielly.
Kadri, Lupul, and Clarkson have to be better. All huge minuses last year. A better balance of offence, secondary scoring and defence is the key to this season from these 3. As I mentioned last year, I foreshadowed if the #1 line stopped carrying this team, this team would be in trouble. We know what happened when they visibly tired late last season.
Conditioning will be a key, since we have Belza for another season, I am not confident we can sustain our play for an entire season. Unlike the asterisk 48 game season we made the playoffs.
82 full games can expose teams.
My verdict is in contention for the playoffs till Feb-Mar. What happens after, we will see.
If these things happen for the above players, I expect us to be in the playoff race till at least February - March.
What will determine if we make the playoffs is our #2 line, and the progression of Gardiner and Rielly.
Kadri, Lupul, and Clarkson have to be better. All huge minuses last year. A better balance of offence, secondary scoring and defence is the key to this season from these 3. As I mentioned last year, I foreshadowed if the #1 line stopped carrying this team, this team would be in trouble. We know what happened when they visibly tired late last season.
Conditioning will be a key, since we have Belza for another season, I am not confident we can sustain our play for an entire season. Unlike the asterisk 48 game season we made the playoffs.
82 full games can expose teams.
My verdict is in contention for the playoffs till Feb-Mar. What happens after, we will see.
I don't know why but I am not so sure the Bruins will finish in first this year..They have a good team but with no Iginla, they have a big hole to fill..
Pick one of these teams we are better than.
1. Boston
2. Pittsburg
3. Tampa Bay
4. Montreal
5. NY Rangers
6. Philly
7. Columbus
8. Detroit
Washington
Ottawa
New Jersey
Carolina
Florida
Toronto.....this is where I predict we will finish but could be worse if we get shoddy or just average goaltending. For the first time in years, Buffalo scares me.
I believe we are better than the Islanders and Sabres....but not by much. Everyone of those teams I have listed in front of us got better. Some more substantial than the others. We changed our Bottom 6, Brought in a D man that had, not one, but 2 broken legs last year and a guy that is not as good as Gunnarson. And don't say New Jersey because they signed an old guy. That old guy is better than almost everyone of our players except Kessel and also brings leadership to their group.
How about Montreal? They are the ones in our division right? Naw, the habs are much better and have better depth and the Price factor. Even if we are better than the Habs, we still have to be better than other teams in our division that have also improved.
So go ahead....pick one. Or better yet, pick one for sure we are better than that will get us into the playoff picture. Ga head, Ga head.
1. Boston
2. Pittsburg
3. Tampa Bay
4. Montreal
5. NY Rangers
6. Philly
7. Columbus
8. Detroit
Washington
Ottawa
New Jersey
Carolina
Florida
Toronto.....this is where I predict we will finish but could be worse if we get shoddy or just average goaltending. For the first time in years, Buffalo scares me.
I believe we are better than the Islanders and Sabres....but not by much. Everyone of those teams I have listed in front of us got better. Some more substantial than the others. We changed our Bottom 6, Brought in a D man that had, not one, but 2 broken legs last year and a guy that is not as good as Gunnarson. And don't say New Jersey because they signed an old guy. That old guy is better than almost everyone of our players except Kessel and also brings leadership to their group.
How about Montreal? They are the ones in our division right? Naw, the habs are much better and have better depth and the Price factor. Even if we are better than the Habs, we still have to be better than other teams in our division that have also improved.
So go ahead....pick one. Or better yet, pick one for sure we are better than that will get us into the playoff picture. Ga head, Ga head.
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ACC1224
Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
- Aug 19, 2002
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Well, I like your optimism but we are not close to washington and Jersey and Ottawa are better than us.
Carolina is loaded up.
Sorry, I know its that time of the year, and it rains optimism and excitement with a new season, but this is a sinking ship and it will be show to us from the start this year.
We won't have a year end collapse, because we will already be bad from the beginning.
Quares27
Registered User
- Apr 3, 2013
- 6,981
- 162
He's not optmistic. You're just extremely pessimistic.
"Carolina is loaded up" lmao are you actually being serious? did they add anything other than our garbage? Mcclement, Gleason and Macintyre, whoa theyre ****ing stacked this season.
Boston, Pittsburgh, and maybe NYR and Montreal are the only teams significantly better than any other team in the East as far as I'm concerned. The rest could finish in just about any order.
You're having a laugh if you think NJ and the Sentaturds are better than us, and that Carolina is "loaded up".
KGL
Auston 3:16
- Sep 5, 2014
- 7,499
- 9
Leafs are better than the Sens, Sabres, Islanders, Hurricanes, Panthers and the Devils. I'm pretty much certain of that. Leafs are close to or not far behind a few other teams in the East.
No idea how the 'Canes are loaded up. They were a bad team last season that did nothing in the off season. Only team out of those that I listed that got significantly better is the Islanders.
Call me overly optimistic but I think the Leafs could realistically end up in a wild car spot. A lot of things would have to go right but I do believe the Leafs have a better team than they did last season. A lot more defensively responsible players will make for less shots against. A legit fourth line and improved third line will make for more scoring depth and a more rested top line. I think that the standings could look like this:
Atlantic:
Tampa Bay
Boston
Montreal
Metro:
Pittsburgh
NY Rangers
Columbus
Wild Card
Detroit
Toronto
Islanders, Caps and Flyers each have a legit shot at grabbing a wild card spot too. It'll be a close race.
No idea how the 'Canes are loaded up. They were a bad team last season that did nothing in the off season. Only team out of those that I listed that got significantly better is the Islanders.
Call me overly optimistic but I think the Leafs could realistically end up in a wild car spot. A lot of things would have to go right but I do believe the Leafs have a better team than they did last season. A lot more defensively responsible players will make for less shots against. A legit fourth line and improved third line will make for more scoring depth and a more rested top line. I think that the standings could look like this:
Atlantic:
Tampa Bay
Boston
Montreal
Metro:
Pittsburgh
NY Rangers
Columbus
Wild Card
Detroit
Toronto
Islanders, Caps and Flyers each have a legit shot at grabbing a wild card spot too. It'll be a close race.
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