2019 Toronto Maple Leafs Offseason Discussion

[Redleaf]

I wish nothing but the best for Gardiner. He was such a refreshing surprise when he first came to the Leafs. He could run a power play, appeared quite responsible defensively and had a way of dipping and gliding up the ice that left fans in awe at time.  At one time I thought he would be a very important member of the Leafs for as long as he wanted to be.

But then we saw what happened in the first game 7 lose to the Bruins  and how his game came apart at the seams at times, particularly when his defensive qualities were tested under pressure . He failed during those moments and often in glaring spectacular fashion.

We saw a similar thing happen again in game 7 against the same team this year where a single gaffe at a most inappropriate time caused an important goal against.

I can?t help but wonder if those incidences are part of the reason that teams have yet to make him an offer and perhaps why the Leafs are not terribly upset to see him walk away this off season. 

 

[herman]

Those general managers probably shouldn't discount how Gardiner was largely the reason the Leafs got to that first game 7 with the Bruins to begin with.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

We may have a tendency to overvalue our own.

Well that certainly happens but it can go both ways, it's possible Gardiner is both overvalued by his supporters and undervalued by his critics. Which again makes it very difficult for his agent to find a deal. Because even if there's a GM out there who really likes him he might know that most GMs out there aren't touching him at $6mil, so that GM's holding firm at say $5mil even if he thinks he'll add a lot more value to the team than that.

 

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/1072962/2019/07/12/bourne-are-the-maple-leafs-going-to-be-better-than-they-were-last-season/

Are the Maple Leafs better than last season? You don't really have to read the precipitating article to participate in this conversation, because I'm sure you, person who is spending time on this forum, have plenty of thoughts on the matter.

Going into this offseason, the Leafs were faced with their biggest cap crunch on top of a contentious Marner contract negotiation, on top of likely losing talent to free agency off the backend in Gardiner due to said crunch, all without being able to address that crater in RD that has been there since... Robert Svehla apparently. In the span of two weekends, Dubas has reshaped the roster drastically (outside of the core) to what a very negative reading could characterize as 'treading water' while actually addressing the cap crunch, adding a top-end RD (the R is for Rover!), and blocking off any reasonable offersheet threat to Marner.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Gardiner has way too many defensive deficiencies in his game to warrant a 6+ mill contract. 5 is the absolute limit for me.

 

[Bates]

https://theathletic.com/1072962/2019/07/12/bourne-are-the-maple-leafs-going-to-be-better-than-they-were-last-season/

Are the Maple Leafs better than last season? You don't really have to read the precipitating article to participate in this conversation, because I'm sure you, person who is spending time on this forum, have plenty of thoughts on the matter.

Going into this offseason, the Leafs were faced with their biggest cap crunch on top of a contentious Marner contract negotiation, on top of likely losing talent to free agency off the backend in Gardiner due to said crunch, all without being able to address that crater in RD that has been there since... Robert Svehla apparently. In the span of two weekends, Dubas has reshaped the roster drastically (outside of the core) to what a very negative reading could characterize as 'treading water' while actually addressing the cap crunch, adding a top-end RD (the R is for Rover!), and blocking off any reasonable offersheet threat to Marner.

Assuming Marner is signed and when our two injured players return I think the Leaf's are much better than last year.

 

[cabber24]

https://theathletic.com/1072962/2019/07/12/bourne-are-the-maple-leafs-going-to-be-better-than-they-were-last-season/

Are the Maple Leafs better than last season? You don't really have to read the precipitating article to participate in this conversation, because I'm sure you, person who is spending time on this forum, have plenty of thoughts on the matter.

Going into this offseason, the Leafs were faced with their biggest cap crunch on top of a contentious Marner contract negotiation, on top of likely losing talent to free agency off the backend in Gardiner due to said crunch, all without being able to address that crater in RD that has been there since... Robert Svehla apparently. In the span of two weekends, Dubas has reshaped the roster drastically (outside of the core) to what a very negative reading could characterize as 'treading water' while actually addressing the cap crunch, adding a top-end RD (the R is for Rover!), and blocking off any reasonable offersheet threat to Marner.

Better this year. The core is older and wiser. New special teams coaches, although statistically not that bad, talent wise the PP should be exponentially better. Barrie is better then each of Zaitsev/Gardiner/Hainsey so since our top 3 D is better I am going say our D will be improved.

 

[Kin]

https://theathletic.com/1072962/2019/07/12/bourne-are-the-maple-leafs-going-to-be-better-than-they-were-last-season/

Are the Maple Leafs better than last season? You don't really have to read the precipitating article to participate in this conversation, because I'm sure you, person who is spending time on this forum, have plenty of thoughts on the matter.

