The Leafs are going to be fine. No doubt in my mind.
- thomas81

yep they look good - Kessel will be traded

Totally agree. Everything points to this happening.
- hscesq

Thanks for being objective.

That's a very good start. Price is going to be a star. I like Pacioretty, I just don't know if he is a top 3 forward calibre player, defiantly top 6. Subban will be an average overall d-man who can play in a lot of situations. I even like DD. But he'll never be more than a 2nd line centre. After that, your "up and comers" are thin. And you guys have loads of ugly contracts. To think you are going to do a complete 180 sooner rather than later is foolish.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I don't remember talking about 180 something. The Habs do suck as a whole, but any great GM could start from a decent core and make something out of it. Also, Subban will be way more than an average overall d-man.

And thanks for the info about the ugly contracts - never saw it this way and it helped me a lot opening my mind.

Oh ya Eller
- BingoLady

4 goals in one game ! ! !

he's too busy arguing with me on the other thread
- Rayven

There's another thread?

Thanks for being objective.
- thomas81

they are (frank)ing horrible and will be dead last next year.

yep they look good - Kessel will be traded
- BingoLady

Why would they do this?

One of the best players they've had in the last 40 years and they trade him? I don't buy it.

Thanks for being objective.
- thomas81

You got it Tom. It's just reality, really. Starting from the nets out, the Leafs are clearly on the right track.

Besides his mom, where is this kid from and where does he play.
- pete26

From Crosbycity and plays for the Halifax Mooseheads.

Nathan MacKinnon
Right Wing
Born Sep 1 1995 -- Halifax, NS
Height 5.11 -- Weight 179 -- Shoots R


--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011-12 Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL 56 30 46 76 38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current statistics as of 2012-03-16

they are (frank)ing horrible and will be dead last next year.
- BingoLady

I don't think the Habs will finish dead last. Maybe 13th or 14th.

Why would they do this?

One of the best players they've had in the last 40 years and they trade him? I don't buy it.
- thomas81

Not a Randy Carlyle player..

There's another thread?
- hscesq

the previous blog

I don't think the Habs will finish dead last. Maybe 13th or 14th.
- thomas81

The Leafs will finish in 5th in NE - maybe even this season as well.

You got it Tom. It's just reality, really. Starting from the nets out, the Leafs are clearly on the right track.
- hscesq

Well this is the way I see it too.

Reimer had a sophomore slump which I expected. No doubt in my mind he'll bounce back next season. He'll get back to where he was last year.

Monster will not be back. They will probably sign a UFA like Biron or a reliable back up in the summer.

Did you think the Sens would turn it around as quickly as they did?

As for Patch, if he scores 30 goals every year, I'd consider him top 3. We will have to wait and see.
Subban average? That just means you don't watch him enough.
Agreed on DD, but every team needs a second line center. The contracts will hopefully be taken care of sooner rather than later, but you're right in saying they are an albatross.
- hscesq

I certainly did not think the Sens would turn it around like they did. I had them dead last in the East prior to the season. They still have ton to do though and are still in the rebuild mindset. It helped that Ottawa has two top 10 scorers in Spezza and Karlsson though. Not rubbing it in, just saying. I don`t see Montreal doing the same next season. Price will certainly keep them at bay though.

I watch more of Subban than I would like. I think he will be a good player, just not an elite d-man in the NHL.

Did you think the Sens would turn it around as quickly as they did?

As for Patch, if he scores 30 goals every year, I'd consider him top 3. We will have to wait and see.
Subban average? That just means you don't watch him enough.
Agreed on DD, but every team needs a second line center. The contracts will hopefully be taken care of sooner rather than later, but you're right in saying they are an albatross.
- hscesq

The difference between the Senators and Habs is not in terms of the young talent currently on their rosters... Of all the young players on either roster, I would take Karlsson first... But then I would take Price, Patches, and Subban before I took Cowen, Smith, Foligno, et al., so it's pretty much a wash there.

but of the veteran/prime aged guys, the guys that are paid to be top guys are playing like top guys this season... Alfredsson, Spezza, Michalek, whereas Gomez, Gionta, Plekanec, and previously Cammalleri had all been worth considerably less than their cap hits suggested....

That's the difference. If the Habs can replace those bad contracts with better ones, they could easily be as good or better than the Senators in the medium to long term...

(could be easier said than done)

From Crosbycity and plays for the Halifax Mooseheads.

Nathan MacKinnon
Right Wing
Born Sep 1 1995 -- Halifax, NS
Height 5.11 -- Weight 179 -- Shoots R


--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011-12 Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL 56 30 46 76 38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current statistics as of 2012-03-16
- stinger67

You think?

Not a Randy Carlyle player..
- BingoLady

He will be once Getzlaf gets here.

Who are the Sens good young players? We know about Karlsson of course, and I suppose Michalek can be included as young. Who else?
- hscesq

Daniel Alfredsson

He will be once Getzlaf gets here.
- thomas81

he will be traded for Nash

Daniel Alfredsson
- dt99999

He will be once Getzlaf gets here.
- thomas81

guy who got him fired in Anaheim will become a Carlyle player in Toronto.


MAKES SENSE TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You think?
- pete26

the kid is 16, give him time

The Leafs will finish in 5th in NE - maybe even this season as well.
- BingoLady

Nope.

The Leafs will continue to battle hard. We don't believe in 'tanking' like other teams do.

It's rarely works. I can see the Leafs winning a lot of games from here to the end even more so after the way they played last night.

Daniel Alfredsson
- dt99999

Jared Cowen is pretty good