I bet Marty St. Louis always wanted to be a Maple Leaf.
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NHL April 2014 |OT| Waiting for the playoff thread...
- Thread starter Kave_Man
- Start date
I bet Marty St. Louis always wanted to be a Maple Leaf.
Yup. Awesome that he has passed Kessel as well.
gaming_noob
Member
If this happens I give up. Clarkson and Bolland making the most money on the team just behind Kessel and Phaneuf would be such a joke.
SuperSonic1305
Member
Would be more awesome if Kessel actually did something the last 3 weeks.
CrazedArabMan
Member
So it this the 2nd time Yzerman was somewhat yelled at for a trade that ended up benefiting Tampa over the other team when it seemed like it would be the opposite once the trade was done? (The other being the Bishop fleecing?).
I know for a fact he didn't learn that from Holland.
Yeah, he hasn't been good. Patches was terrible at the start of the year, plus missed games so he has own tough time as well.
gaming_noob
Member
Those are the type of players to build around. Sorry to say but I would love for the Leafs to get rid of their 2 biggest trading chips in Kessel and Phaneuf and get a few high draft picks IF they could get Bennett/Reinhart and let the young guys grow together. One reason the Avs are so exciting to watch.
Does anyone really want Phaneuf with his current contract?
Lone_Prodigy
Member
7 goals in one period will do that.
Ducks should be hungry tonight after losing to Edmonton so I hope they win.
gaming_noob
Member
Hopefully the Oilers, or Burke...
There are only so many turds we can conceivably dump on one team, and Clarkson is the turd we should be focusing on
bonesmccoy
Banned
Why aren't Phaneuf and Kessel players to build around?
gaming_noob
Member
There are only so many turds we can conceivably dump on one team, and Clarkson is the turd we should be focusing on
I forgot he's on still on the team....lol
They have been here for about 5 years so management have tried to build around them.... the team doesn't look much improved since then. Time for a fresh start!
Unhandled Exception
Member
Maybe management isn't doing a good job of getting the right players to support them?
This is.... So accurate and depressing.
Kessels a winger and Dions a #2
I hope gibbo plays tonight. Boudreau needs to just sit Hiller until the playoffs start. Tell him to get rest and get his mind right. He looks rattled right now.
As soon as he fails Andersen needs to come in and stay there.
Hiller still hasn't been resigned yet right? The club I'm sure has an idea of what they plan on doing. If they don't want him here anymore then they need to stop playing him now. He's going to lead us crashing out of the playoffs.
Kessel is a player you can build around but Nonis made some really bad moves that have hurt the leafs. Getting rid of Grabovski and letting MacArthur walk, two solid 2nd line players just gone. That is basically giving away a late 1st round pick. Clarkson at the moment is a negative asset.... Now we most likely will see Kulemin go for nothing and are in a bad position no matter what with Bolland. His one good move of acquiring Bernier doesnt really make up for all that.
The team is in a really odd place now. They can compete for a playoff spot but don't have enough assets to become a contender. Its the reason why I wanted them to trade Kulemin and Raymond at the deadline they needed to at least try and stay asset even. The only way to generate assets is through drafting, lopsided trades, and FA (Jagr or college route). Burke was able to build up quite a bit of value through trade and FA which is impressive in a cap era: Bozak, JVR, MacArthur, Phaneuf, Lupul, Gardiner, Franson. His bad moves really were not of major consequence.
Its still mind boggling how the leafs completely wasted their two compliance buyouts. Those could of been real assets for them.
bonesmccoy
Banned
You still build around those positions.
edit: Totally agree, Spl1nter.
Apparently Ferraro destroyed O'Neill on the radio today - to the point where O'Neill turned off his mic and refused to participate.
Last time I can remember that happening was when John Shannon shut down Damien Cox on Primetime.
Lone_Prodigy
Member
Kessel is one of the league's top scorers. You don't trade him.
Phaneuf is good but he's not a number 1 defenceman.
So what the Leafs need is a number 1 defenceman and a number 1 centre to play with Kessel. Unless you give up a king's ransom via trade or draft one, you won't get one. These are two of the most sought after commodities in the league. You probably won't win a Cup without them.
Phaneuf is good but he's not a number 1 defenceman.
So what the Leafs need is a number 1 defenceman and a number 1 centre to play with Kessel. Unless you give up a king's ransom via trade or draft one, you won't get one. These are two of the most sought after commodities in the league. You probably won't win a Cup without them.
Fata1moose
Banned
Top pairing D, sure. You don't build around wingers though, you build down the middle and if you so happen to get a great wing, then good on you. I think they can be a cornerstone of your team, but not something you set out to do.
No - almost every stanley cup winning team in the last 12 years has built around a #1 centre, a #1D. The 2 or 3 exceptions had good centres and ridiculous defensive depth + stellar goaltending.