I'd say they're roughly the same. Any significant gains are going to have to come from internal growth.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Id say that our roster post-trade deadline last season and our roster right now are at roughly at the same level, which is an accomplishment because it was assumed by many that we'd see a step down while we rode out Marleau's deal.

But I also think we're poised to have a better season this time for 3 reasons:

1) We'll potentially have 82 games of Nylander in top form vs. 54 games last season where a good chunk of it was in poor form. Even if "top form" Nylander is only the 60 point player we saw in his first 2 seasons (it's not) that will be a huge change.

2) We'll have a full season of Jake Muzzin as opposed to 30 games. Also the impact of Muzzin's arrival last season was reduced because he basically just ended up covering for Gardiner during his injury. Rielly, Gardiner, and Muzzin only played 13 regular season games together last season. If we can have a mostly healthy season with a top-3 of Rielly-Barrie-Muzzin that is going to make a massive difference.

3) I don't want to over-simplify this, but our PP struggles through most of last season were a little fluky. Our success rate there will go up.

 

[herman]

Full season of Nylander + Matthews is going to be fiyah.

An adjustment in deployment goes a long way too.

0 min for Zaitsev and Hainsey and Ozhiganov and Gauthier (*sobs) and Marleau and Brown --> Far more incentive for the coaching staff to add playing time to the top-6/4 at their very gaudy offensive rates.

 

[Kin]

0 min for Zaitsev and Hainsey and Ozhiganov and Gauthier (*sobs) and Marleau and Brown --> Far more incentive for the coaching staff to add playing time to the top-6/4 at their very gaudy offensive rates.

That'd be a lot more encouraging if a lot of those minutes weren't being filled by Ceci and Harpur and other guys who are probably going to be borderline worse than the guys they're replacing.

 

[herman]

0 min for Zaitsev and Hainsey and Ozhiganov and Gauthier (*sobs) and Marleau and Brown --> Far more incentive for the coaching staff to add playing time to the top-6/4 at their very gaudy offensive rates.

That'd be a lot more encouraging if a lot of those minutes weren't being filled by Ceci and Harpur and other guys who are probably going to be borderline worse than the guys they're replacing.

That's the trick to GMing right? Give Babcock guys that are his type, but so untrustworthy that after 5 games, they're down to 10 min TOI and he is forced to lean on his skilled players.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That'd be a lot more encouraging if a lot of those minutes weren't being filled by Ceci and Harpur and other guys who are probably going to be borderline worse than the guys they're replacing.

Man Harpur getting playing time would probably bother me even more than Ceci being on the team will.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

That'd be a lot more encouraging if a lot of those minutes weren't being filled by Ceci and Harpur and other guys who are probably going to be borderline worse than the guys they're replacing.

Man Harpur getting playing time would probably bother me even more than Ceci being on the team will.

You just know Babcock gonna Babcock and roll Harpur out there 30 minutes a night. 

 

[Kin]

That's the trick to GMing right? Give Babcock guys that are his type, but so untrustworthy that after 5 games, they're down to 10 min TOI and he is forced to lean on his skilled players.

Yes. If there's one thing we've learned from Babcock's tenure here it's that he's quick to recognize what's not working and replacing it with what the analytics guys like. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Man Harpur getting playing time would probably bother me even more than Ceci being on the team will.

You just know Babcock gonna Babcock and roll Harpur out there 30 minutes a night. 

The saving grace here is that despite being a giant Harpur isn't really a physical defenceman. So I'm not convinced that Babcock will fall in love with him. I think Borgman or Gravel are more likely to play while Dermott's out.

 

[cabber24]

Man Harpur getting playing time would probably bother me even more than Ceci being on the team will.

You just know Babcock gonna Babcock and roll Harpur out there 30 minutes a night. 

The saving grace here is that despite being a giant Harpur isn't really a physical defenceman. So I'm not convinced that Babcock will fall in love with him. I think Borgman or Gravel are more likely to play while Dermott's out.

Spezza is going to be our first line center being a gud pro and all.

 

[leafsjunkie]

Full season of Nylander + Matthews is going to be fiyah.

This is exactly what should be done, but I have this tingle on the back of my neck that says Babcock is going to Babcock and that is not going to come to fruition. I hope I am wrong... (please, please, please be wrong)

 

[cabber24]

The Babcock ship has sailed for me, still can't believe he'll be back. I know we poke fun but it's not funny, his decision making has been ridiculous and if his curious decision making continues it will be a colossal piss off.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/mapleleafs/status/1149777983533699079

Get allllll the 7ths