The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
- Start date
Wish you would have took my bet
When i saw the article earlier, i told myself "Oh, f#&# me!!!"
Bernier loses again
Much to my dismay, the Leafs started Jonathan Bernier tonight against Tampa. He allowed 5 goals on just 27 shots. He wasn't awful, but he wasn't very good either. It was tough to watch at times, but on the bright side is that the Leafs likely would have won with any other goalie not named Tokarski. At least they got a point from the overtime loss.
When will be the next game we'll see Bernier? It wouldn't surprise me if this isn't his last game playing for the Leafs. He hasn't won a game since last April. Sad.
Much to my dismay, the Leafs started Jonathan Bernier tonight against Tampa. He allowed 5 goals on just 27 shots. He wasn't awful, but he wasn't very good either. It was tough to watch at times, but on the bright side is that the Leafs likely would have won with any other goalie not named Tokarski. At least they got a point from the overtime loss.
When will be the next game we'll see Bernier? It wouldn't surprise me if this isn't his last game playing for the Leafs. He hasn't won a game since last April. Sad.
Babcock names Sparks as next game's starter
Many believed Babcock would come back with Bernier in their next game. However, he's clearly had enough of him and will go with Garrett Sparks until James Reimer is ready to return. However, this could be a while since Reimer still hasn't practiced with the team. When asked why he wasn't sticking with Bernier, Babcock pointed to the fact that the pucks are going in when Bernier's between the pipes. Ouch!
Many believed Babcock would come back with Bernier in their next game. However, he's clearly had enough of him and will go with Garrett Sparks until James Reimer is ready to return. However, this could be a while since Reimer still hasn't practiced with the team. When asked why he wasn't sticking with Bernier, Babcock pointed to the fact that the pucks are going in when Bernier's between the pipes. Ouch!
Brian Burke was in town for a couple days and there's talk he was scouting Bernier yesterday. Calgary's goalies have been even worse than Bernier, believe it or not.
However, it was also possible that he was also in town to visit his two young kids.
However, it was also possible that he was also in town to visit his two young kids.
A history of Leafs fans not getting what they want
by Gord Stellick, Sportsnet
The kind of media circus that welcomed Steven Stamkos for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Dec. 15th game in Toronto was the most intense in a regular season since Mats Sundin returned as a member of the Vancouver Canucks in 2009.
And Sundin plays a small role in why the end result of this most recent Toronto media circus is of vital importance to fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs – that Steven Stamkos becomes a member of the 2016 Toronto Maple Leafs upon becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Leafs fans (and especially those that double as Toronto Raptors fans as well), need a significant off-ice (off-court) victory of ANY kind. The successful pursuit to bring Mike Babcock to coach their beloved Maple Leafs has only fed their insatiable appetite for more.
And who could blame them. Examine the evidence!
Bernie Parent – arguably the best young goaltender of the 1970s chooses to ditch the Leafs in his prime and sign with the World Hockey Association. He leaves for more money and the fact his wife is from the Philadelphia area and not enthralled with Toronto.
Dave Keon – arguably the greatest Maple Leaf EVER leaves for the WHA in 1975. His disdain for Leafs owner Harold Ballard is personal and he is NEVER able to mend fences with the organization in any significant manner. He could have brought the house down when Maple Leaf Gardens closed in 1999 but chose not to attend.
Darryl Sittler – succeeds Keon as the Leafs’ captain and is clearly their best player as well as one of the best in the NHL in the '70s and early '80s. He signs a long-term contract to stay with the Leafs despite being offered much more money to jump to the WHA. Leafs general manager George “Punch” Imlach makes it a personal battle with Sittler when Imlach returns for his second stint as Leafs general manager 1979. Sittler leaves with bitter feelings in 1981. Unlike Keon, Sittler manages to mend fences with the organization and has been a valued member of the front office for the past 25 years.
Wendel Clark – even though Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher makes a great trade for the Leafs in June, 1994, the fact that their beloved Wendel is heading to the Quebec Nordiques leaves fans emotionally devastated. Though Mats Sundin, who goes Toronto's way, is far and away the best player in the deal, fans can’t forgive management.
Wendel Clark (again) – Leafs owner Steve Stavro has had enough of the daily onslaught of fans' – many of them being his Knob Hill Farms grocery customers – constant suggestions that he bring back Wendel Clark as the Leafs have struggled since he was traded (although Mats Sundin is proving to be a star in the making). Stavro orders Fletcher to get Clark back. Clark is now with the New York Islanders.
Their general manager, Mike Milbury, knows that he has Fletcher over a barrel with the pressure from the Leafs' owner. Unlike his last trade, a home run (though unpopular publicly), Fletcher has to give up too much to satisfy Stavro. Quality young defenceman Kenny Jonsson and a high first round pick that nets the Islanders Roberto Luongo are included in the deal.
Wayne Gretzky – Fresh off of bringing Clark back to the fold, Fletcher has his biggest Leaf bombshell all set to explode on July 1, 1996. Wayne Gretzky is a free agent after finishing up his contract with the St. Louis Blues. He has agreed to finish his career as a Maple Leaf for a relatively not-outlandish figure (since Leaf ownership is very cost conscious at the time).
