2022-23 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[Guilt Trip]

Any one else worried that the Leafs haven't figured out their D-pairings with 20 games left to go?

It's possible an injury will solve some of this but I don't really have a solid suggestion. Not great.

No. We just got McCabe 4 games ago and Schenn, Gus have only played in 2 games. Lots of time to figure it out.

[hobarth]

I find it interesting that the media insist that teams load up at the TDL as a reward for a team, their players, due to the great season they're having. I would think that a great team, having a great season wouldn't want to upset the chemistry of that team by adding new players and displacing players that had been there all year, essentially displacing the players that helped to get them where they were.

You look at TO and see a team that's been top 4/5 the entire year yet TO went out and brought in two players that were never simply a depth augment but were accumulated to improve the team, Boston the best team in the NHL also made moves, displacing the players that got them were they are.

So what's up with that, I look at TO and see a team that should be top 4/5 for the last 4 years if not longer but that hasn't been enough to enable TO to progress beyond the 1st playoff round, ?. The prevailing logic has been the quality of the opposition TO faces in the playoffs in those 1st rounds, I think that Mtl and Clb dispelled that argument, TO hasn't been a finisher, that's a personnel issue.

We are rapidly reaching the point where TO's core needs to be reupped, the question is are these core players worth keeping, if they're not finishers, if they're not progressing then I think TO should move on because what they are, isn't enough, I include Rielly in the core along with AM, MM WN and JT. Both Willie and AM need to be resigned before July 1 or they can then become UFAs after next season, AM will be able to expect, what, about $16 mil. and Willie around $10 mil., there's no wiggle room, that'll mean that TO will have 5 high paid players with the rest of the roster making around the NHL minimum, that's 18 more Kampfs, ugh.

I know magical thinking is what we all can delve into at this time of year, O'Rielly and McCabe may make TO better but really is there any foundation in that optimism, I'm seeing the team that's underproduced late into seasons and in the playoffs be the same again this year at this time. TO faces during the regular season teams that are bad and struggles to win those games yet at the same time can play with the better teams, that inconsistency, that lack of killer instinct, is what's concerning and what has been and will continue to be TO's undoing. A more physical 4th line populated by 4th line quality players isn't an answer, Schenn definitely isn't an answer, all of these players may add to the entertainment value but it's TO's core that needed to be fortified and that because TO's current core doesn't have the necessary ingredient to be ultimately successful.

Since the current core is inadequate, it's time to move on, trade Matthews and Nylander, trade Mitch next year and wait out JT's contract, Keefe is proving to be too Babcockian, remove him, anyone who can't see that Kerfoot needs to be on the 4th line to be adequate needs to go, Dubie is alright, he deserves a chance to assemble his own team. Shanny needs to go, anyone dum enough to bring in Lou and waste the extremely valuable ELC years of TO's core has to go and the wasted Hunter years.

I think this summer is a crucial transition period, holding on to Willie and Austin beyond July 1st without new realistic contracts will be a huge mistake, TO can't offer them realistic contracts that will mean anything beyond the regular season as we have seen from the past.

I remember when TO signed Phanny and Kessel, many thought that TO offered them those contracts because there wasn't any other quality players and TO was overpaying, I fell the same about Rielly and I will feel the same if Austin and Willie get the contracts I've guessed on. I didn't feel that Kessel and Phanny were overpaid, I felt they were under supported, poorly coached with far too much expectations placed on them alone. Ottawa improved immensely when Phanny was traded to them and Pitts. won 2 Cups with the addition of Kessel. Rielly doesn't have the Phanny/Kessel disadvantages but he's being paid far above his talent/contribution level.

On the right team Willie and Austin are worth the contracts I've mentioned, just not on TO due to other commitments.       

[AtomicMapleLeaf]

I'm speechless.

[Highlander]

I'm speechless.

Hobart writes the bible

[L K]

Any one else worried that the Leafs haven't figured out their D-pairings with 20 games left to go?

It's possible an injury will solve some of this but I don't really have a solid suggestion. Not great.

Given the addition of three defensemen a week ago, not really.

I mean I have my personal preference for the lineup (Liljegren shouldn't be benched) but we are going to see a lot of trial and error down the stretch with the addition of McCabe and Schenn.   I think Gustafsson is probably going to sit a lot down the stretch unless they give Rielly a maintenance game or two.

[herman]

https://twitter.com/puckpedia/status/1633972556188499968

[herman]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1634241164097335296
Are you guys ready to overreact?!

[cw]

#Leafs lines at practice Mar. 10/23

Kerfoot-Matthews-Marner
Nylander-Lafferty-Jarnkrok
Bunting-Tavares-Simmonds
AstonReese-Kampf-Acciari
Extra: Steeves

McCabe-Brodie
Giordano-Liljegren
Rielly-Gustafsson
Extra:Holl-Timmins

Are you guys ready to overreact?!

Edit: There was a typo in Alter's tweet, and knowing him, he'll probably edit it out from under me.

I saw a tweet that Schenn just got back to Toronto. He's going to play Saturday - according to the tweet. Gustafsson may be a place holder ...

https://twitter.com/thegoldenmuzzy/status/1634232331476127744

Which was just contradicted by this:
https://twitter.com/sunhornby/status/1634243651206299696

Rosehill reports Schenn said he'll be with the Leafs Saturday
https://twitter.com/TLNdc/status/1634222494159896576
at the 33 min mark

EDIT: Schenn is still away.
Keefe says they're going 11-7 with Holl as the 7th and Simmonds out.
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1634267782354292751

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

yay Simmonds!

[Guilt Trip]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1634241164097335296
Are you guys ready to overreact?!

Keefe said he's going to experiment with the lines so that's what he's doing.
I have no problem getting Simmonds into a game and line #2 looked good last gme so why not give them another go of it. Maybe that could potentially be a 3rd line option down the road. Who knows? Schenn by all accounts is going to be with Rielly so no biggie.

[herman]

https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1634267976525389827
No Schenn or Simmonds

That baby is taking her sweet time

[L K]

Rielly-Gustafsson seems like a bit of an odd choice, but maybe focusing on playing Rielly with a stay at home, and instead just going full throttle offense with protected zone starts is a thing worth trying.

Normally I'm one to dislike Simmonds still getting NHL games but Steeves doesn't really move the needle for me one way or the other so getting him into a game is a 'meh whatever' kind of move. 

[princedpw]

I'm curious if O'Reilly could slide in at center with Bunting and Tavares. One of them would have to play on the right. Would give us 3 lines of offense, which I'd like to see.

[cw]

Tampa Bay Times: The Lightning have been nearly unbeatable at home. On the other hand ...
With a potential playoff series looming against Toronto, Tampa Bay's struggles on the road are a "slight concern."

Tampa Bay is 15-16-1 on the road this season for a .484 points percentage. That's even worse than 2017, when they had a .537 road percentage and missed the postseason for the only time in the past decade. And it absolutely pales in comparison to Tampa Bay's 23-5-5 mark (.773) at Amalie Arena.

Whole article is pretty good.

While Keefe is trying to figure out who should play where, the article underscores why home ice might be a little more important this year. Tampa has been floundering since mid February. But I wouldn't count too much on that. They have too much talent.

[Frank E]

I think they're going to have to get Simmonds into some games at some point here.  He may be needed for Boston, if they get that far.

Totally related...Clifford has 16 points in 33 games this season for the Marlies...4 points in his last 5.