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Imo the odds are your latter statement. It's going to come down to not being able to afford all the young players on 2nd contracts. Tough decisions will have to be made, and imo, that's a very good position to be. A tough one, but nonetheless, a very good one. I have confidence it won't be f*^@*d- up like how the last regime did it. And again, some of these guys will be traded somewhere down the line.
I now it's early and guys need time to develop, but, based on my early observations I haven't seen any of the young guys other than #98 & #72 flash anything that screams cornerstone. From my eye they are mostly trending to be mid/sold types. I don't care if this team comes anywhere near the playoffs this season, all that really matters is that another handful of young players step up and project to be capable of skating on a top line and putting the opposing team on their heals.
Good post, but I hope your last sentence will be wrong. Last season was definitely a struggle to score. Hoping not this season. A big disappointment if that happens. However, I do expect most goals to be ugly, except for Bedard, Kureshev (sp) and Teuvo for the most part. No offense to you, but I sure hope you're mistaken about picking Top-10 again. Definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
I'm mainly projecting on the college highlights of some of the past picks. I admit doing it in college and taking the next step to the NHL is two different animals. Moore, Rinzel, Greene, Nazar (although he did play a few games with the big boys) among others in college and the juniors. One thing I've noticed about them is they all have one thing in common, they can skate!
For sure, but they are all still very young like you say, and one that you noted is the generational talent, and the other is to me sort of the hit rate you'd expect with this many first and second round picks. I keep going back to a previous post of mine, 8 first round picks in a 3 year span. The hit rate on those should be very high. But even if we hit on just 4, you're going to hit on a bunch of later round picks too like you already have with Vlasic, you need to figure out a way to spread that out some to keep the pipeline of talented youth flowing instead of them all being ready at once. In a salary cap era we have plenty of space now, but that's going to shrink considerably in the coming years especially when you have to expect Bedard to set the tone at what ever the max for him will be.
I agree about having the cornerstones, that's imperative. Let's take the previous Cup team. I would say Toews, Hossa, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook and Njarmasson (sp) were cornerstones. (should of kept Buff and Brouwer). I made have missed someone, but that's 7 cornerstones. Imo, that's a ton. I agree with the two you named on the present team. I am hoping that the BHs will get 5-7 more from the last 4 drafts. Especially from KD's 3. KD has had 8 - 1sts...5 - 2nds......8 - 3rds....that's 21 picks and if 1 in 3 hit as cornerstones and the rest solid players, ....who knows what can happen? I'm sure there are a few lower picks who may work out. Del Mastro, Crevier, Phillips, Pharand, Marcel......But, yes, I'm speculating. But I hope it's more than speculation, and more correct observation on their talent. Time will tell.
Next year Toronto's No. 1 is Top-10 protected.......unprotected if carried over to '26. But at least it is a No.1 pick in hand.
I think we'll see a D prospect. Who? I think traning camp will determine that. But guys like Murphy and Martinez are capable of being the 6-7 and coming in if the kids aren't up to snuff yet.
Well....they could improve by 30 points....a huge improvement....and still be picking in the top 10 (right around 10).
yea...guess I wasn't aware of the point jump to make the playoffs, or even getting out of the Bottom - 10. Thanks for the epiphany.....
I'll agree to a point but I think he sees that big meadow just beyond end of the trees.....lol.....as I stated in a previous post...He was a -4 on a team that was a -111.....to me, that's telling.
I don't put much faith in Plus minus. Kaiser was a 0 in his stint. Really liked what he had going there for a while. Hope he continues too but I still think pickle is better right now.
There is time.
What was his biggest mistake? Bickell contract? Seabrook’s extension? Trading Panarin and getting bad players back?
I think the goalie is going to be the key. In the last 4 drafts they only picked one, Gajan in the second round next year. I'm not a big fan of their goalie development over the last however long since Crow, but they must be confident they can eventually overpay one to come here. I know nothing about how Gajan did this year.
One can debate which of those moves plus dozens of others were transactionally the worst, but the biggest mistake was retaining a GM that lacked any vision and strategy and clearly was in way over his head.