2022 Line Combinations

[Sergei Berezin]

Players I hope/expect to be competing for spots in camp
Robertson
Simmonds
Malgin
Clifford
Gaudette
ZAR
Anderson
Steeves
Abruzzese
Abramov
Holmberg
Douglas


Barring trades and injuries I expect these are the names going for 2 spots. Kampf will probably be 3rd like C just because of trust level and need for covering higher minute opposition.

Leaves 4th line centre and a winger Spot available. Waivers will play a role so I think the likes of Holmberg Steves and Robertson etc might be looking at demotion unless they explode in camp.

Gaudette having some 2 way ability may be a favourite for the 4th line centre with a look at the 2nd PP unit.

So leaving ZAR Anderson Malgin Simmonds Clifford fighting it out for the left wing spot on 4th line

(Edit: forgot Malgin...easy to do)

Hope they try something different through pre-season instead of sticking with one thing from day 1 and not deviating.

Bunting - Matthews - Anderson/Malgin/Audette
Engvall - Tavares - Anderson/Malgin/Audette
Robertson/Steeves - Kerfoot/Jarnkrok - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

Just would be nice if they tried giving three strong two-way lines a chance. I think Matthews should be given some rope to run his own line, and perhaps Marner should as well, to be honest.

 

[TopCheese]

Would like to start the year like this.

Bunting - MAtthews- Marner

Robertson - Tavares - Nylander
changes will need to be made if Robertson struggles. Maybe Aburzezze fills in for him

Kerfoot - Engvall - Jarnkrok
It would be nice to have a 3rd line that can create a little offence, this trio should do alright

NAK - Kampf - ZAR
This 4th line would be solid defensively. Much improved over last year

Gaudette / Simmonds

 

[Mess]

Leafs have 3 X $11 mil players and each of those players at that CH% rate should be able to carry their own lines.

I would like to finally see the Leafs build a line-up that has Matthews, Tavares and Marner all on different lines and build a solid top 9, and not put all your eggs in one basket with a core 4 eating 1/2 you cap all doubled up and thus easier to shutdown come playoff time. Leafs top 6 and bottom 6 current construction has failed over and over.

XXXX --- Matthews --- XXXX
XXXX --- Tavares ------ XXXX
XXXX --- XXXXX ------ Marner

 

[Dekes For Days]

Like normal you are blanketing it saying that everybody wants guys running around.

I didn't say everybody wants guys "running around", but if we're just talking about "being physically engaged in important areas of the ice to win space, puck battles and maintain possession", then nobody should have an issue with our team, and pretty much everybody that ever gets brought up as a target or desired player is somebody that fits the big hitter or fighter mold more than what you described.

Nylander is only a scapegoat because he doesn’t know how to compete in a playoff series.

Of course Nylander knows how to compete in a playoff series. He competes very well in the playoffs.

<- - - - -
Stick checking with less than 4 mins left in the season.
<- - - - -

LMAO. THAT is the play you've been blasting Nylander for for the past 4 months in every thread?? That wasn't even a stick check. It's Nylander cutting off the boards and trying to poke the puck behind the net. He literally didn't have another option other than that, as the Tampa defender was easily to the puck first, and Nylander's even the one who steals the puck and gets it to Spezza right after that.

 

[andora]

I didn't say everybody wants guys "running around", but if we're just talking about "being physically engaged in important areas of the ice to win space, puck battles and maintain possession", then nobody should have an issue with our team, and pretty much everybody that ever gets brought up as a target or desired player is somebody that fits the big hitter or fighter mold more than what you described.

mm-hmm

Do they have analytics on physical play and Puck battles

 

[Dekes For Days]

Do they have analytics on physical play and Puck battles

Not sure the relevance, but there are analytics on pretty much everything, and there are especially a ton of analytics on possession, which is the objective of physical play and puck battles.

 

[Mess]

Of all of these players playing in the tournament it sure appears Nick Robertson is the one that has the best odds of cracking the Leafs roster.

He will need to be put into a offensive role and best suited for a top 6 position likely playing wing with Tavares. We will see in exhibition season if he ready to not only make the NHL but become a factor.

Reports are positive that he worked in his strength and added weight up from his 165 lbs at draft time, so that he is knocked down and off the puck so easily.