Fletcher can envision a Leaf centre ice trio of Doug Gilmour, Mats Sundin and Wayne Gretzky. He is almost giddy with excitement. At the 11th hour, Stavro puts the kibosh on the Gretzky contract as he is struggling to maintain his control of the Leafs for financial reasons. Fletcher has to say "no deal" to the Great One and he finishes his career in New York.
Doug Gilmour – Not only does Stavro veto the Gretzky signing, he also orders Fletcher to shed salary as the Leafs are experiencing a cash crunch (hadn’t Harold Ballard died six years earlier?). Fletcher is forced to move players like Dave Andreychuk, Todd Gill and Mike Gartner for well below their market value.
It is an insult to the Leafs' veteran players who had believed in the commitment to get back to the successes of a few years earlier and move even deeper in the playoffs. Gilmour is one of those who is only too happy to have the Leafs trade his rich contract. He is traded to the New Jersey Devils in February of 1997.
Doug Gilmour (again) – Same as Wendel Clark. A chance for Gilmour to finish his career in Toronto is welcomed with open arms by all parties. Gilmour returns to Toronto on March, 2003. Fan euphoria returns as it did with the return of Wendel Clark. Unfortunately, Gilmour injures himself in the second period of his first game back as a Leaf. His career is over. He never plays a home game for the Leafs in his very brief return stint.
Curtis Joseph – Arguably the best ever free agent signing by the Leafs, Joseph brought four years of excellent goaltending and strong playoff appearances to Toronto. Apparently he was the only member of the gold medal-winning 2002 Canadian Olympic team who wasn’t pleased with the Olympic experience. His Team Canada coach was Pat Quinn. His Leafs coach (and general manager) was Pat Quinn.
Exit Joseph to the Detroit Red Wings – with bad personal feelings towards the Leafs. He also was able to mend fences years later.
Gary Roberts – What in the name of John Ferguson Jr. was he thinking when he lowballed Roberts upon the NHL returning to action from a year long lockout in 2005. Roberts had been the consummate Leaf: a skilled player and warrior who had especially upped both elements of that game whenever the Leafs were in the playoffs. A move that still doesn’t make sense.
Mats Sundin – How could there possibly ever exist any bad feeling towards the Leafs and one of their greatest players ever? But that is exactly what happened in 2008 as Sundin would neither commit to the Leafs with a new contract nor allow them to trade him (by virtue of waiving his no-trade clause). This was Sundin’s right contractually and no player had given such a level of excellence both on and off the ice for so many years wearing the Leafs' sweater as did Sundin.
Unfortunately, it would tarnish his ending as a great Leaf. Fortunately, all was restored and forgiven when his number was honoured in 2012.
So this is the environment that longtime, and long-suffering, Leafs fans desperately hope for a move of a positive variety in the possibility of Stamkos wearing the blue and white.
Add in the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery where when it came to the final lottery ball to be drawn, the Leafs had the best odds at 4/11 as the first few balls had gone their way.
Leafs fans love Mike Babcock behind the bench. Now they dearly hope for Steven Stamkos on the Leafs' bench. I say the odds are much better than 4/11 that will happen!
by Gord Stellick, Sportsnet
The kind of media circus that welcomed Steven Stamkos for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Dec. 15th game in Toronto was the most intense in a regular season since Mats Sundin returned as a member of the Vancouver Canucks in 2009.
And Sundin plays a small role in why the end result of this most recent Toronto media circus is of vital importance to fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs – that Steven Stamkos becomes a member of the 2016 Toronto Maple Leafs upon becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Leafs fans (and especially those that double as Toronto Raptors fans as well), need a significant off-ice (off-court) victory of ANY kind. The successful pursuit to bring Mike Babcock to coach their beloved Maple Leafs has only fed their insatiable appetite for more.
And who could blame them. Examine the evidence!
Bernie Parent – arguably the best young goaltender of the 1970s chooses to ditch the Leafs in his prime and sign with the World Hockey Association. He leaves for more money and the fact his wife is from the Philadelphia area and not enthralled with Toronto.
Dave Keon – arguably the greatest Maple Leaf EVER leaves for the WHA in 1975. His disdain for Leafs owner Harold Ballard is personal and he is NEVER able to mend fences with the organization in any significant manner. He could have brought the house down when Maple Leaf Gardens closed in 1999 but chose not to attend.
Darryl Sittler – succeeds Keon as the Leafs’ captain and is clearly their best player as well as one of the best in the NHL in the '70s and early '80s. He signs a long-term contract to stay with the Leafs despite being offered much more money to jump to the WHA. Leafs general manager George “Punch” Imlach makes it a personal battle with Sittler when Imlach returns for his second stint as Leafs general manager 1979. Sittler leaves with bitter feelings in 1981. Unlike Keon, Sittler manages to mend fences with the organization and has been a valued member of the front office for the past 25 years.
Wendel Clark – even though Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher makes a great trade for the Leafs in June, 1994, the fact that their beloved Wendel is heading to the Quebec Nordiques leaves fans emotionally devastated. Though Mats Sundin, who goes Toronto's way, is far and away the best player in the deal, fans can’t forgive management.
Wendel Clark (again) – Leafs owner Steve Stavro has had enough of the daily onslaught of fans' – many of them being his Knob Hill Farms grocery customers – constant suggestions that he bring back Wendel Clark as the Leafs have struggled since he was traded (although Mats Sundin is proving to be a star in the making). Stavro orders Fletcher to get Clark back. Clark is now with the New York Islanders.
