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You need 8 NHL Dmen. If they can sign Sandin they’ll have enough that will at least be able to find their way from the dressing room to the ice.
Leafs moves Work in progress - Depth update
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Matt Murray takes over the crease: Maple Leafs depth chart 2.0
As it stands today, the Leafs are a slightly different-looking group from last season. Let's explore the various changes in greater detail.
theathletic.com
At the moment, this group looks somewhat incomplete.
The Leafs lost two sure-fire top nine forwards, Ilya Mikheyev and Ondrej Kase, and didn’t replace them with even one.
There’s a chance that Nicolas Aube-Kubel can step into the void and play bigger minutes than the 10 per game he averaged last season. He’s an aggressive forechecker who could help fill some of the Mikheyev gap that way.
He might be able to bring some offence too after scoring 11 five-on-five goals last season in limited minutes.
The Leafs might well hope that Pierre Engvall can take another step as well. He eventually locked down a third-line job last season and ended up with a career-best 15 goals and 35 points. With more regular top-nine opportunity, and a spot on the power play, it’s possible he can give the Leafs 15-20 next season.
An additional top-nine forward would help though. Among the candidates still out there (as of this writing) who would fit that bill: Evan Rodrigues, Paul Stastny, Sonny Milano, Calle Jarnkrok and Danton Heinen.
Zach Aston-Reese would bring the Leafs some additional jam and would fit right in on a line with Engvall and David Kampf, though he wouldn’t add any offence.
Absent another addition, it’ll be interesting to see how Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe maps out his top three lines to start. Namely, do John Tavares and William Nylander reconnect on the regular after their second-half breakup last season? Keefe bounced Nylander around down the stretch and into the playoffs, sometimes pairing him up with Tavares, other times dropping him down onto a line with Kampf.
Will the Leafs coach keep Nylander away from Tavares again next season and play him with Kampf instead?
Is that really an optimal lineup?
zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
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Matt Murray takes over the crease: Maple Leafs depth chart 2.0
As it stands today, the Leafs are a slightly different-looking group from last season. Let's explore the various changes in greater detail.
The Leafs lost two sure-fire top nine forwards, Ilya Mikheyev and Ondrej Kase, and didn’t replace them with even one.
This is false. Kase started on the 3rd line last year but ended up on the 4th line last year, after his slot was upgraded by Engvall. Engvall became a fixture on the new dominant 3rd line, and Kase was relegated to the 4th line.
Mikheyev is the only top-9 forward the Leafs lost.
Notsince67
Papi and the Lamplighters
- Apr 27, 2018
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Haha Marner unhappy? He's a major contributing factor to this team's failures. Check out his playoff stats...
ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
A1LeafNation
Good, is simply not good enough!
- Oct 17, 2010
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Exactly if they wanted the support players to stay they should have taken less.
Our 3rd line looks pretty questionable at this point and I'm not sure who's going to play on Tavare's line. This is as worrisome to me as our goaltending because our lack of production from our bottom 6 has hurt us in the playoffs. The good news is TB lost some key depth and I don't see them being nearly as good as last year.
notDatsyuk
Registered User
- Jul 20, 2018
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Yeah - best +/- among forwards and second in scoring to Matthews (Nylander third).
He's paid 11 million... for the money he's paid we need to raise our expectations to Makar (who only makes 9). He's closer to McDavid in pay than Makar and McDavid had 33 points in 16 games. Let's all get excited over Marners 14 goal and 69 point career playoff pace (while playing top minutes with the very best nhl centers).
Not trying to make this a Marner thread, but he is the LAST player who will be upset with management. If anything he should be feeling the heat himself because of his ridiculous contract that he held out for in spectacular fashion. Let's just get that out of the way.
Felix the Cat Potvin
Registered User
- Jun 18, 2022
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OK, so we have to replace 27 points from the fourth line?
Rather than nitpicking valid critiques of our offseason thus far, I wish the pro-Dubas side would advance more positive speculation for next season/reasons for excitement because the roster to me looks rough beyond the first line.
zeke
The Dube Abides
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Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
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Well, injuries being what they were, he kind of went from a bulldog to a Pomeranian when it really mattered. I think he can get you about a dozen goals over 50 odd games but it’s painful seeing him skate head first into trouble.
For him to be effective, he has to play certain way. That certain will lead to more injuries
Very likeable player and injuries are unpredictable.
Time to move on.
Stephen
Moderator
- Feb 28, 2002
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He’s sort of a Grabovski tunnel vision and recklessness meets Komarov choppy style. You love to see it but definitely doesn’t feel good thinking it might impact his health.
Mess
Global Moderator
What I find interesting is that with each passing year as past contracts expire the Tavares contract takes a bigger and bigger bite out of leafs depth, not allowing the Leafs to even resign tneir own to raises.
With the departures of Kase, Mikheyev Spezza and not replaced that lets 48 goals and 86 points alone walk out the door.
