Toronto Maple Leafs

[4horsemen]

I’m hoping they can get in that top5 mark. Looking at previous years, the difference in raw talent from spots 1-5 to 6-10 is a fair bit. If people were watching “The Quizmaster” at the 1^st intermission last night, they talked about Kessel and if he was a cornerstone piece or a tradable piece. I have to agree with what BobMac said. He compared Kessel to Gaborik in LA with more talent. Gaborik isn’t relied on to get the team to win, but he’s a scorer who will pot the odd goal. I think that’s how the Leafs need to build, not around Kessel, but with Kessel. Pretty evident that when Kessel scores, Leafs win, and it’s also evident Kessel goes cold for a 10+game stretch annually. This team needs to learn how to win without Kessel before they will be a playoff team.

Hopefully the NHL sticks to the closed door draft lottery system, because maybe they’ll feel bad for the Leafs and just give us 1^st overall.

There are some very interesting tiers developing this year with regards to the draft and although I'd usually agree that the top 5 is where it's at, this year I can see stud potential all the way through the top 10. The insane part is that any one of the top three could have gone 1st overall in many other years (Hanifin being the debatable one but he'd have been in the conversation) and I see a distinct separation between each of them.

http://www.mynhldraft.com/NHL-Mock-Draft/

Rantanen was an absolute beast at the World Juniors, I haven't seen anything other than that but in that small sample size I was blown away. Any way you slice it, a team selecting in the top ten this year could be adding an important franchise building block. If the Leafs can find themselves somewhere in the bottom 6-8 they could have a legit shot at Crouse, who I'd argue could immediately become one of the cornerstones for the franchise.

So, does anyone want to watch the Leafs squeak into the playoffs (doubtful at best anyway) or would you rather land a guy like Crouse with a lottery ticket for a player who could alter the trajectory of the franchise immediately? I'm all in for the tank.

[gainerama]

Well I officially lost a bet with someone over the leafs game yesterday. I bet someone that the Leafs will never score another goal again this season but that went up in smoke yesterday. I should've bet that they would never win another game for rest of the year instead. Doohh!

[2014olympicgold]

I’m in for a tank yr. Trade Lupul + for youth/picks, and continue the downward spiral towards the outside chance at 1^st overall

[Axeman33]

I’m in for a tank yr. Trade Lupul + for youth/picks, and continue the downward spiral towards the outside chance at 1^st overall

I think the Leafs won too many earlier games to fall that low.

[wendelclark17]

Out of interest, how many people still think firing Carlyle mid-season was a good idea? I didn't like the decision at the time and I like it even less now.....

[gainerama]

The problem now is that they're stuck in a corner and don't have any other options till they try to make a run for Mike Babcock in offseason. Not looking good for Leafs cause whatever they're doing now, doesn't generate any offense.

[Axeman33]

Out of interest, how many people still think firing Carlyle mid-season was a good idea? I didn't like the decision at the time and I like it even less now.....

I put this in another thread, but it fits here too,

carlyle.jpg

[wendelclark17]

I put this in another thread, but it fits here too,

carlyle.jpg

hahaha that's pretty good.

Thing is Carlyle had the team pretty much performing as well as could be expected .... The Leafs are at best a 7th or 8th place team in the East, which is exactly where he had them, or at worst a 12th-13th in the East which is where we are headed right now. Did I love Carlyle's coaching tactics and strategy? Nope, not really but I still think he was getting what he could out of this group. The roster simply is not good enough and Horachek now has the team trying to play a tight game when to be honest the run n gun that Carlyle employed fit with the strengths of our best players. The team sucks but at least Carlyle played to their strengths and didn't try and fit a round peg in a square hole.

[havanablast21]

Personally I have no problem with the firing of Carlyle. His style of play wasn't sustainable so best to cut bait than have another end of season result like last year.

I'm also glad that they didn't go out and hire a Blysma or Daboer or (enter name here) unemployed coach as a response to the firing. Promoting the existing staff to get them through the end of the season was a prudent decision. They haven't made any more lengthy promises to another coach that they have to pay to not coach the team when they go afte the guy they really want at the end of the season (Who ever that may be).