Their general manager, Mike Milbury, knows that he has Fletcher over a barrel with the pressure from the Leafs' owner. Unlike his last trade, a home run (though unpopular publicly), Fletcher has to give up too much to satisfy Stavro. Quality young defenceman Kenny Jonsson and a high first round pick that nets the Islanders Roberto Luongo are included in the deal.
Wayne Gretzky – Fresh off of bringing Clark back to the fold, Fletcher has his biggest Leaf bombshell all set to explode on July 1, 1996. Wayne Gretzky is a free agent after finishing up his contract with the St. Louis Blues. He has agreed to finish his career as a Maple Leaf for a relatively not-outlandish figure (since Leaf ownership is very cost conscious at the time).
Fletcher can envision a Leaf centre ice trio of Doug Gilmour, Mats Sundin and Wayne Gretzky. He is almost giddy with excitement. At the 11th hour, Stavro puts the kibosh on the Gretzky contract as he is struggling to maintain his control of the Leafs for financial reasons. Fletcher has to say "no deal" to the Great One and he finishes his career in New York.
Doug Gilmour – Not only does Stavro veto the Gretzky signing, he also orders Fletcher to shed salary as the Leafs are experiencing a cash crunch (hadn’t Harold Ballard died six years earlier?). Fletcher is forced to move players like Dave Andreychuk, Todd Gill and Mike Gartner for well below their market value.
It is an insult to the Leafs' veteran players who had believed in the commitment to get back to the successes of a few years earlier and move even deeper in the playoffs. Gilmour is one of those who is only too happy to have the Leafs trade his rich contract. He is traded to the New Jersey Devils in February of 1997.
Doug Gilmour (again) – Same as Wendel Clark. A chance for Gilmour to finish his career in Toronto is welcomed with open arms by all parties. Gilmour returns to Toronto on March, 2003. Fan euphoria returns as it did with the return of Wendel Clark. Unfortunately, Gilmour injures himself in the second period of his first game back as a Leaf. His career is over. He never plays a home game for the Leafs in his very brief return stint.
Curtis Joseph – Arguably the best ever free agent signing by the Leafs, Joseph brought four years of excellent goaltending and strong playoff appearances to Toronto. Apparently he was the only member of the gold medal-winning 2002 Canadian Olympic team who wasn’t pleased with the Olympic experience. His Team Canada coach was Pat Quinn. His Leafs coach (and general manager) was Pat Quinn.
Exit Joseph to the Detroit Red Wings – with bad personal feelings towards the Leafs. He also was able to mend fences years later.
Gary Roberts – What in the name of John Ferguson Jr. was he thinking when he lowballed Roberts upon the NHL returning to action from a year long lockout in 2005. Roberts had been the consummate Leaf: a skilled player and warrior who had especially upped both elements of that game whenever the Leafs were in the playoffs. A move that still doesn’t make sense.
Mats Sundin – How could there possibly ever exist any bad feeling towards the Leafs and one of their greatest players ever? But that is exactly what happened in 2008 as Sundin would neither commit to the Leafs with a new contract nor allow them to trade him (by virtue of waiving his no-trade clause). This was Sundin’s right contractually and no player had given such a level of excellence both on and off the ice for so many years wearing the Leafs' sweater as did Sundin.
Unfortunately, it would tarnish his ending as a great Leaf. Fortunately, all was restored and forgiven when his number was honoured in 2012.
So this is the environment that longtime, and long-suffering, Leafs fans desperately hope for a move of a positive variety in the possibility of Stamkos wearing the blue and white.
Add in the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery where when it came to the final lottery ball to be drawn, the Leafs had the best odds at 4/11 as the first few balls had gone their way.
Leafs fans love Mike Babcock behind the bench. Now they dearly hope for Steven Stamkos on the Leafs' bench. I say the odds are much better than 4/11 that will happen!
The Marlies have signed Ray Emery to make up for the loss of two goalies in the organization. Reimer is already out and now Garrett Sparks will be out for at least 3 games with a lower-body injury. It's a groin.
In other hockey news, the habs called up Michael McCarron from the minors. He's basically Turner Stevenson 2.0.
In other hockey news, the habs called up Michael McCarron from the minors. He's basically Turner Stevenson 2.0.
Well, i just learned i'll probably lose my wager with my friend next year. He told me he was certain Marner would make the big team. I told him there was no way and he'd be spending the year with the Marlies. But i learned that he won't be able to play with the Marlies since he won't be 20. I can't see him going back to junior since he's already dominating and possibly the best player in the CHL. It'd be a total waste of time....and talent. Therefore, he'll spend the year with the Leafs, not the Marlies. I'll be out of $20. No big deal.
Maple Leafs’ draft gambles could pay off handsomely
Marner or Hanifin? Well, the fun of this month for Leaf fans is that they’ll get to tune into the world juniors and take a good measure of Mitchell Marner’s potential for themselves. It’s a debate that’s going to be raging for a while.
by Damian Cox, The Toronto Star
Mitch Marner or Noah Hanifin? Did the Maple Leafs take the wrong guy again? Or will we learn over time that Mark Hunter is, in fact, a genius?
Ah, the fun of the NHL draft process. People love to declare winners and losers on draft day, but the truth is this plays out over years. And part of what distorts perceptions is the belief in some corners that it’s a race to see who gets to the NHL first.
