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There are a few positives to take away from this shit show. The way you played when it was 4-1, play that way from the start!
Big games on tap for NickRob and Monte Carlo.
Get help
Are we a playoff team? I’m struggling with the answer to that question.
Put the word “successful” before the word “playoff” and then see if you even worry about answering that question lol
Put the word “successful” before the word “playoff” and then see if you even worry about answering that question lol[/quote]
We would have to have a big turn around and some big additions at the deadline for that.
It was the summer of 2004 and the NHL was just about to go balls deep into a tight lockout. Where were the Leafs? Golfing. They had been eliminated by the Flyers in a 2nd round exit after beating the only team the Leafs could reliably eliminate, the Ottawa Senators. Sound familiar? Pretty much exactly where they are right now and next to nothing has really changed. The names and faces have changed but the results are as bad as they ever have been. Mediocrity plagued the Leafs from 2003-2013, as it has in recent years. Deep playoff runs were a thing of the past and every season was the same song and dance. Make the playoffs (sometimes), then run into a bad match-up and go back to golfing.
It might not feel like it but the Leafs are currently the 3rd oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 29. The Leafs of 2004 were exactly the same, average age of 29 and the 3rd oldest team in the NHL. Does anybody remember the Leafs getting better or worse from that point onward? It might not feel the same but it really is a lot more similar than most people would think and it’s probably going to end the same unless they learn from their mistakes.
I’ll be the first one to say, as I said then and so I will say again, “prepare to blow it up and rebuild now”.
This current Leafs team is not going anywhere except in circles. They once had a young core of players but they squandered their cap situation and they ran one of their best home grown players out of town. The prospects are busts, the draft picks have been traded and they’re not any closer today than they were 10 or 20 years ago. Just like in 2004. The mastermind behind this most recent failure of a team is Treliving, trying to pick up the pieces from the Shanashit Plan. Treliving has never built a contender much less a winner. He’s never even been close having barely created playoff teams. His days in Phoenix were an embarrassment and his accomplishments in Calgary are non-existent. The mess he left behind in Calgary (currently dead last) should be a good indicator that this guy can leave behind a huge mess and he can sure as fuck destroy a team in a hurry. And that’s what this franchise needs to avoid.
Berube isn’t the coach for this team to win today as it’s currently constructed, as it has none of the qualities his one and only Cup winning team had; team defense. Treliving brought in some spare parts, strapped it together with bubble gum and tried to call it “depth”. To make matters worse, they placed their full trust in a back-up goalie who had a career year and kept the defense in front of him as old, as slow, as soft and as useless as possible.
Unfortunately for this franchise, much like under another dipshit GM Brian Burke, they also don’t have a 1st round pick in 2026 or 2027. Which means full blown tanking is out of the question for this season and next season. That gives this franchise two more years of this mediocre garbage where individual stars like Matthews will break franchise records (as Sundin once did), as Tavares is scoring his 500th career goal and as Nylander is high scoring but the Leafs are still losing games when it matters the most.
What needs to happen is this franchise needs to realize that not only can this group of guys not win a Cup together but that also they MUST be traded to guarantee that the NEXT generation of the franchise can get a head start. Unlike previous rebuilds, the Leafs can’t afford to see these individual star players yield no return. The Leafs CAN NOT afford to have another Muskoka Five situation. What they do have going in their benefit is that these players could prove to be very big bargaining chips to other contenders across the league. And as the Leafs have fallen victim to deadline deals before, they could finally be on the opposite side of those deals by seeing many draft picks and top prospects coming back to the Leafs, instead of out the door.
Step one: Fire Treliving. Hire a GM who can make deals to restock the empty draft table and farm system.
Step two: Add 20 million dollars to amateur scouting. Literally give every single CHL/NCAA team one scout who follows every the team to every single game.
Step three: Add another 20 million dollars to European scouting. Literally put a squad of scouts all over Sweden, Finland, Russia etc.
Step four: Trade every expiring contract for as many draft picks, top prospects and young (under 23) roster players as you possibly can.
Step five: Be as bad as possible in 2028 and 2029.
Step six: Utilize cap space to acquire assets, sign veterans to flip them at the deadline to add draft capital.
Step seven: Develop, develop and develop as much as possible.2026 Trade Deadline – Trade Jarnkrok, McMann and Laughton. Do NOT acquire anybody. Only sell. Let the current players sink or swim.
