Are the Leafs gonna be tougher to play against?

[Smif]

Bertuzzi > Bunting
Domi > Kerfoot
Klingberg > Holl
Reaves < Acciari


= ROR
= Schenn

that's kinda how I see it

Our team is overall better than where it was at the start of the 2022-23 season, but that is also largely due to some of the additions Kyle was able to make in season and through his drafting tenure. Having a full season of Knies, McCabe, Lafferty and hopefully one or both of Holmberg and Robertson will be massive. We should be able to play in in any type of game IMO. I don't think there are too many teams that are objectively faster than us, and I also don't think there are many teams that are overwhelmingly tougher and more competitive.

Bertuzzi - Matthews - Marner
Knies - Tavares - Nylander
Robertson - Domi - Jarnkrok
Lafferty - Kampf - Reaves

Rielly - Brodie
McCabe - Klingberg
Giordano - Liljegren

Of course this can all change with a Willy trade, but as it stands I like the look of this roster if I am being completely honest.

If only we re-signed Schenn and Acciari and not Klingberg. Then, we'd be Tampa Bay tough. Our D is too soft, not much there for punishment in front of our net.

People saying Domi hasn't fought much is for a reason, no one wants too. He's a one puncher and it looks bad when someone a lot bigger than him takes a beating from him. I saw it in the playoffs when Pietrangelo wouldn't fight him. He KO'd Ekblad and Kesler, these guys are all one or two weight classes above him. He's a lightweight that destroys middleweights.

 

[authentic]

If only we re-signed Schenn and Acciari and not Klingberg. Then, we'd be Tampa Bay tough. Our D is too soft, not much there for punishment in front of our net.

People saying Domi hasn't fought much is for a reason, no one wants too. He's a one puncher and it looks bad when someone a lot bigger than him takes a beating from him. I saw it in the playoffs when Pietrangelo wouldn't fight him. He KO'd Ekblad and Kesler, these guys are all one or two weight classes above him. He's a lightweight that destroys middleweights.

So he's a lot more like his Dad than I imagined. That's good to know.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Reaves is there to settle major grievances but in the shift to shift scrums and front of net scrums the core 4 need to cowboy up. They need to let other teams know that they will not be taken advantage of.
I’m not sure if I will ever get the vision of Matthews doing his cowardly laugh while being rag dolled from behind.
I was embarrassed for him.

I was even more mortified and embarrassed by proxy when Marner got socked 3 times and looked like he was gonna cry, staring longingly at the ref for help

 

[Gabriel426]

Kampf is the only one that should be out the door and instead sign Acciari

 

[justashadowof]

I see your point despite my jabs.

I guess I'll spin it differently.

Question:

If Domi or Bertuzzi were to engage Kerfoot in a fight would he stand up to them?

You don't have to answer that, but there is something in my question. Perhaps that's how Leaf fans are perceiving a theme of *new* added toughness.

I'll try it another way: a Leafs' teammate gets blasted in the corner and the perpetrator faces the other Leafs on the ice flexing his biceps screaming wonderbar. Which players are more likely to at the very least come form a scrum and which ones would go straight back to the bench?

 

[Blaylock38]

They are after the Bertuzzi & Domi signings but the D needs serious upgrades to complete the entire picture.

Ideally something along the lines of:

Rielly Pesce
Zadorov Klingberg
McCabe -------------
Gio

Send Brodie, Liljegren, Timmins elsewhere.

Lily goes nowhere except higher in the Dpairs.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I'll try it another way: a Leafs' teammate gets blasted in the corner and the perpetrator faces the other Leafs on the ice flexing his biceps screaming wonderbar. Which players are more likely to at the very least come form a scrum and which ones would go straight back to the bench?

There was a long list I'm afraid, but a smaller one now.

Rielly seemed to be the most emotional fighter, or a guy that saw an injustice and dropped the gloves. Simmonds and Clifford before a little, but less as the years went on. Luke Schenn was great, but we had him for too short.

