I think it's a pretty realistic concern that Burke trades our potential lotto pick for Nash...
- Mr_Smokey

Say it ain't true Mr. Smokey.

we have goalies who can be good in a few years...some that can be great...but we cant afford to keep gambling on goalies with zero experience to lead the team. Its frustrating.
- noename09

Really though this is the first season we did that. Prior to that we traded for Toskala and Raycroft.....and to a lesser extent Giguerre. Unless you go big with a goalie free agent signing, the best way to find a starter is from your own system.

Well hello folks, hope you are all having a nice day.

So NOTHING new from our Leafs but they have finally found the way to play to lose and not win. If they keep this up and Habs take one from Sens, we move even closer to the bottom. What I wonder is whether Burke will be willing to move the dead weight we have on this team and Kessel for some good players and prospect.

It's time he puts his ego aside and agrees that he has made mistakes, he doesn't have to come out in public and declare this, he just has to sell them to other team and more the oft afraid to hit-run-away-scared-to-poop- Kessel for some solid roster play, pick and prospect. Also add Pha-can't-defend-or-hit-the-net-9 and acquire another player for top 6 role and promote Holzer and Blacker. This team will get even younger but let's hope to God that those young buds don't learn the same habits like the ones currently on this roster.

The guy you could go after from the Blues is Jake Allen. A former 1st round pick he was their top goalie prospect going into this season. Bishop had a monster year and blew by him but he is still considered a blue chip goalie prospect. With both Halak and Elliott signed they might be willing to move him.

Problem for the Leafs is that he is probably a year or two away from being ready to take on a fulltime NHL role.
- maaddmike

Good call - the Leafs are in dire need of more goalie prospects.

What if we re-signed Ricard Wallin?
- Canada Cup

good thinking!

Good call - the Leafs are in dire need of more goalie prospects.
- 1979AD

Get a late 1st and draft Subban. Oh, you mean we could've traded MacArthur for that late first?

Well hello folks, hope you are all having a nice day.

So NOTHING new from our Leafs but they have finally found the way to play to lose and not win. If they keep this up and Habs take one from Sens, we move even closer to the bottom. What I wonder is whether Burke will be willing to move the dead weight we have on this team and Kessel for some good players and prospect.

It's time he puts his ego aside and agrees that he has made mistakes, he doesn't have to come out in public and declare this, he just has to sell them to other team and more the oft afraid to hit-run-away-scared-to-poop- Kessel for some solid roster play, pick and prospect. Also add Pha-can't-defend-or-hit-the-net-9 and acquire another player for top 6 role and promote Holzer and Blacker. This team will get even younger but let's hope to God that those young buds don't learn the same habits like the ones currently on this roster.
- TML4Life85

This is all based on the premise that Brian Burke is the kind of person who is capable of realizing his entire strategy from day one has been a fail and he needs to re-evaluate and develop. The way he's wired, he will ride Kessel and Phaneuf into the ground for years, no matter how many excuses he needs to make.

be fair.. he hasnt done that since last year

you know how you wish your wife would just let you live down that thing you did last year?(or things if you areanything like me lol)

this is how you are treating gus
- Dozzer

lol...you kinda jumped in at wrong time...we were just saying we saw both sides of Gus, his crazy side and calm side...and he said he liked it when he smashed his stick. Its behind him, which I very much appreciate.

Imagine that LA and San Jose miss the playoffs also...

Suddenly the Leafs season, no matter how bad, won't look so bad.

This is all based on the premise that Brian Burke is the kind of person who is capable of realizing his entire strategy from day one has been a fail and he needs to re-evaluate and develop. The way he's wired, he will ride Kessel and Phaneuf into the ground for years, no matter how many excuses he needs to make.
- 1979AD

He's only got Kessel for two more seasons
hmmm, and Phaneuf for two more seasons......and next season a crap load hit ufa..........you know what, whoever inherits this team when Burke leaves (if he does) is going to inherit a vastly different team.....

lol...you kinda jumped in at wrong time...we were just saying we saw both sides of Gus, his crazy side and calm side...and he said he liked it when he smashed his stick. Its behind him, which I very much appreciate.
- noename09

i like jumping in at awkward moments when i have no clue whats going on

Get a late 1st and draft Subban. Oh, you mean we could've traded MacArthur for that late first?
- mykokes

The possibilities for a team overhaul/makeover/semi-rebuild going into draft day with one lottery pick and FOUR mid-late rounders would be near endless. But if Burke pulled those triggers he wouldn't have MacArthur, Reimer, Schenn, Kulemin.... Is there anyone in their right mind who now thinks it was best to hold onto those players?

The possibilities for a team overhaul/makeover/semi-rebuild going into draft day with one lottery pick and FOUR mid-late rounders would be near endless. But if Burke pulled those triggers he wouldn't have MacArthur, Reimer, Schenn, Kulemin.... Is there anyone in their right mind who now thinks it was best to hold onto those players?
- 1979AD

I would've kept those three for one simple reason....they are at their lowest value.
I would've also asked for 2013's instead of 2012's. It's going to be a great draft year.

He's only got Kessel for two more seasons
hmmm, and Phaneuf for two more seasons......and next season a crap load hit ufa..........you know what, whoever inherits this team when Burke leaves (if he does) is going to inherit a vastly different team.....
- mykokes

Burke doesn't make it out of next year alive. You heard it here first. His new bosses (Rogers & Bell) are counting on big-time playoff TV revenue.

