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

[8999]

They have the right goaltending to keep up the generosity

It starts at the top. The GM is a role model in terms of displaying generosity.

 

[islesfan186]

2004

It ended with "The Blackhawk Down Line" (Zhamnov-Roenick-Amonte) on ice and JR scoring against ex-Hawk teammate Ed Belfour



Look at those former Hawk names ,, Man it seems like so long ago

I was so happy as Hawks fan watching Flyers run that year and hoped they would win cup

Hell Joni Pitkanen was highly touted 20 yr old rookie assisting on goal at time and its been like a decade or close to it since Pitkanen suffered his career ending injury

Nevermind, I thought that was round 1

 

[Quickdraw2828]

Incredibly difficult team to beat and threat to the Cup if they can get out of the first round.

Because the playoffs get easier after the first round

 

[holy]

Bubble team with daddy issues.

Nah, Habs are right down the 401, they can come visit their Daddy anytime they want.

 

[Pure Slaughter Value]

Because the playoffs get easier after the first round

It's more the "getting over the hump" could help give them the confidence to make an extended run.

I'm an Islanders fan so I'm not rooting for them but I will admit with that talent if they get some confidence they could be a very strong contender. Really depends on their Goaltending and who they play (obviously).

Their defense is much improved over the last two years with smart pickups in Brodie and Muzzin.

 

[Oleksiak]

They're clearly a playoff team on paper and anyone suggesting otherwise is clearly bias. There is a reason they're the fifth favorite to win the cup in Vegas right now and that's because the people making those lines are above petty bullshit for the most part. I do think they're cup contender if their guys can learn how to compete the same way in the playoffs as they do in the regular season. Their team lacks depth at forward and goaltending is a ? but their top 6 is as good as anyone's almost and defence is also very strong now.

Their defense is unchanged from last year, where they only had 2 NHLers in Brodie and Muzzin. Unless they replace Rielly and the other pylons with some defensemen who can actually play defense, they're an easy out in the first round if they somehow manage to make the playoffs. That D is absolute trash.

 

[bigbabybuda]

Their defense is unchanged from last year, where they only had 2 NHLers in Brodie and Muzzin. Unless they replace Rielly and the other pylons with some defensemen who can actually play defense, they're an easy out in the first round if they somehow manage to make the playoffs. That D is absolute trash.

They allowed the 6th least goals in the league last year so if that is the case they would need to have Hasek in net. You're just factually wrong and look very silly.

 

[Gotaf7]

Pretenders.

 

[Oleksiak]

They allowed the 6th least goals in the league last year so if that is the case they would need to have Hasek in net. You're just factually wrong and look very silly.

Let's see how they do in a division that isn't hot garbage, without a lucky run from a backup goalie. Best case scenario, their pylons will get exposed in the 1st round when opposing coaches send their stars out against Rielly to give their team a free PP thanks to his refusal to even try to play like an NHLer in his own zone.

 

[Saucechucker99]

They're clearly a playoff team on paper and anyone suggesting otherwise is clearly bias. There is a reason they're the fifth favorite to win the cup in Vegas right now and that's because the people making those lines are above petty bullshit for the most part. I do think they're cup contender if their guys can learn how to compete the same way in the playoffs as they do in the regular season. Their team lacks depth at forward and goaltending is a ? but their top 6 is as good as anyone's almost and defence is also very strong now.

I don’t their D is not good at all. I actually think they added good and effective depth (the latter being something Dubas has missed the boat on over and over again) with the signings of Kase, Ritchie, and Bunting. I think goaltending is very sketchy but that tandem could surprise.

That said, I don’t watch them, but on paper I think the D is bad. Least amount of goals was a product of that division IMO.

I think they are playoff team with a lot of question marks.

 

[Bomber0104]

They allowed the 6th least goals in the league last year so if that is the case they would need to have Hasek in net. You're just factually wrong and look very silly.

They didn't play in the "league" though.

They played in a division of the league, and zero teams outside of that division.

