ahhhh....the good old dog days of summer.

I am confident that Phaneuf is going to get a lot of credit this year for the Sens playing a far stronger defensive game. Ceci/Phaneuf will take some pressure off of Karlsson/Methot. Not sure that Phaneuf will have the impact of Kessel in leading Pittsburg in their Stanley Cup run, but he will have a very good year. The Phaneuf deal was a shrewd move by Ottawa. Hard to believe the Leafs took back more than $10.5m in salary as well.




Except if you serve an ace and squeeze the juice out of the other guy. We will have a chance to review this all season. i suspect Leaf fans will become as quiet on Phaneuf as they are on Kessel.





Boring. We listen to this kind of crap every summer. It vomits out of Leaf fans, unthinking, unbalanced, even a few that are a little unhinged.

But it is entertaining. Everyone, even the Leaf fans, know that the big stumble starts when they drop the puck for real. Leafs are about 5 years behind Edmonton in their rebuild and you all note that Edmonton is just now starting a rebuild off the rebuild and they have the bet hockey player on the plant.

But it is summer and it is hockey talk and it is, of course, Leaf fans providing the opportunity for laughter.We will wait for the fall before doubling up in laughter as Leaf fans start another false hope cycle.




This is an important point. I have always thought the Toronto media had way too much influence in the Leaf decision making. The media creates a theme, they pump the theme and everyone comes to believe in the theme because nobody wants to break the story line.

I believe the Austin Matthews story is a prime example of a runaway theme. Matthews was not even close to being the best player in the draft after Christmas. Both Finns were clearly better and had it not been for the media pumping his story as the Leafs first overall selection he would have dropped to third or fourth. Simply, everyone had too much invested into the storyline too pull back on the story everyone (including fans) wanted to see.

Anyway it will be apparent once the season starts that Matthews (a good player) does not punch in the same class as the Finns. Leaf fans will likely be discouraged. But, I don't think anyone will figure it out. They will wonder why everyone missed on Laine and they will blame Leaf management. They will miss on the pervasive influence the media has on Leaf management decisions.
- Tumbleweed

- winsix

should have drafted laine, of course. or puljujarvi, of course. Clearly better.

Honestly, those comments right there cement him in the stupidity hall of fame.

Wehre does Laine even go in a redraft? 5 to 10 range?

Matthews
Tkachuk/Fox
Macavoy

Laine/Debrincat/PL Dubois/Chycrun?

should have drafted laine, of course. or puljujarvi, of course. Clearly better.

Honestly, those comments right there cement him in the stupidity hall of fame.

Wehre does Laine even go in a redraft? 5 to 10 range?

Matthews
Tkachuk/Fox
Macavoy

Laine/Debrincat/PL Dubois/Chycrun?
- prock[/quote

Any way you look at it. Laine probably goes top 5, I'd put Tkachuk ahead of him for sure, probably McAvoy as well, maybe Segachev. Fox went in the third round but it doesn't appear to be a strong year for the draft. Dubois is still a project. Laine plays for a poop team - has a wicked shot.

should have drafted laine, of course. or puljujarvi, of course. Clearly better.

Honestly, those comments right there cement him in the stupidity hall of fame.

Wehre does Laine even go in a redraft? 5 to 10 range?

Matthews
Tkachuk/Fox
Macavoy

Laine/Debrincat/PL Dubois/Chycrun?
- prock

- winsix

Borderline delusional for people to try and project Ritchie into a first line role where he will become every bit as effective as Hyman.

Some folks think Leafs might get pushed around this year and may struggle in the second half to make the playoffs.

Spatso

Borderline delusional for people to try and project Ritchie into a first line role where he will become every bit as effective as Hyman.

Some folks think Leafs might get pushed around this year and may struggle in the second half to make the playoffs.

Spatso
- winsix

blah blah blah, if only we had draft Puljujarvi like Spatso said we should have.

