Leafs 2013-14 Regular Season Thread

[Mohanad]

In traditional fashion, we open up against the Habs.

According to Randy, Bernier and Reimer will split the back-2-back games against Montreal and Philly. We'll get a good look early on.

In 4 pre-season appearances: Bernier 82/92 (.891) v Reimer 113/122 (.926) + 15/15 in shootout

I'm going with Reimer for Tuesday.

Leivo, Percy, MacWilliam, and Rielly all looked great in pre-season but don't expect them to see much ice time with the big club this year.

There will be a morning skate Monday before the flight to Montreal. Hopefully we can start off with 2 road wins.

We have HBO covering us 24/7 leading up the Winter Classic





Prediction for the upcoming season: We finish top 5 overall in the East and another wild scene in Maple Leaf square this upcoming spring:



Took that shot after Lupul put us up 2-0 in GM4 against the Bruins

Glad hockey is back, we have a lot to prove this year

[Mohanad]

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle
Leafs send Abbott, McKegg, Percy and Broll down in first wave of cuts. Eight or nine more to come, including waivers at noon.

David Alter ‏@DavidAlter590
Smith, bodie, mcintyre, holzer, brennan on waivers #leafs

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie
Jean Michael Liles also on waivers in TOR.

Reilly, Finn, Percy, Macwilliams..

Doesn't leave much room for other Dmen when the leafs have those guys developing in the system. Makes sense for Brennan, Holzer etc to go on waivers. I hope they get claimed and clear some salary log jam.

Nonis dealt Colborne to Burke for a 4th rounder.

The Maple Leafs will receive a fourth-round pick from the Flames;
however, that pick will become a third-rounder if Colborne scores 10 goals or 35 points in the 2013-14 regular season and Calgary qualifies for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=6...d=nhl:topheads

Colborne had a ton of chances this camp in a variety of scenarios and just never stood out. Probably would have lost him on waivers so better to get something for him rather than nothing.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Not surprising on Liles. The media mouthpieces were putting it out there that he was really impressive in camp. No one is going to touch that deal. Not even Burkie would touch it. Stupid, stupid contract.

Not at all upset about Colborne.

[Mohanad]

Yeah it's unfortunate we have a 3.8 mill cap hit and getting close to zero value in return with Liles.

Looks like the 11-forwards scenario is the likely to be the one to start the season:

JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Raymond
Ashton - Bolland - Kulemin
Orr - McClement

IR/Susp: Clarkson, McLaren

Gunnar - Phaneuf
Gardiner - Franson
Fraser/Rielly - Ranger

Reimer
Bernier

Confirmed: Riley and Ashton are making the opening night roster

That leaves us with only about $125k in capspace.

This is how our Dman depth chart looks like right now:

1. Phaneuf
2. Gardiner
3. Gunnar
4. Ranger
5. Franson
6. Fraser
7. Rielly
8. Liles
9. Percy
10. MacWilliam
11. Holzer
12. Brennan
13. Granberg
14. Marshall
15. Blacker

[Mohanad]

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie

Getting a sense Phil Kessel's contract extension in TOR could get done as early as Tues. Leafs and Kessel's agents working towards that.

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie

But no one has confirmed it's done yet. So we'll see. If it's done, I would expect it'll be $8M per year, give or take $500K, for 7 or 8 yrs

[J-Roc]

Maybe like DeMar, Kessel will sign just before hitting the ice.

I'm not sure what to expect this season. I think when a team is bad, you know it. But you can't be sure when a team is good, in this NHL. I think this Leaf team is good enough to be in any conversation. At the same time, this is the first preseason I've paid so little attention. It feels like a continuation of the last playoffs. We'll see if this is the Leaf team that almost took out Boston.

When you can't make the playoffs, the regular season is exciting. When you are a playoff team, you just want the damn playoffs to start.

[whysoserious]

As much as Toronto and Montreal have a rivalry, I think Toronto/Detroit was more relevant recently due to playing together in the West. Toronto/Montreal have a history but it's a long time together and there really hasn't been a ton of animosity between the teams in recent history.

Since Toronto is playing Detroit in the Winter Classic and with Detroit returning to the East, the season should have kicked off with Detroit in Toronto. Just my two cents. Toronto/Montreal is always good but I'm looking forward to a renewed rivalry with Detroit more than anything in the coming years.

[Brew666]

I'm not sure what to expect this season. I think when a team is bad, you know it. But you can't be sure when a team is good, in this NHL. I think this Leaf team is good enough to be in any conversation.

With the parity in the NHL I don't think anyone can be sure of much these days. You can break the league down into the 3 categories: guaranteed playoff spot, on the cusp, and guaranteed to be golfing in April. The Leafs are on the cusp like the most of the league. It hurts to say this but I'd say Boston and Montreal are guaranteed playoff spots from the Atlantic division and Detroit, Toronto and Ottawa will be fighting for the 3rd, and 4th playoff and possibly 5th playoff spot depending how some teams in the metro division do.

