James Mirtle, Senior Managing Editor with The Athletic, debates JD Bunkis about the moves the Maple Leafs made at the trade deadline and who might be the odd man out on the blue line.
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49 Comments
Dumba would have been a great add for the Leafs, esp at the price he went for.
Better opportunities? The Leafs traded a 3rd and 5th for at best a 6th left-hand Dman on any team. Dumba (who would hands down be the best Right-hander on the Leafs) was traded for a 5th with a 7th coming back! Couldn't the Leafs trade a 5th for Dumba with nothing coming back and use the third to have another team retain salary? How many teams (31) would line up to give cap relief to get a 3rd round pick ?
they got two solid defensive defenders , that is success for this weak group of defencemen
I don't know how Mirtle can call the Leafs a contender and say "anything can happen in the playoffs" when we've seen the same song and dance for 7 years now. At what point do we acknowledge the core 4 aren't getting it done.
Liljegren is 24 years old RHD and the 2nd PP quarterback. How is he not in the lineup ever? Are you comparing Liljegren to a shutdown defenseman which he is not? This team wins with guys who move the cup and loses with the guys who can't move the puck but no matter how many wins and how many losses, Timmins and Liljegren suck in some people's eyes.
Domi seems to be more effective as a center than a winger, which he has played well on the second line. Tavares can play center on the third line but also second line and Dewar improves the penalty kill as the fourth line center. Penalty kill has been a problem during the season. Edmundson's size can help make a difference even though he is left handed. Dubas put the Leafs in a bind. Number one or two right handed defenceman is basically what is missing.
#1 – The salary cap era's been going on for a long time. Get over it. Vegas built a Stanley Cup champion in six seasons. The Leafs haven't won a Stanley Cup in 56 years and counting. Shouldn't fans be tired of excuses?
Just another reminder like Dumba trade…heard a while ago that he did not want to come to T.O…cant drag these guys that dont wanna come here.
jobs to big for treliving!
vegas?
The common denominator within the Leaf issues – is the Core 4 (four $11 Million players).
Imagine – Leafs were the first team in NHL history all time – to be only a Wildcard Team Level with four $11 Million player contracts. 😀 That is the biggest Leaf achievement in years without changing out the Core 4.
Both these guys are right. Leafs didn't do enough at the deadline and haven't addressed getting a top pairing D since Scamaplan's been here
Anyone who thinks 1 of this team's' top needs is a centreman has absolutely no credibility. Mirtle you sir are an amateur
LEAFS ORGANIZATION IS JUST STUPID !!!!!!
In my top ten…not sure NYR, BOS FLR, COL, DAL Edm, Van, Jets,, Canes are all ahead in the standing, SO are the leafs better then GK or the kings….i dont think so..
You are both have sound logic, however I would have sold , lets face it if they play Florida…they CANT win that series, and they are most likey playing Boston, so real talk Leafs are Boston bitches. What’s the point ?? Sell get some assets back, wait until JT’s 11 Mill is gone and they go get 3 D, one real Starter and maybe two wingers.If they were one or two players away then i would go and get them, but they are just to far away from being a real cup contender….. Oh wait Fire Shanny and get a GM That will make a real soft team hard.. at any and all costs other then 34.. Don’t care what you all think, im right and deep down you all know.
The leafs core is the playoff Problem , they don’t play playoff hockey and they never will, it’s been 7 years for all of them. If they aren’t gritty by now they never will be
Who are Phil Housley, Ron Francis, Marcus Foligno, Ryan O'Reilly, Doug Gilmour 2.0, Calle Johansson etc etc Alex?
Everyone making excuses saying treliving couldn’t do anything cause what dubas left behind, treliving had 20 million to work with in the off season and make horrible signings, Klingberg, reaves, overpay on kampf, bertuzzi contact slightly overpaid but he’s starting to play better as of lately, domi is mid (he’s good offence but not that great in the d zone)
HA,HA,HA,HA,HA………… THE FLU ?????? 😆😆😆😆.
Leafs' management has mismanaged the contracts for years now and has no fund available to trade for any impactful players.
Mirtle is an idiot
The Leafs needed 3 top 4 defenseman (2x RD 1xLD) a 3rd or 2nd line 2 way center, and preferably a goalie, I don't think Brad could have pulled that off with a crusty 1st and Minten. I also think Brad is spot on calling the big boys out in the media after the trade deadline, essentially saying if we're gonna win it's because our top players do it, which is realistically what needs to happen if they're ever gonna win the cup with this group. There's no amount of deadline additions you can make if you've got half your cap being pylons in the playoffs.
