Honestly, I think the rebuild starts with Rielly. He's what a solid piece of a young team should have.
Gardiner is also one to continue to develop and should safely pan out as good top 4 D and 1st unit PP guy.
Kadri should have been traded a year or so ago based on the hype placed on him by the Toronto media, basically because I really don't believe he'll pan out to be near as good as he's said to be, and I think his stock will be dropping the more he plays on the big club. A 2nd line winger or 3rd line centre is his ceiling to me, and I think the team could get more for him than that in a trade, but it's gotta be soon.
Kessel could be resigned for another few years, but I fear the contract he'll be given and how it'll affect his trade value. He's young enough that it's probably the best idea to hold onto him as part of the rebuild too though.
Phaneuf absolutely needs to be traded while he has some credibility and value left, because he may or may not be captain material, but definitely not on a winning team.
Grabo's the only real top 6 guy I have any confidence in, and he should be held onto because you have to have players to play now, too right?
I think JVR will pan out to be pretty good. Him and Grabs should be the top two centres for the team in the short term, and JVR long-term. I know JVR is a winger, but he definitely has potential to be a centreman, and I think the team is looking at him to be one. I may be way off base on this one, but it's what I see.
But that's just me, of course. Long story short, it's time to start stockpiling picks, and giving some of the top Marlies regular time on the big club to give them some on-the-job training. Looks like they're starting to do that, or will be doing it soon, but this season and/or next should be the biggest steps in their transition.
This makes me laugh. The Toronto media crapped on him non-stop. The Toronto Sun had him on the front page with a pacifier in his mouth.
No, Kadri should not have been traded. Looks looked very good this season. That's crazy talk.
To the question, I don't think they need to do a full rebuild but they do need to find a goalie and tank at least one season to draft a legit #1 centre. 2-3 years tops.
It is shot in, wide of the goal and...uhhh..
Waffles.
Last edited by Woll Smoth: 01-29-2013 at 05:28 PM.
JFJ had his Muskoka 5 and talked about having a big 4 on D (he needed one addition to Kabs, McCabe and Kubina). In theory it was nothing wrong with it but the talent on the team was really weak with only Sundin as a true top player. And years of trading away first and also second round picks meant the prospect pool was really shallow.
Well that all changed when Burke came to town and blow it up to give the team a new direction. He talked about truculence, guts and glory, fighters, big hitters etc etc. And then he sent 2 first selections to Boston for a soft, one way goal scoring winger. He also managed to get Dion out of Calgary. He pumped him up as our defensive savior, the one who would lead the troops to battle etc. To bad Dion dont possess the charisma or the hockey IQ required to be that kind of leader.
And now Nonis is the GM and if he decide to blow things up or not I dont know. I think any GM will want to hang on to the talent they got and try to build from there and seeing as he have been Burkes right hand man for all these years I guess he is ok with what Brian have done.
Planing to lose is not really in any GM´s mind set, only the current Oliers spring to mind. But lose we do anyway and we might not get the 1-3 picks where the elite talent can be find but we have already and will continue to draft skilled guys who hopefully one day can make a difference, at least be there to be a better supporting cast to who ever we manage to sign in free agency.
The team is further away then just a #1 in net and a defensive veteran along with a solid top 6 center away from becoming contenders, but the above might at least get us in to the playoffs.
What direction Nonis will take and how the team will benefit from playing under Carlyle I dont know. When Burke was GM and Wilson the coach it was run and gun for 60 minutes, except when we played Boston of course because then our gritty and truculent squad that Burke had assembled where no where to be seen. Carlyle is a much better coach and if he does not work out we already have his replacement lined up with the Marlies.
Burke did do one thing and that is that he changed direction in our drafting and with several of the minor trades. We dont have many players in the system one can consider blue chip talent but there is finally a lot of young leaders with good character and that can go a long way when we keep rebuilding. When HF ranked the 50 most talented players still considered a prospect we only had one on that list, Rielly. And sure with him and Gardiner we at least have two top 4 puck movers going forward. And if Kadri can keep developing we will have a 2nd line playmaker who can take over from Grabovski in due time. But other then that there really is not much else and to be honest, almost every single franchise have a bunch of young developing prospects in their system but few have ones that will push their teams forward and neither does the Leafs.
I want the team to make the playoffs but to be honest I would also favor trading away what we can above the age of 24 and take it from there. But I suspect Nonis will mostly stick with what he have and replace them once drafted player become ready to take over. A slower but probably a more healthy approach.
Allow the "C" to naturally emerge. Let Carlyle run his course and after his contract is done let him go and bring Eakins up. Start bringing in the type of guys and drafting the type of guys that Eakins/Nonis like to have.
Nice win tonight TO. Now a .500 team en route to another average draft pick
Our "average draft pick" netted us Morgan Rielly last season.. An "average prospect" that Hockey's Future had the audacity to give the same "Prospect Talent Score" (8.5C) as your surefire superstar prospect, Alex Galchenyuk.
Our "average draft pick" netted us Morgan Rielly last season.. An "average prospect" that Hockey's Future had the audacity to give the same "Prospect Talent Score" (8.5C) as your surefire superstar prospect, Alex Galchenyuk.
