OT: Reasons to Believe

[hamzarocks]

With so many threads being negatively focused (rightfully so to a great deal) was looking for some optimism for next year.

What are things everyone is most optimistic about for next year and how high is your excitement level for this team next year?


Obviously a summer ahead of us with moves to ne made but are there any particular aspects of the team your truly excited for next year? Share your thoughts and voices and try to be genuine and optimistic if possible. Thanks

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[RoadWarrior]

With so many threads being negatively focused (rightfully so to a great deal) was looking for some optimism for next year.

What are things everyone is most optimistic about for next year and how high is your excitement level for this team next year?


Obviously a summer ahead of us with moves to ne made but are there any particular aspects of the team your truly excited for next year? Share your thoughts and voices and try to be genuine and optimistic if possible. Thanks

Let's see

- Global pandemic threatening the future of spectator sports
- Overpaid stars who seem to lack motivation (thanks to the most hated hockey dad in the GTA Paul Marner)
- AHL quality defence after Rielly and Muzzin
- Starting goalie who crumbles under the slightest pressure
- Inexperienced coaching staff
- No cap space for upgrades because of poor cap management
- Our GM who decided Nazem Kadri was junk just started shaving for the first time last year
- Nick Robertson and Rasmus Sandin can't mature fast enough

Next year is awesome!

 

[hamzarocks]

Let's see

- Global pandemic threatening the future of spectator sports
- Overpaid stars who seem to lack motivation (thanks to the most hated hockey dad in the GTA Paul Marner)
- AHL quality defence after Rielly and Muzzin
- Starting goalie who crumbles under the slightest pressure
- Inexperienced coaching staff
- No cap space for upgrades because of poor cap management
- Our GM who decided Nazem Kadri was junk just started shaving for the first time last year
- Nick Robertson and Rasmus Sandin can't mature fast enough

Next year is awesome!

Ehh not what I was hoping to see but to your first point have confidence by summer 2021 the world will be rapidly moving on from Covid 19 pandemic through multiple vaccines being available.

The superstars have disapointed me as well but if this offseason doesnt lit a perpetual fire under their ass not sure what will. They saw the isles, nucks, habs etc all move on past the playins and saw other young teams experiencing succsess. Think the effort level and training dedication increases for our core.

The rest we will see. Dubas tenure so far has been difficult but I'm going to place faith in his plan and hope for the best outcome. We will know if he SAS right to build the way that he did by next years playoffs

 

[AvroArrow]

Positives are, our stars are very young and are only going to get better

Possible emergence of Sandin/Liljegren/Robertson is very exciting

And a possibility we see Dubas get fired

 

[willmma]

Positives are, our stars are very young and are only going to get better

Possible emergence of Sandin/Liljegren/Robertson is very exciting

This is true. Auston is 22. IMO men peak in sports at age of 28. He and our young stars will be getting stronger and better over the next few years.

 

[hamzarocks]

Positives are, our stars are very young and are only going to get better

Possible emergence of Sandin/Liljegren/Robertson is very exciting

And a possibility we see Dubas get fired

Dubas getting fired is something that isnt really a positive if it happens next offseason. If it happens it means we missed the playoffs or got out in round 1 again which would be unbearable as a fan. I dont like dubas like some people here but I'd much rather he figures things out as he matures into his role and is able to incorporate his vision aligned with a more traditional structured roster layout that helps the team have deep runs and cup wins. I want to see the leafs succeed and win and I'm hoping keefe/dubas/shanny are the management core to get the job done after learning from previous mistakes.

 

[Jozay]

Ill tell you after the offseason.

 

[Metroid]

Ill tell you after the offseason.

This.
I'm excited and nervous for the off-season to start. Just counting the days for the covid cup to be over to see moves start happening (I know technically teams out of playoffs can make moves) but still..

 

[KMNRB]

Here are some positives:

- Matthew has emerged as a two-way superstar center this season and especially in the playoffs.

- Nylander has proven that his down year due to contract dispute was an anomaly.

