HoosierDaddy

Here’s my hot take. If the Leafs get out of the first round, they’ll win the whole thing.

Funny that the Cincinnati Cyclones have an actual Japanese player on their roster.

My formative years were the 81-93 Adams Division. Leafs were not in it. Bruins and Nodiques were my most hated teams. I always respected the Habs and the Whale didn’t matter much.

The United States has a severe lack of dudes named Gord.

This is what a rebuild looks like if you actually stay the course and don’t rush it.

Triumph is a band that the further you get from the Canadian border, the less you hear them. I've never heard them once on classic rock radio here in Cincinnati, but they are probably still in regular rotation on 97 rock.

Talent

Is Beck Warm hotter or colder than his brother Luke Warm?

That's it! If I can't smoke a dart between periods, I can't even play. And in Chicago they had a cold 2-4 in the dressing room and we all downed one between periods. Stan and Bobby got two of course. It's in their contracts.

1962 and 20 pushups. Also, golf is a required physical training exercise and all players are required to bring their clubs. https://www.prohockeystrength.com/Toronto_Maple_Leafs_Training_Camp_1962.pdf

How about that time John LeClair got a goal by shooting it through the side of the net. That was fun.

I never understood how Bass Pro was supposed to be an economic engine that would save downtown Buffalo. We have a Bass Pro in Cincinnati that's the anchor tenant in a dead mall. It couldn't even save a single mall, nevertheless a whole city.

Since we’re doing this….

Smart guy. Never burn bridges and always exit a job with class and grace.

Just to support your point, here's the TBD thread on Poyer right after we signed him. There was a lot of "Who?" https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/192546-jordan-poyer/

And they’re all young enough that they still might develop into something.

So then Tatar, Suzuki and a 2nd for future considerations? Nice roster management VGK!

Didn’t they trade their top prospect in Suzuki for Pacioretty just a few years ago?

The problem is that draft picks take so much longer to develop in hockey.

Here's a write-up from when we was traded to Toronto in February: https://thehockeywriters.com/maple-leafs-address-concerns-lyubushkin-ritchie-trade/ The upshot is that he's a stay at home D-man who blocks shots and has a nasty streak. Sounds to me like what this team was lacking.

Is CHI just trying to get the cap floor so they can trade Kane?

You still have to convince someone to come here. I know that I wouldn't want to play in an empty arena on a losing team if I had other options.

For the most part, the most successful teams in the NHL don't make splashy FA signings. Tampa built through the draft and acquiring prospects. Colorado did the same. The Rangers making the ECF this year is the exception, but they have to do this to remain relevant in that market. This is why I don't get upset at our lack of activity. I just want a goalie. Let's see how much Ottawa pays for 34yo Claude Giroux.

The interesting thing is that neither Murray nor Botterill was a bad hire at the time. Both had earned their promotion by working in the front offices of successful organisations. In fact, both were a lot more qualified than KA in paper. But neither could do the management part of the GM job. People skills matter.