Leafs 2014-15 Season Thread

[whysoserious]

Kessel needs a legit partner, he needs his Malkin. Phaneuf needs to go though, the Leafs need a real captain that is actually good defensively.

Malkin seems more like the same as Kessel in that he needs a Crosby ahead of him. Kessel needs a Crosby or a Staal that is a lead player IMO. Kessel isn't the guy, a great scorer that's a support player for your top player. Gives him the room to be effective at what he does best. But under this level of pressure as a top player, he'll never live up to it.

Our cap though is so messed up, it's almost impossible to get that guy and keep Kessel. You've basically got to blow it up and Kessel would get you a solid return, Phaneuf not so much but should go as well. Then move Bozak as well, maybe Clarkson at the deadline. Let Kadri play as much as possible this year with JVR and Gardiner and Reilly.

If they trade Gardiner or Kadri for some short fix to continue to support this flawed core, I'll just SMH. Hopefully, Shanny is smarter than that and puts a stop to Nonis trying to make a quick fix to save his job.

[BramptonYute]

The guys I wouldnt trade on this roster are Kessel, JVR, Reilly and Nylander. (counting him, even though he isnt on the roster)

Kessel isnt someone you build around, but you dont trade a top a flight winger. One of the top point producing wingers in the league is hard to come by. And he's on a reasonable deal. Hopefully we dont trade him.

JVR is a young power forward on a very reasonable deal. I still feel like he hasnt reached his full potential, and he could become, if he isnt already, one of the top flight pwf's in the league.

And obviously you dont trade Reilly and Nylander because of their potential.

But before you trade anyone, I think you have to try out a new coach. Maybe with a new approach and systems, the team could play a lot better.

[whysoserious]

The guys I wouldnt trade on this roster are Kessel, JVR, Reilly and Nylander. (counting him, even though he isnt on the roster)

Kessel isnt someone you build around, but you dont trade a top a flight winger. One of the top point producing wingers in the league is hard to come by. And he's on a reasonable deal. Hopefully we dont trade him.

JVR is a young power forward on a very reasonable deal. I still feel like he hasnt reached his full potential, and he could become, if he isnt already, one of the top flight pwf's in the league.

And obviously you dont trade Reilly and Nylander because of their potential.

But before you trade anyone, I think you have to try out a new coach. Maybe with a new approach and systems, the team could play a lot better.

This is the second coach this core has gone through, at what point do you say maybe it's not the coach and it's the players?

[BramptonYute]

The guys I wouldnt trade on this roster are Kessel, JVR, Reilly and Nylander. (counting him, even though he isnt on the roster)

Kessel isnt someone you build around, but you dont trade a top a flight winger. One of the top point producing wingers in the league is hard to come by. And he's on a reasonable deal. Hopefully we dont trade him.

JVR is a young power forward on a very reasonable deal. I still feel like he hasnt reached his full potential, and he could become, if he isnt already, one of the top flight pwf's in the league.

And obviously you dont trade Reilly and Nylander because of their potential.

But before you trade anyone, I think you have to try out a new coach. Maybe with a new approach and systems, the team could play a lot better.

This is the second coach this core has gone through, at what point do you say maybe it's not the coach and it's the players?

Wilson only had Phaneuf, Lupul, Gardiner, Bozak, Franson, Kadri (only played 20 games), Reimer and Kessel. Of those group of players, I would only consider Kessel as part of the core.

[whysoserious]

Wilson only had Phaneuf, Lupul, Gardiner, Bozak, Franson, Kadri (only played 20 games), Reimer and Kessel. Of those group of players, I would only consider Kessel as part of the core.

But you mentioned changing the coach as a move you'd like first and that's pretty much the same core right now that's on it's second coach.

You may see Kessel as the core but those guys, plus a few more are the ones the team has treated as its core.

If you're going to change things up, you need to change them as a collective. That means you hang on to what youth you have - Kadri, Reilly, Gardiner and Bernier and build from there. I can see the argument for Kessel to remain and I wouldn't be opposed to it but he'd still be the best player among that group and not one that could lead them IMO which is why as a top winger, I'd cash in now on him for more youth to grow with the four I mentioned.

[BramptonYute]

Wilson only had Phaneuf, Lupul, Gardiner, Bozak, Franson, Kadri (only played 20 games), Reimer and Kessel. Of those group of players, I would only consider Kessel as part of the core.

But you mentioned changing the coach as a move you'd like first and that's pretty much the same core right now that's on it's second coach.

You may see Kessel as the core but those guys, plus a few more are the ones the team has treated as its core.

If you're going to change things up, you need to change them as a collective. That means you hang on to what youth you have - Kadri, Reilly, Gardiner and Bernier and build from there. I can see the argument for Kessel to remain and I wouldn't be opposed to it but he'd still be the best player among that group and not one that could lead them IMO which is why as a top winger, I'd cash in now on him for more youth to grow with the four I mentioned.

Back then only Phaneuf, Lupul and Kessel were actually high impact players. Gardiner was in his first year, Kadri barely played, Franson was a bottom pairing guy, Reimer wasnt even there the whole season. granted he was a high impact player when he was up, and Bozak was still the same guy he is today. My point being is that most of those players have changed since Wilson was last here, and I would like to see them under a new coach to see what they can do.