- Marner may follow Nylander's path and improves his play next season. I get the feeling that all the negative comments regarding his contracts weighed on his play.

- The core shows mental strength and resilience when they were able to come back from a 3-0 deficit with 4 minute from being eliminated in an embarrassing loss (and at least gave me one of the more exciting moments as a Leafs fan).

- Despite losing a 13th overall pick, we got a steal in Nick Robertson who could easily be a top-15 pick in this year's draft.

- We are not in a cap hell. So maybe we can make some good trades this summer without being fleeced.

- Despite the cap freeze, there is a sustainable advantage in the pandemic when we can keep signing players to front-loaded contracts and their contracts will increase in value (i.e., cheaper salary) over the terms of the contract to cash-strapped teams.

 

[Legion34]

Let's see

- Global pandemic threatening the future of spectator sports
- Overpaid stars who seem to lack motivation (thanks to the most hated hockey dad in the GTA Paul Marner)
- AHL quality defence after Rielly and Muzzin
- Starting goalie who crumbles under the slightest pressure
- Inexperienced coaching staff
- No cap space for upgrades because of poor cap management
- Our GM who decided Nazem Kadri was junk just started shaving for the first time last year
- Nick Robertson and Rasmus Sandin can't mature fast enough

Next year is awesome!

psst. You’re doing it wrong

 

[Prominence]

Here are some positives:

- Matthew has emerged as a two-way superstar center this season and especially in the playoffs.

- Nylander has proven that his down year due to contract dispute was an anomaly.

- Marner may follow Nylander's path and improves his play next season. I get the feeling that all the negative comments regarding his contracts weighed on his play.

- The core shows mental strength and resilience when they were able to come back from a 3-0 deficit with 4 minute from being eliminated in an embarrassing loss (and at least gave me one of the more exciting moments as a Leafs fan).

- Despite losing a 13th overall pick, we got a steal in Nick Robertson who could easily be a top-15 pick in this year's draft.

- We are not in a cap hell. So maybe we can make some good trades this summer without being fleeced.

- Despite the cap freeze, there is a sustainable advantage in the pandemic when we can keep signing players to front-loaded contracts and their contracts will increase in value (i.e., cheaper salary) over the terms of the contract to cash-strapped teams.

Matthews is the kind of player who makes that highlight reel defensive play, but when you drill down his underlying numbers, he's average at best (still below average). The nylander discussion was weird. 90% of hfboards did not understand the concepts of age or that a skilled player can rebound let alone that it is typical for players to perform poorly when signing a new contract....or missing training camp...

 

[Mess]

I'm sure Dubas is watching this year's playoffs closely seeing he has so much free time on his hands.

Therefore I'm very excited in anticipation to see all the moves going to be made this offseason transforming this current team into one that is strong defensively, able to compete hard consistently, play physical, which allows then to advance deep into the playoffs with a team all Leaf fans can be proud of.

 

[Al14]

Even the Montreal Canadians got to the real playoffs.

Look at Vancouver!!! They just knocked off last year's Cup champs.

Our supposed super stars, couldn't even qualify for the playoffs, never mind win a round!!!

Unless big changes are made, I don't hold out much hope for our Leafs to even make the playoffs next season. As of right now, I consider the team to be a collection of overpaid prima donnas that got paid FOR DOING NOTHING!

Mitch Marner, and his Dad, can get out of town as far as I'm concerned. He can take greedy little Nylander and his fading away from the puck tactics with him.

I'm no longer impressed with Tavares or Matthews either. Almost every single real Leaf fan knew we needed upgrades on D to be real contenders. Did Tavares, Matthews, Nylander, or especially Marner, leave any money on the table to allow upgrades anywhere? NO, they friggen well DID NOT! It was ME, ME, ME, ME from all of them!

Sorry, I'm pissed!

