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MatthewsFan

Ovchinnikov 137
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Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJan. 15 at 9:23 a.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 3 - Winter Blues
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>MatthewsFan</b></div><div>I’m curious, any other fans starting to come to the realization this team should just stand pat this year.</div></div>

🙋‍♀️

I wasn't expecting the Leafs to go out and add a ton at the TDL regardless, but if for no reason other than the fact that it will cost a fortune to address the Leafs areas of need, I fully agree on the Leafs standing pat.

So many teams need a goalie, while few have Goalies to expend. So many teams need defensemen, and yet so few have defensemen to spare. There are no clear sellers to this point, and the TDL this season is going to be extremely competitive. It's just not worth the cost. Address the gaps in free agency with all the money we have and call it a day
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJan. 2 at 1:56 p.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 3 - Winter Blues
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>NorthernLeafsFan05</b></div><div>It's wild to me how much the narrative on Minten has shifted after the WJCs. People just love to hate. You can't win every WJC every year, it's just the nature of the sport. It was fun to watch some of the kids play and I'm sure it was an excellent experience for them (barring the heartbreak at the end, but even that is a valuable experience)

Cowan looked like a thunder bug and Minten is still a super promising youngster.</div></div>

I think the reason the narrative shifted is because people who bought into the unrealistic hype are coming to terms with the reality of what he is as a prospect while at the same time dealing with Canada being ousted early. If the hype for him weren't so out of control in the first place we wouldn't be dealing with this.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsDec. 29, 2023 at 1:23 p.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 3 - Winter Blues
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Random2152</b></div><div>Eh. I just don't see him making a huge impact in Toronto, even with improvements.
I do however expect him to get traded to a dog**** team - play in the top 6 and score 20+ goals while putting up the most extreme analytics you've ever seen (lots of finishing talent, mediocre but decent offense, and awful defence).

Media and fans will act like he is the one who got away</div></div>

I don't see why he can't do that here. Or why we can't at least give it a look. Sick of moving on from guys before seeing for sure what we have and it's not like either Knies or Bert have been so outrageously good that we can't try something new. And I don't think he's been all that bad defensively, tbh.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsDec. 21, 2023 at 9:56 p.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 3 - Winter Blues
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>mondo</b></div><div>rough game. toronto needs to stop being so prone to getting concaved by buffalo. this definitely isn't the first time they've routed them.



I'd rather have more Domis on the team. Dude is not a defensive stalwart but he shows a lot of tenacity and would run through a wall for this team. He doesn't "fit" because for a long time the bottom six has been a wasteland of defensive forwards picked out for metrics and tough guy hasbeens, not a lot of guys who can put the puck in the net. This is how the change the identity of a team, you don't keep going back to what clearly hasn't been working.

Jonas is one of the reasons paying for The Athletic isn't worth it. He's a glorified beat writer and never has any interesting takes, and was hired because of his name recognition and not because he was a competent and compelling reporter. His ass-kissing of Dubas in the summer when he got fired was extremely pathetic as well.</div></div>

I'm not saying they should go back to what hasn't been working, I'm just not that high on Domi. He gives a lot back defensively, I think his toughness/tenacity is overrated, and there's only been one slot in this lineup where he's even kind of worked. Like I said, I didn't read the article and I don't really care to tbh, the reaction was just way bigger than I ever would have thought for suggesting that.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsDec. 3, 2023 at 3:43 a.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 2
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>aadoyle</b></div><div>I mean he was out 2min 14 seconds, JT and Marner 2min 36 seconds. Nylander who normally is good in OT 2min 40 seconds. So he was out there a good chunk but Idk if 15 extra seconds would have made a huge diff

The weird shifts Bertuzzi 7 seconds and Gregor 32 seconds. We need more guys out there lul


Either way Keefe got to have a talk with Willy. His OT efforts these past few games not good

Its like that missed goal in CHI shook him to his core and hes a totally different guy

Exact same giveaway pass to nobody not pushing or using his speed. And than that moment


Just needs to find himself again like we saw in Sweden. That was best Willy

As this was the guy who would breakaway go backhand and 9/10 that was in</div></div>

I don't have any faith in Keefe. He doesn't show the mentality of a coach who can get what's needed out of a team especially when it's crunch time.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsNov. 9, 2023 at 1:25 p.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 2
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>MatthewsFan</b></div><div>(Just wanted to edited it down for my reply)

You make some very valid points. And as it was pointed out today on a good thread <a href="https://x.com/jakebeleafs/status/1722637644562153842?s=46&amp;t=dH-VoNCgylRI5xOiyMXqOQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">creed jake</a> there were issues stemming from last year.

I feel like I was going blue in the face last year with how terrible TOR’s underlying numbers were, especially after the trade deadline.

There are larger issues at play (coach/style of play) that are getting more pronounced with the style of players Treliving decided to bring in.

