Will We Make The Playoffs?

[GardinerTheForward]

Poll closes by November.

I just want to see if anyone else thinks we look amazingly average.


Edit: I think we will vuy at the deadline and squeak in.

Click to read more...

 

[TMLifer]

1o games in with 12 pts and we have 3 key players on IR.

Lets not have overreaction Monday, everyone relax.

 

[GardinerTheForward]

Dermott is not a key player. Tavares has only been out for two games.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Yes, easily.

Typical Leaf fan thread is typical.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Poll closes by November.

I just want to see if anyone else thinks we look amazingly average.


Edit: I think we will vuy at the deadline and squeak in.

Then why did you vote no?

 

[HellasLEAF]

The team has visible flaws without the cap space to address them. We make playoffs but hard to be confident right now much past that.

 

[Stephen]

Next offseason will be a time for tough philosophical changes.

Good thing we have a top 10 protected pick just in case.

 

[7even]

Yes. I'm generally unimpressed by the team too, but our schedule is objectively garbage this month, both in terms of # of elite teams we play and # of back to backs. We'll bank a lot of soft points in later months.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Dermott is not a key player. Tavares has only been out for two games.

Dermott is a top 4 defenseman so what would you call that?

 

[Stephen]

Yes. I'm generally unimpressed by the team too, but our schedule is objectively garbage this month, both in terms of # of elite teams we play and # of back to backs. We'll bank a lot of soft points in later months.

Hopefully this is true, but the Leafs also don't seem to have a great February-April gear either. So bleeding October points isn't the answer.

This team is just constructed so soft and designed to win those ugly 5-4 track meets. After the Kessel era, this is very hard to enjoy.

 

[Stamkos4life]

This team has to much talent and to much money tied up to miss the playoffs. Freddie tends to have bad starts to the season it seems like. Otherwise hes a great goalie imo.

Also dermott's and hyman's return should help by bumping players down, giving us better depth.

Now will we get out of the first round this year? If we are playing boston or tampa, which is entirely possible, I dont like our chances.

 

[PromisedLand]

question is not that will the leafs make the playoffs; right question is will the Leafs move past the first round

as much as a absolutely dislike babcock's strategies; I dislike dubas as a GM more than babcock as a coach.

And for the mess I blame Shanahan

 

[Swedish Gretzky]

yes

 

[Buds17]

Dermott is not a key player. Tavares has only been out for two games.

Dermott, Hyman (and Tavares) returning will bump a defenceman and two forwards from the current lineup. Those two games without Tavares also represent 20% of the team's season thus far!

In all seriousness, teams eventually run into injuries. They're still in a playoff spot at this early juncture.

 

[hfman]

question is not that will the leafs make the playoffs; right question is will the Leafs move past the first round

as much as a absolutely dislike babcock's strategies; I dislike dubas as a GM more than babcock as a coach.

And for the mess I blame Shanahan

that's a hat trick right there

dislike babcock
dislike dubas
blame shanahan

looks like someone wants this management regime completely gone

 

[TorontoTrades]

October 21st, 2019.

 

[joe dirte]

Nope. Def not.

Also, tampa will finish dead last. No sniff of the playoffs.

 

[Leafs87]

Not time to overreact yet. However never mind the points. The team does not look great . Not how I would of expected them to look anyways. They definitely aren’t separating themselves by any means in the early goings

 

[hfman]

face it.

the team is off to a garbage start

something is wrong with them right now

 

[biotk]

The team kind of looks almost like a mirror image of last season when they got off to a great start with an unsustainable PDO and great PP conversion (kind of like the Oilers this year, who I expect to regress massively soon). I expect a very strong second half this season for the Leafs.....but on the other hand this team could also just fall apart.

 

[rojac]

The only reason I can see for voting in this poll is so you can say “I told you so” in April which just seems kind of petty.

 

[Dave92]

Leafs have been a .500 club for a long time now and play like they expect to lose. They'll probably make the playoffs and accomplish nothing. But soon everybody will come around to what an absolute disaster Kyle Dubas has been for the organization. Not just the brutal contracts, but the culture. We've all seen what happens when this team has weak leadership and the inmates start running the asylum, this wimp had Nylander sit out half the season, overpaid him and then promised he wouldn't trade him lmao.

 

[ponder]

We should make the playoffs pretty easily, unless injuries hit REALLY bad. But I think we lose in the first round yet again.

The team seems very similar to the teams that lost in the first round the past 3 years. Tonnes of skill, but very soft, get outworked constantly, hemmed into our own end too often, and suffer regular defensive breakdowns. We’re the polar opposite of “built for the playoffs.” I really hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.

The easiest thing to change is the coach, and sometimes that can have a major impact. Worth starting the search quietly, and pouncing on a new coach by ~mid season. If the team makes it past the 1st round, great! If not, fire Dubas at the start of the offseason, and bring in a GM who will actually try to improve our toughness, hustle and defensive play.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

We should make the playoffs pretty easily, unless injuries hit REALLY bad. But I think we lose in the first round yet again.

The team seems very similar to the teams that lost in the first round the past 3 years. Tonnes of skill, but very soft, get outworked constantly, hemmed into our own end too often, and suffer regular defensive breakdowns. We’re the polar opposite of “built for the playoffs.” I really hope I’m wrong, but I doubt it.

The easiest thing to change is the coach, and sometimes that can have a major impact. Worth starting the search quietly, and pouncing on a new coach by ~mid season. If the team makes it past the 1st round, great! If not, fire Dubas at the start of the offseason, and bring in a GM who will actually try to improve our toughness, hustle and defensive play.

He brought in Muzzin, Barrie, Ceci, Gravel to help defensive play.

He brought in Mikheyev, Timashov, Moore, Shore, and our bottom-6 has been fantastic.

The issue is we've been unlucky thus far. Poor on-ice sh% and poor sv% from our goaltenders. Stats indicate Tavares/Marner/Matthews are underproducing at 5v5 and are due for a climb sometime soon (I.e they're cold right now at 5v5). Yet we've still done this good so far. Just imagine how we're good going to be when our oish% and PDO returns to normal!

We're more than fine. Just you wait lol.

 

[ponder]

He brought in Muzzin, Barrie, Ceci, Gravel to help defensive play.

He brought in Mikheyev, Timashov, Moore, Shore, and our bottom-6 has been fantastic.

The issue is we've been unlucky thus far. Poor on-ice sh% and poor sv% from our goaltenders. Stats indicate Tavares/Marner/Matthews are underproducing at 5v5 and are due for a climb sometime soon (I.e they're cold right now at 5v5). Yet we've still done this good so far. Just imagine how we're good going to be when our oish% and PDO returns to normal!

We're more than fine. Just you wait lol.

I’m not concerned about the regular season, we’ll pick it up and do well. I’m definitely concerned about the playoffs, though. Playoff hockey is more physical, more intense, the refs let a tonne go and skill means less unless it’s paired with grit, hustle and toughness.

We’re very likely to play one of Boston or Tampa in the first round (don’t see Buffalo or Montreal maintaining their hot stars). Will we beat either Boston or Tampa in a 7 game series? I suspect not.