Mike Augello: Toronto moves ahead in rebuild race with QEW rival; Leafs vs Sabres

First

Suck it Oilhorse.

Mike Augello: Toronto moves ahead in rebuild race with QEW rival; Leafs vs Sabres
- mikeinbuffalo

Looking for a big game from our goalchie.

suck it garf

suck it sabres

Looking for a big game from our goalchie.
- Canada Cup

GO LEAFS GO

First

Suck it Oilhorse.
- Steven_Seagull

You don't need to sound so hopeful...

They've exceeded expectations this year. Pretty much everyone had them on the outside of the playoffs and they may still end up there.

A number of things have to really slide for them to go on the collapses of the past teams, I don't think those things will happen. Babcock is a competent coach and he has competent young players in Matthews, Marner, Reilly and Nylander.

As for the Canucks, how's the general feeling being a fan looking at a team in 22nd overall and realizing that's mediocre and without action they will keep falling as the seasons pass on....
- Aaron_85

thanks for the reasoned response.

i feel conflicted about their season. I don't like the idea of a tear down that might result in what happened in Edmonton for the past 12 years or however long its taken them to finally get to this point. I look at the Isles and they haven't escaped mediocrity despite a lot of horrid seasons and high picks. the leafs themselves struggled for many years until it seems this season.

I think the Nux have to make sure they draft well wherever they pick and keep adding complementary players over the summer and get to a point where they can challenge with depth. It's nice to get a top 5 pick, but having to be a bad team to do that sucks. I dont' recall the Sharks, Ducks or Kings having to be super bad for years on end to get some strong players in the draft. granted though they might have had a down year occasionally and picked high, but they bounced back with smart trades and development in the minors.

The Nux have added some good young players with potential like Stecher, Tryamkin, and Hutton on D and made trades to get guys that are still developing into better players like Granlund and Baertschi. So i'm okay with what JB is doing.

they can float around the bubble and keep picking up a good player if they pick top 5 or 10 (Horvat was 9) without a full rebuild and ease the Sedins out of the picture.

Looking for a big game from our goalchie.
- Canada Cup

Obviously Tavares is sick of the Isles by now.

Just biding his time...

thanks for the reasoned response.

i feel conflicted about their season. I don't like the idea of a tear down that might result in what happened in Edmonton for the past 12 years or however long its taken them to finally get to this point. I look at the Isles and they haven't escaped mediocrity despite a lot of horrid seasons and high picks. the leafs themselves struggled for many years until it seems this season.

I think the Nux have to make sure they draft well wherever they pick and keep adding complementary players over the summer and get to a point where they can challenge with depth. It's nice to get a top 5 pick, but having to be a bad team to do that sucks. I dont' recall the Sharks, Ducks or Kings having to be super bad for years on end to get some strong players in the draft. granted though they might have had a down year occasionally and picked high, but they bounced back with smart trades and development in the minors.

The Nux have added some good young players with potential like Stecher, Tryamkin, and Hutton on D and made trades to get guys that are still developing into better players like Granlund and Baertschi. So i'm okay with what JB is doing.

they can float around the bubble and keep picking up a good player if they pick top 5 or 10 (Horvat was 9) without a full rebuild and ease the Sedins out of the picture.
- kaptaan

We'll see if it works out for them.

Kings had to get Kopitar, Doughty and Quick before becoming relevant and I believe both Anze and Drew were top 3 picks.

I agree though that continuing to draft a lot of players and hoping a few pan out is key to the turnaround and once the Sedins/Miller are off the books it'll free up a lot more cap room to re-sign the new guys.

I just hope JB doesn't try to "go for it"

You don't need to sound so hopeful...
- lumlums

I have nothing to suck....because I'm a bird, yeah that's the ticket...

thanks for the reasoned response.

i feel conflicted about their season. I don't like the idea of a tear down that might result in what happened in Edmonton for the past 12 years or however long its taken them to finally get to this point. I look at the Isles and they haven't escaped mediocrity despite a lot of horrid seasons and high picks. the leafs themselves struggled for many years until it seems this season.

