Spencer Martin also on waivers.

[1)]

Four options for keeping Timmins:

1) Start the season with 11/7 line-up: Bertuzzi-Matthews-Marner Knies-Tavares-Lafferty Domi-Nylander-Jarnkrok Kampf-Reaves Rielly-Brodie McCabe-Klingberg Giordano-Liljegren Timmins Samsonov Woll $302,717 cap space	2) Waive Giordano instead of Timmins: Bertuzzi-Matthews-Marner Knies-Tavares-Lafferty Domi-Nylander-Jarnkrok Gregor-Kampf-Reaves Rielly-Liljegren McCabe-Klingberg Brodie-Timmins Samsonov Woll $327,717 cap space
3) Make a trade. Jarnkrok is the only reasonable option here as moving Lafferty would not open up enough cap space: Bertuzzi-Matthews-Marner Knies-Tavares-Robertson Domi-Nylander-Lafferty Gregor-Kampf-Reaves Rielly-Brodie McCabe-Klingberg Giordano-Liljegren Timmins Samsonov Woll $831,050 in cap space	4) LTIR? Obviously don't want to hope for an injury but if something comes up before the end of training camp that puts a higher salary guy on LTIR for 4 weeks that could at least delay the decision for awhile.

Option 1 is probably the most likely as things stand, even if it's just a temporary measure.

Option 2 is a tough one. For all the (deserved) criticism Giordano took during the playoffs he was a solid defenceman for us last season, especially considering he had to essentially replace Muzzin for most of it. Looking at this objectively though losing Timmins over Gio doesn't make a lot of sense, particularly when you consider Timmins can be a long-term asset and this is almost certainly Giordano's final season in the NHL. Looking at it emotionally though, that's a tough thing to do to a well-liked veteran. Team also goes down a PK defender and forces Timmins or Klingberg to take on minutes if anyone else is in the box.

Option 3 seems to be the default armchair GM move and I get why but losing Jarnkrok would really put a massive dent into our teams overall defence and with Willy at C (which obviously isn't guaranteed yet) it makes our wing depth even weaker. Robertson stepping up could alleviate that 2nd concern at least.

I think this is one of the underrated areas where being up against the cap hurts you.  You have to make decisions based on limited game knowledge. 

In an ideal world the Leafs could carry Timmins along with Liljegren and see how they perform in the regular season before making a decision on which one to go with.

Now however, they have to make a cut somewhere just to ice a team, and the chances that they make the wrong cut are probably a little higher because you have less in game data to go on.

I've given Treliving a hard time, calling him a bland GM.  I liked his opening press conference for camp.  He seems to want to be as transparent as possible, while still respecting the privacy of the team and individual players.  Also, I think he has an idea of how he thinks this team has to play in order to win.  We'll see if he is right.

the idea of Austin and/or Nylander Pking is a great idea. No shot blocking, that's probably the least effective way to PK.   

Anyone care to guess which forward led the entire league in shots blocked last season?

I know I know!

Anyone want to guess who led the league in blocked shots within the last 7 minutes of a game when trailing by two goals exactly?

Keefe likes having a top-6 line that can hang defensively against other top lines (I agree with him). Once upon a time, Tavares-Marner was very suitable for that, but once Tavares' skating started to wane (and Matthews' defense ascended), Matthews-Marner became the go-to.

Marner and Nylander together, while offensively electric, would mean Matthews would have to eat defensive matchups with significantly less offensive punch. With the likes of Knies and Jarnkrok available, that could work, but it feels like a waste of Matthews and it might push the boundaries of what those two wingers are capable of. Sort of mucks up the other lines too.

I see the worry, but I think Knies and Bertuzzi give that Matthews line a different look.  They are more Legion of Doom like as they are all big and skilled.  On paper that is a hard line to forecheck against.  I don't think Bertuzzi is that bad defensively either, but yes the line doesn't really play to maximizing Matthews shooting skillset.  However, the tradeoff is that you get a more electric second line that is fairly responsible defensively by putting Marner and Nylander together.  I mean if Nylander at center works, you could move Tavares to the wing, but the problem there is that I don't think Tavares plays well with Matthews, and Tavares and Nylander are a bit suspect defensively.   

I don't disagree with this, but Mirtle has got him lining up with Robertson and Domi there behind Matthews and Tavares...I think Nylander has a cow if that's where he's slotted.

My guess is Nylander starts with with Domi and Jarnkrok, not Robertson. And really I think you could make the case that that's a better duo than Tavares' wingers (Knies-Lafferty). If Nylander can handle the C position I think it's entirely possible that his line outperforms the Tavares line. Which one beat reporters decide to type up first in their tweets doesn't really matter.

Yeah that Knies - Tavares - Lafferty line is more of a third line.  Personally, I would put Marner and Nylander together because I think that would help Nylander be more successful, but I get that has drawbacks as well.

Just came on here to type that. The Leafs ever tried Nylander with Marner on his wing.

Maybe a line of Domi - Nylander - Marner?

Maybe Tavares - Kämpf - Lafferty 3rd line?

Leaving Knies - Matthews - Bertuzzi with top line duties.

Thoughts?

I like that top 6 alot.  I would hope there would be some chemistry there, but I think it gives you a pretty good defensive/offesive mix in the top 2 lines.  I would like Tavares with someone like Jarnkrok and Robertson (if he shows well in camp).  If that happens, I think you have a top 9 that are scoring threats and fairly competent on the defensive side as well.

How did Giordano grow an inch?

New and improved measuring tape. ;P

Giordano spent the offseason sleeping upside down like a bat.

