News Article: NHL Super 16 Ranking: Leafs Not in Top 20

[Mess]

I think the Leafs are ranked low on many rankings because of the way they're assembled.

They have the majority (over 1/3) of their their cap dollars invested in their top 4 wingers where strong teams are built from the goalie out, through strong defense and strength down the middle.

This hurts the Leafs in face-offs, puck possession and results in them often being out shot and outplayed.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

Fluke

I'm willing to bet that is exactly what will happen if the leafs win the cup.

 

[Due North]

Dumb writer. Seriously. He has the wild before us -_-

An American's view on hockey. Until this team wins on a consistent
level, it will not even be considered a contender. It's looked upon as
a sad loosing franchise and sports city.

 

[Primary Assist]

a little competition comes our way, (biddy bye), it always winds up the same, but the stone that the builder refused, shall be the head cornerstone!

 

[Eb]

lol, nj/nyi are ahead of us.

Lol MTL is ahead of us...

Honestly, it is a joke. But what are ya gonna do but prove the naysayers wrong?

 

[Drew311]

Didn't the majority of media outlets have the Leafs bottom 5 - 10 last season?

 

[ULF_55]

Does this mean Dion is in play, and we reset the 5 year rebuild clock?

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Dumb ranking.

Many fans on NHL.com bashed this guy for not even having Leafs on the list. And more than half of them were not even Leafs fans.

Rightfully so, he has teams that are 0-0-0,0-1-0 and 0-0-1 are ranked better than Leafs.

 

[htpwn]

Oh no, we suck again!

 

[Raging Bull]

Still don't understand why Ottawa is ranked so highly by everybody. Playoff team, definitely. Cup contender?

 

[Bedards Dad]

I think the Leafs are ranked low on many rankings because of the way they're assembled.

They have the majority (over 1/3) of their their cap dollars invested in their top 4 wingers where strong teams are built from the goalie out, through strong defense and strength down the middle.

This hurts the Leafs in face-offs, puck possession and results in them often being out shot and outplayed.

Yet the get the W's.

People can have their stats, but I think I'll stick with the wins.

 

[Morbo]

Still don't understand why Ottawa is ranked so highly by everybody. Playoff team, definitely. Cup contender?

I don't get it either. After Spezza/Ryan/Karlsson it drops off pretty steep.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

We were a playoff team last year.

Since last season we now have at the very least added platoon goalie, two better fits in Clarkson/Bolland over Grabo/CMac and have less question marks on D than at the start of last season. All of our main pieces are either in their primes or just about to enter.

Yet somehow Carolina (15 points behind us), New Jersey (9 points), Islanders are ahead of us and that's with Jersey having also lost Kovalchuk and the Islanders having lost Streit. How are these teams ahead of us?

 

[TimeZone]

We were a playoff team last year.

Since last season we now have at the very least added platoon goalie, two better fits in Clarkson/Bolland over Grabo/CMac and have less question marks on D than at the start of last season. All of our main pieces are either in their primes or just about to enter.

Yet somehow Carolina (15 points behind us), New Jersey (9 points), Islanders are ahead of us and that's with Jersey having also lost Kovalchuk and the Islanders having lost Streit. How are these teams ahead of us?

Because!

 

[highslot]

because the writers are probably ottawa fans.

how else can anyone say we are a bottom team with better goaltending, more grit than last year and at least 5 people who can hit 20 goals? (kessel, jvr, lupul, kadri, maybe kuli/raymond/phaneuf)

 

[Center Ice Scrum*]

Oh no, we suck again!

 

[The Podium]

Read the comments most of them are on our side

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

because the writers are probably ottawa fans.

how else can anyone say we are a bottom team with better goaltending, more grit than last year and at least 5 people who can hit 20 goals? (kessel, jvr, lupul, kadri, maybe kuli/raymond/phaneuf)

Don't forget Clarkson. For all the **** he takes because of his contract, he should be counted on for at least 20 himself.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Experts rank based on feelings...

Whether it be MacKenzie crying because "The Leafs win games they shouldn't" because of an excellent Offense Bob. Jim Hughson "The cream rises to the top" as he daydreams about the Sedin sisters in private. Most experts aren't experts,take Tsn's ranking the last 5 years and put them up against the final results.These guys couldn't pick their way out of a brown paper bag. Anyone can see Toronto is a playoff team,any moron can see that.

They pick who they like believing they can control the outcomes.Get used to it,we will be winning and Leaf haters will be crying.If we win the cup it is a fluke.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Am I the only one who thinks the leafs are a top 10 team? At least top 15?

After the way the kicked off the first 2 games of the season, on the road, back-to-back, skating very well.. Nope!

 

[BonMorrison]

If you strike us down, we will become more powerful than you can ever imagine.

 

[shakes]

I think the Leafs are ranked low on many rankings because of the way they're assembled.

They have the majority (over 1/3) of their their cap dollars invested in their top 4 wingers where strong teams are built from the goalie out, through strong defense and strength down the middle.

This hurts the Leafs in face-offs, puck possession and results in them often being out shot and outplayed.

This is nonsense. Who said dollars equals talent? So if Bernier and Reimer made 10 million, then the Leafs would be building from the net out? Solidifying already great goaltending is not building from the net out? Strong teams have depth and have good players in all situations. The Leafs have good D and a PP game center ast year. You might as well have saved the typing because none of what you wrote makes sense, not even if you were playing devil's advocate.

 

[Badger Mayhew*]

I think the Leafs are ranked low on many rankings because of the way they're assembled.

They have the majority (over 1/3) of their their cap dollars invested in their top 4 wingers where strong teams are built from the goalie out, through strong defense and strength down the middle.

This hurts the Leafs in face-offs, puck possession and results in them often being out shot and outplayed.

Okay buddy.

 

[Gobias Industries]

Yeah, this is just patently absurd.

I don't think there is a single (reasonable) argument for the Leafs not being in the top twenty.

 

[Drew311]

I don't get it either. After Spezza/Ryan/Karlsson it drops off pretty steep.

Probably because they made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs without Karlsson, Spezza and Michalek.