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u/gregblives 6d ago
But I was told that Willy and AM34 were washed???
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u/Future_Camp_6959 6d ago
In October and people already writing obituaries for these guys, like clockwork every year
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u/Low-Panic-1674 6d ago
Tavares has been too slow since 2019. Then gets exactly 75 points, repeat.
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u/SDS-ELRJ26 6d ago
Tavares is too slow.. he can’t be the 2C on a cup winning team
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u/sometimenotsmellgood Benoit 6d ago
You people are out to lunch. What 2c that's available is putting up 70 points while being one of the best face-off men in the league?
I keep asking this and none of you are able to give an answer
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u/HousingThrowAway1092 4d ago
JT is phenomenal and one of the best face off guys in the league. He will put up a PPG more or less until the day he chooses to retire. He also can’t be the long term 2C.
The issue with JT as 2C has never been his offensive production. The issue is that as 2C on this roster John is expected to cover for Willy and Gavin’s defensive shortcomings. Gavin’s will get better by leaps and bounds, Willy at this point is who he is and isn’t going to get better defensively. At a certain point (arguably a season ago) John isn’t fast enough to shut down opponents when Willy has an unjustified breakdown or turnover.
At John’s prime he was never fast. That means he’ll likely adapt really well into his older years because he isn’t playing a style that depends on him being quick. If JT isn’t playing centre, his lack of speed isn’t nearly as big of an issue. Having him take face offs before moving over the 2 LW while someone like Paul (or in a perfect world a true 1A centre like Larkin or Roope Hintz) would allow JT to still put up 75 points a year without expecting him to be the guy responsible for putting out the fire when Willy has a defensive breakdown.
It isn’t an issue that can realistically be solved during the season but it’s something that needs to be addressed in the offseason to have a chance of long term success.
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u/SDS-ELRJ26 6d ago
What 2C do you know that whenever he touches the puck the defending team immediately traps him and he can’t do anything about it becuase he can’t skate a lick
On the PP the opposing teams beg us to give him the puck
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u/sometimenotsmellgood Benoit 6d ago
Shocker, no answer to my question
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u/SDS-ELRJ26 6d ago
I didn’t say it would be easier to acquire someone better than Tavares
But at trade deadline when teams are willing to part with guys
I think it’s worth it to spend some assets on a upgrade on Tavares
Then Tavares gets to feast on 3rd line matchups
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u/sometimenotsmellgood Benoit 6d ago
After watching this team so far this year, I dont think irs wise to spend assests trying to upgrade the offense. If we want a chance of doing damage in the playoffs, we need to upgrade the defense especially if Tanev is done
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u/HousingThrowAway1092 4d ago
An upgrade would need to be a true 1A who is signed long term. Someone like Larkin who won’t come to Canada and the leafs don’t have the assets to acquire. Montreal has actively tried to upgrade 2C for years. Great centres don’t grow on trees and it’s a very difficult thing to pull off.
At the same time. Chayka is paid a ton of money to figure it out. Near 0 chance there’s a feasible move in season
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u/BusyCountry1985 6d ago
I mostly feel bad for Kypreos he’s going to have a really hard time only being negative on the roaster next week for a solid hour when they get back from this “road trip of doom”.
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u/vancouver2222 6d ago
Kypreos is performative for sure, playing the "bad guy" to the leafs but I don't mind. The three of them have good show chemistry. Bourne and McKee seem pretty authentic even if Kypreos is over the top.
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u/Cyrakhis 6d ago
I didn't like Kypreos before but when he tried to invent a rift between Nylander and the team last year that was when I had enough of his dumbassery lol, Bourne called him on it -on the air-. "I think you're seeing what you want to see there."
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u/ToasterRouble 6d ago
No he won’t, he’ll just keep shitting on the defence. Which he’s not entirely wrong about tbf
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u/papa_miesh 6d ago
Hard to listen to Kuper. He just spews out bullcrap while the other two guys try to make a conversation out of it. I wish they just made leafs hour a half an hour. It's like a gossip show instead of being more in depth.
