Toronto is no good

[troutman]

Former Leaf Steen has 17 points in the month.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

The entire team is struggling offensively, That does not mean Grabovski is better. Bozak has been clearly the better player the last 3 straight seasons.

Okay, so when an ex Leaf or any player in the NHL struggles it's because they aren't good, but if a current Leafs player struggles it's just because the whole team sucks? Thanks for the clarification.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Okay, so when an ex Leaf or any player in the NHL struggles it's because they aren't good, but if a current Leafs player struggles it's just because the whole team sucks? Thanks for the clarification.

He's been struggling for 3 weeks. You're going to take that over a 3 year sample size?

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Komskies

It's fun to trash Phaneuf but he clearly won that fight over Staal.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/video/er...032004841.html

Watching the fight again, yikes indeed. Dion popped a few in with nothing back from Staal. There was some jostling earlier where Staal had the upper hand, that I must've been basing off.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

It seams Torontonians are under this wierd illusion that Toronto is more no good than Edmonton.

This article makes a statement that has been seen a lot in hockey writing. NHL players don't hit their prime at age 27. It may be that way in baseball, but in hockey its much younger. They are still in their prime at age 27, but it isn't the starting point.

Are Crosby, Kopitar, Backstrom and Kessel just hitting their prime? No.. they've been in it for a long while and it would be surprising if their best seasons have already happened.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

This article makes a statement that has been seen a lot in hockey writing. NHL players don't hit their prime at age 27. It may be that way in baseball, but in hockey its much younger. They are still in their prime at age 27, but it isn't the starting point.

Are Crosby, Kopitar, Backstrom and Kessel just hitting their prime? No.. they've been in it for a long while and it would be surprising if their best seasons have already happened.

I think you mean "wouldn't" be surprising, but I agree with your post.

Not sure which roster I would prefer at gun point, but it is incredible to me that the selling point for Edmo is still "potential". My god, they still cling to the hope that the core is actually better than they have shown for how many years now?

[GioforPM]

The Edmonton selling point for me is Draisaitl and Nurse.

The Toronto selling point is Bernier, a couple of their defencemen, and maybe Nylander (though its hard to separate the player from Toronto hype).

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The Edmonton selling point for me is Draisaitl and Nurse.

The Toronto selling point is Bernier, a couple of their defencemen, and maybe Nylander (though its hard to separate the player from Toronto hype).

The big decider for me has little to do with the players on the team. At least in Toronto you can make deals because players you want to acquire will waive to come there or sign as UFAs.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

The big decider for me has little to do with the players on the team. At least in Toronto you can make deals because players you want to acquire will waive to come there or sign as UFAs.

Huh? I was always under the impression that Toronto had a tough time attracting free agent talent as the top-flight players know how much of a fishbowl it is and how bad the media are there?

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Huh? I was always under the impression that Toronto had a tough time attracting free agent talent as the top-flight players know how much of a fishbowl it is and how bad the media are there?

Well they have less trouble than edmonton at least!

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Huh? I was always under the impression that Toronto had a tough time attracting free agent talent as the top-flight players know how much of a fishbowl it is and how bad the media are there?

They do sign UFAs. And they kept Kessel.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

They do sign UFAs. And they kept Kessel.

They do sign UFAs. However, like most teams, they don't sign good UFAs.

Here's the last few years, per Wikipedia:

2014: Morrow, Robidas, Booth, Santorelli, Winnik
2013: Clarkson, Brennan, Bodie, Raymond, Smithson
2012: McClement, Kostka, Aucoin, Mottau
2011: Connolly, Dupuis
2010: Armstrong, Lebda, Crabb, Richmond, MacArthur

2013 saw the Leafs get some serviceable players via UFA, but on the whole, the help acquired via this route has been minimal.

And while Clarkson does stand as a counter to the argument that big name FAs don't consider Toronto, that would still put the Leafs behind the Wild as a prime destination recently.

[saXon]

[Enoch Root]

^ lol

and people wonder why no Canadian team has won the cup in over 20 years... the daily, relentless pressure and criticism would be like a 20lb flack jacket for the players.

<insert Kessel-already-has-one joke here>

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by saXon

Where have all the Harvey's gone? They're several cuts above Wendy's/A&W/McDonald's, but below Five Guys and South Street.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Where have all the Harvey's gone? They're several cuts above Wendy's/A&W/McDonald's.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

^ lol

and people wonder why no Canadian team has won the cup in over 20 years... the daily, relentless pressure and criticism would be like a 20lb flack jacket for the players.

<insert Kessel-already-has-one joke here>

No doubt. Doughty might live off of Taco Del Mar, but you won't see people tweeting about it

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

You go into a Harvey's, you'll see some poor 14 year old dodging flame bursts coming up from the grill. And you can get banana peppers on your sandwich. And no annoying clowns, fat ######s, or an inconsistently thin/fat red heads.

That's a better life, sir.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

He's been struggling for 3 weeks. You're going to take that over a 3 year sample size?

Glad to see you now understand the value of sample size...although we'll see next time the Leafs have a three game stretch where they improve one specific metric...

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

You go into a Harvey's, you'll see some poor 14 year old dodging flame bursts coming up from the grill. And you can get banana peppers on your sandwich. And no annoying clowns, fat ######s, or an inconsistently thin/fat red heads.

That's a better life, sir.

To each their own, I guess. I find Harveys to be the Edmonton Oilers of fast food burgers: Consistently terrible no matter what they try. To be thread appropriate, I would rate Southstreet as the Maple Leafs of fast food burgers. Overhyped and consistently mediocre.