If Kerfoot is the Leafs LW destined to play 2nd line LW with Tavares & Nylander then that means the highest cost bottom 6 player on the roster is checking C David Kampf at $1.5 mil and 11 goals and 26 points, All the other players in the bottom 6 forwards are destined to make < $1.5 mil with only RFA Engvall (@ $1.25 mil) a possibility to match or surpass.
Due to the salary cap Leafs likely will be filling out the bottom 6 of their forwards all making $1.5 mil or less down to league min $750k.
The gap between the Have and Have-nots has never been so great as it is now. If the opposition holds the Leafs core 4 in check in meaningfull playoff games, where will the support offense come from is a fair question to ask?
Felix the Cat Potvin
Registered User
- Jun 18, 2022
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Well, some will say that the Leafs can just upgrade their team at the deadline, neglecting that that strategy has led to us bleeding futures. Again, a champion like Washington kept all their futures while competing, which enabled a necessary second push beyond simply their elite talent.
Eternal Leaf
Registered User
There are some major concerns surrounding this team right now (if winning a cup is the goal).
* The goaltending is a major question mark
* Mikheyev, Kase, and Spezza are gone. No one has replaced them yet.
* The LW is a noticeable hole and the hope is Robertson takes one spot (that's another question mark)
* Tavares and Muzzin are slowly regressing (even Brodie didn't look as sharp last season imo)
This team will make the playoffs but unless there are proper upgrades or they hit the jackpot with a younger player (i.e. Robertson/Knies etc.), they aren't winning a cup.
This is also assuming no one gets injured.
If one of those top guys gets hurt, this team is dead in the water.
Lots of time to go until game 1 of the playoffs but I agree with those who are disappointed right now. They are still a good team but heading in the wrong direction with limited cap space.
* The goaltending is a major question mark
* Mikheyev, Kase, and Spezza are gone. No one has replaced them yet.
* The LW is a noticeable hole and the hope is Robertson takes one spot (that's another question mark)
* Tavares and Muzzin are slowly regressing (even Brodie didn't look as sharp last season imo)
This team will make the playoffs but unless there are proper upgrades or they hit the jackpot with a younger player (i.e. Robertson/Knies etc.), they aren't winning a cup.
This is also assuming no one gets injured.
If one of those top guys gets hurt, this team is dead in the water.
Lots of time to go until game 1 of the playoffs but I agree with those who are disappointed right now. They are still a good team but heading in the wrong direction with limited cap space.
Mess
Global Moderator
Agreed
It appears the Leafs strategy this year at least at present is to dress nightly 7 NHL forwards making $1.5 mil or less down to $750k among their 12 starters with 3 X $11 mil + WN @ $7 and Kerfoot @$3.5.
That is Bunting, Kampf, Engvall and Aube-Kubel the only semi certain of those 7 the other 3 is anybody's best guess at this point.
That is best case scenario at 100% full health.
Using unknown LTIR money at TD time at expense of continuing to empty the draft pick cupboard is uncertain and unwise.
The only late season help I can see coming that we hope can make a difference is Matt Knies after his college year ends.
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BananaGenetics
Registered User
- Jun 29, 2022
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Probably some panic because the moves have been dreadful. Dont need to wait until September to see that
And maybe Murray/Samsonov work out. But Dubas hasnt done anything for the rest of the team yet
Jimmy Firecracker
Backcheck, Forecheck, Paycheque.
It can’t be ignored that a first round talent the Leafs drafted to make this type of push has been sidelined by an unpredictable disease. Amirov in much better circumstances would be pushing for that middle 6 left wing spot alongside Robertson, but is instead at the point where we all just hope he’ll be able to live a healthy life, regardless of his hockey career.
Leafs by all rights should have two highly touted forward prospects pushing for forward positions, like how Sandin (re-sign already) and Liljegren are doing for the defence. But as it stands Robertson is our only potential young difference maker up front that’s come up through the system. I suppose you could include Knies but he won’t be available until close to the end of the season.
embracedbias
Registered User
Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Robertson/Knies - Tavares - Rodrigues
Kerfoot - Engvall - Nylander
Sheahan - Kampf- Abe-Kubel
Clifford - Gaudette - Simmonds
Rielly - Brodie
Giordano - Liljegren
Sandin - Holl
Benn - Mete
Trade Muzzin and use the cap space for Rodrigues and Sheahan
Robertson/Knies - Tavares - Rodrigues
Kerfoot - Engvall - Nylander
Sheahan - Kampf- Abe-Kubel
Clifford - Gaudette - Simmonds
Rielly - Brodie
Giordano - Liljegren
Sandin - Holl
Benn - Mete
Trade Muzzin and use the cap space for Rodrigues and Sheahan
Calle (iron hook ) Jarnkrok just signed with the Leafs.
I hope this turns out to be a good signing.
I hope this turns out to be a good signing.
