100% Agree

If you can't handle the media its a red flag that the Core of the team is mentally soft. The Islanders/Red Wings/Lightning all have a much much better D core.

IMO the Leafs are already the New York Yankess of the NHL. The Clarkson deal is proof of that. They generate enough money to the point where they got rid of arguably one of the worst contracts in NHL history. I would wager that only 6-8 other teams could of possibly done the same thing.

The country club culture needs to change before the Leafs will have any consistent success
- SENS 613

100%...media pressure is one thing but i almost believe it's not as bad as a small market owner storming into the dressing room threatening to ship everyone out of town. Ever wonder why no leafs are EVER healthy scratched besides Gardiner and Clarkson recently? meanwhile we haven't made the playoffs in 11 years (short season aside). Meanwhile other teams will healthy scratch a star player here or there for a game to wake them up. There's no pressure from ownership since the $ keeps coming in.

I still recall Bill Watters on leaf lunch telling leaf fans how the Clarkson signing means we finally have an answer to Milan Lucic...someone to step up and show other teams we will not be pushed around!....what a load of crap....

100%...media pressure is one thing but i almost believe it's not as bad as a small market owner storming into the dressing room threatening to ship everyone out of town. Ever wonder why no leafs are EVER healthy scratched besides Gardiner and Clarkson recently? meanwhile we haven't made the playoffs in 11 years (short season aside). Meanwhile other teams will healthy scratch a star player here or there for a game to wake them up. There's no pressure from ownership since the $ keeps coming in.
- clark_griswold

Nicely put....let's make a lot of money, we will sell out each game, so who cares?

When a reporter calls up a player's mother to get medical history

When a player rips into a reporter for being an idiot, and that reporter goes on air saying he's no longer going to protect that player

When a former Leafs Asst GM who gets refused promotion to GM gets a job on Sptsnet and guestslots on this website to spew self biassed disdain and bitterness

When a beat reporter/blogger questions the integrity of a 600 game NHL Headcoach

When a reporter calls out a GM's judgement on a day when the GM is with our Armed Forces

See the pattern here?
- jimi james

Well stated. I see a pattern

Don't forget "unhireable former coach goes on TSN trade deadline and spouts off about hating his former team and hopes they never win."

Same station whose parent company co-owns majority stake in the team. That shouldn't matter from a coverage perspective BTW - but it is hardly fair and impartial from any perspective.

Bad management moves, bad scouting, free agents that were signed to 3 year deals were bad, THe Hockey News has them rated 27th for future prospect, embarrassing for a non playoff team year after year...
- dom13

Ha! just got my copy and yup....1 prospect in the top 50...rated 27th of 30 teams..this from a team that has finished bottom 10 overall 7 of the past 8 years....and ppl say the rebuild won't take 5 years?

As much as i hate the media, you cant blame them or the fans.

If you want to change the fan attitude...Win. The team hasnt been good in a decade....a decade.

This team is unlikable, soft and lacks heart. The team that made the playoffs, played as a team and with grit...and fans got behind that team. This team, led by Kessel and Phaneuf is just going through the motions. Lets face it, both Kessel and Phaneuf appear to be rich bumholes.

Ha! just got my copy and yup....1 prospect in the top 50...rated 27th of 30 teams..this from a team that has finished bottom 10 overall 7 of the past 8 years....and ppl say the rebuild won't take 5 years?
- clark_griswold

How terrible is the fact that Gauthier was a first round pick at number 21 is ranked number 6 on Toronto? Everyone knew that he was a bad skater with no offence, yet we still drafted him over Theodore, Burakovsky, Furcale.....another bad draft pick....he is another Jay McClement

Management has NO plan...never has. Its been patch work as long as i can remember. Some years skill made up for that, but with a salary cap and no top prospects...this team has a long way to go. Get a good coach and some players willing to play a team game.

Gardiner makes the same money as Giordano, and he's done nothing. Think about that. This kid makes the same as a potential Norris winner...
- Lato649

Those deals were signed at different times...

When Gio hits free agency, he'll get some nice coin.

Thing is, pretty much every team in the league has at least a few talented players. the leafs are no different in this regard with kessel, jvr etc. This is inherent in salary cap system.

What separates the winners from the losers is good asset management and a strong, consistent philosophy for team composition.