Kämpf was already struggling hard last season and is now even more compounded with Reaves beside him. Even with a speedy winger like Gregor beside him is not helping <a href="https://x.com/frankcorrado22/status/1722637830868848759?s=46&amp;t=dH-VoNCgylRI5xOiyMXqOQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Frank Corrado</a>

Klingberg was an absolute disaster waiting to happen, but even ink has been spilled on him. Just move him hopefully without any assets attached.

Domi/Bertuzzi sounded good on paper but are not exactly defensive stalwarts. And have very limited utility on the roster (no top PP time, neither PK). Very happy to see Domi at C where he should have been all along tho.

Will be very curious to see some of the reactions IF Treliving deals 1st, Cowan, Minten Niemelä (not all) in a trade.

There are too many issues at play with this entire team to invest in them.


But that is just my opinion</div></div>

Concerns are definitely valid.

I've written it already...but my biggest issue is the intent and the result (so far).

Treliving intended to sign a puck moving D-man and did so with Klingberg...the result has been very little offense and god-awful defence

Treliving signed Domi, Bertuzzi and Reaves with the intention of "adding snot" or being harder to play against....the result, as far as I have been able to tell...is that we seem softer than ever.

I get that it's only been 6mths on the job and 1 offseason...but either the players he chose to execute his plan were the wrong choice, or there's a disconnect between what the plan is and what expectations the coach is communicating to the players.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsNov. 9, 2023 at 12:07 p.m.
Thread: Leafs 2023 2024 Season Discussion Part 2
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>MatthewsFan</b></div><div>I think you underestimate how bad this roster really is.

When TOR was without Muzzin, Reilly, Brodie they went with a combination of:

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Jarnkrok-Tavares-Marner
Kerfoot-Holmberg-Engvall
AstonReese-Kampf-Robertson

Giordano-Holl
Sandin-Liljegren
Mete-Timmins
Hollowell

15 game streak without a regulation loss. 12 wins &amp; 3 OT losses from Nov 12 to Dec 13.


I look forward to seeing how much Treliving is willing to mortgage for this current roster/coaching staff.

<img class="for_img" src="https://media.tenor.com/Lqf7r6FZti8AAAAd/popcorn-watching-tv.gif" alt="popcorn-watching-tv.gif"></div></div>

The point you're raising is really the big question we have to wait and find out on....

What was Treliving's mandate when he came in? In typical scenarios when a GM is replaced, it's because he got fired and the roster needs, at a minimum, some sort of reset...if not a rebuild...but that's not the case here.

I'm not going to bother getting into the debate on whether we SHOULD or SHOULD NOT use picks/prospects to improve this year. I think there's arguments on both sides so I'm gonna focus on what I think we can expect...

Things we think we know:
- We know the original plan was to keep Dubas which, presumably...meant continuing to evolve the roster towards playoff success/cup contention
- logical guess is that the expectations from Shanny to Treliving was to win now.
- sounds like efforts were made to keep O'Rielly and Schenn as well as onboard Gudas...all failed and we ended up with Domi, Bert and Klingberg.
- Those multiple 1-yr UFA signings and low level of commitment to Samsonov leads me to understand that Treliving is trying to compete right now without pigeon-holing himself into long-term commitments
- Tre's comments early on lead us to believe he's not content with the makeup of the D-core heading into the season
- If Lilly, Timmins and McCabe are all healthy, and without any other long-term injuries added...the leafs are over the cap and will be forced to make some sort of move
- Klingberg has a 10-team no-trade clause. You'd have to think places like Zona, San Jose, and other dumpster fire teams (maybe Calgary) will be on it, if he's ever asked to submit such a list. Also, Anaheim had a hell of a time trying to give him away last trade deadline....so it stands to reason that no competing team will have any interest in taking him off our hands. We may be stuck with this guy all year.

What we don't know for sure:
- how much emphasis is there on Tre to make/keep this a competitive team?...it's year 1 of his tenure...it would normally seem odd for him to jettison picks and prospects for rentals just for this year
- how much say does Shanny have in all of this....we think Dubas walked because he wasn't given carte blanche....does Treliving also have similar strings attached...I'm guessing yes...we just don't know if that mandate is to push chips in or to scale back on giving away high draft picks

Either way...history tells us there aren't going to be any major trades done right now...usually the earliest we see anything is leading up to the Holiday roster freeze which is Dec. 20-27th this year. By then we will hopefully have some bodies on D back and where each team sits in the standings will have a little more clarity. I was stunned at the number of roster moves Dubas made at the deadline last year. It was called for...but I don't think it gives enough time for the roster to gel together....and I agree with you, in theory...that this roster isn't currently showing us they're deserving of major additions this year. Maybe that changes come January/February...but if I'm Brad..I'm not giving up prime assets unless the guys coming back are immediately signing extensions or already have term and will serve me well beyond just this year.