Tell that to Patrick Laine and see if he agrees . I am sure if you look at the Calder trophy which is chosen by the media I am sure Mathews name is already on it ,do you think there is a chance in hell he can win that trophy?
- VANTEL

That's totally irrelevant to the conversation, it has to do with the pressure to compete or rebuild not win an individual trophy.

OK, where are we going with this? Are you insinuating their plan isn't working? Because even a fool would know it most certainly is. They got their guy and went from last place to a possible playoff spot in one year.

As far as trading a first, they had extra picks to try and shore up a few positions, which turned out to be a good move as well, Andersen is playing well.
- LeftCoaster

So wait........ the plan isn't what you said it was in Toronto(long term/patience), trading away future for vets to win now is a good plan if it works in Toronto all of a sudden? Come on Lefty... this is a massive flip flop. Anderssen(27) for a 1st is win now. He'll be old(or gone) by the time that dynamic core is 24. They could have signed someone to fill that position and built through the draft like you endlessly preach(the obvious). You've argued about trading for young players being short cuts for win now over and over.... now months after trading a 1st away, Toronto trades for Boyle... a 32 year old for a 2nd round pick and that's ok because they are in reach of a play off spot? No one freaks out about 2nd round picks like you do... or making moves to get into the playoffs while rebuilding... and so many other contradictions.

I'm trying to figure out what the real issue is. Your flip flopping makes it difficult to see if you really are genuine. You put an argument up like that and it looks like your hate for management and your stubborn positions with other Canuck fans is beyond any kind of reasoning now. Especially when you pick the Canucks fans most hated rivalry to spin and praise so highly. One who is contradicting all your lecturing about not trading away picks, not trading for vets, not making moves to secure a wildcard spot or playoff berth in a rebuild... Management selling a rebuild while they are trading away future and on the hunt for elite players who are not in this age category of a rebuilding team... who will cost them a huge chunk of their future.

Did you know Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
- LeftCoaster

That's strange cause Don got fired from Walmart for the same thing.

Pressure yes, but MUCH friendlier and willing to spread their message to the masses. Has it worked? That's too soon to say, the signs seem encouraging, but the proof is playoff success and they're going against the Shanaplan to try and make it. Benning says we're going to try and be competitive and make the playoffs while adding in young talent in a winning environment and you malign him for it. Trying to be competitive sure hasn't hurt our draft position much in the past couple of years now has it? We should have had the 3OA last year, we got unlucky, we'll get a top 5 pick this year as well, I don't see how the 'Shanaplan' as you call it is that much different from Benning's plan save that his message is different when the results are the same.
- DariusKnight

The results are not the same, there's where you're mistaken, they are ahead of us in the standings and their young kids are in the NHL making a difference.

Did you know Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
- LeftCoaster

totally avoiding the hockey discourse. Shame.

Don't listen to him Lefty. Cupboards are no way near bare either. We'll see 3 more in Kapanen, Rychel and Leipsic next year. Rumours Grundstrom amd possibly Korshkov will move over to North America as well.
- walshyleafsfan

Well, the Leafs didn't appear anywhere in TSN's top 50 prospects. I appreciate your opinion on your own prospects but more knowledgeable people say other wise.

Kapanen did get honorable mention... would make top 60. Your cupboards are bare when compared to the rest of the NHL...

But they didn't get 3rd or 4th, they got the first overall so it worked.
- LeftCoaster

Yes but the work has just begun

I had to get fire wood today, probably worked harder today, physically, than you've worked in the last five years
- LeftCoaster

I worked 13 hours today

That's totally irrelevant to the conversation, it has to do with the pressure to compete or rebuild not win an individual trophy.
- LeftCoaster

I still disagree. Leafs two years ago were horrible but get national coverage . Don Cherry gets on and calls Reimer the second best goalie in the game and all the praise that Bernier got week to week . That drives up trade value

It's called a back handed compliment sprinkled with more spin.

- boonerbuck

At least it's better then the gobbledygook he's been spraying my way for days. Oh well.

Walshy I hate the Leafs, you know this, but i call it like I see it. The Shanaplan is working.
- LeftCoaster

What is the Shanaplan though? Let's hear it. Don't omit the facts about the picks being traded. Don't contradict your Canucks position either. Go!

It's obviously about making the playoffs... so what, the rebuild was two seasons? OK.

So wait........ the plan isn't what you said it was in Toronto(long term/patience), trading away future for vets to win now is a good plan if it works in Toronto all of a sudden? Come on Lefty... this is a massive flip flop. Anderssen(27) for a 1st is win now. He'll be old(or gone) by the time that dynamic core is 24. They could have signed someone to fill that position and built through the draft like you endlessly preach(the obvious). You've argued about trading for young players being short cuts for win now over and over.... now months after trading a 1st away, Toronto trades for Boyle... a 32 year old for a 2nd round pick and that's ok because they are in reach of a play off spot? No one freaks out about 2nd round picks like you do... or making moves to get into the playoffs while rebuilding... and so many other contradictions.