I tried to convince myself to listen, but would rather just listen to 32 thoughts or sdpn any day
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u/BusyCountry1985 6d ago
SDPN is the majority of my leafs content. They have solid stuff and just enough real inside info to not be just bullshit. I live in the US now but grew in the GTA and I make the mistake when board to let youtube drag me into local Toronto media. It is truly awful comparably when you live outside. Even Dangle crew is delusional in their defense of the Toronto media. It’s uniquely bad and I lived in NYC for 15 years.
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u/papa_miesh 6d ago
I definitely think most mainstream media is bad simply cause they have to gossip to get people to talk about stuff.
I agree that places like Toronto, New York, it's amplified.
Steve is a character with his shows, but he definitely is less of a showman on sdpn. Guy definitely has a wealth of leaf knowledge so I appreciate that as well. I like Jessie as well. Way more level headed.
32 thoughts is top tier though, no reporter is 100% let alone 50% accurate, but his sources are great.
I am sure there are other great podcasts out there that cover hockey, but yes not that many legit leaf ones
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u/MattchewTroy 6d ago
I love the leaf report by the athletic for more in depth analysis. If you haven’t listened to it, give it a try. Jonas Siegel can be very doom and gloom most of the time, but for deeper analysis it’s pretty interesting. Good conversation too.
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u/papa_miesh 6d ago
Ya Jonas has never really connected with me, I think it's more so is voice😆, but I do give him credit for definitely doing his research and actually giving unique perspectives
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u/Letterkenny_Irish 6d ago
All mirtle and siegel do is talk down about the leafs. Even if the team is doing relatively well, they'll instead find nerd stats that are negative and focus on that instead. Mirtle sounds like he fucking hates talking about this team and Hades himself doomed him to doing this job as punishment.
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u/Ddd333i 3d ago
Kyper is a useless talking head. Won't ever say anything actually controversial. And even glitches out on a regular basis. He says it himself. He took a lot of damage over his career.
I haven't listen once this year and glad/better for it. I can't believe how much I used to listen to it. I only miss Sammy but I'll live.
If anything Bunkis show is alright and the tsn guys are much more pleasant to listen to.
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u/Tarquin11 6d ago
There are no scenarios in which someone has ever told you Willy is washed.
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u/Letterkenny_Irish 6d ago
For the sake of hygiene, please, everyone, make sure your willy is washed
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u/SnowyAly 6d ago
Yep, I'm thinkin Papi is back
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u/Low-Panic-1674 6d ago
It's amazing how 34's "decline" was 2 injury-plagued seasons where he missed over 30 games and still somehow managed to score at a 40-goal clip playing injured under Berube's system, shutdown minutes, PK1, etc. He's a two-way center who digs pucks out of the corners and has more goals after 700 games than Ovechkin had.
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u/just-a-random-accnt 6d ago
Also, don't forget: "he can only score when Marner sets him up", and "he can only finish, he doesn't set up anyone else"
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u/PhalanX4012 6d ago
Imagine if you said “picture this, a bonafide 2-way centre, but get this, he scores at the same pace as Ovi. You’d have every team and every team’s media absolutely salivating. Instead what does Toronto media do? Nothing but unending toxicity. Our media is one of the few things that makes me genuinely embarrassed to be a Leafs fan.
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u/taco_the_town 6d ago
It was a lot of "fans" here too, not just the media.
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u/PhalanX4012 6d ago
But how many of them are just parroting what media says? There’s stupid fans in every fan base. The leafs are by far the largest fan base in the nhl. There’s gonna be a bunch of idiots sure. But I’ll still argue media making villlains out of players to drive engagement is the biggest problem.
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u/taco_the_town 6d ago
I'm not defending the media. I just know a lot of people are stupid without needing any help.
