A league average goalie would have automatically became horrible with Wilson's defensive system. We would have needed elite level goaltending in order for him to get average numbers on this team.
Look at it from goaltending perspective.
The leafs goalies are giving up bad/soft goals at a rate of 1 extra goal every 2 games
Over the course of the season, that is 40 goals against
But that extra goal is sometimes the difference between a 4-3 loss and a 3-3 OT point.
Or a 2-1 OT loss and a leaf win. Think of those bad goals, that the leaf goaltenders are guilty of, that is the type of goals that league average goalies do not give up.
That is the biggest bang for your puck the team can make.
That is, one less goal every other game is huge (Kessel is scoring at 1 goal every other game 40 goals/year). So you can see how league average goaltending has that realm of impact.
If you get an elite goalie, then the goals against will be closer to 50 goals less per year (i.e a stamkos type player).
Get a league average goalie and the team instantly looks better.
For starters Ottawa already guys like Spezza, Michalek, Alfredsson, Karlsson and Anderson and Phillips. They just added to this. Also Murray tends to keep his mouth shut and Burke tends to bark bark bark and has no bite that is the difference. It is the same crap every year with this organization.
For starters Ottawa already guys like Spezza, Michalek, Alfredsson, Karlsson and Anderson and Phillips. They just added to this. Also Murray tends to keep his mouth shut and Burke tends to bark bark bark and has no bite that is the difference. It is the same crap every year with this organization.
Relax, they'll collapse next year. Their best players are having career years, I've seen this fairy-tale before. They'll have a 38 year old Gonchar skating in the back-end and Karlsson will be a minus player again. All force in the galaxy will be restored back to it's rightful place
The Leafs will be the same pile of crap next year too....Good to see that you can mock other teams with such a garbage team to root for ourselves. Leaf fans lose more credibility every passing day. So much so that I find it hard to relate or sympathize with my hometeam anymore. I almost feel like the fans of Toronto deserve what they get. No wonder so many Leaf fans switch allegiance. You even have the nerve to mock the young D-man who trails the Leafs "God" Phil Kessel by 4 points. Nice.
agreed. i think it's pretty ignorant for people (who have the benefit of hindsight) to say things like "they could have had karlsson!!!"
even when ottawa drafted him, the fanbase was confused, especially because the first thing they heard was his weight: 165 lbs (or thereabouts).
nobody could have predicted karlsson would rip up the NHL just a couple years later. in every scout's eyes, schenn was considered the premiere shutdown defenseman in that draft, with doughty being the best dman overall. nobody could have guessed how epic that 2008 dman class would end up being.
Epic for everybody else that picked a d but not is, we got the worst dman in the end after picking at 5
Overall in the last decade, Ottawa has been a much better run organization, and it's not close. So it's not really fair to compare the last 6 months given the head start.
The really troubling thing is what Ottawa has prospect wise to insert into their lineup in 2012-2014. And getting Bishop on top of that makes them probably the second best team in the division no matter how you slice it. And Ottawa's cap space is incredible too.
Outside of Brian Lee, they draft damn well, and they develop even better.
Overall in the last decade, Ottawa has been a much better run organization, and it's not close. So it's not really fair to compare the last 6 months given the head start.
The really troubling thing is what Ottawa has prospect wise to insert into their lineup in 2012-2014. And getting Bishop on top of that makes them probably the second best team in the division no matter how you slice it. And Ottawa's cap space is incredible too.
Outside of Brian Lee, they draft damn well, and they develop even better.
Their cap space is going to change when they re-sign Karlsson.
Let's revisit this thread in 3 years when the following happens to the Senators.
Declining players due to age:
Jason Spezza
Chris Neil
Most likely retired:
Daniel Alfredson
Sergei Gonchar
Filip Kuba
Chris Phillips
The Senators have the next 3 years to draft/trade/sign players to replace some of the core above. The chances of drafting another Alfredson is very slim at best. Sometimes the grass may look greener elsewhere, but when you look closely it always doesn't look as green as it may seem.
Their cap space is going to change when they re-sign Karlsson.
