He's a box of (frank)ing chocolates.

One game he looks like he should be a 1/2 Dman and the next game he looks like he needs a couple more seasons in the A to learn the game.

Sometimes it isn't *all* his fault. Andersen poop the bed on a few goals last night and the forwards disappeared in the 3rd... but he was definitely a large part of the problem.
- Aetherial

He has his faults but I worry fans of Canadian teams run players out of town all the time. Our defence is weak so he plays too far up in the rotation.
Last night I thought our defence was hung out to dry by our forwards.

He has his faults but I worry fans of Canadian teams run players out of town all the time. Our defence is weak so he plays too far up in the rotation.
Last night I thought our defence was hung out to dry by our forwards.
- shack67

yeah, I think my biggest concern is that he is due a raise and I am not sure he is the guy we want to give that kind of money to, especially with other big tickets in our future.

You hate to give up on a guy and make a mistake, but he is 28 this year. It might be time to trade him and move on.

No it certainly doesn't... and while Chara's game has lost a lot, it still translates pretty damn well into the playoffs.

Even at his age, and declining footspeed, could the Leafs ever have used that guy on our team!

I think the thing that gets me most is I was surprised. I *still* think he had to be injured. We have never seen anyone so completely get the better of him, and other Leafs seemed to be "ok"... not great, but just ok.

We will probably never know exactly what happened, and maybe it is as simple as inexperience, or maybe there are a bunch of things that added up the wrong way?
- Aetherial

IMO, it's both. Yes he's 20 and Bergeron schooled him at times, but he also had several shifts last night against the Kuraly line and still could not score. Chara, at times looked gassed last night and Matthews should have taken advantage of it. Hopefully Matthews learns from this and continues to elevate his game.

The Leafs don’t have a replacement for Gardiner.
- shack67

Oh yes they do!!

Clair Alexander the milk man

The Leafs don’t have a replacement for Gardiner.
- shack67

Alzner is coming back in exchange for Gardiner

Vegas

Vegas
- Drapz

Alzner is coming back in exchange for Gardiner
- Symba007

No no no... No more habotages.

Vegas
- Drapz

It's going to be very hard to beat them at home

No no no... No more habotages.
- PatC80

he wasn't in MTL long enough to be contaminated the way Plek was

Less bumhole required in your post.

Sorry, but he deserves to be criticized for disappearing. Some of us have ALL ALONG allowed for the fact that he might be injured.

Do you honestly remember him fighting through any checks, making great plays that other people messed up, digging in the corners, forcing turnovers, being nearly invincible in the defensive zone, hitting a bunch of posts, causing Rask to make highlight reel saves? I remember lots of Leafs out there, but very little of Matthews.

I am not comparing him to some unrealistic view of a 20 year old. I am comparing him to the standards he has already established for himself since he entered the league that he utterly failed to live up to. Some drop-off is expected, almost complete disappearance is not.

So seriously dude, (frank) off with the blanket statements about other people's intelligence because their opinion differs from yours.

What the (frank) is wrong with you.
- Aetherial

Amen,

but in all seriousness - do you really want to know what is wrong with this guy?

There's a really big emphasis to have 3 LHD and 3 RHD. They just have to keep drafting them. Two years in a row, they traded a 2nd round pick for a 4th line center who played 20 games, hand a minimal impact and now they're gone. That's two fewer chances at drafting another Dermott, maybe a RHD version of him. But they have to find them somehow.
- Unholy_Goalie

We've been doing well with forwards, but Liljegren turns 19 at the end of the month. Still a decent prospect for sure and he's a rightie.

We've been doing well with forwards, but Liljegren turns 19 at the end of the month. Still a decent prospect for sure and he's a rightie.
- gravyface

Just imagine how many picks or prospects they could have right now for JVR, Bozak and Komarov.

It would be amazing if they found a way to trade up at the draft and get Evan Bouchard. Probably a top 10 pick this year but he'd be a really good fit.

Just imagine how many picks or prospects they could have right now for JVR, Bozak and Komarov.

It would be amazing if they found a way to trade up at the draft and get Evan Bouchard. Probably a top 10 pick this year but he'd be a really good fit.
- Unholy_Goalie

Tanev

While most teams would be in the early stages of replacing a 28 year old defenceman through the draft or within their pipeline already, the Leafs are still waiting for this player to learn his position. Nuf said!!!

That's part of the reason why you're not being objective because "you said it 4 years ago" and now you're trying to confirm it even though it misrepresents the whole picture.

Gardiner is nowhere near the problem that Phaneuf was. Not even close. Gardiner produces way more offence, can actually skate, among the leaders in stretch passes completed, way younger and way cheaper. The only similarity he shares with Phaneuf is that he's not a #1 D and he can't play big, hard minutes without making errors.

The problem isn't the player, it's the lack of any other options and forcing him to play above his head. He's not a top pairing guy and yet he played the most minutes of all the defenders. That's a problem but it's not Gardiner's problem.
- Unholy_Goalie

^^^^ x 100

We have seen this play out over and over. Dion, Kessel..even Kadri all had to go at some point. I was guilty of it with Bozak..since he wasnt a #1 C, but was being used as one..he had to go in my opinion.

Now Bozak is barley and afterthough, I dont mind him on the team ..he dosnt have to be Matthews now and fail at it

GO LEAFS GO

GO LEAFS GO
- Zezel

missing the "lf"

missing the "lf"
- Symba007

If Leafs If?

If Leafs If?
- Feeling Glucky?

Golf Leafs Golf

Just imagine how many picks or prospects they could have right now for JVR, Bozak and Komarov.

It would be amazing if they found a way to trade up at the draft and get Evan Bouchard. Probably a top 10 pick this year but he'd be a really good fit.
- Unholy_Goalie

Yeah, it is a shame, really: JVR is the one we could've got the most for, but leading up the the playoffs he was a beast.

Still did his usual PP performance, but nowhere near a catalyst in the series: he's a good player that needs to be surrounded by other good players, not unlike Kessel to a lesser degree.

Cupboard isn't quite bare yet, but they need to keep finding NHLers in the later rounds to keep momentum.

On a different note, what do you think about taking a run at Carlson?

Golf Leafs Golf
- Symba007

(frank) off Symba (frank) off


Did I do it right?

(frank) off Symba (frank) off


Did I do it right?
- .HOHO.

you got it all wrong hoe, it's golf time for all of us

Knights?

Knights?
- AdamFrench

Kniggits