Edited Jun. 1, 2018 at 1:55 p.m.
Quoting: Juice
*clap, clap, clap*
Can we get a round of applause for this guy?
Obviously if the leafs drafted more D men in rounds 3-7 we’d surely have found a stud by now.
Third time you’re charging your argument and still come up cottony soft.
First off, the Leafs’ D isn’t as atrocious as you claim. Not great, but ranked 13th.
You want to look at track record of the first two rounds? Really? We have one of the best young offences in the game with those picks + Dermott and Liljegren who, without stretching the truth, are legit potential top 4 d-men.
You want to look outside the first two rounds? You go back and find me an impact d-man drafted in rounds 3-7 playing today. Spoiler alert....there isn’t one.
Now you want to hate on fans looking to deal from a position of strength to fill a hole in D?
You want to hate on the ‘Shanaplan’ but in 4 years took a perennial non-playoff team with nothing exciting in the pipeline to a playoff squad deep with young talent.
This team is built from the wings? This team was built strong up the middle and in net. Ignoring the fact that Nylander was drafted as a C and likely to be groomed there slowly.
Know that part about defence taking longer to develop? Ever think success came a little earlier than expected for the team and now some of the D is the system are either not ready (or never will be).
When Shanahan came on board, we had very few prospects in the system and a team of selfish, overpaid veterans. There were holes up and down the roster at every position. So the philosophy of ‘drafting the best player available’ was a smart one to go with. Now that success is ahead of schedule, they’re trying to catch up on defence.
Look. I get it if you’re annoyed by all the Toronto ACGM teams that almost always have us trading winger for D. You’re entitled to those feelings. But to lash out and blame poor management is simply wrong.
You want an argument?
Fault me:
Toronto has drafted league leading proportionately low number of defenseman in the first 3 rounds since 2012 when Morgan Rielly and Matt Finn were selected.
Now many Toronto fans and media members are bashing the team's defense, rightfully so as the results show. Problem is, you can't have defense if you don't pick them.
In 2013 you selected 0 d in rounds 1, 2 and 3. 3 picks, all fowards
In 2014 you selected a d in round 2, 1 d, 2 forwards
In 2015 you selected a d in round 2, 1 d, 2 fowards
In 2016 you selected 0 d in rounds 1, 2, and 3. 3 picks, all forwards.
That's 10 forwards, 2d, 0 1st round d, in a 4 year span where you had all of your picks.
Compare that to TBL:
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00008385.html
Compare that to WSH
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00008871.html
Compare that to PITT
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00007475.html
Compare that to STL
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00008187.html
Compare that to (it doesnt ******* matter)
But go look at the teams that are actually rebuilding that will actually dominate: Philly, Anahiem, its like talking to a wall with you ******* morons.
The Shanaplan is literally garbage if you did not win a lottery.
Its a joke.
Without a lottery you have a rager in Kadri at 1C and literally no defense with some flimsy 1-way wingers. Its downs hockey. Its designed to make you think its going to work so you buy jerseys and pay more to go to a game. But its crap come playoffs, and will be crap come playoffs. Such a travesty really for what I consider the hockey capital of the world to be run by such dumbfucks and you all eat it up like its crack. If I had a dollar for every time Marner was literally run down on the boards and the puck went the other way I'd ******* retire today. Every team needs soft, creative scoring wingers, but you better have some semblance of defense behind them and Toronto has none.
You just type Shanaplan because you can score goals in the regular season. Meanwhile your 1RHD is nearly crying at exit interviews and your 1C needs to be coddled by the coach in the off season.
A plan is something you think about and do. This is just a way to extract your money.
Worst part for you? Somebody's going to get Nylander on the cheap, put him at center, and hes going to William Karlsson the league, and you will be stuck with an Adam Larsson = not a 1, but a good 2. And you'll have older Patrick Marleau moving up in the line-up. Seems like a winning "plan".
Good luck with that. Sorry about how much money they're extracting from you.