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NHL January 2015 |OT| A team wearing the Maple Leaf won something at the ACC

All the Leafs media seems to be talking in unison now: The team needs to be broken up.

I wonder what the appetite is within the org for that. I would guess that they would want to give Horachek more games to work with the roster - especially given that, despite the low PDO, the Leafs have been playing markedly better under him than under Carlyle (even last night, Sharks only were only +6 in even strength shots).

There was talk that the Leafs might have been waiting to see how Marc Staal's contract went to get an idea of what Cody Franson's market value would be. Franson is probably better (in terms of point production and advanced stats) but Staal has a better name/reputation, so they were looking at as a similar figure I think.

That's damn high... I hope Franson can be signed for less than 5.25m

I don't think they will keep him. Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly and Franson all basically have the same strengths and weaknesses, and Franson is the one guy who isn't young/tied down with a contract. Hopefully Nonis (lol) can move him for an effective shut-down guy.
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
lmao

B7e_4k1CAAEdb0X.png:large
 

zroid

Banned
I don't think they will keep him. Phaneuf, Gardiner, Rielly and Franson all basically have the same strengths and weaknesses, and Franson is the one guy who isn't young/tied down with a contract. Hopefully Nonis (lol) can move him for an effective shut-down guy.

Mirtle and others seem to agree the best option would be trading Phaneuf and resigning Franson. I think so too. At this point you're right they have pretty similar styles, only Franson is better in just about every category, and younger too.

I don't think you're right about Gardiner and Rielly, their strength is skating, something which is decidedly not so for Phanny and Franny. It may be surprising but Gardiner is actually our best D defensively (measured by shot suppression). It can be hard to tell because he makes dumb mistakes which end up in the net, but IMO this will be alleviated by a good defensive system like Horachek's. Carlyle was spoiling Gardiner. Conversely, Rielly is our best offensive D right now.

edit: the other thing is on the left side, we'll have Rielly, Gardiner, and Percy locked up long term, which is a good group. Franson is by far (BY FAAAAAAR) our best option on the right side atm. He needs to stay honestly.
 

ShaneB

Member
Marchand will never ever learn.

Strange to think I'm incredibly excited for the game against the Predators tonight, big test during this hot run.
 

Kave_Man

come in my shame circle
So let's say a miracle beyond miracles happens and the Leafs were able to draft McJesus or Eichel.

How long do you think it would take the media here to label them busts?
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Marchand will never ever learn.

Strange to think I'm incredibly excited for the game against the Predators tonight, big test during this hot run.
I was excited for our game game against them next week, but it just won't be the same with Rinne out =/
 

ShaneB

Member
I was excited for our game game against them next week, but it just won't be the same with Rinne out =/

Ah, well since the Predators are quietly one of the best teams in the league, I had no idea he was out. That certainly changes things indeed. See now the sprained knee day-to-day listing. Ah well, certainly makes things work out better for the Caps! Really was hoping for that big litmus test sort of game, sure it still will be.
 
I was at the gym and some girl kept coming over to work out near me even when there were dozens of work out machines and weights available. She also whipped her hair around and made sexy grunts. Did she want the D? Pls respond.
 

Bow down to your retired Swedish God, bow down I say!!

I was at the gym and some girl kept coming over to work out near me even when there were dozens of work out machines and weights available. She also whipped her hair around and made sexy grunts. Did she want the D? Pls respond.

No, she was repulsed by your terrible form and small weights that she wanted to show you how it's done and prove that she is better than you.
 
edit: the other thing is on the left side, we'll have Rielly, Gardiner, and Percy locked up long term, which is a good group. Franson is by far (BY FAAAAAAR) our best option on the right side atm. He needs to stay honestly.

It's a brutal situation that Nonis has walked the team into. Franson is probably a more important piece to the Leafs now than Phaneuf is, but Nonis utterly mismanaged the team's cap space leaving pretty much no room for the 5-6m that Franson will undoubtedly demand.

So let's say a miracle beyond miracles happens and the Leafs were able to draft McJesus or Eichel.

How long do you think it would take the media here to label them busts?

Eichel. He's American. The Leafs media doesn't pick on local (Eastern Canadian) players.
 

Razorskin

----- ------
Mirtle and others seem to agree the best option would be trading Phaneuf and resigning Franson. I think so too. At this point you're right they have pretty similar styles, only Franson is better in just about every category, and younger too.

