I'm not a natural Leafs fan (Rangers first and foremost) but I do appreciate the Leafs and they're my second favorite team in the league. So I am not qualified to make a real judgment since I don't follow as closely as others. However, to me it seems that Babcock is the problem. This is probably the most skilled forward group in the league and the team should not be struggling so much. I feel like Babcock is self-righteous and believes he always knows best who should be on what line, getting more ice time, etc. If it were up to me I'd have Kapanen in the top-six, and let Hyman be on the third line with Kerfoot and Mikheyev. But he seems bent on keeping Kapanen on the third line. Just doesn't make sense to me. And he loves Marincin - Liljegren or Sanding should be on the roster instead. Idk, I feel like he's "old school" and plays favorites. There's no place for that in today's league - you always need to have the best players in the right situaions. Like putting goal scorers with playmakers and good young defenseman in the lineup.

It's the defense.

Ceci.

6-2-2normal nights
0-3-1 on back to back with Hutch in net
You cannot ignore this
4 back to backs in 14 games is kind of brutal
But no more until december sometime because our next ones the other team is also back to back

Some amazing players just a little too top heavy with their 4th line, bottom pairing D and backup goalie just not able to match up with other top teams. Also Tavares missing some time doesn't help.

Actually sadly their 4th line has been the best lol

The back to backs cant be blamed on the league scheduling. Its up to the players to show up to the back to back games or not. Penguins have had the most back to back games 2 of the last 3 years and if your team actually cares and wants to win every game they will show up. Ive seen b2b games for pens where we played better than the first game and some that we played dog ****. The one thing I always notice in the ones we lose is usually lack of effort or interest. Its up to the players.

Kinda think Ovechkin already told you.

You now have a team full of players that are playing hero ball because they need to justify their contracts.

That and You have two guys that can actually stop anyone on the back end (Muzzin & Rielly)

Faulty Logic? Dubas/Shanny have based team design on: other NHL team owners buying into hockey transitioining to a non-contact sport?; the belief that a 'Some Have /Some Have Not' allocation of team CAP makes for a viable team dynamic?; and, assumption that CAP will/ would have already risen significantly?
#1:Leafs currently rank 27/31 in hits (FoxSport), and 'naked eye test' quickly reveals that many of those are 'soft' hits and arguably shouldn't qualify . Dubas/Shanny have assembled a team of skilled 'slippery' players who, for the most part, amass their points through finding seams - and through avoiding contact. Fun to watch but, unless rules change, this remains a contact sport.
#2: how do those who make under $1m currently view a select group (not 1 or 2) elite who make $5m+++...and how will that play in the locker room/ on the ice going forward?
#3 if CAP does not rise as expected, what happens to nature of overall team dynamic and what happens when Horton/Clarkson LTIRs run out?

Babcock. Old, outdated tactics, underplays his superstars, always starts backup on 2nd half of back to back without any consideration for the team he’s facing

I think the #1 issue is the team is still meshing together. They did overhaul a 3rd of their team. New players, Barrie, Mikheyev, Kerfoot, Ceci, Shore, Spezza and you could even throw in Muzzin and Moore since its their first full season on the team. Look at what St Louis did last year once they A) got good goaltending (Andersen will be better, everyone knows this) and B) started figuring out how to play together. So give it time, they will get healthy, their hardest part of the schedule is behind them and they'll start tightening up defensively. I am not at all worried and I for one am getting really tired of the manic reactions to everything surrounding this franchise.

You are comparing a massive sample size to a very small one

im not saying that leafs have this exact problem. Im just saying that back to backs arent the end of the world. If they players have the will to win they will display their best efforts on the b2b games. I havent watched enough leafs to know if that is exactly the issue with them or not.

A more consistent defensive core and a better team mentality are the two things the Leafs lack.

They're such a top-heavy team. If you tip them over they're going to fall. Tavares being out, but also being extremely relied upon, doesn't help. No depth at wing past the top-6. Defense is new and honestly the pairs don't have good matches. Backup goalie is atrocious.

It's the Toronto curse

Gardiner.

Wait. What? That was last year..

This, unfortunately, is probably the right answer. We need some chicken bones, copal and 30 voodoo dolls each wearing a different nhl jersey.

*team not meshing yet due to large roster and coaching turnover from last year
*injuries to some key players
*tough schedule
*shaky goaltending
*some tough puck luck
*some guys buying the hype and trying to figure it out in order to live up to their contracts
*suspect d structure and system
*coach and gm have different ideas on how the team should be built/play
*Toronto curse..
*...fire Babcock...

Your takes are trash im still waiting for nylander to become a dominant player like you went on about for about 4 months.

If only Toronto had the best player to ever play the game in Leon Draisaitl, I am so tired of people saying that Hack of a winger McDavid is the best player when Draisaitl clearly has carried him his whole career.

Ah now you got jokes

unless you are stuck in 1985 its easy to see Nylander has been pretty good just not scoring

lol but yet he got benched 2 games ago??

Benched because of one play and the coach hates him. Take a look at all his stat lines, he's been decent