2022 Line Combinations

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

Bunting Matthews Marner
Robertson Tavares Jarnkrok
Malgin Kerfoot Nylander
ZAR Kampf NAK
Steeves*

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Geo
Sandin Holl
Mete*(Liljegren)

Trade Engval. I actually like him more than most people around here but his money could be used to keep 2 of the bubble guys.

I like the line up, but I want to see what a signed Engvall looks like. I feel if we trade him the value won't be equal to his ceiling.

But if he plays like a small winger again, and produce below last year, I'll trade him to the highest bidder and make better use of the cap savings

 

[cyris]

I like the line up, but I want to see what a signed Engvall looks like. I feel if we trade him the value won't be equal to his ceiling.

But if he plays like a small winger again, and produce below last year, I'll trade him to the highest bidder and make better use of the cap savings

My only issue with giving Engval some time is we don’t have the cap space for him Malgin and Robertson unless another move or injury happens.
Robertson deserves a spot on this team and I don’t think Malgin makes it through waivers.

My proposed lines aren’t intended to be an indictment on Engval as much as credit on the way Robertson and Malgin have played.

 

[Torontonian]

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Nylander - Tavares - Jankrok
Robertson - Kerfoot - Engvall
ZAR (750k) - Kampf - NAK

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Lilly
Sandin - Gio

Running this lineup and sending everyone down to waivers and trading Holl for a draft pick would leave you with .722k in cap left. Not ideal to run a 20 man roster but could use the emergency call up method when someone is hurt for a bit, I doubt Toronto will be fully healthy this year at the same time anyways,

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

My only issue with giving Engval some time is we don’t have the cap space for him Malgin and Robertson unless another move or injury happens.
Robertson deserves a spot on this team and I don’t think Malgin makes it through waivers.

My proposed lines aren’t intended to be an indictment on Engval as much as credit on the way Robertson and Malgin have played.

Agreed again, but I'm on the side of playing Malgin until Robertson is absolutely necessary. Asset management is important, and the Marlies are no slouch. Robertson leading the way in the Marlies isn't a bad option either.

It's not that Robertson hasn't earned himself a spot but more so Malgin impressed as well and didn't play himself into waivers.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Malgin-Holmberg-Nylander
Robertson-Kerfoot-Jarnkrok
ZAR-Kampf-NAK


Tavares eventually slots in for Holmberg, Robertson probably forces his way in the top 6 beside JT and Willy.

Not sure what to do with Engvall. Might have to move him if it fixes the cap

 

[Fogelhund]

Robertson - Kerf - Nylander is working pretty good... I wonder if this could work?

Bunting Matthews Marner
Robertson Kerfoot Nylander
Engvall/Malgin Tavares Jarnkrok
ZAR Kampf NAK.

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

So it looks like Guadette is going to be at risk of losing to waivers to start the season. Would love if he passes for depth, didn't look bad by any means just couldn't get into a groove due to Injury.

What's the chances he slips through??

Hope Simmonds doesn't get picked up either. ZAR just looked like he took the job IMO. Would love Simmonds to be our 13th Forward

 

[SeaOfBlue]

So it looks like Guadette is going to be at risk of losing to waivers to start the season. Would love if he passes for depth, didn't look bad by any means just couldn't get into a groove due to Injury.

What's the chances he slips through??

Hope Simmonds doesn't get picked up either. ZAR just looked like he took the job IMO. Would love Simmonds to be our 13th Forward

Teams have to be pretty desperate to claim guys like Simmonds and Gaudette.

Gaudette doesn't look any more skilled than our skill guys, and doesn't have the grit or defensive game to compete with those guys. He is an AHL top 6 scorer and if we lost him, it is hardly a big deal. The Marlies would care more than the Leafs.

Simmonds is not really an NHLer anymore, so if he finds another team willing to let him play out what should likely be his last year in the NHL, then by all means. He shouldn't be playing for the Leafs anymore.