The Leafs lived that experience for years with Nazem Kadri. Trying to be patient with him and carefully develop his skills just got them blasted for being mean. The fact that now, more than six years after he was selected after Oliver Ekman-Larsson but before Scott Glennie, Kadri’s starting to look like a very good pick and a maturing NHLer, well, you won’t hear those who believe he should have been in the NHL four years ago acknowledging the Leafs might have brought him along correctly.
With Marner and Hanifin, the Leafs had to choose between elite skill and a big, relatively risk-free blueliner sure to play in the league for a decade, and they went with Marner fourth overall. He’s still in junior hockey and figures to be a marquee performer for Canada at the world juniors starting this month in Helsinki.
Hanifin, meanwhile, is already in the NHL. He’s six-foot-three, still just 18 years old and has played 28 of Carolina’s first 29 games. He’ll play 15 minutes some nights, 18 minutes other nights.
If it’s first-past-the-post, Carolina wins. But of course, it isn’t.
Heck, if we were to do Kadri’s draft all over, John Tavares would still go first, Ekman-Larsson might supplant Victor Hedman at No. 2, Ryan O’Reilly (31st) would be a top-five pick and Tyson Barrie would be a first-rounder (he went 64th).
In other words, nobody can decide the Marner vs. Hanifin debate yet, and probably not for another five years. Or longer.
The fun of this month for Leaf fans is that they’ll get to tune into the world juniors and take a good measure of Marner’s potential for themselves. Sure, some have seen him play for the London Knights — 58 points in 25 games — but this will be an overseas test against top-flight international competition.
He’ll almost certainly be in the NHL next season because he can’t play in the AHL and sending him back to junior again — he was second in OHL scoring last season — would seem to lack purpose. So let’s see how ready he looks.
A number of Toronto picks will be in the tournament, which may or may not be an indication of the quality of the club’s recent drafts. Recall the 2003 world juniors in Halifax. Five Leaf draft picks — Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo, Brendan Bell, Matt Stajan and Kyle Wellwood — were on the Canadian team coached by Marc Habscheid that won silver.
Maxim Kondratiev, a defenceman picked by the Leafs, played for the Russian gold medallists led by Alex Ovechkin. Alexander Steen, Toronto’s first pick in ’02, played for Team Sweden.
Lots of bodies, but none of those players became stars for the Leafs. Steen has become a top-six forward with the St. Louis Blues, and otherwise only Colaiacovo and Stajan are still in the league.
So let the ’03 world juniors be a cautionary tale against getting too excited, Leaf fans.
With that cautionary note, Marner is only the biggest name from a group of Leaf prospects participating in the world juniors that has the Toronto organization quietly optimistic (again) about how they could figure in the team’s future.
There’s William Nylander, eighth overall in 2014, playing for Sweden, along with dynamic forward Dmytro Timashov, 125th overall last June. The Leafs like Timashov (53 points in 29 games with Quebec) so much they’ve already signed him and have him pegged to be a Marlie next season.
Defenceman Travis Dermott (34th) is still waiting to see if he’ll be on the final Team Canada roster. Kasperi Kapanen, the former Pittsburgh first-rounder picked up in the Phil Kessel deal, will be suiting up for the host Finns, who are likely to feature two strapping wingers, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi, expected to be top 10 picks next June.
So that’s five Leaf picks possibly in for the world juniors, and Marner, Nylander, Timashov and Kapanen are tests of whether Toronto’s apparent belief that smaller may be better is going to work out for the organization.
Meanwhile, the Marner-or-Hanifin philosophical debate could resurface in six months at the 2016 draft. As of Friday, the Leafs were 29th, which if the draft were held today would guarantee them no worse than the fifth overall pick under the revised draft lottery process.
Starting in June, the lottery will determine not just the first pick but the first three picks. So the Leafs, almost winners of the Connor McDavid lottery last year, could finish dead-last in the NHL and still have to wait until the No. 4 slot.
Let’s say that’s where they end up. Auston Matthews, the American youngster playing in Switzerland, will go first overall. The most recent Sportsnet rankings had London winger Matthew Tkachuk (son of Keith) and Puljujarvi going second and third. After that, we’re looking at the six-foot-four Laine, Sarnia Sting hulking defenceman Jakob Chychrun, Alexander Nylander (brother of William) and diminutive Team USA pivot Clayton Keller.
So it could again come down to, say, taking Chychrun or another Nylander. Or Laine versus Keller. Same debate. Size versus skill.
These drafts are going to determine whether Brendan Shanahan, Mike Babcock et al can actually build a winner anytime in the foreseeable future. But we won’t know for years if they’re bang on in their assessments or way, way off.
In recent times, the Leafs have been rolling the dice and taking the risky path least travelled. If the NHL ever decides to open up the game and let offence breathe again, this could really pay off.
Marner or Hanifin? Well, the fun of this month for Leaf fans is that they’ll get to tune into the world juniors and take a good measure of Mitchell Marner’s potential for themselves. It’s a debate that’s going to be raging for a while.
by Damian Cox, The Toronto Star
Mitch Marner or Noah Hanifin? Did the Maple Leafs take the wrong guy again? Or will we learn over time that Mark Hunter is, in fact, a genius?
