First! Ok, so what are the chances the Leafs make the PO?!

Hieberrr · Post #1 » by **Hieberrr** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:16 am

Playoffs.

What are the chances?

Andrea>Dirk · Post #2 » by **Andrea>Dirk** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:21 am

IMO no since they're going to lose to NYR but I want them to.
They really need to rebuild although that's impossible in Toronto. I would ask Sundin to restructure his contract this summer.

Sizzle · Post #3 » by **Sizzle** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:22 am

After tonight's effort I am not too hopeful.

I don't want any excuses either (tired, back to back, blah, blah, blah)

F'ing man up and come and play hard. Tonight was pathetic :nonono:

Andrea>Dirk · Post #4 » by **Andrea>Dirk** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:27 am

7-2 oh god...they HAVE to win every game for now on and still pray others lose.

Post #5 » by **The-Insider** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:29 am

They're still only one point out after the loss tonight, the Rangers were already ahead. It will come down the final game of the season with the Habs visiting on Saturday.

Ramako · Post #6 » by **Ramako** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:31 am

Am I alone in hoping we don't make the playoffs to force the hand of MLSE to trade Sundin and rebuild? We should have blown it up last year.

C.Boshly · Post #7 » by **C.Boshly** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:34 am

I would love to see the Leafs in the playoffs but I don't think it is gonna happen.

Andrea>Dirk · Post #8 » by **Andrea>Dirk** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:36 am

Agreed with the 2 above posters, but I would not trade Sundin although we must rebuild. Best way IMO is to miss the playoffs and build through the draft.

I pray for Tavares

Ramako · Post #9 » by **Ramako** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:38 am

Andrea>Dirk wrote:Agreed with the 2 above posters, but I would not trade Sundin although we must rebuild. Best way IMO is to miss the playoffs and build through the draft.

I pray for Tavares

You'd let our best trade asset simply rot in the middle of a rebuild? For what possible reason? And don't say just because he should retire a Leaf.

Post #10 » by **Crowned** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:39 am

If the team rebuilds, Sundin would have to be traded. There's no question about it.

Post #11 » by **The-Insider** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:43 am

Koz wrote:Am I alone in hoping we don't make the playoffs to force the hand of MLSE to trade Sundin and rebuild? We should have blown it up last year.

Sundin or JFJ - Something will have to give.

Amped · Post #12 » by **Amped** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:49 am

Leafs can still make it by winning the rest of the games after tonights loss against the Rangers. It is still possible, however they are gonna have to have the other teams lose hard. I expected the Leafs to lose this game, as they are away and on a back to back, just didn't have enough gas in the tank left.

Regarding the rebuilding process, IMO the Leafs will never contend if they keep doing what they are doing right now. The only way they can turn into a contender is to rebuild and I am afraid the Leaf fans won't allow it. They would be just too impatient. If the Leafs want to contend they are going to have to trade Sundin for some decent youth and draft picks. I would love to have Sundin retire a Leaf more than anybody but if you are looking at what is best for the team then he is one of the best assets they have to offer. If we don't trade him, he will eventually age and begin to decline.

However, I will say this. The Leafs definitely have some interesting youth and young prospects. Wellwood, Stajen, Steen, Coliacavo, White, and Poni are all very good young talent that could develop well for the Leafs. Raycroft is only 26 aswell and he has shown this season that although he is inconsistant, he can still play at the level is played when he was rookie of the year.

GQStylin · Post #13 » by **GQStylin** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:56 am

Leafs won't make the playoffs. This is a guarantee.

Marmoset · Post #14 » by **Marmoset** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:58 am

I think it's 50-50. The Leafs aren't really playing well enough to make the playoffs, but their competition hasn't exactly been lighting it up, besides the Rangers. A big part of me wants them to miss the playoffs - for one reason, to let the Raptors have the spotlight. I'd also like to think missing the playoffs would send a message this team needs to be rebuild, but I hoped for this last year too.

I think rebuilding is out though. Now that the Leafs have a pile of big, hard-to-trade contracts and multiple no-trade clauses, they're better off trying to go for it and win as much as they can. They will never be able to get a top draft pick because they can't be "bad" enough - they're in a treadmill team situation. And they lack the cap space to get those impact players on the free agent market.

The best plan now is to push to go deep in the playoffs for the next 2-3 years, signing whatever free agents they can afford under the cap, and trading lower-tier prospects and picks, and maybe some mid level prospects and picks. But they MUST keep their 1st and 2nd round picks from here on, and must not trade any of the few solid prospects they have (like they did with Rask). They must also time the free agent contracts to expire when all their existing contracts will expire. At the end of three years or so, if the young players show enough promise, they spend their cap fortune to make a serious charge; otherwise, at that point they start a true rebuild.

Pchu · Post #15 » by **Pchu** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 1:59 am

It will come down to the last game against the HabNots. The Leafs will beat those French **** crying all the way back to Montreal. That's a guarantee.

