The pressure is on Burke, he has talked up his prospects in an effort to coverup the disasterous Kessel trade that has set back the Leaf rebuild. If the Leafs don't make the playoffs, then he should be fired.

He has talked big, but has failed to land a legit no.1 center in his time as GM, he has failed to find a legit no.1 Dman(Phanuef is not one ATM), It is quite odd how soft down the middle, a Burke team is.

Connolly-Grabovksi-Lombardi-Bozak

Soft soft soft. that will likely not get it done
- FirstClass

You're spouting foolishness again. First of all, it's widely agreed that Burke has improved the prospect pool by a significant margin. If it isn't in the top 3rd of the league, it's far above where it was. Second, there is no way that he could cover up the Kessel trade. It is perhaps the most widely discussed trade of the decade, and everyone already has a (negative) opinion about it. So that's just nonsense.
Thirdly, if Phaneuf isn't a no. 1 d-man, he's young, he's a captain and he's two seasons removed from not only being a #1 dman, but a top 10 dman in the league.
Fourth, there are lots of teams with a sterling level of success that don't have the toughest centres.

Fixed
- p_zub

Lol, trust me, I am a big Scrivens fan. But would you like him playing 15% of the NHL games or 80% of AHL games?

You're spouting foolishness again. First of all, it's widely agreed that Burke has improved the prospect pool by a significant margin. If it isn't in the top 3rd of the league, it's far above where it was. Second, there is no way that he could cover up the Kessel trade. It is perhaps the most widely discussed trade of the decade, and everyone already has a (negative) opinion about it. So that's just nonsense.
Thirdly, if Phaneuf isn't a no. 1 d-man, he's young, he's a captain and he's two seasons removed from not only being a #1 dman, but a top 10 dman in the league.
Fourth, there are lots of teams with a sterling level of success that don't have the toughest centres.
- Morris

Teams fear facing edmonton's bruising duo of centers. With RHN and Gagner, teams will think twice about icing their skilled guys

Teams fear facing edmonton's bruising duo of centers. With RHN and Gagner, teams will think twice about icing their skilled guys
- Schenn-Sational!

So he defends the leafs and you take a jab at the oilers...

Teams fear facing edmonton's bruising duo of centers. With RHN and Gagner, teams will think twice about icing their skilled guys
- Schenn-Sational!

Hah.

I was actually offering a rebuttal for the claim that teams need huge tough centres as a necessary requisite for success. I wasn't ripping on the leafs at all. But since RNH and Gagner are essentially the same size as grabovski and connolly, you just keep on poopting on anyone not called a leafs fan that dares comment on Toronto.

Hah.

I was actually offering a rebuttal for the claim that teams need huge tough centres as a necessary requisite for success. I wasn't ripping on the leafs at all. But since RNH and Gagner are essentially the same size as grabovski and connolly, you just keep on poopting on anyone not called a leafs fan that dares comment on Toronto.


- Morris

Oh get out of here with all your facts. and stop defending his team. jerk.

Hah.

I was actually offering a rebuttal for the claim that teams need huge tough centres as a necessary requisite for success. I wasn't ripping on the leafs at all. But since RNH and Gagner are essentially the same size as grabovski and connolly, you just keep on poopting on anyone not called a leafs fan that dares comment on Toronto.


- Morris

That was meant as a joke

Oh get out of here with all your facts. and stop defending his team. jerk.
- sanfordnson

Really? Nobody took that as a joke?

Teams fear facing edmonton's bruising duo of centers. With RHN and Gagner, teams will think twice about icing their skilled guys
- Schenn-Sational!

Really? Nobody took that as a joke?
- Schenn-Sational!

I guess I'm just touchy because the oilers are obviously in the same boat. But there's definitely success stories from centres of all sizes.

We might see some physicality out of these guys, I'm just not sure what kind...

Really? Nobody took that as a joke?
- Schenn-Sational!

when you type something its hard to tell.. something should have been put in there to tell us otherwise

All I see when I look at your comments is that you look like a conceited poop who wants to female dog at anyone who dares comment on the leafs. Its people like YOU that give us a bad name!!!! <--- See

I guess I'm just touchy because the oilers are obviously in the same boat. But there's definitely success stories from centres of all sizes.

We might see some physicality out of these guys, I'm just not sure what kind...


- Morris

(frank)ing puck bunnies. I live in Red Deer and had seen the guy out partying and some guy on here was arguing with me once all "oh he's a good kid and doesn't do that stuff."

