Sean Maloughney: Toronto: The Rebuild Edmonton Should Have Had

Don't hold your breath on the leafs, if they play boston in the first round it might be over quickly again, muzzin is probably an AMAZING fit, but just not quite enough YET he will have to sacrifice something important to get over the hump.

The leafs are very close, they need someone say defensive forward ability should get them to the east final. I am not sold yet!

As for the future of the leafs? All about handling the cap, a ton of work to organize properly or they will end up stuck like the oilers, and well being a Flames fan I LOVE IT!!! The oilers are slowly killing mcdavid and really that's too bad for him.

The Leafs under Shanny made a point to hang on to their drafted guys and develop them, and do nothing on UFA day for a couple years. Tavares was an exception to that obviously. The Oilers would have Hall instead of Lucic if they'd played it that way.

Another major difference is the Leafs got a goalie, that's just really tricky to do. The Leafs had a bunch of things fall into place, but after fifty years they were due for some breaks.

The Muzzin trade is a good trade for both short term.

In a few years it could be a bad trade for the leafs but that's pretty unlikely.

All the picks and prospects would have to succeed and Muzzin would have to walk as a UFA end of next year.

Leafs are on the right track, but their best players are still very young.

They still need time before I will believe they are serious contenders.

I don't agree that this is Win-Now for the Leafs. Muzzin is a good move, because Gardiner is a UFA next year, and Muzzin is cheaper and is signed into next year. Muzzin helps now, and replaces Gardiner for next season. It's a smart hockey play that plays into the ability to maximize cap space this year and adds to their chances. But, like Edmonton's young core, the team is still very young, and is still getting better.

The Leafs have a good team, and they have been run well. The players have been given time to develop and grow without being rushed. They have, in many cases, had a chance to learn the system and develop skills and adapt with the Marlies. I don't think the Oilers have drafted that well outside of the first round, and from our previous conversations in here, I don't think the players are given the development time they need.

As Zezel noted, they also have had the fortune of getting a good goalie. I don't know if Talbot regains form. I never thought he was elite, but I thought he was an above average goalie. I'm not sold on Koskinen, yet, either, but time will tell.

Pushing the doom and gloom of the Oilers aside for a second, they have been without Klefbom since Dec. 11. Their record since he went down is 6-12-1. He's back on Saturday. Nurse is 23 and getting better. Draisaitl is 23; Puljujarvi is only 20. And they have Connor (frank)ing McDavid.

I, personally, may not really like Russell or Larsson that much - but they have value however you slice it.

Honestly, if they could find a way to dump salary - even if they retain salary - and get a reliable goalie, it would turn them around completely. There are UFA options coming up - Bobrovsky, Varlamov . . .on the lesser end, you have Elliot, Lehner, Howard.

Leafs are on the right track, but their best players are still very young.

They still need time before I will believe they are contenders.
- Aetherial

The Leafs have done a good job but the Marner and Matthews contracts will make or break them.

The Leafs have done a good job but the Marner and Matthews contracts will make or break them.
- Starbuck

Until those two are signed, I think a lot of Leafs fans are uneasy.

What's up you dirty mungers ?

Until those two are signed, I think a lot of Leafs fans are uneasy.
- Aetherial

and they should be... doesn't sound like either is willing to take a hair cut to play in Toronto

7 games isn't quick. And I don't think they lose to Boston again with the young guns a year older and the addition of Tavares and muzzin.

I told you all Chia sucks !!!! Bring back Mac-T

Well said ! I’m a leafs fan but not a egotistical one lol ! Edmonton will get there I’m sure ! They have the best generational player in the world and with the right management team will turn this team into something to cheer for ! The best move they made was ridding themselves of chia before anymore damage was done !!

Sean Maloughney: Toronto: The Rebuild Edmonton Should Have Had
- freelancer

Lots of chatter that Mark Hunter is leading the way for the GM job?

"Don't hold your breath on the leafs, if they play boston in the first round it might be over quickly again, muzzin is probably an AMAZING fit, but just not quite enough YET he will have to sacrifice something important to get over the hump.

The leafs are very close, they need someone say defensive forward ability should get them to the east final. I am not sold yet!

As for the future of the leafs? All about handling the cap, a ton of work to organize properly or they will end up stuck like the oilers, and well being a Flames fan I LOVE IT!!! The oilers are slowly killing mcdavid and really that's too bad for him. "

What are you even talking about Donovan? It wasn't over quick last year. They took Boston to 7, and were winning before Gardiner and Andersen got together and decided to stop playing.

Lots of chatter that Mark Hunter is leading the way for the GM job?
- Clyde334

According to ?

1) Build up a strong scouting dept... hold the accountable
2) Hold on to your picks and trade exp. contracts for whatever you can get if the player is not in your future plans
3) Pay close attention to your farm system from the Coach on down to the popcorn vendors
4) Get some good, serviceable, veterans to teach the young'uns as they come up. Cup experience a plus
5) Don't even THINK about trading picks until you get near contention... and it had better be a really good deal for you beyond just THIS season
6) Don't go UFA crazy. Have a cup of tea and relax on Jul 1st. Look for mid-tier bargains. If none present themselves, oh well.

Toronto has done this. Tampa has done this. Detroit, for ages, wrote the book on this (which they, apparently, need to reread). Panic moves are a clear sign of a broken organization, no matter how it is spun.

Muzzin was a smart move.
McDonagh was a smart move.
Karlsson was a smart move.

Every summer it's the same story. The off-season is plagued by articles about the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Which Elite Player is Coming to Toronto?" "Will Matthews Score 60 or 70 Goals?" "10 Reasons Why The League Should Bow Down to Toronto.... #7 Will Shock You!"

This is the exact opposite of the truth, stop making poop up

According to ?
- trash_panda

Who else but media? Kelly McCrimmon has been talked about a lot as well....of course some of these people have Gillis on our list as well

OMG an oilers blogger writing about the leafs during our long ass break....................

According to ?
- trash_panda

Johnston, Friedman & Dreger all mentioned it.

1) Build up a strong scouting dept... hold the accountable
2) Hold on to your picks and trade exp. contracts for whatever you can get if the player is not in your future plans
3) Pay close attention to your farm system from the Coach on down to the popcorn vendors
4) Get some good, serviceable, veterans to teach the young'uns as they come up. Cup experience a plus
5) Don't even THINK about trading picks until you get near contention... and it had better be a really good deal for you beyond just THIS season
6) Don't go UFA crazy. Have a cup of tea and relax on Jul 1st. Look for mid-tier bargains. If none present themselves, oh well.

Toronto has done this. Tampa has done this. Detroit, for ages, wrote the book on this (which they, apparently, need to reread). Panic moves are a clear sign of a broken organization, no matter how it is spun.

Muzzin was a smart move.
McDonagh was a smart move.
Karlsson was a smart move.
- OzBolts

The good news is that #6 isn’t even an option....that would imply we have the cap space to do such things and we don’t

The good news is that #6 isn’t even an option....that would imply we have the cap space to do such things and we don’t
- RatedR80

True...but you will someday.


Don't eff this up again. The NHL is better when the Oilers are relevant.

True...but you will someday.


Don't eff this up again. The NHL is better when the Oilers are relevant.
- OzBolts

We will never have cap space ever again

True...but you will someday.


Don't eff this up again. The NHL is better when the Oilers are relevant.
- OzBolts

That all depends on who they hire to make these decisions....they can easily screw that up let alone anything else