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Though Larkin made the team in his first pro year, he did play a year in college after being drafted. Even that was an expedited path to the NHL for a Red Wings prospect. I think there's no chance for Rasmussen to go straight to the NHL. Maybe if we get a top pick in the next few years, but It would be surprising to me if Ras had a legit shot a making the roster even a year from now. Larkin seemed more NHL ready at draft time.

Literally this shows you know nothing about what you're talking about (though your long posting history is a testament to this fact). Mrazek isn't a head case, even the negative press he got said the exact opposite, that he's over confident. His problem is that he tries to complicate easy saves and hopes he can use his elite aestheticism to compensate. And also, by your logic Abdelkader a 20 goal scorer and Cheechoo is an elite player. Because one season really tells you a lot about a player.

I hear you, and I do not disagree to your point. But I believe we are using different glasses here, you are looking at the overall picture of the Maple leafs over say almost 10 years. I am looking at the state of the Maple leafs 3 seasons ago, which was the statement I replied to. And comparing them to now. Backing 3 years the Maple leafs were scrubs, with little to no chance chance of making the playoffs, and if they by some stroke of luck were to make it they would be brushed off by almost any team they were to face. The picture today is different. They have our coach and an intelligent, veteran and battle hardened back end. They have superstars not even in their prime, most notably in Matthews, complemented by budding stars in for example Nylander just to mention one. They shook it up in the playoffs this year and in my opinion you could see what is to come, this and many following seasons. They will finish in a playoff spot in our division for many years. I would argue that they did retool, not rebuild, as good as any team could have possibly managed to do in 3 years. Exceedingly, in this case I would argue that their retooling exceeds the traditional notion of the word, closing in on, although not quite reaching what is normally mentioned as rebuild, given all the factors mentioned above.

They have a good potential base in Larkin, AA, Mantha, Svechnikov, and Cholowski. Dekeyser, Tatar, Nyquist are all still fairly young complimentary players. There are a few young guys who can fill out the bottom of the roster. If Larkin ends up as a legit #1 center and Mantha as a #1 winger, and they can find a #1 D and a goalie they can trust long term, or at least until Petruzelli is ready, they could have a contender in 3 years.

Sorry to hear about the butt cancer Edzo, get well soon buddy.

They started rebuilding in 2008-09 when Sundin left the team, they fired Maurice, and started shipping off players. Doing the math in my head... that's a little longer than 3 years. Rebuilds don't happen in 2-3 years. The Leafs tried this and it took them FIVE seasons before they made a playoff appearance with the core of Phaneuf and Kessel. Then, after being bumped in the first round, they regressed, and tore it all down again. Add another 5 years and now they've made the playoffs again with their core of Matthews and company, only to be bumped in the first round again. I'm not even willing to call their rebuild successful yet. They're a young team with a bright future, but until they make waves in the playoffs that doesn't matter much. Remember how confident they were going forward with Phaneuf/Kessel/Lupul/JVR? How did that work out? I'll believe their rebuild is complete when I see a cup contending team. To be fair, they look much better in my eyes then they did in 2012-13, but this is still a team that is very much building. With the addition of Hainsey and Marleau they will be at the cap this year and should be gunning for a deeper playoff run. Should be a pivotal season for them.

Only if you ignore the botched rebuild 07-12 and them missing the playoffs for that period. Shanahan isn't really the beginning of their rebuild to me, since they've been trying to rebuild for so long before that. To me It's like saying the Edmonton rebuild started with Chiarelli and them picking up McDavid.

that doesn't help when you have Kenny "Gotta play it safe" Holland in charge It shouldn't need to take more thaqn 2 or 3 years if they were smart about it. Now Holland has them backed into a corner

Re-builds don't take 2-3 years, re-tooling does.

Good, better draft picks.

At 9th overall he better be better than a top 6 forward, he better be a top line forward

At the end of the day, I think the cold, hard truth is that we need to get lucky in one or more of the next several drafts and score us some truly elite talent. I don't think the UFA market will save us. I don't think the trade market will save us. I highly doubt the talent that we already have in the system will be enough. We need a Rasmus Dahlin in the worst way.

That's not true. Teams can reacquire a player vegas picked, they just can't reacquire a player they traded in a window prior to the expansion draft. https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1324769-nhl-confirms-teams-can-reacquire-players-taken-in-expansion-draft

Ya, the way I look at it Holland had 3 plans. 1) Sign Suter, he came close, but obviously this didnt workout. 2) Draft a ton of kids, hope one breaks out. Again obviously this didnt workout, I remember back then they had high high hopes for Smith. 3) Elevate Kronwall. This is what he did. Tough spot to be in when a franchise D retires, really can't replace that.

Konstantinov would be suspended every other game if he played like he did back then. Wussification of the USA (and Canada)

these two

My point is who is better now means nothing, its who would you rather have in 2 years from now. Everything we talk about on this board is either specification or analysis.

No, he's not one of their best players. I like the kid, but he's probably going to top out as a 45-ish point secondary scorer, similar level as Tatar and Nyquist, both of whom were overhyped at one point as well. That being said, Holland has completely screwed the pooch this off season. Let's assume AA ends up with a $2 mil cap hit, similar to Sheahan. They send Sproul down so they can run with 7 D and 14 F. Svechnikov and Frk make the team. Tatar, Zetterberg, Nyquist, Abdelkader, Nielsen, Mantha, Svechnikov, Larkin, AA, Helm Glendening, Sheahan, Witkowski, Frk Daley. Dekeyser, Green, Ericsson, Kronwall, Jensen, XO Howard, Mrazek That puts them roughly $2 mil OVER the cap, after Franzen takes his trip to LTIR land. And Holland's plan seems to be hoping for someone who makes enough money to matter to be on LTIR for the year, which means someone who makes at least $3 mil because they'll need $975k or so to bring in a replacement unless they keep 22 players on the active roster all year. And that team has one first line caliber forward and zero top pair caliber D and 2 goalies who are huge question marks, plus a head coach who appears to be completely clueless. But ownership trusts Holland's plan. Zetterberg 4 more years, Tatar 4 more years, Abdelkader 6 more years, Nielsen 5 more years, Nyquist 2 more years, Helm 4 more years, Glendening 4 more years, Dekeyser 5 more years, Kronwall 2 more years, Ericsson and Daley 3 more years, XO and Jensen 2 more years, Weiss on the books 4 more years, Howard 2 more years. And they have to decide about Sheahan and Mrazek, plus extend Larkin and Mantha. Well done Kenny.