youtube link for USA France Germany vs. Canada game?
- BorjeFan4Ever

No, but for him to succeed he needs a center who will just go in and do the dirty work.

Kessel can score... Big whoop... He doesn't do anything else worth a poop.

And in today's league... You win by playing solid defense and adhering to the coach's systems. So basically everything that isn't Kessel.

I'm (frank)ing ecstatic he isn't a leaf anymore.
- Dozzer

He can pass the puck pretty well.

So your blogger reports the Kessel trade translated into less wins and better draft pick....but your tank job was honorable and ours was not?

So glad to have a good rivalry with you guys for at least the next few years, if not longer.

And please, no Garf references....he is not our blogger.

the leafs got 3 unknown assets.. i find it odd people have determined already the leafs did not get enough.

I suppose seeing Kessel help the pens get to the 3rd round tilts the trade so far..but we knew kessel was an elite scoring talent.. he can help a team
- senstroll

We had to retain on his salary. That's the part were Leafs lose.

Right. Make a final call on a late first 19 year old.... Cause that makes sense.
- Dozzer

If you feel so strongly about him, feel free to buy his jockstrap at the annual equipment sale.












Relax, Dozzie. I'm not writing him off. Let's just say I have lower expectations than some residents of Leafs Nation.

I'm jealous.
- mykokes

The new new alliance will henceforth be known as Koke Wenchie

So your blogger reports the Kessel trade translated into less wins and better draft pick....but your tank job was honorable and ours was not?

So glad to have a good rivalry with you guys for at least the next few years, if not longer.

And please, no Garf references....he is not our blogger.
- LandlordTom

For the record, we never criticized your tank job.

Hell, we were jealous.

1. McDavid
2. Matthews / Eichel (I think both will pan out similar top C players; will be great matchups)
4. Marner
5. Puljujarvi
6. Laine
7. Chychrun
8. Hanifin
9. Provorov
10. Tkachuk
11. Colin White (great pick by Ottawa)
12. Strome
- MaximusAurelius

The Strome hate on these boards lately is unreal.

The new new alliance will henceforth be known as Koke Wenchie
- AdamFrench

ft. The Gull?

No, but for him to succeed he needs a center who will just go in and do the dirty work.

Kessel can score... Big whoop... He doesn't do anything else worth a poop.

And in today's league... You win by playing solid defense and adhering to the coach's systems. So basically everything that isn't Kessel.

I'm (frank)ing ecstatic he isn't a leaf anymore.
- Dozzer

your view of him is so screwed up from having RC as a coach

the players listened to RC and played his system...but guess what...its (frank)ing awful .. Kessel does much more that you give him credit for. ..wait isnt that a song?

If you feel so strongly about him, feel free to buy his jockstrap at the annual equipment sale.


Relax, Dozzie. I'm not writing him off. Let's just say I have lower expectations than some residents of Leafs Nation.
- Atomic Wedgie

I don't expect him to become top line material... But second or third line in a secondary scoring role I about where I see him ending up.

There's also the fact that he's likely to get more and better ice time with the Marlies this year... Which should help drive up his numbers... Making him a more tradeable asset.

We had to retain on his salary. That's the part were Leafs lose.
- orienbrady22

so...

David Clarkson caphit (into 2019-2020 season): 5.25mln
Nathan Horton caphit (into 2019-2020 season): 5.3mln --> LTIR

Leafs gain 5.25mln in capspace for 5 full seasons with that trade.

Leafs retain 1.2mln until 2021-2022 season (2 more seasons).

For first 5 seasons, net win still is 4.05mln.
Last two seasons 1.2mln 'loss'.

This does not even take into account the Phaneuf trade.

your view of him is so screwed up from having RC as a coach

the players listened to RC and played his system...but guess what...its (frank)ing awful .. Kessel does much more that you give him credit for. ..wait isnt that a song?
- senstroll

I think you are forgetting what Spott and the coaches asked of Kessel.

ft. The Gull?
- Steven_Seagull

This is a human's only coalition.

so...

David Clarkson caphit (into 2019-2020 season): 5.25mln
Nathan Horton caphit (into 2019-2020 season): 5.3mln --> LTIR

Leafs gain 5.25mln in capspace for 5 full seasons with that trade.

Leafs retain 1.2mln until 2021-2022 season (2 more seasons).

For first 5 seasons, net win still is 4.05mln.
Last two seasons 1.2mln 'loss'.

This does not even take into account the Phaneuf trade.
- MaximusAurelius

Huh? That still doesn't justify taking on Salary in the Kessel deal.

He can pass the puck pretty well.
- Atomic Wedgie

Kessel was the best playmaker the Leafs have had since Doug Gilmour.

And he can shoot it a little too.

Will always wonder whether Babcock could have got Kessel to play some defense and not cheat on the breakouts.

The Strome hate on these boards lately is unreal.
- orienbrady22

Go look back to my pre-2015 draft posts and you can see I always had Strome after Marner and Hanifin. Maybe Strome could be anywhere in that group 9-12, but definitely not higher.

your view of him is so screwed up from having RC as a coach

the players listened to RC and played his system...but guess what...its (frank)ing awful .. Kessel does much more that you give him credit for. ..wait isnt that a song?
- senstroll

Everyone is thinking Kessel is this great player that the leafs lost out on because of his production in the playoffs yet no one seems to want to address why he's having success.

Guess who isn't facing top pairing D very much anymore? That's right, Kessel. Opposition top pairing defenses are too busy playing against Crosby's and Malkin's lines... Meaning good ol fat Phil gets to play against 2nd and 3rd pairing defenses.

For an elite goal scorer (yes I'll happily give him that) that's about as good as it gets.

I think you are forgetting what Spott and the coaches asked of Kessel.
- LeafMan

whats that?

Huh? That still doesn't justify taking on Salary in the Kessel deal.
- orienbrady22

it was either taking minimum salary on a trade (general assumption was that Leafs would need to retain 2+mln at least to work out a deal) or no trade at all.
Leafs created the 5mln buffer with the Horton trade.
It's a really really good trade they made considering the restrictions they had to work with.

Huh? That still doesn't justify taking on Salary in the Kessel deal.
- orienbrady22

I didn't realize a 1.2m cap hit would break this team.


Oh how will the Leafs ever recover from such a travesty!

I think you are forgetting what Spott and the coaches asked of Kessel.
- LeafMan

Careful, reality doesn't fly around here too well.

so...

David Clarkson caphit (into 2019-2020 season): 5.25mln
Nathan Horton caphit (into 2019-2020 season): 5.3mln --> LTIR

Leafs gain 5.25mln in capspace for 5 full seasons with that trade.

Leafs retain 1.2mln until 2021-2022 season (2 more seasons).

For first 5 seasons, net win still is 4.05mln.
Last two seasons 1.2mln 'loss'.

This does not even take into account the Phaneuf trade.
- MaximusAurelius

Why are you combining completely independent transactions? Retaining salary on Kessel has nothing to do with trading Clarkson or Phaneuf, and just because they were able to trade those guys, it doesn't mean that retaining on the Kessel deal was a good move.

Matthews

This is a human's only coalition.
- AdamFrench

Can I at least be the mascot?