Globe and Mail: Mirtle: Leafs betting on improvement from within after quiet off-season

[Tyler Biggs*]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...ff-season/article19614049/#dashboard/follows/

Last season, the buzz word coming from the Toronto Maple Leafs was “compete.â€

As in, according to coach Randy Carlyle almost all year, they didn’t compete nearly enough.

This year, it appears the message will be similar, but different.

Click to read more...

 

[Warden of the North]

Is it October 1st? No? Oh, I guess the offseason isnt over yet.

 

[rdawg1234]

Well for one, we have to expect Kadri, gardiner and Rielly will continue to improve.

That was Gardiners 2nd full season with us, he's still very fresh, and Rielly has the skating ability and IQ and now more confidence with a season under his belt that he should be even better!

kadri is in a contract year, he'll be competing harder.

Its the defense and bottom 6 that is in question, Can they reduce the shots against and GA? if so we can definitely compete more, as that was our main issue

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Much better direction coming from Shanahan. We've had guys on the Marlies that could have been contributing for years and they were never put to use. He is bringing what he learned from Detroit in developing players and creating internal pressure for jobs. This is a sorely needed perspective in Leafs management and I am happy to have him on board. I like Carlyle and his style that worked last season very well when the players actually implemented it, and I think some of these additions may help the team trend toward a balanced 2-way play instead of a skills competition every night that feels like pond hockey.

 

[gabeliscious]

im not sure it is improvement from within by bringing in komorov, kontiola, santorelli, frattin, and robidas all of which are guaranteed a roster spot.

holland was basically a full time leaf last year and i expect him to be on the club in some aspect. i think ashton will find himself on the marlies to start. on the leafs he will get 4th line duties. on the marlies he could be a top line guy. its better for his development to be on the marlies.

on defense there is maybe 1 spot available but if i were a betting man i would bet it will be occupied by franson which will leave the leafs with a 7th spot opening. why put a guy like granberg in that position when he can get top pairing minutes on the marlies. better to bring a guy like holzer as an emergency type of defenseman.

 

[Eb]

I bet the Leafs make the playoffs.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Mirtle stating the obvious. Surprised he didn't work in possession as a buzz word.

 

[Daisy Jane]

what bothers me about Mirtle (or insert 98% of the media here). We were quiet. If we were to have given a Clarkson contract to someone - what would have been the first thing Mirtle writes/talks about on TSN? something akin to how the Leafs don't ever learn from their mistakes.

shanahan's flat out said he's creating jobs for some marlies - people aren't happy with it because ooh it's not going to be a good enough team. - yeah okay - but you can't have it both ways. you can't buy a team - and then expect the marlies to waltz in and play AND have a great contending team.

 

[Morbo]

He's got brass ones taking the course he has so far, we'll see if it pays off.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

what bothers me about Mirtle (or insert 98% of the media here). We were quiet. If we were to have given a Clarkson contract to someone - what would have been the first thing Mirtle writes/talks about on TSN? something akin to how the Leafs don't ever learn from their mistakes.

shanahan's flat out said he's creating jobs for some marlies - people aren't happy with it because ooh it's not going to be a good enough team. - yeah okay - but you can't have it both ways. you can't buy a team - and then expect the marlies to waltz in and play AND have a great contending team.

Mirtle is a nice guy on twitter and all but I really have a hard time taking him seriously when it comes to hockey. He's too obsessed with the analytics of the game to read.

 

[Mess]

It’s not hard to see why they need youth to step up. Drafting and developing is really the only legitimate source for high end talent in the NHL these days, with free agency being as weak as it is every year, and Shanahan has instituted a franchise mandate that he doesn’t want to attempt to team build by signing UFAs.

“It’s a bad habit to try to build your team on July 1 year after year after year,” Shanahan said. “It’s not always a great day.”

“He made it crystal clear to the people in the room [at a dinner for the team’s prospect camp last week] that some of these kids are going to be vital pieces going forward,” said Jim Hughes, the Leafs director of player development. “We want to develop from within and build our own players and have our own foundation.”

From that perspective it sure sounds like Shanny has an better understanding on team building then past management.

I suspect that philosophy goes hand in hand with dealing away less picks for quick fix attempts if he is stressing drafting and developing his own foundation.

The days of "draft schmaft" seem to be over and what has changed the most so far in belief anyway.

 

[Judas Tavares]

I don't mind what they did the summer. They didn't make dumb free agency moves. No 7x7 crap. I also like the way things are structured in terms of basically no one is signed past the next 4 years other than Phaneuf and Kessel. My hope is that if this team can't become contenders in the next 4 years, then we don't bring back those guys. By then, hopefully Nylander, Bernier and Rielly are in their prime and shrewd moves and improved drafting have them surrounded properly.

 

[Pyromaniac3]

Mirtle is a nice guy on twitter and all but I really have a hard time taking him seriously when it comes to hockey. He's too obsessed with the analytics of the game to read.

It must bother you that he is right so often.