Malgin and Anderson should be our greatest worries if they hit waivers. The rest should clear without incident. Better guys should be hitting waivers.

 

[Knies iT]

Teams have to be pretty desperate to claim guys like Simmonds and Gaudette.

Gaudette doesn't look any more skilled than our skill guys, and doesn't have the grit or defensive game to compete with those guys. He is an AHL top 6 scorer and if we lost him, it is hardly a big deal. The Marlies would care more than the Leafs.

Simmonds is not really an NHLer anymore, so if he finds another team willing to let him play out what should likely be his last year in the NHL, then by all means. He shouldn't be playing for the Leafs anymore.

Malgin and Anderson should be our greatest worries if they hit waivers. The rest should clear without incident. Better guys should be hitting waivers.

Lind clearing waivers, and potentially Cagiulla/Barre-Boulet tomorrow (we'll see) would bode well for Anderson's chances of clearing.

Malgin will likely get picked up.

IMO it's really becoming enticing to trade Kerfoot over Holl to become cap compliant. Trading Holl means carrying basically no extras and requiring league min fill-ins (e.g. Malgin) + Benn/Mete as 7D who, with inevitable injuries, will be called upon in the spring. IIRC, moving Kerfoot would allow them to carry both Robertson and Malgin (one as extra in a rotation), while replacing Kerfoot with a C/LW like Holmberg and also keeping Holl as the 7th D.

This is thinking way ahead, but Knies joining the team for the playoffs seems like a foregone conclusion. He'll need to replace someone and i'd rather that not be Robertson, so Holmberg as his placeholder sounds ideal/realistic. Holl is an expensive 7D but it's great insurance.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Engvall - Tavares - Nylander
Robertson - Kerf - Jarnkrok
AstonReese - Kampf - Kubel
Clifford/Simmonds

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Thinking I don't want ZAR signed anymore, would rather have a longer look at Robertson, roll 3 scoring lines, and a 4th line that is annoying to play against, will shut you down, and can chip in offensively too.

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

Really not sure how any team can match up against that... really the only issue would be finding time for everyone.

Top 3 1st line (maybe the best)
Top 10 2nd line (haven't looked into it enough, could be top 5)
The best 3rd line?
The best 4th line?

Match 2nd/4th lines against the tough competition and have Willy/Matthews/Marner feast on the easier lines at home.

Away games, just let the other coach figure it out, it's not easy.

Put Engvall in Malgins spot on the 3rd line and play ZAR on the 4th

 

[Puckstuff]

Malgin is more hype then the goat Alexander Suglobov

 

[Chief Berube]

When healthy:

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Robertson/Malgin - Tavares - Nylander
Malgin/Robertson - Kerf - Jarnkrok
ZAR/Engvall - Kampf - NAK

Reilly-Brodie
Gio-Lilly
Muzzin-Sandin
Holl

Murray
Samsonov

 

[Twine Tickler]

I think Robertson solidified his spot on the roster last night. You can see the chemistry with Willy. That said, I think we gotta proceed with caution with him in terms of what to expect. He has always been a player who will put out a game like yesterdays, and then follow it up with 2 B2B games where he is barely touching the puck and chases the game. Largely because he still has a ton of holes in his game away from the puck, particularly in his own end. This ultimately limits the amount he can show his abilities off as he needs the puck on his stick to make the impact we saw last night. You can slowly start to see he is making strides in that area, but it will be a work in progress throughout the season. I just think at this point his offensive production can help mitigate that learning on the job phase. I think he is ready to take that next step in his development, and I don't think it will hurt us to have him play a more prominent role on our team.

