Your 18/19 Hot Take

[PromisedLand]

Matthews wins hart, rocket, smythe

 

[Mess]

Neither Matthews nor Marner agree to their long-term extensions this year and do so next summer instead after both record >= 80 points.

Nylander ends up with only a bridge deal. Results in being dealt for Colton Parayko before the 2019 season begins.

Leafs lead the NHL in goals scored but finish no better than 15th in goals against.

 

[Menzinger]

Winnipeg and Nashville are tough teams now? Those must be some metrics that make Shiefele, Ehlers, Laine, Ellis, Arvidsson, and Turris tough players lol.

Lack of pushback ability? Did we not watch the Leafs go down 3-1 in a series and then battle back to game 7? Did our "figure skater" in Marner not score nine points in seven games? Did Kadri not get suspended for three games for a hit he threw in direct response to one on Marner? The Leafs are never going to be a tough team, but I honestly have no idea what you're basing your definitions of tough and "hard to play against" on. The only thing you're really correct and consistent about is that the Caps were a tough team this year.

And because it needed to be posted again:

Good post.

And yeah, it’s funny how super skilled teams like Tampa/Winnipeg/Preds are getting projected by some as being a “tough” team. I’m not exactly following that logic myself

 

[Daisy Jane]

Good post.

And yeah, it’s funny how super skilled teams like Tampa/Winnipeg/Preds are getting projected by some as being a “tough” team. I’m not exactly following that logic myself

minus tampa - i'd say that NSH and WPG are tougher than we are.
but i mean - overall? nah

 

[AustonMarner]

Connor Brown gets traded at the Trade Deadline for a defensive upgrade of some sort.

I made a similar prediction in an earlier post regarding Brown. lol
We'll see

 

[AustonMarner]

My hot take:

Matthews wins the Rocket Richard trophy this year. boo-yah.

How many goals take the rocket though? My guess is he'll pot 49.

 

[weems]

I dont necessarily think its the "toughness" that we need to upgrade but moreso the intensity we play with.
Just take JVR vs Johnsson for example. One guy is a giant in comparison to the other but one plays a really soft game where the much smaller player plays with more intensity and jam.
JVR and Bozak were two offensively skilled players but played with little intensity and werent willing to do the small things and sacrifice their body on a regular basis and thats awful when talking about two of your longest serving vets.

We need to up the intensity level and infuse more guys who are willing to commit to playing all 3 zones and do the little unsexy things that lead to bigger overall team gains.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Leafs lead the NHL in goals scored but finish no better than 15th in goals against.

Why expect them to be worse defensively than last year?

Please don't say Polak.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Why expect them to be worse defensively than last year?

Please don't say Polak.

They aren't tough enough, Joey, obviously.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

1 more if Nylander dissappears in game 1 next year against Boston in playoffs he will not dress for game 2. i think he already knows this but maybe for the fans it may be a shocker when if happens. that said i hope he plays amazing we need him to show up next year.

 

[Polaris1010]

1 more if Nylander dissappears in game 1 next year against Boston in playoffs he will not dress for game 2. i think he already knows this but maybe for the fans it may be a shocker when if happens. that said i hope he plays amazing we need him to show up next year.

The worst thing about that, was the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins tried to beat up Marner. They tried to pound the crap out of him any and every chance they got.

Nylander? No one bothered on the Bruins to lay a finger on him.

He wasn't worth it. He was a non-factor. The Bruins were right.

The people most shocked was probably Toronto management.

Of course, Nylander should be given another chance. I am very surprised they signed that new guy. It's like Dubas gave up on him playing center just from that one series.

 

[hector morrison]

Dressing a bunch of figure skaters is only going to get you so far. IMO

Eventually, particularly in playoff hockey where the games get tighter and more physical and intense the Leafs will be bringing a knife to a gun fight and outmatched.

I think lack of push back ability and backbone will make the soft, small, skilled & fast Leafs easy to play against, if you can enforce your will on the team physically and they have no response.

Nobody questions the Leafs talent and offensive ability being among the best in the league, but their alkalies kneel of vulnerability is their lack of team toughness and their defense core and opposition will exploit that weakness to their gain.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going" and its teams like Winnipeg and Smashville and Washington who were built for playoff hockey, had success in the final 4 because in a skating league they held the advantage of team toughness to neutralize teams built for just speed or skill alone.

I agree generally in what your saying here. I have to admit,I was a bit surprised at how well most of the Leafs fought through the rough go in the Boston series. So,they seem to be able to take it ,which is a big part of playoff hockey.Retaliation usually has a reverse effect.
I would n't mind seeing the opposition have to suck it up and adjust their game to the Leafs,but they don't have that kind of personnel !
Gonna have to score a lot of goals and make the PP the most feared in the league!

