So what now?

[Craig Davies]

So with hopefully some of the hot takes cooling off in the cold light of day One big question is on my mind

What do we do next? I’m interested to hear what we think can realistically happen to try and ‘fix’ our problems

Taking into account

what if we win the lottery?
Our big four signed to big potentially unmovable contracts
The cap situation
The upcoming RFA’s/UFA’s
our prospects
The expansion draft


What can we do to put this right?

Click to read more...

 

[Dekes For Days]

Our "problems" are greatly exaggerated. The best thing we can do is be patient and not overreact to a good, young team running into hot goaltending and some bad luck in a 5 game series.

 

[Faltorvo]

So with hopefully some of the hot takes cooling off in the cold light of day One big question is on my mind

What do we do next? I’m interested to hear what we think can realistically happen to try and ‘fix’ our problems

Taking into account

what if we win the lottery?
Our big four signed to big potentially unmovable contracts
The cap situation
The upcoming RFA’s/UFA’s
our prospects
The expansion draft


What can we do to put this right?

IF any are unmovable then KD should be fired asap

 

[Faltorvo]

Our "problems" are greatly exaggerated. The best thing we can do is be patient and not overreact to a good, young team running into hot goaltending and some bad luck in a 5 game series.

this is not a good team,,wake up and smell the coffee

 

[ACC1224]

NFL hopefully starts in a month.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

In my opinion, Dubas has two paths forward at this juncture.

First option: Least amount of action is soft-reboot the rebuild with Robertson, Sandin, Liljegren, and move forward with the core that's already in place and accept that they'll likely be extremely mediocre and likely still poor defensively while an extremely young defence would have to learn on the fly. This would be if Dubas and company look at this Columbus series through the numbers which show that the Leafs got beat by insane goaltending and by all rights should've scored more than 3 even strength goals in 5 games (I disagree with this assessment, at some Leafs need to shit or get off the pot and beat the hot goaltender). Leafs core is locked in for a few more years yet and is still young. Team also need cheap talent to fill out the roster and unfortunately drafts 2015-2017 look like they won't yield much in terms of cheap young talent so we're kind of screwed there. This is the path of least resistance and would take the longest amount of time. Who knows if Tavares and Muzzin will be able to play at a high enough level for as long as it takes for these players to develop.

Second Option: Leafs move on from one of their core members, one of Marner or Nylander, to free up cap space and acquire a legitimate top four right-handed defenseman. Who's available for trade I've no clue. And it doesn't have to be a trade for an expensive world-beater. Just a solid top four guy who can be relied upon. Trade would also open up room to improve the overall depth of the team as everyone not on that super Matthews line in game 5 contributed nothing in the loss. Thought our offensive depth was supposed to be a strength but I suppose not. Another option, Pietrangelo is a free agent after this season but who knows if he'd want to come here, though the freed cap space from a Nylander or Marner trade (a Marner one especially) would free up the space for him. Pietrangelo is 30 and that sounds old but it's right in line with the ages of Tavares, Muzzin, and Andersen so he'd fit the makeup of this team. This goes in line with a win-now approach which is where this team is supposed to be anyway given how they've conducted themselves off the ice over the past couple of years, but the on ice results tell a different story.

 

[Dekes For Days]

this is not a good team

Yeah it is. Very top of the league? No, but we're still growing. There's no need for rash moves.

 

[The Podium]

First of all, it is absolute asinine to assume the big contracts are unmovable. Especially when you consider what theyre paid in REAL dollars which 50% of the league cares more about. Do you think a team like Ottawa cares that Marners cap hit is 10.8 when hes owed 7 per season moving forward?

Second, I dont think people realize what it takes to become a winner. Torontonians have short memories. The Raptors are this hardworking character team that couldnt beat Lebron for 4 years straight and were upset swept by the lowly Cavaliers the year before winning the championship. Lowry was a playoff joke until he was a playoff hero. Washington were playoff chokers, regular season paper tigers until they won. Etc, Etc, Etc.

 

[ACC1224]

Certainly appears as if the Team is heading in the wrong direction. 3 first round exits and now missing the playoffs altogether seems to agree.

 

[rumman]

my take is remove Prez and GM, let their replacements decide the best moves going forward. It's as simple as that...............

 

[hamzarocks]

Yeah it is. Very top of the league? No, but we're still growing. There's no need for rash moves.

Trading nylander/marner isnt rash it's taking into consideration past failures and trying to build a more well rounded team. We could run back this core one more year with a goalie trade maybe and a decent defensive upgrade but doing so will only make dubas seat warmer. If we fail to advance on a deep run next year with the same core the media and fans will he explicitly calling for his head saying he didnt attempt to shake up the core despite this years terrible outcome. We need to upgrade the Right hand side for defense, switch Andersen into a decent 1A guy who is cheaper and doesnt choke outright in playoffs, and possibly attempt to make the depth wingers (kap/aj/kerfoot/mik) be replaced with heavier two way players who are offer counter styles to our main player fast/skilled/finesse games. A lot of work needs to be done this offseason.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Trading nylander/marner isn't rash

Yeah, it most definitely is. Marner just turned 23 and Nylander just turned 24, and they are important parts of this team.