I think the best way forward is to roll 3 solid lines. This would be the configuration I'd go with while Engvall is out.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner (20 mins/night)
Robertson - Kerfoot - Nylander (15 mins/night)
Malgin - Tavares - Jarnkrok (15 mins/night)
ZAR - Kampf - NAK (10 mins/night)

I just don't think Willy and JT work. They've had the better part of 2 seasons together and it really only worked for a brief time in the 2020-21 season. I think it's time we shift our thoughts from wondering what LW'er would work best with them, to what players can help bring out the best of them individually on their own separate lines.

Tavares and willy are still very good players, this is not meant as a knock on either on of them. They've just always struggled to produce at 5v5. Sure they are good defensively, and they usually have decent metrics, but we need more production from Lines 2 and 3. That is how you win with consistency and more importantly that's how you win in the playoffs.

As for when Engvall comes back I'd swap him for Malgin, and I'd let the hotter hand of Robertson and Malgin play on LW2. There will always be injuries, so getting games for both of those players will not be an issue

 

[fahad203]

Malgin is more hype then the goat Alexander Suglobov

I'll never forget..... The hype was just too real
But I think Malgin is different. Malgin has NHL experience and professional experience

Suglobov = the next mogilny

The prospect pool was so bad that he looked like a rising star

 

[kb]

Malgin is more hype then the goat Alexander Suglobov

He's just a solid player. No hype. He was an NHL'er before.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I just don't think Willy and JT work. They've had the better part of 2 seasons together and it really only worked for a brief time in the 2020-21 season. I think it's time we shift our thoughts from wondering what LW'er would work best with them, to what players can help bring out the best of them individually on their own separate lines.

It worked for almost the entire first half of last year too. They were one of the best lines in the entire NHL (better than Matthews/Marner).

Really comes down to whether Nylander can maintain his consistency. When he was on, that line was lethal. When he was off, Tavares had to carry the line on his own and while it wasn't terrible, it was far from what you would want from a 2nd line like that... And we'd need different types of players if we wanted Tavares to carry that line.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Don’t forget the leafs are at 49 contracts out of 50 max, so only 1 player can be signed , without moving someone.

 

[andora]

I think Robertson solidified his spot on the roster last night. You can see the chemistry with Willy. That said, I think we gotta proceed with caution with him in terms of what to expect. He has always been a player who will put out a game like yesterdays, and then follow it up with 2 B2B games where he is barely touching the puck and chases the game. Largely because he still has a ton of holes in his game away from the puck, particularly in his own end. This ultimately limits the amount he can show his abilities off as he needs the puck on his stick to make the impact we saw last night. You can slowly start to see he is making strides in that area, but it will be a work in progress throughout the season. I just think at this point his offensive production can help mitigate that learning on the job phase. I think he is ready to take that next step in his development, and I don't think it will hurt us to have him play a more prominent role on our team.

I think the best way forward is to roll 3 solid lines. This would be the configuration I'd go with while Engvall is out.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner (20 mins/night)
Robertson - Kerfoot - Nylander (15 mins/night)
Malgin - Tavares - Jarnkrok (15 mins/night)
ZAR - Kampf - NAK (10 mins/night)

I just don't think Willy and JT work. They've had the better part of 2 seasons together and it really only worked for a brief time in the 2020-21 season. I think it's time we shift our thoughts from wondering what LW'er would work best with them, to what players can help bring out the best of them individually on their own separate lines.

Tavares and willy are still very good players, this is not meant as a knock on either on of them. They've just always struggled to produce at 5v5. Sure they are good defensively, and they usually have decent metrics, but we need more production from Lines 2 and 3. That is how you win with consistency and more importantly that's how you win in the playoffs.

