Sportsnet: Problems in the Leafs' dressing room

[Durrr]

You know you had a bad season when you're quoting the sportsnet panel as credible

All jokes aside, I played poker with Phil Kessel in MTL last year, and if you think this guy is a quiet person you'd be dead wrong. Phil got sucked out on for like 400$ and he whined about it for what was literally over an hour. Never imagined the guy would be such a yapper but he talked more then anyone else at the table. I can see Phil whining about everything in the dressing room , that seems like his personality.

Also, those idiots never clarified what "whining" while winning was? Maybe these "whiners" were simply saying what the rest of us were the entire season, that the team was not playing good hockey even while winning. Would you guys really clarify this as dressing room issues if individuals were trying to tell the team/coach/GM that they didn't think the winning was sustainable?

 

[Durkin67]

So you're saying the room was fine until game 70?

Thats like saying theres no cancer until the tumor erupts

 

[Trapper]

Your kettle does not come to a boil the moment you put it on the stove, it takes time.

Those two 82 game seasons allowed enough time to bring this to a boil.

48 games, not enough time for them to "get tired", "start to feel the grind of a full season"

Not much different then that person you know ,that you can only put up with for x amount of time, but boy if you ever got stuck in an elevator with them, well.

The answer is from a human perspective just like this board. We have collapsed, we aren't good enough, we question leadership. Look at all the fighting and name calling here as epic collapse after collapse happens. What does that do to a team? When you ask other fan bases to describe the Leafs, what do they say. These players are getting branded with a certain reputation and just like the tabloids, stories are going to fly. What's Florida doing these days? What have you heard about them?

 

[Clark4Ever]

Kessel was the only player who seemed to really give a sh-t about the collapse in the playoffs last season, and he was the only player to publicly hold himself accountable this season, even though he wasn't at fault. He is arguably one of the only high priced players to earn his salary on the team.

Kessel is not the problem. If you ask me, the entire coaching staff needs to be overhauled, and Phaneuf needs to be stripped of the captaincy.

 

[cynicism]

It's best to ignore everything Maclean says. Everything is always the players' fault, never management or coaching. This gives us some insight as to why, instead of being in a management position with a team, he's wallowing in the swamps of AM talk radio.

I'm sure there are problems in the dressing room, but I'd be more worried if a losing team doesn't have problems. If they don't it means the players are apathetic and passionless. Friction shows the players care.

 

[Trapper]

Kessel was the only player who seemed to really give a sh-t about the collapse in the playoffs last season, and he was the only player to publicly hold himself accountable this season, even though he wasn't at fault. He is arguably one of the only high priced players to earn his salary on the team.

Kessel is not the problem. If you ask me, the entire coaching staff needs to be overhauled, and Phaneuf needs to be stripped of the captaincy.

I don't think you can strip Phaneuf of the C and not trade him. Philly stripped Richards of the C in favour of Pronger and quickly moved him and Carter. Was it because a dressing room cliques? We don't need that problem so Phaneuf would have to go.

 

[Tak7]

I don't think you can strip Phaneuf of the C and not trade him. Philly stripped Richards of the C in favour of Pronger and quickly moved him and Carter. Was it because a dressing room cliques? We don't need that problem so Phaneuf would have to go.

Exactly.

Stripping Phaneuf and leaving him here doesn't benefit anyone - least of all Phaneuf.

It's an angered-fueled, stupid suggestion

 

[hockeyfanz*]

The team is epic in its spineless play and falling apart when it counts the most. I said there are leadership problems a year ago after that game 7 debacle..following a season of the infamous 18 wheeler.

Now some hockey pucks say there are problems "in the room" and there are doubters here on this forum...LOL LOL LOL

Wow, some real analytical and behavioral geniuses in this place. Oh boy, its really hard to believe that a team that collapses every year when it counts most has issues around leadership.

No its not just Phaneuf. But of course he is front and center. The first one to go. You also have to look at the other vets in that room. The other "leaders" whoever those may be. Every group of 25 guys you put together will have people who emerge as leaders. Its human nature.

Either the Leafs don't have any or the ones they have are a joke and not very well respected at all. I pick the latter. Everybody knows the respect that Dion gets around the league. Its probably no different amongst his team mates.

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

Kessel was the only player who seemed to really give a sh-t about the collapse in the playoffs last season, and he was the only player to publicly hold himself accountable this season, even though he wasn't at fault. He is arguably one of the only high priced players to earn his salary on the team.

Kessel is not the problem. If you ask me, the entire coaching staff needs to be overhauled, and Phaneuf needs to be stripped of the captaincy.

Bozak did, too.

 

[Pyromaniac3]

It's funny. We got more character, leadership type players like Clarkson and Bolland replaced what seemed to be like problems in dressing room (Grabovski, Macarthur) and we suffered a bigger collapse than last season.

 

[Morbo]

Thats like saying theres no cancer until the tumor erupts

what? no it isn't.

