NHL 2023-2024 season - Page 43

Coldrsx · #**841** Posted **May 4, 2024, 4:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Thousands of Toronto families in their one window, one bedroom apartments will be glued to their tv's tonite watching another disappointing end to their hokey season. On the plus side, they don't have to live in Edmonton.

Cute.

MonctonRad · #**842** Posted **May 4, 2024, 4:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Feel like the Leafs have all of the momentum and skill to take tonight, but it will be quite the do or die game for both teams.

Both the Bruins and the Leafs have monkeys on their back for game seven. It will be very interesting to see who is able to shake the monkey off first. Is Matthews playing tonight?

Coldrsx · #**843** Posted **May 4, 2024, 4:54 PM**

He skated again this morning...

BlackDog204 · #**844** Posted **May 4, 2024, 8:12 PM**

Word out of LA, is that the Kings are almost certainly going to buy out Pierre Luc Dubois by June. That trade with Winnipeg last summer, is turning out to be one of the most lopsided trades of the past 20 years.

ScreamingViking · #**845** Posted **May 5, 2024, 6:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Thousands of Toronto families in their one window, one bedroom apartments will be glued to their tv's tonite watching another disappointing end to their hokey season. On the plus side, they don't have to live in Edmonton.

Half right, at least. But don't ignore the thousands in other types of housing across Ontario (and Canada)

megadude · #**846** Posted **May 5, 2024, 11:26 AM**

It's hard to win in the NHL with the salary cap and parity. And so many teams. So I'll give the Leafs that. But they should have gone in a different direction two years ago at least in terms of the HC. They needed to see if a new coach could have changed their style or at least their intensity in the playoffs. Keefe is not exactly an intense guy. Mike Keenan or Torts is not needed to win, but someone closer to that end of the spectrum might help. I mean, Jon Cooper is definitely not one of those guys and he's won plenty, so a hard ass can be avoided.

Anyway, I'm sick and tired of management not having the balls to fire the coach. He seems like a good, likeable guy that I'd want to be friends with. But it's sports. People get fired all the time and they are well compensated for it.

Every team with high end talent has a window of opportunity to win. I hate to see it being wasted. It's exactly what's happening here. Should have gone a different direction with the coach 2-3 years ago and see how that worked out. If that didn't work out then do it again. At least you tried.

I mean, the lack of goals makes it pretty obvious that something isn't working and they needed to try something else. But what do I know, I'm just a casual fan. Then again, I know not to make the dumb decisions that hockey lifers in the old boys club make when it comes to hiring/firing and trades/contracts. So yeah, it makes it frustrating when any one of us here could do better as GM or at least no worse.

EDM has the right idea. I know they play in an easier division, but they don't seem stale to me and the Leafs very much do. As exciting as the Leafs are to watch, with their offensive stars, the team feels stale because it's the same HC. For God's sake, try something different! Grow a pair!

Also, the Leafs should probably have done better in the regular season at least a couple times during this window. Higher seeding might have helped them out in the playoffs. But it's just another sign of how shitty of a franchise they are. No cup finals since '67 and no President's Trophies.

Should point out though, like when the Leafs lost to that trash Habs team, the lack of Tavares could very well have swung the series. They shouldn't have needed JT to win that series but still. As for Nylander, given his performance in the few games he played, he might very well have been the x-factor. Leafs easily could have been moving on.

Berklon · #**847** Posted **May 5, 2024, 1:43 PM**

1 playoff series win in 8 playoff appearances is horrible.

Time to clean house throughout the whole organization. Total turnover in management and coaching.

Dump Marner, Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Reilly for draft picks.
They're going to suck for a while, but that's what rebuilds do.

MonctonRad · #**848** Posted **May 5, 2024, 1:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

1 playoff series win in 8 playoff appearances is horrible.

Time to clean house throughout the whole organization. Total turnover in management and coaching.

Dump Marner, Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Reilly for draft picks.
They're going to suck for a while, but that's what rebuilds do.

Slash and burn is not the way to go.

I agree with a major managerial and coaching shakeup.

I think Marner has got to go. Matthews and Nylander have proven themselves. Tavares may be a little more iffy, but I wouldn't get rid of him yet.

Berklon · #**849** Posted **May 5, 2024, 2:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Slash and burn is not the way to go.

We're going to see the same thing happen every year and at the end they'll wind up having to rebuild anyway without the benefit of a bunch of extra draft picks. 8 years is more than enough time to know that this isn't working.

ScreamingViking · #**850** Posted **May 5, 2024, 2:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

It's hard to win in the NHL with the salary cap and parity. And so many teams. So I'll give the Leafs that. But they should have gone in a different direction two years ago at least in terms of the HC. They needed to see if a new coach could have changed their style or at least their intensity in the playoffs. Keefe is not exactly an intense guy. Mike Keenan or Torts is not needed to win, but someone closer to that end of the spectrum might help. I mean, Jon Cooper is definitely not one of those guys and he's won plenty, so a hard ass can be avoided.

Anyway, I'm sick and tired of management not having the balls to fire the coach. He seems like a good, likeable guy that I'd want to be friends with. But it's sports. People get fired all the time and they are well compensated for it.

Every team with high end talent has a window of opportunity to win. I hate to see it being wasted. It's exactly what's happening here. Should have gone a different direction with the coach 2-3 years ago and see how that worked out. If that didn't work out then do it again. At least you tried.

I mean, the lack of goals makes it pretty obvious that something isn't working and they needed to try something else. But what do I know, I'm just a casual fan. Then again, I know not to make the dumb decisions that hockey lifers in the old boys club make when it comes to hiring/firing and trades/contracts. So yeah, it makes it frustrating when any one of us here could do better as GM or at least no worse.

