Well, the Leafs did go from dead last in the league to the best winning percentage in their hundred year history as a franchise, and Dubas has already won an AHL championship. Before that he dramatically improved the Soo Greyhounds. So I find your take to be simply not believable.
- Zezel

If the Leafs lose in the first round this year (or miss the playoffs), Dubas will be in JFJ territory. He will be a helper guy, and not get a sniff as GM for a looooong time.

If the Leafs lose in the first round this year (or miss the playoffs), Dubas will be in JFJ territory. He will be a helper guy, and not get a sniff as GM for a looooong time.
- fifty__missions

That's a really big if

Very true.
Its only been decades....and decades.

But we'll see how the season plays out.
- Fakepartofme

Been here about 19days longer than you

That's a really big if
- Zezel

I think TB, BOS, and FLA are locks.

MTL is low key a good team. Dvorak>KK. Drouin can be a very capable player if his head is in the right place. A full season of Romanov and Caufield. Suzuki another year older. Gally going to be on a mission to win a cup after getting a taste. Toffoli is awesome.. If Price plays like playoff Price in the regular season, the Leafs could be in trouble. It’ll come down to who can beat up on OTT/BUF/DET the most.

I think TB, BOS, and FLA are locks.

MTL is low key a good team. Dvorak>KK. Drouin can be a very capable player if his head is in the right place. A full season of Romanov and Caufield. Suzuki another year older. Gally going to be on a mission to win a cup after getting a taste. Toffoli is awesome.. If Price plays like playoff Price in the regular season, the Leafs could be in trouble. It’ll come down to who can beat up on OTT/BUF/DET the most.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Ottawa will be very good, probably pretty soon. I'm not sure they're gonna get beat up on this year.

I think TB, BOS, and FLA are locks.

MTL is low key a good team. Dvorak>KK. Drouin can be a very capable player if his head is in the right place. A full season of Romanov and Caufield. Suzuki another year older. Gally going to be on a mission to win a cup after getting a taste. Toffoli is awesome.. If Price plays like playoff Price in the regular season, the Leafs could be in trouble. It’ll come down to who can beat up on OTT/BUF/DET the most.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Tampa and Florida might be the only locks..

Boston I feel, wont be that good this year.... Ullmark/Swayman is questionable at best.

Should be a playoff team though.

I think TB, BOS, and FLA are locks.

MTL is low key a good team. Dvorak>KK. Drouin can be a very capable player if his head is in the right place. A full season of Romanov and Caufield. Suzuki another year older. Gally going to be on a mission to win a cup after getting a taste. Toffoli is awesome.. If Price plays like playoff Price in the regular season, the Leafs could be in trouble. It’ll come down to who can beat up on OTT/BUF/DET the most.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Mehtreal doesn't impress me despite their fluke job in the playoffs.

The Leafs losing in the first round six times in a row is not a bet I like.

Winning one more game a year later isnt what I mean by progression. That first year was fun because we all thought they’d continue to get better. Sure Boston is a good team, but they have to find a way to win those big games. 5 years in now and they can’t win those games still.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Agreed. Definitely a concern.

Yeah I know. This year they'll win those big games like a mofo, I can feel it in my bones. Gimme sympathy after all of this gone
- Zezel

Metric. Love it.

Metric. Love it.
- systemtool

I'm a megafan

Mehtreal doesn't impress me despite their fluke job in the playoffs.

The Leafs losing in the first round six times in a row is not a bet I like.
- Zezel

They don’t have to lose 6 times in a row, just once

MTL will be rejuvenated and confident. Caufield and Romanov, along with steady Dvorak and a Price who’s returned to form, will be huge for the Habs. Also Petry is a helluva defenceman.

Tavares is massively overpaid.

Makes $2mil more than Makar, lol. Not to mention Crosby, Kucherov, Draisaitl, Kane etc..

