Raking Leaves with David Ayers Zamboni

[UWSaint]

Too early, check back in 20 games.
I'm surprised how many have the leaves top 5, their goaltending looks better, but I don't see that much of a improvement overall.

I listed 12 teams in the Top 3 tiers. The Leaves and the Jets are probably in Tier 4.

The Leaves are sort of a worse version of the Oilers, aren't they? A healthy Tanev should help them, but they still have uninspiring defense and underwhelming forward depth. And while McDavid and Draisaitl are monsters when the games count and raise their games a level, the Leaves stars drop a level. I don't mind their net tandem, but its always risky starting a season with Cup aspirations and no one that has even been an NHL starting goalie.

Unlike the Oilers, the Leaves might get some meaningful internal growth from some of their younger players. But most likely, its the same story as every year. There are a lot of teams with potential to do more in the Atlantic, and this might be a season where "how can we make the playoffs?" will be a more appropos question than "how can we get out of the first round?"

[Strangelove]

I'm surprised how many have the leaves top 5, their goaltending looks better, but I don't see that much of a improvement overall.

(from the Media thread)

Leaves goaltending looks just as questionable as ever in my opinion.

They are running with two backups, both covered in question marks.

Stolarz is 30 with a grand total of 108 NHL games under his belt.

Woll has played 36 NHL games and is extremely injury prone.

As a matter of fact Woll will miss Leaves opening game tonight (was scheduled to start).

On defense they let Brodie/Edmundson/Lyubushkin/Giordano go...

And brought in old/injury-prone guys Tanev/OEL/Hakanpaa (Hak on LTIR to start the season).

I mean I like Tanev, but he'll be 35 by Christmas and is due for an extended stay on LTIR.

Their youngest defender Liljegren continues to disappoint.

He is a usual playoff-healthy-scratch and didn't make the top-6 cut this year.

And this after Tree-living handed him a $3M x 2 contract this summer.

Looks like he was knocked out of the top 6 by the underwhelming Conor Timmins.

Timmins is 26 and has played in just 91 career games, averaging under 15 minutes-per-game.

He will join fellow-tweener Simon Benoit on the bottom pairing until when/if Hakanpaa returns.

On offense they lost Bertuzzi and replaced him with over-the-hill injury-prone Pacioretty (36 next month).

I suppose Knies and the disgruntled Robertson could improve a bit

... but Nylander and Old Man Tavares will not be as good this year in my humble opinion.

Leaves start the season with Jarnkrok and Hakanpaa on LTIR, they are out for the first 11 games minimum.

When these two return, Leaves will have to waive someone they'd rather not, or dump Liljegren/Jarnkrok.

(just guessing here, haven't given it a lot of thought)

Anyway, with all the old guys added, and the aging Pajama Boy, they're just asking for trouble.

Speaking of trouble, pending-UFA and self-proclaimed god Mitch Marner should be a major distraction.

I'm predicting a meltdown at the centre of the universe this year.

Forgot to mention Captain Underpants will fail miserably.

[Lancer]

Man, oh man, but Toronto is fucked with Matthews as their captain. I never saw such a casual performance from a ‘star’. Zero hustle. Not much battle. Body language giving off a ‘ho-hum’ vibe.

Hell, pyjama boy looked twice as engaged as the new captain.

Have fun Tranna fans!

[Strangelove]

Have fun Tranna fans!

ditto

[Topper]

The Leaf-Beiber connection is becoming clear.

Armageddon

[Strangelove]

The Leaf-Beiber connection is becoming clear.

Armageddon

BOOM

[Lancer]

The Leaf-Beiber connection is becoming clear.

Armageddon

BOOM

A sign of the end times. Best make peace with the deity of your choice and smoke up.

[Per]

I did not know this.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8K5TyjO ... E0MGtzYQ==

[Strangelove]

I did not know this.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8K5TyjO ... E0MGtzYQ==

Moi Aussi.

Hey Per, where ya been for the last month, I was about to send out a search party!

[Per]

I did not know this.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8K5TyjO ... E0MGtzYQ==

Moi Aussi.

Hey Per, where ya been for the last month, I was about to send out a search party!

Let's see...
last week of September - vacationing on a riverboat in France
first week of October - work conference in Malmö
second week of October - attending a meeting in Brussels
third week of October - helping organise and attending an EU conference in Malmö

So, yeah, that's about it, and with so much time out of town, it has been pretty hectic when I've been at home.

Also, I've been starting to get a bit bored with the board.
Same old people saying the same old things over and over again.
I think we need some fresh meat.

[Strangelove]

Let's see...
last week of September - vacationing on a riverboat in France
first week of October - work conference in Malmö
second week of October - attending a meeting in Brussels
third week of October - helping organise and attending an EU conference in Malmö

So, yeah, that's about it, and with so much time out of town, it has been pretty hectic when I've been at home.

Sounds like a full life indeed, good for you Per!

Also, I've been starting to get a bit bored with the board.
Same old people saying the same old things over and over again.
I think we need some fresh meat.

Did you hear that lurkers?

Be brave, sign up today, let's see what you've got!

[Megaterio Llamas]

It would be nice if we could at least stop hemorrhaging members. Per is back, but what happened to Don, Carl, Esq?

This place still has the characters, but the roster is becoming dangerously depleted.

[Lancer]

It would be nice if we could at least stop hemorrhaging members. Per is back, but what happened to Don, Carl, Esq?

This place still has the characters, but the roster is becoming dangerously depleted.

I chalk it up to us all getting older. Some folks just dropping off and going to the "Home" or the grave. This place is starting to resemble a Masonic Lodge - even if an entertaining one.

I would say we could use some new blood, but we'd probably scare off the youngsters.

[Megaterio Llamas]

It would be nice if we could at least stop hemorrhaging members. Per is back, but what happened to Don, Carl, Esq?

This place still has the characters, but the roster is becoming dangerously depleted.

I chalk it up to us all getting older. Some folks just dropping off and going to the "Home" or the grave. This place is starting to resemble a Masonic Lodge - even if an entertaining one.

I would say we could use some new blood, but we'd probably scare off the youngsters.

Sometimes I wonder if it might be worth risking possibly burning a HF account recruiting the geezer element there. I actually wound up here thanks to our late friend SKYO (RIP) recruiting on the HF Canucks page. He was catching a lot of shit for it at the time (even from me) but it did turn up a new member.

[Megaterio Llamas]

It's probably hopeless I guess. I for one thought Curmudgeon would love this place but he seemingly couldn't deal with others being even older and crustier than himself and he went back to CDC of all places.