Toronto Maple Leafs TIDBITS & QUICK HITS!

spader wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Hilarious that people think this is some kind of revelation. All you have to do is listen to Kessel talk for 30 seconds to understand that he has character issues and likely isn't a guy you want on your hockey team. There's a reason the Bs traded him, and it wasn't just because they were getting a couple first round picks.

Sorry, who thinks that this is some kind of revelation?

The Toronto media.  It takes the coach getting canned before they start digging at the players.

Watching shows like Road the Winter Classic (and HBO's 24/7 from years past) has just taught me that coaching isn't as important as most people think it is.  If players aren't self-starters and motivated to do what it takes to WIN, then there's only so much you can get from them.  I think Kessel and Bozak are good buddies who are more concerned with what video game they are going to play after the game then what is actually happening in the game.

Kessel is 8th in goals, 9th in points, and 676th in +/-.

NEELY wrote:I wouldn't go so far as yo say I wouldn't want Kessel on my team vs I wouldn't want him as part of the core let alone the leading man on a team.  He has a place but it should be that of a Gaborik role.  

This has been known for a while and it's finally come to a head, things in Leafs land should be interesting the rest of the way you just hope they don't pass the Sens for a better pick at this point.

Think for a minute before answering this. Imagine you were the Leafs GM and you had to identify the core before starting out on a rebuild. Who would you think were the untouchables in that room? Ignore prospects, just the guys on the roster.

OK, maybe a minute isn't enough.

Pretty candid interview with Carlyle:
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/01/07/randy-carlyle-opens-up-about-being-fired-by-leafs

He was over in Sundbury after driving his wife there to be with her brother who was dying of ALS (he passed away the day after Carlyle was fired) and Nonis texted him requesting to meet at 8 the next morning:

He knew where I was because I told him I needed to drive my mother-in-law and my wife to Sudbury...So there was a red flag automatically... So I just said, ‘Call me. And we had a conversation. And I said, ‘I’m not going to drive five hours back and through a snow storm to get fired. You might as well do it now.’

wprager wrote:

NEELY wrote:I wouldn't go so far as yo say I wouldn't want Kessel on my team vs I wouldn't want him as part of the core let alone the leading man on a team.  He has a place but it should be that of a Gaborik role.  

This has been known for a while and it's finally come to a head, things in Leafs land should be interesting the rest of the way you just hope they don't pass the Sens for a better pick at this point.

Think for a minute before answering this.  Imagine you were the Leafs GM and you had to identify the core before starting out on a rebuild.  Who would you think were the untouchables in that room?  Ignore prospects, just the guys on the roster.

OK, maybe a minute isn't enough.  

Rielly for sure... Bernier... I would be on the fence about Kadri simply because of the leaders in that room, there's something there with that kid, had skill, has an edge...

wprager wrote:Pretty candid interview with Carlyle:
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/01/07/randy-carlyle-opens-up-about-being-fired-by-leafs

He was over in Sundbury after driving his wife there to be with her brother who was dying of ALS (he passed away the day after Carlyle was fired) and Nonis texted him requesting to meet at 8 the next morning:

He knew where I was because I told him I needed to drive my mother-in-law and my wife to Sudbury...So there was a red flag automatically... So I just said, ‘Call me. And we had a conversation. And I said, ‘I’m not going to drive five hours back and through a snow storm to get fired. You might as well do it now.’

First Class all the way.

I would take jvr on my team any day.

SpezDispensed wrote:I would take jvr on my team any day.

What do you suppose that would cost?

JVR is one of the last guys I think they'd get rid of.

So JVR and Rielly. Not much of a core. I'd also argue JVR is not an untouchable (if he was, why was he traded in the first place).

I love that there's again talk of a rebuild in TO. The perpetual rebuild that will Prevent them from ever competing.

The Kessel deal has blown up in the Leafs face so badly and it was so predictable that it amazes me people in Toronto are in any kind of shock. They had Seguin and Hamilton locked up and who knows what other draft picks they may have had in that time or who they may have drafted via butterfly effect. If Toronto had both those 2 guys with Reilly, JVR, and some others I would be worried for the Sens and the East in general.

I'm not sure Seguin would really thrive there...I think he has "character issues" much like Kessel has "character issues".  Couldn't be any worse though, that's for sure.  Really, it's been a constant string of failures by their GMs that have put them where they are.  I guess they hire Babcock in the off-season and cross their fingers?

tim1_2 wrote:I'm not sure Seguin would really thrive there...I think he has "character issues" much like Kessel has "character issues".  Couldn't be any worse though, that's for sure.  Really, it's been a constant string of failures by their GMs that have put them where they are.  I guess they hire Babcock in the off-season and cross their fingers?

Babcock will go in there and kill his career. loving it!

Season saved. Re-plan the parade. They *finally* won a game under Horachek. Over the hump. Monkey off the back.

It's a good thing that the Leafs stay ahead of the Sens, last thing you want is the Leafs potentially drafting a player that the Sens wanted.

I'd happily switch places and be in the wildcard race.

Mmmmm, tough call. I wouldn't because if they were where the Leafs are right now that's in no man's land. Missing the playoffs is going to force a lot of people to take a 2nd look at what they have done and the added benefit of a higher draft pick.

I will never cheer for the Sens to lose but I am not hoping this team rockets up the standings because long term I don't think it benefits anyone.

The Leafs, I hope they finish 9th or tied for the wild card but lose the tie breaker.

I would always take making the playoffs over not, but yeah, finishing just outside is kinda useless. I dunno what effect it has on motivation for the following season on the players vs finishing last.