#LeafsFever
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 3,795
Likes: 935
Problems all over the place. Robertson needs to be slowly worked into the lineup. The 3rd line is a good spot for him to start. Not only do I not think Dermott is top-4, he's pretty incapable of playing his off-side. Whitecloud hasn't really proven all that much in a super small sample size, so you shouldn't really be relying on him. Finally, Nylander and Kerfoot. As I've stated before, for both players, and their individual games, I don't think either is really what this team needs. Nylander has proven he's a more-than-capable top scoring winger, but he does not hustle, especially on the back-check. Kerfoot is not what I would consider a prototypical 3C, and that's what the Leafs need. When Dubas went out of his way to spend big bucks on Tavares, he quite literally said this team is ready to take it to the next level, that hasn't happened yet. Brendan Shannahan had been so adamant about this 5-year plan, but really, nothing has materialized beyond some regular season success, which means nothing when you can't make it into the playoffs, let alone the first round. For me, the issue will remain with the management of this team. When Lou left, the Leafs made a conscious decision to go younger, go analytics, and try to find a niche in the new more modern NHL with flash, finesse and scoring. Oh well for that. So, you can make all the deals you want, but it starts at the top. If Shannahan isn't prepared to fire Dubas, then I think Shannahan needs to go. Let a new president step in and turn up the furnace on everyone.