I don't think you're right about Gardiner and Rielly, their strength is skating, something which is decidedly not so for Phanny and Franny. It may be surprising but Gardiner is actually our best D defensively (measured by shot suppression). It can be hard to tell because he makes dumb mistakes which end up in the net, but IMO this will be alleviated by a good defensive system like Horachek's. Carlyle was spoiling Gardiner. Conversely, Rielly is our best offensive D right now.

edit: the other thing is on the left side, we'll have Rielly, Gardiner, and Percy locked up long term, which is a good group. Franson is by far (BY FAAAAAAR) our best option on the right side atm. He needs to stay honestly.
Would be hard to find a suitor for Phaneuf.
 

Calamari41

41 > 38
I was at the gym and some girl kept coming over to work out near me even when there were dozens of work out machines and weights available. She also whipped her hair around and made sexy grunts. Did she want the D? Pls respond.

Paging Heretic. Heretic to the conference room, please. Your expertise is needed.
 

Red_Man

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Seems pretty obvious Nonis is next and will be gone by next season. Shanahan comes in, brings in Dubas, brings in analytic guys, fires Carlyles assistants, fires Carlyle. It's all leading up to Nonis who is the only one left. Dudes just counting the days down now.
 
Is stepan really such an anchor for Rangers? His stats aren't anything crazy but they seem to suck when he's not around...


And Kreider boarding people again? Shocker...
Wouldn't get much back but I think it's doable. Might have to take on a bad contract or something, I dunno. Maybe the Avs would take him. :p
Not sure why avs would take a contract dump when they did contract dumps this past off season... Florida was the only team that used to jump on that stuff.
 
Seems pretty obvious Nonis is next and will be gone by next season. Shanahan comes in, brings in Dubas, brings in analytic guys, fires Carlyles assistants, fires Carlyle. It's all leading up to Nonis who is the only one left. Dudes just counting the days down now.

Imagine if Bolland decided to re-sign.
 

zroid

Banned
Not sure why avs would take a contract dump when they did contract dumps this past off season... Florida was the only team that used to jump on that stuff.

nah, the Avs are one team that might actually value him imo (not saying they would, I think just it's more likely than most others). they need D and Phaneuf has a rep for being a big hitter which is probably something they're looking for. anyway who the fuck knows what GMs are thinking, half of them are idiots.
 
nah, the Avs are one team that might actually value him imo (not saying they would, I think just it's more likely than most others). they need D and Phaneuf has a rep for being a big hitter which is probably something they're looking for. anyway who the fuck knows what GMs are thinking, half of them are idiots.

Forsberg ;_;
 
yeah that filip forsberg kid is pretty good

marty erat isn't that bad either

Forsberg, Burakovsky, Kuznetsov, Wilson, Vrana.

*drool*

The thing that kills me about that trade is that Forsberg is producing at an elite level on his entry level deal.

At least I can console myself to the fact that Ray Shero decided to draft yet another defenseman instead of a much needed winger for Crosby or Malkin :lol
 

MetatronM

Unconfirmed Member
Is stepan really such an anchor for Rangers? His stats aren't anything crazy but they seem to suck when he's not around...

Stepan plays in all areas of the game. Second line center, one of the main distributors on the top power play unit, and our top penalty killer alongside Rick Nash (that PK forward pairing has 4 SHGs on the season, by the way). So out of all the forwards, he's probably the most vital of the bunch, even moreso than Rick Nash, even though Nash is playing near Hart levels this season, due to the fact that he's a natural center.

The big issue, though, is that we just have zero organizational depth at center. Our starting 4 centers are a pretty damn good group (Brassard, Stepan, Hayes, Dominic Moore), but if anything happens to any of them, it's a disaster. That's why Marty St. Louis started the season playing center (and struggling because of it). It's why JT Miller has had to play center at times. There's just nobody at all next on the depth chart, so the lineup goes completely helter skelter. AV used approximately one billion different line combinations last night (approximately) to no avail. The next guy in line is probably Oscar Lindberg, who has played precisely 0 NHL games (aside from preseason, of course).

So basically the issue with losing Stepan is this:
1) He's a center.
2) He's the most important of the centers due to all the different ways with which he contributes.


That said, there seems to be some talk that he might be back in the lineup tonight.
 
Trades, draft, free agency
The highlights of the hockey season for Leafs fans.

Don't worry, you'll draft another Gauthier :p. The love for him is really unfounded. I think he'll be just a 4th line center. By the way, you're 19th in the league and 5 points out of a playoff spot. Flyers are 24th and can slip to 26th if we lose tomorrow (with 11 points out of a playoff position). With how we're going, I could see us get 5th overall and pick up Marner :).
 

Razorskin

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Lawson Crouse will be drafted by the Leafs and bust. Cherry will have a big smile on his face and say they're turning a corner.
 
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