The possibilities for a team overhaul/makeover/semi-rebuild going into draft day with one lottery pick and FOUR mid-late rounders would be near endless. But if Burke pulled those triggers he wouldn't have MacArthur, Reimer, Schenn, Kulemin.... Is there anyone in their right mind who now thinks it was best to hold onto those players?
- 1979AD

Depends, if he made those trades and acquired 1sts then we are basically starting from scratch on the rebuild.

I'm personally fine with that, others may not be.

I would've kept those three for one simple reason....they are at their lowest value.
I would've also asked for 2013's instead of 2012's. It's going to be a great draft year.
- mykokes

This year also supposed to be a great draft year.

Imagine that LA and San Jose miss the playoffs also...

Suddenly the Leafs season, no matter how bad, won't look so bad.
- GoneFullRetard

Okay, listen up everybody. There's Good teams, then there's bad teams. Then there's 50 feet of crap. Then there's Us

Burke doesn't make it out of next year alive. You heard it here first. His new bosses (Rogers & Bell) are counting on big-time playoff TV revenue.
- 1979AD

Well like I said, the new guy (likely Nonis) will have a poopload of cap space, top prospects, and potentially a real good one this season if we tank in the cupboard....and a team that just might suck enough to get Sid Jr.

This year also supposed to be a great draft year.
- leafs93

or a terrible one... depends on who you ask



at the deadline its a weak draft nearly all of the time

by the time the draft actually rolls around its always "this could be one of the deepest in years"

This year also supposed to be a great draft year.
- leafs93

Wrong position though. Great draft year for d, weak for forwards. I mean thats why I was fine with moving Schenn for someone like JVR. Because you can replace Schenn in the depth chart with one of the 2012 stud d. And draft your centre in 2013.

Look at the 2010-2011 Colrado Avalanche. Just coming off a playoff appearance the previous season.

Hot out of the gate. In the playoffs up until the end of January 2011.

The bottom fell out. Played at a worse rate than this current Leafs team.

Got to pick Landeskog.

Who was their goalie for the awful stretch in Feb and March?

In case you can't remember he is currently leading the NHL in GAA and SV%

Stop the panic people. This team is exactly where it should be. Out of the playoffs.
Lets wait and see what Burke, Nonis and their scouting staff managed to pick in their drafts with the picks they had.

Schenn, Kadri, Blacker, Ross, McKegg, Percy, Biggs. None studs, but not terrible.
Add to that 2008 1st rounder... Colborne, Gardiner and Ashton.

Jordan Eberle was a 23rd pick.
Claude Giroux was a 22nd pick.
Milan Lucic was a 2nd rounder (taken after Kulemin)

Will any of the Leafs picks turn into those guys? Highly unlikely, but it's not impossible.

This poop takes time people. So let's take the top 5 pick, and the high 2nd round pick this June and put them in the cupboards.

Depends, if he made those trades and acquired 1sts then we are basically starting from scratch on the rebuild.

I'm personally fine with that, others may not be.
- leafs93

Which of Schenn, Mac, Kule, Reimer would you still consider the team's "core"? I'd say it would be much more of a re-tool than a rebuild.

or a terrible one... depends on who you ask



at the deadline its a weak draft nearly all of the time

by the time the draft actually rolls around its always "this could be one of the deepest in years"
- Dozzer

It's very comparable to 08 in terms of the d. The problem was all these stud d and forwards ended up getting hurt, so a lot of scouts/gms aren't as high on it anymore. I mean Tyler Cuma got hurt and its hard to believe him being in the discussion with Doughty/Bogosian/Pietrangelo, but he was.....the same thing is happening with a lot of the 2012 d.

The possibilities for a team overhaul/makeover/semi-rebuild going into draft day with one lottery pick and FOUR mid-late rounders would be near endless. But if Burke pulled those triggers he wouldn't have MacArthur, Reimer, Schenn, Kulemin.... Is there anyone in their right mind who now thinks it was best to hold onto those players?
- 1979AD

Do you think Burke was even telling the truth on that one?
If he was and decided to keep this group then it was solely to give Wilson a fair shot at making the playoffs. Well that blew up. another major miscalculation by Burkie.

I also wonder... how often do you see a coach given an extension in Dec then fired in Feb? What a cluster(frank).

Look at the 2010-2011 Colrado Avalanche. Just coming off a playoff appearance the previous season.

Hot out of the gate. In the playoffs up until the end of January 2011.

The bottom fell out. Played at a worse rate than this current Leafs team.

Got to pick Landeskog.

Who was their goalie for the awful stretch in Feb and March?

In case you can't remember he is currently leading the NHL in GAA and SV%

Stop the panic people. This team is exactly where it should be. Out of the playoffs.
Lets wait and see what Burke, Nonis and their scouting staff managed to pick in their drafts with the picks they had.

Schenn, Kadri, Blacker, Ross, McKegg, Percy, Biggs. None studs, but not terrible.
Add to that 2008 1st rounder... Colborne, Gardiner and Ashton.

Jordan Eberle was a 23rd pick.
Claude Giroux was a 22nd pick.
Milan Lucic was a 2nd rounder (taken after Kulemin)

Will any of the Leafs picks turn into those guys? Highly unlikely, but it's not impossible.

This poop takes time people. So let's take the top 5 pick, and the high 2nd round pick this June and put them in the cupboards.
- leafs_wingp

My point exactly. Also no more quick fix ufa signings.