Around the league (TO)

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trouble

Around the league (TO)

Post by trouble »

Can you believe TO lost again tonight... Thats one win in 14 games..

Is Burkie gonna panic and Fire the Coach??? Probably not.. He has to much pride.. His quote a few weeks back was that he would change every player on the team before he fired the coach. Time will tell

WOW.. Was TO a buzz today about their new superstar.. Phil Kessel... and Man did Ohlund give him a welcoming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZUSXfkWCo

Can you say OUCH !!!!!

Taking you back down Memory lane

Rick Rypien vs Brandon Prust Oct 11, 2008 on HNIC and in Calgary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzDOQxdR9Fo&NR=1

Fack did Prust take a shit kicking that night or what ?
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Island Nucklehead
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Island Nucklehead »

is Tuna still creeping this place? Would like to get his opinion on what is turning into the worst team in hockey...
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Broda »

Kessel played incredible tonight... boy was i looking forward to Ohlund crushing him though.. and it happend too.. glad he isn't hurt i just miss watching Ohlund be the predator that he is. Have been trying to watch as many Lightning games as i can with centre ice and all.. Ohlund, Hedman, Stamkos, St.Louis, Lecavilier and now im kinda a fan of Nittymaki. Anyways watched the first and most of the third.
leaves look like they are close to winning, Nittymaki played very well, if he played average i think easily this game is the leaves. Gustavson looks legit too, this guy plays big and moves so well laterally.. very luongo esque at times. Looking forward to watching him take over the starters job for good.
leaves will start winning with more regularity soon, i think if this team plays like they have the last couple they could have been pushing for a playoff spot but with how far back they are now it will be really tough.. Oh also had to mention i still hate Greg Millen with a huge passion..
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Cornuck »

Great hit by Ohlund! I'm sure Kessel was already planning his goal celebration.

Thanks for the great start to the day. I'm in the Tampa area for a while and hope to make a game.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by orts »

I missmissmiss Ohlund. I know why Gillis had to let him go, and I like our current defense a lot, but he's got great character.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Sid Dithers »

Kessel's still in training camp form. He's still packing around that third chin.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Jelly »

i honestly was hoping Ohlund gave him a concussion so we can all enjoy the panic in Toronto.

But then I remembered that if that happened, we would be seeing and hearing ONLY about Toronto for about a month or two, ...wait.. what would be different?
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by BigTuna »

Island Nucklehead wrote:is Tuna still creeping this place? Would like to get his opinion on what is turning into the worst team in hockey...
It's been a very dissapointing start. No chemistry for the new players who came in.

Things are finally looking up though as Gustavsson looks like the real deal and they're starting tp pick up points, even if some are by OT losses.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by dr.dork »

BigTuna wrote:
Island Nucklehead wrote:is Tuna still creeping this place? Would like to get his opinion on what is turning into the worst team in hockey...
It's been a very dissapointing start. No chemistry for the new players who came in.

Things are finally looking up though as Gustavsson looks like the real deal and they're starting tp pick up points, even if some are by OT losses.
1-0-4 isn't that bad in the last 5 all things considered. And I don't think Toronto is going to end up as the worst team in hockey. (Carolina currently holds that distinction, but they won't be doormats for the whole year).

Toronto's potential problem is the Burke mortaged the future for a window that extends for maybe 5 years. I think he was better off planning to be good in 5 years, not within 5 years. I don't think Kessel is good enough to carry the team or a line by himself.

Still too early to say whether the Kessel experiment was a bad idea.

And let me get this straight, I will be battling to the front of the line of people jumping off of the Lion's gate bridge if the leaves win the cup before the Canucks, but karma says that gloating when another teams is doing poorly is just asking for retribution from the hockey gods. (If it sounds like I am taking pity on leaves fans, then yes, that is the general idea).
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by BigTuna »

dr.dork wrote:
BigTuna wrote:
Island Nucklehead wrote:is Tuna still creeping this place? Would like to get his opinion on what is turning into the worst team in hockey...
It's been a very dissapointing start. No chemistry for the new players who came in.

Things are finally looking up though as Gustavsson looks like the real deal and they're starting tp pick up points, even if some are by OT losses.
1-0-4 isn't that bad in the last 5 all things considered. And I don't think Toronto is going to end up as the worst team in hockey. (Carolina currently holds that distinction, but they won't be doormats for the whole year).

Toronto's potential problem is the Burke mortaged the future for a window that extends for maybe 5 years. I think he was better off planning to be good in 5 years, not within 5 years. I don't think Kessel is good enough to carry the team or a line by himself.

Still too early to say whether the Kessel experiment was a bad idea.

And let me get this straight, I will be battling to the front of the line of people jumping off of the Lion's gate bridge if the leaves win the cup before the Canucks, but karma says that gloating when another teams is doing poorly is just asking for retribution from the hockey gods. (If it sounds like I am taking pity on leaves fans, then yes, that is the general idea).

Did he really mortgage the future though? He acquired a 22 year-old who was a lottery pick and scored 36 goals in 70 games with second line ice-time and little PP time.

If he was 32, i'd agree.

