Ed Willes: Canucks' Linden revamp left in the dust by Leafs' Shana-plan

[rekker]

Et tu Willes?

[Tystick]

Why are they obsessed with us?

I don't get it.

[DeNiro]

Lets talk about the "Shana-Plan" then shall we.

 

Since he was hired in 2014 he's made some big moves no doubt.

 

He hired Lou Lamoriello who is one of the better GMs in the league. Lou made some decent acquisitions in his 4 years there, but nothing special. Signing Andersen, Zaitsev, Marleau, and drafting Marner over Strome have to be some of the standouts. But are we really giving him credit for drafting Matthews? Nope. that was a gift. Then 4 years later they run him out of town for some 34 year old Harry Potter looking kid. Great move?

 

Hiring Babcock was great sure, but when you offer a coach that much, who would really turn it down? Helps to be the richest team in the league I guess. Either way Babcock might be past his glory days and who knows if this team will be championship caliber under him. (despite what Leafs media will tell you)

 

Then you look at their drafting history over the last 5 drafts and there's not alot to write home about past the "big 3". Matthews, Marner, and Nylander are all great offensive players, who were arguably easy choices where they were taken. Time will tell if players like Marner and Nylander can lead a team deep into the playoffs when the games get much heavier and much more grueling. 

 

SO you come to the latest Tavares signing which everyone in Leaf-land thinks just made them cup favorites. I don't buy it though. It's a nice little story that a Toronto boy came home, but he is not the final piece to their puzzle.

 

They still lack a deep defensive core resembling anything close to a cup winning team. They also have a goaltender that is good, but has not proven to be great yet, and may never. Then you look at their smallish soft offensive core that consists of "tough guy" Nazem Kadri. Yep that's right, with Martin and Komarov gone, Kadri is their answer to toughness. That team is still going to get eaten alive by Boston no matter how you slice it. One point a game player isn't going to overcome that. There's lots of teams with those players, doesn't mean they win the cup.

 

All in all the fact that they are planning the parade route is hilarious. They think simply throwing money on a cup winning team is the answer. They'll learn their lesson soon enough though. The Shanna-plan consists of nothing more than throwing around MLSE money and getting gifted an elite 1st overall pick.

 

[nuckin_futz]

 

Someone had to post it.

[oldnews]

Fun to have the Leaf fluffers resurface.  Bolstered by 77 million lol.

 

What genius that takes!  Who else coulda thought of that?

 

OP in good form as well - doesn't post the content of the article - creates click-bait for an outside site / the Province....

 

 

A couple years ago the rugbys and 189s were declaring the Laff rebuild over - they're on the cusp of inevitalbe multi-Cup dynasties!  That was the story lol.

 

A few years later - after a couple consecutive first round exits and exposed bluelines....the Leafs are still building from the front backwards.

 

And they still have literally next to nothing on that roster that was not a top 10 pick, or a free agent signing.  What do they have - like two players on that roster they drafted outside the top 10?

 

Wow.  #proper-rebuildz!

 

The stockpile all the pickz #proper-rebuild turned into building through free agency - and....the geniuses are back to sell the #proper-rebuild again lol.

 

Sign all the 11 million free agents.  Supplement them with all the 37 year olds.

 

 

Wake me up when they have a blueline and goaltending to compete with the Tampa Bays of the NHL.

 

 

 

 

 

[420Fish]

If you factor in all the years of losing in Toronto, then perhaps we are more like 12 seasons behind them.

[DeNiro]

8 minutes ago, 420Fish said:

If you factor in all the years of losing in Toronto, then perhaps we are more like 12 seasons behind them.

That's what's so funny about the praise they're getting.

 

It's as if they think the rebuild started when Shanahan was hired. They've been trying to rebuild since Sundin was there!

 

Benning has had the same 5 drafts to work with, and while he hasn't constructed a playoff team yet he has built up prospect depth in almost every position. Something the Leafs don't actually have. 

