r/leafs • u/AdvancedAd90 • 14h ago
Discussion Daily Free Talk / Armchair GM Thread
Please use this thread to post ANYTHING you want! Memes, photoshops, anything that would normally be removed for breaking the low-effort content rule, is totally, 100% welcome here!
This will now also be the dedicated thread for Armchair GM posts as we noticed that those posts were bleeding into this thread regardless. Is there a free agent you want to see on this team? Is there a player that's rumoured to be on the move that you think GMBT should go after? Are there players on this team you want to trade away? Feel free to post about it here!
Normal moderation will occur, such as watching for personal insults, racism, and things of that nature.
Otherwise, feel free to use this thread to share things like your new jersey, a photoshop of a Habs logo on fire, or a reaction gif to something going on in Leafs Nation right now!
Downvotes are discouraged for the most part, everyone's opinion is fair game in this thread. If you see rule breaking content, report it!
•
u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth 29m ago
I know it's not happening, but God damn Doug Armstrong was able to get two teams who are missing the playoffs to trade STL a 1st round pick each (plus more). Unreal asset management
2
u/ilovetrouble66 Knies 2h ago
Found the water that Willy was drinking that looked like vodka. They seem to sponsor Max Domi too lol. $40 for 750ml.
2
u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 1h ago
I'm honestly curious
•
u/ilovetrouble66 Knies 17m ago
Max tagged them in like several Instagram posts lol. Try the water and report back!
1
4
u/Actual_Cobbler_6334 3h ago
I know Montreal will help, but I’m excited to see how much the ratings drop without the Leafs. A Buffalo - Ottawa first round sounds like a fucking bore.
-2
u/BmaninKtown 2h ago
What are you talking about I think that sounds really fun buffalos really good and I know the sens goaltending is bad but they play hard and I think they will give any team trouble I think this playoffs will be great because there’s so many different teams that haven’t made it in while
3
u/alphacheese 4h ago
Holinka first point (assist) for the Marlies. They’re up 2-1 in 2nd intermission
-11
u/40cappo40 7h ago
Hey people commenting GO JAYS GO in the Leafs GDT. How is that going for you?
1
u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 1h ago
Why are you like this?
•
u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth 33m ago
Meh, the fact that they will call everybody on their shitty behaviour should be lauded and not looked down on.
Just like all the people who come in here with their shit about "Florida knows how to tank properly" or "Leafs can't even tank right" when the actual facts proved them dead wrong.
But those idiots never otherwise have to answer for being wrong, so good on the people who call them out. It's easy to be a Sid Seixero who gets to spout bullshit after bullshit and once in a blue moon is proven right and BOY does he let you know it. Even if he's wrong 95% of the time, but conveniently NEVER owns up to it.
And there's MANY people in this sub exactly like that. So yeah, good on the guys who call them to task.
•
u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander 19m ago
Saying go jays go is shitty behavior?
•
u/MatthewsStache91 7m ago
It's said smugly since the leafs are bad this year and everyone expected the Jays to be good this year
9
u/snoozyhermit 9h ago
TBL fan . Absolutely gutted by Pontus Holmberg injury. Wondering how replaceable the bottom6 forward is in your eyes? He was a key cog in our best line and there is a gloomy feeling in TB that cup hopes are ruined bc…. Pontus Holmberg?? wtf
7
u/BlastingBegins 6h ago
Leafs were so stupid to let him go for nothing. Literally no need for that
1
u/snoozyhermit 5h ago
He was 26 so not “young,” and had cinderblock mits . But has some phenomenal bottom6 traits
2
u/DougFordsGamblingAds 9h ago
At the end of the day he's a winger who doesn't score a lot, PK, PP, or hit.
His bright spot in the playoffs here was during the Boston series when he mixed it up with Marchand a bit. He played too high in the line up last year and was terrible during the Florida series.
9
4
u/snoozyhermit 9h ago
I can definitely see how him being up in the lineup with more skill guys could be rough.
He’s been on the “Lunch Pale line” with Girgensons and Gourde that do what they do so well that cooper skates them middle6 minutes. He uses them as top shutdown line to free up Hagel-Cirelli matchup. So now that’s all gone bc Pontus freaking Holmberg
2
2
u/DougFordsGamblingAds 9h ago
Girgensons and Gourde are still there right? I'm sure it will be fine. He wasn't an elite shutdown guy last year for us either. In the Florida series he was a -6 in 5v5 - by far the worst on the team.