Pchu · Post #16 » by **Pchu** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 2:07 am

Marmoset wrote:I think it's 50-50. The Leafs aren't really playing well enough to make the playoffs, but their competition hasn't exactly been lighting it up, besides the Rangers. A big part of me wants them to miss the playoffs - for one reason, to let the Raptors have the spotlight. I'd also like to think missing the playoffs would send a message this team needs to be rebuild, but I hoped for this last year too.

I think rebuilding is out though. Now that the Leafs have a pile of big, hard-to-trade contracts and multiple no-trade clauses, they're better off trying to go for it and win as much as they can. They will never be able to get a top draft pick because they can't be "bad" enough - they're in a treadmill team situation. And they lack the cap space to get those impact players on the free agent market.

The best plan now is to push to go deep in the playoffs for the next 2-3 years, signing whatever free agents they can afford under the cap, and trading lower-tier prospects and picks, and maybe some mid level prospects and picks. But they MUST keep their 1st and 2nd round picks from here on, and must not trade any of the few solid prospects they have (like they did with Rask). They must also time the free agent contracts to expire when all their existing contracts will expire. At the end of three years or so, if the young players show enough promise, they spend their cap fortune to make a serious charge; otherwise, at that point they start a true rebuild.

Let's look at the rest of the schedule.

Flyers @ home: Easy win. They are hot at home.
Isles @ road: Without DiPietro, it's a win.
Habs @ home: This probably will decide the whole thing. I don't see them losing to a bad team @ home. I just don't. The Leafs will make it.

Post #17 » by **MAS** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 2:08 am

The team has two options right now the way i see it.

the first one is rebuild, which is what a lot of us are hoping for and just tear apart the team.

The other one is keep building upon free agency, which seems a little more like the Leafs style. They have around $10 mill of cap space coming up this offseason, and will have $16 mill if they do not pick up Sundins option, and a little more than $10 if they re-sign Sundin to a cheaper contract

If this is the case i can very much see them going after a Ryan Smyth, Scott Gomez, Paul Karyia, etc in the offseason because that seems more like JFJ's style

I'd prefer the 1st one but i don't think the teacher's pension fund will allow it

Andrea>Dirk · Post #18 » by **Andrea>Dirk** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 2:09 am

Marmoset wrote:I think it's 50-50. The Leafs aren't really playing well enough to make the playoffs, but their competition hasn't exactly been lighting it up, besides the Rangers. A big part of me wants them to miss the playoffs - for one reason, to let the Raptors have the spotlight. I'd also like to think missing the playoffs would send a message this team needs to be rebuild, but I hoped for this last year too.

I think rebuilding is out though. Now that the Leafs have a pile of big, hard-to-trade contracts and multiple no-trade clauses, they're better off trying to go for it and win as much as they can. They will never be able to get a top draft pick because they can't be "bad" enough - they're in a treadmill team situation. And they lack the cap space to get those impact players on the free agent market.

The best plan now is to push to go deep in the playoffs for the next 2-3 years, signing whatever free agents they can afford under the cap, and trading lower-tier prospects and picks, and maybe some mid level prospects and picks. But they MUST keep their 1st and 2nd round picks from here on, and must not trade any of the few solid prospects they have (like they did with Rask). They must also time the free agent contracts to expire when all their existing contracts will expire. At the end of three years or so, if the young players show enough promise, they spend their cap fortune to make a serious charge; otherwise, at that point they start a true rebuild.

Good post I agree with you.
I agree if they're going to rebuild they need to trade Sundin, but honestly, how much would he really get us? Can't they also restructure his contract? We need somebody like a Briere, a young stud to build around. Too bad it will never happen with Ferguson..tank for Tavares!

Brinbe · Post #19 » by **Brinbe** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 2:19 am

Yep. JFJ has to finally decide which direction this team is going in. It's slightly frustrating because I thought we should have started the rebuilding process long ago. Now we'll probably not get fair value for our best asset. Instead we stood pat at the deadline and did nothing 2 years ago and this year we just added Perreault.

Marmoset · Post #20 » by **Marmoset** » Mon Apr 2, 2007 2:22 am

Andrea>Dirk wrote:
Good post I agree with you.
I agree if they're going to rebuild they need to trade Sundin, but honestly, how much would he really get us? Can't they also restructure his contract? We need somebody like a Briere, a young stud to build around. Too bad it will never happen with Ferguson..tank for Tavares!

I think you could get a very good prospect for Sundin, but not a can't-miss prospect. The return on star players in the NHL seems much better than in the NBA, and they could get a solid package.

I fully expect Sundin to be re-signed though, and given my previous post, I think it's the best option. Even if they were rebuilding, I'd have at least considered keeping him. But the key is that the contract has to be kept to no longer than three years, and the salary needs to come down at least a bit. They can't afford to have another big contract for another good-but-not-great player, because let's face it, it's very unlikely Sundin will be playing at this level 2 or 3 years from now.