Hyman is better than Ritchie, quite easily, but whatever. Not making the playoffs? let's not get silly. They'll be a divisional seed again, almost for sure. Buffalo, Ottawa, Detroit, and arguably even Montreal can all be counted out at this point. I doubt Boston really contends for the number 1 spot in the division, they're getting long in the tooth at this point.

blah blah blah, if only we had draft Puljujarvi like Spatso said we should have.

Hyman is better than Ritchie, quite easily, but whatever. Not making the playoffs? let's not get silly. They'll be a divisional seed again, almost for sure. Buffalo, Ottawa, Detroit, and arguably even Montreal can all be counted out at this point. I doubt Boston really contends for the number 1 spot in the division, they're getting long in the tooth at this point.
- prock

For those of you that are not too wienerly. Can I would like to ask;

Are the Leaf forward lines better than what they were last year? Has the D improved? Will the Leafs be better in goal?
Spatso

For those of you that are not too wienerly. Can I would like to ask;

Are the Leaf forward lines better than what they were last year? Has the D improved? Will the Leafs be better in goal?
Spatso





- winsix

It's funny, Spatso yap yap yapping about thinking MAtthews wants to get out of Toronto at the end of the Leafs 8 years of draft rights, but Brady Tkachuk seemingly doesn't even want to wait that long.

It's funny, Spatso yap yap yapping about thinking MAtthews wants to get out of Toronto at the end of the Leafs 8 years of draft rights, but Brady Tkachuk seemingly doesn't even want to wait that long.
- prock

wrong

wrong
- penguininnevada

pardon?

Re: Brady Tkachuk

I have never been a fan of the 8 year deal for Tkachuk. Cannot reason through why that option would appeal to the Sens. This is not a McDavid or a McKinnon. This, at best, is a Landeskog. Great team player, but $7m x 3 seems the right number at this time. I believe, if the Sens manage this situation prudently they should be able to produce a very positive outcome.
- spatso

Brady Tkachuk = Gabriel Landeskog?

LOL

More like Tuomo Ruutu

Re: Brady Tkachuk



Brady Tkachuk = Gabriel Landeskog?

LOL

More like Tuomo Ruutu
- prock

- winsix

He just slithers in for a troll after every loss. An OT loss in which the Leafs dominated and played well enough to win. Disappears like a fart in a windstorm when the Leafs do well.

https://www.hockeybuzz.co...143287&page=last#21834396
- winsix


But, my question still remains valid.

The Leaf attack is superb. The offensive game produces spectacular possession numbers. Fancy stats and our own eyes tell us that the Leafs should have won that game.

If the Leafs have a significant weakness it is on defence and in the nets.

I am interested in having someone explain to me how the Leafs will transition to playoff style hockey where games are often decided by the best goaltending performance.

You can look at last night's game and say the Leafs were great on the attack. You can also say that despite a dominant performance they still lost. Is there something that needs to be fixed?

Spatso

For those of you that are not too wienerly. Can I would like to ask;

Are the Leaf forward lines better than what they were last year? Has the D improved? Will the Leafs be better in goal?
Spatso





- winsix

- winsix

I think everyone agrees a Leaf loss against the Hawks tonight would be highly problematic.

On the other hand, sometimes you need to hit a hard bottom in order to empower change. If the Leafs lose against the Hawks will there be an intervention of some type? Is there anyone in the Leaf system at risk of losing their job over the next few days.

Great advise from the Tanner of Trolls!

Please re-post dumb crap spasto posts here for future use.

We'll start as many threads as we need to for all the dumb crap.
- Tumbleweed

Forgot this amazing thread existed.
- GreatGigInTheSky

I think everyone agrees a Leaf loss against the Hawks tonight would be highly problematic.

On the other hand, sometimes you need to hit a hard bottom in order to empower change. If the Leafs lose against the Hawks will there be an intervention of some type? Is there anyone in the Leaf system at risk of losing their job over the next few days.

