Comedy Platinum out of Toronto - "Canada's Team" quest for the Cup

[BGDave]

First thing's first, Shanny's gotta get some god damn scouts in the organization fast. Pretty much emptied the cupboard and the draft is almost two months away.

I hope Hunter is as good as his rep.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

My first choice to move out is Kadri. I know you don't agree, but when is his contract up? Might see him differently then.

He's RFA this summer, and I think he's got two more years of control. Anyway, you don't trade 25 year old centres who lead your team in even-strength points.

I would hate to move Kessel, at least not until they try a Trotz-Ovie type Renaissance. But if the price is right, ship him and his "I don't care if I am pudgy" sulky, bailed on his teammates a$$ out of town

Kessel carried those teammates for 5 years. I place as much blame for this season on him as I do my next door neighbour.

 

[DragonfromTO]

They have at most 1.5 useful pieces on the blue line and the rest needs to be built from scratch (and for everyone's sake Phaneuf needs to be moved) but they have offensive pieces that I wouldn't hate to keep around. Having a top six in two years that consists of Kessel, Strome, Nylander, Kadri, JVR and whoever (Connor Brown?) would be fine by me, but I'd be just as fine if they moved one of Kessel or JVR for picks/prospects.

I'd move JVR. He's got what, 3 more years on his deal? By the time this team is ready to compete again he'll either have become much more expensive or he'll have left... he's great value for the next 3 years though, which means that they should have no difficulty finding potential trade partners.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

I'd move JVR. He's got what, 3 more years on his deal? By the time this team is ready to compete again he'll either have become much more expensive or he'll have left... he's great value for the next 3 years though, which means that they should have no difficulty finding potential trade partners.

Maybe move him to the team playing in his home state?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I'd move JVR. He's got what, 3 more years on his deal? By the time this team is ready to compete again he'll either have become much more expensive or he'll have left... he's great value for the next 3 years though, which means that they should have no difficulty finding potential trade partners.

That's fair. I'm good either way, as long as the return is what it should be for a guy signed to an absurdly cheap deal for term.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Maybe move him to the team playing in his home state?

It would cost Jersey way too much for Lou's tastes.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

It would cost Jersey way too much for Lou's tastes.

Lou may have to win sooner than later if he plans to keep new ownership happy so who knows? But you're probably right.

 

[BGDave]

Kessel carried those teammates for 5 years. I place as much blame for this season on him as I do my next door neighbour.

Randy was your next door neighbour?

Kessel carried the team. No argument from me. You just dont find guys who can consistently score 30 - 40 a year. My problem with Kessel is his apparent lack of professionalism this year. Not working out in the off season, then coming to camp and running his mouth about it?

Then when the season started sliding, his production disappeared. And he seemed disinterested.

This year showed Phil is no leader. And I am OK with that. Very few are truly good leaders, most have leadership thrust upon them.

I still believe that in the right system in the right team environment, Phil is a VERY valuable asset. Toronto in 14-15 was not that environment. Hence my comment about a new broom sweeping clean. I do not believe they will get enough for Phil to make a trade in the best interest of the team, but time will tell.

I still completely reject the comments by some in the media that says "blow it up, trade everyone". That is ridiculous without further analysis.

What Shanny and whoever his new team is needs to do is: Assess what they believe a Championshiop-calibre team has, critically and objectively evaluate the current roster and assess who can play a role in the definition of championship-calibre. Does Phil have a place on a Championship team? Of course he does (ask Montreal right now if they wouldnt mind have his scoring). Even at his contract price. Does Dion? Not at #1 D money, so you move him out. Etcetera.

Which brings me to my final point re Kadri. I fear he will want way more money then his current production warrants. Led the team in even strength points? So what. He still only got about .5 ppg. Is that worth $4 - 5 mil per year? . He is also sorely lacking in the intangibles department (like Phil). But no news, I have never been a Kadri fan. Far too immature and unprofessional. And doesnt have the resume Phil has to keep him around. (I wonder if I would have traded Seguin, for the same reason )

Kadri is, at best, a #2 or 3 C on a championship team. Do championship teams pay those guys $4 - 5 mil? Again, that is the thought process I hope Shanny goes through this offseason.

Oh well, Shanny and the players are having a press conf today. Should provide more amuesement, and then I am settling back in my chair to watch the playoffs. Enough about TOR until the ping pong ball drops Blue and White.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Randy was your next door neighbour?

Kessel carried the team. No argument from me. You just dont find guys who can consistently score 30 - 40 a year. My problem with Kessel is his apparent lack of professionalism this year. Not working out in the off season, then coming to camp and running his mouth about it?

Then when the season started sliding, his production disappeared. And he seemed disinterested.

This year showed Phil is no leader. And I am OK with that. Very few are truly good leaders, most have leadership thrust upon them.

I still believe that in the right system in the right team environment, Phil is a VERY valuable asset. Toronto in 14-15 was not that environment. Hence my comment about a new broom sweeping clean. I do not believe they will get enough for Phil to make a trade in the best interest of the team, but time will tell.

I still completely reject the comments by some in the media that says "blow it up, trade everyone". That is ridiculous without further analysis.

What Shanny and whoever his new team is needs to do is: Assess what they believe a Championshiop-calibre team has, critically and objectively evaluate the current roster and assess who can play a role in the definition of championship-calibre. Does Phil have a place on a Championship team? Of course he does (ask Montreal right now if they wouldnt mind have his scoring). Even at his contract price. Does Dion? Not at #1 D money, so you move him out. Etcetera.

