Does anyone think Lou gets some blame here? Our defense was incredibly weak, we did nothing to improve it, and it cost us the season.

It's gonna be a long 12 months
- BestRapperAlive

Okay, is this Dubas or Hunter's alt account?

Sounds like alot for Matt Dumba.

And I like Dumba.
- Scabeh

I like Dumba too, a lot...I think Minnesota does too.

Who knows what will happen with Suter and Parise after their devastating injuries.. I think Minnesota builds their defesne to support Dumba.

Our D got worse with that trade.

Rielly / a stud who can play 30 mins when needed
Gardiner / anyone but Zaitsev maybe Dermott or Lilybust
Zaitsev / Polak / Hainsey / Borgman / Carrick etc can fight it out for 5/6/7
- Garnie

Getting rid of the liability and replacing him with an actual top pairing defenseman who can play with Rielly... Makes our blueline worse? That's got to be a joke...

Our D got worse with that trade.

Rielly / a stud who can play 30 mins when needed
Gardiner / anyone but Zaitsev maybe Dermott or Lilybust
Zaitsev / Polak / Hainsey / Borgman / Carrick etc can fight it out for 5/6/7
- Garnie

it doesnt help..at all

the thing is Rielly also got beat pretty bad from a possession/shot/goal perspective.
If he is the best we got and he gets smashed by good teams like Boston and TB...thats not good either

there is a need to get a top pairing D who can at very least tread water against #1 lines

Getting rid of the liability and replacing him with an actual top pairing defenseman who can play with Rielly... Makes our blueline worse? That's got to be a joke...
- joel878

there is a big flaw or blind spot in your analyses of Dumba and Gardiner.

be honest how many total full games have you watched Dumba play?

Getting rid of the liability and replacing him with an actual top pairing defenseman who can play with Rielly... Makes our blueline worse? That's got to be a joke...
- joel878

I think the joke is having Hainsey and Polak on the same D-pairing; No matter who we'd bring in, that pairing of Hainsey/Polak would hurt more than help.

If the Leafs could get Carlson and Sustr out of Tampa as UFA's then we could roll with;
Rielly - Carlson
Dermott - Zaitsev
Hainsey - Sustr

Trade Gardiner and keep Polak as the 7th D-man.. I'm assuming of course that Carrick will be moved.

Can't believe some people with the hate for Gardiner. Some stupid fan was dumb enough to start a gofundme page to buy him out. Yea, he didn't have the best game, and he had costly turnovers. If the turnovers didn't result in a goal no one would be talking about it. Boston took advantage of their opportunities you can't solely blame Gardiner.

This is a guy who put up 52 pts this year and had a career year. He is a high risk high reward player, and needs to be paired with a guy who allows him that opportunity. The leafs do need to overhaul their defense, but I don't agree that he should be traded. If he goes, who replaces his offense from the blue line? Liljegren is still a year or two away, and I can't wait to hear everyone complain about his game and his turnovers.
- matt1337

How about his inability all series to make a tape-to-tape breakout pass? Or as an offensive defenseman, you know...create offense in the series? Gotta do something good to earn your spot...I'm not blaming Gardiner for the series loss, but I'm sure as hell not defending him today either.

Barrie for Nylander is back on the table

How about his inability all series to make a tape-to-tape breakout pass? Or as an offensive defenseman, you know...create offense in the series? Gotta do something good to earn your spot...I'm not blaming Gardiner for the series loss, but I'm sure as hell not defending him today either.
- Deeps27

Last night he was bad, no doubt. But its not fair to say he didnt do anything all series.

Mike Kelly
‏Verified account @MikeKellyNHL
Jake Gardiner attempted 12 stretch passes in Game 7 - the most by any player in a game this year, regular season or playoffs.

5 complete, 7 incomplete - 2 of those were intercepted and went back the other way for goals.




Mike Kelly
‏Verified account @MikeKellyNHL

Jake Gardiner, who attempted more stretch passes than anyone this year, is swinging for the fences tonight. 7 attempts, 2 completed. Bruins have attempted 8.

Be it a breakaway or a turnover, something significant could be coming off one of these.

Again.....I say.
Gardiner plus for hanifin

I don't care that Carolina will laugh at us and never do that deal
I don't care if it's a crazy deal for the canes to even consider.
I don't care that I know it would never happen


I just want it done.

I don't want anymore pain.
Why can't we have nice things that work when the need to?

Barrie for Nylander is back on the table
- DDM-Coga

Last night he was bad, no doubt. But its not fair to say he didnt do anything all series.
- senstroll

Cool.
Let me know when attempts to play D.

Last night he was bad, no doubt. But its not fair to say he didnt do anything all series.
- senstroll

Gardiner was horrible in game 7

But he was good all season and for the first 6 games.