I admit I'm feeling optimistic about the team this year. Which in turn scares me b/c I feel like I'm setting myself up to be letdown [becomes second nature when you cheer for any Toronto sports franchise]. The most important thing to me is this team [should] believes in themselves now. In my opinion, they outplayed Boston in the 1st round. They faced their demons and recognized they're in the same league as them. I'm expecting them to build on what they did last year.

[J-Roc]

I'm not sure what to expect this season. I think when a team is bad, you know it. But you can't be sure when a team is good, in this NHL. I think this Leaf team is good enough to be in any conversation.

With the parity in the NHL I don't think anyone can be sure of much these days. You can break the league down into the 3 categories: guaranteed playoff spot, on the cusp, and guaranteed to be golfing in April. The Leafs are on the cusp like the most of the league. It hurts to say this but I'd say Boston and Montreal are guaranteed playoff spots from the Atlantic division and Detroit, Toronto and Ottawa will be fighting for the 3rd, and 4th playoff and possibly 5th playoff spot depending how some teams in the metro division do.

I admit I'm feeling optimistic about the team this year. Which in turn scares me b/c I feel like I'm setting myself up to be letdown [becomes second nature when you cheer for any Toronto sports franchise]. The most important thing to me is this team [should] believes in themselves now. In my opinion, they outplayed Boston in the 1st round. They faced their demons and recognized they're in the same league as them. I'm expecting them to build on what they did last year.

Agree with you, but isn't the regular season such a different animal than the playoffs? Playoffs are about matchups and although we never used to matchup well vs Boston, somehow Carlisle changed things up. But regular season, you need your skill guys to be horses and come through night in and night out, and have them face vs tough guys who don't mind getting suspended. Kessel, Kadri, Raymond....small guys all around.

Optimistically though....they have enough talent to win more than they lose. I like the lineup. It's not championship material unless someone steps up to be a #1 D. And who do we expect to be the better goalie by the end of the year? But anyway, lots of talent.

[fredericklove]

Really excited for leafs this year, and most excited for Rielly if he gets to play.

[SharoneWright]

Yeah it's unfortunate we have a 3.8 mill cap hit and getting close to zero value in return with Liles.

Looks like the 11-forwards scenario is the likely to be the one to start the season:

JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Raymond
Ashton - Bolland - Kulemin
Orr - McClement

IR/Susp: Clarkson, McLaren

They'll have Bodie as the 12th forward tonight. McLaren's injered, and Bodie makes less than him, so he doesn't hurt against the cap.

[GoRapstheoriginal]

GO LEAFS GO!!!!!!!!!!11111 WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!! LLLLEEEEEAAAAAAFFFFFFFFSSSSSS WWWWWWIINNNN!! YYYYAA!!

! ! !

[Lord Eder]

Van Riemsdyk looking good in game 1, very exciting

[SharoneWright]

In other news, Grabo going HAM for the Caps; 3G1A and the game ain't over yet...

Can't deny,,, it stings.

[Mohanad]

Pretty thrilling opening to the season. 3 go-ahead goals, 5 fights, 98 minutes of penalties, a short-handed goal, and a guy taken off the ice in a stretcher. That's intense hockey right there

Bolland, McClement great defensive duo. Loving the forward group we have.

Need to tighten up defensively,. Gardiner was very shaky, hope he can get his game in gear

Love how they finally figured out JVR is dynamite in front of the net. They played him too much on the perimeter last season. When we played him in front in the playoffs, he was tough to handle.

2 points in the bag, onto the next.

[whysoserious]

A guy taken off the ice on a stretcher is something to be celebrated as part of hockey?

It was certainly a freak accident but not something that should be accepted as part of hockey. Anyways, I'm not sure if that was your point but at first it sure read that way.

[Mohanad]

Not really sure what to say to that - not exactly "celebrating" seeing anyone (let alone hockey) getting carried out in a stretcher. Last night game had 5 fighting majors which left a player being carried out... highlighting that was intense hockey. Nothing more, nothing less.

[whysoserious]

Not really sure what to say to that - not exactly "celebrating" seeing anyone (let alone hockey) getting carried out in a stretcher. Last night game had 5 fighting majors which left a player being carried out... highlighting that was intense hockey. Nothing more, nothing less.

No worries, just wanted to clarify but as you stated, does fighting actually mean more intense or that it was an intense game? Why is that playoff hockey is the most intense hockey you'll see all year yet we see the least amount of actual fighting comparied to the rest of the year.

I'm not discounting the enforcer role, just that fighting is overblown and half the time has nothing to do with intensity and is more often than not organized fights that think they'll inspire a team. A win in a hockey fight can definitely send a shot of energy to one team, whether it's a necessary part of hockey though is different.

[fredericklove]

Victory baby! Bernier was outstanding against the flyers!

Sent from my Nexus S using RealGM Forums mobile app

[ATLTimekeeper]

I think the Leafs are the second tallest team and like 4th youngest or something. I just watched them play a real vets' game dog-tired in Philly's home opener. Loved that 3rd period. Kulemin/Bolland were outstanding. Bernier was steady. Phaneuf, as much as I dislike him, has been rock solid back there.