How do you make the Leafs a great defensive team?

[PromisedLand]

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.

Most of the posters have no foresight

look at the point producers since 2009; and then look at how many were picked in 2nd round

2009
2009 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2010
2011 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2011
2010 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2012
2012 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2013
2013 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2014
2014 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2015
2015 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2016
2016 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

 

[thewave]

Most of the posters have no foresight

look at the point producers since 2009; and then look at how many were picked in 2nd round

2009
2009 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2010
2011 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2011
2010 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2012
2012 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2013
2013 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2014
2014 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2015
2015 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

2016
2016 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

Healthy number of good D is my focus past the mid 1st round. There is a lot of really good players to be had there. If we landed one or two it changes the entire future of the club.

 

[PromisedLand]

Healthy number of good D is my focus past the mid 1st round. There is a lot of really good players to be had there. If we landed one or two it changes the entire future of the club.

If we had good asset management and were not throwing away 2nd round picks for a handful of games from the likes of Boyle and Plek.

I just hope we don't resign jvr/bozak/komarov their time with the Leafs is DONE! I'd be really pissed if we re-signed any of them. I'd give Polak 1millin to sit in the pressbox and play if injury (i don't even want Polak back)

 

[Nithoniniel]

No one is giving us a 1st for Gardiner lol

A similar player in Shattenkirk went for a 1st plus prospects and conditional picks.

 

[thewave]

A similar player in Shattenkirk went for a 1st plus prospects and conditional picks.

If his asking price for continued services isn't reasonable, trade him. 1st and good prospect is fine I imagine.

 

[rent free]

Gardiner makes our team better

no he doesn't he makes it worse

 

[rent free]

A similar player in Shattenkirk went for a 1st plus prospects and conditional picks.

he was the premier deadline target. gardiner certainly won't be that next season.

 

[TOGuy14]

We need a better D for sure, but we can vastly improve our forward group with JVR and Bozak disappearing for guys like Johnsson and Altonen and Kapanen getting more ice time.

 

[darrylsittler27]

We also lack the size needed, Washington and Winnipeg just look brutusk and would kill our guys over 7 games.

 

[Metroid]

A similar player in Shattenkirk went for a 1st plus prospects and conditional picks.

Here's hoping we do get a first, and that first is for a team thst misses the pkayoffs!

 

[Duffman955]

Simply add 3 defensemen that know how to defend. Not a single leaf player is reliable to shutdown big threats in a playoff series.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

I think that Zaitsev had a bad year but is better than what he showed. It would be short sighted to trade him away now, especially if he's perceived to have negative value, because I think he would be well suited to play as a #4 + PK guy. Our problem is that we have two fringe #4s and a #7 on the right side. Getting a legitimate top 2 RHD would push everyone down to their appropriate slot and allow for more sheltered minutes for players like Gardiner and Hainsey. The problem is that to get that player, we need to give up a major piece, which could just create other holes in the lineup.

What we need is depth! Stock up on guys who have been buried on some of the deeper defensive teams and might be able to produce in a larger role (see Nate Schmidt or anyone on that Vegas D for that matter). The more options we have in our lineup, the greater the chance that one of them over achieves and we can find a good player to play up in the top 4 without giving up a major piece.

 

[Razz]

They just need time. The forwards developed faster than anticipated, and the defence is still in the development stage. Mark Hunter's D drafting has yet to bear fruit with the exception of Dermott, whom is only now just emerging. I think patience is the key with this D corps. I say keep with the strategy of signing cheap FAs like Hainsey to bridge the gap until our players are ready. Keep as much depth as possible and build the right way as they have been.

 

[Apotheosis]

Everyone's apparantly available from Carolina right?

Get Gardiner out and somehow bring Slavin in and we are in WAY better shape defensively.

Rielly - Slavin becomes the best pairing in the league lol

 

[-DeMo-]

Commitment. defense is mostly mental, most of the players have the physical skills to be great defensively, most of the time it's about being committed. and being able to read the play are the 2 biggest needs among NHL players to be good defensively.

 

[ObscureAlien]

need to be coached like peewee players and spend a f*** ton more time on breakouts w/ little time and space. but I guess it doesn't matter if Gardiner's gonna keep stretching it right onto the other team's stick/ polak keeps throwing it up the boards w/o looking

 

[Covenant]

Bring back Pat Burns, he was the only one in the last 50 years that had them playing tight defense.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I think some adjustments to the system are in order. I think the whole having our wingers collapse down and then leaving other team's points completely open screws us a lot.

Bring back Pat Burns, he was the only one in the last 50 years that had them playing tight defense.

Are you serious?

 

[Amadeus]

We need to get better in our play along the boards. That's our biggest weakness. It is a skill learned through repetition and can help at both ends of the ice. Boston owned us along the boards.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

the last great D was 1992-93. No superstars but great chemistry and solid D.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

Ellett, Gill, Mironov, Macoun, Lefaive, Rouse.

 

[AM34WN29MM16]

We need to get better in our play along the boards. That's our biggest weakness. It is a skill learned through repetition and can help at both ends of the ice. Boston owned us along the boards.

Leivo is one of the few forwards we have with size and he is really good at winning the puck battles your talking about. I don't recall seeing him in the playoffs.

 

[The Best Leafs Ever]

Matthews for Dahlin. Do it!

 

[deletethis]

Leivo is one of the few forwards we have with size and he is really good at winning the puck battles your talking about.

IMO corner battles and puck battles along with balance are his weaknesses not his strengths. The player's strengths fall directly in the skill/finish areas of the game.

 

[thewave]

IMO corner battles and puck battles along with balance are his weaknesses not his strengths. The player's strengths fall directly in the skill/finish areas of the game.

Odd view, generally he is strong on the wall. He lacks take off, he is a bit slow. Sort of like the Goat, slow to get up to speed but the speed itself isn't bad when there.