Say want you want about Burke, but under his tenure, asset management improved and the team was no where near as in bad shape as when JFJ left. Even today, things are better than circa 2007 in terms of assets.

nonis has been a poopty asset manager since taking over and was slowly building a loser franchise. Things seemed to have changed for the better since Shanny's arrival in that regard, but everything cannot be fixed overnight.

I enjoyed a different take on the mess... It was refreshing.. a different talk than the daily Phanuef is a pilon, Kessel is not a core guy and has no heart, blah blah blah we read over and over and over..

Hard to stomach a 4th line that consists of Trevor Smith between Zach Sills and Joakim Lindstrom

When will the Pro-Leafs media stop giving the Leafs a free pass and start challenging every decision this team makes, they're so bias!

How terrible is the fact that Gauthier was a first round pick at number 21 is ranked number 6 on Toronto? Everyone knew that he was a bad skater with no offence, yet we still drafted him over Theodore, Burakovsky, Furcale.....another bad draft pick....he is another Jay McClement
- dom13

Tyler....BIGGS

Tyler....BIGGS
- clark_griswold

lol....ah yes Tyler Biggs

How terrible is the fact that Gauthier was a first round pick at number 21 is ranked number 6 on Toronto? Everyone knew that he was a bad skater with no offence, yet we still drafted him over Theodore, Burakovsky, Furcale.....another bad draft pick....he is another Jay McClement
- dom13

yeah 2 way centres are so overated...I mean look at how many we have already
who needs a Jay mcClement when you have Trevor Smith and Zach Sill

lol....ah yes Tyler Biggs
- dom13

We trade our first and second picks to move up to select Biggs, while Anaheim used those picks on Rackell and Gibson...better team, better at drafting players, and I'm talking about Anaheim.

Re: the bolded

The Leafs do not have the skill to compete for a playoff spot, nevermind compete with any team in the league.

The organization has been a complete and utter failure and they are WAY behind the curve in talent level as well as heart, mental toughness etc.
- Aetherial

I make the statement on skill, purely on the fact that on any given night, if the leafs actually show and play they have seemed to be able to beat the best. They had been able to win 10 straight as well. Completely unsustainable over 82 games for whatever reason. Well, not for whatever reason. Its due to lack of heart, not skill IMO. When the going gets tough, the players seem to disappear.

Either way, I look forward to a new core

It's great to see the same Leafs-bashers the article is about come in and comment on how the article doesn't do enough Leafs bashing.

There are over 40 comments on this post and not one of us have a remote chance of impacting who the Leafs draft this summer or how many games they will win next season. But we can affect the vicious tone that surrounds the Maple Leafs day in and day out. It starts by sharing the posts/tweets/stories that have positive narratives instead of endlessly retweeting the Dion-Lupul rumor.

Yah this is crazy - blaming the media for a teams struggle seems pretty ridiculous.

If the team hadn't been mediocre or worse for the past decade maybe the media wouldn't be so tough on them.

Hard to stomach a 4th line that consists of Trevor Smith between Zach Sills and Joakim Lindstrom
- dom13

leafs are in tank mode who cares

It's great to see the same Leafs-bashers the article is about come in and comment on how the article doesn't do enough Leafs bashing.

There are over 40 comments on this post and not one of us have a remote chance of impacting who the Leafs draft this summer or how many games they will win next season. But we can affect the vicious tone that surrounds the Maple Leafs day in and day out. It starts by sharing the posts/tweets/stories that have positive narratives instead of endlessly retweeting the Dion-Lupul rumor.
- bwindeler

again, it may seem like female doging, but it's just stating the facts. Im super excited for a rebuild. Just stating how poor the franchise has performed and been run...A little exercise for you:

name one thing about this franchise in the past 11 years (since the wiped out season) to be positive about. And i'm serious.

future prospects? playoff success? cheap accessible tickets?

one thing.

Ha! just got my copy and yup....1 prospect in the top 50...rated 27th of 30 teams..this from a team that has finished bottom 10 overall 7 of the past 8 years....and ppl say the rebuild won't take 5 years?
- clark_griswold

while I get what you are saying...the leafs not keeping 2010 and 2011 picks really hurts.

Also I think the days of stupid trades to move up to take Biggs/Ross/Schenn are over.
Better to put a 5 year tag on it now and see how it goes

If a 2nd team came to Toronto then the media pressure on the Leafs will instantly reduce

I hope Shanahan, a man who has no experience at building teams, never worked under any good management on a solid hockey club, can make this work.