burke will be icing a worse team next season than the one that just ended in the bottom 5 if big changes are not made.
- Barx

THIS

name one team with less physicality, size and grit.
- Barx

Have to second that question...?

I agree with you and DionSchenn.. we have gotten softer and Montreal has got tougher.. where does this fit into Carlyle's plans.. nothing makes sense.. and we know that teams are going to demand a lot for those types of players considering the amount that was paid to the UFA's..

Burke is just softening the impact of the failure.. of his transactions over the last year... we are getting softer to play a harder system...

is it just me or is that suicide?
- DoctorNHL

So far we have gotten softer. But I think they are going more for LA Kings toughness than Boston Bruin toughness. There was a time when we were "tough" when Burke first got here I believe. We would fight a lot but we still sucked. Instead of having guys like Parros/Orr, our size comes from good players like Lupul, JVR, Kulemin,Frattin. We still have guys like Brown/Komarov but I don't mind this new approach.

...and then tucker would leave the scene bucket askew, hair disheveled.....
- Barx

.....and the look of the devil in his eyes.

Mac for Ott?
- AngryWhiteMale

No thank you.

So far we have gotten softer. But I think they are going more for LA Kings toughness than Boston Bruin toughness. There was a time when we were "tough" when Burke first got here I believe. We would fight a lot but we still sucked. Instead of having guys like Parros/Orr, our size comes from good players like Lupul, JVR, Kulemin,Frattin. We still have guys like Brown/Komarov but I don't mind this new approach.
- dionschenn

We've never sucked more since Burke took over.

THIS
- DoctorNHL

Forwards depend on 3 things:

How will JVR respond to life in t.o? I hope they keep him on the wing as I see him as a winger

Will Kulemin rediscover his touch and allow that second line to be a true second line, thus complimenting the pair we have on the first line?

Which one of Colborne, Kadri or Ashton will come into camp, rightfully earn a spot, and make a decent impact on this team? It's really a toss up.

As for the blueline, Komisarek will be a disaster yet again, and we will really miss Schenn once we see how well he plays on PHI, and that's regardless of how well JVR plays.

Goaltending, we'll wait and see. Hopefully Reimer having a full summer to clear his head helps. Also very optimistic about Scrivens

No thank you.
- Phenom

Is what Joe Nieuwendyk said right?

So far we have gotten softer. But I think they are going more for LA Kings toughness than Boston Bruin toughness. There was a time when we were "tough" when Burke first got here I believe. We would fight a lot but we still sucked. Instead of having guys like Parros/Orr, our size comes from good players like Lupul, JVR, Kulemin,Frattin. We still have guys like Brown/Komarov but I don't mind this new approach.
- dionschenn

Dion I can se the hope in your eyes and I have it too.. but I ask you to look beyond hope.. and then look at the raw numbers beyond Lupul?????

Are our expectations too high.. for these players we have hope for?

We've never sucked more since Burke took over.
- Leafland

Hate to say it but I agree

Is what Joe Nieuwendyk said right?
- AdamFrench

I'd have a hard time believing that Nieuwendyk would pass up on a guy like Mac.

I think we'd be overpaying, but not by much, you need to give something to get something.

Now if it was Brendan Morrow coming back we'd need to garnish it with a pick, but that would be even more appealing

So far we have gotten softer. But I think they are going more for LA Kings toughness than Boston Bruin toughness. There was a time when we were "tough" when Burke first got here I believe. We would fight a lot but we still sucked. Instead of having guys like Parros/Orr, our size comes from good players like Lupul, JVR, Kulemin,Frattin. We still have guys like Brown/Komarov but I don't mind this new approach.
- dionschenn

the kings have a ton of grit and size, which just happens to also carry with it a lot of skill........
although they are physical, kulemin is a 10 goal scorer, frattin might be the same but is still unproven....
JVR and Lupul might be fairly big guys but certainly don't throw their weight around...
Komarov is completely unproven...
Brown is a plug....

Let's stop comparing the Leafs and Kings.........they are light years apart.

Dion I can se the hope in your eyes and I have it too.. but I ask you to look beyond hope.. and then look at the raw numbers beyond Lupul?????

Are our expectations too high.. for these players we have hope for?
- DoctorNHL

Who knows with Lupul. He is DEFINITELY a top 6 forward now though. Obviously we all want him to be as good as last year but it won't be easy. Potential big seasons from one of JVR, Kulemin, or Frattin is possible in my opinion.

