Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose 1-5 to the LA.Kings. Another great game by Ritchie

[AvroArrow]

Does Ritchie clear waivers if we send him down ?

 

[ULF_55]

Okay, expecting another loss, then overtime loss and then a couple wins, followed by a loss and then some wins and then some losses.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

The team needs their front office to make a shakeup trade and get the vets going psychologically plain and simple. Like my breakfast .

 

[Trapper]

Do people really expect the collection of league min players that make up vast majority of the bottom 6 to really add much scoring depth?

This team lives and dies by if their top 6 produces. If someone said before the game that the big 4 wouldn't produce more than 1 goal i would have bet on a loss. Couple that will a bad game for the leafs defenders who have trouble with fast wingers and you have a 5-1 beating.

The answer to your question is yes.
When something repeatedly doesn’t work, there has to be a reason. That’s the reason people need.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

The answer to your question is yes.
When something repeatedly doesn’t work, there has to be a reason. That’s the reason people need.

The reason is there is way too much cap is tied up in 4 players who play on 2 lines and if they don't perform every night the team is f***ed. The other 2 lines are made up of players who shouldn't really be expected to score much

Edit: if your going to spend really big on a player they need to be very consistent and bring it every night. Multiple of the leafs highest paid forwards are inconsistent

 

[robertmac43]

Define many?

Well, 1 would be too many imo. I just remember getting in multiple arguments defining Nylander against that trade.

 

[Kazparov]

Didn't watch the game. Is Leaf nation in mutiny or meh mode today?

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Mutiny

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Does Ritchie clear waivers if we send him down ?

Ahundredpercent

 

[justashadowof]

Ritchie's contract would be difficult to move without taking another anchor in return. The second year is higher than the first year: 1st 1.7, 2nd 3.3.

Buying out Ritchie's deal this summer would create the following cap hits: 2022-23: $300k, 2023-24: $1.1M

In the short term, demoting him then using a $750K to $850K player in his place, that's a saving of >$200k in cap space on paper. Has it gotten to this yet?

 

[ACC1224]

Only 9 pages after a loss, that has to be a record. This fan base is in a unique place.

The team doesn't lose anymore, just Marner and Ritchie.

 

[Antropovsky]

Ahundredpercent

I don't think so... he had success last season. Players seem to generally struggle when coached by Keefe. It's only a 2 year contract and Ritchie also brings the tough guy element with some skill which is a pretty rare and sought after commodity. Someone with lots of space might take a chance.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

We should shop Ritchie Holl and Engvall to the Ducks and see if there's any bites. In my doldrummy opinion. Looking forward to the Flyers game and a Jeremy Roenick highlight package.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Sometimes I see the Leafs dominate the offensive zone and wish they would spend more time dropping the shoulder, crashing the net and get some chaos going than their soccer possession mentality. Circle the zone, little drop passes at the line and then spam some shots.

Round and round the boards they go,
When they stop, nobody knows.
If they don't go to the net,
Sure as hell no goals they'll get.

 

[Clark4Ever]

Predictable result last night after an emotional high on Saturday.

The boys started late and couldn't figure out Quick to get back in the game.

On to the next one, and Campbell needs to stop taking the blame after every loss. It's tough to win when the team scores 1 goal.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Yup I'd split up Matthews and Nylander. Nylander's game is struggling due to Matthews trying to do everything himself IMO. Splitting up and having 3 lines will spread out offense, create match-up problems and on top of that keep minutes in check so that we don't tire anybody significantly

I'd however go with these lines

Bunting-Tavares-Marner
Engvall-Kerfoot-Nylander
Spezza/Simmonds-Matthews-Kase
Ritchie-Kampf-Spezza/Simmonds

When Mikheyev is back I bump every LW down from 2nd line onwards with Mikheyev on 2nd line

If opposition matches Matthews then either JT-Marner OR Kerfoot-Nylander get easier match ups and they can put up the goals; if opposition matches either JT-Marner or Kerfoot-Nylander then Matthews gets easier match ups to figure out whats going on and it helps him find his game quicker.

Regardless of how opposition matches I think spreading offense will have a tremendous net positive impact on team results

LOL. If you think Matthews is pouting now try demoting him to the third line.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Ritchie's contract would be difficult to move without taking another anchor in return. The second year is higher than the first year: 1st 1.7, 2nd 3.3.

Buying out Ritchie's deal this summer would create the following cap hits: 2022-23: $300k, 2023-24: $1.1M

In the short term, demoting him then using a $750K to $850K player in his place, that's a saving of >$200k in cap space on paper. Has it gotten to this yet?

It would probably make more sense to just retain on him for 50% in the offseason and get something in return. A 1.25 mill Ritchie has good value, and it would only be for one year. If the Leafs think a guy like Joey Anderson can replace him, then the Leafs still save 500k in cap space vs. keeping Ritchie too.