 

[leafsfan5]

Let's see how they do in a division that isn't hot garbage, without a lucky run from a backup goalie. Best case scenario, their pylons will get exposed in the 1st round when opposing coaches send their stars out against Rielly to give their team a free PP thanks to his refusal to even try to play like an NHLer in his own zone.

Division wasn't hot garbage offensively though, it has some of the best high end talent in the league with 5 of the top 10 scorers being from the north.

Also, here's the average goals per game for a team in each division. I used 2019-2020 stats as this was a year with no divisional isolation (there was obviously roster turnover so it's not perfect but good enough) :

North: 3.04 goals/game
East: 3.09 goals/game
West: 2.90 goals/game
Central: 2.89 goals/game

So Northern teams on average scored the second most goals per game out of all 4 divisions. That's not a "hot garbage" division when discussing offense. The leafs played solely against these offensive teams and sported the 7th best goals against in the league with the 6th best GA/60 and 10th best xGA/60. Pretty good numbers that do indicate they have a solid defence.

Also, the backup goalie only played 22 games, aka 39% of the season. 61% of the year can't be attributed to the "lucky run"

Reality is the Leafs defense has improved tremendously over the years (for example, in 2017-2018 they were bad being 24th in xGA/60). It's the offense that's taken a hit mainly due to the loss of depth along with poor performances from the core in the playoffs. But, people are stuck parroting opinions that are outdated so.....

 

[Three On Zero]

Swiss cheese, top tier regular season team but a fringe playoff team

 

[The90]

Let's see how they do in a division that isn't hot garbage, without a lucky run from a backup goalie. Best case scenario, their pylons will get exposed in the 1st round when opposing coaches send their stars out against Rielly to give their team a free PP thanks to his refusal to even try to play like an NHLer in his own zone.

Second highest scoring division, the leafs finish 6th in goals against in high scoring division, and their d is trash. Good logic.

 

[Jeremy2020]

I consider them hilarious in their current state.

 

[vippe]

Signing Tavares didnt propel them in to contenders but rather the opposite.

 

[Blowfish]

Comic relief.

Bingo.

 

[PaulD]

It starts at the top. The GM is a role model in terms of displaying generosity.

Yet stingy when it comes t providing play off games.

 

[bobholly39]

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?

They're a playoff team and a Stanley Cup contender. As they have been for a little while.

They're a Stanley Cup contender who keeps choking though. But - they have a good enough core that they're still a contender. Whether they break through and actually eventually put up results in the playoffs or not, we'll see.

Going into next season - they are among favorites to win division (or let's say top 2 bc Tampa).

For what it's worth - Toronto played a really great playoff round 1 this year minus game 7. Price was just absolutely spectacular. They probably deserved to be up 6-0 after 6 games. There are many other teams who had disappointments in the playoffs where their level of play was really bad, but outside of game 7 I didn't think this was the case with the Leafs

 

[Lays]

Playoff team but lose first round. Dubas has just rearranged deck chairs on the titanic with this roster. They’re no different from last year

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

For what it's worth - Toronto played a really great playoff round 1 this year minus game 7. Price was just absolutely spectacular. They probably deserved to be up 6-0 after 6 games. There are many other teams who had disappointments in the playoffs where their level of play was really bad, but outside of game 7 I didn't think this was the case with the Leafs

The good old "moral victory" stratagem...

 

[ER89]

I like the moves the Leafs have made and they are a playoff team. Not quite Tampa, Boston or Florida level but expect them to edge out Montreal.

In the regular season I dont see boston doing as well as the leafs. In the playoffs I see them slapping us ffs.

 

[T REX]

one and done playoff team until they decide to balance the team

 

[Yog S'loth]

To be honest, I'm tired of being asked to consider the Leafs at all.

 

[CartographerNo611]

Not going to win with Marner. Depth wins cups and Leafs don’t have depth. Richie likes to disappear and Kase is has a case of glass body syndrome.