Crazy to think that the Leafs are in a cup or bust season

I mean I'd say the window is open until the Matthews deal is up... Cup before 2025 Free Agency or bust. This year is a great chance tho with the playoff format.

yeah they are since they won't be able to resign Hyman and Andersen with that cap space next year, only one of them and i mean if they don't get past the first round again i'd say a retool would happen for the leafs

not if Anderson leaves

Baby steps. Make it out of the 1st round to start.

*crazy to believe that they are in a cup or bust season.

The window isn't closing. We have a slew of impactful prospects about to make the jump over the next ~2 years

They implicitly stated "cup or bust" with their new series "All or Nothing" exclusively on Amazon

The Leafs won't win a playoff round until Nylander is gone or until they use quality NHL caliber depth pieces. You don't win playoff round's with Jimmy Vesey's on your team, or a Mikheyev, Barabanov, or Mikko Lehtonen. If they can't win a series with Kapanen and Johnsson, what makes you think they will get past the first round with a bunch of "has been's" on this team. It's going to be funny to watch Leaf fans go into shambles when Mikko Lehtonen doesn't turn out what they hope he becomes

Lmao what. Nylander is elite. Mikheyev is fine in the middle 6. Barabanov and Lehtonen are no risk gambles. If they work out, great, if not, we don't need them to be great. Speaking of worst defenceman on the team, how was your precious Bogo on Wednesday?

disagree. Where are those two going to go in a flat cap world? Who's going to have money to give them that the Leafs won't? Fair chance they lose one of the two, I'd say 0 chance they lose both.

I mean as a team mindest sure. Not as an organizational view of the roster construction. The players view anything short of a cup as a failure, perfect. Not like management blows this team up if they don't win the cup. if they won't win a playoff round. well then maybe, that's a different story.

Better than Mikko Lehtowho?

Defense. Downgraded the wings to upgrade the D..... Not like they downgraded the wings for no reason. We'll see who does better this year, the always overrated habs or the always underperforming leafs.

Habs - 0 Leafs - 1

I'll keep count for you

"Mikko Lehtowho" hasn't gotten a shot in the lineup yet. I'm not saying he's gonna be great, but he might be, and there was literally no risk associated to signing him. Bogosian was probably the worst defender on the ice on Wednesday. Two stupid penalties and didn't come as advertised in his own end either.

Until Nylander is gone and trade for PLD, I can't see this team winning a round. Outside of the big 4, and Hyman/Kerfoot, they have a bunch of 4th liner's/AHLers. If the Avalanche acquired Jimmy Vesey, Mikheyev, Barabanov, Simmonds, and Lehtonen, where would they all play? All in the AHL

Mikheyev would play in their top 9. The other guys would have had to fight for a spot in the lineup, as they had to in Toronto.

Nope. Mikheyev would be on the taxi squad and the other's would be playing for their AHL affiliated team

Don’t bother replying to this troll.

Crosby won cups with Kunitz and Dupius as linemates. Two absolute nobody's until Crosby made them somebody's. It can be done. There's solid pieces here. Solid top 6 forwards you have five, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, Hyman. And the D is the best it's been since probably 2003. And Freddy is an average to slightly above average starter. No reason he can't get hot in playoffs.

To say they can't win with this team is one thing. But to blame the depth guys? If they can't win it's on the forwards I just listed, Freddie, and the D. The depth guys aren't the needle movers here.

he produced at .5ppg last season. That's middle F production. He tries hard, forechecks. He'd be on their third line.

Moved this to a more proper forum given that there's a discussion at hand that didn't need to be in the AGM forum.

After this season, the Leafs will have the longest cup draft in NHL history. After three first round exits, I'm surprised our winning formula never changed. When the Habs go farther into the playoffs, what will the excuses be this time? It's not only about having superstar players. Having one or two, or maybe three is fine, but you need to surround them with QUALITY depth players. Do we really want to go into the playoff's with two has been's in Thornton and Simmonds, while relying on Vesey, Barabanov, and Lehtonen?

WE DONT RELY ON VESEY BARABANOV AND LEHTONEN. THEY COULD ALL BE SENT DOWN IF THEY ARE BAD BECAUSE WE HAVE THE DEPTH.

Name player's who would replace Vesey, Barabanov, and Lehtonen.