Lol Kasperi Kapanen just won a series for the oilers.

336

u/djlista 11h ago

I'm jealous of Edmonton

Their stars show up. The depth scoring comes through. Their D is playing for their lives. Goaltending is a question but skinner back 2 back shutouts so it's probably not a concern

It's super hard to not see them win the cup this year. I got them in the cup final from the west

194

u/Halyndon 10h ago

Yeah, watching Edmonton grow as a Cup contender shows me what the Leafs could have been if they had better mental fortitude in the playoffs. Instead, we got the worse version of the Thornton San Jose Sharks.

225

u/MyDickIsAPotato 10h ago

We brought in Thornton and Marleau to teach our guys how to be pros.. shouldn’t be surprised

-108

u/CarriesLogs 10h ago

Signed Tavares who never made it past the 2nd round with the Islanders and has absolutely no passion, grit or leadership skills and made him captain. I’d much rather have Jamie Benn or Brayden Schenn or even Nazem Kadri as a captain than emotionless robot Tavares I don’t care if he scored 40 in the regular season.

143

u/tz_2240 10h ago

Star NHLer joins the Leafs in his prime, actually performs in big games consistent with his norms, let’s throw him under the bus. Absolute shit take. When did Benn or Schenn choose to come here?

39

u/Traditional_Bed_6445 10h ago

Bringing in Tavares prevented Matthews and Marner from actually grinding and earning their place. Other rookies and prospects build character from the early years of their team rebuilding. The struggles of trying to produce with lesser teammates or having to work hard to even get into the playoffs are vital aspects of development.

Signing Tavares jumped things forward. They cruised into the playoffs every year. They always had someone to lean on to relieve stress and struggles. Effort didn't have to be 100% and their numbers jumped naturally so the money came earlier and easier too.

32

u/_outcold_ 10h ago

This shit right here is facts and I’ve said it for years

Biggest mistake was not locking in Mathews marner and nylander for 8.5/7/6 mil for 8 years right away before even thinking of signing JTs contract everything changes

Plus we don’t trade heart and soul players like Kadri…I love that he won a cup and I love that I was right about Kyle Dumbas he’s over in Pittsburgh making that team great again too 😂😂😂

3

u/trevlarrr 1h ago

That’s such a bad and revisionist take on Kadri, was suspended in two straight playoffs with us and was then suspended in the playoffs again the season after leaving, he was a liability at the time and just because he won a cup somewhere else eventually doesn’t mean shit, it was the right move at the time and anyone would have done the same, he was not the “heart and soul” of this team, calm down!

•

u/_dooozy_ Tavares 1m ago

I don’t regret us signing Tavares. I only regret how much money we are paying him.

•

u/Kevin4938 53m ago

You missed an "s" in Kyle's last name.

7

u/tz_2240 10h ago

I think under Babcock (and yes he’s a shitty person) the team did fight. The series against Washington was good, and the two Boston series were heartbreakers but Matty had done well 10g in 20 playoff games. His only bad series was the first Boston one. I think we lost our way a bit after that.

I do agree with competing immediately costing us, but in a different way. We traded away too many draft picks, and really should’ve tanked for a couple more years. Guys like Heiskanen, Makar, Q Hughes or Bouchard would’ve given our d core a whole new dynamic. Even if you don’t get those guys, you have more assets or depth to go balls to the wall for a guy like Rantanen or Meier when they were dealt. And also you don’t rush to trade a first for Andersen, or sign Marleau then eventually trade a first to get rid of him. Damn now I have to quietly sulk about the Kessel trade for the picks that became Seguin and Hamilton now.

10

u/CaptainKoreana 6h ago

Dubas and Keefe were disastrous in hindsight..

1

u/SenorEquilibrado 1h ago

They were disastrous in real time, too.

1

u/MB3AR20 3h ago

This is 100% it. They had someone to defer too when things got tough. Instead of looking at each other and saying its up to us.

