The Assassination of Justin Pogge

Ok so my thing is, is we dump Pogge part of me feels like we are kicking a puppy. But then I was thinking, can he fit in the timeline? I am sure Burke has goals and a plan and a time table of how he wants the team turned around and if so would there be room or reason to keep Pogs around? Really, I don’t know. But I like to think Burke knows what he is doing and if Pogs isn’t going to fit, he isn’t going to fit.

wooo I can vote in polls from my phone!

and worse case scenario, he sucks, we’ve lost nothing. he’s been resigned, let’s just let the contract stick and see what happens.

On the flip, if he reacts well to the change in coaching, and begins to blossom into a capable NHL starter and is stuck behind Gustavsson and Toskala on the depth chart. Well, I can think of worse problems to have…

Cuz we’ll get nothing for him now, and we aren’t desperate to part with him either, still have potential to build up his value a bit at least.

What has Pogge dont to EARN another shot? He had ample opportunity to grab the spot or show improvement or do anythign at all … but he didn’t. BB has made it quite clear that players no longer get the chance to play just because they had it in the past. Entitlement has ended, accountability has begun! If Pogge can get us an asset than its better than him riding the pine while Reimer tries to build off the success of his last season and watching his stock drop even lower.

I say we keep him, if only Allaire can improve his flaws and make him a viable asset. One can never have too much goalie depth.

I went to the second last game of the year, it had A LOT riding on it and the Marlies got the win, but Pogge looked VERY shaky. He did not look like he had any confidence at all.
That being said, Allaire is the best goalie coach in the world, and Pogge SHOULD get one last shot. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If Toskala or The Monster go down with injury who is gonna back them up, Reimer?

Who is this Justin Pogge guy?

Well worth the wait.

Pogge would solve all of Philly’s goalie problems! Go Flyers!

I just can’t over what a piece of shit that guy is.

I’ve never been sold on Pogge. It seems like he’s been hyped all this time based almost solely on one WJC. Lots of guys have starred at that tourney and disappeared, but suddenly Pogge was the one they kept instead of Rask, Pogge was the can’t-miss prospect, etc.

His AHL numbers have never been great. He’s had a couple of decent-to-good seasons but that’s not enough at that level. He hasn’t stood out in the playoffs. And while he hasn’t had much of a shot with the Leafs, in seven games you would hope that a goalie of the future could have one great one.

It’s not so much a case that I think he should go as I don’t really care. He’s not the future.

The Leafs fired every coach associated with Pogge’s development and hired the best goalie coach in the world. There’s probably a decent chance Pogge has a good year.

I think Chemmy hit the proverbial nail on the head here. Pogge was a young goalie with near limitless potential, whose talents were left to squander under the horrendous tutelage of McKichan and Hirsch. No one can argue that with those two carrying out the goalie coaching duties, the Leafs’ goalies have been amongst the worst in the league.

Pogge needed good coaching to truly evolve into the star he was supposed to be, but thanks to inept management in TO, he never got that. Now though, Burke is in charge and he’s brought in Allaire, arguably the best goalie coach around these days. If anyone can get Pogge to that next level, it’s Allaire. If Allaire can’t do that with this next season, well then we know Pogge is in fact a bust, and we lose nothing.

But think about what happens if Allaire can bring Pogge around. Assuming The Monster is really as good as he’s supposed to be, we say ‘bye bye’ to Toskala and welcome Pogge to the big leagues fulltime as Gustavsson’s backup. That a one-two punch at goalie, with each under 25 years of age. That right there means Toronto’s goalie woes are over for the foreseeable future.

I say give the kid a chance. If he sucks, he’s gone. If he’s good, then things start to look really good in TO.

just my two cents

Also, it feels too early in the day/week for serious business hockey talk.

It’s not just Pogge.

The Leafs haven’t done a good job of developing top-end talent at all. Who was the last properly good player to come out of the Leafs system? Kabby? Has there been anyone since then?

 JFJ revamped the scouting staff and the way it worked, but failed to make the connection that acquiring the talent is only half the problem. They have to be coached as well. We seem to be capable of churning out as many 3rd liners as we want but anything more looks to be a struggle.

Pogge, Tlusty, Anton Stralman. I can’t believe that the development plan for all three of these guys is going to plan. They’re all shown the talent and capability of playing in the NHL, yet none have yet shown the ability to hold down a job. They can’t all be works in progress.

It seems to me that the coaching of prospects in the recent past has been pretty badly mismanaged. For that reason, I’d give Pogge another year and see if he can refocus with some better coaching. That said, it’s make or break for him wherever he plays. He needs to show something. Same goes for Stralman and Tlusty, too. It’s a big year for them.