I like what Shanahan is doing. Though, I don't know how this going to work with Shanny deciding the lineup and rejecting specific tactics (ie swarm strategy)

 

[BlueBaron]

Well for one, we have to expect Kadri, gardiner and Rielly will continue to improve.

That was Gardiners 2nd full season with us, he's still very fresh, and Rielly has the skating ability and IQ and now more confidence with a season under his belt that he should be even better!

kadri is in a contract year, he'll be competing harder.

Its the defense and bottom 6 that is in question, Can they reduce the shots against and GA? if so we can definitely compete more, as that was our main issue

I think you could add Franson, Bernier, Riemer (however long he stays), Frattin and Holland.

Not all will but they all still have unmet upside. Of course that is not a popular opinion around here.

 

[King85Kong]

what bothers me about Mirtle (or insert 98% of the media here). We were quiet. If we were to have given a Clarkson contract to someone - what would have been the first thing Mirtle writes/talks about on TSN? something akin to how the Leafs don't ever learn from their mistakes.

shanahan's flat out said he's creating jobs for some marlies - people aren't happy with it because ooh it's not going to be a good enough team. - yeah okay - but you can't have it both ways. you can't buy a team - and then expect the marlies to waltz in and play AND have a great contending team.

Most I would agree with you. Mirtle though is pretty straight forward and says how he feels. Plus he is usually right in what he says.

From that perspective it sure sounds like Shanny has an better understanding on team building then past management.

I suspect that philosophy goes hand in hand with dealing away less picks for quick fix attempts if he is stressing drafting and developing his own foundation.

The days of "draft schmaft" seem to be over and what has changed the most so far in belief anyway.

It brings a tear of joy to my eye. The quick fix days are over.

 

[rdawg1234]

I think you could add Franson, Bernier, Riemer (however long he stays), Frattin and Holland.

Not all will but they all still have unmet upside. Of course that is not a popular opinion around here.

Franson I dont think will, he's been in the NHL for 5 seasons now, been a pro for 7 years if you count the AHL. He doesnt really have room to grow IMO, this is what you get out of him.

Bernier and Reimer can just get more consistent as they get more starts(similar to schneider, he slowly improved at a similar age). Dont see Reimer improving much, he's so damn shakey in net when the pressure is on. He's an average starting goalie in my eyes while Bernier's calmness gives him true #1 potential.

Frattin and Holland could both grow, I dont think Frattin fit in well with LA's low scoring offence and CBJ's lack of actual skill.

 

[SprDaVE]

Is it October 1st? No? Oh, I guess the offseason isnt over yet.

There won't be much change from now to opening day.

The biggest change from the roster now we'll have is either Franson and/or Reimer won't be on it... that's about it.

 

[rdawg1234]

There won't be much change from now to opening day.

The biggest change from the roster now we'll have is either Franson and/or Reimer won't be on it... that's about it.

I hope that's done before-hand, I'm not a fan of paying Reimer more if he's going to be disgruntled like the Vancouver situation. Clearly Winnipeg is a match for him.

Franson likewise, shouldnt have a place on this team and I would hope they take a 2nd-3rd rounder for him, hopefully 2nd.

 

[Mystifo]

what bothers me about Mirtle (or insert 98% of the media here). We were quiet. If we were to have given a Clarkson contract to someone - what would have been the first thing Mirtle writes/talks about on TSN? something akin to how the Leafs don't ever learn from their mistakes.

shanahan's flat out said he's creating jobs for some marlies - people aren't happy with it because ooh it's not going to be a good enough team. - yeah okay - but you can't have it both ways. you can't buy a team - and then expect the marlies to waltz in and play AND have a great contending team.

Mirtle has actually said he was pleased with this off season as they were quiet and made no real mistakes.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

It must bother you that he is right so often.


I like what Shanahan is doing. Though, I don't know how this going to work with Shanny deciding the lineup and rejecting specific tactics (ie swarm strategy)

What was he right about?

 

[crump]

I like the article. I hope the "scuttlebutt" is correct and Orr will see a limited role. Clarkson should take that duty anyway. Also hope the part about changing systems is true. Although I have a hard time seeing Carlyle taking any critique to heart. He seems pretty stubborn.

 

[leafs in five]

What was he right about?

Tyler Bozak being a great 200 foot player

 

[rojac]

It must bother you that he is right so often.


I like what Shanahan is doing. Though, I don't know how this going to work with Shanny deciding the lineup and rejecting specific tactics (ie swarm strategy)

What do you mean when you say Shanny is deciding the line-up?

And as for the tactics issue, are you sure that Shanny is simply rejecting it out of hand? Couldn't it be that Carlyle himself realized it had to go and it was just Shanny who stated it? Truth is we really don't know the details of these things and a lot of the talk on this board is just fans pulling stuff out of their butts.

 

[p.l.f.]

Cheap ********

 

[Kessley Snipes*]

Mirtle is a nice guy on twitter and all but I really have a hard time taking him seriously when it comes to hockey. He's too obsessed with the analytics of the game to read.

I suppose you don't take Dean Lombardi seriously as well then?