Speculation: Will Dubas fix The Hockey Futures of the Toronto Maple Leafs?

[ottomaddox]

Sort of a tongue and cheek title, but I was thinking about our prospects and lack of draft picks.

Is Dubas going to plug and play who we have in the organization next fall? I ask this because it seemed implied by the way they've structured the salary allocation.

Is there any way TOR can move someone for extra picks this draft (and next)? It bothers me when it appears that Dubas seems to have been moving on the present all too much lately.

Do you see this happening?

______ Matthews Marner
Robertson Tavares Nylander
Mikheyev Hirovenen Hallander
Anderson ___________ Spezza

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Holl
Sandin Liljgren

Campbell
___________

^Many of these are mere suggestions. I don't know how many are NHL ready.

What do you think...of the future?

Click to read more...

 

[rocketman588]

I don't think hirovinen is playing 3C if Kerfoot leaves we're getting 3.5 mil of Cap space if he goes.

I expect Riley to be traded as well

 

[hotpaws]

can't wait until Dubie's picks come through and our entire lineup is 5'10'' and under

 

[Ports]

can't wait until Dubie's picks come through and our entire lineup is 5'10'' and under

Totally agree. I saw this coming 6 years ago. Total failure.

 

[egd27]

Sure do wish there was some consistency on when threads are going to "reach their limit"

Anyway........since I put the effort in on the other thread.

I think it's more of a question of quality personally.

I think this team played better hockey during the regular season against some weaker competition without the surprising (assuming I'm a jerk if I simply say irrelevant) SO help.

Can't remember if I said it in that post, but the 17/18 team was similar quality to the 18/19 team for me. Big difference was the backup and SO results. I put this year a tier ahead, even with the 6 team division, especially given the matchups.

If you want, you can simply read that as the 105 point team was propped up by a surprising SO record. They actually played closer to a 100 pt team. This years team I think would have been closer to that 105+ mark in normal circumstances. I think our actual pace was about 4 wins higher this year, without that SO support, but with a weaker division/unique schedule

As far as the backup goes, we're discounting the fact he did his job well? You realize this is the team that clings to the "hot goalie" excuse on a regular basis. And the reason the BO goalie wasn't been as strong in the ensuing seasons, is that the current GM waived the guy that was really good.

With regard to shoot outs, I'll go as far a conceding the SO is akin to 50-50 coin flip.
Their record was 7-2 instead of a reasonably expected 5-4 or even 4-5. Perhaps my math is wrong, but this "surprising SO record" netted the team 2 or 3 extra points.

Let's pretend it was the 4-5 record, so I can't be accused of tipping the scales in my favor.

There I will amend the statement to.....Dubas inherited a legitimate 102 point team with a really good back up goalie, and has not gotten the team any closer to the Stanley Cup in this tenure.

Not good enough!

 

[Racer88]

Dubas will not fix it. For one he has no clue how and second he is so delusional about this core that he will go down rather then admit his failure and crappy vision of what a team actually is

 

[shortfuze]

Dubas will not fix it. For one he has no clue how and second he is so delusional about this core that he will go down rather then admit his failure and crappy vision of what a team actually is

You should go outside and get some fresh air. It’s a big world out there.

 

[Gallagbi]

Sure do wish there was some consistency on when threads are going to "reach their limit"

Anyway........since I put the effort in on the other thread.

Agreed on the above, not sure why a limit is even needed for these type of off season threads.

As far as the backup goes, we're discounting the fact he did his job well? You realize this is the team that clings to the "hot goalie" excuse on a regular basis. And the reason the BO goalie wasn't been as strong in the ensuing seasons, is that the current GM waived the guy that was really good.

It's more dismissing our waiver wire backup as a vezina quality goalie over his ~18 appearances. He had a great season, best of his career without question, but similar to previous points - I'm not sure I consider that much of a factor in the quality of the team itself.

You could also reconcile that against this year where our starter played his way out of the gig, our backup played lights out even through injuries and we had 3 goalies put up significantly better than that projected starter.

With regard to shoot outs, I'll go as far a conceding the SO is akin to 50-50 coin flip.
Their record was 7-2 instead of a reasonably expected 5-4 or even 4-5. Perhaps my math is wrong, but this "surprising SO record" netted the team 2 or 3 extra points.

Let's pretend it was the 4-5 record, so I can't be accused of tipping the scales in my favor.

There I will amend the statement to.....Dubas inherited a legitimate 102 point team with a really good back up goalie, and has not gotten the team any closer to the Stanley Cup in this tenure.

Not good enough!

Dubas has backed himself into a corner. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out but he has more faith in the core, specifically Marner, than I do

My initial point isn't to say he's done an incredible job, it's to highlight that this "105 point team, our best ever" isn't the most accurate description of the quality of that team. While regular season isn't this teams issue, I still say this was our most impressive regular season to date.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Sort of a tongue and cheek title, but I was thinking about our prospects and lack of draft picks.

Is Dubas going to plug and play who we have in the organization next fall? I ask this because it seemed implied by the way they've structured the salary allocation.

Is there any way TOR can move someone for extra picks this draft (and next)? It bothers me when it appears that Dubas seems to have been moving on the present all too much lately.

Do you see this happening?

______ Matthews Marner
Robertson Tavares Nylander
Mikheyev Hirovenen Hallander
Anderson ___________ Spezza

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Holl
Sandin Liljgren

Campbell
___________

^Many of these are mere suggestions. I don't know how many are NHL ready.

