Leafs acquire Michael Grabner

[CarltonTheBear]

Matthias-Kadri-Lupul
JVR-Bozak-Parenteau
Winnik-Holland-Grabner
Komarov-Spaling-Panik
Arcobello

That's what we have in signed NHL forwards. I like both Boyes and Glencross, but they still need to have very good training camps to earn a spot in the line-up.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

All these PTOs and Grabner are just being accumulated in hopes that they have decent enough seasons to bring something at the deadline?

Maybe. It could just be about trying to clear contracts of guys they don't really believe in, like the Ashton/Broll trade. That way they'd have the ability to maybe grab another guy like Panik when players start to hit waivers. They could have just found a willing partner in New York but they needed to dump Grabner on us to make it happen.

 

[herman]

AHL Quantity for NHL quality (targeting a deadline move), while freeing up spots for better PTO options to become even more deadline moves?

Yes please.

 

[Frank E]

Matthias-Kadri-Lupul
JVR-Bozak-Parenteau
Winnik-Holland-Grabner
Komarov-Spaling-Panik
Arcobello

That's what we have in signed NHL forwards. I like both Boyes and Glencross, but they still need to have very good training camps to earn a spot in the line-up.

Yep, forgot about Holland. 

I think at least one of the 2 gets signed, leaving 3 contract spaces remaining. 

 

[jdh1]

I'm with Dreger on the state of the Leafs.They will be competitive for a playoff spot.
I also think Hunter believes he doesn't need a bottom five standing to get good player in the 1st round.It appears by this signing that they are putting some short term veterans on the team....Go Leafs Go.

 

[Redleaf]

But it's more about the direction it looks like they are taking this season with the signing than just trading for Grabner. It opens the door for the other PTOs too. I think a lot of fans beleived this club was just going to go into the season with a core group of rookies and a skeleton roster. Although that still may be somewhat true, I think they will ice a team that can win this season as well.

The direction they're taking this season? You mean accumulating a ton of spare parts that they can ship out for picks at the deadline, while not acquiring any highend talent or roster upgrades to supplement the team that finished with the 4th worst record in the league last season, and lost their top scoring forward and their top scoring defenceman? Yeah, this is not a group that has improved in overall talent from last season. Take away JvR, Kadri, Gardiner and Rielly, and they look an awful lot like the type of team you'd be able to put together in an expansion draft.

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 finish for this team this season?

 

[bustaheims]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

 

[jdh1]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Wow

 

[Redleaf]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Are you convinced enough to place a friendly wager?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Yeah, just because we have NHL players on the team doesn't mean we'll be very good. If someone wants to argue that we won't be a bottom-5 team, I'll wait to hear 5 teams we'll be better than. The only teams I'd put us ahead on paper right now are Arizona, New Jersey, and Carolina.

 

[Kin]

Yeah, just because we have NHL players on the team doesn't mean we'll be very good. If someone wants to argue that we won't be a bottom-5 team, I'll wait to hear 5 teams we'll be better than. The only teams I'd put us ahead on paper right now are Arizona, New Jersey, and Carolina.

And I think you'd have a legit argument on your hands re: the Devils and Hurricanes.

 

[bustaheims]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Are you convinced enough to place a friendly wager?

Nah. I don't need to embarrass you. You do a perfectly good job of that on your own.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

And I think you'd have a legit argument on your hands re: the Devils and Hurricanes.

For sure, those two aren't clear-cut. Schneider's a top-5 goalie in the league, and I think we'll see the Staal's being very motivated this season.

So we're a lot more likely to finish 2nd last than 5th last.

 

[herman]

Post Deadline: Just the obvious stuff
Matthias-Kadri (maybe)-Lupul (IR)
JVR (maybe)-Bozak-Parenteau
Winnik-Holland-Grabner
Komarov-Spaling-Panik
Arcobello

Even if there are no suitors for all of them, the team will be comprised primarily of good bottom-6 players for 2+ months.

 

[bustaheims]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Wow

Really? Wow? This is a team filled with 3rd and 4th line forwards. There's one somewhat established 1st line type talent on the roster in JvR. The team's next best scoring winger will be lucky to play more than 50 games. They have one top 6 centre, who may or may not be capable of handling 1st line duties. Does that sound like a team that should be competing for a playoff spot? That's a team that's destined for the basement.

 

[Redleaf]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Are you convinced enough to place a friendly wager?

Nah. I don't need to embarrass you. You do a perfectly good job of that on your own.

I'm sure that's the reason. Nothing to do about embarrassing yourself. Got it.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Really? Wow? This is a team filled with 3rd and 4th line forwards. There's one somewhat established 1st line type talent on the roster in JvR. The team's next best scoring winger will be lucky to play more than 50 games. They have one top 6 centre, who may or may not be capable of handling 1st line duties. Does that sound like a team that should be competing for a playoff spot? That's a team that's destined for the basement.

I don't even know if I'd call JVR that. He was a 1st line, 30-30-60 guy playing almost entirely with Phil Kessel. Now he'll be playing with Parenteau or Grabner. I'm not treating him like Bozak or anything, but I wouldn't call him a legit 1st winger.

Also, for people who think that this team won't be in the bottom-5, look at the line-ups that have been posted. How many of those forwards would you comfortably call above-average defensively? Winnik. Komarov. Spaling. All of those guys will be in the bottom-6. So we have a top-6 comprised of guys who are all average at best defensively (and most aren't even that) and only maybe 2 of them will crack the 50-point mark. That's not the sign of a decent team.

 

[Frank E]

So, are you still forecasting a bottom 5 team this season?

Was I not clear enough? Yes. Bottom 5. Quite likely bottom 3.

Are you convinced enough to place a friendly wager?

Nah. I don't need to embarrass you. You do a perfectly good job of that on your own.

I'm sure that's the reason. Nothing to do about embarrassing yourself. Got it.

This contrarian opinion of yours is based on what exactly?

 

[herman]

Anyone else a bit miffed that they spent time learning how to spell Verhaeghe?

Oh well. On to Skladnichenko.

 

[Kin]

This contrarian opinion of yours is based on what exactly?

That a team of untalented veterans will find a way to win "somehow".