NHL 2017 -Official Discussion Thread

[Smitty-48]

Nah, the Leafs took the President's Trophy winners to six games, came one goal away in overtime from a game seven, Washington just had the big forwards who could pound the Leafs down low, which is the Leafs achilles heel, but the run n' gun game the Predators play, the Leafs can beat anybody that style.

One problem Smitty....the Leafs would've had to go thru the Pens. It's now the Pens Cup to lose.

It's been the Pens cup to lose all year, it's no fluke that the Pens are in the finals again, even factoring in the loss of Letang, although I'm not saying the Leafs are a cup favourite already, they are none the less one of the best teams in the league already, already a poor man's Pens, in year one of the process, being carried along by three singular franchise players, in the mold of the Pens.

[StCapps]

Nah, the Leafs took the President's Trophy winners to six games, came one goal away in overtime from a game seven, Washington just had the big forwards who could pound the Leafs down low, which is the Leafs achilles heel, but the run n' gun game the Predators play, the Leafs can beat anybody that style.

One problem Smitty....the Leafs would've had to go thru the Pens. It's now the Pens Cup to lose.

It's been the Pens cup to lose all year, it's no fluke that the Pens are in the finals again, even factoring in the loss of Letang, although I'm not saying the Leafs are a cup favourite already, they are none the less one of the best teams in the league already, already a poor man's Pens, in year one of the process, being carried along by three singular franchise players, in the mold of the Pens.

A poor man's Pens, is not one of the best teams in the league, that's a team that's on verge of becoming one of those teams, but they aren't quite there yet. Maybe next year, or the year after, not this year though, that's jumping the gun because of one good season after you were the worst team in the league, not a year ago. Slow your roll just a little, the future is hella bright, future contender in the making once they upgrade that defense, but until they do I'm not giving them credit for already building an adequate defense.

No team that is seriously lacking in both defense and goaltending is anywhere near the best team in the league, your team needs to become more well rounded before that can come close to happening. They got a lot of pieces they already need, but without those extra pieces, they are just too far away. There is plenty of reason to believe management can come through for you and get you those pieces moving forward, but you don't have those pieces just yet, so I'm not going to pretend that you do, just to call the Leafs one of the best teams in the league.

It's just not true, yet.

[Smitty-48]

Nah, the Leafs are already one of the best teams in the league, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, my inclination would be to underrate them not overrate them, but Rielly had an off year, Babcock was purposesly forcing him out of his comfort zone to improve his defensive side, Zaitsev was playing his first season in the NHL, and Andersen was a starter playing 65 games for the first time in his career, the defense and goaltending is not actually bad, and they're better than Nashville, Nashville is just having a good run, peaking at the right time.

[Fife]

Some of you all could use a kiss.

[StCapps]

Nah, the Leafs are already one of the best teams in the league, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, my inclination would be to underrate them not overrate them, but Rielly had an off year, Babcock was purposesly forcing him out of his comfort zone to improve his defensive side, Zaitsev was playing his first season in the NHL, and Andersen was a starter playing 65 games for the first time in his career, the defense and goaltending is not actually bad, and they're better than Nashville, Nashville is just having a good run, peaking at the right time.

You aren't better than Nashville. They are having a good run and they are way better than you. In the future you might be better than them, but it's not the future. Your inclination has completely changed because you got a great coach, a sweet management team and some sexy rookies. Now your inclination is to overrate them after decades of underrating them because you are not used to success and a little bit of it is getting to your head already.

I love how you spent pages shitting on Preds and talking up the Leafs, you couldn't look dumber to non-Leaf fans if you tried, pursuing such a course of action. What a total homer, who doesn't even realize he has become one, because he's so used to losing that he thinks the second thing begin to turn around you are hottest thing since sliced bread.

[Smitty-48]

Nah, the Leafs are already one of the best teams in the league, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, my inclination would be to underrate them not overrate them, but Rielly had an off year, Babcock was purposesly forcing him out of his comfort zone to improve his defensive side, Zaitsev was playing his first season in the NHL, and Andersen was a starter playing 65 games for the first time in his career, the defense and goaltending is not actually bad, and they're better than Nashville, Nashville is just having a good run, peaking at the right time.

You aren't better than Nashville. They are having a good run and they are way better than you. In the future you might be better than them, but it's not the future. Your inclination has completely changed because you got a great coach, a sweet management team and some sexy rookies. Now your inclination is to overrate them after decades of underrating them.

Nah, the Leafs are better than Nashville, I wouldn't trade you the Leafs top players for Nashville's, the only thing they have that the Leafs don't, is Roman Josi, but he's not Hedman, he's not Colton Parayko, Josi is just a glorified Morgan Reilly.

[StCapps]

Nah, the Leafs are better than Nashville, I wouldn't trade you the Leafs top players for Nashville's, the only thing they have that the Leafs don't, is Roman Josi, but he's not Hedman, he's not Colton Parayko, Josi is just a glorified Morgan Reilly.

Just because the Leafs have a better squad for 10 years down the road doesn't mean they are the better team right now. Just because you wouldn't trade rosters because of future upside doesn't make your team better right this instant. Nice try.

[Smitty-48]

Yeah, you're a bitter Leafs resenting Avs fan who wants it to be ten years, but it's more like ten months, ten years is how long it's going to take the Av's to rebuild maybe, but the Leaf's window is opening right now.

[StCapps]

Yeah, you're a bitter Leafs resenting Avs fan who wants it to be ten years, but it's more like ten months, ten years is how long it's going to take the Av's to rebuild maybe, but the Leaf's window is opening right now.

I'm not saying it's going to take 10 years, I mean the window will still be open then for the Leafs, and it likely won't be for the Preds, but that doesn't make you the better team, right now. Like I said, not how it works, talk to me in 10 months, at the very least, before you start making crazy claims about the Leafs being better than a team in finals who everyone was sleeping on and you still are sleeping on. You are jumping the gun about them being super awesome just because you like your core better going forward, that's all I'm saying.

[Smitty-48]

The Leafs will be better than the Preds next year, the Preds don't scare me, if there's a team that scares me, it's Tampa Bay.

They were decimated by injuries, but otherwise Tampa Bay in the best team in the league.