leafsfan89 wrote:Jay_Hawk wrote:Simply put, this team isnt a playoff team. They might get lucky to squeek in but thats it.
You know how in Baseball, there are players considered to be AAAA players (players who are too good for AAA but not quite good enough for the majors)? Burke has accumulated a roster of AAAA hockey players.
You might have a point. The leafs are definitely producing, thats not even a question. Our top 3 players have combined for like 155 points and theres still over a month and half left to play. The leafs can score, and this was just a bad showing. But the problem I see this year is the leafs have only 2 lines that really produce. The Kessel Line and the and the Grabovski Line. Connolly hasnt done much and has really slowed down, he's not able to make those amazing passes anymore, i just dont see them. The defensemen are better and more mobile than previous years but they don't produce offensively on the powerplay. I remember the leafs' powerplay was deadly because of 2 guys in the early 2000s; Kaberle and McCabe. It would be the typical Kaberle to McCabe setup and goal. Phaneuf has a hard shot but he just doesnt find the back of the net as much as he should! Phaneuf could easily be a 20 goal scoring defensemen.
But back to your statement about AAAA players... i dont see how any team can be without them. This is a league unlike basketball where there are more active players playing in a game. So yea saying your 4th line is full of AAAA players doesn't mean the team is totally crap.
No doubt most teams have "AAAA" players, but not as many (in my opinion) as the leafs do. Don't get me wrong, I think Phaneuf, Liles, and Kessel (though I'm not really a fan of the trade) are quality NHL talents. I'd group Lupul with them if he continues his success next year- but right now, I think its fair to call Lupul's season above his mean. Outside of that- I don't see many guys on this team that will even flourish to become above-average talents in this league. Gardiner looks like a great prospect, and Kadri might have some success, but thats really it in terms of young talent.
I just dont see a very bright future for the Leafs, unless they re-group and try to re-build. They need a superstar, and I don't see one coming to Toronto anytime soon (Definitely not this off-season. The Leafs will only have $13 million to spend on 7 players, and about 5-6 of that million may go to Grabovski). And just as much as they need a superstar, you can add 'true leader' and '#1 goalie' to the list as well.
Bottomline is, this team needs to re-build and improve through the draft. No team in recent history has hoisted the cup without suffering enough losses to acquire high-level talent through the draft, and for whatever reason Burke thinks he's the only one that can buck the historic trend.
Detroit may be the only team to not suffer losses in order to win- but if Detroit's success tells us anything, it's how vital it is to have a strong scouting department that can make use of late-round draft picks. Thats been the key to their success.
That was classic