His goal scoring ability will open an opportunity, but its the rest of his game that will be under scrutiny. He had a cringe worthy egregious give away at the blueline that resulted in a breakaway and goal against. That is the kind of stuff that will hurt him with management to trust him.

 

[Sypher04]

I think I disagree. Hyman put his physical strength into winning puck battles / retrieving the puck. He won a lot of those battles. There's no way to win those battles without being physical. He certainly didn't do open ice hits or drill a guy through the boards.

I can't speak for his career with EDM. I don't watch them much.

Well, that’s not the physicality people were seemingly talking about most of this thread.

If I’m being honest, leaning into a player to win a puck battle is a totally different thing as I see it. If that’s the metric by which we are assessing physicality though, then there was nothing unique about Hyman in that regard. Far more of our players than not have done that.

I would also argue that Hyman still won a high percentage of those puck battles based off predominately closing speed on defenders and a very active stick

 

[andora]

Not sure the relevance, but there are analytics on pretty much everything, and there are especially a ton of analytics on possession, which is the objective of physical play and puck battles.

well the relevance would be measuring the things being talked about in this thread about physical play

 

[sittler rules!!!]

Kerfoot just put up 50pts without almost any PP time... which is REALLY good.

I like Kerfoot. He had great chemistry with Willie Ny, the Corner Shy Guy, back in the 7 game Hab debackle.

 

[Sypher04]

I like Kerfoot. He had great chemistry with Willie Ny, the Corner Shy Guy, back in the 7 game Hab debackle.

I still think it’d be interesting to try putting JT with a couple of more grinding type players, and put Kerfoot and Nylander together on a different line. I feel like we’ve rarely, if ever, seen this look. We’ve seen JT and Willy split up at times, but I really think it matters what style of players we lineup alongside Tavares.

Not saying stick with it, but I’d be interested to see it.

 

[zeke]

I still think it’d be interesting to try putting JT with a couple of more grinding type players, and put Kerfoot and Nylander together on a different line. I feel like we’ve rarely, if ever, seen this look. We’ve seen JT and Willy split up at times, but I really think it matters what style of players we lineup alongside Tavares.

Not saying stick with it, but I’d be interested to see it.

We should remember that we did split up JT and Willy for a good chunk of last season.

Part of the problem, tho, was that meant Willy had to play with Kampf, which kind of defeated the purpose of both players.

This year I wouldn't be shocked at all to see something like this at some point:

Robertson - Tavares - Engvall
Kerfoot - Jarnkrok - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

 

[Sypher04]

We should remember that we did split up JT and Willy for a good chunk of last season.

Part of the problem, tho, was that meant Willy had to play with Kampf, which kind of defeated the purpose of both players.

This year I wouldn't be shocked at all to see something like this at some point:

Robertson - Tavares - Engvall
Kerfoot - Jarnkrok - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

Yup, true. Not that I am specifically advocating for it or expect it, because I don’t and he was great with Mitch and Auston, but I think Bunting would be a perfect fit linemate for Tavares on a grinding scoring line.

 

[zeke]

Yup, true. Not that I am specifically advocating for it or expect it, because I don’t, I think Bunting would be a perfect fit linemate for Tavares on a grinding line.

might be. that's where he started last year. it was Ritchie's uselessness that got Bunting pushed up to the top line in I think it was game 7 of the season, and then suddenly the bad start was over and the team started winning and it just kinda stuck except for when Ritchie got one more chance on the top line about 20gms in and Bunting got bumped to the 4th line, but that only lasted a few games.


Robertson - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Engvall
Kerfoot - Jarnkrok - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

would be interesting.

 

[Dekes For Days]

If we were splitting up Tavares/Nylander and not putting Nylander on the 1st line, I think we'd be looking at something like:

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Engvall - Tavares - Jarnkrok
Robertson - Kerfoot - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

 

[zeke]

If we were splitting up Tavares/Nylander and not putting Nylander on the 1st line, I think we'd be looking at something like:

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Engvall - Tavares - Jarnkrok
Robertson - Kerfoot - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

that could work too.

Though I do think they'd be more inclined to give Jarnkrok the first shot at C duty ahead of Kerfoot again.

