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Mar. 5, 2020
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Toronto Maple Leafs
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Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJul. 13, 2022 at 12:01 p.m.
Thread: I Am Really Going To Miss Jack Campbell
Was never sold on the guy. He had moments of great hockey... and moments of "How are you in the NHL"?
He found a spot because Anderson got injured and made good on that.... but it was up and down.
EVeryone talks about how great a guy he was and he took every loss or mistake hard. I personally consider that a problem. Seeing a goaltender break down and cry after a 1st round playoff loss makes me wonder about their emotional stability. Imagine if you will - Campbell signing for 5 million in Toronto then having the wheels fall off AGAIN (sorry guys, last years tumble for Campbell was shockingly bad) and Leaf fans started booing him?
No... a team that is working towards turning the corner on fragile confidence does not need that.
I am certain that part of the acquisition for Murray had a lot to do with poise, experience and pedigree in play-off pressure.
I think the nay-sayers... even the panel "experts" on every hockey program are missing the boat on this one and are stuck in this cycle of "reclamation" project nonsense that drives a media soundbite and are completely missing (or burying) "intangibles" because it's just easier to focus on "injury history". It's lazy reporting and it's being gobbled up by lazy Leafs fans.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJul. 11, 2022 at 11:57 p.m.
Thread: Murray to TOR
Murray for 25% discount and we get two picks.... 2023 3rd rounder and 2024 7th.
It's a gamble and if anyone thinks it's a bad one, well- that's the reason you have a day job and have no career in hockey management.
Murray started off well with Ottawa and put up good numbers until the wheels fell off. That needs to be understood as "wheels fell off on a TEAM where the expectations were higher and THE WHEELS FELL OFF the entire team". No goaltender could have saved that debacle.
I'll take Murray over Mrazek anyday.
Considering that Murrays cap hit is going to be lower than what it would have been to keep Campbell, this is a better deal. It also includes two bonus draft picks.
I expect to see some salary moved out from Toronto - possibly Kerrfoot, maybe Muzzin.
For the naysayers - you ain't seen nothing yet. I think Dubas is going to create some headaches for all of you... LOL.
More changes coming.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJul. 8, 2022 at 6:19 a.m.
Thread: Proven Anatomy of a Champion - My Essay
Everything about your essay is flawed the moment you claim that no team has won a Stanley Cup with a 10 million dollar player while ignoring the following...
- no significant cap increase in two years (to ignore this is a glaring error... the difference in that lost cap space is literally the equivalent of Tampa being able to spend 9 million over the cap)
- ignoring the fact that Tampa Won two cups while using a roster significantly above the cap because of LTIR.
- Colorado has been able to take advantage of having a 10-12 million dollar player who signed a long term deal before anyone realized he was worth 10-12 million... that's just luck


As soon as a team wins the cup with a 10 million player, your entire premise breaks down. Considering that there is only 14 players in the league with a CAP HIT (not salary) at 10 million or more / season... and they only play on 9 different teams... 4 of which didn't even make the play-offs, this theory makes no sense. You might as well say if Mathews, Marner and Tavares were each paid 9.9 million a season the Leafs would be so much closer to winning a Stanley Cup... which is ludicrous.
So tell us... with the difference being roughly 3.5 million - what phenomenal 3.5 million in talent would have possibly won the Leafs the cup?
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJun. 22, 2022 at 11:28 p.m.
Thread: goalies for next year
Mrazek is easily movable, they might have to add a minor sweetener or include him in a larger trade, but the whole "no choice but a buyout" is ridiculous.
I tend towards the Ville Husso route, but that could also get expensive for an unproven starter because there are other teams interested. it could become a bidding war. The same goes for Eric Comrie.
Dubas will pull a surprise out of his hat. Part of that surprise might even be holding onto Mrazek to see how he responds with a new goaltender coach. It's not a bad way to determine his value for a future trade closer to the trade deadline. Sign a goalie, hold onto Mrazek, keep Kalgren as a contingency... rather than signing a forward this offseason, hold onto what we have, move some young players from the minors to see how things play out and re-evaluate throughout the season. It creates more pieces to play with.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJun. 22, 2022 at 3:52 p.m.
Thread: Are Toronto’s Struggles A Matter Of Tactical Deployment Errors?
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Analytics_are_good</b></div><div>
- a part of the base is blaming the GM for recruiting inadequate players and dismissing options that were superior.
- Others are questioning the players for being too psychologically fragile &amp; always making clumsy mistakes in critical moments. But I don’t see anyone challenging the coaching staff and their system.
- not finding ways to score despite outshooting the opposition substantially
- making 1 mistake in a pivotal moment to lose the game. At some point you have to ask yourself if these so called “psychological errors” or “physical talent issues” are actually because of the team’s tactical deployment?
- they need to implement a game plan that forces the opposition to adapt to them, instead of adapting based on how the opposition plays. Maybe they’re trying to force themselves to make the same strategy work even though it’s already been neutralized.
- Maybe in this aspect the Leafs coaching staff needs to improve?</div></div>

Taking some of your points I want to respond to.
- The most annoying thing about Leafs fans is listening to them complain about things they have no experience in. It's mind numbing how myopic the average Leafs fan actually is. Dubas has collected the greatest array of talent this city has ever seen and people will still say they are not good enough. Even the idea of getting "this player" or "that player" be it through draft, trade or signing is still a crap shoot. There is no formula or magic bag of beans to make even the best players available mesh with those you already have. It's the most consistent story in sports... it's not about the player, it's about the team. Some players just don't work with others or in a certain coaching system. All you can do is "homework" and try your luck. Dubas is not to blame for Foligno, Richie, Mrazek or Simmonds. He's also not responsible for how a team responds under pressure or in a match-up with another team. That's the teams responsibility. The GM is just the convenient fall-guy. I would however blame a GM for extremely bad signings, a stupid trade or being complacent. Dubas has put forth amazing effort to try and make this team better. It has worked each year... but the TEAM still falls short - not the GM.