 

[Its not your fault]

If only we re-signed Schenn and Acciari and not Klingberg. Then, we'd be Tampa Bay tough. Our D is too soft, not much there for punishment in front of our net.

People saying Domi hasn't fought much is for a reason, no one wants too. He's a one puncher and it looks bad when someone a lot bigger than him takes a beating from him. I saw it in the playoffs when Pietrangelo wouldn't fight him. He KO'd Ekblad and Kesler, these guys are all one or two weight classes above him. He's a lightweight that destroys middleweights.

Thanks that was a fun few minutes of research!

 

[Gallagbi]

If only we re-signed Schenn and Acciari and not Klingberg. Then, we'd be Tampa Bay tough. Our D is too soft, not much there for punishment in front of our net.

People saying Domi hasn't fought much is for a reason, no one wants too. He's a one puncher and it looks bad when someone a lot bigger than him takes a beating from him. I saw it in the playoffs when Pietrangelo wouldn't fight him. He KO'd Ekblad and Kesler, these guys are all one or two weight classes above him. He's a lightweight that destroys middleweights.

Pietro doesnt really fight in fairness. He's chippy and cheap, but doesnt ever reslly fight

 

[ACC1224]

Pietro doesnt really fight in fairness. He's chippy and cheap, but doesnt ever reslly fight

What’s your expectation of Domi?

I think, at least for the first few weeks, he’s going to be a buzz saw from the excitement,

I’m not a fan but I can see him becoming a fan favourite like his dad before long.

 

[frog]

this. matthews being bullied by stamkos was hard to watch. punched repeatedly in the face while matthews looks at the ref. and marner looking like he was going to cry when engaged by tkatchuk at the end of a game. that’s why this team doesn’t win. those are your top competitors? adding a few guys with higher compete level helps. but at the end of the day, your top guys should set the tone.

Marner asking for a penalty after the game was over was the funniest thing Ive seen in a while

 

[Gallagbi]

What’s your expectation of Domi?

I think, at least for the first few weeks, he’s going to be a buzz saw from the excitement,

I’m not a fan but I can see him becoming a fan favourite like his dad before long.

I havent watched him enough recently to make a fair comment, but his production seems to have fallen off.

I do think youll see a lot of excitement early, likely a lull in the middle of the year.

I think he has the talent to play with our top 6 and he's never played with this caliber of linemates, but i worry itll turn into a sideshow if Knies pushes him to the third line

 

[ACC1224]

I havent watched him enough recently to make a fair comment, but his production seems to have fallen off.

I do think youll see a lot of excitement early, likely a lull in the middle of the year.

I think he has the talent to play with our top 6 and he's never played with this caliber of linemates, but i worry itll turn into a sideshow if Knies pushes him to the third line

The sideshow is the worry for sure and why I never wanted him to come.

 

[Stephen]

People forget about McCabe for some reason but he likes to lay hits and will drop the gloves. He has some grit. Gio is 75 years old but he has always been known for his grit.



Lafferty isn't a fighter but he is pesty. Fast and will battle hard along the boards. Knies is in the same mold will make life hard along the boards for folks.

I think we've been getting harder to play against for a few years now. These signings help that.

McCabe threw some big hits for the Leafs last year. Together with Reaves, Betuzzi, Domi they will bring a bit more snarl. But we'll need more.

 

[Go4soda]

Marner asking for a penalty after the game was over was the funniest thing Ive seen in a while

tough to watch.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I don't think Kerfoot is:

Tough
Skilled
A big hitter
A very good hockey player
A very good fighter
A first rate defensive forward

_______

Don't come down on Domi/Bertuzzi for the "sins of their fathers".

Were you making my point for me?

 

[HockeyVirus]

McCabe threw some big hits for the Leafs last year. Together with Reaves, Betuzzi, Domi they will bring a bit more snarl. But we'll need more.