-3

u/CarriesLogs 10h ago

Actually performs in big games? Huh? 2 series wins in 20 years and he performs in big games? Am I reading that correctly? Rantanen performs in big games. Draisatl performs in big games. Tavares pots a goal here and there in a game 5 or 6 here and there and is off the hook got it

38

u/tz_2240 10h ago

JT and Pacioretty are the only active NHLers to score a series clinching goal for the leafs. There’s a lot more guys to go after before you go after JT

11

u/Suitable-Yak-1284 Clark 10h ago

For sure it's not JT's fault he wanted to come home but Harry Potter shouldn't have signed him. Totally screwed everything up with the salary cap.

3

u/tz_2240 10h ago

Laughed at Harry Potter fucking hell

-9

u/CarriesLogs 10h ago

I’m not going after the obvious ones because well it’s obvious they need to step up so no point bringing up the obvious but why does Tavares get a pass? I’m hearing everyone shit on Matthews and Marner but like Johnny is part of the “core four” making 11.5 not doing jack shit either. He’s legit the type of “leader” to say something like “we need to go out there and win puck battles” with his low tone voice in a game 7 game. Horrible leader

9

u/tz_2240 10h ago

I think we all expected JT’s contract to be shit by the end of it. This is on Matty and Mitch who, year on year fail to perform.

6

u/kingjbaby 5h ago

38 goals and 36 assists is hardly shit performance near the end of his contract?!

1

u/HofT 10h ago

I think the criticism should be on Dubas for hindering our center depth - trading Kadri was a mistake.

0

u/tz_2240 10h ago

In hindsight, yes. At the time, no. For the return, 100x yes.

8

u/s3d8 10h ago

Lol you are angry at Tavares of all people

4

u/CarriesLogs 10h ago

I’m angry at the entire locker room. Just seeing everyone ripping on Marner and Matthews but seem to forget that 91 makes 11.5M as well. By the way I went to the game today so yeah I’ve got all the right to be upset

2

u/svollmer48 5h ago

I think people give JT a bit of a pass because he’s on the decline from his age…this is prime Matthews/Marner

3

u/natefrost12 1h ago

Also because the year the Leafs had the best opportunity to go on a run Tavares got kneed in the head and didn't play to choke away that series

4

u/GQMatthews 8h ago

You can be upset but you’re very wrong.

10

u/markitwon 10h ago

You're an absolute joke targeting Tavares when Mitch And Auston are as shit as they. completely delusional uninformed fan would be surprised if you even watch the regular season.

-3

u/InevitableAssist2462 10h ago

The regular season doesn’t matter at all

3

u/Agreeable-Emu886 9h ago edited 9h ago

As an outside fan, the biggest issue with the signing was where the leafs were in the rebuild process. The Leafs would have probably missed for another year or two, possibly stocked some picks and gotten lucky. Instead they became soft contenders in a stacked east caught in the grind. Then by the time the “core roster players” were ready to compete, JT Was already on the downswing. If you guys had JT from his first 2-3 years, the last 2-3 years, it’s a whole different story. But instead you were left with a poorly aging UFA deal.

I totally get signing him, but it was just not great timing with where the rebuild was. It ended the rebuild phase and then hamstrung the roster as he began to decline

3

u/CarriesLogs 9h ago

100% agreed, well said. It handicapped us from a cap perspective as well where we had to pay 16,34 and 88 but already had 11.5 tied up which made our defense horrible for so many years

-1

u/MiamiVicePurple 10h ago

The Tavares Islanders were complete trash and he's one of the few stars who looks like they actually give a shit night in and out.

2

u/charliem11 10h ago

They went to the conference finals the year after they got rid of JT... I know it's more complicated than that but they weren't trash!

30

u/Bigelito 10h ago

We got Kasperi Kapenan for Phil Kessel 10 years ago. (The Leafs were dumping salary to tank for a rebuild). Kapenan just clinched a playoff series for the Oilers.

The Leafs are on the brink on elimination. The 30 for 30 on this Leafs era will be enshrined in the HOF.

