84 replies to this topic

[Poyetas]

Lupul, Kessel, Grabovski, Kulemin, Gardiner, Phaneuf.

To a lesser extent, Gunnarsson, Franson, Bozak, Crabb, Brown.

LOL!!!!!!

[Euronuck]

So thats the core, and do you really think that group can compete with the top teams in the NHL? They certainly weren't this year, and I don't see those players getting much, if any, better.

So we ignore the first half of this season? Oh no wait it was all luck in the beginning of the season. We hit a slump but pulled out of it and had a good January. After the All-star break however the hit a huge slump. This is still a young team and these are the growing pains that come along with a young team developing and competing together.

[Poyetas]

So we ignore the first half of this season? Oh no wait it was all luck in the beginning of the season. We hit a slump but pulled out of it and had a good January. After the All-star break however the hit a huge slump. This is still a young team and these are the growing pains that come along with a young team developing and competing together.

Didn't Burke use the same excuse the season before?

[PuQ]

Didn't Burke use the same excuse the season before?

LOL... yes the last 2 seasons were mirror images of eachother

[Seer]

So we ignore the first half of this season? Oh no wait it was all luck in the beginning of the season. We hit a slump but pulled out of it and had a good January. After the All-star break however the hit a huge slump. This is still a young team and these are the growing pains that come along with a young team developing and competing together.

Have to agree with you here, Euro... Take the Leafs "post" AS Break play from the 2010-11 season... and add it to the "pre" ASA Break games from the 2011-12 season... and you have a pretty amazing total... They now have to put the two together, for next season... Part of growing and learning from your mistakes, but if you keep making major changes with a roster every season, the chemistry disappears for awhile again.. and you sometimes take two steps backwards... Players develop better, more solid lines, when they begin to know each other better...

I'm not really sure Semin intrigues me that much, anymore... If it was a trade for OV or Backstrom, I would be droolling a bit, though...

[beergirl-1]

99% of you are dead wrong about Semin. Semin is/was one the Caps best 2 way players. He was their best player in the Boston series. True he didn't get along with Boudreau, but once Hunter came in, Semin was a totally different player. I would so love to see him with Kulemin and Grabovski...

I wouldn't be crazy signing him for the money he wants but to blow his skill off is a mistake imo. He's good on both sides of the puck and the Leafs need players like that, desperately.

[J-BOLD]

If we were able to shed MacArthur and Kulemin in trades, then signing Semin would be ideal to replace that skill, but I don't see the need for him on this team.

[Seer]

99% of you are dead wrong about Semin. Semin is/was one the Caps best 2 way players. He was their best player in the Boston series. True he didn't get along with Boudreau, but once Hunter came in, Semin was a totally different player. I would so love to see him with Kulemin and Grabovski...

I wouldn't be crazy signing him for the money he wants but to blow his skill off is a mistake imo. He's good on both sides of the puck and the Leafs need players like that, desperately.

You have most likely watched the Caps closer than I have, Beergirl... so I trust your judgement on this and after doing some more searching for info.... I will change my opinion...

At 28... (I thought he was older than this)... her would be a good fit with Kule & Grabo... and his Russian heritage probably wouldn't hurt the make-up of the line, either...

At $6.7 mill. per/season though, we would need to really lose someone like Komi. and/or Conn's salary to make it work, I think...?

[jockdent]

Lupul, Kessel, Grabovski, Kulemin, Gardiner, Phaneuf.

To a lesser extent, Gunnarsson, Franson, Bozak, Crabb, Brown.

Thanks for answering the first part of my question, Euro; but you didn't answer the second part.

Do you think the core that you just named has the stuff to eventually win a Stanley Cup?

[sluggo]

So we ignore the first half of this season? Oh no wait it was all luck in the beginning of the season. We hit a slump but pulled out of it and had a good January. After the All-star break however the hit a huge slump. This is still a young team and these are the growing pains that come along with a young team developing and competing together.

The team isn't that young and not so inexperiened that a complete collaspe is "growing pains". Thats up there with "the fans and media make them lose by putting too much pressure on them". Just excuses apoligests make for them. The core you mentioned has, combined, have over 2,200 NHL games. Thats not a young and inexperienced core of players that is going through growing pains.

The Leafs played really well for 21 games (thats about a quarter of a season, not half), then they came back down to earth and started playing medicore hockey. They are a medicore team. Good teams don't fall apart the way the Leafs did.