He's a 3/4 defender playing in the 2 spot, some times even the 1 spot.

The Leafs need to add a D, it's obvious.

Also, love hearing people complain about Lou not getting a D last season. We have zero clue what gets offered around the league. There's a very good chance that last offseason Any top 4 D that Lou looked at, the other GM was asking for Dermott+ or Liljegren+. Lou established that was too much, and Dermott proved that this season. Now he can come back to those GM's and say, see why I said no to your offer now? now what?

Cool.
Let me know when attempts to play D.
- Fakepartofme

Be sure to donate to the go fund me page

Getting rid of the liability and replacing him with an actual top pairing defenseman who can play with Rielly... Makes our blueline worse? That's got to be a joke...
- joel878

I was more worried about the next 2 pairings...don't take it personally...last night was a killer.

Again.....I say.
Gardiner plus for hanifin

I don't care that Carolina will laugh at us and never do that deal
I don't care if it's a crazy deal for the canes to even consider.
I don't care that I know it would never happen


I just want it done.

I don't want anymore pain.
Why can't we have nice things that work when the need to?


- Fakepartofme

If Carolina is trading a D you'd have to think it's Faulk or TVR

I am sure Hanafin could be had, but they would ask for Nylander+. And I don't blame them, there is no reason to trade him

I thought Leo was my uncle.
- Garnie

Leo is your other Uncle.

and Uncle Lou is your biggest uncle

maybe leafs can trade marner for brett lebda..

there is a big flaw or blind spot in your analyses of Dumba and Gardiner.

be honest how many total full games have you watched Dumba play?
- senstroll

Quite a few actually.

Not only is dumba twice as physical, and a right handed shot, he's literally 23 years old.

He had 14 goals and 50 points this year.

If you're serious about dumba and Gardiner even being in the same conversation, I'm actually not sure how to respond.

We should have traded some of our up coming UFAs for some assets at the deadline. JVR would have brought the leafs back some nice pieces. Even if they couldn't get the piece they wanted, they could flipped or added those pieces to another package for a top 4 defensemen this off season.

Holding on to all our UFAs and getting nothing for them is possibly the first big misstep of this management group.

Quite a few actually.

Not only is dumba twice as physical, and a right handed shot, he's literally 23 years old.

He had 14 goals and 50 points this year.

If you're serious about dumba and Gardiner even being in the same conversation, I'm actually not sure how to respond.
- joel878

How many total? honestly

Quite a few actually.

Not only is dumba twice as physical, and a right handed shot, he's literally 23 years old.

He had 14 goals and 50 points this year.

If you're serious about dumba and Gardiner even being in the same conversation, I'm actually not sure how to respond.
- joel878

I highly doubt you watch him, Dumba makes plenty of stupid mistakes. Ask any Wild fan.

He plays behind Suter, Spergeon and Brodin........it's safe to say he has it way easier.

And Gardiner had more points

We should have traded some of our up coming UFAs for some assets at the deadline. JVR would have brought the leafs back some nice pieces. Even if they couldn't get the piece they wanted, they could flipped or added those pieces to another package for a top 4 defensemen this off season.

Holding on to all our UFAs and getting nothing for them is possibly the first big misstep of this management group.
- VT001

They kept them for a playoff run

I can't wait to hear what you say when the Leafs are at the point where they add a lot at the deadline, using picks and prospects, but still do not win the cup.

There was nothing wrong with what they did

I was more worried about the next 2 pairings...don't take it personally...last night was a killer.
- Garnie

Dermott effortlessly grows into Gardiners spot in my opinion. 20-30 games into his career he's already on par defensively. Granted, equalling Gardiner doesn't fix that pairing, I think if you remove Gardiners liabilities and get zaitsev healthy and comfortable again... It's a legit 2nd pairing.

A Hainsey Polak pairing would take lots of slack speed wise, but it's a damn decent pairing reliability wise in their own end, which is essentially what you require out of a 3rd pairing.

I think regardless, the blueline needs more physicality and aggressiveness, less recklessness, more accountability in their own end. The whole speed offense thing on the back end is only working if your goaltender can play 70+ games a year and stop 40 a night in the playoffs.

I highly doubt you watch him, Dumba makes plenty of stupid mistakes. Ask any Wild fan.

He plays behind Suter, Spergeon and Brodin........it's safe to say he has it way easier.

And Gardiner had more points
- Santo_44

Dumba is an RFA and will get paid well after a 50 point season.
He is not the one I want to pay as a our #1 D to be the #1 D

I dont care if Gardiner is moved out...The Leafs just have to make the right move, no room for error when getting a #1 to replace him