Quote:
Originally Posted by neofury
I'm not trying to say the leafs are absolutely atrocious. But a lot of teams on the east stayed the same or got better. Leafs did too but remember they were already not a playoff team. Not saying it's impossible for them to make it because with injuries any team in the Leafs position actually can. I was kinda hoping you guys would make it last year because if we see each other in the post season it's going to bring back the rivalry! 
But the main picks I was referring to were in the Kessel trade. Not denying Burke has gotten other assets but even if Kessel was RFA I don't see him being worth two lottery picks. Plain and simple. The comparison I was making was that while Kessel was RFA (and signed at UFA value mind you) we got Cammalleri off the market for cheaper and didn't give up two lottery picks in the process. Not getting into a Cammalleri vs Kessel debate, both teams fans will obviously have their opinions, but I think considering what you guys gave up it just wasn't worth it. I did mention Colbourne in my original post, he is a guy you guys did pick up with a ton of potential.
Personally with Kadri I don't see it though. Obviously we're all entitled to our homer opinions though, I thought Pouliot was going to be a hell of a good player last season  But I just don't see TO as a playoff team this year, possibly 8th place though. I do however think if Lombardi can get better and come back to form you do have a real wild card going into next season.
Bottom line though I think the leafs will not make it this year, potentially could for the next couple years depending on player development and UFA signings but I don't see Burke being able to transform TO into a top 5 east team. Again though just my opinion, there are many factors one of them being handed a bag of **** in the first place, another is trading away lottery picks you could have used over the next couple years to do a legit rebuild. Who knows though if we did it so could TO, I just don't have faith in the coaching and general manager. I don't think even Burke could have handled that fiasco, maybe if he's given more time, or maybe the next GM will after Burke makes it a somewhat respectable team. Beauty of HF though is you can remember this post and bring it back up if I'm horribly wrong |
I am actually on board with us not making the playoffs this year, to many IF's for my liking. I think if we needed to be compared, you can put us with the canes, jets and last year the sabres and rangers. This team could sneak into a 8th seed if teams underrate them though.
I also don't have much faith in Ron Wilson BUT I think he is on his way out. With the two new assistant coaches here now he is on thin ice. This year for the first time in years we can roll three lines in any kind of combination, three scoring lines or two scoring lines with bottom grinders ect.
I won't debate Kessel vs Cammy. Me personally I see them at two different stages of there career and two different types of players. Only comparison to me is that both can score. Colborne has sweet hands for a big guy but he needs more time, he did have one assist when we played you guys in the last regular season game. Didn't do anything to deserve it though lol kessel did the work.
Kadri will be a good player he is far from a bust ( I know you didn't say that ) he needs to bulk up and get on a top line either NHL or AHL. I expect to see him top six next year for us, he is not a goal scorer he is a great passer. He has great vision and hockey sense, problem is he takes risks and they have not payed of for him yet.
The last is about Burke. I think people forget he is not alone in this rebuild. Burke, Nonis, Fletcher, and Dudley are all in our front office. Two have cup rings and all four have a significant part in building a Stanley cup champion. Have you ever seen Burkes "war room"
the guy is in there for hours at a time.
I think Burke is doing a good job, more so then the morons before him that actually did this to us. Burke is bringing us out of this hole, fans of other teams won't see it until they can't beat us. Players around the league I believe have already seen it, when Liles had one of his first interviews he said "
We played them closer to the end of the year and they are tough to play against, they looked like they were putting it all together and I am excited to be apart of that now moving forward".
I am a realistic fan and will be one of the first to tell you we don't have a chance to WIN the cup but if Reimer plays the way he can, Connolly and kessel click, Lombardi gets in the lineup and Franson and Liles help the PP we will be right there looking to take one of those playoff spots. Will we win the cup no, but 7th and 8th spot could happen.