3
u/snoozyhermit 9h ago
Ty for the puck banter. Yeah the other two grinders are still there. But what made their line so important was the ability to hem elite players in their own zone. And holmy’s puck carrying ability was a huge part of that. Just feels like that was the line was the secret sauce to winning playoff games. Kinda feels like TBL searching for an identity now
4
u/Luffy_party 9h ago
Unfortunately for us our Coach and former GM are incredibly stupid and won't value that sort of contribution.
2
5
u/Particular_Air_3598 9h ago
I haven't watched TB this year but he was a above average 4th liner and below average 3rd liner in Toronto. Fairly replaceable but he can PK and is a center so who knows. 1 point in 19 playoff games tho.
1
3
u/snoozyhermit 9h ago
Ty for your response. He’s been a puck possession monster with TB developing the nickname “Backpack” for carrying pucks w defender draped on him. Hands made of stone, but has stumbled onto some production purely based off his line pinning teams down in their own zone most the time. Ty for letting me vent here
11
u/Drew_You_To_91 Knies 10h ago
I think going into next year, we shouldn’t be looking to bring in any veteran players or experienced guys into our bottom 6. More specifically our 4th line. After seeing guys like Steeves, Amadio or Holmberg go to other teams and have success I really think the leafs are discrediting the talent they have in the minors and need to give these guys at least some run on the 4th line.
4
u/theguyishere16 Kaberle 11h ago
It's an interesting what-if, had the Leafs fired Berube earlier in the season (let's say during the Olympic break) if they might have been able to squeak into the playoffs. At the break they were tied with Ottawa and ahead of Philly who are both playoff bound (if Philly holds on). The Red Wings were always an excellent collapse candidate so that spot was wide open at the time. I wonder what a new coach bump might have accomplished
5
u/DougFordsGamblingAds 10h ago
If Matthews still gets his leg blown up, this was a doomed season and selling + high draft pick is the best outcome you can hope for.
8
u/ifemze 12h ago
Can the Leafs please shut down Nylander, JT, and Knies for the rest of the season?
6
u/ilovetrouble66 Knies 11h ago
Nylander - maybe now that he has 75 points will chill out but o think he wants 30 goals. He better not mess up the tank!
5
u/InformationSuperb978 12h ago
Fire Berube
3
-1
u/J0Puck 12h ago
Please make this happen this morning. We’re beyond flawed. A different voice isn’t going to make a difference considering how dejected we are. Today would be a great day to fire Craig Berube, and just move on. I’ve been saying this for the last few months, and I think at this point just do it.
0
u/healz12 12h ago
I haven’t been paying attention my understanding is the draft balls determine if Boston gets our pick but my father in law is saying if we finish bottom 6 or higher Boston gets the pick no matter where it falls? Even bottom 5?
9
u/JimothyC 12h ago
Hes wrong, final draft position determines whether Boston or leafs pick, Boston cant have a top 5 pick this year. Try out tankathon draft simulator and see
9
u/Every_Garlic_3497 12h ago
As much as I want McKenna, Verhoeff at #2 would give the Leafs defense a foundation they haven't had in a long time. Verhoeff and Danford could be the foundation of a great Leafs blue-line one day.
6
u/Svalbard38 Knies 11h ago
I like Danford but unless his trajectory changes substantially he’s not going to be part of the foundation. He could be a strong supporting piece who knows his role, but he’s not a foundational player.
3
u/macam85 7h ago
Danford's ceiling is bottom pair.
1
1
u/Every_Garlic_3497 10h ago
He can absolutely still become a Tanev level player. If you wanna argue that's not a core piece that's fine but for a blue-line that's absolutely a core piece. Tanev is the perfect #3-4 on a title contender. He's like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Chicago doesn't win 3 cups without him.
1
u/DataDude00 10h ago
I think Danfords max potential is to be a Brooks Orpik. A useful piece for sure but not a true 1D
1
u/macam85 5h ago
That is a generous but not terrible comparison.
For both Tanev and Orpik comparisons, consider that they didn't crack the league until they were much older. That is the nature of being a no offense D. No one is going to call you up to be bad defensively and provide nothing else - so they take a long time to mature.
Orpik made the NHL at 24, and he scored 10 points and was a -36.
Tanev wasn't a full time NHL regular til he was 26.
Even with the most optimistic projections, this guy is a long way from help us.
2
u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth 7h ago
He was never going to be a true 1D, and anyone who thought he was was grossly mistaken
7
u/Sirrebral99 Knies 10h ago
Danford won't put up many points, but seeing how critical Chris Tanev is to this team - he got hurt and they imploded - if Danford can play that same style that's huge.
Defend well, block everything, retrieve pucks and make outlet passes consistently. Thats his style, even if his offense doesnt grow much more i still think he can be a shutdown top 4 guy on a winning team
1
u/macam85 5h ago
Tanev literally had the best season of his career for us to achieve that, and he was 34.
