2025-2026 NHL Regular Season Thread: Core 4 No More 3-Peat Cats 2 LTIR 1 Olympic Dream

[Obsidian]

The Leafs suck but Guentzel just doinked the post on an empty net from about 10 feet away, lol. The Leafs then immediately scored to break the shutout.

[Sepukku]

Hes still a gold medalist and your country is still a silver medaling nation

[Bombur]

NHL Hockey is a tough watch given we were treated to a best on best tournament last week.

[Bombur]

The Leafs suck but Guentzel just doinked the post on an empty net from about 10 feet away, lol. The Leafs then immediately scored to break the shutout.

Patrick Stephan miss was the best ever !

[Bombur]

Welcome back to the NHL Brady Tkachuk..lol

https://x.com/TSN_Sports/status/2027...044103960?s=20

[Obsidian]

At least the Leafs are making it as obvious as they can that they should be sellers. Holy fuck are they unwatchable though.

[Obsidian]

The 2025-2026 Toronto Maple Leafs, in a nutshell: https://x.com/jlazzy23/status/2027207215472312798?s=46

[Bombur]

Thank god Panarin got out of that Rangers dumpster fire, this looks way more fun.

[Salodin]

At least the Leafs are making it as obvious as they can that they should be sellers. Holy fuck are they unwatchable though.

https://x.com/i/status/2027206697035419714

The goal would go on to be called back for offsides, but lmfao

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[Sepukku]

Seriously, what happened to Morgan Reilly. He once looked like he was going to be an elite defenseman and now anytime I catch the Leafs highlights or box score it looks like a geriatric OEL is taking over his #1 spot.

[synistar]

Thank god Panarin got out of that Rangers dumpster fire, this looks way more fun.

at least he gets to enjoy the nice warm SoCal weather. high 70s at the beach and low 90s inland.

Also Fire Hiller plz. He's long lost the room.

[Obsidian]

Seriously, what happened to Morgan Reilly. He once looked like he was going to be an elite defenseman and now anytime I catch the Leafs highlights or box score it looks like a geriatric OEL is taking over his #1 spot.

IMO it's a combination of they don't deploy him correctly and the style of hockey Berube wants the team to play emphasizes the weakest parts of Morgan's game (ie, gap control). They barely have the puck anymore so he's forced into defense more often, and they're deploying him like a #1 D man when he just isn't that anymore. Would probably be a great second pair guy but they can't afford to use him like that because they have no one younger than him to eat his minutes. Through his entire time as a Leaf he's also never had a stable D partner. They change out his pairing constantly to try to prop up the other pairings and he gets whatever call-up or frequent healthy scratch is left over, which makes him look even worse.

He's being scapegoated this year by fans, but I don't want him traded. He makes too much to be a second pair guy probably but he's been a lifelong Leaf, he's incredible with fans and the community, and he's a great locker room presence. The entire D core is old and slow. I really hope they get what they can for OEL at the deadline because they need to revamp this entire defense (and probably fire the GM and almost definitely the coach).

[Richybear]

He’s Evan Bouchard with less ceiling.

I don’t even mean that badly. Just saying they can both put up offence from the point, but own blue line and in, it’s pure anxiety to watch them potentially get dog walked by even the ice clean up crew

[Obsidian]

He wasn't always this bad defensively though. He's just older and also being forced to play way more defense now which is a bad combo.

[Salodin]

IMO it's a combination of they don't deploy him correctly and the style of hockey Berube wants the team to play emphasizes the weakest parts of Morgan's game (ie, gap control). They barely have the puck anymore so he's forced into defense more often, and they're deploying him like a #1 D man when he just isn't that anymore. Would probably be a great second pair guy but they can't afford to use him like that because they have no one younger than him to eat his minutes. Through his entire time as a Leaf he's also never had a stable D partner. They change out his pairing constantly to try to prop up the other pairings and he gets whatever call-up or frequent healthy scratch is left over, which makes him look even worse.

He's being scapegoated this year by fans, but I don't want him traded. He makes too much to be a second pair guy probably but he's been a lifelong Leaf, he's incredible with fans and the community, and he's a great locker room presence. The entire D core is old and slow. I really hope they get what they can for OEL at the deadline because they need to revamp this entire defense (and probably fire the GM and almost definitely the coach).

Sounds like a perfect fit for the Florida Panthers

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[Melena]

Sounds like a perfect fit for the Florida Panthers

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He'd be a massive upgrade on the sharks as well lol.

Still happy with the season. Just want Celebrini to hit 100+ points and the team just be competitive.

Also thank fuck we no longer have to play the Flames anymore. I swear it seems like over half their wins have come against the California teams this year.

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[Salodin]

He'd be a massive upgrade on the sharks as well lol.

Still happy with the season. Just want Celebrini to hit 100+ points and the team just be competitive.

Also thank fuck we no longer have to play the Flames anymore. I swear it seems like over half their wins have come against the California teams this year.

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Shedding the cold weather is like taking off the weighted clothes in dragonball

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[Richybear]

too bad you can't shed LTIR money in playoffs anymore

[Salodin]

Lowkey it's no coincidence the first year they change LTIR rules is also the moment where one of the favorites for the cup is stuck trying not to be last in the division. It is legit a handicap to have an injured player worth over 3mil I think it was. Sucks fucking balls if it's your team heh

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[Bombur]

Less than a week left until the TDL and as of this post, one significant trade has happened across the entire NHL.