News Article: Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis talks draft, Bolland and trades

[Peasy]

I'd just like to know what direction this team is going in. What kind of identity do they want to have. No idea........

The direction is the core that they currently have. theyve stated it numerous times.

 

[Warden of the North]

What a generic response. Typical nonis/ Burke response. Whatever

Typical Burke would be

"This Aaron Ekblad is a player. Hes a MAN. Hes coming home to Toronto"

I really dont see anything inflammatory about what Nonis said in this article. Hes saying the same thing every GM is saying.

 

[mydnyte]

Typical Burke would be

"This Aaron Ekblad is a player. Hes a MAN. Hes coming home to Toronto"

I really dont see anything inflammatory about what Nonis said in this article. Hes saying the same thing every GM is saying.

you forgot the part about Burke not getting the player, and then saying he wasnt interested in him anyways, and could have had him if he really wanted him.

 

[ACC1224]

you forgot the part about Burke not getting the player, and then saying he wasnt interested in him anyways, and could have had him if he really wanted him.

He's said that?

 

[ShaneFalco]

The direction is the core that they currently have. theyve stated it numerous times.

Really? Because if you consider Kadri and Gardiner part of the core, they could very well be on there way out. Bolland core? Phaneuf? Lupul? Clarkson?
It's been shown to be a flawed core

 

[pspot]

the moment Nonis wasn't fired Shanny became accountable he's the one to complain about now for anything nonis does or doesn't do

 

[leafs in five]

"I think our team is right in the mix with a number of other teams that could finish anywhere from four to 10. And that’s what we even said going into the year."

did anyone from the Leafs front office actually say that going into last year? like after they bought out a centre, traded four picks, signed Clarkson to that deal and said he's worth the dead weight years at the end for what he'll bring in the first, replaced their young potential starting goalie with a guy they thought could get them over the top. i have a hard time believing a guy when he says he made those moves to put together a team that he could imagine finishing 10th in the conference, and that that would be fine because it's soooo young and inexperienced.

 

[Budsfan]

Q: Still thinking of moving up at the draft?

Nonis: Yeah, we would depending on the price. We think, like I think most teams think, that it’s fairly deep in terms of quality, one through 10, 12, 14, so we believe we’re going to get a good player at eight. That said, if we can move up higher and the cost made sense we would do it. We’ve talked to a couple of teams and shared ideas of what would make sense right now. Right now we haven’t found anything that does, but if there’s a deal there that isn’t cost prohibitive we would look to do it, if not we’re happy to pick where we are.

This is just one of the Questions and Answers in the Atricle

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/06/18/maple-leafs-gm-dave-nonis-talks-draft-bolland-and-trades

One of the reasons I posted this Question and Answer, is the bolded part and maybe reading between the lines, if the asking price we have been kicking around for the #1 choice is #8, plus Kadri, plus Gardiner, it would seem to be just too prohibitive, this could change closer to the draft of course, or it may be a ploy through the media to get the Panthers to take less, or no deal.

Nonis is not showing all his cards and you wouldn't expect him to.

 

[theIceWookie]

I found this quite interesting too...

Q: Jake Gardiner, any thought of making him a forward, given you have Morgan Rielly back end?

Nonis: He was a forward, he started as a forward. He played more of his formative years as a forward. There’s been some talk of it, but I think he gives us an element at the back end that would be hard to replace. He can skate the puck out, pretty good on the power play. So I think right now, we would keep him back there.

Why?

basically outlines the exact same thinking fans on here had? Would Gardiner make a good forward? Then follows it up saying no, they didn't, and they liked him at defense.

It's a question looking to stir up more Gardiner talk and Nonis basically shuts it down.

Nothing to see here.

 

[Budsfan]

Why?

basically outlines the exact same thinking fans on here had? Would Gardiner make a good forward? Then follows it up saying no, they didn't, and they liked him at defense.

It's a question looking to stir up more Gardiner talk and Nonis basically shuts it down.

Nothing to see here.

That's the point, Gardiner won't be tried as a forward and I for one, thought it might be worth a try, it seems he has the tools to play as a forward and in some situations on "D" but we will never know, what he would be able to do, as a forward/defenseman.

 

[Atomos2]

He's said that?

Don't you remember? We could've had Tavares but we didn't want to give up on superstar Luke Schenn.

