Speculation: Perhaps Shanny and Dubas already know this team is not in "Cup Contention"

[Trapper]

I think there were a few risks taken, but you have to wonder how much success a team might have when 8-9 new roster players are introduced.

Muzzin and Rielly have new partners so ok.
Sadly thought, the bottom 6 haven't been an issue. Mostly changed. That still leaves the same system with Matthews playing with Nylander/Johnsson and Tavares playing with Marner.
Where is the biggest problem?

 

[ottomaddox]

Muzzin and Rielly have new partners so ok.
Sadly thought, the bottom 6 haven't been an issue. Mostly changed. That still leaves the same system with Matthews playing with Nylander/Johnsson and Tavares playing with Marner.
Where is the biggest problem?

Defense
Team Defense
Toughness
Goaltending
The Power Play

 

[TopCheese]

never happen, why would the Canes do that?

wishful thinking i guess haha

 

[Lauro]

Funny, OP.

 

[PromoterDave]

Should've kept Hainsey, Brown and Gardiner. Our Gf% was really good last season, now its tanking

 

[vlav]

We had so many bad teams over the last 15-20 years that now that we have a decent one, we refuse to see anything but a cup favorite.

Our team is still full of holes, our coach is pathetic, our GM left our team without a dime and we are running a 21 men rooster with no backup. We are miles away from any cup

 

[trellaine201]

They should have built from the backend out instead there trying to do it backwards. I realize we had many talented forwards arriving but they should have dealt a few for the backend which is most important in winning IMO.

 

[Dave92]

The mental gymnastics and hypotheticals required to imagine a scenario where things are going according to plan for Dubas are hilarious.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Dubas is incompetent and has botched the rebuild. We need a new GM and Shanahan needs to go as well. To pay that kind of money for this kind of boring and garbage hockey is pathetic.

Most fans could run this team better.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

The mental gymnastics and hypotheticals required to imagine a scenario where things are going according to plan for Dubas are hilarious.

Not really hard.

Just need to add a two-way #1C, a defensive gritty top-6 winger and a top-4D.

Oh wait, we DO have that and they're all injured (Tavares, Hyman, Dermott).

 

[sittler rules!!!]

If the Leafs' won the cup this year Matthews would be around 22 years 9 months. Marner would be 23, Nylander 24, Rielly 26 and Tavares 29. They are not as young as you are letting on.

As to how many cores that are that young have won the cup? The three big cup winners of the past decade are Pittsburgh, Chicago and LA who won 8 cups over the past 11 years.

Crosby was 21, Letang and Malkin 22 and Fleury 24 when they won their first cup. They had gone to the finals the year before.

Kane was 21, Toews had just turned 22 and Keith was 26 (and most of the team was younger than him) when they won their first cup. They had made it to the third round the year before.

Doughty was 22 and Kopitar was 24 when they won their first cup.

The problems that the Leafs' have this season are many but they have nothing to do with their age.

Thanks for posting. It seems a lot of Leaf fans are now looking for excuses....they are too young, they are too soft.....fact is that they are not that good.....meaning the big 3....none of them are on a Crosby, Malkin, Toews, Kane or even Tavares level and never will be. All the Tavares signing did was inflated numbers (with exception of Willie) and had them asking for and gettin max dollars. One or two of those 3 should be moved to right the ship. For me as a Leaf fan it would be.. Paul.....I mean Mitch Marner and Michael...damn it......I mean Willie Nylander. We know one of our franchise centres (JT) can play with anyone.....give the other one some big gritty wingers, i.e Mikeyhev and say Anderson out of Columbus.......well let's see if 34 is the franchise centre we speak of. I think he is, but he needs room.

 

[thewave]

Dubas is getting called out, his product sucks. I would be amazed if he is around next season. It's a disaster and on top of it all they are not likeable even.

 

[Magick93]

No, they think this is a cup contender, and and added Tavares to supposedly put them over the top last year.

As others have noted, teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago with elite young talent won their first cup when the core was in their early 20s, before getting paid big bucks. Arguably the Leafs' best chance was last year, with Tavares in the fold and Matthews and Marner on entry level deals, when their value for their salary was highest.

The Leafs can still be a contender for years to come, but its really unfortunate they couldn't have won at least a round before they got their big paydays.

 

[BlueForever75]

Talking of the Leafs as being a non-contender is pure idiocy.

Is Tampa not a contender? They have started the season horribly just like the Leafs. They too are full of stars and their D/Goaltending is considered better then ours!!!