This is a tough group to trade because there is little value here. But there is some value and teams make more mistakes on deadline day than the rest of the year combined. There’s always a desperate team or GM that will overpay to get something, anything, that might increase their chances at making or winning in the playoffs. All three players are on expiring contracts and provide little to no value to the Leafs whether they make the playoffs or not. Jarnkrok might get you a 3rd or 4th round pick. McMann, given his speed, ability to score 20, might get you a 2nd round pick. And Laughton, considering what the Leafs stupidly paid for him, needs to get them a 1st in return. Will they get it? Probably not. But there’s always a desperate team out there, trying to make a difference that makes a mistake. Last year it, it was the Leafs. This year, they need to find a sucker.
Total return: 1st (best case), (two) 2nd and 3rd round pick.
2027 Trade Deadline – Trade Carlo, Benoit and Roy. Do NOT acquire anybody, continue to sell. Continue to let the current players sink or swim.
This is a big one. Carlo is a pylon but the Leafs gave up a 1st and a top prospect for him. He is a big body, RHD. Surely, that can at least get the Leafs a 1st round pick back or a top prospect. Getting both, will be difficult, but at least one could come back to us if the Leafs find a desperate enough team looking to make a playoff run. Benoit might get a 3rd or 4th round pick. Roy might actually be able to fetch a 1st round pick, depending on the situation as he has a playoff resume.
Total return: 1st (best case), (two) 2nd and 3rd round pick.
2027 Draft – Trade Matthews, Nylander, Woll and Stolarz. Make Tavares captain of a tanking team to begin the process of convincing him that he’s next.
The end of this era. This is where the Leafs ownership and management approach the remaining elite players of this team and tell them; it’s over. There is no sense in playing one final year in Toronto because the franchise needs to move on from Matthews and Nylander shortly thereafter to rid himself of the pain of having to play on a team devoid of talent. Both players will agree to move on so long as they get to choose where they land. All parties benefit from this agreement.
With one year left on his deal, you trade Matthews at the draft giving his new team an excellent opportunity to add Matthews and give him a max extension. Don’t be surprised if this is Vegas. Marner and Eichel are his friends and it’s as close to Phoenix as he’ll ever be. Plus, they’ll be a contender. This maximizes his value to the Leafs and should bring in at least two 1st round picks, a top prospect and a young roster player. By this time, Matthews will be the #1 active goal scorer in the NHL and the yield should be massive. Every contender will have the cap space because it’s the offseason and will be able to maneuver to fit Matthews under their cap. The Leafs, aiming to tank, could also add bad contract salary to make the trade work and gives maximum flexibility when making a trade.
As for Nylander, signed until 2032, he might be a bargain for a team looking to add an offensive weapon / PP threat much like the Penguins did adding Kessel. Nylander should get the Leafs, at least, a 1st round pick, an elite top prospect and a roster player. Much like Matthews, the cap space in return should not be an issue as the Leafs goal will be to tank in 2028 and bringing back shitty, overpaid players benefits them greatly in that area. Retaining salary could also get the Leafs an additional draft pick or top prospect which they could consider since the cap ceiling won’t be their concern for a few more years.
The return should be AT LEAST:
Matthews: Two 1st round picks (2027 + 2028), a top prospect and a young (U-23) roster player.
Nylander: 1st round pick, top prospect and a young (U-23) roster player.
Woll and Stolarz: Two goalie prospects and one guaranteed bad starter for tanking purposes. Or just use Hildeby. Whatever.2028 Trade Deadline – Tavares, Tanev, OEL, McCabe, Domi, Joshua and Lorentz. Keep Rielly as he is essential to losing games.
This is the full blast tank mode. By now, the Leafs should already be in a lottery position and a roster of players begging to be traded to a contender. This is where Tavares finally says “fuck it” and gives up on Toronto. With little time left in his career, he waves his NMC and decides to join a contender to try and accomplish one achievement in his career before it’s over. OEL, also on his last run, trying to join a contender. Tanev, if not crippled, would be desperate to try and win a Cup could prove to be very valuable to a contender looking to add depth and comfortable paying a 1st round pick for it.
Domi, Joshua and Lorentz are all depth pieces a contender could attempt to bring in and pay dearly for at the deadline.
Total return: Two 1st round picks, three 2nd round picks, two 3rd round picks and a top prospect.
