The Official Dave Ayres CC "All Thing Leaves" thread

[Strangelove]

Ok, right you are. Move the goal posts wherever you want dude. So long as it suits you. But truth is, you said build from the net out. In other words, start at the net and move out. Also implies that the goaltender is elite. The teams I listed didn't do that.

Bullshit.

The phrase "from the net out" very strongly includes defencemen.

It has long been said that top teams either have monster dee and/or a monster goalie.

THAT is from whence the phrase "from the net out" springs.

Do you really think people are unaware of some of the so-so goalies that won Cups behind monster dee?

FFS it has been discussed hundreds of times in this forum alone over the years...

I don't think I once said anything about Toronto having good goaltending or defense in place. In fact I think it was a terrible move to pay that price for Andersen and then sign him to a contract like that. He was hit and miss behind Anaheim's defensively strong team.

Well that was the ongoing discussion in this LEAVES thread all year, not sure how you missed that

... and note I've stated dozens of times that the Leaves are extremely weak in both goal and dee.

Such posts from yours truly have usually included something like:

"Stupid Leaves should have built from the net out".

If you had read even a few of my posts in this thread you would know I constantly laugh at the Laughs' dee.

I have defined and re-defined "build from net out" so no "moving goalposts" going on here you closet leafer!

I wouldn't say it's impossible, but it won't be even remotely easy.....especially with Horton's contract on the books, and the retained salary from Kessel for a few more seasons. The leaves very much need Gardiner and Reilly to develop and turn into those stud blueliners for them. But it probably won't happen, because for young defensemen to go from career top-4 level, to top-2 studs means playing in front of a goalie that bails them out and lets them take that step (I'm of course implying that the defensemen in question is not a projected top-2 to begin with). Andersen ain't that guy.

Gardiner is 27 this summer and a UFA in two years... what you see is what you get.

Rielly is only 23 but has been in the league for 4 years and has regressed this season, having a HORRIBLE season.

(same age/experience-level Luke Schenn was at when Leafers gave up on him)

Neither of these guys will ever become "studs".

And no one will trade you their stud dee, you have to draft them, nothing on the horizon in Leafland.

[BigTuna]

Why even try to compare him to Luke Schenn? They are polar opposites. Luke Schenn can't skate. That's why he sucks. Rielly is a fantastic skater and has elite skill.
It's like Griffin Reinhart. Edmonton getting him was insane. He is Luke Schenn version 2.0. The guy can't skate. He'll never make it in the NHL as a strong player.
And all underlying numbers tell us Rielly is actually playing fine. Still better at the same age than the best D-Men in the NHL.
Rielly is easily one of the best young D in the entire NHL. Hes the #1 guy leading his team to the playoffs. and he was #1 on the gold medal winning world hockey chamionships and #1 on team N.America at the World Cup.

[Strangelove]

And all underlying numbers tell us Rielly is actually playing fine.

Wrong.

And I only referred to Schenn as far as age + experience-level.

Both high draft defensemen who never lived up to the hype in Pigtown.

I see you're still trying to hype Rielly.

If he was as good as you say he is, he would have received a bigger contract last summer.

This season he has been so HORRIBLE... he should be giving some of that money back.

[BigTuna]

You really do move the goal posts.
He was RFA, so why should he have received more than 5 million Because Florida horribly overpaid Ekblad for no reason.
Luke Schenn did not live up to the hype because he cannot skate. I fail to see Rielly being a disappointment
And BTW, how much should Kadri have gotten...

[Strangelove]

You really do move the goal posts.

OMG did he just snuggle up to Mëds??

eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

It's not "moving the goalposts" to point out a supporting fact.

He was RFA

But this contract covers "UFA years"

... so that's all Rielly/his-agent/Leaves thought he would be worth EVER.

(this season he is proving he is worth much less)

Rielly is struggling mightily, the Cock started to shelter him a few weeks back.

Articles have been written, Leafers everywhere are concerned, only TUNA still hypes this guy.

Luke Schenn and Morgan Rielly had identical scores on a recent IQ test...

[Topper]

Charlie likes 'em big and stupid.........if Bubbles was only taller........

[BigTuna]

It covers two UFA years. But he is making more in the 4 years prior.
Do you even follow the NHL. This occurs with every young player.
You have gone on and on about every Leaf player being overpaid, but now you are doing a weird spin where you think Rielly should be paid a lot more than 5 million per. You have said Kadri is way overpaid at 4.5 million per.

The leaves are not in a playoff spot if their defense is a terrible as you claim.

[Hockey Widow]

Big Fish says:
"The leaves are not in a playoff spot if their defense is a terrible as you claim."

I say, what defence?

[Strangelove]

It covers two UFA years.

That is correct.

The leaves are not in a playoff spot if their defense is a terrible as you claim.

The Leaves are among a dozen or more "bubble teams".

Bubble team with the least number of major injuries has the best chance of getting in, any given year.

But what about the future?

It's hilarious how you and most Leafers were sooo committed to the long-term Shanaplan

... only to dump it as soon as a little "luck" came the Leaves way.

Wake up Tuna, you know they aren't going anywhere with that dee.

And you know they can't fix that dee.

In the last 9 months your team has traded away a 1st and two 2nds in anti-rebuild moves.

It's gonna get ugly at the centre of the universe... again.

Leafers will turn on their players... again.

I predict the first ones they'll go after are Rielly, Andersen, and Kadri.

Like I said, I'm already hearing a lot of angst out there in regards to Rielly.

And of course Leafers are notorious for turning on their goaltenders when things go bad.

I think they'll turn on Kadri for a few reasons

... failure to meet expectations after a fluke career year... general douchebaggery... etc.

Under the cover of all this fire, players like JVR, Bozo, Komarov, Gardiner slip out of town.

How many times have we seen this in Leafland?

"We've got the best GM/coach/youngsters in the league, going all the way!!!

... oops GM/coach/key-players suck, shoulda done a proper rebuild."

repeat

repeat

repeat

[BigTuna]

Are you kidding me. out of all the future Of the Bubble Teams, they clearly have the best one. 3 out of the 4 top scoring rookies in the NHL are on the leaves. 6 50+ goal scorers with the majority getting better every year.
You are a joke.

[Island Nucklehead]

6 50+ goal scorers with the majority getting better every year.

[Strangelove]

[BigTuna]

leaves are the first team that will end up with 3 60 point rookies in a generation, yet they have the worst future of all the bubble teams. LOL.
Yeah those Islanders look deadly with Tavares being UFA in 1 year and a crappy arena and roster.
Doc, stop letting your blind hate make you look like a fool.
Loui Eriksson. 6 years. Ouch.

[Mickey107]

Isn't Ontario the home of Rogers, who operates Sportsnet, you know, the ones with the big NHL contract?
All this bragging
Do you not feel soiled or dirty, somehow?
That's a real ouch.

[BigTuna]

Isn't Ontario the home of Rogers, who operates Sportsnet, you know, the ones with the big NHL contract?
All this bragging
Do you not feel soiled or dirty, somehow?
That's a real ouch.

I should have abandoned the team when Rogers bought it.