Did the future defense just become the strength of To. ?

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

our defense is better now and going forward than most people realize. Our strength is easily our offense though, and it's not close

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The Maple Leafs are 30th in the league in shots against with only the NYI giving up more.

Leafs present Dcore is a direct result of that factor and if it wasn't for Andersen's outstanding play while facing the most shots the underlying results would be much worse than they are.. Freddy is masking the constant mistakes the Dcore that plays in front of him, making it appear better than it is.

Leafs are moving in the right direction but the defensive mistakes and blunders are still far too prevalent.

our defensive structure centers around quick transition more than anything else. measuring it by shots against is pointless

 

[Swedish Gretzky]

Not sure I follow ? Reilly hatched top 2. Dermott hatched top 4. Gardiner no longer an egg, top 4. Zaitsev hatched but contract smelly. Borgman hatched top 6. Lily incubating well, no cracks in the shell. Rasanen, well a potential black swan.

This board is so low on Zaitsev - it is insane. You really think his contract sucks after what he showed in his initial rookie year? Zaitsev will be in our top 4 to stay - also he still hasnt peaked

FACT:

Overrated: dermott, lijegren and our other prospects
Underrated: zaitsev, reilly, gardiner

 

[Mess]

our defensive structure centers around quick transition more than anything else. measuring it by shots against is pointless

Shot suppression and limiting scoring chances and thus potential goals against is a measure of a defense core strength, as the position played has the word defenseman or defense core in the name itself.

When Lou Lam and Bacock see the high volume of scoring/shots against they recognize the need for improvement as opposed to handing out praise.

Where 30th in a 31 team league in most shots against is a weakness not a strength comparative to other teams.

 

[Legion34]

Lou Lam would love to go big game hunting to add that elite top 4 guy is possible. IMO

OEL will be the talk of the summer at the draft.

More than Karlson, doughty or mcd?

 

[Faltorvo]

Gordeev has scouts buzzing this year as well.

James Greenway has many of us here talking about him in the rookie camp as well, though I can’t say I’ve watched him at all since.

There’s ‘potential’ for sure. However it’s more for a consistent flow of cheap third pairing guys.

If the Leafs can acquire a top pairing d-man, they still should.

We don't need a go forward top 4 d man

Reils,Gards,Zait,Derm,Little grin , thats 5 solid names for 4 spots.

all we need after that is one of the big men to be #6 Gord/Ras/Green/Middle/Holl

 

[Mess]

More than Karlson, doughty or mcd?

Doughty will retire a King, EK will be dealt now or at the draft and Leafs will not pay that asking price and of all the players on the list McD of NY might be a Leaf by this time next week perhaps.

OEL will want out of Arizona a perpetual rebuilding team and Leafs would be all over that possibility at the entry draft, but this years playoff results will factor heavily into how much they feel the need to improve the defense will be required to have more playoff success down the road.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

The Leafs best three defensemen at the moment are Reilly, Gardiner, Zaitsev, and we can put that in any order we want.

Borgman and Dermott have shown enough to make us believe that they will be top 4 material in the coming years.

In the meantime, unless the Leafs are willing to give up a lot, no other top 4 defenseman is coming to this team.

Look at the Islanders. Trade Hamonic (for a very steep price), get an injury, and they instantly become one of the worst defensive teams in the league, when they were a rather good defensive team the past few years. It can unravel quickly, as we should know as Leafs fans.

Or be like the Flames, have a high priced, name defence and still might finish out of the playoffs.....Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton, Stone and Hamonic, that's over 24m.
I think there is big illusion that having a so call top 4 defenceman or two is going to lead to automatic success for a team.

 

[Mess]

When I look at Leafs right hand side defense core and see Zaitasv (age 26 and struggling), Carrick ( a regular healthy scratch, Polak (pending UFA) and Lil (1 goal and 11 points) in the AHL as RHD in the organization I get nightmares not that warm and cozy feeling that things are looking up..

That is scary bad, not scary good.

A much better argument can be made of LHD in the organization, as its strong side.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Keep dreaming
Leafs defense needs real work
Need to add a top pairing defender
That would be a gamechanger

 

[darrylsittler27]

There isn't much dreaming. I have to listen people say stupid things like Dermott is over rated. Someone will get squeezed out if we trade for an OEL or sign a UFA defender. Dermott is cheap and young. Reilly is good and Gardiner is Gardiner. Once we add a top 2 Dman our defense won't be our main concern at all. To me it is either Gardiner or Zaitsev being moved just to make some cap room.

 

[Apotheosis]

It depends on development, but I'm quite certain on Dermott, Rielly and Liljegren. Lots of puck movement.

