2020-21 Maple Leafs Thread

[maurice93]

And congrats to maurice93 for winning the most subtle but effective Leaf's GM put down of this thread award.

Hmmm... wasn’t meant to be a putdown . Just informing Leafs fan of recent news of their player and management alumni.

It’s not like I mentioned that Lou has won 5 series the last 3 years and Dubas has won none. That would have been a putdown. But I chose not to go there.

 

[northofsixty]

Hmmm... wasn’t meant to be a putdown . Just informing Leafs fan of recent news of their player and management alumni.

It’s not like I mentioned that Lou has won 5 series the last 3 years and Dubas has won none. That would have been a putdown. But I chose not to go there.

How kind and considerate of you and my sincere apologies for imputing a negative connotation to what was after all just a statement of fact.
But then again Hab's fans are truly a kinder and gentler sort (a thousand points of light after all)

 

[glamphotographer]

Depending on the off-season moves this summer (if Dubas can make miracles happen), I don't see the Leafs making the playoffs next season. My top 4 teams in the Atlantic division will be Tampa, Boston, Florida, and Montreal.

 

[chuckertmg]

Depending on the off-season moves this summer (if Dubas can make miracles happen), I don't see the Leafs making the playoffs next season. My top 4 teams in the Atlantic division will be Tampa, Boston, Florida, and Montreal.

I'd agree. And with the quality in the Eastern Division the competition for wild card spots will be fierce.

 

[saxon]

Depending on the off-season moves this summer (if Dubas can make miracles happen), I don't see the Leafs making the playoffs next season. My top 4 teams in the Atlantic division will be Tampa, Boston, Florida, and Montreal.

Ottawa will be much improved, Buffalo is a total train wreck.

 

[smuddan]

Depending on the off-season moves this summer (if Dubas can make miracles happen), I don't see the Leafs making the playoffs next season. My top 4 teams in the Atlantic division will be Tampa, Boston, Florida, and Montreal.

‘I don’t think it’s so much that Dubas has to do miracles. He has had the core pieces handed to but has yet to be able to apply the finishing touches. Hockey is more a team game that any other major team sports and Montreal is a prime example.

Having one or two great players doesn’t give you the same advantage like in basketball. Many great players had to wait years before they could get a taste of championship and the main reason imo was not because they got better or more experienced, but rather it was because they needed that supporting cast to win as a team.

 

[superstar_88]

Talk about lack of perspective. Leafs finished 1st in the Division. They had 2 match points. Playing without an injured 11 million Tavares since the first game. An injured Foligno who did nothing and an injured Muzzin for game 7. They also played without their number 1 goalie for most of the season and their backup for the whole playoffs. They lost yes but the margin was 2 OT goals. 2 OT goals makes Leafs a piece of shit? Can't believe some don't know that 5 teams in 1 Division can make the playoffs.

 

[shack]

They lost yes but the margin was 2 OT goals. 2 OT goals makes Leafs a piece of shit?

Vegas is clearly a bigger piece of shit team. Montreal beat them easier than they did the Leafs. They don't have the heart and character needed. Time for them to tear it all down starting with the coach and GM.

 

[smuddan]

Talk about lack of perspective. Leafs finished 1st in the Division. They had 2 match points. Playing without an injured 11 million Tavares since the first game. An injured Foligno who did nothing and an injured Muzzin for game 7. They also played without their number 1 goalie for most of the season and their backup for the whole playoffs. They lost yes but the margin was 2 OT goals. 2 OT goals makes Leafs a piece of shit? Can't believe some don't know that 5 teams in 1 Division can make the playoffs.

“Piece of shit” ? Who else except you that said it ? You’re really full of perspectives.

 

[tribunus]

Vegas is clearly a bigger piece of shit team. Montreal beat them easier than they did the Leafs. They don't have the heart and character needed. Time for them to tear it all down starting with the coach and GM.

Vegas was an absolute fraud, a paper tiger. They feasted on Anaheim, LA & SJ all year and squeaked by Colorado (how I don't know).

Still can't believe these fuckers from Montreal are in the finals. Fuck grit. Price, plus Leaf injuries, a lucky bounce and a poke check in round 1 and these no name clowns in the finals.

 

[glamphotographer]

Leafs would be a wild card at best next season. But again let's see what Dubas can do in the off-season, who knows maybe he will win the Jim Gregory award.

 

[glamphotographer]

‘I don’t think it’s so much that Dubas has to do miracles. He has had the core pieces handed to but has yet to be able to apply the finishing touches. Hockey is more a team game that any other major team sports and Montreal is a prime example.

Having one or two great players doesn’t give you the same advantage like in basketball. Many great players had to wait years before they could get a taste of championship and the main reason imo was not because they got better or more experienced, but rather it was because they needed that supporting cast to win as a team.

It could be that Matthews and Marner reach 30 before they get that taste. Look how long it took for Price (35). Looking back this past season, it was fun to watch, the Leafs rolled through the North division, they scored, the PP was great early on, they swept the Oilers in Edmonton, the Jets even called the Leafs a dirty team, Jack Campbell won 11 straight of his starts.

 

[Darts]

Depending on the off-season moves this summer (if Dubas can make miracles happen), I don't see the Leafs making the playoffs next season. My top 4 teams in the Atlantic division will be Tampa, Boston, Florida, and Montreal.

Without trading either Marner or Nylander, the Leafs will very likely lose Hyman. Getting rid of Kertfoot will not be enough and there’s also the need of cap if they want to upgrade the depth.

