As the Marlies await their next playoff test, things are
pretty much dormant when it comes to Maple Leaf activity. I’m sure their pro scouts
are out assessing individual players in the ongoing NHL playoffs (now down to
eight very good teams) who will likely be UFA’s or could at least be in Toronto’s line
of sight when it comes to summertime trades.
Realistically, however, there is not much going on and there
won’t be until just before the NHL draft, one would suspect. That hasn’t stopped us from enjoying the down
time to consider various potential future options for the blue and white. This past week on VLM we have, for example, discussed (hey, it’s the Leafs, that’s what we often do to stay sane…every guy
out there is gonna be a Leaf, right?) a few “possibilities” when it comes to
what the brain trust might be contemplating heading into 2012-’13.
The names we’ve tossed around include Luongo, Tim Thomas, Iginla, Kiprusoff, Alexander
Semin and a host of other candidates that would likely make the Leafs a better
team in the short term- especially when we consider the influx of young talent seemingly on the
way (Frattin, Kadri, Colborne, etc.) to go along with any major summer
acquisitions.
In any event, as we prepare to watch the NHL quarter-finals
(I’ll miss the first round, always my favorite hockey of the year) while
looking forward to the Marlies’ efforts in their next round of the AHL playoffs, here are some
recent or otherwise Leaf-related VLM posts to check out if they didn’t catch
your eye the first time around:
- If you could only make one acquisition for the Leafs this summer...
- Looking at the historical value of good goaltending and whether Luongo fits here
- Hockey commentators you love and hate
- 10 off-season questions for Leaf fans
- Are Gustavsson and Schenn looking at a future elsewhere?
Posts
If we're looking for positives - and heaven knows we are, here in Leafland - I think the glaring deficencies in our team are really brought into focus by watching the games so far. (Of course, they're the same holes that we've been commenting on all season long here). It seems clear that team defence is essential to any hopes of playoff success. "Five men playing goalie", as someone put it. And the grit to tough it out in front of the net. The only way to beat goalies like Rinne, Smith, et al seems to be to create traffic in front of him and muck it out. Perimeter shooting, a favorite of last year's Leafs, isn't going to get you anywhere. So we can have hope in Carlisle's approach - if he is given the players. As it stands, we won't be surprising anyone next year, in my opinion, because we don't have those key pieces - consistent goalie, shut-down defence pair, and muckers who can score. In three years, by my estimation, we might be there if some of our Marlies can deliver at the big league level. But if there's no significant improvement next year, I'll go put my parade gear in a storage locker.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed response Gerund O'...You outlined the reality the team faces very well....
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