You don't consider Chara, M. Richards, Thomas, Carter, Hossa, Sharp key pieces?
I consider them pieces within draft built teams. Sharp and Hossa are surrounded by drafted talent. Chara and Thomas (now Rask) are surrounded by drafted talent. Richards and Carter, again, surrounded by drafted talent.
But of course you fail to see the big picture and completely miss the point. These are good pieces, but they are vastly outnumbered by many more pieces that are equal and greater in importance to the overall team composition.
You're few examples of once in a decade free agents and once in a blue moon trades are DRAMATICALLY OUTNUMBERED by the volume of homegrown core players added to teams each and every year.
Here's the beautful thing about "people like me", we judge each move. I can look and say that Komisarek signing was bad, that Clarkson signing was stupid, moving Steen made no sense etc... and also things like that was a bad pick or trading JVR for Schenn was a good move.
You judge based on hindsight.
For example, you cling to the Zdeno Chara signing as proof positive that we don't need to draft a #1 defenceman but at the time did you support dishing out max term and value, recognizing this player as a generational defenceman now did you?
No, you were most definitely happy with Bryan McCabe and Kaberle...as were most Leafs fans who scoffed at the idea of signing a division rival's UFA.
Some smaller minded people who aren't able to see beyond the draft are limited in what they are able to support
I have never supported anything that mortgages the future for a dismal present. For some unexplained reason, people like you proudly support this type of strategy. You support mortgaging the future for instant gratification only delaying the inevitable need to build the team with homegrown talent.
This is a fact.
We are in the exact same position we were coming out of the lockout and people like you have been proudly supporting all of these wasted years.
The Bruins top 3 d-men when healthy aren't drafted players. SJ's #1 goalie, #1 D-man and 2 top 6 forwards (Thornton and Burns) aren't drafted players. I already mentioned Hossa and Sharp.
Again, pieces surrounded by a drafted core. How many more times will you need to be told this?
Each one of these teams has good drafted players as well, but who has said the Leafs shouldn't draft well? Have you seen a fan say the fact they wish we traded the Rielly pick?
An realistic and knowledgable fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs would never have even wanted the Leafs to pretend to be competing for a playoff spot last year when instead they should have been focusing on adding a generational forward like Nathan Mackinnon, or another core piece.
Anyone who advocates trading a first round pick better support a team that has proven playoff success and a chance to contend for the Stanley Cup.
My "facts" say Chara is a key piece on the Bruins, your "fact" say he isn't. My "facts" say Joe Thornton is a big piece of the Sharks, yours say he isn't.
Do you really want to talk "facts"?
Chara is as much a key piece as Bergeron, Lucic, Krecji, Marchand and Hamilton have been, are, and will be for the Bruins.
Thornton is as big a piece as Marleau, Couture, and Pavelski have been, are, and will be for the Sharks.
Again, you are simply outnumbered at every turn.
For every example you have of a good piece added by trade or free agency I can easily give you four more.
The numbers just don't agree with your stance on hockey, period.
You just aren't knowledgeable about hockey or you just refuse the raw facts that lay right before your eyes.
How ironic, you're preaching about "not learning lessons" when you don't even know what you're teaching. Maybe you should hop off that high horse before you hurt yourself.
I know exactly what I am teaching because I've been doing it for 7 years now. "Re-toolers" like you have been proven wrong over and over and over again by realists and yet you continue the same song and dance.
More re-tooling....that's the answer.
Trade draft picks. Sign brutal players to brutal contracts.
Why you ask?
Because of Florida, Edmonton, and Brooklyn. And because we might just have a Chara/Hossa type signing on our hands.
But of course you realize these are exceptions and not rules...but for some unknown reason....you cling to it like a religion.
And like clockwork...when it fails each and every year (like it has). Around we go again. More re-tooling.
Care to show me where I said those are the 2 we should build around?
If you support anything other than dismantling the Leafs' rotten core in favor of a draft rebuild you are basically giving the thumbs up to Kessel and Phaneuf leading the charge for the foreseeable future.
You are guilty by association.
And you will be proven wrong like you have been so many times.
Maybe in another 5 years you will learn something.
Doubtful though.
