DarkKnight
Professional Amateur
- Jan 17, 2017
- 32,139
- 49,457
All the stats are in, all the facts, all the results, the season is done in its totality. So how do you access this year for the team?
Big picture, progress was made on a host of fronts. Bottomline though, the season ends up a mild failure, due to lack of tangible results. Plenty of eventually successful teams go through exactly what this young core has experienced, it isn’t “over”, we will have other potential runs at the ultimate prize. However, we’re judging this season, in particular these playoffs.
I’ve defended Babcock, primarily because I’ve seen good growth with so many players, he is pushing them to reach their potential, in my view he is an excellent motivator. I thought we had a terrific game plan against Boston, and up until Game 5 was quite comfortable arguing he was the better coach. What we witnessed in Game 6 and 7 however is in some ways mind blowing, his stubbornness and lack of agility cost this team, to the point the blame lies at his door. 5 v 5, pure hockey, we were the better team, which makes this defeat all the more tough to swallow. Our special teams were awful, and for that reason I want to see a new assistant next year, at the very least. Babcock is officially on the clock, he won’t be fired in my view, but a sluggish start next year, I won’t be a steadfast defender. The coaching staff needs some changes, that is a certainty.
I still can’t figure out how that Andersen goal went in, you look at the net view and I don’t see the room, and yet the puck goes through him. Andersen had his best year as a Leaf, as well his best series, the numbers support that. He did let in a stinker in Game 7, he has to own it, but I’m not laying this series defeat at his door, over all I actually liked his game.
Marleau is done, it happens, time to go. That said, Kadri deserves some real blame here. A third line of Kadri, with Nylander and Marleau, that was effective in the regular season, that looks like a line that could produce in the playoffs. Kadri’s inexcusable suspension-heart in the right place, head short circuited- affected our entire game plan, and maybe that was the difference…given how ineffective our third line was down the stretch.
I’m happy with Matthews growth, he came through this playoffsand showed really progress in his 200 ft game. I’m comfortable giving him the C now, and I think he will rise to that crest. Ditto Marner, a great year for him, the kid is heart and soul, can do it all and will only improve further with maturity. Reilly, Tavares, AJ, Kap, Muzzin, Hyman, key guys, great contributions. Plenty of good individual stories for the Leafsmoving forward, we will be in the playoffs for many years to come in my view.
Dubas. Good trades, great role in signing JT, draft encouraging. Contracts, a failure in my estimation. You sign players to the best deal you can at the time, it really is irrelevant to me if 4 years down the road a “bargain” emerges, a good GM doesn’t need apologize, he’s lauded for the signing. RFA’s don’t have great leverage (well they do now it seems), so in particular theNylander contract was astounding, he extracted pretty much everything from Dubas, I still can’t quite believe it. I give Dubas a pass on the year and to be fair, with a GM, it is never universal success, has to be assessed in totality.
Speaking of Nylander. Given our cap situation, he is the obvious trade candidate in my estimation. Nylander doesn’t play like a “core” player, he is a complimentary piece both in play and inspiration. The question then becomes can you afford to play borderline star money to a secondary piece. In a cap world, the answer is probably no. Nylander will forever be polarizing with this board, the truth lies in the middle, and for myself, the middle still isn’t good enough to justify that contract.
Goodbye Jake, thanks for the painful memories. Love the guy at times, but his mental mistakes will never stop and you simply can’t trust him when needed. I cut him some slack this year because he’s clearly hurt, but that brain cramp last night is VINTAGE Gardiner.
We need to make changes to our D, no question. Sandin looks an option next year, perhaps Lil as well. Dermott had a very uneven season, at his best he is Top 4, but he still seeks consistency to firm up that spot in our lineup. I would look for a D trade, and I wouldn’t really miss Zaitsev.
Overall a decent year, with great progress made on many fronts. That said, bottom line, a very bitter taste this morning and the status quo won’t do moving forward…..
Time for a break.
Big picture, progress was made on a host of fronts. Bottomline though, the season ends up a mild failure, due to lack of tangible results. Plenty of eventually successful teams go through exactly what this young core has experienced, it isn’t “over”, we will have other potential runs at the ultimate prize. However, we’re judging this season, in particular these playoffs.
I’ve defended Babcock, primarily because I’ve seen good growth with so many players, he is pushing them to reach their potential, in my view he is an excellent motivator. I thought we had a terrific game plan against Boston, and up until Game 5 was quite comfortable arguing he was the better coach. What we witnessed in Game 6 and 7 however is in some ways mind blowing, his stubbornness and lack of agility cost this team, to the point the blame lies at his door. 5 v 5, pure hockey, we were the better team, which makes this defeat all the more tough to swallow. Our special teams were awful, and for that reason I want to see a new assistant next year, at the very least. Babcock is officially on the clock, he won’t be fired in my view, but a sluggish start next year, I won’t be a steadfast defender. The coaching staff needs some changes, that is a certainty.
I still can’t figure out how that Andersen goal went in, you look at the net view and I don’t see the room, and yet the puck goes through him. Andersen had his best year as a Leaf, as well his best series, the numbers support that. He did let in a stinker in Game 7, he has to own it, but I’m not laying this series defeat at his door, over all I actually liked his game.
Marleau is done, it happens, time to go. That said, Kadri deserves some real blame here. A third line of Kadri, with Nylander and Marleau, that was effective in the regular season, that looks like a line that could produce in the playoffs. Kadri’s inexcusable suspension-heart in the right place, head short circuited- affected our entire game plan, and maybe that was the difference…given how ineffective our third line was down the stretch.
I’m happy with Matthews growth, he came through this playoffsand showed really progress in his 200 ft game. I’m comfortable giving him the C now, and I think he will rise to that crest. Ditto Marner, a great year for him, the kid is heart and soul, can do it all and will only improve further with maturity. Reilly, Tavares, AJ, Kap, Muzzin, Hyman, key guys, great contributions. Plenty of good individual stories for the Leafsmoving forward, we will be in the playoffs for many years to come in my view.
Dubas. Good trades, great role in signing JT, draft encouraging. Contracts, a failure in my estimation. You sign players to the best deal you can at the time, it really is irrelevant to me if 4 years down the road a “bargain” emerges, a good GM doesn’t need apologize, he’s lauded for the signing. RFA’s don’t have great leverage (well they do now it seems), so in particular theNylander contract was astounding, he extracted pretty much everything from Dubas, I still can’t quite believe it. I give Dubas a pass on the year and to be fair, with a GM, it is never universal success, has to be assessed in totality.
Speaking of Nylander. Given our cap situation, he is the obvious trade candidate in my estimation. Nylander doesn’t play like a “core” player, he is a complimentary piece both in play and inspiration. The question then becomes can you afford to play borderline star money to a secondary piece. In a cap world, the answer is probably no. Nylander will forever be polarizing with this board, the truth lies in the middle, and for myself, the middle still isn’t good enough to justify that contract.
Goodbye Jake, thanks for the painful memories. Love the guy at times, but his mental mistakes will never stop and you simply can’t trust him when needed. I cut him some slack this year because he’s clearly hurt, but that brain cramp last night is VINTAGE Gardiner.
We need to make changes to our D, no question. Sandin looks an option next year, perhaps Lil as well. Dermott had a very uneven season, at his best he is Top 4, but he still seeks consistency to firm up that spot in our lineup. I would look for a D trade, and I wouldn’t really miss Zaitsev.
Overall a decent year, with great progress made on many fronts. That said, bottom line, a very bitter taste this morning and the status quo won’t do moving forward…..
Time for a break.