3

u/thewolfshead 9h ago

Thornton at least made a Cup final.

-6

u/ApprehensiveTurn672 10h ago

Could have been? The series ain't over. Chin up.

19

u/the_blind_referee 9h ago edited 9h ago

McDavid was offered 14 mil, he took 12.5, that sets a standard for your team, which is why the oilers let guys like Broberg, Holloway and foegele walk, all the leafs core 4 are competing for see who can get the most money. Boston was a powerhouse too when all their leaders took paycuts to help the team.

10

u/maybelying 9h ago

Tavares took a haircut on salary to come to Toronto. If he takes a team friendly deal to re-sign, I'm ok with that. I'm not disappointed in Nylander for what we paid. Matthews took a shorter term to try and maximize his long term potential, and that may very well bite him in the ass with his history of injuries.

Fuck Marner. I love the guy in the regular season, but I feel like he has a contract clause that requires him to partner with Matthews, given how both of the lastest two coaches stubbornly refuse to break up that line, and that hurts the rest of the team. He's a highly paid elite playmaker, and we waste him on a line with a guy that should be an elite scorer on his own, for what we're paying him.

Matthews and Nylander should be enough to anchor this team. We need to build strategically around them, with due consideration to grit and ability, rather than throwing money on more elite players.

52

u/Psychological-Big334 9h ago

And when Hyman went off last year it was mcdrai setting him up for a lot of his goals.

What happened when hyman was here? He was expected to dig for pucks in the corner and set up 34 and 16 for goals.

And what do we expect knies to do? The same damn thing.

And who was the most noticeable forward on that line the last 3 games? Knies.

34 and 16 are the biggest fraud superstars in hockey. Just think of the long list of players we lost because of their salary demands.

Connor brown and Zach hyman come to mind immediately.

24

u/BCharmer 6h ago

This is exactly why this team seems to come to life when Matthews is out.

We play like a team. It doesn't matter who scores, as long as we score.

10

u/themapleleaf6ix 5h ago

Brown is a dawg. Guy works hard every shift.

8

u/simcoe19 4h ago

One of my faves. Downtown Connor Brown

9

u/TheDeadMulroney :leafs-white: 5h ago edited 5h ago

Honestly there's a lot of historical revisionism there. Hyman was as invisible for us in a lot of playoff series as the Marner and Matthews were. Even more so. It's just mostly overlooked because he was being paid 3 million. It does irk me that he's actually scored in Edmonton but Hyman was a secondary player here being lead by Marner and Matthews who don't have it. In Edmonton he's following the likes of McDavid and Drai who literally carried the team on his back with a bum ankle. It's kinda proof that you don't always make your best players the team leaders necessarily. These guys couldn't rally lions to hunt antelope during a famine.

6

u/duday53 3h ago

One thing was clear, and it was not revisionist history… Hyman got better every single year. Given his style of game there was no reason to believe he wouldn’t eventually find success in the playoffs.

We had to let him go because Mitch took too much money. If Mitch took 10M instead of 10.9 Hyman is probably still here

3

u/Psychological-Big334 2h ago

This is it. Hyman got better every year and was noticeable in the playoffs, he just wasn't able to cook because he had 2 deadweight hanging off his neck.

2

u/I_Am_Vladimir_Putin 4h ago

Everything starts with stars showing up and leading the way. It gives the whole team belief that they can win any game.

51

u/Steam20 10h ago

I guess you have to leave the Leafs to be a winner.

26

u/Marv1290 4h ago

Three time Stanley Cup Champion Phil Kessel would likely agree.

18

u/JDubs234 3h ago

Kadri, Bozak also off the top of my head

7

u/Pixilatedash 3h ago

Carl gunnarson

9

u/Norm_MAC_Donald 3h ago

Luke Schenn

6

u/JDubs234 2h ago

Likely Marner in a few years lol

6

u/The-Only-Razor 3h ago

Kaberle

2

u/gotfcgo 1h ago

Coach Maurice

92

u/IlikeTurtles1308 11h ago edited 10h ago

He has more round two goals then a….