These are both quality suggestions.  I think the "We've been reporting his height wrong for the last 15 years" is also plausible.

I don't disagree with this, but Mirtle has got him lining up with Robertson and Domi there behind Matthews and Tavares...I think Nylander has a cow if that's where he's slotted.

My guess is Nylander starts with with Domi and Jarnkrok, not Robertson. And really I think you could make the case that that's a better duo than Tavares' wingers (Knies-Lafferty). If Nylander can handle the C position I think it's entirely possible that his line outperforms the Tavares line. Which one beat reporters decide to type up first in their tweets doesn't really matter.

Yeah that Knies - Tavares - Lafferty line is more of a third line.  Personally, I would put Marner and Nylander together because I think that would help Nylander be more successful, but I get that has drawbacks as well.

https://twitter.com/Kyle_Cush/status/1704504483361734722
Connor Timmins seems to have found a stretch of health to let him build back up.
Max Domi is a fire hydrant.

https://twitter.com/Kyle_Cush/status/1704505443597349310

How did Giordano grow an inch?

This time social media appears to have been validated but it is a dangerous process to rely on.
There should be a more discrete way. If they'd been wrong, imagine the potential damages, lawsuits. etc.

Social media is absolutely not the 'proper' process for this, but time and time again we've seen the proper procedure generally amounts to everything being swept under the rug. That players felt safer going to Spittin' Chiclets (not even a news outlet), in and of itself, is an indictment of that process.

• Go to the team: look at their statement. They didn't even check in on all the players. Conflict of interest as well in reporting against their high profile coaching hire.
• Go to your team leaders: I don't know if they even did in this situation. Each team varies in response. Bergeron's response to the Miller signing was impressive.
• Go to the NHL: lol
• Go to the NHLPA: your mileage may vary, but the way this was handled by the PA should give players some confidence in the new union leaders.
• Go to TSN/ESPN/beat writers: these guys are access-merchants. You can see how many of them jumped to back the CBJ press release and generally turn a blind eye to any skeletons sticking out of the ice. How many of them sat on the Marner-list story until it was 'safe'?
• Go to Spittin' Chiclets: these guys may be tools and work under a toxic parent company banner, but can't say they don't back players when there's a clear violation.

Credit where credit is due.  The Spittin' Chiclets twitter brought this to light and ultimately the right thing happened before it got worse.  I think the Columbus Blue Jackets organization needs to take a step back and really ask how this happened.  As you say, if you are hiring a controversial coach, maybe you hire someone for the first month that just checks in on the players.  I guess even then though, the players may not feel comfortable talking about it.  Maybe you just don't let Babcock deal with the players one on one, like ever. 

Carlo on the radio this morning said that as a coach, no coach made him a better player than Babcock, but there was all this other stuff that taints that. 

I think the problem is that there isn't enough information to actually form an opinion, which leaves many of us filling in the gaps with our own assumptions, which is really bad reporting.  It's reporting for the sake of controversy, and they are wrapping it in the guise of trying to do right by the players.

Any leader worth their salt knows that they have to understand the people they are leading so that they can create roles for them that they will feel invested in and ultimately perform well at.  So Babcock trying to get to know his players is not all that strange.  It's how that personal connection is being fostered that matters.  You can't force a personal connection.  It needs to be grown.

So if Babcock invites the players into his office, they start chatting and then organically it leads to showing some pictures on the screen, then that's fine.  There is nothing wrong with that.

Even if Babcock sends out an email ahead of time to the team and says something like "Hey I'm new here, I want to get to know you guys a little better, so during our 1 on 1 meeting, I would like for you to show me some pictures from last summer around what you did" is a little more forced, but still okay because it isn't a surprise, everyone is on the same page for the reasoning, and there is time for the player to prepare. 

But if the player walks in to Babcock's office sits down and the first thing out of Babcock's mouth is "Get out your phone and show me what's on it", then even if the reasoning is that he is trying to get to know them, that is forced, and invasive, which counteracts the part of trying to get to know them.

So without knowing how the whole thing shook out, it's really hard to judge whether this is something that is bad or good.

Trying being a Leafs fan and a Bills fan...barf

Worst would be a Leafs fan and a Lions fan.  In 97 years, the Detroit Lions have 7 playoff wins total.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/playoffs.htm

Ok, ok, war crime cancelled I didn't take that into consideration. Although that 2016 team was way too fun and successful for the league to think it's a good idea to try again so I'd be surprised if it was there.

I know that this firmly establishes me in the minority but while I thought the U23 team was fun, I think it contributed to that tournament feeling kind of disposable and meaningless. Sure, Canada still won without McDavid but I want some best on best hockey regardless of age. I'd be more into a Canada/USA B-Team serving as Team North America if they do that again.

I'm with you here.

If you are going to call it a world cup, it should only have National Teams.

What if it was the continental world cup?

BG3 interests me, but I kind of dislike turn based tactical combat. Alot of people seem to think GOTY will end up being between this and Starfield

I love turn based tactical combat like the orginial Fallout and Fallout 2

Oh man, I burned so many hours on the first two Fallouts and the first Baldur's Gate.  I don't think I ever finished Baldur's Gate.  I got to the final hallway, and then the game crashed and corrupted my save.  Never got back to that point again.   

Staaaaarfiiiieeeld. Who's excited for a new Bethesda IP? Early access Thursday,8pm. I've got the 100+ gigs preloaded, ready to go. Who's with me?

I'm on the wait and see how it is train.  I'm excited and hopeful it is good, and that it can scratch the Fallout 4 itch that I have had for the last couple of years.  Just worried about over hype.