 

[Prince N]

Still a must...1 top pairing d-man and 1 big bruising d-man for 3rd pairing. (Not polak...someone that has a bit more still)

 

[Legion34]

Doughty will retire a King, EK will be dealt now or at the draft and Leafs will not pay that asking price and of all the players on the list McD of NY might be a Leaf by this time next week perhaps.

OEL will want out of Arizona a perpetual rebuilding team and Leafs would be all over that possibility at the entry draft, but this years playoff results will factor heavily into how much they feel the need to improve the defense will be required to have more playoff success down the road.

Hmmmm I can’t say I disagree with any of that. Except mayyyyybe doughty if LA misses. They are an over 30 core with a bunch of missed seasons now. Doughty keeps saying he wants to win. I watched the pitt game and he was diving trying to stop empty net goals and everyone else was just skating around. He looked pissed.

Of course a hot streak or a playoff series win and he is off the table. He or mcd might be our best shots. OEL apparently wants to stay.

 

[Smif]

Next year its IMO:
Rielly- ???
Dermott-Hainsey
Borgman-Zaitsev

I think Babs gets frustrated and has had enough of Gards, at the very least he won't be retained once his contract is up which is two years away rather. Babcock loves reliability and Gards is way to unpredictable for him. Plus, our right side is way to weak to get rid of Zaitsev.

 

[nuck]

Doughty will retire a King, EK will be dealt now or at the draft and Leafs will not pay that asking price and of all the players on the list McD of NY might be a Leaf by this time next week perhaps.

OEL will want out of Arizona a perpetual rebuilding team and Leafs would be all over that possibility at the entry draft, but this years playoff results will factor heavily into how much they feel the need to improve the defense will be required to have more playoff success down the road.

No guarantees Tampa will be able to resign EK if they get him, especially if they don't give him a Cup. Maybe him and OEL both end up free agents. They do need to improve their D corp but it doesn't have to be right now.

 

[darrylsittler27]

I'm surprised TB even thinks they can afford Karlsson $$$$ cap wise. Plus you have take B. Ryan's contract?

 

[MR4]

Next year its IMO:
Rielly- ???
Dermott-Hainsey
Borgman-Zaitsev

I think Babs gets frustrated and has had enough of Gards, at the very least he won't be retained once his contract is up which is two years away rather. Babcock loves reliability and Gards is way to unpredictable for him. Plus, our right side is way to weak to get rid of Zaitsev.

Personally believe we'll keep Gardiner next season and let him go in the offseason, next year is when we become true contenders so I'm fine with expending the potential Gardiner return on having a dman that plays like a #1 when he's on in the playoffs (unlike JVR never really having truly dominant games and isn't relied upon at all in a non top contending year). Also gives enough time to get Dermott to a non-rookie level, and gives us 4 top 4 dmen + Hainsey (could play like 1st half or 2nd half Hainsey, but def good enough for bottom pair). Then the season after, it becomes this IMO

Rielly-X
Dermott-Liljegren
Borgman-Zaitsev

Then a year or 2 or 3 down the line, I expect Zaitsev to be shipped out (or expansion drafted?) to clear cap and open up a spot for a kid in the AHL waiting like a Gordeev or Rasanen.

Full confidence in Dermott-Liljegren being able to dominate 2nd pair competition and both have ceilings that reach into top pair with nothing a big enough minus to stop them from being #1s, but projecting them both to be good #3's.

So really I see it as we only need to acquire a defensive dman to go with Rielly to have the Seabrook to the Kieth, to fully solidify our dcore for the future.

 

[The Iceman]

This board is so low on Zaitsev - it is insane. You really think his contract sucks after what he showed in his initial rookie year? Zaitsev will be in our top 4 to stay - also he still hasnt peaked

FACT:

Overrated: dermott, lijegren and our other prospects
Underrated: zaitsev, reilly, gardiner

So you don't like 18 year old Stud D Liljegren eh....Check back in 3 years.

 

[Mess]

So you don't like 18 year old Stud D Liljegren eh....Check back in 3 years.

Lil might not be a Leaf in 3 years and perhaps even less than that as he would likely be included in any trade that brought in a big name Dman in trade.

 

[White Shadow]

Lil might not be a Leaf in 3 years and perhaps even less than that as he would likely be included in any trade that brought in a big name Dman in trade.

Could be Gardiner. Chayka loves his analytic darlings.

OEK, Hjalmarsson and Gards all have contracts ending 18/19

 

[Buds17]

Difficult to call it "the strength", because progression of young defencemen is tough to fully gauge. We're locked in with Rielly and Zaitsev, Dermott has shown well thus far with what he's been given, Borgman should return soon enough and be better for it, and Liljegren has promise. Definitely not a finished product as a group of six, but potential is there.