 

So while they try and have their team be carried by 4 players, the Canucks will slowly build up a core from top to bottom and do it the right way. And in the end I have a feeling the Leafs rushed approach to being a contender will be nothing more than that.

 

[Rob_Zepp]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

Just the Vancouver media trying to get a rise out of Canucks fans. 

What is confusing as your market must pay their salaries and why on earth would they then troll their own fanbase?    Being constructively critical would be fine but stories like the one I read from link above are clearly a sharp stick implying that even though apples and oranges are being compared, somehow something magical should have happened PLUS it implies that the results of next season and beyond are somehow known now.

 

Why does your region put up with these clowns?   

[Nooks]

FIRST OVERALL!

[Angry Goose]

I like how the article conveniently ignored how long TOR sucked ass before hiring Shanahan.  I guess drafting players like Kadri and Riley, not to mentioned acquiring players like JVR and Bozak did nothing to help the team when they decided to go 'all in' on drafting?  Lucking out on Matthews wasnt anything special either.  

 

My point: there is no guarantee that stripping it down and trying to build this team  purely through the draft w/o some of the vets would have been any better.  This article is trying to split hairs yet assume earth shattering differences.  

[oldnews]

 

 

so much talent over there at the Provies...

 

Who build that hockey 'journalism' dept - that is the real question?

 

Postmedia are geniusez!

 

 

 

Readership rapidly declining for a decade lol.

 

Oops.  Attention!  Attention!  Anything for attention!!

 

 

 

[Baggins]

Shanny had a 90 yard headstart in a 100 yard race.

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, oldnews said:

 

 

so much talent over there at the Provies...

 

Who build that hockey 'journalism' dept - that is the real question?

 

Postmedia are geniusez!

 

 

 

 

Daily average^[3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50,000

 

100,000

 

150,000

 

200,000

 

2009

 

2010

 

2011

 

2012

 

2013

 

2014

 

2015

 

Oops.  Attention!  Attention!  Anything for attention!!

Was it the Province that fired Pratt, because of plagiarism?  Just hiring a guy like Pratt shows how low the Province will stoop for their poop.  

[Ghostsof1915]

1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I'll just post my usual response to our local media:

 

That's too good for them. 

[Ballisticsports.]

Wow everyone's backs up against the wall here

 

He simply said they were at the same points total 4 years ago

He made mention of the draft lottery

One player does not make a team, Look at Edmonton with the worlds best

 

The players pivotal in Torontos turnaround were not drafted before Shanahan

They assessed and rebuilt with thought in mind

 

They cleaned house and got returns

 

A lot of you make great mention of what we have in the system

If You noticed their farm team is doing quite well

PLUS

They have a stronger NHL team

 

No need to get defensive about the article

I wonder if all our hopes for players dont pan out who will you be calling out?

 

Just relax

Time will tell

 

 

[6string]

Toronto is a false comparison as we all know their rebuild dates back to the Quinn era and I would argue since 1967 for crying out loud they have been consistently awful!

 

I look back to about 10 years ago to see how Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Los Angeles, NY Rangers and Tampa Bay have all played in the finals to get a better measurement of where we are today. I'm sure to hear mixed reviews within the group to measure where we are today, needless to say Toronto was nowhere near any of those teams.

[Gaudette Celly]

1 minute ago, ba;;isticsports said:

He simply said they were at the same points total 4 years ago

Which was wrong.

Which is the point.

[DeNiro]

12 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

What is confusing as your market must pay their salaries and why on earth would they then troll their own fanbase?    Being constructively critical would be fine but stories like the one I read from link above are clearly a sharp stick implying that even though apples and oranges are being compared, somehow something magical should have happened PLUS it implies that the results of next season and beyond are somehow known now.

 

Why does your region put up with these clowns?   

They`re a bunch of aging washouts that are on a sinking ship (print media), and are trying desperately to sell their stories by spinning negative dribble.

[oldnews]

I remember the last time the rebuild was over....... and all the Leafs needed was a Brian Boyle rental at the deadline lol.

 

 

[Ghostsof1915]

Benning is......