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

[aGENT]

12 hours ago, DeNiro said:

They have Ty Rattie as their number 1 right winger on their depth chart. Says all you need to know about who wrote this article.

 

If it was rated by total depth and not just a couple players, they would not be ranked first.

 

Colorado for my money is number 1. Mackinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen, Barrie, Makar, Kerfoot, Zadorov, Girard, Jost, and Compher.

Going to be funny watching COL go further in the playoffs than either of the two Canadian darling clubs over the next few years 

[higgyfan]

5 minutes ago, aGENT said:

Going to be funny watching COL go further in the playoffs than either of the two Canadian darling clubs over the next few years 

Especially after they pick generational Jack Hughes with Otts pick

[aGENT]

2 minutes ago, higgyfan said:

Especially after they pick generational Jack Hughes with Otts pick

No kidding!  

 

People were chuckling at that club a couple years ago...nobody's laughing now. Sakic must be loving life right now!

[higgyfan]

6 minutes ago, aGENT said:

No kidding!  

 

People were chuckling at that club a couple years ago...nobody's laughing now. Sakic must be loving life right now!

Yeah, they sure paid their dues.  Long rebuild that stalled for a bit, but they are set for a long ride now.

 

Always liked the Avs.

[oldnews]

38 minutes ago, higgyfan said:

Especially after they pick generational Jack Hughes with Otts pick

Doesn't hurt when there's a Dorion in the GM ranks....and you can return....

 

Bowers

Girard

Kamenev

***1st

2nd

3rd

 

for Duchene.

 

Add pair of RHD like Makar and Timmins in 17 draft....and that's a helluva haul for Sakic recently.

 

[aGENT]

49 minutes ago, higgyfan said:

Yeah, they sure paid their dues.  Long rebuild that stalled for a bit, but they are set for a long ride now.

 

Always liked the Avs.

Yeah they were my '2nd team' back in the day of Sakic, Roy, Forsberg etc, so I've got a soft spot. Forsberg's probably my favourite player of all time. Elite skill and battled like a mother-$#@%. Guy could not have been fun to play against. Warrior.

 

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, aGENT said:

Yeah they were my '2nd team' back in the day of Sakic, Roy, Forsberg etc, so I've got a soft spot. Forsberg's probably my favourite player of all time. Elite skill and battled like a mother-$#@%. Guy could not have been fun to play against. Warrior.

 

I think one year he beat out Naslund by one point for the Art Ross at the end of the year, Naslund still got the Lindsay for his great season, but he could have been the first Canuck to win a scoring title... the Avs were always the biggest competition during the WCE years, at that was at the end of their dominance

[Tiger-Hearted]

20 hours ago, IBatch said:

I think one year he beat out Naslund by one point for the Art Ross at the end of the year, Naslund still got the Lindsay for his great season, but he could have been the first Canuck to win a scoring title... the Avs were always the biggest competition during the WCE years, at that was at the end of their dominance

Naslund was terrible down the stretch. Was on pace to be just the second Swedish player to score 50 goals plus win the Art Ross and he went goalless in ten games late in the season. Then, that horrible last game vs the LA/Manchester Monarchs -> "We choked."

[Baggins]

4 hours ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

Naslund was terrible down the stretch. Was on pace to be just the second Swedish player to score 50 goals plus win the Art Ross and he went goalless in ten games late in the season. Then, that horrible last game vs the LA/Manchester Monarchs -> "We choked."

Naslund had 27 points (8g 19a) in the final 20 games. Horrible. Forsberg had 32 points (9g 23a) in his final 20 games.

[canuck73_3]

9 hours ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

Naslund was terrible down the stretch. Was on pace to be just the second Swedish player to score 50 goals plus win the Art Ross and he went goalless in ten games late in the season. Then, that horrible last game vs the LA/Manchester Monarchs -> "We choked."

I didn't realize 1.35ppg in 20 games was terrible, by that standard most of the NHL is terrible. 

[189lb enforcers?]

Forsberg was clutch, even as his feet gave out. 