Great advise from the Tanner of Trolls!
- winsix

That Hawks win was the start of a nice run. It seems to have sparked them.

That Hawks win was the start of a nice run. It seems to have sparked them.
- prock

And still going, Leafs could easily win 12 games in November, Spatso will stay in hiding for some time.

I thought it was a great game.

On the other hand, the broadcast product was atrocious. No crowd sound. Announcer totally unaware of what was happening. Sens pulled goalie and announcer did not discover it till camera focussed on empty net a half minute later.

Team is going to continue to have same struggles for most of the rest of the season. Our goal is to search for improvement over the balance of the season and hope on the future outcomes possible in adding one more elite talented player into the system.

Folks need to go careful on the idea of the Sens rushing into getting guys resigned or chasing UFAs in the off season. It is more financially complicated than it looks.
- spatso

Bahahahaha, why would there be "crowd sound" at a Sens game?????

Bahahahaha, why would there be "crowd sound" at a Sens game?????
- prock

I thought it was a great game.

On the other hand, the broadcast product was atrocious. No crowd sound. Announcer totally unaware of what was happening. Sens pulled goalie and announcer did not discover it till camera focussed on empty net a half minute later.

Team is going to continue to have same struggles for most of the rest of the season. Our goal is to search for improvement over the balance of the season and hope on the future outcomes possible in adding one more elite talented player into the system.

Folks need to go careful on the idea of the Sens rushing into getting guys resigned or chasing UFAs in the off season. It is more financially complicated than it looks.
- spatso

It's actually quite simple, there is very little interest even locally for such a crap team. You can only expect second rate announcers because not only is the product atrocious nobody cares. The sooner this franchise is sold by the current tight-wad owner, the better.

It's actually quite simple, there is very little interest even locally for such a crap team. You can only expect second rate announcers because not only is the product atrocious nobody cares. The sooner this franchise is sold by the current tight-wad owner, the better.
- winsix

Melnyk won't sell, that's his baby, and one of the few things he has left. He'll hold on tight as long as he can.

The whole situation reminds me of the movie "Major League", and the two announcers sitting up in the press box, making comments like "well, nobody is listening anyway".

Please re-post dumb crap spasto posts here for future use.

We'll start as many threads as we need to for all the dumb crap.
- Tumbleweed

A beauty for sure

Stuff happens. You need to ask Oiler fans about the ups and downs of rebuild.

It is a process with deep psychological considerations for the team as a whole. Right now there are only a few things that really matter. Short term measures like winning, losing and playoffs are illusory indicators, often false.

I think they are three players away from being serious playoff challengers. And, the way this team is being constructed, when this team does contend for a playoff spot they will not be an easy out in the post season.

However, let us be honest. This team needs a centre. Is it Pinto or Stuetzle as the answer? Probably not. They need a dominate Dman who can take care of business in front of his own net. Is it Sanderson?

And, perhaps, they need better goaltending if they are going to move up in class

Spatso

Please re-post dumb crap spasto posts here for future use.

We'll start as many threads as we need to for all the dumb crap.
- Tumbleweed

Not really committed to the idea of everyone piling on. to the overall situation. The Sens have struggled with goalttending. Team defence does not getting fixed overnight.

Yet overall I like the team. In fact, I like this team a lot.

It is a fool's errand to pursue insight, justification or even explanation of exactly what were the misses.

Another top 5 pick works for me.

Spatso

How's it working for Buffalo? Ten years of pain, followed by more pain

Melnyk won't sell, that's his baby, and one of the few things he has left. He'll hold on tight as long as he can.

The whole situation reminds me of the movie "Major League", and the two announcers sitting up in the press box, making comments like "well, nobody is listening anyway".
- prock

Sens worse than last year! Can it get any worse?Calling out Pierre McGuire!
December 1, 2021, 10:27 PM ET [91 Comments]
Kevin Francis

Do what Spatso did. switch teams, it's worked out well for him.
- systemtool