All those other players were deemed not worth the $ by their former teams. Dubas hasn’t made a single good player for player trade.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

add context and perspective. when Tavares was Makars age he was making 5.5 million. settle down chachi and put some thought into what's upsetting you why it is. one was a Ufa and one a rfa. focus mate

I think TB, BOS, and FLA are locks.

MTL is low key a good team. Dvorak>KK. Drouin can be a very capable player if his head is in the right place. A full season of Romanov and Caufield. Suzuki another year older. Gally going to be on a mission to win a cup after getting a taste. Toffoli is awesome.. If Price plays like playoff Price in the regular season, the Leafs could be in trouble. It’ll come down to who can beat up on OTT/BUF/DET the most.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

new season imo no team is a lock.

Dubas has no choice but to stick to the "plan" and hope it pans out. Well, he does have a choice, but he won't go down that road. The guy wants a long career in hockey management, and moving on from one of the core would be a tacit admission that his plan was flawed from the start. Who wants to hire that guy?

I think he's hoping things pan out somehow this year, and if not, he will sell himself as a guy whose plan got derailed by the flat cap/covid. Meanwhile, we will have lost Hyman, Freddy, and Rielly , most likely, for nothing in return.
- fifty__missions

Make me think of JFJ.

Dude still around in ARZ,

I'm a megafan
- Zezel

Emily Haines all day

They don’t have to lose 6 times in a row, just once

MTL will be rejuvenated and confident. Caufield and Romanov, along with steady Dvorak and a Price who’s returned to form, will be huge for the Habs. Also Petry is a helluva defenceman.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Caufield has to prove he can handle a full season. The rest are meh, Price will be hurt half the year, they have nothing up the middle, meh on D, shnreh on the wings...they're a glorified lotto team.

Caufield has to prove he can handle a full season. The rest are meh, Price will be hurt half the year, they have nothing up the middle, meh on D, shnreh on the wings...they're a glorified lotto team.
- Zezel

thats just ridiculous

JFJ >< Dubas
- Arctic_AARDVARK

thats just ridiculous
- systemtool

They used up all their luck in the playoffs. It's gonna be a long year battling for 10th place in the conference

It’s OHL dude.

Teams turn over very quickly in that league.

The Leafs turn around had nothing to do with Dubas. Lou and Shanny implemented the rebuild and handed Dubas a golden goose.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Nah.
I would say Dubas' training wheels were removed and to try to continue what Lou had started.

Somethings people like and somethings people don't.
Hopefully people see more positives than negative.

His time will be judged when the ax falls.

Caufield has to prove he can handle a full season. The rest are meh, Price will be hurt half the year, they have nothing up the middle, meh on D, shnreh on the wings...they're a glorified lotto team.
- Zezel

Agreed. The Caufield propaganda was a bit much last year.

Let's see how he can handle 82 games and if he can actually produce at 5v5.

Agreed. The Caufield propaganda was a bit much last year.

Let's see how he can handle 82 games and if he can actually produce at 5v5.
- mjones242

It doesn’t matter if he scores even strength or on the PP. A goals a goal.

He might be a 40G player.

I think TB, BOS, and FLA are locks.

MTL is low key a good team. Dvorak>KK. Drouin can be a very capable player if his head is in the right place. A full season of Romanov and Caufield. Suzuki another year older. Gally going to be on a mission to win a cup after getting a taste. Toffoli is awesome.. If Price plays like playoff Price in the regular season, the Leafs could be in trouble. It’ll come down to who can beat up on OTT/BUF/DET the most.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Agree with your analysis, yet would put TOR over BOS, which is on the bubble with MTL (depending on Metro), where you're a little too high on. Petry is good, but just in his usual role. Having to eat minutes, with Weber now sidelined especially, he got scored on pretty badly last season... one good playoff-run on Price's shoulders can disappear quickly in a 82g schedule.

It doesn’t matter if he scores even strength or on the PP. A goals a goal.

He might be a 40G player.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

A goal is a goal. That's very profound. By the same token, couldn't you say fish is fish? I don't think so.