ZOMG A HOCKEY PLAYER THAT PARTIES AND NAILS PUCK BUNNIES! STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF!

when you type something its hard to tell.. something should have been put in there to tell us otherwise

All I see when I look at your comments is that you look like a conceited poop who wants to female dog at anyone who dares comment on the leafs. Its people like YOU that give us a bad name!!!! <--- See
- mfreedman

oh ish

when you type something its hard to tell.. something should have been put in there to tell us otherwise

All I see when I look at your comments is that you look like a conceited poop who wants to female dog at anyone who dares comment on the leafs. Its people like YOU that give us a bad name!!!! <--- See
- mfreedman

Yea, I know, been here longer than my join date indicates... Just figured Morris and sonny knew better

Really? Nobody took that as a joke?
- Schenn-Sational!

i get it. so your joking when you say that schenn is better than myers. Makes much more sense now.

i get it. so your joking when you say that schenn is better than myers. Makes much more sense now.
- sens rock

No, but I am joking when I say I respect sens fans.

(frank)ing puck bunnies. I live in Red Deer and had seen the guy out partying and some guy on here was arguing with me once all "oh he's a good kid and doesn't do that stuff."

ZOMG A HOCKEY PLAYER THAT PARTIES AND NAILS PUCK BUNNIES! STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF!
- sanfordnson

From that picture...he's redefining his idea of "puck bunnies".

From that picture...he's redefining his idea of "puck bunnies".
- p_zub

it was a puck bunny going by the twitter handle of @RNHsnipemy5hole that posted it.

Wilson will be fired if they miss the playoffs or just not re-signed and let go. Burke is going nowhere.

And there's nothing wrong at all with the defense he built. The Phaneuf and Aulie trade was a steal and so was getting Franson. And Phaneuf looked great in the second half of last season.
- RogerRoeper

2nd half is not entire season, thats just like prorating Bozaks stats, how did that work?

You're spouting foolishness again. First of all, it's widely agreed that Burke has improved the prospect pool by a significant margin. If it isn't in the top 3rd of the league, it's far above where it was. Second, there is no way that he could cover up the Kessel trade. It is perhaps the most widely discussed trade of the decade, and everyone already has a (negative) opinion about it. So that's just nonsense.
Thirdly, if Phaneuf isn't a no. 1 d-man, he's young, he's a captain and he's two seasons removed from not only being a #1 dman, but a top 10 dman in the league.
Fourth, there are lots of teams with a sterling level of success that don't have the toughest centres.
- Morris

Ok name me elite teams that are so soft down the middle 1-4

Ok name me elite teams that are so soft down the middle 1-4
- FirstClass

Well, first of all, the Leafs have Boyce or Dupuis in the 4th line spot, both are physical.

Secondly, Bozak himself is not a soft player, so our 3rd and 4th line centers are not, in fact soft.

3rd, and to answer your question, the cup winning Chicago Blackhawks. Their most physical center put up 62 hits. Last season Bozak had 85, Boyce had 68(in 46 games), Dupuis had 128, and in his last full season, Lombardi had 62.

Ok name me elite teams that are so soft down the middle 1-4
- FirstClass

What are your parameters? are you talking some combination of size, hitting prowess ability to take a hit and ability to stay healthy? And I was speaking to the idea that you don't need particularly tough centres, not that having "soft" centres are a good thing. There are lots of centres that are neither particularly tough or particularly soft.

There are also lots of ways teams can succeed or not succeed. Who's to say whether the oilers would do better this year with different sized centres. It's a moot point, because their lack of success will be about their defense and their goaltending.

2nd half is not entire season, thats just like prorating Bozaks stats, how did that work?
- FirstClass

Bozak looks great and will be much better this season. I wasn't aware his career was over.

Well, first of all, the Leafs have Boyce or Dupuis in the 4th line spot, both are physical.

Secondly, Bozak himself is not a soft player, so our 3rd and 4th line centers are not, in fact soft.

3rd, and to answer your question, the cup winning Chicago Blackhawks. Their most physical center put up 62 hits. Last season Bozak had 85, Boyce had 68(in 46 games), Dupuis had 128, and in his last full season, Lombardi had 62.
- Schenn-Sational!

Hit's is a subjective stat, every arena tracks them differently, but we know Dave Bolland is not soft, Toews is not soft.

Connolly has a league wide rep as soft, Lombardi is not known as a tough player, Grabovski has some grit, Bozak is physically weak. the bottom line is, teams that are this soft down the middle, tend not to be overly successful

Bozak looks great and will be much better this season. I wasn't aware his career was over.
- RogerRoeper

Ya Stalberg was great in the pre-season 2 years ago, how did that translate?