[Rollntroll]

Now that Burke is in Toronto I find it amusing when someone brings up Edmontons roster. They too, like the Leafs, are not currently very competetive but their future looks slightly brighter. Some time ago I recall Burke going toe-to-toe with Kevin Lowe who I believe was in charge of the Oilers at the time. Looks like Burke and Lowe were setting up 'foursomes' not contenders.

[Seer]

When you are on a team and it causes more problems for you to speak up about something that is really bothering you, sometimes... it is better to band together with an action, instead of words... I believe that although many people may have missed this, that the Leafs did this in a roundabout way with Wilson...

After he got his extension at X-mas time is when we started to slide downhill... So... seeing that Burke was making a statement, maybe the team knew Wilson was sort of locked in again... and that they needed to make a more drastic comment to this decision..

I think it worked...

[PuQ]

Thanks for answering the first part of my question, Euro; but you didn't answer the second part.

Do you think the core that you just named has the stuff to eventually win a Stanley Cup?

Do you think that will be the core when Burke has finished tinkering?

I think there is more work to be done to the core personally, dont you? Or are you saying you believe Burke is satisfied?

[jockdent]

Do you think that will be the core when Burke has finished tinkering?

I think there is more work to be done to the core personally, dont you? Or are you saying you believe Burke is satisfied?

These are the players that were mentioned as core players:

Lupul, Kessel, Grabovski, Kulemin, Gardiner, Phaneuf.

To a lesser extent, Gunnarsson, Franson, Bozak, Crabb, Brown.

Imo, Burke, more or less, agrees with this assessment.

I think Burke will need to do A LOT of tinkering to this core; and the carpet will probably be pulled from under him, before he gets it right.

[PuQ]

These are the players that were mentioned as core players:

Lupul, Kessel, Grabovski, Kulemin, Gardiner, Phaneuf.

To a lesser extent, Gunnarsson, Franson, Bozak, Crabb, Brown.

Imo, Burke, more or less, agrees with this assessment.

I think Burke will need to do A LOT of tinkering to this core; and the carpet will probably be pulled from under him, before he gets it right.

Agreed, that is the core now, but I dont believe that is the core Burke will expect to win the cup with.

[Euronuck]

Thanks for answering the first part of my question, Euro; but you didn't answer the second part.

Do you think the core that you just named has the stuff to eventually win a Stanley Cup?

No I don't however can some of these eventually be used to acquire those that will make this team a legitimate cup contender, yes I do. The kings took years to get to this point and they had to eventually trade away some solid pieces of there future in order to get those guys in place.

If they don't get it done this year, although I have them pegged as winning the cup, then they can make a good run next year as well. After that though, Quick is getting a raise as will Brown. After that though I can see them having to try and rid themselves of at least one of those long term deals to try and build up the prospect pool again. Lombardi knew he had to put all his eggs in the basket this year or he was also gone.

Are we there yet with this team? No, but I'd like to see what transpires in this offseason to really see if we make those steps towards that phase.

[racer888]

Do you think that will be the core when Burke has finished tinkering?

I think there is more work to be done to the core personally, dont you? Or are you saying you believe Burke is satisfied?

There will for sure be more "tinkering" but I think the debate is.....After almost 4 years shouldn't the core be closer to what they need to make the playoffs and possibly be a contender or do you think this core is almost what they need as you think "tinkering" is all that is needed?

[PuQ]

There will for sure be more "tinkering" but I think the debate is.....After almost 4 years shouldn't the core be closer to what they need to make the playoffs and possibly be a contender or do you think this core is almost what they need as you think "tinkering" is all that is needed?

I think he has had to be alot more patient then he wanted to be. Kudos to Burke for that as he hoped to do it in a shorter time period and didnt panic and throw away youth for vets.

Afterall there have been alot of bad long term contracts handed out that were very tempting at the time and look horrible now.

[racer888]

I think he has had to be alot more patient then he wanted to be. Kudos to Burke for that as he hoped to do it in a shorter time period and didnt panic and throw away youth for vets.

Afterall there have been alot of bad long term contracts handed out that were very tempting at the time and look horrible now.

I will give him credit for not giving out some of the crazy long term contracts but at some point he has to stop giving out the high short term for crappy players because if you do that long enough the result is not much different. Grabbo's contract borders on being very bad

[Seer]

Just one point I'd like to make ahead of time, in case he does come here... If and/or when he has a slow time, let's not get into negative word play in here with his last name... It could get pretty messy...