If we fail to advance on a deep run next year with the same core the media and fans will he explicitly calling for his head

Most media and fans have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, so that really means nothing to me.

We need to upgrade the Right hand side for defense, switch Andersen into a decent 1A guy who is cheaper and doesnt choke outright in playoffs, and possibly attempt to make the depth wingers (kap/aj/kerfoot/mik) be replaced with heavier two way players who are offer counter styles to our main player fast/skilled/finesse games.

We don't have to do any of those things. Some of them may be explored, and may be good ideas depending on what's available, but it's in no way a disaster if we don't do all or even any of those things.

 

[Gabriel426]

1. This team is in win now mode. Let’s not kid ourselves that this is a 5 yrs project. 5 yrs project team don’t have 3 players with 10mil plus.
2. Leafs offence is not as good as we think and most importantly not as good as the players and MGT think. Stop using excuses such as unlucky and got beaten by better goaltending. The team literally got shut out 3 games out of 5 and only 10 goals in 5 games with 1 empty net is not good offence.
3. No need to stress more on Defence as we can all see it is a weakness.
4. The culture/mentality of the team need to change. Some of these players lack the drive to hit that extra gear. Doesn’t need to score but to do all the little things and be fearless.

 

[Gabriel426]

1. This team is in win now mode. Let’s not kid ourselves that this is a 5 yrs project. 5 yrs project team don’t have 3 players with 10mil plus.
2. Leafs offence is not as good as we think and most importantly not as good as the players and MGT think. Stop using excuses such as unlucky and got beaten by better goaltending. The team literally got shut out 3 games out of 5 and only 10 goals in 5 games with 1 empty net is not good offence.
3. No need to stress more on Defence as we can all see it is a weakness.
4. The culture/mentality of the team need to change. Some of these players lack the drive to hit that extra gear. Doesn’t need to score but to do all the little things and be fearless.

 

[sxvnert]

Hyman (2.25) Matthews (11.634) Marner (10.893)
Mikheyev (1.5) Tavares (11) Nylander (6.962366)
Robertson (.850) -------------- ---------------
Clifford ( .800) Spezza (.800) Engvall (.925)
47.614366

Rielly (5) Pietrangelo (10)
Muzzin (5.625) ---------
Sandin (.894167) Holl (2)
23.519167

Campbell (1.65)
--------
1.65

Cap: 72,783,533
Remaining: 8,716,467

Trade bait: Dermott, Andersen, Kerfoot, Johnsson, Kapanen, Gauthier

 

[Coachcorner]

Waiting for some beautiful trades and some great general manageriing We so SO SO bout that

What a hard and defensively strong club we have. I'm like twerkin and doing all kinds of thangs miself during this autumn, but lets see what dubas, kyle is doing. Surely he can't go into the great playoffs with this philosfy no? With offensively talented, non hitting, almost non zero thugs club? Or can he, I hope he does it again

 

[Cor]

Now we wait

 

[Cor]

Now we wait

 

[Coachcorner]

Waiting for some beautiful trades and some great general manageriing We so SO SO bout that

What a hard and defensively strong club we have. I'm like twerkin and doing all kinds of thangs miself during this autumn, but lets see what dubas, kyle is doing. Surely he can't go into the great playoffs with this philosfy no? With offensively talented, non hitting, almost non zero thugs club? Or can he, I hope he does it again

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

On one hand, I wouldn't want Dubas to overreact and make drastic changes based on a 5 game series where the Leafs clearly got terrible luck and were generally the better team. On the other hand, I wouldn't want him to under react and have the Leafs stay as a good but not great team as the key players continue to get older and the cap stays frozen for years. He has to balance between making smart and necessary moves to make the team better, and not doing too much that ends up hurting the team more than helping

 

[Cleetus]

NFL hopefully starts in a month.

think its going to start? just read that college football is not going either? or 1 of the conferences voted no to sports this fall?

 

[All Mod Cons]

With 4 years worth of playoffs for some of these players i think everyone knows what they need to know about the guys. Lots of games to look at. It would be far from a rash move to trade some of them. Unless people need to see 10 years before they can make an assessment.

 

[al secord]

NFL hopefully starts in a month.

Good. I needed a break from sports.

 

[Trapper]

Our "problems" are greatly exaggerated. The best thing we can do is be patient and not overreact to a good, young team running into hot goaltending and some bad luck in a 5 game series.

I feel like I’ve just timed travelled. 2010.11,12,13....
Kessel,JVR,Kadri,Reilly,Gardiner,Phaneuf,etc just be patient. Good young team. Kessel is only 22,23,24...just get Kessel some help, just fix the bottom 6, just upgrade the D, patience, Carlyle is a better coach than Wilson but Babcock is a better coach but Keefe is better...

I think I’ve seen this movie. Win a round in the playoffs or more next year or patience over.

 

[v4karuna]

Let's go get us some D and grit.

Fire Dubas if he continues with his vision.