Would you sell the farm for McDavid...

[ldnk]

Those players are nothing compared to McDavid. His current pace would be the best draft year junior season in over three decades.

I think we need to be a little careful with this line of thinking. Based on age/size, sure, McDavid's doing something heroic, but with the exceptional player status, he's also considerably more mature at handling the OHL game. This is his 3rd season and McDavid's a guy who's physically more mature than a lot of other kids his age. I wouldn't put that much difference between McDavid's 3rd OHL season and say Rob Schremp's 3rd OHL season (57G 88A 145P in 57GP). I would certainly still give McDavid a big edge based on age, but that in-game experience counts for a lot in terms of development in the OHL.

I think a big part of looking at season numbers though is looking at where they sit at the end of the season too. Sure, he's scoring like mad now, but scoring pace can drop off. I'm pretty sure Crosby has been putting up stupidly large numbers in the past and then had his pace slow down closer to PPG status at the NHL level. It will happen with the OHL and McDavid too.

Obviously McDavid has franchise player written all over him but I'm not going to be so quick to label anyone as a top 5 player in the game level player until they step foot in the NHL. He has the body type and the skills to do it, but he needs to do it outside of the NHL.

 

[The Caveman]

Funny how the most successful team over the last 3 years, have managed to win 2 cups with only a single #2 draft pick. Doughty is great, but he is on par with Sutur, Weber and other top D.. But those teams haven't won a cup.. wonder why?

 

[Durrr]

Funny how the most successful team over the last 3 years, have managed to win 2 cups with only a single #2 draft pick. Doughty is great, but he is on par with Sutur, Weber and other top D.. But those teams haven't won a cup.. wonder why?

Cause LA is a more attractive market?

 

[The Legend]

I'll start with D...because every team needs that stud #1 D...obviously the list is personal

Weber..49th
Sutur..7th
Doughty..2nd
Subban..43rd
Karlson..15th
Chara..56th
Petriangelo...4th
Kieth..54th
OEL..6th
McDonnaugh..12th

This list is not based on potential, because that is an unknown..

so 1 top 3
2 top 5
and whole lot of later picks/./

That seems awfully selective to start with only D, especially since the best on that list (Doughty) was drafted 2nd overall.

 

[The Legend]

Funny how the most successful team over the last 3 years, have managed to win 2 cups with only a single #2 draft pick. Doughty is great, but he is on par with Sutur, Weber and other top D.. But those teams haven't won a cup.. wonder why?

I think you're sort of proving our point here. The Leafs only need one high pick (and one generational talent) and then they can fill in the rest of the team with players from FA, trades, etc.

 

[Ciao]

Very simple. I would and not even think about it.

I think we keep JVR, Kessel and Reilly. Possibly trade everyone else. Bring up the Marlies.

Almost guarantees us either Macdavid or Eichel.

Then, as the lottery gets closer and the trade deadline arrives, we move a bunch of players and picks to the second and third worst teams. Sure, we sacrifice a bunch of picks and players such as Kadri, Gards, etc, but the reward would be insane.

Eichel will be a franchise player that you can build around and Macdavid will be a generational talent that shows up every 10 years.

So would you try to do this if you were the GM.

Our core now would be JVR, Kessel, Reilly, Nylander, Macdavid, Eichel and possibly the 3rd which is likely also a franchise player. Plug the holes around them to round out the team.

Fact is, we do have the assets to pull something like this off. By giving the Marlies a big opportunity, we would be able to see who is worth keeping to fill in the holes around that kick a$$ core.

Sit back and enjoy the ride to the promise land.

Who would do this?

No.

I dream about drafting McDavid, signing Basbcock and then landing Stamkos as a free agent. There's no combination of players under contract I wouldn't trade for McDavid. But I would never tank for a chance to draft him. Much too risky.

 

[thewave]

D are a crapshoot. Slow to hit the peak and not always are the highest picked D the best. For all we know Finn could have something click and be better than Rielly.

 

[Trapper]

I think you're sort of proving our point here. The Leafs only need one high pick (and one generational talent) and then they can fill in the rest of the team with players from FA, trades, etc.

Exactly. We need that 1 high end/elite pick center pick.

 

[thewave]

Exactly. We need that 1 high end/elite pick center pick.

Nylander is 30/40/30 Elite or 1C or 2C

I think that's even being conservative.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

would never sell a farm for any elite player. Crosby and Malkin together have 2 SCF appearances with only one championship since they are in NHL.

One player does not win the cup. And its all about The CUP

 

[hoglund]

Just because something doesn't work 100% of the time, doesn't mean it's not the right play.

This is a bit of a homework assignment, so I'll give you time, but go ahead and list the top 10 players in the NHL (or even the top 20). You'll notice that they correlate pretty highly with high draft picks.

I guarantee if the Leafs traded the farm for McDavid and he turned out to be a bust, the media and fans would say "what were the Leafs thinking??" they're in a no win situation, the media and fans are too irrational to accept a bust.

 

[pooleboy]

would never sell a farm for any elite player. Crosby and Malkin together have 2 SCF appearances with only one championship since they are in NHL.

One player does not win the cup. And its all about The CUP

They have won a cup? When was the last time the leafs won the cup? So therefore tanking n getting picks like pitsburgh is more successful than what the leafs have done + leafs havnt made the scf since when?