- I think this year the team showed resilience and a dogged determination to keep fighting. That's an enormous step forward from the collapse against Montreal. It's no longer a relevant point. Toronto took the two-time defending champions to 7 games and the brink of elimination. Tampa knew how to win, they dug in and rode out the storm and Toronto fell short against a team playing for their third Stanley Cup.

- Ummm, I completely disagree. More times than not this team scores at will.

- It's funny how the only time anyone really notices a mistake is when it's the team your watching. Tampa made plenty of mistakes, they were less noticeable because your not paying as much attention to the opposition as one would their own team. The question I like to ask people is "Why do you want a game that's utterly flawless.... how is that even possible"? A team sport is NOT a Grandmaster tournament in chess where a single error can destroy your entire game. A mistake in sports is always followed by a chance to rectify the error and get back in the game. Hockey is not a game of mathematics... or patience - it's a game of action and consequence. The mistake is not the issue... the response is. ANd I don't think the Leafs responded any more or less poorly than any other team. They played well and lost to a better team.

- I would agree to a point. I think your should go farther and say they need to do both - adapt to the opposition and force adaption to their system. Tampa in particular excels at adapting. Toronto does as well, but Tampa adapted better. It seems like a moot point really. I will add that I do notice Toronto's offensive break-outs tend to be predictable. I find myslelf often telling my wife what they are going to do before it even happens in the next play.

- Scotty Bowman was the best coach in NHL history. He never stopped adapting... and neither does our coaching staff. It's an illogical conclusion to come to without actually being within the coaching staff or management. I mean you can't hear what they say on the bench or dressing room... so how could we conclude that they were not adapting? Perhaps they adapted too much... is that not also a failure in adapting? Perhaps they adapted perfectly but one player failed to execute at the right moment and a completely different change of events happened, ie; an action and a consequence. Perhaps a butterfly flapped it's wings in the Amazon and cause a snowstorm in Siberia.

My point with all this being.... you're over analyzing, splitting hairs and grasping at straws.
They lost to a better team.
Plain and simple.
Forum: Armchair-GMJun. 4, 2022 at 4:01 p.m.
Thread: two new tenders
Not bad, but I wouldn't sign Fleury at that price. It will probably take at least 3.5 million to sign Husso.
I also think Nicholas Paul at 3.5 is a bit steep. I am sure someone would pay it, but for a guy who is mostly a 3rd liner (albeit it a good one) that's a lot. I have him signed on some of my armchair teams but at 2.5 (and of course people say that's not enough, so really... what do any of us know right?).
I think it takes a bit more to get Garland. But I like the intention. He's certainly an improvement (with term) over Mikheyev/Engvall. I think you would have to add a draft pick to that deal... and I think they want a first, which would kill the deal for me.
I'd be more inclined to keep Muzzin another year as he was quite good in the play-offs and he has intangibles the Leafs can use. He had a rough year, but I am confidant he'll bounce back.
Otherwise the names on your team are good... just keep Muzzin and don't sign Fluery.
Forum: Toronto Maple LeafsJun. 4, 2022 at 3:29 p.m.
Thread: Who Do You Want To See Toronto Draft
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>LeafsDude</b></div><div>Drydens, Espositos, and Roy's don't grow on trees. Of course having a generational goaltender would be nice but not even 10% of teams in the league now have a goalie of that caliber. It's like saying our defense prospect pools sucks because we don't have a Makar level player</div></div>

My post doesn't say that at all, your comparison is one of logical fallacy. The names I used are examples of elite goaltenders who began prior to age 23. Nothing in my post states anything else.
However, by applying your use of logical fallacy (because that seems to be in your realm of understanding) I will follow up your comment of "growing on trees" by stating that obviously for numerous teams these generational goaltenders ABSOLUTELY grow on trees compared to Toronto because they seem to develop them at a consistent rate whereas Toronto develops virtually none (Montreal has drafted and developed 8 NHL caliber goaltenders in the last 40 yrs... that's one every 5 yrs. The Leafs have developed 2 - three if you include Allan Bester, which I don't, How many of those developed goaltenders that you only think grow on trees won Stanley Cups, Vezina Trophies, Jennings Trophies, Hart Trophies or Conn Smythe Trophies)?
History doesn't lie... the last starting goaltender the Leafs developed was Felix Potvin. James Riemer did not truly hold that position in Toronto, he shared the position with Toskala, Gustavson, Giguere and absolutely lost it to Bernier, when he was apparently at his "peak". The last decade has seen the Leafs develop NOBODY. This FAILURE is on management.
You asked the question by starting a thread about what you want the Leafs to do at the draft. I responded with an answer you obviously did not consider and made a dismissive post to try and reset the conversation to where you wanted it to be. Just stop with the denial and saying "stuff". You're trying to move the goalposts to control the narrative and make it seem like the Leafs have goaltending prospects of quality simply because they have goaltending prospects in the minors. That does not equate development... it's simply filling a roster spot.
So therefore my original response remains the same... trade down, acquire picks and draft goaltenders to develop.