Which brings me to my final point re Kadri. I fear he will want way more money then his current production warrants. Led the team in even strength points? So what. He still only got about .5 ppg. Is that worth $4 - 5 mil per year? . He is also sorely lacking in the intangibles department (like Phil). But no news, I have never been a Kadri fan. Far too immature and unprofessional. And doesnt have the resume Phil has to keep him around. (I wonder if I would have traded Seguin, for the same reason )

Kadri is, at best, a #2 or 3 C on a championship team. Do championship teams pay those guys $4 - 5 mil? Again, that is the thought process I hope Shanny goes through this offseason.

Oh well, Shanny and the players are having a press conf today. Should provide more amuesement, and then I am settling back in my chair to watch the playoffs. Enough about TOR until the ping pong ball drops Blue and White.

I think Kadri gets $4 mil as an RFA, and I'm fine with that on a team that should wind up with quite a bit extra cap space regardless of what happens this summer. Give it a couple years and see if he can straighten out and make that second line C spot his.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I wouldn't mind Futa. Weird name, but I hear good things.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

ALWAYS looking out for cousin dave!!!

 

[forty_three]

Hey ... How bout mike gillis for gm.

First thing's first, Shanny's gotta get some god damn scouts in the organization fast. Pretty much emptied the cupboard and the draft is almost two months away.

Shanny: Draft is two months away, and you know what? No one is better than you guys.
Scouts: Awwww, thanks boss!
Shanny: No, I mean having no one running the draft is better than you fucks. Get out.
Scouts: BUT WE DRAFTED A VEZINA WINNER
Shanny: Oh yeah, that reminds me. Get Nonis on the phone.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

ALWAYS looking out for cousin dave!!!

Uh...no.

Do people just conveniently forget things after a couple years? Do we look back on the JFJ era with nostalgia now? Dumb.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Uh...no.

Do people just conveniently forget things after a couple years? Do we look back on the JFJ era with nostalgia now? Dumb.

He's not entirely wrong though. While it obviously didn't have all of the pieces this team was actually in pretty good shape cap wise before the summer of potato (2013).

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

He's not entirely wrong though. While it obviously didn't have all of the pieces this team was actually in pretty good shape cap wise before the summer of potato (2013).

That's awesome. How about all the terrible, god-awful, no fucking good moves Burke made prior to that? How about Mike Komisarek? Tim Connolly? Francois Beauchemin? Four years for Colton Orr? $5.5 million a year for Grabovski? How about trading Alex Steen (AND Carlo Colaiacovo) for fucking Stempniak? Trading Ponikarovsky for two nobodies? Trading Stralman for Wayne Primeau? $3 mil for Colby Armstrong, please! HE DRAFTED TYLER BIGGS IN THE FIRST ROUND! And that's all without mentioning the stupidity that was the Kessel trade.

Attack Nonis' tenure all you want, he's earned it, but if you're going to even think about defending Brian Burke's reign I can't take you seriously.

 

[DragonfromTO]

That's awesome. How about all the terrible, god-awful, no fucking good moves Burke made prior to that? How about Mike Komisarek? Tim Connolly? Francois Beauchemin? Four years for Colton Orr? $5.5 million a year for Grabovski? How about trading Alex Steen (AND Carlo Colaiacovo) for fucking Stempniak? Trading Ponikarovsky for two nobodies? Trading Stralman for Wayne Primeau? $3 mil for Colby Armstrong, please! HE DRAFTED TYLER BIGGS IN THE FIRST ROUND! And that's all without mentioning the stupidity that was the Kessel trade.

Attack Nonis' tenure all you want, he's earned it, but if you're going to even think about defending Brian Burke's reign I can't take you seriously.

I was responding specifically to what you posted.

"To be clear, Nonis tied the hands of this organization more than Burke did. Can't improve in any way with cap situation Nonis had team in."

I'm not clear on how a lot of what you mention "tied the hands of the organization" and/or fucked up the cap situation. I think that this team was in a good position to improve itself in the summer of 2013, with basically the cap situation Burke had left them in. Are both of those details not fairly accurate?

 

[BGDave]

This reminds me of the "Judean Peoples Front" vs. the "Peoples Front of Judea" argument.

 

[BGDave]

Oh gawwwwwwwwdddddddddddddddd

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I was responding specifically to what you posted.

"To be clear, Nonis tied the hands of this organization more than Burke did. Can't improve in any way with cap situation Nonis had team in."

I'm not clear on how a lot of what you mention "tied the hands of the organization" and/or fucked up the cap situation. I think that this team was in a good position to improve itself in the summer of 2013, with basically the cap situation Burke had left them in. Are both of those details not fairly accurate?

Lmao did he not tie the hands of the organization over the five years he spent completely fucking the organization up?

And if we want to go back to 2013, is this team a contender if they had kept Grabovski (.37 PPG this season on a playoff team) at $5.5 million as opposed to signing Bozak for $4.2 million? Clarkson was a nightmare but for $5.25 million what were the Leafs going to sign in his stead? Valtteri Filppula? Ryan Clowe? Michael Ryder? There was nothing out there that was going to turn this team into a contender.

If you want to focus on money, okay, but if Nonis completely handcuffed the team in 2013 they sure are in a pretty decent cap situation here in summer 2015 are they not? $45 million as of today committed to the team, with only 2 "vital" RFA's pending and I can only assume a bloodletting of trades on the horizon. Did he misspend? Absolutely. Are the Leafs "handcuffed" by any of his moves right now? Not moreso than any of half of the league are with a bad contract or two, and those contracts are never immovable these days.