No. Just can't see a fix to some gapping holes coming from within.
- honesthockey

Time. Gotta wait for guys to break through. Most guys take longer than to develop than the media would project - Kadri. But guys like Reilly at some point but Colborne especially has been gaining big experience at both levels the last two years. Also, the farm isn't the biggest deal today because they are the 2nd youngest team in the league. Most of their young guys are just breaking in. In 3-4 years when they need more development and guys breaking in they should be there - Reilly, Percy and such. They just need a couple suplemental upgrades which, with the cap space and assets should be fairly attainable.

It ll be Grabo because of his contract bozak can slide in third and mcclemment will go to fourth and ok specialist.
- Yeti1181

Market probably wouldn't be kind to Grabo, only thing that would hold me back from moving him, everyone knows hes going to bounce back

A little on the older side, I was thinking a youngish centre with playoff experience

JVR clearly was far more poised than a lot of our other players and it was pretty easy to see that. The kings have an abundance of guys that play centre, Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Richards... I wonder if one of those players could be had, but I don't know if that team has any glaring holes that need attention.
- Nastradamus

Briere for Gunner and lets call it a day...

Look at Bozak. He was realistic. Can't play at 100% in an important game then don't hurt your team. Lupul wasn't bad but he's not a superstar like made out here. And as far as him being the leader and should be captain? Not a prayer.
- honesthockey

I think if Lupul could string together a healthy season and more he'd be a great fit for captain

Briere for Gunner and lets call it a day...
- Flyfreaky

lol

Briere for Gunner and lets call it a day...
- Flyfreaky

Briere for Phaneuf and we'll call it a day.

Briere for Phaneuf and we'll call it a day.
- aminnes

We'll throw in Coburn as well...

Briere for Phaneuf and we'll call it a day.
- aminnes

I don't know we need a guy who can split minutes with Phaneuf, we can't have him playing over 25 minutes a night, he becomes more a liability than he already is. I don't think we need to move Phaneuf, just restructure the defense maybe

I think if Lupul could string together a healthy season and more he'd be a great fit for captain
- Nastradamus

I get the sense he has leader written all over him.

Briere for Gunner and lets call it a day...
- Flyfreaky

you'll need to add a pick like a 2nd that become a 4th if the leafs win the cup or something like that

Briere's contract

Look at Bozak. He was realistic. Can't play at 100% in an important game then don't hurt your team. Lupul wasn't bad but he's not a superstar like made out here. And as far as him being the leader and should be captain? Not a prayer.
- honesthockey

Never said he should be captain. Bozak injury was clearly worse to the point he couldn't play, lupul could still play is the difference. Lupul was one of the best players for the leafs all year. I agree with most he is a superstar him and kessel put up top 5 numbers together.

basically the only thing that's automatically going to get called for sure, is when the puck goes over the glass...and even then I recall a play in these playoffs where replay a few minutes after the PK showed it probably glanced of another players stick, so that call can get blown too

when JVR was pushed into Rask and got called for goalie interference is when I fully realized the totally random nature of penalty calls in playoffs
- Zezel

Quite frankly, the fact that the standard of officiating is different between game one of the regular season and overtime in game 7 is reason to believe that this is a totally unprofessional bush league.

The NHL should look to the NFL for how you run a league. The NHL is basically a punch line in the US, and bush league antics like this year's reffing don't help.

Never said he should be captain. Bozak injury was clearly worse to the point he couldn't play, lupul could still play is the difference. Lupul was one of the best players for the leafs all year. I agree with most he is a superstar him and kessel put up top 5 numbers together.
- Yeti1181

Highly overrated. IMO.

Quite frankly, the fact that the standard of officiating is different between game one of the regular season and overtime in game 7 is reason to believe that this is a totally unprofessional bush league.

The NHL should look to the NFL for how you run a league. The NHL is basically a punch line in the US, and bush league antics like this year's reffing don't help.
- Leeman4Gilmour

agreed, poor management of the NHL is what makes it an embarassment to the sport.

Spotty suspensions, the NHL owning the Phoenix Coyotes for over 2 years (how that isn't a conflict of interest when a governing body has ownership of the team, i don't know)

Highly overrated. IMO.
- honesthockey

The dude continuously throws the team on his back, how can you say he's overrated. If it weren't for the injuries, which might be cause to doubt his value to our team, he'd be one of, if not the best, leafs player

Highly overrated. IMO.
- honesthockey

That's your opinion and your entitled to it no matter how stupid it is

agreed, poor management of the NHL is what makes it an embarassment to the sport.

Spotty suspensions, the NHL owning the Phoenix Coyotes for over 2 years (how that isn't a conflict of interest when a governing body has ownership of the team, i don't know)
- Nastradamus

Let's say you were watching game seven of the Bruins/Leafs series with a friend who had never seen hockey played. To prepare, this friend read up on the sport and studied all the rules thoroughly.

After the blocker punch to the head or the water bottle on the ice, he asks you why those weren't called, despite being black-and-white, clear cut infractions.

