Roundtable: Maple Leafs Future Looking Bright

[AndrewGForbesTHW]

I agree. We already have rielly and a goalie in bernier.

also, we have jvr.

if you are looking at if we have a core or star, we do.

so if our core is: rielly, bernier, nylander, marner (chicago has kane, toews, keith, seabrook really)

pitts has crosby, malkin, letang

detroit had zetterberg, datsyuk and lidstrom

so you can see that you seem to need 2 centres and 2 d. if the 2 centres are outstanding, then you need only 1d (lidstrom, letang).

we really only need to build around our star pieces.

for support in the next few years, we have kom, gardiner, kadri, holland, free agents, winnik, etc.

so veterans and the best coach are in place.

the gamble is if bracco, kapanen, dzierkals, gauthier, timashov, johnson, brown, toninato vesey, joshua, piccinich, camenasari, engvall can break the top 6. my guess is at least 1 will, but i'd be surprised if 3 don't.

my bet are bracco and kap hit top 6.

for d, we have dermott, valiev, loov, percy, lindgren who might be top pairing with rielly. i'm less sure than any of them are d2 material but the have potential. i think dermott and percy could be stralman level but less physical.

I think Dermott and Kapanen are going to be good pieces for the Leafs in the coming years. I also think Harrington has the ability to be a shutdown type of defenceman.

 

[highslot]

I agree about both. although shut down d like Harrington are not as hard to acquire as a well rounded or offensive d.

also, I think I'm one of the few who rate bracco above kapanen and brown. I think brown is actually a bottom six forward, but I think it's a major accomplishment if he makes the nhl even on a regular shift. if I'm wrong and he turns out the be the next coming of Gallagher, I'd be happy.

 

[Ricky Bobby]

2002 Duncan Keith
2003 Brent Seabrook, Corey Crawford, Byfuglien
2005 Hjalmarsson

With the exception of Seabrook none of those pieces were highly regarded prospects 4/5 years out from when they won that cup in 2010.

Crawford had no impact on that 2010 cup. All of Hjalmarsson, Byfuglien, Seabrook and Keith had their coming out party in either 09 or 10. Getting a guy like Keith out of a 2nd round pick nobody predicted. But we're increasing our odds that we do hit that huge homerun like him with bringing in extra picks (and even more next draft).

We've obviously still got a very long way to go and a heck of a lot of things would need to go right but things looked just as bleak for Chicago before drafting Toews + Kane in back to back drafts. Things were just as bleak in LA before they drafted Doughty, Voynov, Schenn (who became a major trade chip).

Like I said in previous posts in the end it largely boils down to Rielly, Nylander, Marner, top pick this upcoming draft and the one after + hitting a few unexpected homeruns in the draft (which we're following the Chicago model of adding lots of extra picks to increase our odds).

We've also got all of Kadri, JVR, Bernier, Gardiner still as very good trade chips or guys that could still be around for our upswing. For next draft we've already got an extra 1st next draft + high 3rd from NJ + lots of pieces to sell for extra picks.

I see plenty of reasons for optimism long term.

 

[HoweHullOrr]

2002 Duncan Keith
2003 Brent Seabrook, Corey Crawford, Byfuglien
2005 Hjalmarsson

Building from the draft is definitely key to getting back to being a contender in my opinion.

With the exception of Seabrook none of those pieces were highly regarded prospects 4/5 years out from when they won that cup in 2010.

Crawford had no impact on that 2010 cup. All of Hjalmarsson, Byfuglien, Seabrook and Keith had their coming out party in either 09 or 10. Getting a guy like Keith out of a 2nd round pick nobody predicted. But we're increasing our odds that we do hit that huge homerun like him with bringing in extra picks (and even more next draft).

We've obviously still got a very long way to go and a heck of a lot of things would need to go right but things looked just as bleak for Chicago before drafting Toews + Kane in back to back drafts. Things were just as bleak in LA before they drafted Doughty, Voynov, Schenn (who became a major trade chip).

Like I said in previous posts in the end it largely boils down to Rielly, Nylander, Marner, top pick this upcoming draft and the one after + hitting a few unexpected homeruns in the draft (which we're following the Chicago model of adding lots of extra picks to increase our odds).

We've also got all of Kadri, JVR, Bernier, Gardiner still as very good trade chips or guys that could still be around for our upswing. For next draft we've already got an extra 1st next draft + high 3rd from NJ + lots of pieces to sell for extra picks.

I see plenty of reasons for optimism long term.

Summary = It was an EIGHT (8) year rebuild.

 

[cupcrazyman]

If we can get a top-3 pick next year I think it's going to start looking REAL good.

Looking for the Leafs to draft/aquire some good young wingers with size in the near future.

 

[desperateblue]

No team can touch the oilers top 5 prospects but that's what happens when u suck terribly on purpose.
And the level of how obvious it has been forced the nhl to change the draft rules ffs.
The leafs won't be getting a top 3 pick this season either instead now with Babcock best we get is 8-16

 

[LeafsNation75]

No team can touch the oilers top 5 prospects but that's what happens when u suck terribly on purpose.
And the level of how obvious it has been forced the nhl to change the draft rules ffs.
The leafs won't be getting a top 3 pick this season either instead now with Babcock best we get is 8-16

Let's say the Leafs are not good enough to make the playoffs however they aren't bad enough to where they finish with a bottom 5 overall record, they could still get a top 3 pick. Don't forget for next years draft lottery they are drawing for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall picks. So that means the team who finishes 30th overall is no longer guaranteed at least the 2nd overall pick and they can drop down to the 4th overall pick.