News Article: 'This core believes we're right there:'

[Kazparov]

Bit of a clickbaity title to the article to be honest.

I'd like to hear a bit more anger from them.

 

[TheScandal89]

I agree we have a good core, but we are not almost there. We have most of the high end skill needed, which is the hardest part.

But we lack leadership, grit, etc not only with our defence, but our offence too. We need 2 top 4 RD badly...either DFD or TWD not Offensive.

And we need to fill out the forward core with about 2-3 guys in the middle 6. They don't need to be fighters like clark, but we do need someone who will answer the bell when someone takes a run at our stars. We can't have a team content to play on the outside.

 

[Trapper]

- Players aren't going to throw their teammates under the bus.

But.

- Talk is cheap. Prove it next year and lead this damn team on a good playoff run, give the fans some hope.

I wished someone had asked what if we are right back here next year talking about the same thing? Because we did it last year.
We did it all through Kessel. And that’s not a knock on Kessel it was because of the way the team was built.
Is it coincidence that Kessel won 2 Cups, Bozak 1, JVR on the top seeded East team. Kadri/Gardiner still playing.

Team is greater than all and with the exception of Matthews/Tavares, anything should be available to make the TEAM better. What has been the staple of Pittsburgh? Crosby/Malkin. 40 goal scorer Neal out, in Kessel, out Kessel. With a hard working support staff and strength down the middle.

 

[Nylander88]

I agree we have a good core, but we are not almost there. We have most of the high end skill needed, which is the hardest part.

But we lack leadership, grit, etc not only with our defence, but our offence too. We need 2 top 4 RD badly...either DFD or TWD not Offensive.

And we need to fill out the forward core with about 2-3 guys in the middle 6. They don't need to be fighters like clark, but we do need someone who will answer the bell when someone takes a run at our stars. We can't have a team content to play on the outside.

I think the "core" has commonly been referred to as: Tavares, Matthews, Marner,Hyman, Rielly, Muzzin, Anderson. So I'd have to think pieces change around that. I know he's not here anymore but that's who Babs commonly addressed as the leadership group of this team

 

[EGL22]

Captain Dubas on the bridge of the good ship Maple Leaf.

I don't care what anybody else thinks,just stay the course and I guarantee you there is just no way in hell we hit that iceberg.

 

[Hockey 4 Life]

We could be right there with the right moves. I just don't know if dubas is the right guy to make those moves. Time will tell I guess.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

i agree with the players.

The core is still young and with a couple of stud defensmen, the Leafs will be serious contenders.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Their .500 record is right there? No. The mix isn't effective. It would be cowardly to not make changes.

 

[Gabriel426]

He is. You want to free him for offense, we shouldnt see him as the lone player back trying to defend an empty net goal. He had the puck constantly and worked unlike some players who watched.

Got to disagree with that.
Don't think Marner played fine at all. Not just him though, most of the team didn't play fine.
Also, I don't think it is a good idea for him to PK. Save his energy for offense.

 

[Peasy]

We're right there to win a series, not the cup.

 

[93LEAFS]

I mean, the core is fine. The main issue is the core makes such a high-percentage of the cap that it is hard to figure out where we going to find the cap-space to have effective lower-level scoring or defence (and arguably goalie too).

 

[Nylander88]

Definitely would like to see us get a little more rough. Really hoping for Josh Anderson and Radko Gudas this off-season (whenever that is). Going to need another D too whether that's through a big trade like a Nylander type trade, or another solid UFA signing that won't break the bank like a Justin Braun. We saw how poor we were back there when we lost Muzzin. It crippled us because we didn't have the depth to deal with an injury to a main guy back there.

 

[Gabriel426]

IF right there, they means they are two players away, in which those two players are Pietra and Jones. Then yes, there are right there.

 

[Byron Bitz]

would anyone be open to trading Kerfoot+ for a big, defensively sound 3c?

 

[killer1980]

would anyone be open to trading Kerfoot+ for a big, defensively sound 3c?

Probably more than half of the posters here, but I know 31 general managers who wouldn't.

 

[TOGuy14]

This team has lost in the first round of the playoffs four years in a row to three different teams.

All the major pieces of the core are locked up long term and have reasonable experience. When does being “right there” translate into actual success?

Until someone explains to me why next year would be any different you have to throw at least one bomb into this locker room composition

 

[TOGuy14]

It is idiotic. Many of us on this board have been saying the exact same things.

What's also idiotic is comparing Marner's contract to other contracts across the league that were signed years ago yet I keep seeing that over and over again on here. I think we can all agree that it wasn't the best contract but it's not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

sorry but Marner is a top 10 cap hit in the league.

I expect him to have an impact or even dominate at least one of five games in a first round playoff series...

 

[ACC1224]

This team has lost in the first round of the playoffs four years in a row to three different teams.

All the major pieces of the core are locked up long term and have reasonable experience. When does being “right there” translate into actual success?

Until someone explains to me why next year would be any different you have to throw at least one bomb into this locker room composition

Slight correction, 3 years in a row to two different teams. They never made the 1st round of the playoffs this season.

 

[TheScandal89]

I think the "core" has commonly been referred to as: Tavares, Matthews, Marner,Hyman, Rielly, Muzzin, Anderson. So I'd have to think pieces change around that. I know he's not here anymore but that's who Babs commonly addressed as the leadership group of this team

I refer to it as Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Rielly, Nylander, Hyman, Muzzin. I would trade Nylander for a core defender.

Andersen is most likely gone after next season due to cost. Although he might be gone this summer aswell.

 

[fahad203]

I believe in a lot of things but doesn't mean I am right.

They should watch other games and see the difference in games.

 

[killer1980]

If I was making their money, I would want nothing to change also. I know someone very close to this country that knows if you tell a lie often enough, people will believe it.

 

[Nylander88]

I refer to it as Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Rielly, Nylander, Hyman, Muzzin. I would trade Nylander for a core defender.

Andersen is most likely gone after next season due to cost. Although he might be gone this summer aswell.

I won't be sad to see Freddy go. Heck I'd be ok signing Talbot and going with a 1-2 like so many teams seem to do now. Talbot-Campbell. Freddy is going to want a raise on his 5mil per. Campbell we resigned for 1.65 mil per. And I'm sure Talbot could be had for 2-3 mil per. Combined it's still cheaper than one Freddy.

 

[rumman]

You mean the fatal assumption that literally every GM and agent uses?

irrelevent, I was ripped a new one by several poster in these forums for suggesting that assuming the cap was going up was being overly optimistic. No one saw a pandemic coming, but here we are. Moral of the story is don't count your chickens before they've hatched.

Plan for the worse and hope for the best.

And to address the " like literally every GM and agent uses", my mother use to say if your friends jumped off a cliff would you?

Words to live by.................

 

[A1LeafNation]

Of course they don't want change. WTF else they gonna say.

 

[Mr Papagoergyo]

I refer to it as Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Rielly, Nylander, Hyman, Muzzin. I would trade Nylander for a core defender.

Andersen is most likely gone after next season due to cost. Although he might be gone this summer aswell.

It's scary after Freddy's up its Hyman and Reilly, they better not wait to long or we can't afford to resign anyone