Kyle Dubas not returning as Toronto Maple Leafs GM

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

See also:  Florida Panthers

The good news for us is that I remember people talking about Florida as a "soft, offense-only" team just last year. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

The good news for us is that I remember people talking about Florida as a "soft, offense-only" team just last year. 

Which is why they added Tkachuk.

Anytime in the 50+ years of Sabres hockey that they have been true contenders they have had solid goaltending and 6 solid D.

1975 - Schoenfeld, Hajt, Korab, Guevremont, Carriere, Fogolin - Crozier

1998 - Woolley, Zhitnik, Shannon, Smehlik, J Patrick, McKee - Hasek

2006 - Campbell, Numminen, Lydman, Tallinder, McKee, Kalinin - Miller

Edited May 19, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Doohicksie]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

As well as the other 3 teams remaining in the playoffs. 

True, but Florida is the lowest seed of the remaining teams.  Why are they sticking around?  The reasons you cite.  Even Reinhart is playing a rugged two-way game right now.

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

9 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

The good news for us is that I remember people talking about Florida as a "soft, offense-only" team just last year. 

Which is why they added Tkachuk

So who is our Tkachuk?  Will it be on the defensive side of the roster?

[PerreaultForever]

5 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

The good news for us is that I remember people talking about Florida as a "soft, offense-only" team just last year. 

and so they went out and did something about it. Will we?

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Which is why they added Tkachuk

and Bennett. and Gudas earlier. 

There's an old line. I forget who said it. Might have been Tortorella, maybe Trotz,  maybe Scotty Bowman said it first but it goes along the lines of "there are players who get you into the playoffs and then there are players who get you through the playoffs, if you have guys who do both you have a shot at winning the cup" and that would be Tkachuk. 

To me Florida is winning for several reasons, 

1. Great goaltending - Bobrovski has re-emerged for whatever reason. 

2. Excellent coaching. Game plans have been adjusted to the competitions strengths and weaknesses. 

3. Tenacious forechecking and hard work from the forwards. Simple hockey, go to the net. 

4. and maybe most important the rather thin D has stepped up and managed to play outstanding hockey. Montour playing at an allstar level. Gudas playing the best hockey of his career. Ekblad is incredibly underrated. The top 4 have managed to turn a perceived weakness into a strength. I keep thinking they will run out of gas but so far no. Kind of amazing. 

Put all that together and you've got a solid cup run. 

5 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

So who is our Tkachuk?  Will it be on the defensive side of the roster?

At this moment, we do not have one. 

We have some guys who might step up in the playoffs, but not like that.

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

True, but Florida is the lowest seed of the remaining teams.  Why are they sticking around?  The reasons you cite.  Even Reinhart is playing a rugged two-way game right now.

So who is our Tkachuk?  Will it be on the defensive side of the roster?

Maybe Greenway on offense and Samuelsson on defense.  Even Mitts is becoming more of a grinder willing to forecheck.  Tuch also has that skillset.

I hate to say it but Toronto really misses Kadri and Hyman.

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Maybe Greenway on offense and Samuelsson on defense.  Even Mitts is becoming more of a grinder willing to forecheck.  Tuch also has that skillset.

I hate to say it but Toronto really misses Kadri and Hyman.

Good point.  I was thinking of a new player to be brought in, but Kevyn did that already this year.  And I agree with Mitts- he's had to grow his game to be relevant, and he's done just that.

[PerreaultForever]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I hate to say it but Toronto really misses Kadri and Hyman.

They definitely do, although Hyman didn't get Edmonton much further (and neither did Evander Kane). 

Kadri getting suspended was probably the main reason Leafs lost to the Bruins that year. They win that series the whole history might have been different. Colorado missed Kadri this year too. Turned them into a one line team. 

[PromoTheRobot]

28 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Maybe they trade Matthews to Arizona 🙂

 

They should have done that before the arena vote.

[TheAud]

13 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

So who is our Tkachuk?  Will it be on the defensive side of the roster?

After he gets a year of playoff experience under his belt and some increased defensive awareness, I think it's Cozens. 