It was already in progress when I tuned in (got back in the car after an errand) and I was just agape throughout :lol
Thats the problem - with Phaneuf at 7M, Clarkson at 5.25, Lupul at 5.25, Kessel at 8 and now if you add Bolland at 5m x 6-8 years we're fucked from competing for another 6-7 years. We won't be able to add a #1 centre or D-man, they'll be no room.
Sure the cap will go up but you have to factor in raises for Bernier, Rielly, maybe Gardiner, maybe Kadri, etc.
Sure the cap will go up but you have to factor in raises for Bernier, Rielly, maybe Gardiner, maybe Kadri, etc.
Kessel is a PPG winger though, with Bozak as his centreman.
Toronto needs a guy like Bergeron up the middle though, take on the tough matchups while still putting up points.
I think you can compete for the cup without your prototypical #1D. Nucks, Jersey, Pens all recently did not have that super elite #1. Center is probably more important but I think in the case of Toronto, Kessel is so good you can compete without an elite #1. A 1a, 1b, 1c model with a shutdown 4th line could win a cup. We never really got to see that until the playoffs last year since having a garbage 4th line is Carlyle.
This isnt to say last years team was a cup contender. They were just closer to a model that could work based on the assets they had with tweaking to a 4th line, improving the D and the right playoff upgrade.
I dont think its hard to say that a leafs team that spends Clarkson money, Bolland assets on D is a lot better. Not to mention in a better cap position. They could have 4 million in cap if they compliance bought out Liles instead.
lamaroo, bergeron is an elite #1 center.
This isnt to say last years team was a cup contender. They were just closer to a model that could work based on the assets they had with tweaking to a 4th line, improving the D and the right playoff upgrade.
I dont think its hard to say that a leafs team that spends Clarkson money, Bolland assets on D is a lot better. Not to mention in a better cap position. They could have 4 million in cap if they compliance bought out Liles instead.
lamaroo, bergeron is an elite #1 center.
Why are the Leafs so obsessed with Bolland? It's so odd.
I'm pretty sure he's injured, he's gone for off for repairs multiple times, and has been fumbling about out there the last two games. Also, I refuse to believe that even Therrien is dumb enough to give him the lowest amount of ES mins in the top 6. Hopefully they're resting him so he's ready for the playoffs.
I disagree, to win the cup as an Eastern team you're center will have to go through Bergeon & Krejci / Crosby / Malkin and then if you do make it to the West you'll have to deal with the likes of Thorton, Backes, Toews, Getzlaf, Kopitar. You won't be able to go all that way without a true #1, that's why I want to move Desharnais. He's been great after rebounding, but he'll get crushed by the likes of those guys.
Coldnoodle
Member
Trade Kessel to Anaheim for Lindholm+Silfverberg and Ott 1st
bonesmccoy
Banned
I agree.
Obviously Kessel and Phaneuf are not the only 2 foundational pieces the Leafs need.
Right up until the 8-game collapse, pretty much everyone from the deepest Corsi watching skeptic to the mouth-breather wearing a Colton Orr jersey agreed that the Leafs still needed to add a 1C and a 1D - or at least build up the depth so that those things aren't needed (ie, Boston with the 1C and what the plan was until things fell apart).
And now? You have people talking as if trading away 2 of the team's best players is the only way the team can re-orient itself and become successful.
I dunno - maybe that's how it needs to be. But I think we should wait and see how this roster reacts to a new - hopefully non old school - coach before we agitate for a blow up.
We need Spezza! And the Leafs don't have anyone I want, except Kessel who they would never trade.
The Sens can't score without Spezza.
We also defend better without Shitzza.
SmackCrackleNPop
Member
https://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen/status/453244785294180352
John Gibson first official start. He will try to stop the team from going full San Jose/Boudreau-ing
John Gibson first official start. He will try to stop the team from going full San Jose/Boudreau-ing
Then we need better d-men.
Do you wanna trade Karlsson because he has a shit load of giveaways as well(most in the league)?
I remember in the early 2000s, our biggest problem was that we didn't have a #1 center, and now that we do everyone wants to run him out of town. It's so typical of this city.
Spezza is still a ppg player, how many of those are there in the NHL?
Hell, how many #1 centers are there period?
Good news! I'm excited to see him in action.
Unhandled Exception
Member
I did not know this but am not surprised.
wsoxfan1214
Banned
The real Sharking doesn't start until the playoffs.
I doubt there are that many
SmackCrackleNPop
Member
I stand corrected. I wonder if the strategy is to Boudreau now and hopefully get over it by the time the playoffs actually start.
Actually looking forward to the game tonight to see Gibson play
CrazedArabMan
Member
There aren't 30 #1 defensemen, either. Philly has a #1C, but not a #1D.
Yzerman signed a 4 year contract extension
This is why every trade deadline, and every free agency we here Dreger & Co telling us how every team is looking for one or both of those.
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