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Leaf Rumours

Quick turn-arounds are not uncommon in the NHL these days, and with a young team, continued improvement and stability from a new captain and veteran goalie can take an energetic young team a lot farther than many may think.

Not saying this will necessarily happen, but to shove it off like it's impossible is pretty ridiculous considering some of the examples we've had over the post lock-out years.
 
I see the current lineup as is probably in around 10th... but we've seen plenty of examples of teams going from lottery teams to playoffs over the years that it's not exactly that far-fetched.
 
TimHorton said:
Who said I'm against acquiring Kessel dummy?

I told you to lay off the coke because you've already declared the trade a "robbery" 5 years before anyone can tell. And also your prediction of the Leafs finishing as one of the best 10 teams in the league this year.

So again, lay off the coke.
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aww poor baby getting mad ? i can sense tension !

having a hard time coming up with a fair trade for a player of kessel skill ?

its ok i forgive you for slandering, to make yourself look mightier than the minions you blend in with, that appease thy gods words on fan 590
 
I'm not saying this team won't be improved it will be, clearly. However for our pick, as Dumar suggested, to be in the 20's we need to be one of the best 10 teams in the entire league.

Is that a reasonable expectation this year, REALLY?
 
Who the hell listens to the fan 590? You it seems like, with your we're in the top 10 in the leauge and Seguin sucks talk.

Tell Bobcat I said hi.
 
hockeylover said:
I see the current lineup as is probably in around 10th... but we've seen plenty of examples of teams going from lottery teams to playoffs over the years that it's not exactly that far-fetched.
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I called the Leafs to be a playoff team last year and I'm doing the same this year. I see them grabbing the 8th spot.
 
I'll make a rather optimistic prediction that we finish 6th, and get to the 2nd round.

The goaltending we got at the end of the year over a full year's span probably gets us in the playoffs last year, and the addition of Phaneuf, Versteeg, Kadri and co. only add to the team's chances. A healthy year from Komisarek and a full year from Kessel and Bozak also help our cause. The East is wide open, and other than maybe Boston, our division is pretty weak so it's not out of the realm of possibility that we can accumulate enough points to finish that high.
 
Kulemin, Bozak, Kessel, Schenn and Gustavsson should all improve this year. As should Phaneuf with a nice bounce-back year.

The pieces are there.
 
TimHorton said:
I'm not saying this team won't be improved it will be, clearly. However for our pick, as Dumar suggested, to be in the 20's we need to be one of the best 10 teams in the entire league.

Is that a reasonable expectation this year, REALLY?
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we have a cup winner in net !on defense! and now on both sides of the wing !

we have surrounded them with players of youth that have heart and desire and skill

our defense is a solid 6 pairing whether a trade comes or not

this team is better than last years phoenix
 
i havent had faith in this team in 5 years, as evident from the lack of posting !

this year we have a vision and its being adapted to the ice

plus we have players that will put all their effort into winning along with a captain who already bleeds blue with less than a full season played yet
 
I'd break down the team very roughly like this right now:

Offense: 25th
Defense: 10th (Dcorps 5th - Goalies 15th)

Overall: 18th


But if we add another scorer, I'd peg the offense at 20th, and the overall at 15th.

And then whether we'd be able to be better than 15th would depend entirely on a) whether Gusto or Giguere can step it up to a significantly above average level, b) whether a few of the kids up front can step it up to a legit impace offensive level.
 
I think the offense will be much better than that even if we don't add anyone.

I still think we'll finish second in the division and 5th or 6th in the east.
 
The most important players are Gustavsson, Bozak, and Kadri as things stand now. And whoever Burke adds to the scoring(it makes a big difference whether we're talking a Ryan Clowe vs. a Semin, for example).

If those 3 kids come through as bona-fide centres and a starting goaltender, we're likely a lower-seeded playoff team for 10/11 and our future looks a hell of a lot brighter. If not, we could be in trouble, although I don't think we'll finish 29th next year. Doing that took a historically bad start and I don't see that happening again with averagish goaltending.
 
offence will be the achilles of this team.
Defence with phaneuff, komi, beauch, schenn, gunner and libda is very very solid ... maybe even top 10 in the league (if everyone keeps harping about how great phillies d is then the leafs must be sensational).
It will all be up to the goaltending ... and I for one dont trust gustavsson. I like giggy and maybe one of the other youngsters will step up but I am not a fan of mr. breakdown (hernia, heart pulled this and that).

We should be better than montreal .... not sure about Ottawa.


Playoff teams

Pittsburgh
Washington
Ottawa
Philly
Carolina
Toronto
Tampa
Atlanta (no playoffs if NJ signs Kovy)
NJ (with kovy ... without kovy ..no playoffs)
 
The Leafs' fortunes this year all come down to goaltending. If the goaltending performs at a .910 Save Percentage pace or better, this is a playoff team. Probably in the 6-8 range. I'm convinced that Kabby is going to be traded and that in doing so, we'll land another top six forward.

The biggest reason I believe this is that I've just got a gut instinct that Tyler Bozak is gonna light it up this season. I'd say we end up as the seventh seed.
 
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