Ah, the fun of the NHL draft process. People love to declare winners and losers on draft day, but the truth is this plays out over years. And part of what distorts perceptions is the belief in some corners that it’s a race to see who gets to the NHL first.
The Leafs lived that experience for years with Nazem Kadri. Trying to be patient with him and carefully develop his skills just got them blasted for being mean. The fact that now, more than six years after he was selected after Oliver Ekman-Larsson but before Scott Glennie, Kadri’s starting to look like a very good pick and a maturing NHLer, well, you won’t hear those who believe he should have been in the NHL four years ago acknowledging the Leafs might have brought him along correctly.
With Marner and Hanifin, the Leafs had to choose between elite skill and a big, relatively risk-free blueliner sure to play in the league for a decade, and they went with Marner fourth overall. He’s still in junior hockey and figures to be a marquee performer for Canada at the world juniors starting this month in Helsinki.
Hanifin, meanwhile, is already in the NHL. He’s six-foot-three, still just 18 years old and has played 28 of Carolina’s first 29 games. He’ll play 15 minutes some nights, 18 minutes other nights.
If it’s first-past-the-post, Carolina wins. But of course, it isn’t.
Heck, if we were to do Kadri’s draft all over, John Tavares would still go first, Ekman-Larsson might supplant Victor Hedman at No. 2, Ryan O’Reilly (31st) would be a top-five pick and Tyson Barrie would be a first-rounder (he went 64th).
In other words, nobody can decide the Marner vs. Hanifin debate yet, and probably not for another five years. Or longer.
The fun of this month for Leaf fans is that they’ll get to tune into the world juniors and take a good measure of Marner’s potential for themselves. Sure, some have seen him play for the London Knights — 58 points in 25 games — but this will be an overseas test against top-flight international competition.
He’ll almost certainly be in the NHL next season because he can’t play in the AHL and sending him back to junior again — he was second in OHL scoring last season — would seem to lack purpose. So let’s see how ready he looks.
A number of Toronto picks will be in the tournament, which may or may not be an indication of the quality of the club’s recent drafts. Recall the 2003 world juniors in Halifax. Five Leaf draft picks — Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo, Brendan Bell, Matt Stajan and Kyle Wellwood — were on the Canadian team coached by Marc Habscheid that won silver.
Maxim Kondratiev, a defenceman picked by the Leafs, played for the Russian gold medallists led by Alex Ovechkin. Alexander Steen, Toronto’s first pick in ’02, played for Team Sweden.
Lots of bodies, but none of those players became stars for the Leafs. Steen has become a top-six forward with the St. Louis Blues, and otherwise only Colaiacovo and Stajan are still in the league.
So let the ’03 world juniors be a cautionary tale against getting too excited, Leaf fans.
With that cautionary note, Marner is only the biggest name from a group of Leaf prospects participating in the world juniors that has the Toronto organization quietly optimistic (again) about how they could figure in the team’s future.
There’s William Nylander, eighth overall in 2014, playing for Sweden, along with dynamic forward Dmytro Timashov, 125th overall last June. The Leafs like Timashov (53 points in 29 games with Quebec) so much they’ve already signed him and have him pegged to be a Marlie next season.
Defenceman Travis Dermott (34th) is still waiting to see if he’ll be on the final Team Canada roster. Kasperi Kapanen, the former Pittsburgh first-rounder picked up in the Phil Kessel deal, will be suiting up for the host Finns, who are likely to feature two strapping wingers, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi, expected to be top 10 picks next June.
So that’s five Leaf picks possibly in for the world juniors, and Marner, Nylander, Timashov and Kapanen are tests of whether Toronto’s apparent belief that smaller may be better is going to work out for the organization.
Meanwhile, the Marner-or-Hanifin philosophical debate could resurface in six months at the 2016 draft. As of Friday, the Leafs were 29th, which if the draft were held today would guarantee them no worse than the fifth overall pick under the revised draft lottery process.
Starting in June, the lottery will determine not just the first pick but the first three picks. So the Leafs, almost winners of the Connor McDavid lottery last year, could finish dead-last in the NHL and still have to wait until the No. 4 slot.
Let’s say that’s where they end up. Auston Matthews, the American youngster playing in Switzerland, will go first overall. The most recent Sportsnet rankings had London winger Matthew Tkachuk (son of Keith) and Puljujarvi going second and third. After that, we’re looking at the six-foot-four Laine, Sarnia Sting hulking defenceman Jakob Chychrun, Alexander Nylander (brother of William) and diminutive Team USA pivot Clayton Keller.
So it could again come down to, say, taking Chychrun or another Nylander. Or Laine versus Keller. Same debate. Size versus skill.
These drafts are going to determine whether Brendan Shanahan, Mike Babcock et al can actually build a winner anytime in the foreseeable future. But we won’t know for years if they’re bang on in their assessments or way, way off.
In recent times, the Leafs have been rolling the dice and taking the risky path least travelled. If the NHL ever decides to open up the game and let offence breathe again, this could really pay off.
Nylander's junior tournament already over?
William Nylander had to leave the game between the Swiss and the Swedes due to an injury suffered when blindly bodychecked by a Swiss player earlier in the game. His tournament may already be over if he's suffered a concussion. Hopefully he'll be able to fully recover and re-join the Marlies once the tournament ends.
