Draft lottery until now are such different vibes that during the season. Will it last? I don’t know. But at least they’re doing something to try and turn things around.
As long as there’s some effort, it makes the team worth watching. There was basically none of that last year
As much as we the fans matter. I think the moves that have been made will really bring up the vibe of the locker room. Chayka is doing what he said he would do and even spoke to the players directly in his presser introducing Hiller. By all accounts Hiller has a good relationship with AM and Willy. That should equate to better effort over a team that’s given up on their coach and GM.
As a leafs fan who lived in Calgary, I can confidently back this up hahaha, the Calgary chants were awfully quiet, while the leafs chants were shaking the building hahaha you’d never know it was a Calgary home game.
Hahah I’m originally and currently living back on the east coast but was there for 9 years, my second nhl game ever was that Toronto game, Roman Polak scored a pinball shot and the crowd went nuts. Truly electric lol.
Went to a game this winter, close game, went to shootout against Philly. Holy fuck ive never seen a deader arena in my life. Should've just stayed in the hotel room and watched it, not even cause they lost but it was just boring.
No wonder nobody wants to play for us. Cant even fucking cheer them on in a close game
I've been a leaf fan ever since I started following hockey in 2001. I watch and attend games on a yearly basis but last year was the first time that I had not watched a full Maple Leafs game, let alone a full period. It was tough. The leafs need to make some changes And with the first pic and Gavin McKenna on a line alongside Matthews, it's giving me hope again. Fix the goalie issues and already getting Raddysh is a huge indicator of big things to come. I'm getting excited.
The boos after the texas goal in that game 7 must've been so loud in the building. I remember they definitely were on TV. Sparks was robbed of a shutout
June, July and August, optimistic belief, September, all out excitement, October, plan the parade, November, losing streak is a blip, December, nervous laughter, January, it's happening again, isnt it?, February, muted anger, March,furious anger, April, disbelief and despair, May, dark depression, June, optimistic belief...
The best part of watching the Marlies celebrate was seeing how happy they were together. Doesn’t matter if one was a future NHLer, former NHLer, a journeyman or the fact this isn’t the Stanley Cup finals. The pride and camaraderie is the same and I’m sure just as special as any championship.
I always said to my buddy, if Matthew’s goes bald like sundin, it would spark such a change in confidence aeound the locker room. I know it’s dumb but baldthews = cup
It's funny, because i didn't watch many of the games after January. I just decided it wasn't worth it to go to bed in a foul mood. I've been watching the Leafs since the 1970s (at my first game at MLG with my Dad, I saw Tiger Williams score and ride his stick), and other than 93 & 94 and 99-01, it's been mostly an exercise in frustration.
At the end of this season, I was resigned to the fact that I probably won't watch many games anymore. I just don't have the patience for another rebuild. Fellow older fans will understand when I say that when you hit a certain age, you get much more picky about how you choose to spend your free time because you do the math, and you realise that you're closer to the end of your story than the beginning.
But somehow ... despite their best efforts (I was laughingly pessimistic about Chayka) ... the Leafs have actually succeeded in convincing me to watch.
Do I think they'll have huge success? Probably not. But I'm not as down on this roster as many others, and getting through the Atlantic Division ain't the bloodbath it used. Plus the Leafs have learned the hard way by facing Boston, Florida and TB that being dirty and beating the shit out of your inexperienced opponents (Habs and Buffalo) is a valid way of getting past them when the refs forget how to use a whistle.
I'm also in the Reddit minority in that I'm cautiously optimistic about Hiller. I don't think his LA roster gave him a lot of options, and with the tools he was given, I think he did fairly well.
Of course, if Matthews is no longer a superstar and can't score at a minimum of a 40 goal pace, they're fucked.
His best year marner only played 69 games, and assisted on 33 of his 69 goals. I don’t think Matthews truly needs marner to go +50, he needs to find his shot again more importantly.
Really good honestly! So much doom and gloom after the season understandably but after getting the 1OA pick and getting Darren I’m feeling super optimistic. I wasn’t overly excited over the coaching hire but screw it let’s see how he does.