The Leafs have 9 new players in their core. The team is taking time to mesh. They have had 3 key players out of the lineup for extended periods of time (Hyman, Dermott, Tavares). They probably have had one of the worst schedules ever to start a season in history. And still sit in 3rd in their division.

By the quarter mark we should have a full lineup and it should have been plenty of time to mesh as a team. At this time come out and throw them under the bus. But right now is way too early. They are playing inconsistent, some players are not playing to their levels. But they are way too skilled as a team to play like this for a full season. Anyone remember where St. Louis was at the start of January last season? Let me remind you, sitting second last in the Western Conference only to go on to win the Stanley Cup last season. That team is way less skilled then the Leafs.

Calm down people. Give it some time. Players will come back, team will mesh, and new additions will be made. This isn't what you will see come March.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

Talking of the Leafs as being a non-contender is pure idiocy.

Is Tampa not a contender? They have started the season horribly just like the Leafs. They too are full of stars and their D/Goaltending is considered better then ours!!!

The Leafs have 9 new players in their core. The team is taking time to mesh. They have had 3 key players out of the lineup for extended periods of time (Hyman, Dermott, Tavares). They probably have had one of the worst schedules ever to start a season in history. And still sit in 3rd in their division.

By the quarter mark we should have a full lineup and it should have been plenty of time to mesh as a team. At this time come out and throw them under the bus. But right now is way too early. They are playing inconsistent, some players are not playing to their levels. But they are way too skilled as a team to play like this for a full season. Anyone remember where St. Louis was at the start of January last season? Let me remind you, sitting second last in the Western Conference only to go on to win the Stanley Cup last season. That team is way less skilled then the Leafs.

Calm down people. Give it some time. Players will come back, team will mesh, and new additions will be made. This isn't what you will see come March.

the problem is no back up goalie, no grit, no hitting, no defense./

 

[CDN24]

Talking of the Leafs as being a non-contender is pure idiocy.

Is Tampa not a contender? They have started the season horribly just like the Leafs. They too are full of stars and their D/Goaltending is considered better then ours!!!

The Leafs have 9 new players in their core. The team is taking time to mesh. They have had 3 key players out of the lineup for extended periods of time (Hyman, Dermott, Tavares). They probably have had one of the worst schedules ever to start a season in history. And still sit in 3rd in their division.

By the quarter mark we should have a full lineup and it should have been plenty of time to mesh as a team. At this time come out and throw them under the bus. But right now is way too early. They are playing inconsistent, some players are not playing to their levels. But they are way too skilled as a team to play like this for a full season. Anyone remember where St. Louis was at the start of January last season? Let me remind you, sitting second last in the Western Conference only to go on to win the Stanley Cup last season. That team is way less skilled then the Leafs.

Calm down people. Give it some time. Players will come back, team will mesh, and new additions will be made. This isn't what you will see come March.

Tampa won't be if the keep playing the way they are right now.

that said, I'm less worried about Tampa than the leafs. Yes leafs have had a crappy schedule but they have also had 9 home games so far, Tampa has had 4.
Injuries affect all teams. Tampa started the season without Point. Maroon, Hedman and Cirelli are now out.
Leafs have struggled against better teams
They have wins against Sens, CBJ, Det, Wild,Boston and SJ (who were on back end of a back to back) Sometimes the B2B games help too.
Losses against Mtl X2, Capitals x2, tampa, stL, CBj, boston.

Other than the lone win against Boston they have not beat a team in a playoff spot. They are 3-4 in their division. Plenty of time to right the ship but its time to start. They are 3rd in Division but FLa is 1 point back with 2 games in hand. Mtl and Tampa are 3 back with 3 games in hand. In terms of wildcard CBJ are also 3 back with 3 in hand.

 

[egd27]

The Leafs' have the 19th best record during the 2019 calendar year so far.

Damn, did NHL change how the standings work as well as giving them a crappy schedule and biased officiating? So now it goes by calendar year?
We're doomed.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

What do you think?

Leafs doubled down to try to win this year.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Should've kept Hainsey, Brown and Gardiner. Our Gf% was really good last season, now its tanking

No money, no money, no money.

Marner stole our Hainsey money

 

[hullsy47]

Dubas is incompetent and has botched the rebuild. We need a new GM and Shanahan needs to go as well. To pay that kind of money for this kind of boring and garbage hockey is pathetic.

Most fans could run this team better.

Well dubas thought he'd get marner at the going rate
He kinda misjudged nylander and marner camps IMO
ESPECIALLY if these guys wanted to stay in toronto so bad ,lol they didn't care u had to gut your teammates to stay