EDM has the right idea. I know they play in an easier division, but they don't seem stale to me and the Leafs very much do. As exciting as the Leafs are to watch, with their offensive stars, the team feels stale because it's the same HC. For God's sake, try something different! Grow a pair!

I agree with the sports writers who have been saying a management clear-out is in the offing if TML fails early in the playoffs.

This was year 10 of the "ShanaPlan" and it's time for a new one under different leadership. The team is a lot better than it was before 2014, but apparently it's just good enough to break the hearts of its fanbase.

I don't think a massive salary dump is needed either. But some of those high-priced players can go, to help draft new talent - Marner should command a good return in trade, and I'd probably get rid of Tavares too though his value may be higher at next year's trade deadline. Better defence and a consistent winner between the pipes would really help. I'm not sure I'd want to trade Nylander, and to me Matthews is untouchable.

Djeffery · #**851** Posted **May 5, 2024, 3:23 PM**

Those 4 players aren't going anywhere unless they agree and the Leafs don't have cap space to buy them out (and it would be silly to do that anyway).

Keefe has had his time, no one can say they are tossing him to the wolves by letting him go now. He's 5th place in terms of games coached in Leafs history, and has the best regular season winning percentage of any of them. But play-offs are where it counts and he just hasn't had success in that.

I don't think Treliving is in danger of losing his job but I think Shanahan and the rest of the management team are and should be shown the door. I don't think the new boss at MLSE is going to start off his tenure by showing faith in this group now to his bosses (especially the Rogers side who has spent so much on hockey rights and not managed to get one decent playoff run out of the Leafs).

ScreamingViking · #**852** Posted **May 5, 2024, 3:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Those 4 players aren't going anywhere unless they agree and the Leafs don't have cap space to buy them out (and it would be silly to do that anyway).

(especially the Rogers side who has spent so much on hockey rights and not managed to get one decent playoff run out of the Leafs).

I've got a touch of schadenfreude about Rogers.

They may have no-trade clauses, but there's always a way. Tavares may want to end his career with a winner, and the Leafs probably won't be that next season. Marner is still young but he could be the #1 guy on many teams. A year ago I'd have preferred to keep MM and let Willy go, but now I'm not so sure... one of the two should be put out there for offer, but contract drama with Marner may be a factor as well.

Berklon · #**853** Posted **May 5, 2024, 3:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I'm not sure I'd want to trade Nylander, and to me Matthews is untouchable.

Why? Nylander seems to show up more to the playoffs than the other high-paid players, but overall - all of them have a career playoff average of UNDER a point a game. They do not show up in the playoffs no matter who else is on the team. They toughen up the team and add grit and playoff performers - and the core still can't seem to do anything.

You know the saying "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time"? They've shown us 8 times/years - it's amazing people still won't believe them.

Djeffery · #**854** Posted **May 5, 2024, 4:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I've got a touch of schadenfreude about Rogers.

They may have no-trade clauses, but there's always a way. Tavares may want to end his career with a winner, and the Leafs probably won't be that next season. Marner is still young but he could be the #1 guy on many teams. A year ago I'd have preferred to keep MM and let Willy go, but now I'm not so sure... one of the two should be put out there for offer, but contract drama with Marner may be a factor as well.

I'd be interested to see who the winning team that JT would agree to go is that will take on his cap hit and give the Leafs back enough to both open up the space and also keep themselves winners in opening up that space. Maybe he wants a fresh start in Utah lol.

Black Star · #**855** Posted **May 5, 2024, 4:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Thousands of Toronto families in their one window, one bedroom apartments will be glued to their tv's tonite watching another disappointing end to their hokey season. On the plus side, they don't have to live in Edmonton.

I guess back in the day it was cool to live in Toronto when it was actually livable lol. I will take Edmonton over the Big Smoke any day of the year

Go Oilers Go....Rest up Boys....we have some Canucks to dispatch in 6 games.

WhipperSnapper · #**856** Posted **May 5, 2024, 4:57 PM**

That series ending goal was just perfect.

Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity ... well ... there's being teams that have underperformed for many years to eventually put it together once and often only once for a deep run including winning it all. That's what this team is.

Do the Leaf suits really want a championship though?

Coldrsx · #**857** Posted **May 5, 2024, 6:23 PM**

zoomer · #**858** Posted **May 5, 2024, 6:34 PM**

In a theoretical world if players agreed - would you trade Marner, Rielly and a top 3 prospect to Chicago for Bedard? Would Chicago do that? With the amount you clear on the cap Toronto could bring in some better playoff performers in free agency as well.

Coldrsx · #**859** Posted **May 5, 2024, 6:59 PM**

1992 - the last time these two teams met in the playoffs.

https://twitter.com/CraigBaird/statu...03597926416581

Berklon · #**860** Posted **May 5, 2024, 7:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoomer

In a theoretical world if players agreed - would you trade Marner, Rielly and a top 3 prospect to Chicago for Bedard? Would Chicago do that? With the amount you clear on the cap Toronto could bring in some better playoff performers in free agency as well.

Chicago would never do that trade.

Just trade them all for draft picks and rebuild. A good landing spot for a player or two is Utah. They have the most cap space and need some star players to ensure fans take to the new team and stick with them. And while you can mock the core 4 (5 if you count Reilly) for the lack of playoff performance (and I certainly do) - they are integral for the team to make the playoffs. Without them, the Leafs wouldn't even sniff a playoff appearance.