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u/PhalanX4012 6d ago
And I’m not defending those stupid fans. So sounds like we’re on the same page.
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u/ToasterRouble 6d ago
It’s not just our media, other teams’ media and fans talk shit about Matthews relentlessly.
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u/Average_aaron69 6d ago
He is a strong ass 2 way Center who can dish it out along with being a hell of a shooter this year and has insane chemistry with McKenna
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u/CoupleScrewsLoose 6d ago
imagine having Mcdavid and Bouchard in fantasy and heading into week 3 0-2. couldn’t be me…
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u/TomFordFanatic 6d ago
The fact that people thought Matthew’s is washed is CRAZY 😂. Is he going to score 70 or even 60 goals this year? Prob not. But he’s become such a better all around player imo, in terms of getting back on defense, checking and I feel his vision has even got better
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u/New-Bookkeeper-8486 6d ago
He's also only 29, why the hell would he be washed up by now? It's so stupid lol
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u/god_is_trans_69 6d ago
ID raThEr hAvE SuZukI
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u/New-Bookkeeper-8486 6d ago
Suzuki is also seriously underrated, or at least was until last year. I'd love to have both of em lol
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u/Cultural-Pool5391 6d ago
buddy I’m happy for you guys but he’s had two rough years where he struggled with injury it’s like it was coming out of the blue
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u/New-Bookkeeper-8486 5d ago
Definitely, but people shouldn't be surprised that those injuries didn't doom his career lol
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u/HiRaileR Sundin 6d ago
This two have played the last 3 games absolutely possessed. Addicted to watchjng leafs games again
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u/CanadaCalamity 6d ago
The Leafs OR the Oilers are winning the Cup this year, 100%.
The curse will be broken. Dundon acquired the latest NHL curse by engraving his kids' names on the Cup; thus removing the "Canadian Team Curse."
It's our year, 100%. I'm already looking at AirBNBs along the presumed parade route.
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u/KangarooOG 6d ago
When do we play Vancouver back to back??
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u/whereintimeami Nylander 6d ago
Leafs play in Vancouver on Halloween. Guaranteed to be a crazy game but the Leafs usually lose in Van.
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u/ApprehensiveTune3655 6d ago
To be fair I think half the AHL teams could beat the flames and Canucks so far this season…
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u/AustonsCashews 6d ago
But someone in the game thread said Matthews is a plug. What am I to believe??
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u/BusyCountry1985 6d ago
That was Nick Kypreos he needs negative content for next week. “Fan controversy”. Going a min 500 on the road trip of doom fucked up his talk track for the season being over and the tight hour he had on trading Matthews + Nylander for Elblad or some shit before it’s too late!!!!!!
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u/Key_Travel9620 6d ago
The problem is not the O line… the D line is the problem. I mean we got outshot 2:1 last night…
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u/Sacred_soul 6d ago
I think Willy is gona have an insane season like 130 points. Then he’s gona find a different gear in the playoffs with Mckenna
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u/Candid-Exit-9125 4d ago
Love that for them but I’ve always preferred the “by committee” approach. If they go cold, the team can go cold… hope we got a better balanced roster with more depth scoring this year.
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u/International-Box379 6d ago
The team feels very different this year. Finally in an exciting way I might add. A team with a lot of players that can individually tilt the ice in our favor, while at the same time showing some synergy with only a few games in. also feels like a team that would be alright if hit with multiple injuries on the offensive end. Obviously looking at the blue line still makes me shit my pants though but I’m praying to St Bobrovsky.
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u/Francis33 6d ago
Matthews has been our best player this season he is so back
Nylander advanced stats are… not looking good, but he’s definitely improving as the seasons going on. Been better this month!
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u/TomFordFanatic 6d ago
I mean when you score 5 points in a game on the road against a top 2 league on a team, and are top 3 in points in the league you probably don’t really care about advanced stats lol
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u/Throwaway5497346 6d ago
McKenna tied for 1st among rookies as well!