Will the Leafs ever be good?

[ablatt]

The Leafs are a very bad team.

They can't score and don't have a number 1 goalie who can stop the puck - not a very good combination. It's obvious that Gustafsson can't handle the number 1 duties yet, and may never be able to. Schenn has no offensive skills, and the Leafs will be lucky if he turns into a semi-solid defensive defenceman.

They have stopped the only thing they could do well - which is forechecking. It's either because they're worn out, have given up on Wilson, or figure what's the point, we're going to lose anyway.

Their is a dark cloud hanging over the team and it's painful to watch.

On top of that, they have very little future, except for Kadri. And no #1 draft choice for two years and no #2 choice next year as well.

Burke's old-fashioned reliance on toughness doesn't fly any more and he's already put this team back 2 years.

Oh well, thank god for the Raptors.

[juucer]

Short answer: No.

Burke hasn't put this team back 2 years, more like 10 years. Without any 1st round picks for the next two years, we're giving up ALOT of the future. Kessel is a great player and will continue to get better, but he's not a franchise guy. There's nothing wrong with this, but he's comparable to a Dany Heatley or Pavel Bure - top notch scorers but fairly one-dimensional and excellent pieces to an already good team. The Leafs are not that.

On top of that, this summer's UFA crop is pretty weak and while Burke will try to be a big player, who is out there could really help this team out for the future??

[ablatt]

If Kessel becomes a Heatley or Bure Burke is a genius. I doubt that will happen.

I thought the free agent crop was good this year.

The thing that bothers me the most is that even when the Leafs were losing they were putting in an effort, especially on the forechecking front. But that effort is gone for whatever reason. Either too tired, too lazy or too disinterested.

[noob_please]

Yes they will be good. May not be next year or the year after, but the leafs are getting younger and quicker all with north american born players. Burke is building this team from the defense up. You got schenn and now phanuef and other solid core D-men. Then you look at the bright futures of bozak,kadri,kessel and maybe stalberg if he ever gets going.

We are just a few players away from being a good team. We will get these players in the next few years through draft and via trade.

When you look at all the close games that we have lost when is pretty much every game losing by a goal or two or giving up a 3 goals. That tells you that your almost got the right guys to succeed.

Few more years and we will be like the L.A King

[ablatt]

You're almost right.

You build from the goaltender out. And they still don't have a proven good one. Gustafsson is nowhere near a #1 goalie yet. He can't move well side-to-side and over-reacts often. He may have the tools to become a #1 but it's definitely not a sure thing.

[noob_please]

once he gets a good team in front of him he will thrive. Once the defense get their act together and instead of out goalie battleing with a 3-0 deficit all the time and the offense puts some pucks in the net all will be good.

For a goalie its alot more difficult when your team is always battleing back into the game. Which gives up odd man rushes and the defense pinch more which makes the goalie more vulnerable.

[Cyrus]

The is Answer is NO!

They need a goalie, and they don't have a "Great" goalie of the future, you build your team from there...

[sh00n]

The is Answer is NO!

They need a goalie, and they don't have a "Great" goalie of the future, you build your team from there...

And I don't think The Monster will ever be that guy, either. I can see him reaching Kari Lehtonen territory, but I don't think he'll ever be elite.

[ablatt]

Sure makes you appreciate what guys like Belfour did for the Leafs.