Not on the first pitch or the first swing or the first at bat but he was definitely a home run. They still had the brains to identify he was a talent worth picking that the Leafs (among many others) didn't. Drafting him was still necessary for their success later down the road. Point still stands, the Leafs need to start hitting some home runs that aren't 1st overall.
- Unholy_Goalie

They don't need to hit homeruns in the later rounds (if a generational defenseman like Lidstrom is your base example of a homerun) but they do 100% need their later picks to develop into key contributors. Lidstrom is a once in a lifetime pickup, but they will need guys equivalent to a Point, Guentzel, Arvidsson etc to be a contender. Up front there are some promising prospects, like Grundstrom, but it's still too early to tell. Lidstrom didnt even break into the league until he was 20-21 which is where some of the older prospects are just now reaching so we'll see.

Personally I'm still a bit skeptical about the genius of Mark Hunter, how these prospects develop over the next 2-3 years will really prove or disprove that his eye for talent.

You guys want TH Brodie. Loves playing the right side and does what someone said; skates great and can make a good outlet. Would free up Reilly to do his thang.
- TandA4Flames

TJ Brodie is a LHD.

What about Sam Bennett? What's his price tag to you?

They don't need to hit homeruns in the later rounds (if a generational defenseman like Lidstrom is your base example of a homerun) but they do 100% need their later picks to develop into key contributors. Lidstrom is a once in a lifetime pickup, but they will need guys equivalent to a Point, Guentzel, Arvidsson etc to be a contender. Up front there are some promising prospects, like Grundstrom, but it's still too early to tell. Lidstrom didnt even break into the league until he was 20-21 which is where some of the older prospects are just now reaching so we'll see.

Personally I'm still a bit skeptical about the genius of Mark Hunter, how these prospects develop over the next 2-3 years will really prove or disprove that his eye for talent.
- 13sundin13

I think they absolutely need to hit a home run at some point. If you look at Stanley Cup winning team, they almost always have a legit #1 D like Lidstrom on the team, in some cases two. The Leafs don't have anybody on their team or in the pipeline that is even close to that good but it seems to be as common and as important among Cup winners as having a legit #1 C.

Every Norris winner in the past 30 years has either won a Cup or been to the Finals except Karlsson.

Bourque, Chelios, Coffey, Leetch, Blake, MacInnis, Pronger, Lidstrom, Niedermayer, Chara, Keith and Doughty all have Cups, some multiple times. Karlsson, Burns and PK Subban haven't won a Cup but two of the three went to the Finals and Karlsson was pretty close to making it himself.

You guys want TH Brodie. Loves playing the right side and does what someone said; skates great and can make a good outlet. Would free up Reilly to do his thang.
- TandA4Flames

Sure, straight up for Jake Gardiner. Outside of that, I'd like Hamonic please, you can have Connor Brown.

Zaitsev a C+?

I think they absolutely need to hit a home run at some point. If you look at Stanley Cup winning team, they almost always have a legit #1 D like Lidstrom on the team, in some cases two. The Leafs don't have anybody on their team or in the pipeline that is even close to that good but it seems to be as common and as important among Cup winners as having a legit #1 C.

Every Norris winner in the past 30 years has either won a Cup or been to the Finals except Karlsson.

Bourque, Chelios, Coffey, Leetch, Blake, MacInnis, Pronger, Lidstrom, Niedermayer, Chara, Keith and Doughty all have Cups, some multiple times. Karlsson, Burns and PK Subban haven't won a Cup but two of the three went to the Finals and Karlsson was pretty close to making it himself.
- Unholy_Goalie

So how do we acquire one? Are we going to have to trade Wee Willie?

Zaitsev a C+?


- Hockey_Reverend

I am not sure if you are saying thats too high or low

according to wika pee D uh

Academic grading in Canada
A+ 90%–100%
A 85%–89%
A- 80%–84%
B+ 75%–79%
B 70%–74%
B- 67%–69%
C+ 63%–66%
C 60%–62%
C- 57%–59%
D+ 53%–56%
D 50%–52%
F 0%–49%


Seems about right to me. Maybe a C

Sure, straight up for Jake Gardiner. Outside of that, I'd like Hamonic please, you can have Connor Brown.
- Falon

Jake Gardiner for literally anything

I am not sure if you are saying thats too high or low

according to wika pee D uh

Academic grading in Canada
A+ 90%–100%
A 85%–89%
A- 80%–84%
B+ 75%–79%
B 70%–74%
B- 67%–69%
C+ 63%–66%
C 60%–62%
C- 57%–59%
D+ 53%–56%
D 50%–52%
F 0%–49%


Seems about right to me. Maybe a C
- senstroll

This is strange grading

I always had:

90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
77-79 B+
73-76 B
70-72 B-
67-69 C+
63-66 C
60-62 C-
50-59 D
<50 F

This is strange grading

I always had:

90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
77-79 B+
73-76 B
70-72 B-
67-69 C+
63-66 C
60-62 C-
50-59 D
<50 F
- TheMussel

Yeah, that's the way the Canadian GPA system works at least

What do Rick James and Doug Ford have in common?