And do you really think all pro dressing rooms are singing kumbaya??

 

[Confucius]

what? no it isn't.

And do you really think all pro dressing rooms are singing kumbaya??

No, that would be just the winners. The losers have dressing rooms that are fragmented.

 

[Faltorvo]

what? no it isn't.

And do you really think all pro dressing rooms are singing kumbaya??

like I said earlier, some folks just don't understand the concept of leadership and what a strong team/dressing room is.

For you to even ask that question, tells me all I need to know.

 

[The Iceman]

If there really is a problem then you trade the problem makers. Simple.

Who are the problem makers you ask? The players that played a major role in all 3 major collapses.

-Phaneuf
-Kessel
-Bozak
-Gunnarsson

the only real 4 players you can pinpoint and say, wow these guys were involved in all 4 and played a major part! Someone like Kulemin or Orr can't be blamed strictly because they play minor roles that don't suffice to anything significant.

I wouldn't mind seeing all 4 shipped out if the return is fair, but I'd rather keep Gunnar over any of them given his cap hit, age, and play-type.

Did Bozak even play game 7 last year?

 

[Cor]

Bozak didn't play Game 7. Probably on of the main reasons we lost, we had to play Garbo against Bergeron

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Bozak didn't play Game 7. Probably on of the main reasons we lost, we had to play Garbo against Bergeron

IIRC, he lost four or five straight faceoffs towards the end of that game.

 

[Daisy Jane]

There are actually eleven players who were involved with at least 2 collapses.

Orr
Gardiner
Kulemin
McClement
Phaneuf
Kessel
Bozak
Reimer
Lupul
Franson
Kadri

With the great pruning of 2014 that should happen, I quite frankly would bury Orr, let the UFAs walk, trade Franson to Siberia for all I care, Reimer's gone, and you save Kadri & Gardiner.. Phaneuf and Lupul imo are trade bait and I wouldn't be surprised if Lupul's the one who goes first (only because the only way I'm moving Phaneuf is if Edmonton/Calgary gives us their pick).

this leaves you a shell of

Kessel Bozak Van Reimsdyk
____ Kadri ______
____ _____ Clarkson
____ ______ ______

(Phanuef) Gunnarson
Rielly Gardiner
Gleason (Insert Leafling Here)
Ranger and or Leafling


I'd sign Bodie back in a heart beat.
D'Amigo, Ashton, Levio
Komarov for those who feel he should be back

Gardiner gets a bridge contract (i'd actually JVR his contract - give him the years at a low low rate, we'd be sitting pretty with that one).

I don't know if Brooks Orpik is the guy. I'd be wining and dining Robidas and Boyle myself (esp if SJ wins the cup. SJ doesn't want to pay Boyle for 2 years, i'd toss in three and take the cap risk if he retires or not).

that is a start. And if you get Clarkson off the books (even if it means Salary retention) then you do it, or hope that he has the biggest year of his life next year.

 

[colchar]

None of them are in the dressing room. They have no idea. This is the furthest thing from "confirmed".

Those guys are well connected, not just to players but to people within the organization. If they are saying this there is something to it. They didn't make it up.

 

[Daisy Jane]

IIRC, he lost four or five straight faceoffs towards the end of that game.

Bozak did not play game seven, he was out with a torn triceps muscle

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

Bozak did not play game seven, he was out with a torn triceps muscle

Haha no I meant I remember Grabo losing four or five straight draws. Then again maybe it was only two or three and it seemed worse than it really was.

 

[Raging Bull]

I'd imagine any team that goes through what the Leafs just went through aren't exactly all getting along perfectly in the room. If they aren't upset then it's a problem.

 

[Durrr]

Those guys are well connected, not just to players but to people within the organization. If they are saying this there is something to it. They didn't make it up.

Half of these guys jobs is pure speculation. They're paid to drum up discussion and get views/listeners. So please, you'd be hard pressed to find a locker room that isn't up in arms after a season like this, that's why these guys can say this stuff and get away with it.

 

[Trapper]

It's coming from everywhere.

James Murphy of XN Sports: A Maple Leafs source said that Dion Phaneuf is not looked upon as a lead in the Leafs dressing room. His seven-year deal at $7 million starts next season, so he would be difficult to trade. The could retain some salary. Teams like the Islanders, Avalanche, Oilers or maybe the Flames might be interested.

True or false, right or wrong, it will keep coming.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

This team will be dismantled. There are players I like, but I love the blue and white more. If this is not a winning culture then we need to change the culture. The players might think they are off the hook when RC goes down, but they are dead wrong.

I like Bernier, Bozak, Gunn, JVR, Bolland, and Kessel but there's a serious potential for a lot if them to shipped out.

See ya!

 

[colchar]

This is like Dreger spewing nonsense kind of nonsense, when I see some evidence of Kessel punching Phaneuf or something I'll believe that this team has locker room problems

Didn't Kessel lip off at Phaneuf on the ice recently?