How are you feeling about Tavares these days?

Roo

Registered User
Oct 3, 2005
4,169
1,409
Oakville
We should move him to the wing where there is less defensive responsibility. He hasn’t lost the skill, and can reinvent himself. We can get more of a 2 way Center in ufa or move Nylander to C.
 

Larcos_Unal

Excuses are for losers
Jul 6, 2007
6,135
7,497
Toronto
We should move him to the wing where there is less defensive responsibility. He hasn’t lost the skill, and can reinvent himself. We can get more of a 2 way Center in ufa or move Nylander to C.
He needs to be moved to the wing for sure, but I don't believe Willie is the answer at C. We've tried that a few times and it doesn't seem to work for whatever reason. I'd rather not mess with what works and leave him at RW.

UFA 2nd line C is the focus. Nothing too fancy, 45-50 points, some size and balls, defensively sound would be ideal.
 
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Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
12,795
11,654
Bro what?

Knies and Bertuzzi are absolute slugs out there right now.

Not even close. Knies is labouring but Taveras is stuck in quick sand. He was unplayable against the avs

I’ll give you similarly slow maybe, but Knies has been well behind the play all the time lately. If he’s not been slower than JT it’s been insanely close.
 

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
12,795
11,654
Knies has hit the wall, probably needs a couple games off.

Yeah, still love the player, not worried about him long term, but the grind of the nhl schedule has been impacting him significantly. He’s been bad lately.

The all star break should be good for him at least
 
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WTFMAN99

Registered User
Jun 17, 2009
34,280
12,441
Yeah, still love the player, not worried about him long term, but the grind of the nhl schedule has been impacting him significantly. He’s been bad lately.

The all star break should be good for him at least

Yeah, love the player but college schedule vs NHL schedule is an adjustment.

This is where I look at Keefe and think "wtf?"

Robertson is right there, get him in some games and let Knies sit out a bit.
 

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
12,795
11,654
Yeah, love the player but college schedule vs NHL schedule is an adjustment.

This is where I look at Keefe and think "wtf?"

Robertson is right there, get him in some games and let Knies sit out a bit.

Agreed. At this point I’m fully expecting Robertson to be traded if Keefe isn’t being removed
 

ACC1224

Super Elite, Passing ALL Tests since 2002
Aug 19, 2002
77,246
44,172
Best thing for Tavares is to get some minor injury that puts him on the shelf for a couple weeks.
 

ER89

Registered User
Jul 25, 2018
4,753
4,813
Knies and Bertuzzi are absolute slugs out there right now.



I’ll give you similarly slow maybe, but Knies has been well behind the play all the time lately. If he’s not been slower than JT it’s been insanely close.
I think he's a step behind the play because he doesn't know what to do
 

BertCorbeau

F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Jan 6, 2012
56,654
39,482
Simcoe County
Tavares is showing what I figured where he'd be in years 6 and 7 of his deal. Elite players can uphold through age, but JT was never a fast skater and that is what's impacting his game the most. He's still able to produce, but his speed issues now means he's no longer able to drive play on his own line.
 

notDatsyuk

Registered User
Jul 20, 2018
11,647
9,714
He is 33, not 38 and he only plays 18 minutes a night but he looks like he is at the end of a 100 game season. Foligno looked done for the Leafs at 33 but he was a player for the Bs at 35 so I don't think its age. Whether illness or injury they have to get him right. I would actually sit him down for a couple of games because they can get -2 out of anybody in that spot. He needs some kind of a bump.
The difference in Foligno from Toronto to Boston was likely just a coach who knew how to use him.

Maybe a real coach could make JT useful again (beyond the faceoff dot).
 

34

Registered User
Mar 26, 2010
21,932
9,837
The all-star break can not come fast enough for him.
 

TMLBlueandWhite

Knies Is The Next Hyman But Better
Feb 2, 2023
2,109
2,164
You ever see Tavares sitting on the bench staring straight ahead while someone on his team is getting beaten on and hurt?

What kind of message is he sending to everyone? Because he is sending a message. It just so happens to be the wrong one.

I cant believe the Leafs chose this guy to represent their team.

Zero personality. Zero charisma. Zero inspiration.

Zero success.

He shouldn't be Captain with that pacifist carefree attitude. A team takes on the identity of it's leaders. A group of donkeys led by a lion can defeat a group of lions led by a donkey.

Pretty hard to intimidate the opposition when the team gets bullied every game and the Captain doesn’t even bat an eye.
 

Gabriel426

Registered User
Jun 30, 2015
18,218
11,935
I really think JT should be on a line with Calle and Bert and just let that line grind and forecheck.

Willie, Knies and Domi on a line would be great.

BUT most importantly, the dmen need to make quicker decisions with the puck.
 

frizzer1

Registered User
Oct 19, 2013
5,796
4,317
Tavares was always a net front guy who could stake out his position and convert his opportunities.
He can’t even do that anymore despite playing against secondary opposition and playing with an elite right winger.
 

IPS

Registered User
Sep 28, 2017
16,525
27,183
7 games pointless now

5 points in his last 16 games. Hands down worst Leaf forward in this stretch too.

Bitch about the Bertuzzi/Domi/Klingberg contracts all you like but as it stands right now Tavares is the biggest boat anchor relative to salary on the team, by a lot too.

Dubas didn't even have to live through the worst part this contract. This guy's a big f***ing problem right now.
 

keonsbitterness

Registered User
Sep 14, 2010
36,998
20,694
south of Steeles
7 games pointless now

5 points in his last 16 games. Hands down worst Leaf forward in this stretch too.

Bitch about the Bertuzzi/Domi/Klingberg contracts all you like but as it stands right now Tavares is the biggest boat anchor relative to salary on the team, by a lot too.

Dubas didn't even have to live through the worst part this contract. This guy's a big f***ing problem right now.
This year and next were supposed to be the years we'd have to live with his declining play after five years of deep playoff runs and a Cup or two. Didn't quite work out as planned.
 

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