 

[IPS]

Winnipeg and Nashville are tough teams now? Those must be some metrics that make Shiefele, Ehlers, Laine, Ellis, Arvidsson, and Turris tough players lol.

Lack of pushback ability? Did we not watch the Leafs go down 3-1 in a series and then battle back to game 7? Did our "figure skater" in Marner not score nine points in seven games? Did Kadri not get suspended for three games for a hit he threw in direct response to one on Marner? The Leafs are never going to be a tough team, but I honestly have no idea what you're basing your definitions of tough and "hard to play against" on. The only thing you're really correct and consistent about is that the Caps were a tough team this year.

And because it needed to be posted again:

The Caps and their "tough team" unfortunately know all too much about going against teams that are faster and more finesse. Hence why they've been eliminated by them in the 2nd round for 10 years before they finally won one.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

My take: I hope Mike Babcock stop trying to impress everyone with his coaching and lineup match ups. It just distracts the players from playing as players are more concerned about racing to the bench for a line change.
It certainly cost the Leafs game 7 when for some reason he didn't have a centre on the ice on a 4 on 4 situation, Leafs lose the defensive draw, Krug ties the game. (yea the Leafs might have lost anyway) but the Leafs were deflated after that.
If a coach can figure out when to sit Gardiner when he having a bone head game, it would help considerable.
I'm optimistic about the Leafs young Dmen prospects in future, but Leafs can't afford injuries to the top 7 Dmen (whoever they are) this season.

 

[Morbo]

Neither Matthews nor Marner agree to their long-term extensions this year and do so next summer instead after both record >= 80 points.

Nylander ends up with only a bridge deal. Results in being dealt for Colton Parayko before the 2019 season begins.

Leafs lead the NHL in goals scored but finish no better than 15th in goals against.

It's the literal hot takes thread, and these are essentially all the things you've been arguing for or about for the last several months.

 

[Morbo]

Marner produced fine and is the size of a 7th grader. Being big and tough was not our problem against the Bruins.

I mean...really obviously.

Then of course the Bruins were beaten in 5 by the big rough tough Tampa bay lightning, who are known primarily for their grit.

 

[Ratboy]

Trade gardiner for anything.

Insert borgman or rosen. Profit.

 

[Mess]

Why expect them to be worse defensively than last year?

Please don't say Polak.

Leafs gave up 28 goals against in 7 games in the 2017-18 playoffs = 4.0 GA/g.

The expansion Vegas Knights gave up only 27 GA total after 3 rounds & wins on their way to the SCF.

I didn't see anything done this offseason to address that so I suspect it will remain an issue this season.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Leafs gave up 28 goals against in 7 games in the 2017-18 playoffs = 4.0 GA/g.

The expansion Vegas Knights gave up only 27 GA total after 3 rounds & wins on their way to the SCF.

I didn't see anything done this offseason to address that so I suspect it will remain an issue this season.

they have Fleury.
considering the way he can melt down (and has), that's not something i'd feel all confident in if i were a VGK fan.

It doesn't "have" to be an issue. all Andersen has to do is play to his capabilities. he didn't.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Trade gardiner for anything.

Insert borgman or rosen. Profit.

Moving out a good #3 NHL defenseman for an AHLer is a downgrade

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Moving out a good #3 NHL defenseman for an AHLer is a downgrade

Are we moving on of those? We're talking about Gardiner here.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Are we moving on of those? We're talking about Gardiner here.

How many defensemen can get 52 points without being good at hockey?

 

[slozo]

How many goals take the rocket though? My guess is he'll pot 49.

I'll say 53 takes the trophy this year.
Laine, McDavid and Seguin will be the chasers.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

How many defensemen can get 52 points without being good at hockey?

POINTS POINTS POINTS POINTS! I'm tired of this crap. Since you stats geeks are so convinced about your stats, I'm going to make a new one up so we can track Gardiner's play. it's called AHNMP/60. Avoidance of Hits Needed to Make Plays/60. Should be easy to track. And it'll be a big number.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

POINTS POINTS POINTS POINTS! I'm tired of this crap. Since you stats geeks are so convinced about your stats, I'm going to make a new one up so we can track Gardiner's play. it's called AHNMP/60. Avoidance of Hits Needed to Make Plays/60. Should be easy to track. And it'll be a big number.

that sounds tough to track.
Josi
Pietrangelo
Yandle
Barrie
Jones
Krug
Subban
Doughty
Karlsson
Hedman
Gostisbehere
Klingberg
Burns
Carlson

here's all the defensemen who outscored Gardiner last year. Which one of them is not at least a good #3, let alone inferior to AHLers ?