The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
- Start date
Dave Nonis taken to hospital
Leafs GM taken to hospital
Here's hoping Mr. Nonis has a full recovery. He's been a great GM for the Leafs & is hugely responsible for the team's current success.
Leafs GM taken to hospital
Here's hoping Mr. Nonis has a full recovery. He's been a great GM for the Leafs & is hugely responsible for the team's current success.
Happy birthday to Nazem Kadri, who turned 23 today.
And also a happy birthday to Daniel Briere, who turned 36 today.
And also a happy birthday to Daniel Briere, who turned 36 today.
Shared birthday...and several things in common as hockey players (although Briere has pretty much "been there done that" and Kadri is pretty much just started on the path).
Good teams find a way to win and the Leafs found a way tonight as they have in 4 out of 5 wins.....In other words, they are playing, AND WINNING with 4-5 regulars out of the lineup, scary! (but in a great way) :thumb:
GLG BABY!
GLG BABY!
Great comeback win by Canada's team!! Leafs win again & still lead the East!!! Go Leafs Go!!
I think hiring Ron Hextall as the team's assistant GM is a sign of things to come.
Seriously, over the past 4 seasons, has any GM made worse trades than Paul Holmgren?
Holmgren has been the annual winner of the Mike Milbury trophy, handed out to the season's worse GM.
Seriously, over the past 4 seasons, has any GM made worse trades than Paul Holmgren?
Holmgren has been the annual winner of the Mike Milbury trophy, handed out to the season's worse GM.
As good as a 5-1 record looks, the Leafs have been outplayed in at least half of their games, but good teams find a way to win and they certainly are doing just that. The leadership they brought in with Bolland and Clarkson (behind the scenes since he is not able to play for another 4 games) i feel has been a HUGE reason why they are winning, that and Bernier (except for last night but in fairness he did get a cpl bad breaks but he was not on his game like usual either) They also have 4 or 5 regulars out that does not help, but again, are finding ways to win and every point is important. Credit the coaching staff as well.
Dion is a silent leader and we never hear any negative things about him from teammates. The guy plays against the other teams best players night in night out and i for one hope they re sign Dion long term but at a fair cap hit, say 6 years 40 mil but likely he is looking for a max contract of 8 years but will have to take less per year to get that IMHO.
Dion is a silent leader and we never hear any negative things about him from teammates. The guy plays against the other teams best players night in night out and i for one hope they re sign Dion long term but at a fair cap hit, say 6 years 40 mil but likely he is looking for a max contract of 8 years but will have to take less per year to get that IMHO.
Sure, there are a few players on the team that could also be named captain. Players such as Lupul, Boland or Clarkson, for example. But let's not forget that Phaneuf didn't ask to be named captain. He automatically got annointed to that role by Brian Burke & Ron Wilson as soon as he joined the Leafs. What was he supposed to do, say no??
My only problem with naming Phaneuf captain was the fact he was barely a Maple Leaf when he received that distinction. Which is why even though players such as Boland or Clarkson would be very good captains, they still haven't put in their time in Toronto yet.
But i'm of the opinion that the distinction of being named a captain is very overrated. Sure, you've had great captains in the past & names such as Messier, Armstrong & Clarke come to mind. However, these were legends & there are not many of those.
Even though i'm a fan of Phaneuf but not a great one, i assess is value to the team to be as big as any other player's. He's the team's top defenceman and regularly plays 24-26 minutes a game. He's always on the ice for the powerplay and penalty killing. He's rarely injured & rarely takes a night off. He's reliable. You'll notice that mistakes that he happens to make usually happen when he's tired, which is the case when the coach constantly puts you on the ice. The same thing would happen to any other player in the league.
If Dion Phaneuf ever becomes a free agent, the list of suitors will be a long one. And he knows it, which is why he won't come cheap. A defenceman and leader such as Dion Phaneuf is exactly what a team like Edmonton, Philadelphia or Montreal needs on their defence. So if the Leafs don't want to give him a contract that he deems to be of fair value, he'll easily get it elsewhere, and the Leafs will then be without their top defenceman and top minutes player. His absence from the Leafs lineup would leave a huge void to fill. And i believe that the Nonis-Poulin-Loiselle troika knows it.
My only problem with naming Phaneuf captain was the fact he was barely a Maple Leaf when he received that distinction. Which is why even though players such as Boland or Clarkson would be very good captains, they still haven't put in their time in Toronto yet.
But i'm of the opinion that the distinction of being named a captain is very overrated. Sure, you've had great captains in the past & names such as Messier, Armstrong & Clarke come to mind. However, these were legends & there are not many of those.
Even though i'm a fan of Phaneuf but not a great one, i assess is value to the team to be as big as any other player's. He's the team's top defenceman and regularly plays 24-26 minutes a game. He's always on the ice for the powerplay and penalty killing. He's rarely injured & rarely takes a night off. He's reliable. You'll notice that mistakes that he happens to make usually happen when he's tired, which is the case when the coach constantly puts you on the ice. The same thing would happen to any other player in the league.
If Dion Phaneuf ever becomes a free agent, the list of suitors will be a long one. And he knows it, which is why he won't come cheap. A defenceman and leader such as Dion Phaneuf is exactly what a team like Edmonton, Philadelphia or Montreal needs on their defence. So if the Leafs don't want to give him a contract that he deems to be of fair value, he'll easily get it elsewhere, and the Leafs will then be without their top defenceman and top minutes player. His absence from the Leafs lineup would leave a huge void to fill. And i believe that the Nonis-Poulin-Loiselle troika knows it.
Certainly correct on Messier and Clarke, but let's not forget Yzerman and Sakic, who also belong in that exalted group of four. Zetterberg will likely make it five, but I don't want to jinx him by electing him prematurely.
Merci! And oui, a record of 5-1 to start the season is well done :thumb: and also a very accurate analysis :nod:
It is already October 13 and clearly this is a team that looks like it could go all the way!
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