I'm trying to figure out what the real issue is. Your flip flopping makes it difficult to see if you really are genuine. You put an argument up like that and it looks like your hate for management and your stubborn positions with other Canuck fans is beyond any kind of reasoning now. Especially when you pick the Canucks fans most hated rivalry to spin and praise so highly. One who is contradicting all your lecturing about not trading away picks, not trading for vets, not making moves to secure a wildcard spot or playoff berth in a rebuild... Management selling a rebuild while they are trading away future and on the hunt for elite players who are not in this age category of a rebuilding team... who will cost them a huge chunk of their future.
- boonerbuck

it's not the Toronto plan, like no one else has done it lol. My position has always been sell off the vets, take some down years and draft well.

I'm sorry you can't see it my way, but we'll agree to disagree. Tanking isn't set in stone, when luck is with you it can accelerate things, professional sports is a fluid business.

The results are not the same, there's where you're mistaken, they are ahead of us in the standings and their young kids are in the NHL making a difference.
- LeftCoaster

Horvat? Tryamkin? Stecher? Hutton? Granlund? Baertschi? All are young and making a difference themselves? Not to mention Boeser, Demko, Gaudette, Juolevi are all doing well in their respective leagues outside of the NHL and look to potentially be impact players. I don't always agree with booner, but in this I have to agree, you hate on Benning for the message when really all he's doing is not being willing to outright say "Hey, we suck, we're going to suck for a while so... yeah, expect us to sell every year at the TDL and field a team of mostly replacement/AHL/ECHL talent while having a few rookies in there to sell tickets."

I worked 13 hours today
- CanuckDon

You were there for 13 hours

What is the Shanaplan though? Let's hear it. Don't omit the facts about the picks being traded. Don't contradict you Canucks position either. Go!

It's obviously about making the playoffs... so what, the rebuild was two seasons? OK.
- boonerbuck

Figure it out for yourself I'm not spoon feeding you!

Horvat? Tryamkin? Stecher? Hutton? Granlund? Baertschi? All are young and making a difference themselves? Not to mention Boeser, Demko, Gaudette, Juolevi are all doing well in their respective leagues outside of the NHL and look to potentially be impact players. I don't always agree with booner, but in this I have to agree, you hate on Benning for the message when really all he's doing is not being willing to outright say "Hey, we suck, we're going to suck for a while so... yeah, expect us to sell every year at the TDL and field a team of mostly replacement/AHL/ECHL talent while having a few rookies in there to sell tickets."
- DariusKnight

Right now they are 11 points ahead of us, and much younger, in a harder division, if they finish with 90 points in four years since their rebuild started then Benning should be there too next year....agree?

You were there for 13 hours
- LeftCoaster

(frank), I would have left at 5 if I didn't piss away the day in this site

(frank), I would have left at 5 if I didn't piss away the day in this site
- CanuckDon

Adict

Right now they are 11 points ahead of us, and much younger, in a harder division, if they finish with 90 points in four years since their rebuild started then Benning should be there too next year....agree?
- LeftCoaster

We have two old guys we cant get rid of

Right now they are 11 points ahead of us, and much younger, in a harder division, if they finish with 90 points in four years since their rebuild started then Benning should be there too next year....agree?
- LeftCoaster

Does it really matter? The object is to win the Cup, not get 90 points, Toronto isn't even close to that, agree? It's even debateable if they're that much ahead of us seeing as this is a weird year with expansion and the Canadiens, Bruins, Senators all having down years.

We have two old guys we cant get rid of
- VANTEL

Lefty and who else?

We have two old guys we cant get rid of
- VANTEL

I got nothing...you were right, we should've traded them three years ago.

Really? Toronto media pressure is much more of a hindrance over the past decades than a positive. Look Shanahan was hired a year before Benning and recognized early, unlike Benning, that they needed a reset. It worked, due somewhat to luck, and it pisses you guys off.

Their best players are in the range of 19 to 25, do they have work to do, absolutely, but they're headed in the right direction and they're ahead of us.
- LeftCoaster

Of course they are ahead of us. That's subject to so many other reasons. Just like this idea that Benning couldn't recognize this and that in comparison... subject to so many other things. How do you compare the Leafs and the Canucks on the same time frame?.... and what pisses me off is the amount of hypocrisy in your beat down on your own team. It's not jealousy like you are playing it off... sounds like you have the envy if you are going to spin it so hard. "Why can't we be like Toronto" has been dripping from your posts for a year now... fair enough,,, but the Shanaplan is not what you've been claiming it is. That cannot be denied.

We had this discussion before. What makes you think Shanahan wasn't hired to rebuild? He claimed he would only take the job to do it his way. OK, fine. So he doesn't want interference when he does his job. Even I recognized Toronto needed a rebuild going back every season since before Sundin left. It's a jump to think Shanahan showed up on the Leafs door step with this brilliant revelation that the Leafs needed to rebuild and the owner had to be convinced. I've taken those comments as "I'm rebuilding my way".... which is much more rational...

Lefty and who else?
- CanuckDon

Marwood?

I got nothing...you were right, we should've traded them three years ago.
- LeftCoaster

With them on the team Canucks try to build a playoff team ,Benning is stuck in no mans land