Nylander hit
William Nylander had to leave the game between the Swiss and the Swedes due to an injury suffered when blindly bodychecked by a Swiss player earlier in the game. His tournament may already be over if he's suffered a concussion. Hopefully he'll be able to fully recover and re-join the Marlies once the tournament ends.
Nylander hit
Leafs playing the Brooklyn Islanders tonight.....
It was both surprising and refreshing to hear Glenn Healey praise the Leafs and coach Mike Babcock prior to the game. Rarely do you hear Healy say anything good about the Leafs. He added that teams around the league are quite aware that the Leafs have a very good, competitive team and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Personally, even though i like it when the Leafs win, my preference would be for them to miss the playoffs this season in order to improve on their current draft position for the June entry draft. They're in year 1 of the rebuilding plan and Mike Babcock has them playing over the heads. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be tough and it was supposed to hurt. Well, it was tough and it certainly hurt in October. But since November, the Leafs have been one of the best teams in the eastern conference and had they been playing this way in October, they would easily be on their way to a 100 point season.
Come on guys, think of the future and lose a few games, will ya???
It was both surprising and refreshing to hear Glenn Healey praise the Leafs and coach Mike Babcock prior to the game. Rarely do you hear Healy say anything good about the Leafs. He added that teams around the league are quite aware that the Leafs have a very good, competitive team and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Personally, even though i like it when the Leafs win, my preference would be for them to miss the playoffs this season in order to improve on their current draft position for the June entry draft. They're in year 1 of the rebuilding plan and Mike Babcock has them playing over the heads. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be tough and it was supposed to hurt. Well, it was tough and it certainly hurt in October. But since November, the Leafs have been one of the best teams in the eastern conference and had they been playing this way in October, they would easily be on their way to a 100 point season.
Come on guys, think of the future and lose a few games, will ya???
They are gonna break our hearts and make the playoffs LOL! Wait, what the hell did i just say ..........:lol:
Big Game Bernier is back it would appear. It was never physical, always between the ears and i think you were right earlier Doc when you said it might have been because the birth of his child, he drifted and got caught up in the moment of being a new daddy that it was easy to NOT be focused on his profession for a few months but i think (hopefully) he has realised that those millions wont keep coming in if he does not shape up and get his game and his head, right.
A Bernier/Reimer combination with the way MISTER Babcock has the team playing D could make for some more wins, possibly quite a few. But, is that a good thing in year one of a complete rebuild?
..........:lol:Big Game Bernier is back it would appear. It was never physical, always between the ears and i think you were right earlier Doc when you said it might have been because the birth of his child, he drifted and got caught up in the moment of being a new daddy that it was easy to NOT be focused on his profession for a few months but i think (hopefully) he has realised that those millions wont keep coming in if he does not shape up and get his game and his head, right.
A Bernier/Reimer combination with the way MISTER Babcock has the team playing D could make for some more wins, possibly quite a few. But, is that a good thing in year one of a complete rebuild?
I agree. It's too bad Reimer is injury-prone. Were he not, not only would he be the Leafs #1 goalie, but he could be a #1 goalie on half the teams in the league! Prior to getting injured last time around, he had better numbers than even Carey Price!
The problem with the Leafs possibly contending for a playoff spot is that all those veterans on 1-year contracts who were expected to be traded for picks and prospects might actually wind up staying with the team for their unexpected playoff run. This wasn't part of the master plan!
By the way, did you know that Ron Wilson is coaching the US juniors in Finland? Even though he's a bit of a dick, i'm glad to see him back in hockey.
The problem with the Leafs possibly contending for a playoff spot is that all those veterans on 1-year contracts who were expected to be traded for picks and prospects might actually wind up staying with the team for their unexpected playoff run. This wasn't part of the master plan!
By the way, did you know that Ron Wilson is coaching the US juniors in Finland? Even though he's a bit of a dick, i'm glad to see him back in hockey.
Bernier gave up 6 goals on 15 shots last night against the Islanders.
Well, James Reimer just got his #1 job back!!!
But if it were up to me, they'd put Bernier between the pipes until the rest of the season in order to improve their chances on getting a better draft pick in June.
But Mike Babcock is a winner and has zero trust in Bernier, so of course he'll go with Reimer.
Well, James Reimer just got his #1 job back!!!
But if it were up to me, they'd put Bernier between the pipes until the rest of the season in order to improve their chances on getting a better draft pick in June.
But Mike Babcock is a winner and has zero trust in Bernier, so of course he'll go with Reimer.
It's funny how things go. James Reimer was supposed to start against the Penguins, but his groin felt stiff yesterday and Babcock chose to go with Bernier instead. Needless to say, anyone who saw the game noticed that Bernier was the main reason why the Leafs prevailed last night and it was possibly his best game as a Maple Leaf.
The Leafs won in a shootout in possibly the most exciting game i've seen all season!! What an exciting game it was!!!!
Phil Kessel was possibly the best player on the Penguins. Bernier stoned him again and again throughout the evening! Malkin, Letang and Crosby also had strong games. But the star of the game for Pittsburgh was none other than 21-year old goalie Matt Murray, who was equally exceptional throughout the evening. He's only got 4-5 games under his belt and if last night was any indication, he may have quite a future ahead of him.
Huge win for the Leafs! :thumb:
The Leafs won in a shootout in possibly the most exciting game i've seen all season!! What an exciting game it was!!!!