That would be worst case scenario though.

 

[The Podium]

Do people really expect the collection of league min players that make up vast majority of the bottom 6 to really add much scoring depth?

This team lives and dies by if their top 6 produces. If someone said before the game that the big 4 wouldn't produce more than 1 goal i would have bet on a loss. Couple that with a bad game for the leafs defenders who have trouble with fast wingers and you have a 5-1 beating.

There is 1 league minimum player in the bottom 6....

The other 5 average to a 1.5 mill salary

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

I can't believe the amount of people focusing on Ritchie. Unless you swap him out for McDavid or Draisaitl the result would have been the same.

 

[Twine Tickler]

I thought Sheldon's post game press conference was spot on. We never get these type of neutral zone breakdowns to start games. We have to earn every bit of ice. Only after we get up in games, do teams break down. How we routinely break down in the neutral zone is beyond me. We are giving games away at the red line and far blue. Way too many turnovers that catch our D flat footed.

Complacency is so real for this group. I look at Florida's 11 game regulation point streak and I couldn't help but think there is no chance this group could ever rattle something like that off. They'll have another 5-6 game heater throughout this season undoubtedly. But we will also have at least 2 or 3 more 3+ game losing streaks. What is odd is that they never seem to learn how spot the potential losing streaks before it happens.

For example, Last 4 game losing streak. We lose a game to NYR where we got robbed of 2 pts. We then had 3 days off before heading into a B2B with SJ and then PITT. Now any B2B you should be content with 2 of the possible 4 pts. Regardless of the opponent. But because Keefe thought this group was capable of getting all 4, he dressed hutch against the weaker opponent in SJ. A decision that cost us 2 pts. We then are in a really tough spot travelling into PITT to face a rested team on the second half of a B2B. We eventually lose that game, and then have to play one of the best teams in the league in CAR where we also get spanked. Looking back, SJ was the most important game. It posed the most likely chance to get 2 pts. But we once again overlooked the opponent, and perpetuated what would become a 4 game losing streak. This was not something that I say in hindsight, I said this at the second Keefe decided to go with hutch on gameday. It was a very predictable outcome.

There is a fine balance between the rational thought of "it's just 1 game" and the irrational thought of "we have to avoid a losing streak at all costs. Must win game tmw in Philly"

But in all honesty, it is more of a must win tomorrow than it is not. Because this f***ing group clearly has no comprehension of a middle ground between just another game and a must win. When they play "just another game" we get the result we got last night.

If they want to avoid what could be another 4 game losing streak, they need to play as if tmw is a must win game. Because CAL will bring it on Friday, and BUF will be happy to play us on the 2nd end of a B2B.

need way more urgency in our game right from opening puck drop.

We lose tmw, and there is a very real possibility of another 4 game losing streak IMO

 

[yubbers]

Predictable result last night after an emotional high on Saturday.

The boys started late and couldn't figure out Quick to get back in the game.

On to the next one, and Campbell needs to stop taking the blame after every loss. It's tough to win when the team scores 1 goal.

It's pretty hard not to like that dude.

 

[forecheck]

If Leaf Management have given up on both Holl and Ritchie this early in the season then its totally on them ... Management made a very conscious effort to ensure they kept Holl away from Seattle in the expansion draft, giving up assetts, so they could keep their " Top 4 " in tact .
Management identified Ritchie as a guy they were willing to spend their limited cap space dollars on and slot him in a top 6 role ....

If management cant forecast 10 games into a season with player evaluations then this group is more inept then i even imagined !

 

[ShaneFalco]

I thought Sheldon's post game press conference was spot on. We never get these type of neutral zone breakdowns to start games. We have to earn every bit of ice. Only after we get up in games, do teams break down. How we routinely break down in the neutral zone is beyond me. We are giving games away at the red line and far blue. Way too many turnovers that catch our D flat footed.

And it's been like that for a few years now

 

[yubbers]

So much negativity over one game. HOLY. You call yourselves fans?

Lighten up gents. My goodness.

Haven't celebrated a playoff win since 2004. Kids born on the day we lost that 2nd round, have their licenses now. LOL. This has nothing to do with 1 loss. It's over a decade of frustration.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

The reason is there is way too much cap is tied up in 4 players who play on 2 lines and if they don't perform every night the team is f***ed. The other 2 lines are made up of players who shouldn't really be expected to score much

Edit: if your going to spend really big on a player they need to be very consistent and bring it every night. Multiple of the leafs highest paid forwards are inconsistent

Yep.

Let's look at the Oilers.

Their top 3 most expensive forwards make a combined 26.5 million. They combine for 25 goals, 55 points.

The leafs most expensive forwards combine for 33.5 million. They combine for 17 goals, 34 points.

That's 7 million less dollars, and 21 more points. Yikes.

Your big guys have to show up every night in order for such cap management to work.