Plus... if they tank...they can blame some of it on the failed attempt at a new system with a relatively unproven coaching staff.

If the team decides to rally behind the underdog coach and perform well... then that's just icecream on the cake.

Atleast this way we get to see this group try a completely new style of play which would NOT have happened under Carlyle. Perhaps we learn nothing more than THIS STYLE is no better or perhaps worse than Carlyle's, but atleast they learn (and costing them nothing by doing so).

It appears as of today, the Leaf's have a 5% chance of landing the to pick. With every loss, those chances get better. It may be far fetched, but at the very least, it's a chance and something that all leaf fans can get behind... perhaps salvaging a bit of this year's fan experience for those leaf fans.

Will the leafs go on a 10 game win streak to finish just outside the playoffs spoiling any chance at a nice pick? Maybe. But at this point... at the very least... everthing the leafs do, or not do generates SOME level of interest.

Sad but still true "Through my eyes".

[2014olympicgold]

They did win too many to begin the year, but 5% chance is still a chance. And like someone said above, every lose is at least not making it a smaller chance.

[Axeman33]

I'm in full tank mode. Lower the better.

How's this different than any other year for the Leafs? LOL! At least the Leafs are showing some smarts and keeping their 1st round picks now a days.

[4horsemen]

With the new lottery system and a generational talent on the table there couldn't be more of a case for moving on down the standings. I have to think that Dubas, Shanny and co. have thought long and hard about this. 5% is 5% and in any sort of $$ lottery that would be considered amazing odds. I'm sure I've never had a 5% chance of winning a 50/50 draw but I'm always optimistic

[4horsemen]

hahaha that's pretty good.

Thing is Carlyle had the team pretty much performing as well as could be expected .... The Leafs are at best a 7th or 8th place team in the East, which is exactly where he had them, or at worst a 12th-13th in the East which is where we are headed right now. Did I love Carlyle's coaching tactics and strategy? Nope, not really but I still think he was getting what he could out of this group. The roster simply is not good enough and Horachek now has the team trying to play a tight game when to be honest the run n gun that Carlyle employed fit with the strengths of our best players. The team sucks but at least Carlyle played to their strengths and didn't try and fit a round peg in a square hole.

Or you could flip this argument on it's head and look at the reverse standings as the goal.

[Axeman33]

Lebrun says there would be considerable interest in Kessel, if he was available. http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/b...15&src=desktop

I guess the question is what the return would be.

More importantly though, if they do go full "teardown" what do they do with Clarkson and Phaneuf? They're obviously stuck with the former. The only way they get rid of him is with a hitman. But Phaneuf is debateable. Can they salvage even a 2nd round pick out of him? I realize that's a poor return, but who wants that 7 million on their books for a #2 or 3 d-man ? Tough decisions ahead for Shanny.

Does Kessel have any say on possible destinations? Damn I wish capgeek was here!!

[JagrBomb]

Lebrun says there would be considerable interest in Kessel, if he was available. http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/b...15&src=desktop

I guess the question is what the return would be.

More importantly though, if they do go full "teardown" what do they do with Clarkson and Phaneuf? They're obviously stuck with the former. The only way they get rid of him is with a hitman. But Phaneuf is debateable. Can they salvage even a 2nd round pick out of him? I realize that's a poor return, but who wants that 7 million on their books for a #2 or 3 d-man ? Tough decisions ahead for Shanny.

kessel is easily tradeable. 8M is a steal for his offense, I don't understand how people think his contract is too expensive to move.

phaneuf is tradeable, but it will be hard. we aren't moving that much salary without taking on a bad/expensive contract. MAYBE in the offseason we could unload that salary if a team has cap space (still unlikely), but definitely not during this season before the trade deadline. it's more likely we take a lesser bad contract + a decent pick/prospect. I'm hoping it will be mike Richards, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's a salary dump like lecavalier.

Clarkson...LOL. nonis is gm of the year if he moves that contract.