It’ll be either Andersen or Rittich I believe. It‘ll depend on what offers Andersen can get in the open market nut I‘d think Campbell will be the no.1 goalie and Rittich will be the cheaper backup.

Sorry to disappoint you, but IMO Rielly is not the stud d man of a championship caliber team. He wasn’t the worst Leafs in the playoffs but I thought he regressed over the season and wasn’t impactful enough in the playoff. His strength is skating with the puck but his defence, lack of a power shot and as a quarterback of the pp are his weaknesses. He‘s of good value with his existing contract and he’ll probably play his heart out next season as this’ll be his contract year, but the Leafs may be wise to move on from him if he decides to test the free agency market.

The performance of the Canadiens from hereon-in will have an impact on how management and the cheerleaders view this team’s chances next season. If the Canadiens can upset the Golden Knights, or even make a close series out of it, they’ll believe that the Leafs are close enough to stay course and no major changes are needed. They’ll probably cite the injuries to Tavares and Muzzin as excuses and totally ignore how the rest of the core choked, just as they did the past three seasons.

I have always been of the opinion that having 40+ millions tied up on 4 forwards won’t work. They need to spread the wealth over to defence and depth on goal and forwards. They need more team players like Hyman. I still believe in Marner but won’t be terribly disappointed if he’s traded for the right kind of players, but the better decision will be the trading of Nylander to keep Hyman and add depth elsewhere.

Two rational objective posts by two Leaf fans.

I stopped drinking the kool aid in September 2019 and even started a thread titled "Will Leafs Make the Playoffs".

I believed the hype when
1)The Leafs signed Babcock
2) When they signed Tavares
3) When the caved and signed RFA Nylander
4) When they signed RFA Matthews for a king's ransom

I stopped drinking the kool aid when they signed RFA Marner for almost $11mm in September 2019. In the 3 years since the Tavares signing --- the leafs missed the playoffs once and got punched out twice in round one.

 

[maurice93]

I think the risk of Toronto missing the playoffs is extremely low next year. Toronto is an established strong regular season team.

Of the 8 teams in the Atlantic, two are essentially done before the season starts — Buffalo and Detroit.

Ottawa is a tough one to call, but getting to the playoffs is a big step for them that might be more of a 2023 possibility.

Florida had a huge unexpected jump in this strange 56 game season. They fit the profile of a team that sometimes takes a bit of a step

Montreal should be better, but with young pieces improving there are old pieces stagnating or declining. They are not a better regular season team than Toronto

At some point Boston is going to regress a bit. Maybe it’s next year. I am not calling it however.

 

[Darts]

I think the risk of Toronto missing the playoffs is extremely low next year. Toronto is an established strong regular season team.

Of the 8 teams in the Atlantic, two are essentially done before the season starts — Buffalo and Detroit.

Good analysis as usual from someone who is knowledgeable about hockey.

It's way too early to call what might happen next season. Will Hyman re-sign? Will Andersen be gone? Will the draft bring any prospects? Will Rielly be extended? What becomes of Sundin and Robertson?

Back in September 2019, I asked the question "Will Leafs Make the Playoffs" (they did not) and the 3 Amigos went berserk. BTW: That thread is still around.

 

[chuckertmg]

Good analysis as usual from someone who is knowledgeable about hockey.

It's way too early to call what might happen next season.

Nostradamus time:

It's almost July so I predict we are two months away from the Toronto "sports writer" fan boys hailing the Leafs as Stanley Cup Favourites from October to December - for the 4th consecutive year.... again.

Other teams will get their act together by Christmas and the Leafs will fall to a .500 hockey team through January to April 2022... again.

It will be blamed on injuries, the other teams getting "lucky bounces" and "if Tavares hadn't hit the post on that shot the game could have turned out entirely differently." Again.

They'll bow out in the first round and it will be attributed to the next version of: (pick one)

1. We only lost 'cause the other team got lucky... again.
2. We only lost 'cause Andersen choked
3. We only lost 'cause Kadri got suspended
4. We only lost 'cause Gardiner sucks
5. (my personal favourite): If that one referee in 1994 had made that one high sticking call then we would have won the cup that year and that would have changed the course of the franchise and we'd have won 28 Stanley Cups in the last 26 years.
It's true, I read a book about it.... it was that one referee missing that one call in '94! Otherwise we'd have won!

 

[superstar_88]

Dallas made the finals last year and this year they missed the playoffs. Montreal could easily miss the playoffs next year. They were 24th last year after all and this year they were 18th. Toronto will most likely make the playoffs again next year and lose in the first round ... in 7 games

In the regular season you're playing all teams. The good, the bad, and the ugly. On average you're playing a middling team. Half the teams make the playoffs so one just has to be in the better half. Montreal astoundingly made the playoffs back to back years in the bottom half. That has gotta be a record.

 

[John Wick]

Dallas made the finals last year and this year they missed the playoffs.

A little context goes a long way. Dallas, at one point in January, had 17 players test positive for COVID at the same time and all were sidelined multiple weeks. The team was essentially shut down completely. Pretty hard for any team to recover from that to make the playoffs in a cardio-centric sport like hockey.

 

[maurice93]

Montreal astoundingly made the playoffs back to back years in the bottom half. That has gotta be a record.

Apparently you did not follow the Norris Division in the 1980s.

 

[saxon]

Simmons returning on a 2 year contract for $1.8 million.