[French Collection]

10 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

To me Florida is winning for several reasons, 

1. Great goaltending - Bobrovski has re-emerged for whatever reason. 

2. Excellent coaching. Game plans have been adjusted to the competitions strengths and weaknesses. 

3. Tenacious forechecking and hard work from the forwards. Simple hockey, go to the net. 

4. and maybe most important the rather thin D has stepped up and managed to play outstanding hockey. Montour playing at an allstar level. Gudas playing the best hockey of his career. Ekblad is incredibly underrated. The top 4 have managed to turn a perceived weakness into a strength. I keep thinking they will run out of gas but so far no. Kind of amazing. 

Put all that together and you've got a solid cup run. 

Verhaege is very underrated in my opinion. He does it all as a winger.

Good health is another reason. Florida has not had any significant injuries that I am aware of.

[...]

31 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

The good news for us is that I remember people talking about Florida as a "soft, offense-only" team just last year. 

[PerreaultForever]

12 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

They should have done that before the arena vote.

hey, they still have until July 1 regardless. Send him "home". 

10 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Verhaege is very underrated in my opinion. He does it all as a winger.

Good health is another reason. Florida has not had any significant injuries that I am aware of.

True. Ekblad missed one game against the Bruins and that was talked about by Bruins fans as the "Bruins best game of the series" and not one of them has thought it might have been partly because Ekblad didn't play in it. 

They lose ANY of their top 4 and they are in trouble. 

[kas23]

2 hours ago, French Collection said:

Kyle, thank you for adding extra years to the ongoing streak of playoff mediocrity.

 

I agree. But we aren’t the ones to throw that stone. 

[Rasmus_]

Toronto Maple Leafs news = slow sports news.  Onto more important things to care about like mowing the lawn. 

[French Collection]

Just now, kas23 said:

I agree. But we aren’t the ones to throw that stone. 

I think the stones I throw in here don’t reach Leaf Nation.

Their Cup drought is longer than ours.

[TheAud]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Colorado missed Kadri this year too. Turned them into a one line team. 

And Landeskog

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

True, but Florida is the lowest seed of the remaining teams.  Why are they sticking around?  The reasons you cite.  Even Reinhart is playing a rugged two-way game right now.

DIdn't they also deal w/ injuries during the regular season--in other words, they may have been seeded higher?

 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Eleven said:

Is it him, though?  Or Shanahan?  This is the problem when one adds unnecessary levels of management.  Who does the buck stop with?

Shanny is running Hockey Ops, he decided Duby is gone and he probably discussed it with ownership.  

 

29 minutes ago, Rasmus_ said:

Toronto Maple Leafs news = slow sports news.  Onto more important things to care about like mowing the lawn. 

Yeah and keeping the fungus and the grubs under control.  

[Derrico]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The Leafs and Oilers are the reason I harp on defense and goaltending. Scoring 300 goals is fun, but to win on the playoffs you need to kill penalties, clear the zone quickly, grind and get key saves from the goalies. 

The leafs scored 2 goals or less in something like 7 straight playoff games.  It was their scoring that let them down when the checking got tight.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

I think the stones I throw in here don’t reach Leaf Nation.

Their Cup drought is longer than ours.

When did we win our first one?

[GASabresIUFAN]

39 minutes ago, Derrico said:

The leafs scored 2 goals or less in something like 7 straight playoff games.  It was their scoring that let them down when the checking got tight.

It’s why you need that 3rd scoring line and good defense

[thewookie1]

15 minutes ago, Weave said:

When did we win our first one?

We haven’t, but the Leafs drought is longer than our existence 

[Pimlach]

9 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

We haven’t, but the Leafs drought is longer than our existence 

Ballard and Clancy fired the wrong guy.  

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

I'll drive him down to Pittsburgh if that's what it takes

Ab-so-frig-gin'-lute-ly.

He'd look great running black and gold west.  Much better than Karmanos or Ventura.

[French Collection]

49 minutes ago, Weave said:

When did we win our first one?

I know, a slight technicality.