NHL Thread

[canadiansportsjunkie]

Let's keep the puck moving and sneak into the playoffs however I still want to move some pieces for picks, prospects and ideally land a top 4 D man.

 

It's hard not to like the Leafs even my friends who are die hard hab fans have admitted to watching the Leafs.

 

Can't wait to see how these young guys develop. I must admit I wanted our next captain to be Canadian but what can you do. We will break many team rookie records this year.

[burlingtonbandit]

They have a shot to sneak in. The best part of this management is they will not try to lose. They know building a winning attitude is important

 

They tried to lose last year..

[canadiansportsjunkie]

Did they try that hard? Or did the team just suck but played hard and were learning the new gameplan? I don't think that team could have done much better.

[burlingtonbandit]

Did they try that hard? Or did the team just suck but played hard and were learning the new gameplan? I don't think that team could have done much better.

 

Coaching staff treed to win obviously but management tanked.

 

Honestly its a good strategy..

[canadiansportsjunkie]

My buddy just told me after I complained about the Hawks playing another winter classic...that St.Louis actually got to pick the team?

[Jimcanuck]

Said at the beginning of the year Leafs are 50/50 to make the playoffs. But they aren't cup contenders.

 

Need to move JVR, Bozak, Komarov and anyone else over 28 or soon to be UFA for prospects and picks. Ideally land a couple of elite d-man prospects.

[canadiansportsjunkie]

Said at the beginning of the year Leafs are 50/50 to make the playoffs. But they aren't cup contenders.

 

Need to move JVR, Bozak, Komarov and anyone else over 28 or soon to be UFA for prospects and picks. Ideally land a couple of elite d-man prospects.

 

I would shop..

 

JVR - Truly like the player but he is one dimensional. Also can bring the biggest return...

Polak - Move him for a pick again.

Komarov and Bozak - I feel the market is to low on them...I am not sure I would move them if all they can get is a 2nd round pick...maybe one but I like both of them

[JG34]

JvR is probably the player that needs to be traded to get the defenseman the Leafs need. Unfortunate because he's been one of my favourite Leafs for a while.

[Jimcanuck]

I would shop..

 

JVR - Truly like the player but he is one dimensional. Also can bring the biggest return...

Polak - Move him for a pick again.

Komarov and Bozak - I feel the market is to low on them...I am not sure I would move them if all they can get is a 2nd round pick...maybe one but I like both of them

 

JVR is UFA after next season, he will bolt for an American team. Move him ASAP.

 

Bozak can kill penalties, great on faceoffs, and defensively responsible. And puts up some points too. There will be a market for him at the deadline. Maybe a 3rd rounder.

[burlingtonbandit]

Looked up The FA class this year and wow does it ever suck.

[Jimcanuck]

Looked up The FA class this year and wow does it ever suck.

 

The following year Tavares is UFA. Nothing coming out of Brooklyn on negotiations.

[JG34]

The following year Tavares is UFA. Nothing coming out of Brooklyn on negotiations.

 

Brace yourselves, non-Leafs fans. Tavares to Toronto rumours are coming.

[Cyborg]

Lol @ "Elite Dman prospects".

[jaysblue]

Coaching staff treed to win obviously but management tanked.

 

Honestly its a good strategy..

 

They needed to get a top 3 pick in order to draft a franchise player like a Crosby, McDavid, Kane, Stamkos etc. to build around, so I'm glad they tanked last season. They weren't getting anywhere just being a mediocre team in the middle of the pack. It looks like they have an elite young player in Matthews, along with some other solid young pieces like Marner and Nylander and I could go on. The team was brutal anyways so it wasn't worth it to management adding extra pieces that would have helped in the short term.

 

At least there has been a winning culture with the team this season and it definitely benefits Matthews, Marner, Nylander & others. The losing culture on the Oilers for the last 4-5 years never helped Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins etc. Hopefully they don't screw around with McDavid & company now.

[Laika]

Lol @ "Elite Dman prospects".

 

It's mind-boggling that teams continue to fall for the trap of d-men "prospects"

[Jimcanuck]

Lol @ "Elite Dman prospects".

 

What? Leafs already have Neilson doing well with the Marlies and Greenway is having a good year. Both have a chance to develop into elite d-men. Add a couple more with similar upside and chances are one of them will be a top pairing d-man. What's the lol for?

[burlingtonbandit]

They needed to get a top 3 pick in order to draft a franchise player like a Crosby, McDavid, Kane, Stamkos etc. to build around, so I'm glad they tanked last season. They weren't getting anywhere just being a mediocre team in the middle of the pack. It looks like they have an elite young player in Matthews, along with some other solid young pieces like Marner and Nylander and I could go on. The team was brutal anyways so it wasn't worth it to management adding extra pieces that would have helped in the short term.