 

[Sypher04]

might be. that's where he started last year. it was Ritchie's uselessness that got Bunting pushed up to the top line in I think it was game 7 of the season, and then suddenly the bad start was over and the team started winning and it just kinda stuck except for when Ritchie got one more chance on the top line about 20gms in and Bunting got bumped to the 4th line, but that only lasted a few games.


Robertson - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Engvall
Kerfoot - Jarnkrok - Nylander
ZAR - Kampf - NAK

would be interesting.

Exactly what I was thinking for this scenario.

On one hand I think those middle 6 lines could really work well, but on the flip side not huge on thrusting Robertson into a top line role he’s most likely not prepared for. So it’s a double edged sword for sure. Also it’s hard to justify breaking up one of the best lines in the league last year.

What we really could use is a second bunting lol

 

[Dekes For Days]

that could work too.

Though I do think they'd be more inclined to give Jarnkrok the first shot at C duty ahead of Kerfoot again.

Yeah, I thought of that, but I think Jarnkrok would work better with Tavares than Kerfoot, I think Nylander would work better with Kerfoot than Jarnkrok, and I don't think they'd want 3 players who shoot left on the 2nd line.

 

[zeke]

Exactly what I was thinking for this scenario.

On one hand I think those middle 6 lines could really work well, but on the flip side not huge on thrusting Robertson into a top line role this quickly. So it’s a double edged sword for sure. Also it’s hard to justify breaking up one of the best lines in the league last year.

What we really could use it a second bunting lol

tbh Matthews-Marner is probably the most dominant pairing of forwards in the league on both ends of the ice, so it might be the best place to hide a player with skill but maybe lacking a complete game. Then again, that was the theory with starting Ritchie there last year and that didn't work out (though to be fair their underlying stats were still super elite even with Ritchie on the line, they just couldn't score).

I think that Bunting is good enough to still be very good without them, but of course we can't be 100% on that until we see it.

Yeah, I thought of that, but I think Jarnkrok would work better with Tavares than Kerfoot, I think Nylander would work better with Kerfoot than Jarnkrok, and I don't think they'd want 3 players who shoot left on the 2nd line.

yeah Jarnkrok would be a natural fit to complete the RW side of the lineup too.

but if that's the case I think that would mean Kampf up at 3C not kerf.

 

[Dekes For Days]

yeah Jarnkrok would be a natural fit to complete the RW side of the lineup too.
but if that's the case I think that would mean Kampf up at 3C not kerf.

I don't think it's worth it to keep Kerfoot if we're just going to put him on the 4th line. I think Kerfoot fits a more offensively-oriented line with Robertson/Nylander more than Kampf, and I think Kampf fits a more defensively-oriented line with ZAR/NAK more than Kerfoot.

It would give each line an identity too. Top line is great at everything and arguably the best line in hockey. 2nd line more of a grinding puck possession style. 3rd line speed and offense. 4th line shutdown defense.

 

[zeke]

I don't think it's worth it to keep Kerfoot if we're just going to put him on the 4th line. I think Kerfoot fits a more offensively-oriented line with Robertson/Nylander more than Kampf, and I think Kampf fits a more defensively-oriented line with ZAR/NAK more than Kerfoot.

It would give each line an identity too. Top line is great at everything and arguably the best line in hockey. 2nd line more of a grinding puck possession style. 3rd line speed and offense. 4th line shutdown defense.

Oh i don't think Kerf is on the 4th line.

But i think he's on the wing before Jarnkrok is.

 

[Notsince67]

Maybe he needs a change of scenary.

In the post season he needs to be better than Matthews.

View attachment 585508

If goals for are all that matters, why bother with a goalie?

 

[Stephen]

If goals for are all that matters, why bother with a goalie?

Can't deny the fact that Nylander has never given us a minute of good goaltending in his 6.5 years here.

 

[kb]

Can't deny the fact that Nylander has never given us a minute of good goaltending in his 6.5 years here.

Math checks out.

Same with Matthews and Marner, those bums.

 

[therealkoho]

Do some of you watch every game wringing your hands about what might happen in the playoffs? Why?

I only wring my hands in the playoffs, but I do watch every game all season long, because I can.