2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

[Significantly Insignificant]

See at that point do you maybe go with Nylander as your number two and flip him with Kadri?  I still think that third line scores at a lower rate than the JVR-Bozak-Brown trio.  It could be offset a little if Matthews and Marner have breakout years and establish themselves in the upper echelon of the league. 

Well 2C vs. 3C really wouldn't be all that different, it's just that Kadri would be getting the tougher match-ups. You could swap Brown and Kapanen if you wanted.

Well I thank you sir for giving me a choice. 

[mr grieves]

Assuming we add nobody and Babcock is forced to use Nylander at centre:

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Johnsson-Nylander-Brown
guy-guy-guy

Mine:

Johnsson - Matthews - Hyman
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
[Leivo/Grundstrom/UFA] - Nylander - Kapanen

Trade Brown.

[Coco-puffs]

I do think though that this discussion nicely underscores the fact that if the Leafs let JVR walk and effectively replace him with nobody it's going to be pretty hard for this team to be as balanced as they were last year.

I agree.  Bozak scored 43 pts last season.  JvR had 54.  From what I've seen of Johnsson, I feel he could comfortably be a 40+ pt guy, replacing all of Bozak's scoring.  Kapanen, on the other hand, is probably a 30-35 pt guy in a Top 9 role.... so 20-25 points is quite a drop from one of your Top 9 forward spots.

[Andy]

I do think though that this discussion nicely underscores the fact that if the Leafs let JVR walk and effectively replace him with nobody it's going to be pretty hard for this team to be as balanced as they were last year.

I agree.  Bozak scored 43 pts last season.  JvR had 54.  From what I've seen of Johnsson, I feel he could comfortably be a 40+ pt guy, replacing all of Bozak's scoring.  Kapanen, on the other hand, is probably a 30-35 pt guy in a Top 9 role.... so 20-25 points is quite a drop from one of your Top 9 forward spots.

I don't know, personally I think that replacing Bozak with a capable 3rd line center will make a world of difference. A lot of those point totals came either from PP time or at the expense of playing any type of remotely decent defense.

Subbing in some young, defensively-sound players with plenty of speed and offensive potential to that line won't hurt them at all, imo. I actually think it will make them more balanced, particularly if Babcock starts giving the stars more ice and PP time.

[Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate]

I do think though that this discussion nicely underscores the fact that if the Leafs let JVR walk and effectively replace him with nobody it's going to be pretty hard for this team to be as balanced as they were last year.

I agree.  Bozak scored 43 pts last season.  JvR had 54.  From what I've seen of Johnsson, I feel he could comfortably be a 40+ pt guy, replacing all of Bozak's scoring.  Kapanen, on the other hand, is probably a 30-35 pt guy in a Top 9 role.... so 20-25 points is quite a drop from one of your Top 9 forward spots.

I don't know, personally I think that replacing Bozak with a capable 3rd line center will make a world of difference. A lot of those point totals came either from PP time or at the expense of playing any type of remotely decent defense.

Subbing in some young, defensively-sound players with plenty of speed and offensive potential to that line won't hurt them at all, imo. I actually think it will make them more balanced, particularly if Babcock starts giving the stars more ice and PP time.

I think your last sentence may be the key to this discussion.

[Nik the Trik]

Subbing in some young, defensively-sound players with plenty of speed and offensive potential to that line won't hurt them at all, imo. I actually think it will make them more balanced, particularly if Babcock starts giving the stars more ice and PP time.

Doing that would make for a differently constituted team and maybe even a better one but reverting to more of a traditional top 6/bottom 6 structure isn't what I meant by balance.

[herman]

Babcock doesn't run top 6/bottom 6, per se, but he does like offensive AB/defensive AB, with matchup expectations of Offensive A and scoring expectations of defensive A. Largely because he didn't trust the regular season centres for both B lines, they were the most heavily sheltered.

Last year:
Offensive A: Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Offensive B: JvR - Bozak - Marner/Brown
Defensive A: Marleau - Kadri - Marner/Komarov
Defensive B: Komarov/Johnsson - Plekanec/Moore - Kapanen

[herman]

Dermott’s comment on Nylander’s latest Instagram post is 

Edit: just have to wait for someone else to do the screenshot

pic.twitter.com/mkKJC2l6Hm

— Ziggy (@Ziggy_14) July 6, 2018

[disco]

MattyandJohnnyandMitchyandWillyandPattyandHymieandNazzieandBrownieandKappyandMoMoandGardsandDermyandTimmahandFREDDIE...

Can you feel that? Can you feel that right there?
Strength down the middle lads. That's how we'll do it. Strength down the middle.

[Highlander]

MattyandJohnnyandMitchyandWillyandPattyandHymieandNazzieandBrownieandKappyandMoMoandGardsandDermyandTIMMAH...

Can you feel that? Can you feel that right there?
Strength down the middle lads. That's how we'll do it. Strength down the middle.

But I want a team built with Truculence and Testosterone.  Burke???

[disco]

MattyandJohnnyandMitchyandWillyandPattyandHymieandNazzieandBrownieandKappyandMoMoandGardsandDermyandTIMMAH...

Can you feel that? Can you feel that right there?
Strength down the middle lads. That's how we'll do it. Strength down the middle.

But I want a team built with Truculence and Testosterone.  Burke???

Don't forget BELLIGERENCE. I believe belligerence was in there somewhere.

[Highlander]

MattyandJohnnyandMitchyandWillyandPattyandHymieandNazzieandBrownieandKappyandMoMoandGardsandDermyandTIMMAH...

Can you feel that? Can you feel that right there?
Strength down the middle lads. That's how we'll do it. Strength down the middle.

But I want a team built with Truculence and Testosterone.  Burke???

Don't forget BELLIGERENCE. I believe belligerence was in there somewhere.

True but the last time I was Belligerent I had the s__t beaten out of me.

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/433568/2018/07/16/assuming-no-big-moves-are-made-a-look-at-the-many-maple-leafs-defence-pairing-options/

I didn't write this.

Assuming no new movement to the d-corps, how would you slot them?

[Bullfrog]

I don't have access to the Athletic, but I might consider this:

Dermott-Rielly
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Marincin-Hainsey

I can anticipate Dermott being the most controversial, but it's more about keeping Gardiner and Rielly apart, which I think is the right move. Hainsey just doesn't have the puck-moving ability to be on the top pairing.

[Coco-puffs]

How would I slot them:

Gardiner - Rielly
Dermott - Holl
Marincin - Zaitsev

How would I slot them knowing there ain't no way Babcock isn't putting Hainsey in the lineup and the chances that Holl actually make the lineup are kinda low:

Gardiner - Rielly
Dermott - Zaitsev
Hainsey - Carrick

One interesting thing I learned over the summer is that Holl actually took a ton of PK shifts with the Marlies.  That might actually gain him a spot if he shows he can do it at the NHL level.