I think Kadri has reached what he's capable of doing. Perhaps under a new system, he can do better, but he looks just to be a 2C.

I wouldnt be against trading Gardiner, but I would prefer not to.

I just hope that if management does decide to trade Gards or Kadri, its not for an old guy, like Thornton and Eric Staal. Staal isnt that old, but I dont think he's the same player he once was, and would prefer to stay away.

I think Franson should be traded, he's doing well so his value is probably a bit higher. Lupul can go too, although I think he's a solid forward when healthy, unfortunately, thats like never.

[ATLTimekeeper]

There are no one-player teams in the NHL. I'll defend Kessel to the grave. He's awesome at what he does and remarkably consistent and healthy. That they haven't balanced out the line-up around him well enough is partly because of several regime changes and partly due to odd cap moves.

I hate Phaneuf. Huge hater here. He's not the problem, either. He's solid enough, but overpaid and overused. I don't like him as a captain, but really I don't think a captain makes a team miss the playoffs year after year.

The fans are upset because there was a major snowjob done by Leweike and MLSE this summer, firing all the assistants when Randy had to go, keeping Nonis when he had both feet in mouth and no answers. They've essentially hired all the support underneath these guys while keeping the "faces" still there. Fans are smart enough to know that it's not an ideal situation, so when the team plays like crap, all of the sudden it's attributed to disorganization in the company. Leweike's got one leg out the door anyway, so I don't think he gives a ****, and he may have incorporated the solution to the problem with some of the hires. Let's hope that's the case. I think the players are fine for the most part and have actually played better than expected, but the trust is absolutely gone considering how many collapses we've seen. In a year where there's the best player since Crosby available, it stings that the Leafs don't have a clear direction, don't have a stable front office or coaching staff, and have players that are doing things like organizing snubs to the fans that pay the most expensive ticket in hockey.

It also doesn't help that the team is owned by two major media conglomerates now that are a) publicly at odds with each other and b) unpopular to the people of Canada. It's not the reason why they lost 9-2, but it just adds to the frustration of being a fan.

[Stolen Identity]

You'll be missed coach. RIP.

[GoRapstheoriginal]

RIP Pat Quinn! This sucks! So sad!

[LLJ]

Don't look now, but the Leafs have been 9-2 since, well, that 9-2 game. Playoffs are still a possibility provided they don't go in that patented Leafs 2nd half swoon.

[s e n s i]

scooping up these deuces at home are huge, against quality teams nonetheless. if they can hang on versus the ducks, they'll be 10-1-1 in their last 12. 21 out of a possible 24 points. that's a pretty good run before the schedule really turns to sh*t a week from now.

[Stolen Identity]

10-1-1 and the highest scoring team in the league. A really impressive stretch. Wonder if fans are still going to throw jerseys ? Inevitable collapse ?

[BramptonYute]

Did not expect to get 2 pts against the Ducks, considering they had a 7 game win streak coming in.

[Brew666]

Team has been playing great as of late but the real test is about to begin. On the road for 6 after the Flyers and they have the dreaded Cali trip in January. If they can get through both of those without taking the 18 wheeler off a cliff, I think they'll be ok.

[BramptonYute]

typical leafs loss tonight.

[LLJ]

They are a streaky team. REALLY streaky. Problem is they tend to hit a bad patch at usually the worst possible times, whether it's post AS break or the third period of Game 7 in a playoff series...

[whysoserious]

They are a streaky team. REALLY streaky. Problem is they tend to hit a bad patch at usually the worst possible times, whether it's post AS break or the third period of Game 7 in a playoff series...

They are the same team they have been for years. They love to play offense, have little interest in playing defense and give up a million shots a game and a million quality chances.

So if they are scoring and Bernier is on his game, they win and when either of those things fail then they lose. They have played this way under Wilson and now under Carlyle. At some point they need to look at the personnel and leadership of this team that lets them play this style.

I said it last year and I've said since he resigned, there was no need to resign Phaneuf. They should have let him hit free agency and someone wanted to throw a huge deal at him, let him go.

Also for as good as guys like Kessel and Lupus are, the core of this team can't figure out how to play defense and the way they've spent their cap money it's impossible to change the culture of the organization without a huge shift.

They need to move Kessel (probably the last I'd trade), Lupul (who I like), Phaneuf, Clarkson, Reimer and maybe Bozak.

[LLJ]

I agree, the style of play isn't working. Or maybe the personnel can only play in this style. It's too bad because the fact that they can win so many games playing bad hockey means that there is talent here, at least offensively. If they could play a more structured offence and defence game they could be much better, but maybe they aren't capable of that. The newly formed analytics department seems to have had no effect on the team's system this year. I've heard that Kessel can be a pain in the butt and resistant to a more structured style of hockey. That being the case, we're better off dealing him, as talented and valuable as he potentially can be. Too bad his contract is so long.

[whysoserious]

Great decision by the Leafs. The core remains, two guys on huge deals and long-term likely can't be moved, this core has almost gone through three coaches, at what point are they going to decide that these guys don't fit together?

Maybe this is the first step towards that but it's clear this is on the players and management and not the coaching yet they don't want to acknowledge that and just want to stick more bandaids on it.

[BramptonYute]

I dont agree that the core has gone through almost three coaches.

And even if you think that, imagine a goalie of Bernier's caliber when Wilson was here. He would have easily made the playoffs.