 

[hotpaws]

I guarantee if the Leafs traded the farm for McDavid and he turned out to be a bust, the media and fans would say "what were the Leafs thinking??" they're in a no win situation, the media and fans are too irrational to accept a bust.

McDavid's going to be a stud where ever he goes , once you reach at least your teens you'll be better able to judge elite talent

 

[Eb]

They have won a cup? When was the last time the leafs won the cup? So therefore tanking n getting picks like pitsburgh is more successful than what the leafs have done + leafs havnt made the scf since when?

I love how you love praising Burke but a lot of your logic goes against his. Case and point, the video above.

 

[The Caveman]

I think you're sort of proving our point here. The Leafs only need one high pick (and one generational talent) and then they can fill in the rest of the team with players from FA, trades, etc.

Not really - take off the unicorn hunting glasses. If you look at it in context of the other post concerning top ten 10 D in the league, you will see plenty of other elite defencemen, many drafted far down from 1-3. And while I will give that Doughty is elite, he is not a generational talent. But somehow, the Kings have managed to win 2 cups in the last 3 years without top end picks.

Boston has won, Detroit has won. Anaheim has won. My point is that there are other ways to achieve elite status as a team that doesn't require a McDavid/Eichel type player.

If you take the elite goalie/elite 1D/elite 1C paradigm, then the Leafs might already have two of those three components in Bernier and Reilly.

And for that mysterious 1C, if we want to look at who were those centers on all the cup winning teams over the last 10 years, you will find as many non 1-3 draft picks as those who were drafted that high.

 

[Breakingbad28]

if you finish last you still only have 20% of getting the first pick....

 

[one77]

No. I think we should wait until Rielly and Nylander hit full stride which is coming sooner than everybody expects. Rielly just needs to be trusted and given #1 minutes, and Nylander is coming to take over next year.

Bernier, Bibeau
Rielly, Phaneuf, Percy, Gardiner, Polak
Kessel, JVR, Lupul, Komarov, Brown, Leivo, Johnson
Nylander, Kadri, Bozak, Gauthier, Santorelli

We should be okay moving forward with this. Not taking into consideration trades, drafts and signings.

 

[Faltorvo]

Not really - take off the unicorn hunting glasses. If you look at it in context of the other post concerning top ten 10 D in the league, you will see plenty of other elite defencemen, many drafted far down from 1-3. And while I will give that Doughty is elite, he is not a generational talent. But somehow, the Kings have managed to win 2 cups in the last 3 years without top end picks.

Boston has won, Detroit has won. Anaheim has won. My point is that there are other ways to achieve elite status as a team that doesn't require a McDavid/Eichel type player.

If you take the elite goalie/elite 1D/elite 1C paradigm, then the Leafs might already have two of those three components in Bernier and Reilly.

And for that mysterious 1C, if we want to look at who were those centers on all the cup winning teams over the last 10 years, you will find as many non 1-3 draft picks as those who were drafted that high.

WOWZ!! talk about somebody with unicorn glasses on

You list teams like det,bost,Anah as fine examples of how it's done

Hoping that we draft like those big boys, now that's unicorn glasses.

I'll stick to what is a historical and proven fact, the highest % of elite talent, is found high in the draft.

I'll be the first one out of "tank nation" when they have shown that have drafted like the big boys. Till then, i'll stick with the higher % odds TYVM.

 

[The Legend]

I guarantee if the Leafs traded the farm for McDavid and he turned out to be a bust, the media and fans would say "what were the Leafs thinking??" they're in a no win situation, the media and fans are too irrational to accept a bust.

I agree the fans/media would say that, but that still wouldn't make the decision a wrong one. Process over results my friend...

 

[The Legend]

would never sell a farm for any elite player. Crosby and Malkin together have 2 SCF appearances with only one championship since they are in NHL.

One player does not win the cup. And its all about The CUP

Doesn't make it the wrong approach..find me one stanley cup winner in the cap era who didn't have a high pick.

 

[The Legend]

Boston has won, Detroit has won. Anaheim has won. My point is that there are other ways to achieve elite status as a team that doesn't require a McDavid/Eichel type player.

Boston won with Seguin. Detroit won with a core that was built before the cap. Anaheim won with Ryan, as well as Pronger (who was traded for some pretty high picks including Smid).

Let's also examine Los Angeles (with Doughty), Carolina (with Staal), Chicago (with Toews and Kane), Pittsburgh (with Malkin, Crosby, Fleury and Staal)...

 

[The Legend]

if you finish last you still only have 20% of getting the first pick....

But a 100% chance of drafting first or second...

 

[ChickenMcNugget]

I'm sorry which high draft pick did detroit win with?

Also Boston and Anaheim won on the backs of Seguin and Ryan. LOL sure..

 

[91Kadri91*]

if you finish last you still only have 20% of getting the first pick....

And a 100% chance of getting a generational prospect (McDavid or Eichel).

 

[Faltorvo]

I'm sorry which high draft pick did detroit win with?

Also Boston and Anaheim won on the backs of Seguin and Ryan. LOL sure..

I'm sorry when have we ever drafted as well as boston, Anaheim and Detroit?