Our "average draft pick" netted us Morgan Rielly last season.. An "average prospect" that Hockey's Future had the audacity to give the same "Prospect Talent Score" (8.5C) as your surefire superstar prospect, Alex Galchenyuk.
Pretty sure he's saying if you continue at .500 you'll finish around 9th and get an average draft pick. Obviously picking 5th overall and getting Rielly is a good draft pick.
If scouts rate them the same.. Does that make Galchenyuk an average prospect too?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sharks9
Pretty sure he's saying if you continue at .500 you'll finish around 9th and get an average draft pick. Obviously picking 5th overall and getting Rielly is a good draft pick.
He explicitly stated "another" average draft pick. We haven't drafted at an average slot since I can remember..
Leafs management under Burked changed the culture and dynamics of the organization. they put they're stamp on the team. They've built a pipeline of players that this fanbase has not seen for years. Under Quinn and JFJ this team intended to build they're team to win next season. Burke, and Nonis have continually discussed the long-term approach, with the option to spend to the cap if needed/preferred. It's not about blowing it up, it's about improvement.
Burke and the Leafs know the Kessel deal bit him in the a** but so what... it's not the end of the world, shi*t happens. The trade was intended to make an impact. In hindsight, he takes the trade back. Besides, Kessel is no Andrew Raycroft.
Gardiner, Lupul, Phaneuf, Kessel, JVR, Franson, have all been solid additions while players like Connolly, Komisarek, Lombardi, Gustavsson have all been poor decisions. Those decisions may have not panned out, they were mostly brought in to provide a veterans presence on what has been one of the youngest team over the last 5 years.
Out of all the players that they traded to build this "core" only Seguin, and Hamilton are noteworthy names. Whatever, gotta give up something to get something and at the end of the day we have netted more valuable assets we have given up. Their drafting record, although not amazing, is still solid. Players like Kadri, Rielly, Biggs, Percy, Finn, Komarov all seem to have potential to fill significant roles on the team... or they can be packaged to take opportunity of any players that might suddenly become available in the market due to cap restraints, player conflicts, etc, or move up in the draft to select players that could be impact players. This summer will be crucial as they have cap space.
We may have some big losses this season, but there is definite improvement and direction in this organization, while being the youngest team in the league. Things look better coming out of this lockout than the last one, that's for sure.
If the Leafs lost last night you'd be laughing at them for being terrible and never mention the draft pick. Since they won, you need a negative spin so you bring up how it could affect their draft position.
The fact is, the Leafs best players are all very young and have nice upside.
I thought Reimer and Kadri were terrible?
Last edited by spiny norman: 01-31-2013 at 12:50 AM.
Reason: nn
what are the leafs going to blow up?
lots of young vets - kessel, bozak, phaneuf....
rielly, gardiner, frattin etc.....
they just need to draft well and dip into the
UFA pool and they'll be fine
ps - they need a goalie though, but getting or
drafting a quality tender is not a rebuild
It truly is sad that Toronto could have possibly drafted Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton rather than have Kessel.
no not really, the leafs might have been better off but not by that much and people would still be making these threads and probably saying the leafs should trade seguin for draft picks.
what are the leafs going to blow up?
lots of young vets - kessel, bozak, phaneuf....
rielly, gardiner, frattin etc.....
they just need to draft well and dip into the
UFA pool and they'll be fine
ps - they need a goalie though, but getting or
drafting a quality tender is not a rebuild
Allow the "C" to naturally emerge. Let Carlyle run his course and after his contract is done let him go and bring Eakins up. Start bringing in the type of guys and drafting the type of guys that Eakins/Nonis like to have.
Man am I ever thankful you are nowhere near being in charge of a professional sports team. And hopefully never will.
Blow up the NHl's second young team that's currently 3 and 3 to start the year. Yup, makes sense...
4th youngest. We only have two players over 30, Komisarek (31) and Liles (32). It is for example only one year in difference when it comes to average age between us and 14th placed Boston who have Chara, Savard, Thornton (all 35), Peverly, Seidenberg, Kelly and Ference (all 30+). But then they have Hamilton (19), Seigun (20), Lucic and Marchand (both 24) so their average age drops.
We dont have any 18-21 year olds on the team. Kadri and Gardiner is the youngest at 22, then JVR at 23 then most guys are in the mid to late 20´s. Still a young team and by no mean a veteran team but they are not the 2nd youngest team in the league and they are not really any younger then any other team either.
And I am not really favoring a complete blow up either, I think the slower approach of promoting players once they are ready is healthier long term.
4th youngest. We only have two players over 30, Komisarek (31) and Liles (32). It is for example only one year in difference when it comes to average age between us and 14th placed Boston who have Chara, Savard, Thornton (all 35), Peverly, Seidenberg, Kelly and Ference (all 30+). But then they have Hamilton (19), Seigun (20), Lucic and Marchand (both 24) so their average age drops.
We dont have any 18-21 year olds on the team. Kadri and Gardiner is the youngest at 22, then JVR at 23 then most guys are in the mid to late 20´s. Still a young team and by no mean a veteran team but they are not the 2nd youngest team in the league and they are not really any younger then any other team either.
And I am not really favoring a complete blow up either, I think the slower approach of promoting players once they are ready is healthier long term.
I'm seeing they're second youngest. But anyways, you feel they should blow it up?
