Leafs Season Over - Thoughts?

[Robin Hood]

Mine:

Fire Carlyle

Sign

Kulemin
Raymond
McClement
Komarov
Gardiner

Don't Sign

Bolland
Ranger

Try to Trade

Orr
Franson
Clarkson (won't happen but one can hope Nonis finds a way out of this)
Reimer (must get a quality back-up to replace the GP --> which will be very difficult)

Don't Trade

Kadri
Gardiner

Pieces Missing

Two 2nd Pairing D-men
3rd Line C
4th line W

Roster

JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Raymond
Kulemin - X - Clarkson
Komarov - McClement - X
Holland
Depth in minors/4th line guys: Ashton, Bodie

Phaneuf - Gunnarsson
Rielly - Gardiner
X - X
Gleason

Bernier - X

[The BBKL Insider]

Id almost all but guarantee that kulemin is let go. Raymond ia replaceable as well. We need komorov back.

[Chuck Norris]

The only correct answer here is stop cheering for such a shitass team and start cheering for one that knows how to actually play hockey.

For those too blind to do that: better get a head start and begin planning next year's parade route.

[The BBKL Insider]

Habs lose in 5 games.

Leafs win the draft lottery.


Id consider that more of a success than just making he playoffs.

[Shep]

Clean house. You cannot re-sign all those guys and expect different results. This is on the players as much if not more than management. 3 straight years of epic collapses.

[Tony]

Get rid of Reimer

[bills09]

Bring in peter Laviolette

[Shoalzie]

Your team didn't bottom out and finish near the basement...they were a playoff team most of the year and went off the rails. Bernier didn't stay healthy. Make a few player changes and it seems like a new coach would help...you'll be back in the mix next year. The best players on that team aren't very old...it could be a one year hiccup. The Bernier pickup is going to work out long term.

Boston isn't going anywhere, Tampa is a fairly young team, the Wings have promise, the Habs have some questions in the offseason...it'll be tough a division to crack the top 3. The Metro is still Pittsburgh division...Flyers and Rangers will be in the mix and the Jackets are team on the rise. For the Leafs to get back in, I don't know which playoff team they'd have to displace. Ottawa can't possibly be as bad as they were...I'd think they make some changes and improve. Jersey and Washington will have interesting offseasons as well.

[Florida Chris]

Bring in peter Laviolette

There are a number of good coaches out there, and I am sure a few more will pop up, but I think Laviolette would do a great job with what we have, without having to clean house.

[KapG]

Let Mason walk.

Give Clarkson top 6 minutes that mason Raymond was getting.

Trade Phaneuf/buy out (do we have one? Can we still even do this?) Not that this will happen but it would sure be nice. PRoblem is we have him for 7 more years at 7 mill. Oh joy. Im very serious when I say I dont think we win anything with him as.

Ship out Reimer.

Fire Carlyle.

[Shep]

I like Phaneuf, sometimes. But that extension we gave him is going to be a HUGE mistake.

As I said, 3 years in a row with collapses of epic proportions. We need a huge shake-up.

If it were up to me, the only players I'd keep off the trading block are the entire Kessel line, Rielly and Bernier. The rest are up for grabs.

[KapG]

I like Phaneuf, sometimes. But that extension we gave him is going to be a HUGE mistake.

As I said, 3 years in a row with collapses of epic proportions. We need a huge shake-up.

If it were up to me, the only players I'd keep off the trading block are the entire Kessel line, Rielly and Bernier. The rest are up for grabs.

Well said Shep. The thing with phaneuf is that I seem to be liking his play less and less as the seasons go on. I truly believe if he were to cut about 15 pounds he would be a far more effective player. He just looks *slow* out there and is really lacking in footspeed. This is evident when he is constantly getting beat all over the ice. No matter how you cut it though that extension was just downright brutal. Definitely not what we needed. Im hoping nonis, or whoever our GM is can flip him elsewhere. Highly unlikely though.

Im not liking the results im seeing nor the information im reading about Anthony Belza. Give Roberts a shout and throw a shit ton of cash at him. His results speak for themselves. I mean shit, even kadri was training with him for a bit (and looked outstanding that season) before the leafs told him to stop and get on the belza program (iirc)

FWIW I dont think we collapse if Bernier doesn't go down to injury allowing Reimer to lose 8 straight or w.e it was.This collapse could be a blessing in disguise though as we may actually see some change..

[The BBKL Insider]

I agree with shep.

I also dont think dions as bad as we're making him out to be. It sounds like he's been playing hurt half the season

[KapG]

He sure as hell is not worth 7 x 7. Not even CLOSE.

He was this slow last year too FWIW.

[brockbirds]

Phaneuf is an average defender at best. Stop playing him in shutdown defensive roles and I think you see a much more effective player.

[Shep]

Phaneuf was one of the worst players over our collapse. That is when you need your captain to step up and be a leader on and off the ice. I cannot speak about what he does in the room and elsewhere off the ice, but on the ice he was as far from a leader as you can get over the last month or so.

[brockbirds]

Also in the time that Bernier was hurt, Remier put up an .894 SV% (6 games). When Bernier got back to save the season, he responded with an .897 SV% (4.5 games). Find it hard to believe Reimer is the major issue here. If the team is constructed to require top-5 league goaltending to win anything, thats the issue that needs to be addressed, not moving the back-up who carried the team the year before with basically the same numbers that Bernier has now.

[The BBKL Insider]

I personally dont like Dion as the C. I think that's his biggest drawback.


I'm not sure this team has a true leader. As shep said we aren't in the dressing room, but IMO from watching the leaf games it seems like Bozak may be the most vocal on the ice.

I also think Clarkson would make a great C. He's always there to fight for his teammates, and seems super vocal to the players (leafs) and the refs (when there's an issue)

[KapG]

I wouldnt mind seeing an A on Clarkson. Not sure he could be our Captain though as all people would want to talk about is the contract.

I agree with your assessment that he comes across as the leader type

[dave1959]

Son to Dad: "Dad, what are playoffs?"

Dad to Son: "I don't know son, we are Leaf fans"