He played a Canadian-style game so his playoff games were just that much better. 

It was hard not to like the old Avalanche teams, I agree. 

 

I think Vancouver needs to have Woo turn into an Adam Foote clone. 

[Rob_Zepp]

On 7/22/2018 at 8:36 PM, NewbieCanuckFan said:

How did that "great core" fail to make the playoffs?

[Rob_Zepp]

On 7/16/2018 at 7:00 PM, IBatch said:

There's a fair bit of talk of TO locking up both Mathews and Marner now with extensions given that Tavares likely will play with Marner and Mathews quality of opposition will go down, plus their PP could be sick, bumping their stats even further.  Mathews won't make less than Eichel, and Marner looks to be 8plus.  Nylander will get north of 6 on a long term extension which isn't a huge problem with their current 13.7 to work with.  Next year they will have $29 million to work with (not including Nylander), and also have Gardiner and Hainsey to deal with (UFAs) and Kapanen (RFA).

 

This year a panel of NHL scouts and team executives ranked them first overall in THN a Future Watch ranking of the players in development systems (pre-draft), they coming of a Calder Cup which gives them a feeder system that allows them to utilize     the top heavy cap model like CHI and PIT for cheap but effective replacements.  

 

Couple that with a lot of veteran interest that wanted to play in TO this summer for a discount (Tavares was offered almost 2 million more from SJ) and they are setting a tone for the next big contracts to possibly come in lighter than expected (like TB guys too, but there they don't get taxed as badly so it's easier).  

Dubas was public about setting an example "for our fan base and our young group " sending a message, acknowledging that Crosbys done it for years in PIT with his undermarket 8.7 million cap hit (in line total cap wise with Tavares current deal) which allowed them to build a contender.   And they never had the feeder system that TO has now. 

 

No matter how you poke holes at it, TO has an enviable future, no cap hell is on it's way anytime soon if ever (they still might add a one year guy...Thornton?) and they are miles ahead of us.   Mathews, Tavares, Kadri will have the puck on their sticks so often some average defense won't be a problem (they have very good goaltending which helps of course).  

Maybe, maybe.    Very rosy picture  on paper but you have a young "generational" first overall who didn't like his ice time last year and now is under Tavares?   You have Kadri emerging as a first line production C - do you have him on the third line with those minutes and zero PP time?   What if one of the younger guys refuses a "hometown discount"?   

 

I think Toronto has benefited from their years as doormats and some lottery luck but I don't believe they are odds on SC favs at all until we see how they play as a TEAM.   I see lots of potential reasons this could become less than an ideal set up and moves will be required and sometimes that can be the thread that starts something bigger unraveling.    

 

The projections for Toronto for next year sound very familiar to what people were projecting for Edmonton last year.    

[PhillipBlunt]

23 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Maybe, maybe.    Very rosy picture  on paper but you have a young "generational" first overall who didn't like his ice time last year and now is under Tavares?   You have Kadri emerging as a first line production C - do you have him on the third line with those minutes and zero PP time?   What if one of the younger guys refuses a "hometown discount"?   

 

I think Toronto has benefited from their years as doormats and some lottery luck but I don't believe they are odds on SC favs at all until we see how they play as a TEAM.   I see lots of potential reasons this could become less than an ideal set up and moves will be required and sometimes that can be the thread that starts something bigger unraveling.    

 

The projections for Toronto for next year sound very familiar to what people were projecting for Edmonton last year.    

Exactly, Zepp. Everyone gets stiff over projections and future rankings, but forget that in order for a team to be truly successful, they have to have chemistry and play a cohesive unified game.

[Chicken.]

56 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Maybe, maybe.    Very rosy picture  on paper but you have a young "generational" first overall who didn't like his ice time last year and now is under Tavares?   You have Kadri emerging as a first line production C - do you have him on the third line with those minutes and zero PP time?   What if one of the younger guys refuses a "hometown discount"?   

