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How do you make the Leafs a great defensive team?

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ToneDog said:
True and false. They have not traded their 1sts, but they did move the Pens' first in the Freddy deal. For sake of argument lets say they are close to knocking at the door of win-now mode :)
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I would say trading 1sts for rentals is a more of the win now move.
Trading an additional 1st for an area of need (long term) is a different beast. Just like trading JVR for a 1st last summer is not tanking.
 
We need reliable goaltending, Andersen is absolutely an elite goalie at times but he's also a sieve at other times. He can't just keeping having bad months. The defense needs to be better but he needs to be stable. He reminds a little of Pekka Rinne either bad or lights out.
 
Trapper said:
I would say trading 1sts for rentals is a more of the win now move.
Trading an additional 1st for an area of need (long term) is a different beast. Just like trading JVR for a 1st last summer is not tanking.
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In this day and age I would agree because 1sts are now much more valued. A few years ago, teams were giving away their 1sts for help at the TDL.
 
A lot of the defensive issues have been with the forward group. Fortunately, a lot of that should be fixed with our youngsters continuing to develop. Having Bozak unable to handle any kind of matchup was a huge problem. Converting Nylander to C or having Marleau or even Brown there would help the team a lot.

With the D group, Zaitsev has to be far better and I believe he will. Dermott & Borgman were rookies so mistakes should have been expected out of them. Carrick needs to go. Gardiner I've had issues with since his time in Toronto but he will eventually be replaced by Liljegren.

A long-term group of Rielly, Zaitsev, Dermott, Liljegren is a great start but I'd like to see at the very least an in his prime Hainsey type added (2nd pairing stabilizer).
 
Atomos2 said:
How do you make the Leafs a great defensive team?

Is it possible? This question has been in my head ever since we got bounced from the playoffs. I'll concede that our defense isn't that bad. We can call it average if you'd like. Babcock and Dubas have both said that they are fine with our defense. And that's fair. But how do we make it our strength? How can we turn ourselves into a great defensive team? Is it possible?

I doubt anybody on here believes Leafs are a great defensive team... so how do we get from here to there?
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hey I know how we can make Leafs a great defensive team:

1. Clean breakouts from the defensive zone
2. Good transition
3. Play in the offensive as much as possible
4. Don't keep on icing the effing puck looking for stretch passes because the breakout plays/system absolutely SUCKS
 
ToneDog said:
Yes we will be patient but not to the level you outlined. Patient teams do not sign Marleau, Hainsey, Martin, Zaitsev, Borgman, Rosen and rumored to be interested in Thornton last year. There is patience and then there is comatose.
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Marleau is the only impatient move I see.

The other signings are very much similar to the '2-3 low key moves that help us defensively'.

Obviously we will look into trades + JT as well. I'm saying that shouldn't be ''the plan" going into the summer. That thinking leads to decisions you regret long term.

This reminds me of the last time we lost to Boston. Everyone shouted 'we need grit!!'
The leafs answered by signing David Clarkson lmao.
 
thewave said:
That is true. What we have done is misjudged how far along we were and let a fair amount of asset value walk.
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I wonder where all the keep jvr/bozak/komarov peeps are at?

zeke was famous for asking people if they knew who played on boston's bottom six he would "name them" and claimed bozak and jvr are better than boston's bottom 6

Such :facepalm: worthy posts from those people none of them are to be seen active.

Its a freakin joke that people don't get asset management in a cap world
 
Beleafer4 said:
Marleau is the only impatient move I see.

The other signings are very much similar to the '2-3 low key moves that help us defensively'.

Obviously we will look into trades + JT as well. I'm saying that shouldn't be ''the plan" going into the summer. That thinking leads to decisions you regret long term.

This reminds me of the last time we lost to Boston. Everyone shouted 'we need grit!!'
The leafs answered by signing David Clarkson lmao.
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Yes, and waste our #1 cause they thought they needed a good faceoff man. Luckily this is not Shanny's style to date.
 
Trade Gardiner to a team that needs a PMD for a first and a decent prospect (EDM).

Use the money we have already and sign Carlson to play top pair D. Push Rielly down to the second pairing and put him with Z. Pull Hainsey and Dermott to the bottom pair. Sign a solid defensive dman to play top pair. A guy like Jack Johnson fits the bill.

JJ - Carlson
Rielly - Z
Dermott - Hainsey
Carrick
 
Atomos2 said:
How do you make the Leafs a great defensive team?

Is it possible? This question has been in my head ever since we got bounced from the playoffs. I'll concede that our defense isn't that bad. We can call it average if you'd like. Babcock and Dubas have both said that they are fine with our defense. And that's fair. But how do we make it our strength? How can we turn ourselves into a great defensive team? Is it possible?

I doubt anybody on here believes Leafs are a great defensive team... so how do we get from here to there?
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My great defensive team wouldn't include Gardiner, Carrick, or JVR.
 
You can't. This fanbase wouldn't tolerate a team that's great defensively but middling offensively. They have always been more concerned with entertainment first and winning second. Even during the dead puck era, the Leafs were high octane offensively and suspect defensively, and I don't think it's coincidence the Leafs have always been built this way.
 
PromisedLand said:
I wonder where all the keep jvr/bozak/komarov peeps are at?

zeke was famous for asking people if they knew who played on boston's bottom six he would "name them" and claimed bozak and jvr are better than boston's bottom 6

Such :facepalm: worthy posts from those people none of them are to be seen active.

Its a freakin joke that people don't get asset management in a cap world
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Instant gratification culture. Most people love to cut corners any way they can. In cap era hockey, a single move like that could mean the difference of missing out on a PK Subban. 5-6 extra darts on the top 90 dartboard could be a game changer.
 
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Kyle92 said:
You can't. This fanbase wouldn't tolerate a team that's great defensively but middling offensively. They have always been more concerned with entertainment first and winning second. Even during the dead puck era, the Leafs were high octane offensively and suspect defensively, and I don't think it's coincidence the Leafs have always been built this way.
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I doubt that's true. So despite the public and media's constant efforts to demand Leafs improve defensively, you're telling me that the fanbase wouldn't tolerate a solid defensive team that had weak offense?
 
It's funny that people think their NHL be a GM mode experience means they know better than Lou and Shanahan about proper asset management.
 
Get two more D men, and you lose Bozie and JVR, that right there makes us a much better defensive team. When Hainsey is on our third pairing, I'll know we are ready to truly contend.
 
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