As for when Engvall comes back I'd swap him for Malgin, and I'd let the hotter hand of Robertson and Malgin play on LW2. There will always be injuries, so getting games for both of those players will not be an issue

In my opinion the robertson part of your post explained why he should start with the marlies

 

[therealkoho]

as of today

Bunts - Matty - MM
Robbie - Kerf - Will
Jarnkrok - Kampf - NAK
ZAR - Gaudette- Simmonds
Cliff - Malgin - Steeves

injured
JT - Engvall

after injuries
Bunts - Matty - MM
Robbie - JT - Will
Engvall - Kerfoot - Jarnkrok
ZAR - Kampf - NAK
Gaudette - Malgin - Simmonds

 

[Twine Tickler]

In my opinion the robertson part of your post explained why he should start with the marlies

I definitely wouldn't be opposed to it. But I think I have seen enough progress from him in terms of strength on the puck and being more active in puck pursuit to suggest he will be able to make a difference at the NHL level (offensively). Where he continues to struggle in my opinion is in his own end with the puck off of his tape. He can make a strong breakout pass to the streaking center and has patience with the puck to make a move to clear the zone when he has the puck. That part I am not worried about. He just seems to always be a half step behind his man and often times gets caught chasing the play. But like I said, he's done enough offensively to compensate for this deficiency to this point.

Additionally I think it sends a bad message to Nick to send him down when he's done nothing but improve his game night over night. I am not opposed to sending him down if/when he stops producing or starts becoming a liability, but at this point you have to reward the play IMO. He's earned a spot on the opening night roster, but he needs to understand that he's still in a dogfight to keep the job.

 

[Twine Tickler]

It worked for almost the entire first half of last year too. They were one of the best lines in the entire NHL (better than Matthews/Marner).

Really comes down to whether Nylander can maintain his consistency. When he was on, that line was lethal. When he was off, Tavares had to carry the line on his own and while it wasn't terrible, it was far from what you would want from a 2nd line like that... And we'd need different types of players if we wanted Tavares to carry that line.

I mean it definitely did work at times last year, but not with any consistency 5v5. They were largely playing to a neutral game script at 5v5 for the majority of last season. The only time I can remember them being dominant 5v5 was the second half of 2020-21 season after that bozo Steve Simmons wrote that "ikea" article on Willy.

They definitely played in some tough situations, and I largely thought they had decent showings despite not producing, but we need more production beyond the 1st line IMO. We sampled Willy and JT on separate lines last season and it wasn't the greatest, I just think this is a new cast of players and we should explore it. Robby - Kerf - Willy looked to have a bit of chem last night and I wouldn't mind running with that for a couple games to see if that can become a thing. If we remember to last season, there was a brief stint where Nick was on the JT/Willy line and they looked pretty solid. But I do remember feeling like there was more chemistry between Willy and Nick vs JT and Nick. Willy even connected with Nick on Nick's first regular season goal.



I am not opposed to running Robby - JT - Willy at times either, I just think we should explore JT and Willy away from each other more in depth. For 2 players of their caliber, they should be dominating 2nd line minutes with far more consistency then they have shown these past 2 seasons IMO.

 

[andora]

I definitely wouldn't be opposed to it. But I think I have seen enough progress from him in terms of strength on the puck and being more active in puck pursuit to suggest he will be able to make a difference at the NHL level (offensively). Where he continues to struggle in my opinion is in his own end with the puck off of his tape. He can make a strong breakout pass to the streaking center and has patience with the puck to make a move to clear the zone when he has the puck. That part I am not worried about. He just seems to always be a half step behind his man and often times gets caught chasing the play. But like I said, he's done enough offensively to compensate for this deficiency to this point.

Additionally I think it sends a bad message to Nick to send him down when he's done nothing but improve his game night over night. I am not opposed to sending him down if/when he stops producing or starts becoming a liability, but at this point you have to reward the play IMO. He's earned a spot on the opening night roster, but he needs to understand that he's still in a dogfight to keep the job.

Fair enough.. just a difference in view. I would like a more polished all around gane from a kid before playing him on a team to contend

We talk about it all the time about players having to do what needs to be done in sacrifice in order to be successful in the playoffs. My opinion is that extends to the regular season and the players willingness to improve

 

[LeafalCrusader]

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

 

[The Masters]

pretty cool