Yes - in the real season. I'm not too worried about pre-season pairings. They have some new faces and they need to see what works.
- 1979AD

too bad none look like this

Like I said yesterday, if a man is diagnosed with testicular cancer and loses a nut because of it (which I'm not sure even happened, just something I heard along the way), then he shouldn't have to worry about fat jokes. People can only take so much.
- BetterCallSaul

Wrong. People will take just as much as I'm willing to hand out. Got it?

Kessel got fat over the off season and looked like poop in that preseason headshot. Fair game.

Wrong. People will take just as much as I'm willing to hand out. Got it?

Kessel got fat over the off season and looked like poop in that preseason headshot. Fair game.
- bloatedmosquito

Yes sir. My apologies.

Wrong. People will take just as much as I'm willing to hand out. Got it?

Kessel got fat over the off season and looked like poop in that preseason headshot. Fair game.
- bloatedmosquito

I see, that means the only difference between you and him is that he's an NHL player then!

Wrong. People will take just as much as I'm willing to hand out. Got it?

Kessel got fat over the off season and looked like poop in that preseason headshot. Fair game.
- bloatedmosquito

He does this consistently. Do you know what he else he does consistently?

edit: Also, the sisters were apparently the only Canucks able to finish Torts' pre-season marathon run last year. How did their season turn out?

too bad none look like this
- PinkSock

Did he used to be a flyer? Also is that a tin helmet?

Wrong. People will take just as much as I'm willing to hand out. Got it?

Kessel got fat over the off season and looked like poop in that preseason headshot. Fair game.
- bloatedmosquito

ya hes a (frank)ing fat slob

Yes sir. My apologies.
- BetterCallSaul

Did he used to be a flyer? Also is that a tin helmet?
- corunnakid

I just think hes got a purdy mouth, if ya know what I mean...beauty helmet to boot

He does this consistently. Do you know what he else he does consistently?
- 1979AD

Keep his kill/death ratio better than Stee's?

I just think hes got a purdy mouth, if ya know what I mean...beauty helmet to boot
- PinkSock

There's something about the lack of teeth.

What would they cannibalize? Gate revenue? Nope. TV revenue? No. Merchandise sales? Probably not. Media attention? Definitely no considering the owners.

I just don't see any jeopardy to the maple leaf brand. I could see the CFL, NBA, and MSL having more issues with a second NHL team in town.
- bloatedmosquito

gate revenue... how can you say no? how do you know that 10 years down the line, if the expansion team is successful on the ice and the Leafs are struggling, the gate isn't affected? we're not just talking attendance here. we're talking inflation and ticket prices. merchandise? same thing. media attention... someone will pay attention. and if the answer to all the questions IS no... then why put a second team in TO anyway? whatever revenue a new team generates... it's not appearing out of thin air.

Keep his kill/death ratio better than Stee's?
- BetterCallSaul

I bet Phil's one of those (I always assume their 14 year old kids who do nothing but go to school and play COD) kids who kill me every 1.5 seconds and make me throw my controller against the wall and play story mode instead.

I see, that means the only difference between you and him is that he's an NHL player then!
- Conquest

No, there's the $63,900,000 difference in pay cheque and the fact he's scored a poopload of goals in the NHL.

And I would definitely like to bang his sister. I don't think we have that in common.

I bet Phil's one of those (I always assume their 14 year old kids who do nothing but go to school and play COD) kids who kill me every 1.5 seconds and make me throw my controller against the wall and play story mode instead.
- 1979AD

I'm not very good at those games either. Haven't played a 1st person shooter since Halo Reach.

gate revenue... how can you say no? how do you know that 10 years down the line, if the expansion team is successful on the ice and the Leafs are struggling, the gate isn't affected? we're not just talking attendance here. we're talking inflation and ticket prices. merchandise? same thing. media attention... someone will pay attention. and if the answer to all the questions IS no... then why put a second team in TO anyway? whatever revenue a new team generates... it's not appearing out of thin air.
- DoubleDown

agreed. especially merchandising. people living in the GTA won't have double the money to spend just because there's a new team.
at the gate not so much, Leafs have been suckin hard for 10 years and it's always sold out.

The GTA can have a second damn team when the Leafs win the DAMN CUP !!

agreed. especially merchandising. people living in the GTA won't have double the money to spend just because there's a new team.
- fidopro

JVR - bozak - kessel
lupul - kadri - clarkson
bodie - smithson - ashton
mclaren - kontolia - orr

phaneuf - talinder
rielly - mikelson
gardiner - finn

reimer
bibeau (the new bernier)

Anyone agree?

Dion should be paired with Gardiner , Rielly with Robidas/Polak. We need to have our up and coming stars playing top 4 minutes, not buried with Franson on 3rd pairing.
- corunnakid

Gardiner on the 1st pairing would be a mistake IMO.

Gardiner on the 1st pairing would be a mistake IMO.
- Garnie

Well then Rielly first pair/ Gards second

Gardiner on the 1st pairing would be a mistake IMO.
- Garnie

I agree.

Much better putting MRiles on it.

I've got a question about Kontiola playing centre:

Can Petri dish the puck?
- Atomic Wedgie

Well played sir!

agreed. especially merchandising. people living in the GTA won't have double the money to spend just because there's a new team.
at the gate not so much, Leafs have been suckin hard for 10 years and it's always sold out.
- fidopro

Don't agree with DoubleDown because you'd be wrong.

Regarding gate revenue - a stadium can only seat so many. There's a large under-serviced pro hockey market in TO (that's why there's season ticket waiting lists and a demand for resales). I believe you could strip away 15,000 potential season ticket purchasers from the leafs and they wouldn't even notice. Their market share is that big and that will drive inflation of ticket prices.

Leafs have struggled in the past. Fan interest and dedication never faltered. I think leaf nation is built on history and heredity. Their fanaticism is ingrained. That would be hard to extinguish through savvy marketing by any new franchise. Just ask the raptors and TFC.

Of course revenue doesn't grow out of thin air. Every person has a limit on disposable income. The fans that will buy a season ticket to a new local franchise are not switching from the leafs. They're probably people who can't get/afford leaf tickets anyway or ticket purchasers from the other pro teams in town. That might worry MLSE more than anything.

Anyway, I don't come here to argue I just don't see an issue with a second team. Even if a second franchise is only moderately successful it would still out-revenue most of the existing/potential expansion sites in the NHL today.

JVR - bozak - kessel
lupul - kadri - clarkson
bodie - smithson - ashton
mclaren - kontolia - orr

phaneuf - talinder
rielly - mikelson
gardiner - finn

reimer
bibeau (the new bernier)

Anyone agree?
- BoTtLePoLiCe

Agree with what, exactly?