On topic guys why do the leafs and habs suck? I'm a fan of the alberta teams but i'd like to see these proud Canadian franchises rise up once more and compete in the playoffs. Is there any hope with these teams? Are things turning around? Is there a young star on these teams that i should be watching for?
Montreal had a really bad season, but they still have solid players in their roster. Subban, Pacioretty, Price, Eller, Cole, and I'm probably missing more (Gomez...:lol). I'd imagine some big moves are going to happen, but with the CBA situation looming over, they might just keep their roster mostly intact.
Edmonton is going to be such a beast in the coming years, I'm jelly of their potential. RNH, Hall, Eberle, Gagner, Paarvi, and they get another top 5 pick in the coming draft.
I'm not so sure on Calgary. They're on the hunt for a playoff spot, so rebuilding isn't really their plan. I'd imagine that they'd have to really do something drastic if they don't make it in the playoffs this year.
Ottawa's been the surprise team this year out of all the Canadian teams. No one expected them to be where they are. The players seem to really respond to the coaching staff, and they have some up-and-comers making a big impact, especially Erik Karlsson (FutureLeaf™
.
Winnipeg's also been sort of a surprise, considering they kept the Thrashers roster intact. Pavelec's become a solid goaltender, and is only getting better.
Vancouver, well...yeah.
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The Leafs had a good season until after the All-Star break and spiralled down to their usual 9-13 spot. The coaching change happened too late, and the team is still trying to adjust to the new defensive game Caryle is implementing. Prospects pool is deep, though, so the team is set in that regard.
Defence, where the team has most of their money tied up, isn't exactly performing to expectations, but they're definitely not as bad as last year. Phaneuf's been solid all year, so I wouldn't count him as a problem for the most part. Komisarek's been given a second chance of sorts with Carlyle and seems to be improving somewhat. Gardiner's the best D-man in the team, and I think he's all-star material in the next few years. I'm mixed on Gunnarsson. Franson's been pretty good, but he's taken Komisarek's spot on the pressbox, so I don't know what's up with that. Liles has also been solid, but he's had his bouts of poor play.
Offence has been pretty good. Kessel and Lupul, and Grabovski have been deadly and have given the team offensive boost on the first two lines. The team's third and fourth line have been serviceable, but could be better. And LOL Connolly earning $5.5 million to be a 4th liner
.
Goaltending has been a fucking mess. Reimer was great before going down with "concussion-like symptoms", and Gustavsson's filled in for him just fine, and enough to even take the starting job from him at times. Right now, they have zero confidence and the team in front of them isn't helping.
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I'm probably wrong with half of my own assessments, so make the necessary corrections. :lol