If you were Gary Bettman (assuming he actually has a friend), how do answer that question? Do you tell him that some things randomly don't get called in game sevens?

That is precisely why this league is a joke. The commissioner of the NFL would never claim there is a different set of rules that the refs arbitrarily apply in the Super Bowl.

The commissioner of the MLB would never say, "Oh, you know, the rules are different in the World Series, and there's just some stuff you can't call the same way."

Let's say you were watching game seven of the Bruins/Leafs series with a friend who had never seen hockey played. To prepare, this friend read up on the sport and studied all the rules thoroughly.

After the blocker punch to the head or the water bottle on the ice, he asks you why those weren't called, despite being black-and-white, clear cut infractions.

If you were Gary Bettman (assuming he actually has a friend), how do answer that question? Do you tell him that some things randomly don't get called in game sevens?

That is precisely why this league is a joke. The commissioner of the NFL would never claim there is a different set of rules that the refs arbitrarily apply in the Super Bowl.
- Leeman4Gilmour

Agreed dude, the Refs really shouldnt be able to dictate flow of the game like that.

The owners apparently love Bettman, though.

Agreed dude, the Refs really shouldnt be able to dictate flow of the game like that.

The owners apparently love Bettman, though.
- Nastradamus

Of course they do he has been ale to grow the game and thus the revenue of the league by leaps and bounds.

This, if possible, would be my lineup next year.
-
Lupul-Bozak-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Frattin
Kulemin-Grabovski-Clarkson
Torres-McClement-Komarov
-
Phaneuf-Boyle (acquired for our 1st this year + Scrivens + Conditional 3rd in 2014)
Gardiner-Franson
Gunnarsson-O'Byrne/Fraser/Blacker
-
Reimer
Theodore
-
The following year, use a compliance buyout on Grabovski to give a spot to Colborne and resign the obvious Phaneuf + Kessel.

Jays: 8-15 against the east, soon to be 9-9 against everyone else.

HH, you were nowhere to be found when Gardiner played great in games 5 and 6. We get it, you don't like Gardiner, but you're in the minority bud. Let it go, he's here to stay now, unless Nonis sees an opportunity to upgrade at centre.

But even your boy Carlyle said he has the makings of an elite d-man, takes one to know one. Carlyle: Norris Trophy winner.

Jays: 8-15 against the east, soon to be 9-9 against everyone else.

HH, you were nowhere to be found when Gardiner played great in games 5 and 6. We get it, you don't like Gardiner, but you're in the minority bud. Let it go, he's here to stay now, unless Nonis sees an opportunity to upgrade at centre.

But even your boy Carlyle said he has the makings of an elite d-man, takes one to know one. Carlyle: Norris Trophy winner.
- mykokes

Agreed. Gardiner was a HUGE reason in our comeback in that series. His composure was unbelievable, and once he played with confidence rather than overthinking, he instantly become one of our best players. Him and Franson are definitely keepers.

Jays: 8-15 against the east, soon to be 9-9 against everyone else.

HH, you were nowhere to be found when Gardiner played great in games 5 and 6. We get it, you don't like Gardiner, but you're in the minority bud. Let it go, he's here to stay now, unless Nonis sees an opportunity to upgrade at centre.

But even your boy Carlyle said he has the makings of an elite d-man, takes one to know one. Carlyle: Norris Trophy winner.
- mykokes

HH doesn't like anyone on this team lupul is overrated according to him because he didn't score game winners every game and beat people up.

This, if possible, would be my lineup next year.
-
Lupul-Bozak-Kessel
JVR-Kadri-Frattin
Kulemin-Grabovski-Clarkson
Torres-McClement-Komarov
-
Phaneuf-Boyle (acquired for our 1st this year + Scrivens + Conditional 3rd in 2014)
Gardiner-Franson
Gunnarsson-O'Byrne/Fraser/Blacker
-
Reimer
Theodore
-
The following year, use a compliance buyout on Grabovski to give a spot to Colborne and resign the obvious Phaneuf + Kessel.
- Rysko81

Uhh, 4 Puck moving defenseman, a 14 million dollar 3rd line and Theodore the 3 million dollar backup. And you have a "Top 6 Power Forward" behind the energy line player Frattin.

I like your thinking but we need a good shut down guy. Michalek, Bieksa, Johnson, Scudari, Seabrook, Emelin, etc. We probably need two. One to capable of playing minutes with Phaneuf. One capable of handling Gardiner's game and compatible with his style of play.

I really like the 4th line.

HH doesn't like anyone on this team lupul is overrated according to him because he didn't score game winners every game and beat people up.
- Yeti1181

He likes a certain type of player, there's nothing wrong with that. And he's right, we needed a big body to clear Chara/Lucic out of the crease. And we could use a Clarkson. But I found his Carlo Collaicovo comparison to Gardiner amusing. I never saw Carlo do the things this kid can do.

Man I'm having deja vu.....I swear I had these same arguments last year about kadri, but someone else was playing the role of HH. Ah well.