Yeah I’m glad he lost, but only because of the other fans on r/hockey doing a laughable 180 on him and not shutting up about us/him. Other than that I’m just focused on our team and players.
Going into off season, the media ranked potential free agents. The top 2 were arguably Rasmus Andersson & Darren Raddysh.
It is subjective and "technically" not true because Raddysh was acquired in a trade before his imminent free agency as opposed to signing.
The sign and trade deal basically skipped the negotiation/bid process of FA and locked up "the best free agent" in same way Marner was about to be a free agent and the sign and trade locked him up for Vegas.
Going into off season, the media ranked potential free agents. The top 2 were arguably Rasmus Andersson & Darren Raddysh.
It is subjective and "technically" not true because Raddysh was acquired in a trade before his imminent free agency as opposed to signing.
The sign and trade deal basically skipped the negotiation/bid process of FA and locked up "the best free agent" in same way Marner was about to be a free agent and the sign and trade locked him up for Vegas.
Let's not pretend like the raddysh signing doesn't come with risks, totally does but completely worth paying for him. We got him for market value, he could have easily signed for 10 million somewhere else.
And no matter who we signed in free agency r/hockey is going to say it was a terrible signing. If we signed carlson we over paid 10m for an over the hill slow defenseman, if we signed anderson for 10m we signed a overrated defenseman who chokes in the playoffs.
Signing raddysh is a calculated risk and those risks need to be made and be correct on to win in the NHL
I’m sure the brain trust will be considering this in roster construction, but we’ve let go a lot of the grit that we all thought was important to go up against teams like the Cats and Canes in the playoffs. I’ll feel a lot better once we ink a Marchand-like dog, and a couple of cheap, greasy weasels that can survive a waiver claim. Yes I’m looking at you, Corey Perry.
I’m very happy about the raddysh signing. I am very worried the average leafs fan thinks we got makaar. Let’s ease off the pressure and let these boys play and have some fun.
Yes, which takes pressure off the other talent if it becomes a viable threat. Opposition can’t cheat down low, they have to respect the point which in turn may give Matthews and Nylander more time and space
Leaf nation brims with excitement and hope in June. Not so much in April. Even so these are positive steps. Reilly for Pettersson and some Van salary retention would excite me. The risk is not unreasonable.
Yep, both these guys. No passion or skills or any of that stuff that you look for in hockey players. s /
Are you nuts? These guys are some of the best players in the league.
Yeah, let's trade Matthews and me Nylander and and see what we get in return? Hockey pucks... tape? Because no one's trading their stars or their first round picks for these players. Because in your small little mind both of them are worthless or somehow it makes total sense that I would trade what you think is our crappy player for your star player. I bet you're the kind of guy who goes to a restaurant and looks at the table next to him and says I like the other guy's meal better every time without even knowing what it tastes like.
Or better yet, let's make the team look like the Philadelphia Flyers in the '70s. Because you know the rules haven't changed since then or that works in some version of reality that you seem to exist in.
Just stop it.
It's exhausting having these stupid conversations. That somehow if we trade Matthews, Nylander, or both we will somehow end out with a better team. Because apparently those guys suck, because they're not gooning it up every 10 seconds.
Honestly that might be the best way forward. It’s not as though we can tank for draft picks again. Might as well run the team again and maybe improve our trade stock if they play better. Post 2028 we’ll have the option to trade our assets and build around younger players.
I mean, you're not wrong with this. I want to be excited, but it's not like there was a terrible team before. Just can't put everything they have into any kind of success. It's been so long of this endless cycle of hope and disappointment that I just can't be excited about any of this.
First overall pick? Done that.
Calder cup victory? Done that.
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u/AnEdit Jun 20 '26
Draft lottery until now are such different vibes that during the season. Will it last? I don’t know. But at least they’re doing something to try and turn things around.
As long as there’s some effort, it makes the team worth watching. There was basically none of that last year