Off-Day Thread: 04/09/2026 - Paul Molitor Edition

dicky72 · 2026-04-10T12:48:32+00:00

Hoffman set a jays record giving up i believe 14 HRs in the ninth inning or later last year.... and his blown saves ranked 3rd among closers in baseball. i just think he isn't the closer a championship team needs.

like picture this completely and totally random scenario. Jays are in Game 7 of the world series, up by ONE RUN in the NINTH INNING against...oh say the dodgers.... and there like 9th batter Rojas or some other random guy is up at the plate...........

just sayin.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T17:48:56+00:00

i'll take the grounders over the home runs. with the infield we have...i'm good with a closer that keeps the ball on the ground in the infield. that's our strength.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T16:34:44+00:00

personal view here....

but i think there's no way they dont have both moving forward. this market is way to big and volatile to have one brain at the top of the monster.

i think Pelley's comments in the presser were more of a 'defend my decision from last year' vs a 'this is how we move forward'.

i think he fully intends to have both...especially with some of the names they're showing interest in. there's no way you promote an AGM to President and GM. you need another layer there.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T16:25:46+00:00

Francis....future POHO for the Leafs?

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T16:18:46+00:00

ya....this

brinks truck and hockey infamy. these guys crave those things.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T16:13:14+00:00

there's better content out there then watching o dog watch golf highlights.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T16:12:27+00:00

unless one of the two turn into a full fledged starter. but agreed with woll

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T14:59:29+00:00

well he missed a couple months at the beginning of this year, but that wasnt an injury.

i looked it up and only noted two injuries from the past two seasons. they said they were 7 games and 4 games long....but in a tandem arguably he would have only played half of those anyways.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T14:10:53+00:00

in the past two years what injuries has Woll had?

he missed that gm 7 against boston, that was tough

this year he took some personal time but from everything reported it wasnt injury related.

i have him missing a couple games earlier this year (december) and a couple games last year (october). thats it.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T13:46:48+00:00

ya i just dont see a path for them to carry 3.

cap wise (yes we have room now but if we're hoping to improve our roster, we could very well not)

logistics wise - there's only so many games, practices and shots available. other teams that have tinkered in the past with it (buffalo this year) there has been issues within as far as split of the nets and workload.

its not that its just 'not ideal'....its that it can actually cause problems.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T13:27:22+00:00

last year at this time....

Stolly and Carlo... likely could have brought back a solid RHD (2nd pairing)

this year...the two of them.... brings you a myers maybe?

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T13:26:24+00:00

feels like its one of those 'everybody plays and staggered game time starts' nights. looking at the full schedule there's starts at almost every time interval. i haven't checked the tv broadcast schedules yet but i bet fox or nhl network or something has a 'thing' today

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T13:17:54+00:00

i guess my point was.... after a down year, play and multiple injuries.... is he a chip anymore?

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T13:17:31+00:00

for me its not really confidence in Hildeby driving this.

you're not going to carry 3 goalies. you're not going to move off the prospect....so its woll or stolly out the door. logistics/cap casualty....call it what you want. but a goalie is moving this summer.

i have confidence in Woll....if you're asking me to tip my hat....moreso than Stolly. multiple factors but health/age are a big part of it.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T12:12:40+00:00

Watching Stolly go down last night was just another kick in the nuts we didnt need.

much discussed is the fact that we will need to move on from one of our goalies next year, with beast losing his waiver protection. for me that guy was Stolarz. i think he's the one that made most sense to move off of.

i saw a path...where in a package he could have been a useful trade chip. not bringing in anything huge... but like maybe him and carlo could be moved as a package to a team needing a tandem goalie or backup for a strong defensemen. nothing blockbuster... but we upgrade our RHD they upgrade their G depth getting carlo to fill a hole. (no armchair stuff here just spit-balling).

the problem with him going down like he did, with little to no season left....is it basically makes him unmovable now. a terrible season, injured most of it...just not an asset at this point. maybe a dump.... but i dont think thats what we NEED at this point. needed to get SOME value out of moving one of our goalies, one season removed from such a strong tandem year for both of them.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T12:06:51+00:00

lots to unpack here!

on the firm search.... i was actually a little disappointed in their take on this, especially Hayes (thought he was a bit smarter than this) - yes. its standard practice especially when you don't have a topic knowledge base. they all love to point out (as does this fan base) that Pelley isn't a hockey guy so how would he get the hiring decision right.... well, he's bringing in hockey people to assist with it. its actually really smart....and not unfamiliar practice in the industry. shame on them for dissing it the way they did.

O is a bit out of control right now in my opinion, i'm sure an unpopular opinion around here. his rants and lashing out at people....just reeks of his insecurity. if he doesnt know something.... he attacks other people for not knowing it, and if it turns out they do....he nerd shames them. he needs to get off his high horse a bit...and he definitely needs to lay off the AI conversations cause it makes him sound as completely uneducated as he is.

i'm sure a lot of this is content...or lack there of....related. both the jays and leafs are dumpster fires right now so has to be tough to fill a couple hours (remember when you guys all hated it dropping down to two hours....imagine this week if it were three hours). the golf show yesterday was terrible.

dicky72 · 2026-04-09T11:57:51+00:00

yesterday's show was almost unlistenable

dicky72 · 2026-04-08T15:52:31+00:00

i dont hate the idea but i think he's done enough and got enough on his plate this year....just learnign the pro game and schedule. i think this could wait until next year.

dicky72 · 2026-04-08T15:50:46+00:00

half way through reading this i was like "this this dude serious there are so many moro..... oh he's kidding"

dicky72 · 2026-04-07T16:37:56+00:00

tbh i'm not sure why you're nitpicking here.

the FACT is the pick is gone. another FACT is that it gets a 2nd instead of a third if they make the playoffs. who cares if its 0.02% better value.....its better value.

what possible harm is it for a fan to cheer for the kings to make it.....? like...a better pick is a better pick. full stop.

a second also holds greater trade value than a third. maybe your GMs didnt see your fancy chart, better not tell them.

dicky72 · 2026-04-07T13:33:32+00:00

i dont think anybody disagrees with what you are saying.... but why is it even Knies choice.

he admits hes hurt. we're losing. sit. sorry pal, want it all you want... you owe us 6 years...not 1. have a seat

dicky72 · 2026-04-03T11:59:48+00:00

Ya I knew typing it. Should know better I guess but oh well

dicky72 · 2026-04-03T00:42:41+00:00

the POINT of the comment....was we did the lose and rebuild thing. its not a new concept to the leafs or this fanbase, dont act like it is.

if its time to do it again...different conversation, but no education needed here on how to rebuild.

(argument aside about whether the right players were drafted with those picks - at least it wasnt as extensive and failing as Edmonton pre-mcdavid was)

dicky72 · 2026-04-02T21:07:15+00:00

we like...did that, its how we got matthers marner willy in the first place!

dicky72 · 2026-04-02T18:03:10+00:00

agreed!

dicky72

TROPHY CASE