 

[ULF_55]

i can't wait to see what direction Nonis wants to take, Nonis the GM that signed a guy to a long term deal with open disdain for the years at the end, re-signed Bozak, Kessel, Phaneuf, retroactively declared the Leafs a bubble playoff team, announced that they could be successful under his coach, advertised that the same team had no untouchables.

Doug McLean(sp?) was on the Fan 960 in Calgary this week.

They asked about the role Shanahan is playing and he said, the GM but hiding behind the other title.

Said it is that way with the other clubs, and he'd love to get one of those jobs but never will. He didn't seem like he wanted it either, but said being "president" gave more freedom for personal life.

 

[Parkdale]

Nonis typically says the right things. Like the time he said it was extremely important to "get it right" with big ticket, long term contracts in the current hard cap system. Get it wrong and the team might be set back competitively for years. Then he goes out and signs Clarkson as his signature move last off-season. Judge him for his actions, not his words. Besides, even his words have less significance with Shanahan now calling the shots.

 

[ACC1224]

Don't you remember? We could've had Tavares but we didn't want to give up on superstar Luke Schenn.

Nope, that sounds made up.

 

[Cor]

Don't you remember? We could've had Tavares but we didn't want to give up on superstar Luke Schenn.

Wrong.

It was Schenn + 7th (Kadri) for the 2nd overall. We would have gotten Hedman/Duchene

 

[Atomos2]

Wrong.

It was Schenn + 7th (Kadri) for the 2nd overall. We would have gotten Hedman/Duchene

Meh, now that I think about it you're right. I was trying to go off memory, but I might of mixed it up.

 

[ShaneFalco]

"I think our team is right in the mix with a number of other teams that could finish anywhere from four to 10. And that’s what we even said going into the year."

did anyone from the Leafs front office actually say that going into last year? like after they bought out a centre, traded four picks, signed Clarkson to that deal and said he's worth the dead weight years at the end for what he'll bring in the first, replaced their young potential starting goalie with a guy they thought could get them over the top. i have a hard time believing a guy when he says he made those moves to put together a team that he could imagine finishing 10th in the conference, and that that would be fine because it's soooo young and inexperienced.

Exactly. It's a built in excuse if you don't make the playoffs
And if they truly weren't disappointed/upset with missing the playoffs - why the "culture change" ?

 

[Trapper]

Really? Because if you consider Kadri and Gardiner part of the core, they could very well be on there way out. Bolland core? Phaneuf? Lupul? Clarkson?
It's been shown to be a flawed core

They are building around Bozak/Kessel/Rielly/Bernier.
Thats what I got as the plan.

 

[leafs in five]

after the Carlyle extension Nonis said he knows this group of players can be successful under Carlyle, because he's seen it happen, they just have to buy in etc. so it's strange to hear that Nonis apparently said before last season that the Leafs were a team that could finish anywhere from 4-10 in the conference. did the 4th-10th projection just allow for the possibility that the players just wouldn't listen to the coach?

and of course a month after Nonis said he knew the team could be successful under Carlyle the Leafs are willing to move any player for the right offer.

 

[leafs in five]

They are building around Bozak/Kessel/Rielly/Bernier.
Thats what I got as the plan.

you'd think a team with only four players in management's long term plans would have some extra picks or at most of their own picks or at least a good amount of cap space.

 

[ShaneFalco]

And better add Clarkson to that list, and Phaneuf unless he's moved. JVR, Lupul

And Tyler Bozak as a key cog going forward? Really?

 

[jmart21]

And better add Clarkson to that list, and Phaneuf unless he's moved. JVR, Lupul

And Tyler Bozak as a key cog going forward? Really?

why do people obsess over who the team is "building around". Why do people put so much stock into which players were here first.

It's the end picture that matters most.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Hope_Smoke @Hope_Smoke · 14h
I mean, Shanahan goes on the record saying he wants the Leafs to shift their draft philosophy to high end skill.


Hope_Smoke @Hope_Smoke · 14h
Nonis then goes on the record saying skill isn't a priority.

 

[ShaneFalco]

why do people obsess over who the team is "building around". Why do people put so much stock into which players were here first.

It's the end picture that matters most.

Because most good teams have a core that they do in fact build around, you know to make a successfulteam!? Not slap players together like the Leafs, trade away 2nd round picks like they're going out of style, over-pay for UFAs and hope there's a fit

 

[leafs in five]

why do people obsess over who the team is "building around". Why do people put so much stock into which players were here first.

It's the end picture that matters most.

the Leafs have finished bottom-10 for six of the last seven seasons, and they have four players they think they can win with to show for it.