Answer to come later tonight
- Atomic Wedgie

"I have massive support in the black community. I love them, they love me," Doug Ford told reporters. "There's no other politician in this country, no other politician outside of Rob Ford, that has supported the black community more than I have."

So if the defenseman who had the worst season for the Leafs gets a C+, I guess things are great defensively?

"I have massive support in the black community. I love them, they love me," Doug Ford told reporters. "There's no other politician in this country, no other politician outside of Rob Ford, that has supported the black community more than I have."
- RickJames77

Canadian Donald Drumph, egocentric liar

This is strange grading

I always had:

90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
77-79 B+
73-76 B
70-72 B-
67-69 C+
63-66 C
60-62 C-
50-59 D
<50 F
- TheMussel

That's how it was in my university.

So if the defenseman who had the worst season for the Leafs gets a C+, I guess things are great defensively?
- Scabeh

damn right it is, that's why Dumbas should go all in for Tavares.

So if the defenseman who had the worst season for the Leafs gets a C+, I guess things are great defensively?
- Scabeh

Hainsey at B+
He was ok, started strong but really leveled off in the 2nd half.
He played a billion PK minutes which he gets a lot of credit for.

Polak is he same, people say we need him for the PK..but the PK % with and without him are almost identical. And I would bet the same if you replaced Hainsey with someone else. in the end it wouldnt be a big difference if any

edit: was B+ not A-

Hainsey at A-
He was ok, started strong but really leveled off in the 2nd half.
He played a billion PK minutes which he gets a lot of credit for.

Polak is he same, people say we need him for the PK..but the PK % with and without him are almost identical. And I would bet the same if you replaced Hainsey with someone else. in the end it wouldnt be a big difference if any
- senstroll

Yeah, Polak delivered exactly what we all expected what he would.

Mediocre plays with some grit and toughness

That's how it was in my university.
- Scabeh

Zaitsev a C+?


- Hockey_Reverend

Zaitsev needs to have a bounceback year, but getting over a concussion and missing that many games... pretty tough to do.

But I agree with U_G: we need a #1D, or at least a reasonable facsimile playing on the right side with Rielly.

Everything falls into line and looks a lot better if we had somebody like:

Rielly Trouba/Carlson/McDonagh/Hamilton
Gardiner Hainsey/Zaitsev
Dermott Hainsey/Zaitsev
Holl/Carrick

Zaitsev needs to have a bounceback year, but getting over a concussion and missing that many games... pretty tough to do.

But I agree with U_G: we need a #1D, or at least a reasonable facsimile playing on the right side with Rielly.

Everything falls into line and looks a lot better if we had somebody like:

Rielly Trouba/Carlson/McDonagh/Hamilton
Gardiner Hainsey/Zaitsev
Dermott Hainsey/Zaitsev
Holl/Carrick
- gravyface

solid triple on D, what are the forward pairs?

solid triple on D, what are the forward pairs?
- Symba007

Leafs will play 1 forward and 4 defenseman on every shift, in the hopes that the team defense improves

solid triple on D, what are the forward pairs?
- Symba007

Hyman-Matthews-Marner

Hyman-Tavares-Nylander

Hyman-Kadri-Kapanen

Marleau-Hyman-Brown

This is strange grading

I always had:

90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
77-79 B+
73-76 B
70-72 B-
67-69 C+
63-66 C
60-62 C-
50-59 D
<50 F
- TheMussel

That's interesting...this is how it was for me

Edit: Now that I think about it, we didn't have an A+
94-100 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
60-69 D+/D/D- (same trailing numbers as above)
<60 F

That's interesting...this is how it was for me

Edit: Now that I think about it, we didn't have an A+
94-100 A+
90-93- A
90-93 A-
86-89 B+
83-85 B
80-82 B-
76-79 C+
73-75 C
70-72 C-
60-69 D+/D/D- (same trailing numbers as above)
<60 F
- RickJames77

Only in 'Murica.

Only in 'Murica.
- PatC80

I totally jacked that up - it's been a while

It's right now though...still a (frank)ed up rating system IMO