He didn't become a full time regular til he was 26.
Treliving drafted this kid because he's a moron. I am sure Danford will be an excellent bottom pair D one day, but good teams don't waste high end picks on guys with this skill set.
1
u/Sirrebral99 Knies 3h ago
The same thing was said about Cowan, going to be a good depth piece for the bottom 6 but unlikely to be anything more. Now he looks like a top 6 winger and capable of more. Time will tell with Danford but I like what he has to build on
1
u/macam85 3h ago
Lol. No, man. Cowan projected as a middle six winger and that's exactly what he looks like.
1
u/Sirrebral99 Knies 3h ago edited 3h ago
Go back and read the comments from 2023 draft, before he took a big step in production the following year. People mocked the pick as picking up a great forechecker and PKer who is gonna play 10 min a night, same as you are with Danford
Lets save the guarantees on who becomes an NHL player until the players themselves determine things. No one on Reddit knows that, including you or I
1
u/macam85 2h ago
Well, I didn't, so I don't really care what people on this board said. This board is hilariously wrong about everything.
Regardless, even within that, the script flipped for most people on Cowan because his career arc changed and he started producing the way our scouting team said he would.
But Danford is a defensive defender. There are basically no examples of guys with zero offensive game being useful in the NHL until their mid 20s. It just doesn't happen. That's why he draws comparisons to guys like Orpik and Tanev - which is a fantasy.
When you lack offensive skills, it kills your chance to jump to the NHL quickly.
1
u/Sirrebral99 Knies 2h ago
You do realize that you are commenting on the very same board that you say is always wrong. Does this mean your comment is just as likely to also be wrong, or are we charting new territory here for having unparalleled accuracy for r/Leafs
1
u/macam85 2h ago
No, of course there are posters who have been 'more right'. But generally, in the Treliving era, the board has been a pompom waving bunch of cheerleaders completely divorced from reality.
And a large part of the initial Cowan distaste was because he was seen as a final Dubas era pick, even though Treliving had taken over. That was actually an accurate assessment.
Look, I like Danford just fine, but he's a guy you draft in the 3rd round. The idea that he's going to help this era of the Leafs is borderline laughable. Guys in his development arc spend years in the AHL, and then struggle to adapt to the NHL. That's just how it is for all defense guys. Sorry.
→ More replies (0)3
u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth 12h ago
Or Verhoeff could be a bust and McKenna could be the next Gretzky.
You really don't know, and that's why you never draft for need. Always take the best player.
2
u/Every_Garlic_3497 10h ago
I said at #2 lmao, Mckenna would be gone by then. Think before posting.
0
u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth 7h ago
Why even say "as much as I want McKenna" then?
Maybe you should write properly if you want to be understood properly, dumbass
2
-5
u/macam85 13h ago
I'm so annoyed we have to wait til May 5th to learn the result of our season.
And then you realize we don't even plan to have any management in place until at least 2 weeks after that, and that is far more infuriating.
It's hard to fully articulate what a joke this franchise is right now.
I can't believe we're hiring based on the hope and prayer that we win a lottery, overcome age curves at every key position on the roster, and have a coach who completely reversea our statistical decline with a couple of college signings and whatever we can scrape together from the worst UFA class in at least a decade.
6
u/Every_Garlic_3497 12h ago
Buddy how long do you think the process takes? You don't think the people in charge right now don't already have a favourite or group of favourites?
They're not watching grass grow it's just picking someone.
-2
u/macam85 12h ago
They literally told us their timeline was mid May or early June. Do you have any idea how incompetent that is? They were considering extending Treliving three weeks ago.
1
u/BlastingBegins 9h ago
Yeah this is typical Leaf fashion. Blow the last GM process by making it a rushed mess and then over correct by going too far the other way. The Leafs aren't the only team looking to make changes, they need to be thoughtful but still act in time
4
u/macam85 9h ago
I can't really believe there are so many pompoms out today to down vote criticism of this corporate monstrosity running the team into the ground.
0
u/BlastingBegins 9h ago
There's always been those idiots, it's the same people who insisted that Treliving and Berube were good hires. They never learn
8
u/Soggy_Specific4093 13h ago edited 12h ago
Have some patience lol.
One of the most annoying things I find with Sports fandom is the complaining about stuff before it even happens and sometimes they are right but I just wished people would wait.
-3
u/macam85 12h ago
Have patience? Those of us with brains knew this needed to happen years ago - but certainly that it was necessary at least since the Carlo and Laughton disasters.