What do you think...of the future?

Of course there is a way. Dubas moved a player for a first in last year's draft.

 

[ottomaddox]

I don't think hirovinen is playing 3C if Kerfoot leaves we're getting 3.5 mil of Cap space if he goes.

I expect Riley to be traded as well

Traded for draft picks, or prospects?

 

[TheScandal89]

If thats our line up next season we might not even make the playoffs, unless that #1 LW is Kucherov, that team is much worse. I see the forwards more as

????? - Matthews - Marner
????? - Tavares - Nylander
Robertson - ????? - Spezza
????? - Brooks - Anderson

Unfortunately, aside from Robertson, I don't think any of Dubas' midget prospects can crack the line up. It'd be great if a Abramov or Stotts could make a sudden impact for us but thats doubtful. So we will have to sign UFAs or trade with people who are off this list (Engvall-Mikheyev-Kerfoot) to hope to get a player to fill a spot well not just plug it

I also can't imagine Liljegren pairing with Sandin, seems like a combo that will get punished and turn the puck over in the playoffs.

 

[Stonehands1990]

If thats our line up next season we might not even make the playoffs, unless that #1 LW is Kucherov, that team is much worse. I see the forwards more as

????? - Matthews - Marner
????? - Tavares - Nylander
Robertson - ????? - Spezza
????? - Brooks - Anderson

Unfortunately, aside from Robertson, I don't think any of Dubas' midget prospects can crack the line up. It'd be great if a Abramov or Stotts could make a sudden impact for us but thats doubtful. So we will have to sign UFAs or trade with people who are off this list (Engvall-Mikheyev-Kerfoot) to hope to get a player to fill a spot well not just plug it

I also can't imagine Liljegren pairing with Sandin, seems like a combo that will get punished and turn the puck over in the playoffs.

I know a couple analytics guys who say Sandin & Liljegren pairing is the way to go. So that’s how I know it’s a horrible idea

 

[TheScandal89]

I know a couple analytics guys who say Sandin & Liljegren pairing is the way to go. So that’s how I know it’s a horrible idea

Yeah, most likely if that's the plan all regular season the analytics will say there good and then in the playoffs when they are put in a position where they've been lined up for a big hit they'll turn the puck over and over.

 

[Stonehands1990]

Yeah, most likely if that's the plan all regular season the analytics will say there good and then in the playoffs when they are put in a position where they've been lined up for a big hit they'll turn the puck over and over.

And then the analytics crowd will say “not big enough sample size”

I swear a Venn diagram of analytics gurus and sucked at hockey growing up is just a damn circle

 

[rocketman588]

Traded for draft picks, or prospects?

I would hope in a deal with another similar level D man with term

 

[Ulysses31]

Trading the 1st this year was an obvious mistake. Get kadri back. Leafs went from best centre depth in league to somewhere in top ten. Price shouldnt be too high.

 

[Stonehands1990]

Trading the 1st this year was an obvious mistake. Get kadri back. Leafs went from best centre depth in league to somewhere in top ten. Price shouldnt be too high.

Never should have trade Kadri. Anger management classes and get some actual tough players to play Boston’s game

 

[TheOneArmedMan]

Dubas will not fix it. For one he has no clue how and second he is so delusional about this core that he will go down rather then admit his failure and crappy vision of what a team actually is

Yup. They are a regular season team not built for the playoffs. He realized he needed toughness until it was too late.

If he wants to save his bacon he needs to look for a goalie next aeason

 

[613Leafer]

Regularly walking some of your better players to free agency (e.g. Bozak, JVR, Gardiner, Hyman, Anderson, etc) while simultaneously regularly trading picks/prospects to try to plug holes on the roster takes a big toll after a while.

For a management group that likes to brag about their cap management, regularly referencing how Pridham helped draft the CBA, they certainly do a pretty poor job of it. Multiple terrible contracts handed out to core players and no long-term asset management in place.

 

[Koolboss]

Dubas messed up royally, afraid we are f***k&d

 

[aingefan]

27 picks the last three drafts.
History of getting more on the draft floor.
Be nice to see some youth mixed on to the team this year: Lili, Anderson, Robertson, Brooks, Sandin and Malgin should be competing.
Next year, Hallander, Holmberg, Steeves.
I would have liked to see some selective pending UFA’s moved for futures (the off-seasons prior and backfilled with other FA’s) but I understand the optics.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Analytics is like 10% of team building.
Dubas is fine there. He failed to manage his RFAs and was too timid to trade them when they put themselves over the team.

Hiring someone great at the 10% and inexperienced at the 90% was silly.

Shanny and Dubas must go.

 

[socko]

Dubas will be trading away picks, not trading for them. He has nothing left anyone wants. Look at the 2022 1st round pick long enough, and it will disappear.

 

[Racer88]

Regularly walking some of your better players to free agency (e.g. Bozak, JVR, Gardiner, Hyman, Anderson, etc) while simultaneously regularly trading picks/prospects to try to plug holes on the roster takes a big toll after a while.

For a management group that likes to brag about their cap management, regularly referencing how Pridham helped draft the CBA, they certainly do a pretty poor job of it. Multiple terrible contracts handed out to core players and no long-term asset management in place.

They certainly don’t maximize their assets……..all because of some stubborn support of the ineffective failing core

 

[ACC1224]

When do we find out who the Leafs have exposed to the Kraken?