I am with James Mirtle on this: the top priority was a top pair quality defence-man; second priority was a Lyubushkin; third priority was a reliable mobile centre with some grit. Management failed – since before the season, to date – to achieve anything close to the top priority.
leafs sit out gregor and benoit the two most physical players on the leafs, see how that goes in the playoffs lol.
The 2018 team vs. the Bruins was a much better team than this year's.
Don't other teams get the flu? Why don't other team use getting the flu as an excuse for losing?
Against Boston Toronto is out in 5 games against Florida out in 4 games.
I agree with Treliving. Up to the players, and especially their best players, to show what they got. Bottom line: Either the core show some actual will to win when the chips are down, whatever it takes etc. or it's another early exit. After 7 years of rinse and repeat, I have next to zero faith. Leaf's leadership is non existent. Too many guys who would "prefer" to win (if it's not too hard), and don't really like to lose, but don't hate it either. Seem to get over it too quickly. Let's all hope I'm wrong on this.
I think the leafs could have done better and everything else is just another excuse tell me the same thing when toronto goes out in the first round again .
This team is far from being a contender defense and goaltending will be down fall.
I think they wanted cap space so they can bring guys up and not have to send Jones down and potentially lose him on waivers
I love the leafs…. but they have no chance. either need a stellar goalie performance, amazing defence or a heavy bottom 6. we don't have any of those. they need to cut their goal against by like 30-40 goals
What about Robertson????? How come know one is talking about him!!!! He is right on!!!! Lets go Leafs!!!
bunkis take that 3 players will just lead them to the cup is a fantasy. every cup winner has depth. they needed to load up
The biggest mistake the leafs made is caving to Nylander !!!! They should have traded his lazy ass when his value was up
I don't agree with Mirtle, the leafs have too many holes and they need the money for Nylander and Mathews extensions plus replacing Bertuzzi and Domi. They are still cap strapped.
Mirtle is what happens when your whole hockey knowledge is built on a spreadsheet. No understanding of how the trade market really works. No clue on what a winning team looks like. He will just complain about everything now that Dubas is gone. JD has the correct take here. Trying to trade for players that aren't available with assets you don't have is impossible.
Dumba for a fifth round pick to tampa, is that not the top D pair right handed partner that Reilly has always needed? Pretty cheap Partner for Reilly there
During the playoffs, the issue with the Leafs was a lack of scoring, not defense. This year you will see Matthews, Tavares, Marner and Nylander try to carry the Leafs on each individual's shoulder – they will fail again. Why is Keefe still coaching? He's been consistently out coached during the playoffs. His only solution has been to change up the lines and lose any hope of chemistry on the lines. He should've been fired a long time ago.
bunkis is a dweeb
Mirtle has to understand that there are players out there that don’t want to come here. If they have a no trade or even a limited no trade the leafs can’t make them play here. I also think that everyone is forgetting that Brandon is getting a new boss who will be calling the shots and he knows hockey. I think things will change a little next season.
Wait for Keith Pelley to take over. The shakeup begins
Time to abandon the Shanahan brain trust. Recently, Hyman scores his 40th. Rasmus Sandin gets a long term deal with the Caps. Two players who make a difference. But don't fit in a salary cap eaten up by 4 players who mostly play soft.
JDs cope here… wow, just wow. Waiting for the tune to change after the first round exit.
Vegas
The Toronto Maple Leafs are implicated in conspiracy to attempted murder and defamation, amongst other heinous crimes.
Toronto and Edmonton are in the same place. A few good forwards. Trouble with the defense and concern about their goalies. The difference between the Panthers and Toronto and Edmonton is the bottom 6. When Edmonton keeps players like Brown, well that is laughable and that he will do anything against the real playoff contenders. He doesn't score and worse of all is he doesn't hit. Not ever. So how does that help wear down the others team defense. Good luck to the Oilers but don't see them even getting past the second round. And Toronto is in the same place. You can thank Dubas and Holland we both have teams that are in no position to move forward. In Edmonton we have a 5 mil a year goalie in the minors, and are still paying for 2 mil for the next 2 years for James Neal. Both teams early golfing. Holland gone soon. But this is McDavid's team having his agent the CEO now. Having his junior coach and Connor Brown (wow that was a bone head signing) Oh and for those Brown (oh give him time) he is the second lowest rated player in the league. McDavid is certainly the best ever. But when he doesn't win he will not be in the group with Gretzky and Lemieux. And finally if you think the Oilers win streak was great…. consider only 2 of those wins were against playoff bound teams.
Domi Bert Dewar Edmunson Benoit Boosh McCabe are all here for playoff hockey. Let's see.
The Leafs are not ready to go all in. They will not get far in the playoffs no matter who they get at a trade deadline. They have a bad cap situation. They will do much better in the summer.