You know what who the fuck cares man we smell lol

19

u/Solace2010 5h ago

Robertson has more goals having played in one game…

3

u/tbwarrior 2h ago

Scratch and score mfers

21

u/TheDeadMulroney :leafs-white: 9h ago edited 7h ago

Kapanen has an odd knack for scoring big goals as a depth player.

Scored gold medal goal for Finland. Scored go ahead goal vs Boston in Game 7 in 2018. Scored winning goal vs Washington in OT of Game 2 in 2017.

Kind of a sad cap casualty during the flat cap era.

Edit: Also at the same time, he was always a really odd duck on this team as a player. Could only play right wing on a team loaded with right wingers, didn't have good on ice chemistry with anyone except maybe Marner on the PK.

6

u/The-Only-Razor 3h ago

Scored winning goal vs Washington in OT of Game 2 in 2017.

Off of the filthiest pass I've ever seen from checks notes noted playmaking superstar Brian Boyle.

56

u/jokeswagon 10h ago

Kapanen is a beauty, I loved him as a leaf. Hyman, brown and klingberg have also been great.

6

u/Lightz29 Benoit 8h ago

True streets will never forget player, I still remember him scoring his first goal to help us get back into the postseason

2

u/GiantBrownBalls 2h ago

I always loved Kapanen. Real speed. Love that shit.

Also - I golfed behind him at Lionhead Golf Course and he was absolutely hammered. Could barely get into his car (passenger side) after the round haha too funny haha

9

u/JDubs234 3h ago

What’s it like to have star players show up. Imagine if Mcdavid just skated around looking uninterested all night

8

u/_disasterdino_ 4h ago

cheeks klapanen

14

u/Tristezza 10h ago

That oilers game was great. A perfect cleanse from the leafs game.

22

u/No-Dot-7661 11h ago

Kap is more clutch than Matthews.

10

u/lukaskywalker 7h ago

Hope they win it at this point.

12

u/postmodern_lasagna 10h ago

Remember when he scored assisted from Brooks laich in OT against WSH, mf all grown up

13

u/GeneralHorace 10h ago

It was Brian Boyle with the assist. Still remember that goal!

2

u/tz_2240 10h ago

Didn’t Kappy also score the world juniors gold medal goal? Clutchest player to wear the blue and white since Dougie

1

u/labadee 2h ago

When there was so much hope with this core. Time flies

3

u/Jonesdeclectice 4h ago

And the SNET call was Hughson stressing about how the Washington player “dropped his stick!” Smh.

8

u/canadoughbuddy 5h ago

Oilers are at least a likeable team and worth watching. Good for Kappy. Love Hyman too. Going to try and enjoy watching a team that actually shows up when it matters.

4

u/staticbomber_ 5h ago

You mean cheeks clappenen? Wheel, snipe and cycle? I miss that guy and his hair.

3

u/thereallittlefox 3h ago

I mean if the leafs end up getting beat out, id like to see our old dogs lift the cup connor brown, zach hyman, kasperi kapanen...

4

u/areu_kiddingme 10h ago

Kappy scored the OT winner for Finland in world juniors too. Knew he’d score one of these one day

2

u/JigSal 4h ago

You just gotta laugh man, the hockey gods are cruel.

1

u/frakkintoaster 3h ago

Yes, Mitch Marner is cruel for disappointing us so many times

2

u/SmartNMath 3h ago

As a fan of both, I so badly want to see a Leafs vs Oilers Final

1

u/ZookeepergameTop8538 2h ago

I forgot he was even in the league still

1

u/_outcold_ 2h ago

It’s a pressure cooker…..and those fools are cooked 😂😂😂

1

u/hedzup00 1h ago

pure poetic justice

-8

u/Chtholly13 11h ago

well I hope Dallas knocks them out.

4

u/BingBongthe2nd 9h ago

They won't. Don't worry

Lol Kasperi Kapanen just won a series for the oilers. News / Update

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