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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 17, 2006 21:02:31 GMT -5
I guess the Leafs just got a little better up front with some grit and leadership. The Leafs have made some reasonable moves, albeit they did overpay their blueliners a fair bit IMO. www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=171565&hubname= |
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Post by Skilly on Jul 17, 2006 21:15:55 GMT -5
I guess the Leafs just got a little better up front with some grit and leadership. The Leafs have made some reasonable moves, albeit they did overpay their blueliners a fair bit IMO. www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=171565&hubname=They are building a group of forwards that will compete with ours. Both our goalies have thousands of question marks. Their defense is better than ours. The northeast division this year is going to be a crap shoot. Any team can flop or fly. |
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Post by sergejean on Jul 17, 2006 21:45:02 GMT -5
The Leafs signed (yet again) an old player who's numbers are down. This signing doesn't make them any better IMO.
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Post by jkr on Jul 18, 2006 7:03:19 GMT -5
I guess the Leafs just got a little better up front with some grit and leadership. The Leafs have made some reasonable moves, albeit they did overpay their blueliners a fair bit IMO. www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=171565&hubname=Both our goalies have thousands of question marks. The northeast division this year is going to be a crap shoot. Any team can flop or fly. The leafs goaltending is a bigger question mark than Montreal's goaltending. Huet is coming off a good year. Raycroft's level of play this coming season can't be predicted. he's coming off a horrible season. As for their forwards - I don't know. Peca is a plus but who else have they signed. It's basically the same group as last year. The media in TO is clamoring for them to sign someone to play with Sundin & they haven't done that. P.S. I'd like to see that 1st intra squad game between Peca & Tucker. IMO , Peca hasn't been the same since Tucker's cheap shot at his knee several years ago. |
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Post by blny on Jul 18, 2006 7:09:55 GMT -5
I think JFJ has done a decent job this Summer. He's made his team better through addition AND subtraction. Peca should not have to play the number of minutes he did in Edmonton. That should help him. I doubt he'll be looked to for much offense, and any he does chip in will be a bonus. Kubina and Gill are both overpaid, but they drastically improve the Leafs weakest link. Raycroft is a question mark, but I feel he will likely rebound now that he's out of Boston. It's a fresh start for him.
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Post by franko on Jul 18, 2006 7:32:10 GMT -5
Peca . . . Lindros.
Raycroft . . . Belfourt.
Yup, the Leafs have moved up the chain. But still have a ways to go. They scrap for 8th; we scrap for 5th.
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Post by blny on Jul 18, 2006 8:41:02 GMT -5
Peca . . . Lindros. Raycroft . . . Belfourt. Yup, the Leafs have moved up the chain. But still have a ways to go. They scrap for 8th; we scrap for 5th. I refuse to make predictions, but will say that those scrapping for 5th won't be that far ahead of those scrapping for 8th. As I see it, secondary scoring may be the Leafs weakness. Sundin will pretty much carry the offense. I'm thinking we'll have a more balanced attack than them. I don't see Toronto giving up as many goals as they did last year, so things should even out for them. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 18, 2006 11:18:19 GMT -5
Sundin, Peca, and Allison are not exactly the kind of youth you want to build a team around. Toronna is building another one year wonder with recycled veterans looking for a last payday. After the dew has evaporated in November it'll be wait until next year for the 39th straight year.
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Post by blny on Jul 18, 2006 11:46:05 GMT -5
Sundin, Peca, and Allison are not exactly the kind of youth you want to build a team around. Toronna is building another one year wonder with recycled veterans looking for a last payday. After the dew has evaporated in November it'll be wait until next year for the 39th straight year. Sundin has gas left in the tank IMO. The eye injury last year was a freak incident and it slowed him down a lot. I think he'll be ready. He will have to be as he will carry their offense. I think it's still up in the air about Allison isn't it? I know he's lobbying hard to come back at a reduced salary, but I don't think the Leafs have committed to him yet have they? Jason is a big version of Ribeiro. Great vision and playmaking, but entirely too slow for an up tempo game the league is trying to bring back. |
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Post by cigarviper on Jul 18, 2006 12:15:21 GMT -5
Despite their additions this year, I'm much less concerned about the Leafs than I was last year and I'm not so sure JFJ will last the season. But you never know. Colour me overly optimistic, but I feel the Habs will be a vast improvement over last year's edition.