I'd have a hard time believing that Nieuwendyk would pass up on a guy like Mac.

I think we'd be overpaying, but not by much, you need to give something to get something.

Now if it was Brendan Morrow coming back we'd need to garnish it with a pick, but that would be even more appealing
- AngryWhiteMale

are you just being silly?

Forwards depend on 3 things:

How will JVR respond to life in t.o? I hope they keep him on the wing as I see him as a winger

Will Kulemin rediscover his touch and allow that second line to be a true second line, thus complimenting the pair we have on the first line?

Which one of Colborne, Kadri or Ashton will come into camp, rightfully earn a spot, and make a decent impact on this team? It's really a toss up.

As for the blueline, Komisarek will be a disaster yet again, and we will really miss Schenn once we see how well he plays on PHI, and that's regardless of how well JVR plays.

Goaltending, we'll wait and see. Hopefully Reimer having a full summer to clear his head helps. Also very optimistic about Scrivens
- AngryWhiteMale

Lot of ifs.. but I see Gustavsson posting a better season than Schenn.. with their new team.

Can't say I am excited SO FAR.. looks like we are the monkey in the middle... we are going to play a defensive system with very few guys that can play it.. and our offensive guys won't be able to score because they are playing defensively.

We've never sucked more since Burke took over.
- Leafland

Wow, you guys have absolutely zero optimism whatsoever.....how disheartening.

the kings have a ton of grit and size, which just happens to also carry with it a lot of skill........
although they are physical, kulemin it a 10 goal scorer, frattin might be the same but is still unproven....
JVR and Lupul might be fairly big guys but certainly don't throw their weight around...
Komarov is completely unproven...
Brown is a plug....

Let's stop with the Leafs building the Kings way.........they are light years apart.
- Barx

Didn't say we were close, just was explaining the new "toughness" approach. Lupul actually does throw his weight around a bit. Not fair to label Kulemin as a 10 goal scorer. Had an amazing season then a terrible one, don't side with the terrible one yet. And I wouldn't call Brown a plug, I really like what he does as a fourth liner.

Is what Joe Nieuwendyk said right?
- AdamFrench

I can see both teams saying no.

Who knows with Lupul. He is DEFINITELY a top 6 forward now though. Obviously we all want him to be as good as last year but it won't be easy. Potential big seasons from one of JVR, Kulemin, or Frattin is possible in my opinion.
- dionschenn

This team was riding well with the pack until we had that epic collapse.

It's just a case of working on the things needed to stretch the first 60 games over an 82 game season..

- Work on player fitness.

- Tighten up the system with a new coach.

- And for the love of god, have our goaltender(s) steal a game or two. You always hear about how playoff teams always manage to win games they didn't deserve to win. We needed a few stolen points to get us back on track last year and we didn't

Wow, you guys have absolutely zero optimism whatsoever.....how disheartening.
- Phenom

This isn't really a discussion on opinions of the team. The fact is, the team is worse then it ever has been, since Burke has got here.

Lot of ifs.. but I see Gustavsson posting a better season than Schenn.. with their new team.

Can't say I am excited SO FAR.. looks like we are the monkey in the middle... we are going to play a defensive system with very few guys that can play it.. and our offensive guys won't be able to score because they are playing defensively.
- DoctorNHL

There's still the possibility of some sort of trade.

Gusti will probably do really well in DET.

I was actually calling him to land there way back in april

Wow, you guys have absolutely zero optimism whatsoever.....how disheartening.
- Phenom

optimism for what? team is garbage..

.. and i love it. if the team is poop again next year, we get another lottery pick and a whooole lot of salary off the cap. the lack of optimism isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I'd have a hard time believing that Nieuwendyk would pass up on a guy like Mac.

I think we'd be overpaying, but not by much, you need to give something to get something.

Now if it was Brendan Morrow coming back we'd need to garnish it with a pick, but that would be even more appealing
- AngryWhiteMale

I might get a ton of heat for saying this, but unless Burke thinks he can wheel and deal for somene better, he should have made a play for Ribeiro.

Wow, you guys have absolutely zero optimism whatsoever.....how disheartening.
- Phenom

how realistic you mean.

This isn't really a discussion on opinions of the team. The fact is, the team is worse then it ever has been, since Burke has got here.
- Leafland

It's really hard to say.

We're younger, have a new coach etc.

I mean, you just look at that one issue of goaltending and that alone is the difference between us in 12th and us in 7th. We lost so many points last year because of soft goals, and if you plug that gap, we weren't in bad shape