I think the Nux have to make sure they draft well wherever they pick and keep adding complementary players over the summer and get to a point where they can challenge with depth. It's nice to get a top 5 pick, but having to be a bad team to do that sucks. I dont' recall the Sharks, Ducks or Kings having to be super bad for years on end to get some strong players in the draft. granted though they might have had a down year occasionally and picked high, but they bounced back with smart trades and development in the minors.

The Nux have added some good young players with potential like Stecher, Tryamkin, and Hutton on D and made trades to get guys that are still developing into better players like Granlund and Baertschi. So i'm okay with what JB is doing.

they can float around the bubble and keep picking up a good player if they pick top 5 or 10 (Horvat was 9) without a full rebuild and ease the Sedins out of the picture.
- kaptaan

They've got some good young D and quality goalies right now. The problem is that up front all offense seems to live and die based on the Sedins. I don't think they will hit rock bottom hard like the Oil IF they are smart about moving some of the aging guys.

Obviously Tavares is sick of the Isles by now.

Just biding his time...
- Atomic Wedgie

Sucks to be him - his job here's been filled.

They've got some good young D and quality goalchies right now. The problem is that up front all offense seems to live and die based on the Sedins. I don't think they will hit rock bottom hard like the Oil IF they are smart about moving some of the aging guys.
- markmark

Fixed

Sucks to be him - his job here's been filled.
- 1979AD

Yeah, but when we trade Bozak and Lupul for Doughty?

Sucks to be him - his job here's been filled.
- 1979AD

I'm pretty sure guaranteeing that he'd be the first call-up from the Marlies is all the persuasion he would need.

Fixed
- Atomic Wedgie

Fixed
- Atomic Wedgie

Thanks, Wedgchie.

We'll see if it works out for them.

Kings had to get Kopitar, Doughty and Quick before becoming relevant and I believe both Anze and Drew were top 3 picks.

I agree though that continuing to draft a lot of players and hoping a few pan out is key to the turnaround and once the Sedins/Miller are off the books it'll free up a lot more cap room to re-sign the new guys.

I just hope JB doesn't try to "go for it"
- Aaron_85

The kings that picked 11, 11, 11, 4, 2, & 5 consecutively never had a bunch of down years. Interesting take by nucks fans.

We'll see if it works out for them.

Kings had to get Kopitar, Doughty and Quick before becoming relevant and I believe both Anze and Drew were top 3 picks.

I agree though that continuing to draft a lot of players and hoping a few pan out is key to the turnaround and once the Sedins/Miller are off the books it'll free up a lot more cap room to re-sign the new guys.

I just hope JB doesn't try to "go for it"
- Aaron_85

Kopitar was 11th OA.

Pouliot, Jack Johnson, Brule, Skille, Setoguchi and Brian Lee were all selected before him (so was Bourdon, but of course we don't know how his career would have gone )

Kopitar was 11th OA.

Pouliot, Jack Johnson, Brule, Skille, Setoguchi and Brian Lee were all selected before him (so was Bourdon, but of course we don't know how his career would have gone )
- lumlums

He was drafted by the Canucks, so.....Hodgson?

They've got some good young D and quality goalies right now. The problem is that up front all offense seems to live and die based on the Sedins. I don't think they will hit rock bottom hard like the Oil IF they are smart about moving some of the aging guys.
- markmark

Agreed.

they need to do what they haven't done in the past which is capitalize on moving aging assets. look at who is a UFA going forward this season and move those guys. pick guys up in the summer on 1 year deals and keep moving them at the TDL.

i personally think they should ask one or both Sedins to waive next year. Henrik could go to a team looking for C help. if Daniel can score maybe move him too... for assets and bring them back in the summer.

Kopitar was 11th OA.

Pouliot, Jack Johnson, Brule, Skille, Setoguchi and Brian Lee were all selected before him (so was Bourdon, but of course we don't know how his career would have gone )
- lumlums

Getzlaf or Perry and Giroux were picked in the 20's. It's possible and that's a part of KEEPING YOUR PICKS and just drafting.

If you can't find a good player then fire your scouts like Shanahan did.

Uh-oh, Garf is not gonna like the fact that you know the name of the road that conects the 2 cities.