2028 Draft: One lottery pick (hopefully 1st overall but 2nd or 3rd would not be bad), three 1st round picks, three 2nd round picks, two 3rd round picks.
At this draft, the Leafs decide if they want to keep or trade Knies. Considering his unique utility, his age and still have 2 years left on his contract, the Leafs could negotiate an extension and sell him on the plans of the future if their new young core is elite. Or trade him too, if he’s unconvinced. Either way works for the Leafs. If they trade him, he should also be worth, at least, a 1st round pick and a top prospect or young roster player to replace his spot on the team.
2029 July 1st: McDavid potentially becomes a UFA and the Leafs have A LOT of cap space. Not saying he’d come to Toronto, just saying there’s a possibility (probably less than 10% chance) he looks at his home town team as a fully rebuilt squad on ELCs, ready for lift off and seriously considers joining the youngest team in the NHL as he turns 32.
2029 Trade Deadline: As McDavid probably won’t sign, the Leafs tank again. If you can trade Rielly, who is begging to leave by now, do it.
Return: Whatever you can get at this point.
By now, the Leafs would have two lottery picks (at least one franchise player), 14 top prospects (at least 10 of them 1st round picks) and anywhere between 8-12 decent prospects slotted to be depth players in the future in addition to two or three other young roster players already in the NHL, plus Knies, if he stays, or another two top prospects if he doesn’t.
As an example, the Leafs could translate this team in 2025…
Knies | Matthews | Nylander
McMann | Tavares | Maccelli
Domi | Roy | Robertson
Lorentz | Laughton | JarnkrokStolarz | Woll
…into this…by 2030…
1st LW (Knies / top prospect acquired by trading Knies) | 1st C (McDavid or Leafs 2029 lottery draft pick) | 1st RW (young roster player acquired for Nylander)
2nd LW (top prospect acquired for Matthews) | 2nd C (young roster player acquired for Matthews) | 2nd RW (top prospect acquired for Nylander)
3rd LW (draft pick or prospect acquired for Tavares) | 3rd C (2028 1st round pick acquired for Matthews) | 3rd RW (Cowan / 2028 1st round pick acquired for Nylander)
4th LW (draft pick or prospect acquired for Domi) | 4th C (draft pick or prospect acquired for Laughton) | 4th RW (draft pick or prospect acquired for Roy)Extra: Anything acquired using McMann, Maccelli, Jarnkrok, Lorentz or any other 2nd-7th round pick over the next 5 years.
1st LD (2028 1st round pick acquired for Tanev) | 1st RD (Leafs 2028 lottery draft pick)
2nd LD (2027 1st round pick acquired for Matthews) | 2nd RD (draft pick or prospect acquired for Carlo)
3rd LD (2nd round pick acquired for McCabe)| 3rd RD (Danford / 2nd round pick acquired for OEL)Extra: Anything acquired using Benoit, Rielly or any other 2nd-7th round pick over the next 5 years.
Goalies are voodoo. You could get an amazing one from pretty much anywhere be it the 1st round or you can use anything acquired by trading Woll and Stolarz, drafted in later rounds or signed as UFAs.
2030: It’s here they can either tank one more time, depending if they struck gold with their lottery and 1st round picks, or begin to start signing UFAs to reinforce the team in depth positions, maybe on defense or in net. What they Leafs should NOT do, however, is repeat the same mistake they made with Tavares and annihilate their cap situation and leaving no money for their own home grown players.
2031-2035: Add UFAs, make the playoffs and start being a contender.
if you look at these numbers, the leafs have been trending down since 2023, last season was propped up by Goalies.
https://x.com/JeffVeillette/status/1988281696509108663?s=20
Just gradually getting worse, and imo as the Tre moves start to take over the team. goalies not bailing the team out.
Dubas was meh GM, but I think he was at least better at finding skill to help the team, and fill out the roster.*shrugs*
No, I don’t think this is a playoff team, CC.
you are not replying to OG CC
it looks like Matthew strained his groin trying to hit Zadorov last night.
hopefully he’s not out to long.Leafs best be prepared for LA tomorrow night.
The entire Matthews era has been collosally mismanaged from the start. Such a wasted opportunity. What you’re now witnessing is the slow death. Remains to be seen if there is anyone smart enough over there at “the bank” (THE appropriately nicknamed hockey arena in history) to realize it. Probably not.
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