And if Gustavsson keeps this up (he now has a .918 save %) then they'll battle for a playoff spot. ( and before people laugh at that, i'll point out they're currently 6 points out of a playoff spot with 2 games in hand on the 8th place Islanders)
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Broda »

definitely agree with Tuna, he didn't mortgage away the future... it will look very bad if the leaves finish last and the bruins get that first pick over all in the lottery.. but i think realistically the leaves were much like the canucks were what four seasons ago.. so many new faces. In this group of players Kessel still only just turned 22 has already shown in his first three games that he is going to be an elite scorer in this league and baring more injuries could be for a long time. The guys the leaves picked up at the end of the college season last year were basically additional first and second round picks that turn out to be very solid players. This leaves team i think is far from the worst team in Hockey. If Gustavsson stays playing hte way he is they will have a chance at the playoffs. I know this is contradictory to what i said earlier about them being too far behind but i remembered the canucks 13 points back of Calgary last year and that they pulled back to win the division.
This leaves team has some solid players and this is just the first year of building.. I could see them sneaking into the playoffs this season but i think in the next two to three years this team will be one of the better teams in the east.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by Island Nucklehead »

The leaves will not make the Playoffs this year.

Pittsburgh
Washington
Buffalo
Jersey
NY Rangers
Philly
Boston

All these teams are as close to guaranteed playoff spots as you can get. Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa and even the Islanders are arguably better than Toronto. Good for them that they are winning some games.

To anyone that says he didn't mortgage the future: are you mad? Clearly he did! "I'll give you my future for present gain." Kessel is a great scorer, but he paid more for Kessel than what San Jose paid for Heater (who is a MUCH more proven, accomplished, and better scorer). Time will tell, but it will probably be a year or three before Kadri is ready, and if I'm a GM in this league looking at a lottery pick (not to mention a 5 year contract) I take it slow and build like the Penguins.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by BigTuna »

Island Nucklehead wrote:The leaves will not make the Playoffs this year.

Pittsburgh
Washington
Buffalo
Jersey
NY Rangers
Philly
Boston

All these teams are as close to guaranteed playoff spots as you can get. Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa and even the Islanders are arguably better than Toronto. Good for them that they are winning some games.

To anyone that says he didn't mortgage the future: are you mad? Clearly he did! "I'll give you my future for present gain." Kessel is a great scorer, but he paid more for Kessel than what San Jose paid for Heater (who is a MUCH more proven, accomplished, and better scorer). Time will tell, but it will probably be a year or three before Kadri is ready, and if I'm a GM in this league looking at a lottery pick (not to mention a 5 year contract) I take it slow and build like the Penguins.

No way are the Rangers a lock for the playoffs. They've already cooled-down consideranbly since their great start. And Boston isn't at this point either with all their injuries. The NHL isn't as predictable as you seem to think it is. A lot of "Experts" had Carolina as a lock this season for a playoff spot.


And again, getting a 22 year-old is not mortgaging the future. The chances of any of those two picks being better than Kessel is slim. Kessel is a present and future gain. He'll be a big part of the core for years.

And Heatley is 7 years older, and makes over 2 million more in salary.

Hell, the Habs gave up two former first rounders for the pleasure of taking on Gomez's contract.

And the Penguins got two franchise players because they went bankrupt. Won't happen to the NHL's richest franchise. For every Pittsburgh and Washington there's Columbus/Atlanta/Florida, where top draft picks don't help them.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by jchockey »

BigTuna wrote: And again, getting a 22 year-old is not mortgaging the future. The chances of any of those two picks being better than Kessel is slim. Kessel is a present and future gain. He'll be a big part of the core for years.

Hell, the Habs gave up two former first rounders for the pleasure of taking on Gomez's contract.

And the Penguins got two franchise players because they went bankrupt. Won't happen to the NHL's richest franchise. For every Pittsburgh and Washington there's Columbus/Atlanta/Florida, where top draft picks don't help them.
No matter how you slice it, giving away picks is mortgaging the future. Except in the leaves' case, instead of waiting to use those picks to select someone to bring up through their system they opted for Kessel a player who they obviously felt was worth all those picks. Is Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin better than Kessel? Maybe, it's too early to tell. It just depends on how optimistic you are about Kessel and how confident you are in your team's drafting ability.

I don't think when the Habs traded for Gomez people were celebrating with their arms in the air.

The Penguins got their top picks for the exact reason that they were the league's worst. The Coyotes are bankrupt but they won't get the first pick this year. Even if the leaves are the league's richest team they will still be able to nab those top picks to get franchise players. Columbus has Rick Nash, Atlanta has Ilya Kovalchuk, and Florida had Jovanovski and Bouwmeester. They are top pick players that have really kept those franchises afloat. There are still tons of problems with those franchises but I don't see how their top picks didn't help them.
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Re: Around the league (TO)

Post by dr.dork »

BigTuna wrote: And again, getting a 22 year-old is not mortgaging the future. The chances of any of those two picks being better than Kessel is slim. Kessel is a present and future gain. He'll be a big part of the core for years.
It is potentially mortgaging the future mainly because Kessel isn't joining a solid core. There is no foundation to build a team on. The leaves need quantity as much as quality, and so those three draft picks are really going to cost the team longer term.

Now they need all their prospects to pan out, OR they need to get lucky on signing UFAs and RFAs OR they need to resign Kessel and then wait for picks (in 3 years) to develop.

What I found slightly unsettling about the Kessel trade was that it reeked of impatience on Burke's part. It said he wasn't willing to wait 4-5+ years he wants to try to throw the dice and win within 5 years. That is unlikely to happen with the current core but I suppose we will see.
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