Yup. I do feel that D is slightly over-hyped, and if you have those dynamic forwards, you can forgo expensive offensive D. However, Toronto is in for a shot once Marner takes 11M+ AAV, as Muzzin is due for a 2M raise, and if Barrie can get his 3rd consecutive 60+ point season, will be up for at least a 6M raise in his 2.75M cap hit. Leafs are victims of the Stanley cup cap crunch despite not having won a playoff round!!!!! Yikes
- bikeguy99

Leafs are in better cap shape than majority of teams. You really should look around at all teams' cap sitautions.

Leafs believe in paying for stars and not overpaying for bottom 6 talent like most teams.

I believe they did. But that’s my opinion
- Ross77

Panarin got 12.5 this year. LOL.

Tavares was a UFA. Well worth that.

and that doesn't make it a deal, it just means multiple teams were willing to over pay for him, which the Leafs did. and wasn't it only the sharks who offered more.
- Ross77

He's an elite star center. When Kevin Hayes hets 7.15 per don't expect some steal for Tavares.

He's an elite star center. When Kevin Hayes hets 7.15 per don't expect some steal for Tavares.
- RogerRoeper

Yep it’s August, leaf fans are talking about how good they are again.

New Bolg? Is there literally nothing happening with the Jets?

Yep it’s August, leaf fans are talking about how good they are again.
- 2.0

Jets were the Canadian media's consensus to win the cup last year. What happened?

Jets were the Canadian media's consensus to win the cup last year. What happened?
- RogerRoeper

Depends who you ask but I think team chemistry changed. Success got to their heads, some started playing for the paycheck, Laine was dreadful , especially after November.

We will have to wait for the memoirs to get the real story. Thee is apparently tension between Laine and wheeler/scheifle. The veteran coach Maurice has the last couple years to see the rift development and let it grow. If he fails to get a resolution early this year I will jump on the sack Maurice bandwagon.

Jets were the Canadian media's consensus to win the cup last year. What happened?
- RogerRoeper

Seriously. Jets lost against the Stanley cup champions in an extremely close series. Jets had lots of injuries. I could go on about bad ref calls, and unlucky bounces but the points are now moot. At the end of the day they had better goaltending. It wasn't the coaches fault or anything going on in the room. They got rid of the big cancer in the room which was Lemieux before the playoffs. A good player but bad news otherwise.

Seriously. Jets lost against the Stanley cup champions in an extremely close series. Jets had lots of injuries. I could go on about bad ref calls, and unlucky bounces but the points are now moot. At the end of the day they had better goaltending. It wasn't the coaches fault or anything going on in the room. They got rid of the big cancer in the room which was Lemieux before the playoffs. A good player but bad news otherwise.
- jetsnation

You are not wrong on any of this but the Jets did reach the level of commitment and consistency that they had in the previous season.

Seriously. Jets lost against the Stanley cup champions in an extremely close series. Jets had lots of injuries. I could go on about bad ref calls, and unlucky bounces but the points are now moot. At the end of the day they had better goaltending. It wasn't the coaches fault or anything going on in the room. They got rid of the big cancer in the room which was Lemieux before the playoffs. A good player but bad news otherwise.
- jetsnation

A loss is a loss. Leafs keep losing close series to finalists or teams ahead of them in the standings and you won't accept that as an excuse.

Depends who you ask but I think team chemistry changed. Success got to their heads, some started playing for the paycheck, Laine was dreadful , especially after November.

We will have to wait for the memoirs to get the real story. Thee is apparently tension between Laine and wheeler/scheifle. The veteran coach Maurice has the last couple years to see the rift development and let it grow. If he fails to get a resolution early this year I will jump on the sack Maurice bandwagon.
- 2.0

Sportsnet had 9 out of 16 analysts pick the Jets to win the cup.

Sportsnet had 9 out of 16 analysts pick the Jets to win the cup.
- RogerRoeper

I wasn't arguing - I was answering your question. Read my answer again and in context it says that the answer to what went wrong with the Jets depends on who you ask. It was not about being a consensus favourite.

Well, at least some good news out late this week regarding Connor and Laine. Connor wants a long term deal and I'm down with that as very good news that he wants to be a long term Jet. Laine, has to the delight of this board and likely everyone else out there, has worked hard on his skating and "explosiveness " on the ice during the off-season. Music to our ears. It might be one of the only benefits of an early exit for a relatively young team in that the players have more time to work on the aspects of their game that are lacking and also get more gym time to develop their young bodies.

I think Jets haven't rushed the contract talks until they see some other deals on the tape. I'm not sure we gain and advantage with that strategy but it is what it is. All the other major names out there such as Marner, Tkachuk , Provorov, and maybe even Rantanen are on salary cap-strapped teams so maybe Chevy is gambling that their numbers won't be as high as expected . Hard to say for sure though.

Keep drinking the “Chevy” koolaid boys... this team is going nowhere. I will gladly eat my words if I am wrong but the Winnipeg defense is an absolute disaster at this point. The forwards can score, but half of them don’t back check.
Last year there was dissension among the troops, so hopefully that can be repaired.
The longer the Connor and Laine stalemate continues the more likely neither will resign when the become URFA.
I sure hope they have a successful season as season ticket prices are not getting cheaper and I was disappointed with the play after the all-star break.