 

At least there has been a winning culture with the team this season and it definitely benefits Matthews, Marner, Nylander & others. The losing culture on the Oilers for the last 4-5 years never helped Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins etc. Hopefully they don't screw around with McDavid & company now.

 

Yeah tanking is a good strategy. I don't buy into the "winning culture" stuff. Crosby's team was terrible his first year and there are countless other examples of good players being on s*** teams. Once you surround those players with talent and a good coach the team is better.

 

If you aren't motivated enough to win, you shouldn't be in the NHL.

[Krylian]

Tavares to Toronto as a FA is a guarantee. You heard it here first.

 

[John_Havok]

Creating a winning attitude on a young team is important agreed. If you end up like Oilers of the last 4-5 years in always tanking & hoping to land a top draft pick, you'll never win and that will become the culture inside that dressing room. The Leafs are a fun team to watch, so would be nice to see them sneak in.

 

Oilers didn't tank intentionally fir 5 years (arguably 1 or 2), they were just put together by morons that had no idea what they were doing, and the only reason they had jobs was because the owner liked them as players when they were with the Oilers.

 

I'm not an Oilers fan but living in alberta surrounded by their media it's actually very obvious they had no direction from the top when McTavish ran the place.

[jaysblue]

Oilers didn't tank intentionally fir 5 years (arguably 1 or 2), they were just put together by morons that had no idea what they were doing, and the only reason they had jobs was because the owner liked them as players when they were with the Oilers.

 

I'm not an Oilers fan but living in alberta surrounded by their media it's actually very obvious they had no direction from the top when McTavish ran the place.

 

If you live in Alberta and from the sounds of it you probably follow more hockey then me, so thanks for that perspective. Mostly out here from the media or just with casual hockey talk it always sounded like Edmonton was poorly ran and intentionally tanked for all those years (I probably exaggerated on the 4-5 year thing). Hall hasn't really become a cornerstone player (even with New Jersey), same with Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins. They're nice secondary pieces IMO, though not elite superstars that they were touted as. They're still young, so won't write them off completely. Hope the Oilers don't mess with the McDavid years, as they did with Hall.

[jaysblue]

Yeah tanking is a good strategy. I don't buy into the "winning culture" stuff. Crosby's team was terrible his first year and there are countless other examples of good players being on s*** teams. Once you surround those players with talent and a good coach the team is better.

 

If you aren't motivated enough to win, you shouldn't be in the NHL.

 

I don't either, though I think it probably means more in hockey then it does in baseball. As for a team being terrible, I was using the Oilers as an example since they have been terrible for years even with all the elite young talent they drafted. Leafs are still a couple of years away from being a legit Stanley Cup contender, though their success this season I think is more of a positive long term than negative.

[Horses Fart]

What's up with all the empty seats in Montreal for the Canada game?

[burlingtonbandit]

I don't either, though I think it probably means more in hockey then it does in baseball. As for a team being terrible, I was using the Oilers as an example since they have been terrible for years even with all the elite young talent they drafted. Leafs are still a couple of years away from being a legit Stanley Cup contender, though their success this season I think is more of a positive long term than negative.

 

Oilers have been terrible because they don't understand depth. They're still a terribly run franchise but McDavid is masking it, take him away and they're right back to being a bottom 5-10 team.

[burlingtonbandit]

What's up with all the empty seats in Montreal for the Canada game?

 

lol looks like there's 5-8K there. HockeyCanada doesn't seem to realize holding the tournament in Toronto/Montreal 2/3 years is a stupid idea.

[jaysblue]

What's up with all the empty seats in Montreal for the Canada game?

 

Maybe tickets are really overpriced?

[burlingtonbandit]

Maybe tickets are really overpriced?

 

Even though they are really overpriced they should get more than 8K people. Montreal is a pretty bad sportstown.

[jaysblue]

Even though they are really overpriced they should get more than 8K people. Montreal is a pretty bad sportstown.

 

Yup, with professional sports teams Montreal fans will only go and support their teams if they're winning. If its a losing team, nobody will go.

[burlingtonbandit]

Yup, with professional sports teams Montreal fans will only go and support their teams if they're winning. If its a losing team, nobody will go.

 

TBH most cities are like that but Montreal seems to be one of the worst. Reason why I think the Expos are a pipe dream.

[jaysblue]

TBH most cities are like that but Montreal seems to be one of the worst. Reason why I think the Expos are a pipe dream.

 

You still had Leafs fans paying big $ to watch a losing hockey team all these years. Just saying.

[Laika]

Yup, with professional sports teams Montreal fans will only go and support their teams if they're winning. If its a losing team, nobody will go.

 

Sounds like a smart town!