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Post by blny on Jul 18, 2006 12:58:38 GMT -5
Despite their additions this year, I'm much less concerned about the Leafs than I was last year and I'm not so sure JFJ will last the season. But you never know. Colour me overly optimistic, but I feel the Habs will be a vast improvement over last year's edition. I am hestitant to get my hopes up too high. As ever, many things depend on staying healthy. I think we are still a little on the small side, but we have a great mix I think. I think we have the people for a very balanced attack - three lines that can score IMO. I also see some interchangable people - Perezhogin and Johnson can easily move up to either of the top two lines. I think we're more versatile with Johnson and Samsonov than we were with Bulis and Zednik. Looking in our division, it's hard to tell who will be at the top. Ottawa is still very strong, but they have definitely taken a step backwards. Havlat, Chara, and a healthy Hasek aren't easily replaced. It remains to be seen whether Gerber can carry the load there. He certainly didn't lose the job in Carolina because of something he did. If he can approach last years level of play he'll be fine. I'm not convinced Emery will make it as a #1. I have a hunch the organization may be starting to feel the same. He's not progressing at this point. Boston has made some interesting moves. They're not deep in terms of offense, but if Thomas and Toivunen can steal games for them they may surprise. Buffalo is tough to gage. They really overachieved this year. They have a lot of speed, and work very hard. That may be enough for them to have repeat success. Toronto is a one player offense in many respects. Sundin carries that team's offensive hopes on his shoulders. Their defence is a lot better though and should offset the loss in production I think. I think we have as good a chance as anyone to win the division, which is all you can ask before the start of the season. |
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Post by seventeen on Jul 18, 2006 19:09:19 GMT -5
They are building a group of forwards that will compete with ours. Both our goalies have thousands of question marks. Their defense is better than ours. The northeast division this year is going to be a crap shoot. Any team can flop or fly. The Leafs are still hounded by potential errors. I happen to be in the camp that thinks Raycroft had one good year and is otherwise a solid minor-leaguer. They're going to regret trading Task. (I think). It's still a chemical nightmare in Toronto. McCabe is going to be ticked at Kaberle and they still have more than their share of 'old' guys, thought its better than last year. Quinn's gone and while he's never been a favourite of mine, I always thought he was a good coach. He got tuned out near the end, like many coaches do (or near the middle...whatever). I still think T-O will have an ok chance at a lottery pick. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2006 19:10:19 GMT -5
Meh...
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Post by Skilly on Jul 19, 2006 16:13:08 GMT -5
Actually most of the old guys are gone. Just Peca and I guess O'Neill left.
We had 4 (?) rookie forwards on our team last year. Toronto had 2. How many of our rookies outscored theirs? None. Toronto was the only team that had 2 rookies in the top ten rookie scoring last season. Toronto's weakness will be their second line undoubtably ... but
Steen (22) Sundin (35) Antropov (26)
O'Neill (30) Ponikarovsky (26) Stajan (22)
Tucker (31) Peca (32) Kilger (29)
Ondrus (24) Wellwood (23) Pohl(27)/Suglobov(19-20?)/Belak (30)
Don't look that old to me. Anf JFJ has already said that 2 of his top 7 defense spots are going to either Bell/Harrison/White
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Post by Forum Ghost on Jul 20, 2006 17:03:08 GMT -5
Under the circumstances, JFJ has done a decent job.
The Peca signing was a good one.
He also obtained a #1 goalie and revamped the defence. Two of Toronto's weakest links last season.
We also can't forget Paul Maurice. He alone, should make the Leafs a better defensive club.
Up front is where the Leafs will struggle. Where will the goals come from?
Players like Steen and Wellwood are still pretty green. At the end of last season, O'Neill hinted that he might retire due to his fear of flying, so his status is still iffy. Players like Peca, Tucker, Antropov and Ponikarovsky are not first line players. As usual, Sundin will have to carry the load himself.
As of right now, the Northeast is tough to predict, but I still see the Leafs missing out on the playoffs again.
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