Phil Kessel was possibly the best player on the Penguins. Bernier stoned him again and again throughout the evening! Malkin, Letang and Crosby also had strong games. But the star of the game for Pittsburgh was none other than 21-year old goalie Matt Murray, who was equally exceptional throughout the evening. He's only got 4-5 games under his belt and if last night was any indication, he may have quite a future ahead of him.
Huge win for the Leafs! :thumb:
2016 offers Maple Leafs optimistic scenarios
It’s either a surprise second-half charge for Toronto or a very good shot at landing another blue-chip prospect to join William Nylander and Mitch Marner. A year ago, the Maple Leafs were in a miserable spot.
by Damien Cox, The Toronto Star
The team was again sliding out of playoff contention with Randy Carlyle in his final days behind the bench and Dave Nonis at the general manager position, trying to work with president Brendan Shanahan. For a wide variety of reasons, the team wasn’t just lousy, it was unlovable.
Worst of all, the organization and its fans seemed stuck with what it had because of limited prospects and albatross-like contracts, including one owned by star forward Phil Kessel, who seemed a poor fit to lead the team.
There was no obvious way out. The club seemed like a young couple weighed down by thousands of dollars in credit card debt, unable to buy a house or imagine starting a family, with little optimism for growth or change.
Well, a lot did change. Sadly, that meant a lot of good men lost their jobs. The organization was effectively pancaked by Shanahan.
Kessel was traded away, the draft yielded new optimism and the arrival of head coach Mike Babcock seemed to signal a new era in Leaf hockey.
Today, that means Leaf fans face two scenarios in the next six months, both of which are actually quite good.
How’s that for positive change in a calendar year?
First, the Leafs could continue to be more successful on the ice than anyone believed they would be. With a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games and a .554 winning percentage since registering just one victory in October, the Leafs have proven to be a worthy opponent most nights. They may not be turning their fans on but they’re not turning them off, and theoretically, if they can pick up their play a little more, Babcock’s squad could even make an exciting charge for a playoff spot.
So that’s one alternative.
Second, they could stay about where they are, in the bottom five teams of the league, and reap the benefits of what appears to be a very strong draft class. Given the quality of talent that has been on display in Helsinki this week, that appears to be a very appealing alternative.
Indeed, acquiring marquee assets through the draft is now a more meaningful process of adding elite talent than ever before. Actually, it may be the only way, with the trade market having essentially shrivelled away to almost nothing, with only two non-impact NHL trades since Oct. 1st.
Free agency, meanwhile, seems mostly about overpaying for non-core talent. So if the Leafs aren’t going to win more right now and make a playoff push, then the alternative scenario of a good draft position is appealing, since it’s indisputably the best way to obtain quality players, not to mention affordable ones, these days.
Before we talk names, remember the draft lottery is changing things. The first three spots in the draft will now be determined through the lottery, not just the first. So while the Leafs will almost certainly move vets for picks over the next two months, there’s little reason for an out-and-out tanking effort.
Meanwhile, right now, this draft looks to be four excellent prospects deep.
Two players — American centre Auston Matthews and Finnish right winger Jesse Puljujarvi — have the earmarks of being franchise players. Matthews has been viewed in this way for some time, and if he’d been born two days earlier, he’d have been eligible for last year’s draft and would have competed with Jack Eichel for the No. 2 pick behind Connor McDavid.
Based on what we’re seeing in Helsinki, where Matthews is generating lots of offence as the No. 1 centre on a strong American team, there’s no reason to believe he won’t go first in June.
Well, actually there’s one reason, namely the player who will be wearing No. 9 for the Finns on Saturday in a quarter-final contest with Canada.
Puljujarvi has been explosive and leads the tournament in scoring. When you consider he’s almost eight months younger than Matthews, is six-foot-three and 200 pounds and appears to have a wonderfully complete game as both a playmaker and scorer, the argument that some team (Edmonton, Buffalo) might prefer a winger to a centre if they were otherwise even, the scenario of the Finn going first starts to become more plausible.
Right behind him, meanwhile, is his linemate, left winger Patrik Laine. Laine’s the same size with almost the same birthdate, and some scouts already like him better than Puljujarvi.
Lost a little in the Helsinki discussion, meanwhile, is Matthews’s linemate at the world juniors, Matthew Tkachuk, an aggressive and talented winger just like his dad, Keith, who offers a slightly different set of skills than the other three. A team looking for sandpaper (hello again, Edmonton, and you too, Toronto) might find Tkachuk’s package of skills as compelling as any of the other top prospects.
So that’s four prospects to make scouts drool, and it leaves out talented Sarnia blueliner Jakob Chychrun, who didn’t make Team Canada (maybe he should have) and was No. 2 behind Matthews on many prospect lists last fall. He’s this year’s Noah Hanifin.
Chychrun and Swedish winger Alexander Nylander, also impressive at the world juniors, make this a six-pack of elite prospects for the June draft.
Safe to say any team with a top-10 pick has the chance to get something special, and this draft might be 15 deep in terms of players likely to fit in the top six forwards or top four D-men of an NHL club somewhere down the line.
So that’s what awaits for the Leafs with their top pick if they don’t make that theoretical playoff charge which, you have to admit, would be awfully exciting for Leaf fans to watch if it actually happened.