 

I think Toronto has benefited from their years as doormats and some lottery luck but I don't believe they are odds on SC favs at all until we see how they play as a TEAM.   I see lots of potential reasons this could become less than an ideal set up and moves will be required and sometimes that can be the thread that starts something bigger unraveling.    

 

The projections for Toronto for next year sound very familiar to what people were projecting for Edmonton last year.    

Fwiw I see Toronto doing pretty darn well next year even though I dislike them. At least their forward group,, defense is a bigger question mark (ala edmonton)

 

Tavares can nearly carry a team on his own and put that together with the young guns the leafs have currently looks like a dangerous set up. Kadri is on record saying he is up for any role that helps the team win a cup includIng Pk and 3rd line. I do want to see Tavares do well hes a stand up guy, but the Leafs as a whole.. meh.. conflicting wants lol

 

 

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, Chicken. said:

Fwiw I see Toronto doing pretty darn well next year even though I dislike them. At least their forward group,, defense is a bigger question mark (ala edmonton)

 

Tavares can nearly carry a team on his own and put that together with the young guns the leafs have currently looks like a dangerous set up. Kadri is on record saying he is up for any role that helps the team win a cup includIng Pk and 3rd line. I do want to see Tavares do well hes a stand up guy, but the Leafs as a whole.. meh.. conflicting wants lol

 

 

I see locker room trouble brewing up a big storm in Loser Leaf Land.  Matthews, Nylander, and Marner are all going to want Tavares dollars.  Their selfishness is going to erode what sense of team they currently have.  It’s going to be so much fun to watch them burn.  

[ForsbergTheGreat]

12 minutes ago, Chicken. said:

Fwiw I see Toronto doing pretty darn well next year even though I dislike them. At least their forward group,, defense is a bigger question mark (ala edmonton)

 

Tavares can nearly carry a team on his own and put that together with the young guns the leafs have currently looks like a dangerous set up. Kadri is on record saying he is up for any role that helps the team win a cup includIng Pk and 3rd line. I do want to see Tavares do well hes a stand up guy, but the Leafs as a whole.. meh.. conflicting wants lol

 

 

I agree and Kadri was already being deployed as a 3rd line center last year,  He was there main shut down guy leading the team in D zone faceoffs and only getting 40% ozone starts.  His PP time won’t change at all, last year Bozak lead the leafs in PP time amongst centers which is essentially what Tavares will be replacing.  All three centers (Kadri, Matthews, and Tavares) are still going to average over 2 minutes a game in PP TOI.

 

Sure they have to find chemistry but they have the best coach in the world to get that done.  I think people right now are simply looking for excuses to take shots at team that got a huge upgrade (their D is garbage, Reilly isn’t a core D, they are screwed cap wise, there chemistry is going to suffer, Matthews is going to be unhappy about not getting the captaincy).  And yes this is a Canucks forum but it sounds extremely salty, it is really that hard for people to admit another Canadian team is actually good and improved.  I get it, the media makes it really easy to hate them but if people looked at things objectively without any bias like you’re doing, Leafs signing a top 10 player in the league is a good thing.  Are they guaranteed a cup? Nope far from it, but they just improved their chances.  

 

[Chicken.]

6 minutes ago, Alflives said:

I see locker room trouble brewing up a big storm in Loser Leaf Land.  Matthews, Nylander, and Marner are all going to want Tavares dollars.  Their selfishness is going to erode what sense of team they currently have.  It’s going to be so much fun to watch them burn.  

In the long-term - yes I can see that... next year though... they will all be hungry to prove they deserve even close to Tavares $$ and the man himself there's not question he wants to win

[NewbieCanuckFan]

3 minutes ago, ForsbergTheGreat said:

I think people right now are simply looking for excuses to take shots at team 

 

I don't need any excuse to take a shot at the Laffs.

 

*****points to avatar picture*****

[Alflives]

3 minutes ago, Chicken. said:

In the long-term - yes I can see that... next year though... they will all be hungry to prove they deserve even close to Tavares $$ and the man himself there's not question he wants to win

If JT wanted to win, he shouldn’t have signed with the Loser Leafs.