With Auld, Cheechoo's buy out, and Kuba probably all gone, I doubt it will change a ton. They have 12M in room right now, lol. Worst case that probably drops 4M (figure he gets 6.5M) after Karlson gets his money. Only other must sign guy is Foligno, and he didn't do himself that many favors as it relates to a new deal.
Edmonton is in year three, NYI in years like 5-6 and so on. Burke didn't take the traditional approach, but to think the rebuild is just beginning or the last three years were a waste is naive.
We aren't a playoff team now, but we were for 3/4 of the season. That's what you call progress.
sigh... this is what slays me. Our Leafs can't be mentioned in the same breath as the Bruins, Rangers, Canucks... we have to be compared to, and make the same excuses as, the dregs of the league, because that's who we are too, simple as that.
And I admire the positive thinking, but really, not being a playoff team again is not cause for optimism by any stretch of the imagination.
Let's revisit this thread in 3 years when the following happens to the Senators.
Declining players due to age:
Jason Spezza
Chris Neil
Most likely retired:
Daniel Alfredson
Sergei Gonchar
Filip Kuba
Chris Phillips
The Senators have the next 3 years to draft/trade/sign players to replace some of the core above. The chances of drafting another Alfredson is very slim at best. Sometimes the grass may look greener elsewhere, but when you look closely it always doesn't look as green as it may seem.
The Senators have one of the best prospect pools in the league. In three years, they will probably be even better.
An aging core that was already in place having a fluke year and still only made it to 7th in the conference!
Yep, what a team to aspire to be.
2007-2008: 94 points, 7th place
2008-2009: 83 points, 11th place
2009-2010: 94 points, 5th place
2010-2011: 74 points, 13th place
2011-2012: 95 points, 7th place
They are just in their cycle. Next in line is a drop back down out of the playoffs.
I find it amusing that people think Ottawa is having a flukey year, is getting lucky, etc. Insecure fans can't accept that they not only have a better team now, but look better than us in the future going forward.
An aging core that was already in place having a fluke year and still only made it to 7th in the conference!
Yep, what a team to aspire to be.
2007-2008: 94 points, 7th place
2008-2009: 83 points, 11th place
2009-2010: 94 points, 5th place
2010-2011: 74 points, 13th place
2011-2012: 95 points, 7th place
They are just in their cycle. Next in line is a drop back down out of the playoffs.
well, their prospects are great at least. But next year I do expect a bit of a fall, perhaps even out of a playoff spot. My reasoning being:
1)Alfredsson retiring
2)Michalek, cowen and karlsson having a bit of an off-year (relative to this year)
Look at it from goaltending perspective.
The leafs goalies are giving up bad/soft goals at a rate of 1 extra goal every 2 games
Over the course of the season, that is 40 goals against
But that extra goal is sometimes the difference between a 4-3 loss and a 3-3 OT point.
Or a 2-1 OT loss and a leaf win. Think of those bad goals, that the leaf goaltenders are guilty of, that is the type of goals that league average goalies do not give up.
That is the biggest bang for your puck the team can make.
That is, one less goal every other game is huge (Kessel is scoring at 1 goal every other game 40 goals/year). So you can see how league average goaltending has that realm of impact.
If you get an elite goalie, then the goals against will be closer to 50 goals less per year (i.e a stamkos type player).
Get a league average goalie and the team instantly looks better.
Goaltending is definitely the number one thing the Leafs need. I can't really think of a game this tandem has stolen for this team.
Anderson has stolen or kept the Sens in a ton of games. That's the difference between making the playoffs and not making it.
it took the Sens about 6 months to accomplish what Burke hasn't be able to do in 4 years...
if you asked anybody at this time last year who was in a better position moving forward, everyone would've said the leafs, but looks what's happened.
looking at what the sens have done over the last year and what they have moving forward really makes you realize the mistakes that burke has made.
i never thought i'd say this, but you have to envy what they have right now.
Totally similar situations, because Toronto had massive amounts of talent to ship out, and TONS of prospects in the system waiting for a chance... right...
