What would you consider the Leafs to be in their current state?

[FerrisRox]

They are the same as where they were last year. A team that should make the playoffs comfortably, and a couple significant peices away from serious perennial cup contention.

They could also use some sandpaper around the edges with the loss of hyman and foligno.

If they got some "sandpaper around the edges" to make up for the loss of Foligno and Hyman (and Bogosian) that doesn't suddenly make them contenders. All that does is get them back to the team they were last year which clearly wasn't good enough.

 

[FerrisRox]

Theyre still a young team they can beat any of those easy. If Matthews doesnt re-sign after this contract now thats another story.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

I laugh at the idea of "They need to win a round,, before they can talk about winning a cup?!?"

Which is incorrect. Anyone can get hot and go on a run...

Don't they need to win a round (or three) before getting to the Finals?

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Don't they need to win a round (or three) before getting to the Finals?

You sob. Haha

I hate that I have to explain it, you got me.

Previous years success has no bearing on next years. There isn't a "gain tokens in previous years, giving you the right to unlock the cup"

 

[ole ole]

They were hailed cup contenders once Tavares was signed. The amount of talent and youth on the roster somehow could be a justification for that title.

Fast forward 3 years later, would you still consider them a title favourite?

A playoff contender?

A playoff team?

A fringe playoff team?

What would you call them?

A very good regular season team But not made for the playoffs so a fringe playoff team.

 

[TesseractPrice]

They're definitely a playoff team. I'd say the Leafs are a second class contender. As of now they're a top 10 team with some serious choking tendency that they need to address

They would need a significant acquisition to be a clear cut contender IMO. With the offseason they had, they look like a >100 points team that get play one round of PO, maybe two

 

[MartyOwns]

i don't know about the leafs themselves, but i consider their fans to be annoying as hell. if every fan base posted like they do on the main boards, the site would crash.

nobody cares about the leafs. they are irrelevant at best, and a punchline at worst.

 

[Mr Positive]

this year is really interesting.

With Hyman gone, and the cap still pushing on them, it feels like this is an in-between year as they wait for the cap to grow a little.

At the same time, this finally feels like do or die. Dubas' comments and simple realities dictate that if they fail again, that's it for this core, a deeper change happens. Plus, Reilly isn't signed yet.

I don't think there is something about them that makes them fail in the playoffs. This was the first year that they failed in the playoffs and weren't the underdogs. They were beat by a team that went on to make the Golden Knights look terrible. I also know that people hate the injury excuse. However, they lost Tavares early, and if that wasn't enough they lost Muzzin. Major injuries are always a big factor in success. The top teams are often lucky in injuries. The underperforming ones often have a a few major ones. It's just a fact of hockey.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

You sob. Haha

I hate that I have to explain it, you got me.

Previous years success has no bearing on next years. There isn't a "gain tokens in previous years, giving you the right to unlock the cup"

Bizarre...

Who said anything else?

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Playoff team

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Bizarre...

Who said anything else?

To Everyone saying;

"How can leaf fans talk about being a contender when they can't win a round"

"Win a round first, before talking about winning the cup!"

Get it? Got it? Good.

 

[Bandit]

Comic relief.

 

[Breakers]

If they could get rid of that trash Tavares contract

they could be soo good and so much more balanced.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

They are an experiment by a new GM.
There hasn’t yet been a successful team in the cap era with such a large percentage of the cap tied up in four forwards. I mean it could potentially work if two of those four forwards were of the generational quality like Crosby and Malkin but it seems unlikely to work with lesser players.
At some point I think one of the four will inevitably be traded.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

They are an experiment by a new GM.
There hasn’t yet been a successful team in the cap era with such a large percentage of the cap tied up in four forwards. I mean it could potentially work if two of those four forwards were of the generational quality like Crosby and Malkin but it seems unlikely to work with lesser players.
At some point I think one of the four will inevitably be traded.

The bolded is exactly the issue. If a team is going to be top heavy and expect to win the Cup, then those players who are taking up that much cap space/money have to produce tremendously well, not just "solid". So far, the Leafs have only gotten "solid" (at best) out of their high priced talent.

"Solid" is fine if you've got depth to pick up the slack, like the Pens in 2016 when Crosby and Malkin only produced solid totals (for their standards) but the HBK line helped pick up the offensive slack. But when you rely on your top guys for the bulk of the offense (like the Pens did in 2009 and 2017) then your stars have to be outstanding.

 

[PaulD]

Bubble team .... like they were season the covid hit .

 

[PaulD]

If they could get rid of that trash Tavares contract

they could be soo good and so much more balanced.

Or trading Marner for a good dman and cap space would help them big time.........so I'm glad that ain't gonna happen.
As I like the leafs right where they are... going nowhere

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Hard to say. I've heard their window was closed, but with Bunting on the verge of scoring 30 goals this season they could be a contender again.

He scored 10 goals. He wasn’t on the verge.

he also shot at 25%. That’s not sustainable.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Top 3 in the Atlantic, ??? come playoff time

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He scored 10 goals. He wasn’t on the verge.

he also shot at 25%. That’s not sustainable.

If he got the same powerplay opportunities as the other stars around the league get, and if he gets more ice time and produces the exact same G/60 in that increased ice time, he should easily top 30 goals, maybe even 40 goals.

 

[3074326]

Very talented playoff team that hasn't proven it's built for more the next step.

 

[8999]

A very generous team that continues to let other teams borrow a big Cup that should really be the property of the TML.

 

[Cheddabombs]

He scored 10 goals. He wasn’t on the verge.

he also shot at 25%. That’s not sustainable.

Aw that thread got closed, you might've missed out on the Bunting HFboards' lore

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Aw that thread got closed, you might've missed out on the Bunting HFboards' lore

Ah damn sorry then. Didn’t read the sarcasm lol

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

"Win a round first, before talking about winning the cup!"

And how is that wrong?

If they win the Cup one day, they would have won 4 series in a row, n'est-ce pas?

And to win 4 series in a row, they would need to win the first one.

It's not nuclear science...