SHOULD THE LEAFS BE ACTIVE IN FREE AGENCY?

[herman]

The only free agents I want in on are the tools we can buy on the cheap and sharpen to sell at the deadline for picks and prospects.

Free agency starts noon EDT.

 

[Supernova]

The Leafs can continue to rebuild.....while making playoff pushes. The two are not exclusive to one another.

Those two things are basically the definition of being mutually exclusive. It's why the ridiculous word "retool" was coined by Burke and which you yourself feel compelled to use. The team needs top of the league talent. You don't add that in the middle of the draft. You can't gameplan around superstars being available in free agency.

We saw this with Burke. We saw it with JFJ. You can't "build while competing" and have it result in anything other than a disaster.

I don't think so. When you look at the perennial playoff power houses, teams like chicago and L.A tend to always be good, but just draft real well. That is what a dynasty is. Teams continually do well, but just draft better.

I am not saying "bank" on Stamkos, I am saying to go for him with all efforts.

There are teams like Montreal that continually make the playoffs and get mid to late round picks.

This thing is about solid, year after year, drafting. Plain and simple.

You can build your franchise, sign free agents and draft well, and have a successful team. That is why Buffalo and Edmonton will likely make the playoffs this year. They are under different management, that are aggressive in all avenues to build a team.

We don't need any UFA's today, we need to stay clear, which will give us a sense of direction. If we sign a few big bodies today, then I can see Babcock and his winning ways trying to make the show.

The great thing about this year, if we come close, is not just the mid pick we get, but the package we will surely get with some of our core players, which again, sends us forward up the standings.

There has to come a time when the Leafs brass see this franchise and go for it. There is no way in hell that it takes 5 years.

Do you think Stamkos will likely want to sign with the leafs if we have a crap season this year? I don't know. He is and was a huge Leaf fan. But, I would argue that he is more likely to sign here if we had a decent season.

 

[Kin]

I don't think so. When you look at the perennial playoff power houses, teams like chicago and L.A tend to always be good, but just draft real well. That is what a dynasty is. Teams continually do well, but just draft better.

You mean the Blackhawks who drafted their 2 best players at #1 and #3? Or the Kings who drafted their best player at #2?

There are teams like Montreal that continually make the playoffs and get mid to late round picks.

Yup. A team I don't want the Leafs to be like.

You can build your franchise, sign free agents and draft well, and have a successful team. That is why Buffalo and Edmonton will likely make the playoffs this year. They are under different management, that are aggressive in all avenues to build a team.

But they're predicated on the foundation of having built a team with multiple years of finishing in the bottom five of the league. The reason Buffalo and Edmonton might make the playoffs is because of the franchise level players they were able to add at the top of the draft.

Do you think Stamkos will likely want to sign with the leafs if we have a crap season this year? I don't know. He is and was a huge Leaf fan. But, I would argue that he is more likely to sign here if we had a decent season.

I don't think Stamkos is going to sign here regardless but no matter what the Leafs can't base their long-term goals around something like that happening.