 

[TheBigFour]

-very young core
-Matthews showed growth in defensive game( strong isolated impacts), but still has another level to reach.
-leafs don't have any big RFAs to deal with this offseason so expecting a busy offseason for dubas
-looking forward to see how this teams performs under a full season of Keefe ( and hopefully healthy)
maybe boudreau and petro come home?

 

[Gabriel426]

The Leafs got 3 if not 4 top end talents, they just need to score in the playoffs.
This past season should be a lesson to the core, THEY NEED TO BE BETTER.
Looking forward to see what Keefe can do with this team. He needs to built a system that can maximize the talents as well as getting Ws

 

[saltming]

Growth of the core.
I can see them coming back with a righteous hunger next year. I saw it growing in them the past 2 years and I think they know they need to hit a gear they have not yet reached.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Positives are, our stars are very young and are only going to get better

Possible emergence of Sandin/Liljegren/Robertson is very exciting

And a possibility we see Dubas get fired

This is it pretty much...although I hope Dubas is able to make the necessary adjustments this off season and doesn't get fired.

 

[axlrose87]

With so many threads being negatively focused (rightfully so to a great deal) was looking for some optimism for next year.

What are things everyone is most optimistic about for next year and how high is your excitement level for this team next year?


Obviously a summer ahead of us with moves to ne made but are there any particular aspects of the team your truly excited for next year? Share your thoughts and voices and try to be genuine and optimistic if possible. Thanks

My main source of optimism stems from the fact that all these young moneymakers were to young to get no trade clauses (which I’m sure Dubas lobbied the nhl to change).
But that optimism is a little bit tempered by the fact that, with Dubas in charge, I’m not sure it matters.

 

[Buds17]

New season, new start, new hope. No major contract negotiations in comparison to seasons of the recent past. Of course, Pietrangelo still hasn't signed a contract anywhere as of yet. He'd also have some familiarity with a jersey containing blue and white (like Tavares).

 

[Plat87]

The positive is that this team has a young core of stars all locked up for a long time. You can definitely build around them, a smart GM can and will build a winner around these guys, the problem is I dont think Dubas is that guy.

 

[Big Muddy]

I'm wary, just like every year, but even a little more so this offseason.

Our core is still pretty young, so they can get better.

Not sure about the determination/compete level in the playoffs though, and the structure of the team. I'd wonder how much of that can be fixed with a couple of additions and/or subtractions.

 

[Anthrax442]

What are things everyone is most optimistic about for next year and how high is your excitement level for this team next year?

Im excited to never see Barrie in this uniform ever again

 

[Leafs1991]

Not too worried about anything. I don't like negativity so I don't let the bad stuff bother me. I don't play for them and I don't give the team money anyway as I don't go to their games unless it's in Buffalo or buy any merchandise nowadays so if they lose I don't let it bother me. I enjoy it when they win but then forget about that too after it happens as I don't play for them. I'm excited for next season. Let's see what Dubas can do. Unlike a lot of fans here, I have patience.

 

[hfman]

Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares are all positives for the forseeable future and should be locked in. They'll mature.

Everything else is in limbo. All other players including the goalie should be looked at as assets that can be used in a trade or to clear roster space.

There are some positives in the 'big 4' so they'll keep those guys and utilise their somewhat elite talents. But none of those 4 are physical presences so they'll be looking to add size, git, heart and soul around them. They're all somewhat introverted as well, so this is why the team needs to add some character players with attitudes (players like like Kadri, Thornton, Subban, Tucker, Roberts, etc - not saying these are the exact guys they need but they need guys with their kind of personalities)

This team had similar problems in the late 90s/early 2000s and that's when they added the grit players like Tucker, Roberts, etc and then those teams skyrocketed from there. All they needed was toughness. They had the talent in Sundin, Mogily, Berezin, etc and then balanced it out with the grit in Tucker, Roberts, etc. It was a well-balanced unit. Right now all we have is talent, but no grit or character to compliment it.

 

[Stephen]

I feel like the organization is still doing very well in terms of having valuable trade assets, if not a well constructed team, but will require good management to make sure the right kind of edits happen.