So it’s either a surprise second-half charge for Toronto, or a very good shot at landing another blue-chip prospect to join William Nylander and Mitch Marner.
Given where this team was a year ago, these optimistic scenarios represent an extraordinary turnaround. Credit Shanahan. He’s made it happen.
It’s either a surprise second-half charge for Toronto or a very good shot at landing another blue-chip prospect to join William Nylander and Mitch Marner. A year ago, the Maple Leafs were in a miserable spot.
by Damien Cox, The Toronto Star
The team was again sliding out of playoff contention with Randy Carlyle in his final days behind the bench and Dave Nonis at the general manager position, trying to work with president Brendan Shanahan. For a wide variety of reasons, the team wasn’t just lousy, it was unlovable.
Worst of all, the organization and its fans seemed stuck with what it had because of limited prospects and albatross-like contracts, including one owned by star forward Phil Kessel, who seemed a poor fit to lead the team.
There was no obvious way out. The club seemed like a young couple weighed down by thousands of dollars in credit card debt, unable to buy a house or imagine starting a family, with little optimism for growth or change.
Well, a lot did change. Sadly, that meant a lot of good men lost their jobs. The organization was effectively pancaked by Shanahan.
Kessel was traded away, the draft yielded new optimism and the arrival of head coach Mike Babcock seemed to signal a new era in Leaf hockey.
Today, that means Leaf fans face two scenarios in the next six months, both of which are actually quite good.
How’s that for positive change in a calendar year?
First, the Leafs could continue to be more successful on the ice than anyone believed they would be. With a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games and a .554 winning percentage since registering just one victory in October, the Leafs have proven to be a worthy opponent most nights. They may not be turning their fans on but they’re not turning them off, and theoretically, if they can pick up their play a little more, Babcock’s squad could even make an exciting charge for a playoff spot.
So that’s one alternative.
Second, they could stay about where they are, in the bottom five teams of the league, and reap the benefits of what appears to be a very strong draft class. Given the quality of talent that has been on display in Helsinki this week, that appears to be a very appealing alternative.
Indeed, acquiring marquee assets through the draft is now a more meaningful process of adding elite talent than ever before. Actually, it may be the only way, with the trade market having essentially shrivelled away to almost nothing, with only two non-impact NHL trades since Oct. 1st.
Free agency, meanwhile, seems mostly about overpaying for non-core talent. So if the Leafs aren’t going to win more right now and make a playoff push, then the alternative scenario of a good draft position is appealing, since it’s indisputably the best way to obtain quality players, not to mention affordable ones, these days.
Before we talk names, remember the draft lottery is changing things. The first three spots in the draft will now be determined through the lottery, not just the first. So while the Leafs will almost certainly move vets for picks over the next two months, there’s little reason for an out-and-out tanking effort.
Meanwhile, right now, this draft looks to be four excellent prospects deep.
Two players — American centre Auston Matthews and Finnish right winger Jesse Puljujarvi — have the earmarks of being franchise players. Matthews has been viewed in this way for some time, and if he’d been born two days earlier, he’d have been eligible for last year’s draft and would have competed with Jack Eichel for the No. 2 pick behind Connor McDavid.
Based on what we’re seeing in Helsinki, where Matthews is generating lots of offence as the No. 1 centre on a strong American team, there’s no reason to believe he won’t go first in June.
Well, actually there’s one reason, namely the player who will be wearing No. 9 for the Finns on Saturday in a quarter-final contest with Canada.
Puljujarvi has been explosive and leads the tournament in scoring. When you consider he’s almost eight months younger than Matthews, is six-foot-three and 200 pounds and appears to have a wonderfully complete game as both a playmaker and scorer, the argument that some team (Edmonton, Buffalo) might prefer a winger to a centre if they were otherwise even, the scenario of the Finn going first starts to become more plausible.
Right behind him, meanwhile, is his linemate, left winger Patrik Laine. Laine’s the same size with almost the same birthdate, and some scouts already like him better than Puljujarvi.
Lost a little in the Helsinki discussion, meanwhile, is Matthews’s linemate at the world juniors, Matthew Tkachuk, an aggressive and talented winger just like his dad, Keith, who offers a slightly different set of skills than the other three. A team looking for sandpaper (hello again, Edmonton, and you too, Toronto) might find Tkachuk’s package of skills as compelling as any of the other top prospects.
So that’s four prospects to make scouts drool, and it leaves out talented Sarnia blueliner Jakob Chychrun, who didn’t make Team Canada (maybe he should have) and was No. 2 behind Matthews on many prospect lists last fall. He’s this year’s Noah Hanifin.
Chychrun and Swedish winger Alexander Nylander, also impressive at the world juniors, make this a six-pack of elite prospects for the June draft.
Safe to say any team with a top-10 pick has the chance to get something special, and this draft might be 15 deep in terms of players likely to fit in the top six forwards or top four D-men of an NHL club somewhere down the line.
So that’s what awaits for the Leafs with their top pick if they don’t make that theoretical playoff charge which, you have to admit, would be awfully exciting for Leaf fans to watch if it actually happened.
So it’s either a surprise second-half charge for Toronto, or a very good shot at landing another blue-chip prospect to join William Nylander and Mitch Marner.
Given where this team was a year ago, these optimistic scenarios represent an extraordinary turnaround. Credit Shanahan. He’s made it happen.
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