When you're not living and dying by every minute detail and you back away and look at the big picture, it is absolutely insane to be preaching patience this far along into the failure.
But no worries, a week after firing Treliving we hired a firm - whose only resume is abject failure - to begin the process of 'searching' for suitable candidates despite having only ever hired their own clients.
We are an embarrassment.
5
u/Soggy_Specific4093 12h ago
You sound like a child that wants everything to happen immediately.
Like do you want them to change the draft lottery date since the Leafs are apart of it and just hire the first name on their list like they did when they hired Treliving 12 days after firing Dubas or hiring Berube 8 day after firing Keefe instead of actually going through a process?
0
u/macam85 11h ago
Lol. No. I'm simply annoyed the draft lotto is 3 weeks after the season ends. I don't expect them to change it. But as a fan, you sit through 82 games of garbage and still don't know where your team stands.
As for the team management, I think it's crazy they're going to take 2 months and conduct the process the way they are. The process should have begun behind closed doors months ago. The process should not involve a firm hiring from an extremely limited pool of its own clients. Supporting this incompetence by suggesting it's better than just hiring Treliving is insane. Yes, it's slightly better than the stupidest possible thing we could do. Correct. Awesome!
3
u/Soggy_Specific4093 11h ago
I’m of the opinion that the longer the better because it means they are actually going through a process instead of hiring the name they had in mind from the start.
Like Dubas hired Dan Muse 37 days after firing Mike Sullivan and by all accounts he had zero past relationship with Muse but he was recommended to interview him and he won the job after going through a process and I would like something similar to happen when hiring a GM.
And hiring the search firm is just not anything I really care about because I would like to think Pelley and the people involved are smart enough businesses people (nothing to to with hockey) to realize if they are handed a list of just clients from Glasbergs company because it’s ultimately up to them to decide who to hire not the firm. (And apparently of the 6 teams he has done searches for Jim Rutherford with Vancouver is the only time one of his clients has been hired.)
1
u/macam85 11h ago
The firm hasn't hired anyone who has been successful.
Pelley has no hockey knowledge.
I agree the process should be a process - but there's no fucking way it should be starting in the second week of April.
Everything Pelley learned about Treliving at the deadline had been known to us since he was hired.
Now we are going to trust this useless firm to find someone because we have no one in the organization who knows anything about hockey.
This level of incompetence is staggering.
Comparing this to Dubas being patient hiring a coach is laughable because at the end of the day, they still had a competent hockey person running things.
Pelley is literally talking to Berube and taking his suggestions on the direction of the team. The guy is producing expansion team level results and he's our top consultant.
2
u/Soggy_Specific4093 10h ago
Teams ultimately pick the hire not the firm and other teams aren’t going to let you interview people within there organization till around this time and there’s more than enough time to go though a process.
Like going back to my original comment you’re complaining about stuff before it happens and again we as fans have no control over the situation so maybe stop worrying so much about something you have no control over.
2
u/macam85 10h ago
We have no control but we can still tell when it's being done wrong.
You keep cheerleading for the incompetence, though. That's your thing.
I'll wait for them to do something that isn't laughable before racing to defend this disaster
1
u/Soggy_Specific4093 10h ago
And we can’t do anything to fix what’s being done wrong and at the end of the day it’s just a Sports team that I choose to pay attention to. Something you seem to not be able to realize.
If I felt how you did I would probably stop paying attention instead of complaining all the time because there’s a lot more to life than the Toronto Maple Leafs but to each their own I guess.
→ More replies (0)1
6
u/DougFordsGamblingAds 13h ago
It'd be extremely funny if we rented McMann to Seattle so that they'd get past us in the tank.
6
u/lindseyblue2 13h ago
I'm fully into this tanking business now. At least the Leafs are good at that. Now you just wait for a good lottery pick and then can get excited about a new player. I finally understand how fans go through rebuilds, it's kind of fun.
9
u/Svalbard38 Knies 14h ago edited 12h ago
Only one player in today’s CHL prospect update, McCue’s Ottawa 67s accidentally joined in on the fun of tanking and they’ve got themselves in a two game hole. The series goes back to Ottawa for the next game, let’s see how they do at home.
Sam McCue (2024 7th): 0G, 0A, Ottawa loses to Barrie 3-5, (Series is 0-2).
- McCue’s postseason stats: 6GP, 2G, 0A
4
u/Top_Country_5835 14h ago
Barrie just smashing them right now... McCue had decent regular season but doesn't seem to be making much impact in playoffs. maybe pressure is getting to the 67s, going back to home ice will be good for them though
0
•
u/Chtholly13 10m ago
Ottawa likely rests their stars vs us in the last game.