Leafs 2023-2024 Thread
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I used them as an example because they have had more success in their first 5 years in the league than Toronto has since 1967. Okay Tampa Bay has done it. So have the Blackhawks and Kings. Both of those teams have one 3 Stanley Cups in recent memory. They've drafted well but also developed players and didn't make over the top free agent signings. loos the the Leafs history and you'd see how they have badly overpaid players and given out no trade clauses to role players.
He's Pittsburgh's problem now. At least JFJ had some experience working in the NHL being head of scouting for the Blues prior to becoming Leafs GM. Dubas was the GM of an OHL team. Why was he hired to begin with. He's pretty much that pretty women every guy wants until they date her. I think Lou wanted out and if that was the case I can clearly see why.
This is how I explained it to you and yet you read it as something completely different.
My point was you had no point. Plenty of teams with no success who don't have 10 plus million players.
I have a point. And my point is that the Leafs don't know what the fuck they are doing. As usual you can't understand my comments even though I explained them to you very well.
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Pittsburgh won a cup with a no name defense when Letang was injured. They had Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Ron Hainsay on D. 31 teams each year don't win the cup. Half don't make the playoffs.
Edmonton has only 1 player making over 10 million and guess what McD no cup
Bottom line is to win a cup you need everything. Ideally no holes or weaknesses. In the cap era you need value for your money. Nylander at under 7 million is clearly great value. Matthews I would say is also good value since he is the best goal scorer right now. Marner? Probably over-paid but perhaps by a million or two. Tavares is the one player that is way over-paid for what he's bringing right now.
Most recent Conn Smythe winners:
Marchessault
Maker
Vasilevsky
Hedman
O'Rielly
Ovi
Crosby
Leafs supposed strength is in the forward group so one or more of Matthews/Marner/Nylander will need to play at a Conn Smythe worthy pace in order for Leafs to win a cup. Whether they have it in them we have not seen it yet.
Pittsburgh the year they won the cup Matt Murray had a .937 save percentage and a 1.70 GAA in the playoffs.
Just so happens Leafs have the same Matt Murray on the team and available for the playoffs.
Letang was also their best offensive defenseman and Leafs D played great without Rielly ... hmmmm
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Sad loss by the Leafs to the Hurricanes in OT shootout. The Leafs was leading in period 2 and they were playing and scoring well. Their St.Patrick's jersey was sharp contrast to the
Hurricanes dark jersey. Hurricanes was able to force a tie and OT in the final 2 minutes of the game, to their credit. Sadly the Leafs lost in the OT shootout.
CP
Hurricanes dark jersey. Hurricanes was able to force a tie and OT in the final 2 minutes of the game, to their credit. Sadly the Leafs lost in the OT shootout.
CP
If I was Keefe I would've pulled the goalie on the PP in overtime, give up the point to get two. These last few games are meaningless, the Leafs are locked in 3rd in the Atlantic division, may as well try new things. But also get their own house in order.
I don't think it's the ratings it's how much a city would put up with a losing last place team, I don't think the Las Vegas franchise would have had good support from the locals if they had 10-win last place non-playoff teams...shitty teams is what did the Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Thrashers in.
It's driven by expansion fees, not ratings.
Vegas and Seattle both agreed to pay premium prices for their franchises' with the agreement that the expansion draft would be updated to provide a contender right off the bat.
The Vegas owner paid $500 million; Seattle paid $650 million for the same privilege.
Because it's not "hockey-related revenue" it goes straight into the owners pockets, not the players.
That's why Bettman and the owners approved the new-style expansion draft that produced contenders right away.
By contrast it cost TNE $170 million to bring a team back to Winnipeg 10 years ago.
Minnesota paid $80 million but that was 20 years ago.
So the NHL is rigged, I knew it all along. Canadian teams will never win another cup.
We need a Canadian league with the Stanley Cup as our own to compete for. The NHL can compete for the President's trophy or the Gary Bettman trophy. I'm tired of promoting hockey to certain States that don't have the same passion as Canadians.
And you know this how. The league would be stagnant if they didn't expand to untapped markets. Some of these markets do draw even if you don't think so.I do agree they have too many teams but do you really think Hamilton and Quebec city could support a team and compete with the Maple Leafs and Canadiens financially
Lou wanted out after he was named a special advisor or whatever role shanny put him in once shanny officially dubious GM.
To your question, I’m not sure why dubious was hired to begin with. Only in Toronto does this shit happen. A team that has a fan base willing to do a proper rebuild and they bring in a nobody that has no NHL experience rebuilding a NHL team. Dubas, and Hunter would get into arguments on the draft floor at the table about who to draft.
I wonder why Lou accepted the job with the Leafs if there wasn't any type of agreement to become the GM. My only assumption would be that Shanny preferred Dubas because he didn't want to give him too much control where as Lou would have to get all or nothing. I still have no idea why Shanahan was hired other than being a name and a local Toronto guy. He should be the next to go. As for Mark Hunter goes . Show me a draft pick other than Mitch Marner 4th overall that he has picked that has panned out. In no way would I have given him the job either.
Lou was brought in to mentor Dubas. He was a rookie remember with zippo experience. The plan was always to transition. Lou eluded to it when he was brought in. They probably did it the Leafs way and paid him a boatload of money he could not refuse and the position was the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs after all.
Dubas was considered the next young bright mind of hockey. Colorado wanted him if Lou stayed on. Hence probably why Shanny expedited the transition. Colorado was fortunate they never landed Dubas. Fleeced Dubas instead and acquired Kadri and won a cup with him.
2015 draft Arizona picked Strome 3rd overall. That's Arizona for you. That left Marner and Hanifan. Babcock wanted Hanifan. So Leafs were fortunate in a way to land Marner and fortunate to win the lottery to land Matthews. Also fortunate they didn't listen to Don Cherry and picked Nylander instead of Nick Ritchie. After all this fortune and good drafting mass complaints about the core 4 forwards. Players picked ahead of Nylander ... Bennett, Dal Colle, Virtanen, Haydn Fleury. Interestingly in Nylander's draft year picks 1, 2, and 4 are currently playing in Florida.
Dubas was considered the next young bright mind of hockey. Colorado wanted him if Lou stayed on. Hence probably why Shanny expedited the transition. Colorado was fortunate they never landed Dubas. Fleeced Dubas instead and acquired Kadri and won a cup with him.
2015 draft Arizona picked Strome 3rd overall. That's Arizona for you. That left Marner and Hanifan. Babcock wanted Hanifan. So Leafs were fortunate in a way to land Marner and fortunate to win the lottery to land Matthews. Also fortunate they didn't listen to Don Cherry and picked Nylander instead of Nick Ritchie. After all this fortune and good drafting mass complaints about the core 4 forwards. Players picked ahead of Nylander ... Bennett, Dal Colle, Virtanen, Haydn Fleury. Interestingly in Nylander's draft year picks 1, 2, and 4 are currently playing in Florida.
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