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Leaf Rumours

Carlyle has done a good job this year. His OCD has some disadvantages – like, not making changes fast enough – but it’s also not a bad thing for these young, impressionable players to be striving for perfection in the details.

Ironically, considering how much emphasis has been put on it, defense has been the weak point of the team. The PK has been much, MUCH, improved. But the team spends so much time in its own zone. Either he’s a bit old-fashioned in his thinking. Or, this is just where he is starting in teaching the defensive side of the game (at the expense of short-term results).

Carlyle’s pretty smart, I wouldn’t put the latter past him.
 
i think a lot of the criticisms are way over the top.

the puzzling decision is with gardiner, but it really does seem like there might be some issue under the surface that they just aren't disclosing. maybe not, but it's a peculiar decision.

i really don't know what else there is to complain about. people are pining for new linemates for kessel, but why mess with success? the team is scoring a bunch of goals. kadri is flourishing without him. grabovski hasn't exactly earned the promotion, and meanwhile kessel keeps chugging along at a near ppg pace, with the same centre who he scored 37 g and 82 points alongside last year.

meanwhile, the leafs, contrary to what some peopl eare saying, are miles better defensively than they have been in years. they literally don't give up any odd man rushes, spare the few times a defenseman gets caught pinching. that is the complete opposite of what we saw under every other coach this team has had since the lockout. basically no 3 on 2s, which is a night and day difference from under wilson.

not only that but carlyle has them producing, and he has them showing up almost every game. i mean, we've seen a few nights where they have been flat, but never without a pulse like against ottawa under maurice or against boston under wilson. they have shown fight late in games like we rarely saw under wilson, and rarely have they let games slip away entirely from them.

this team has some holes, a lot of them are a result of the lack of size up the middle, but they are playing the most organized, hardest working hockey we have seen from a leafs team in a long, long time. it's tough to complain about that.

having siad that, it'd be nice to see gardiner back in the lineup because i agree that their d could use a guy who can skate the puck.
 
Will still state what I did at the beginning of the season. Want out of that grabo deal. It just sucks for what he gives us. Tons of guys at a quarter of the price that can bea checking Center and put up 30 points.
 
If San Jose starts moving some pieces, what about Marleau? I think he might be a good fit on Kessel's line.

He's an excellent skater, and has a pretty well-rounded offensive game. Advanced-stats seem to like him too, as he puts up pretty good numbers playing against tough competition. He could help rectify some of the posession / defence problems of the first-line and be a nice boost offensively as well.
 
$6.9 million is steep. But he'd be a free-agent at the end of the 2013-14 season. I think the Leafs could easily find a way to fit him in in 2013/14 and beyond that, if they like him.
 
Veca said:
:smilewinkgrin: But seriously folks, you won't go any place with Randy. If he doesn't like a player, he will run him into the ground. It isn't about what or who is good for the team, it's all about who Randy likes and dislikes. He tears the players down to the point they can't produce. Good player get far less ice time than bad players he happens to like and that is just what is going on right now with your team. Make all the trades you want, Randy isn't going to change and so you are just spinning your wheels like if you had your car in two feet of mud. Trust me on this...
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Seriously, whenever I see you post on this board, the only thing I see is bitching and complaining from you about guys who brought your team a Stanley Cup. Pretty bizarre.

As for Francois Beauchemin---loved the guy as a Duck the first time around, loved him as a Leaf and think he's doing great as a Duck the second time around. But if you actually think that the Lupul/Gardiner for Beauchemin deal was anything but an embarassing fleecing for your side...I suggest you get on some medication.
 
mbow30 said:
not only that but carlyle has them producing, and he has them showing up almost every game. i mean, we've seen a few nights where they have been flat, but never without a pulse like against ottawa under maurice or against boston under wilson. they have shown fight late in games like we rarely saw under wilson, and rarely have they let games slip away entirely from them.

this team has some holes, a lot of them are a result of the lack of size up the middle, but they are playing the most organized, hardest working hockey we have seen from a leafs team in a long, long time. it's tough to complain about that.
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Well said.

I do believe that there are internal factors at play with Gardiner - including perhaps the wait for Rielly to join the Marlies, or maybe a trade.
 
I think adding a vet like Thornton to a really young core would be a very good move. And he'd be a perfect fit with Kessel. A big, playmaking centre. Given his style of play, I think he can be a great player well into his 30's like Sundin.

As long as the Leafs aren't giving up their top young assets for him (Reilly, Gardiner, Kadri etc), it would make sense for the Leafs to trade some of their quality depth (dman, wingers) for him.
 
Would be nice if we could have Thornton on hand to tutor Thornton-lite.

If Nonis could convince the Sharks, I'd love to get Thornton and Clowe from them.

..something like..

JvR - Thornton - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri - Frattin
Clowe - Colborne - MacArthur
 
Veca said:
:smilewinkgrin: But seriously folks, you won't go any place with Randy. If he doesn't like a player, he will run him into the ground. It isn't about what or who is good for the team, it's all about who Randy likes and dislikes. He tears the players down to the point they can't produce. Good player get far less ice time than bad players he happens to like and that is just what is going on right now with your team. Make all the trades you want, Randy isn't going to change and so you are just spinning your wheels like if you had your car in two feet of mud. Trust me on this...
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You know what...lets pretend your a leaf fan for a second and replace Randy's name with Ron Wilson. Yup just went back in time to the previous 2 seasons.
 
Veca said:
:sarcasm You guys could really use a good goal scoring D man like say Beauchemin??? Yes??? Dude got two goals just tonight and is a real work horse....:smilielol5::smilielol5:
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There's not a single Leaf fan who would rather have Beauchemin over Gardiner and Lupul. That was a fantastic trade for the Leafs.
 
First round picks since the last lockout:

2005 - n/a
2006 - Phil Kessel (6th)
2007 - James Van Riemsdyk (2nd)
2008 - Joe Colborne (16th), Jake Gardiner (17th)
2009 - Nazem Kadri (7th), Carter Ashton (29th)
2010 - n/a
2011 - Tyler Biggs (22nd), Stuart Percy (25th)
2012 - Morgan Rielly (5th)

9 first round picks in the last 7 drafts, 4 of them from the top 10.
 
soco22 said:
Will still state what I did at the beginning of the season. Want out of that grabo deal. It just sucks for what he gives us. Tons of guys at a quarter of the price that can bea checking Center and put up 30 points.
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I am blown away by the insistence by the "Advanced Stats" backers that Grabovski has been good this year citing his possession numbers and defensive zone starts. To me it's a case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
 
hockeylover said:
I am blown away by the insistence by the "Advanced Stats" backers that Grabovski has been good this year citing his possession numbers and defensive zone starts. To me it's a case of not seeing the forest for the trees.
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Well, he has been good defensively.

But that doesn't mean that 35 points is acceptable from a 5.5 mill player.

It's hard to say though how much this role is hurting his potential offensively and how much is just him sucking offensively. Probably a bit of both.
 
Well based on the stats its hurting him a lot. He's not being put in a position to produce.

Shitty linemates. Shitty situations.
 
PlayerToBeNamedLater said:
Well, he has been good defensively.

But that doesn't mean that 35 points is acceptable from a 5.5 mill player.

It's hard to say though how much this role is hurting his potential offensively and how much is just him sucking offensively. Probably a bit of both.
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They don't seem to just defend him though - they praise him. Don't see how it's warranted. You don't get 5.5 million for your defense.
 
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