Yes we've learned you can't bring in 3 guys and expect grit. What happens is they stop hitting and stop playing tough for whatever reason. if coached too or not

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

What’s your expectation of Domi?

I think, at least for the first few weeks, he’s going to be a buzz saw from the excitement,

I’m not a fan but I can see him becoming a fan favourite like his dad before long.

That’s exactly it. You need it over the haul, every day. It’s exactly the reason we aren’t tougher because we just let two guys walk who take regular shifts and bring it every single game. The replacements either bring it on rare occasion or don’t take regular shifts.

268 hits in 60 GP.

 

[mjd1001]

What is harder to play against?

Toughness as in willingness to fight to me isn't the key.

Playing hard close to 100% of the time. Intense forecheck. No shifts off, even if up by 3 goals or down by 3 goals. Following up on every hit EXCEPT those that put you out of position. (if I'm an opposing team, I'm GLAD to take a bit of a hit if it allows me to find an opening in the ice to take advantage of)

To me, those are the things, as an opposing team, I don't want to play against, not the occasional threat of a fight or dealing with chirping after the whistle. I'm not sure if the Leafs are THAT much harder to play against in those ways.

 

[ACC1224]

What is harder to play against?

Toughness as in willingness to fight to me isn't the key.

Playing hard close to 100% of the time. Intense forecheck. No shifts off, even if up by 3 goals or down by 3 goals. Folloing up on every hit EXCEPT those that put you out of position. (if I'm an opposing team, I'm GLAD to take a bit of a hit if it allows me to find an opening in the ice to take advantage of)

To me, those are the things, as an opposing team, I don't want to play against, not the occasional threat of a fight or dealing with chirping after the whistle. I'm not sure if the Leafs are THAT much harder to play against in those ways.

It'll be a nice change just to see them finish more checks and limit the flybys to Nylander only.

I've always thought this was a style directed by Dubas. Hoping that style left with him.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

I'm not posting this because I agree with their opinion.

I'm posting it because real life is stranger than fiction.

 

[ACC1224]

I'm not posting this because I agree with their opinion.

I'm posting it because real life is stranger than fiction.

Twitter, where any idiot becomes legit.

 

[Notsince67]

I havent watched him enough recently to make a fair comment, but his production seems to have fallen off.

I do think youll see a lot of excitement early, likely a lull in the middle of the year.

I think he has the talent to play with our top 6 and he's never played with this caliber of linemates, but i worry itll turn into a sideshow if Knies pushes him to the third line

The team relies on structure defensively. Never thought we had particularly strong dmen and the forwards play a huge part of defense . Domi looks like a run and gunner. Bertuzzi is no Mark Stone either. If they can get the team working early and they can produce good numbers, I think the Leafs will be in the clear. On the other hand, we might find defensive weaknesses get exacerbated and the goalies will find a need for kevlar.

 

[mjd1001]

It'll be a nice change just to see them finish more checks and limit the flybys to Nylander only.

I've always thought this was a style directed by Dubas. Hoping that style left with him.

Finishing checks is important, but I read an article a few years back with some links to videos that showed something interesting about that topic.

What makes Patrice Bergeron so good as a defensive forward is how selective he is in 'completing checks'. Many times he will be on the forecheck and will turn away seemingly at the last minute and not finish a check. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. But what it seems like is he is very, VERY good at knowing when finishing a check will not put him out of position and he does it...but at other times he will turn away from finishing a check so he gets back into the play quicker.

Finishing checks is good, but maybe more important than finishing a check is watching that when a player does NOT finish a check, does that allow him to get back into the play backchecking and make a difference there?

 

[tuckerintensity]

People saying Domi hasn't fought much is for a reason, no one wants too.

That is not the reason. That isn't even a slight on Domi, I like that he's on our team and he's going to be a super douche that we're gonna love, but come on, he's 5-5 in his last ten (eight seasons). His job is not to be a fighter and the type of guys he'd fight aren't really big fighters either. That's fine, there's zero wrong with this.