GDT: Leafs @ Sens - 7pm

[zeke]

if any teams' time is now or going uptrend it will be Detroit
Something about them tells me they are ready to explode

The wings are older than the leafs.

 

[kb]

Tyler Boucher is an absolute waste of a top 10 pick. Incredibly bad. Thank you Pierre McGuire.

Tyler "Biggs" Boucher

 

[LeafSteel]

Robertson has 4pts (3g, 1a) in 3GP. He's mostly played with support players like Kerfoot/Malgin and had his best game against a competitive lineup icing regulars. He's earned his spot.

Don't want to be pessimistic about Malgin because he's earned a spot too, but the way I see it is he lacks a standout skillset for his size, and once teams dress their finalized rosters he's going to fade hard. Every summer there is a buzz around this kind of player who inevitably fizzles out.

I'd rather bet on Robertson than continue to yo-yo him, only to end up waiving Malgin. It's year 2 of Robertson's ELC and he's been through 3+ camps. Time to get value from him.

Robertson is showing me that he has worked on the areas of his game that needed it.

I don't see how sending him back to the AHL furthers his development vs playing in the NHL.

I find Malgin an entirely redundent player at this point, and I would rather waive him than block Robertson's development and risk losing another player who serves a completely different role on the team.

Case in point: we are cash crunched. Given the choice between waiving Malgin to sign ZAR, it's not a difficult decision based on what the team needs. Malgin is a nice story, but he's not a guy I want going into the playoffs and I have an easier time waiving him and losing him some of the other's we stand to lose due to cap/roster crunch.

 

[Knies iT]

Robertson is showing me that he has worked on the areas of his game that needed it.

I don't see how sending him back to the AHL furthers his development vs playing in the NHL.

I find Malgin an entirely redundent player at this point, and I would rather waive him than block Robertson's development and risk losing another player who serves a completely different role on the team.

Case in point: we are cash crunched. Given the choice between waiving Malgin to sign ZAR, it's not a difficult decision based on what the team needs. Malgin is a nice story, but he's not a guy I want going into the playoffs and I have an easier time waiving him and losing him some of the other's we stand to lose due to cap/roster crunch.

Completely agree. Malgin is essentially the same profile as Robertson, just safer in transition but with worse tools. You'd also have to imagine that Robertson takes significant steps throughout the season while learning on the job, whereas Malgin is basically topped out at 25.

I've been legit impressed with Robertson/Holmberg/Steeves to the point where I would consider trading Kerfoot over Holl in order to have 2/3 of those rookies promoted and carry extra bodies, plus the security of Holl over Benn at 7D.

 

[bax]

How did samsonov look?

 

[andora]

i was able to watch just over half the game, felt like posting some thoughts. good to hear robertson kept scoring, probably read through this thread after i post, but what i saw was both exciting and interesting, a few thoughts.

Anderson - again quiet, this was his game to come out but didn't show anything. supporters of him myself included have the worry about him if not making it being a waiver victim, but very likely he could have played himself out of waiver thievery. if he stays, needs to be a standout on the marlies.

Aston Reese - should be signed. the kampf line is what needs to happen, a 4th line that can play simple, know what to do and be physical. he compliments Aube Kubel and kampf very well, i just want this to happen, 4th line is done, stability in a healthy lineup and you KNOW WHAT YOU GET.

Malgin - again looked very solid, definitely has the skill, displays the effort, he was digging. he is likely playing himself into a spot, however i just can't get past the old 20 games in and he is lagging feeling. part of it is to do with size, which he doesn't appear to have the strength to overcome.. if he makes it great, and i really hope he produces and sticks long term (season long term) but i don't see impact there unfortunately

Mcmann - very impressive again, love reading and learning about a player, then making an effort to watch rookie tournament/pre season and he does what mcmann is doing, developing into a coaches favorite, low line dependable simple winger.

Robertson - looked good, his first goal still took time getting that shot off, you lose so much time in the show with things like that, especially once things get going after the first 30 games or so. he has gotten better, the talent and shot, of course are there but he just still looks too raw. he isn't making the small plays quick enough on and off puck either zone, you can still see him thinking at moments, i just see him benefiting from starting in the A. he's making them think though

Simmonds - dammit, love him but this would be the definition of true cap casualty. i would like him as a 13th forward, however money wise there isn't that luxury, he played with a lot of heart tonight from what i saw.. he's trying

Steeves - excellent projection this camp, again small things, knows where and how to be/play, he could likely be a call up this year and full time next year, good all around player.

---

Holl - ugh.. did not look great, looked like his stick was too long when the puck was around / and slow

Kral - silent and good boring, simple game. i think he has jumped to call up status with dahlstroms injury and if benn/mete are victim of waivers

Mete - looked good, still believe he is what he is, could be a viable 7th over holl

Villeneuve - loving him, does think the game very well and when his talents catch up he has potential for a very good all around guy, showing that he can push the play up.. couple years away in my opinion, they better not f*** him up


basically what i think i am seeing a big mid to long term

mcmann --> aston reese replacement
steeves --> engvall replacement (likely to leave due to $)
robertson --> potential bunting replacement
holmberg --> kerfoot replacement
malgin --> wildcard, i have no idea


personally i know at this point who i would like to be in the lineup, i think these guys have given us options to truly run a 3 line team.

bunting > matthews > marner
kerfoot > tavares > jarnkrok
engvall > holmberg > nylander
aston-reese > kampf > aube-kubel

 

[andora]

i was able to watch just over half the game, felt like posting some thoughts. good to hear robertson kept scoring, probably read through this thread after i post, but what i saw was both exciting and interesting, a few thoughts.

Anderson - again quiet, this was his game to come out but didn't show anything. supporters of him myself included have the worry about him if not making it being a waiver victim, but very likely he could have played himself out of waiver thievery. if he stays, needs to be a standout on the marlies.

Aston Reese - should be signed. the kampf line is what needs to happen, a 4th line that can play simple, know what to do and be physical. he compliments Aube Kubel and kampf very well, i just want this to happen, 4th line is done, stability in a healthy lineup and you KNOW WHAT YOU GET.

Malgin - again looked very solid, definitely has the skill, displays the effort, he was digging. he is likely playing himself into a spot, however i just can't get past the old 20 games in and he is lagging feeling. part of it is to do with size, which he doesn't appear to have the strength to overcome.. if he makes it great, and i really hope he produces and sticks long term (season long term) but i don't see impact there unfortunately

Mcmann - very impressive again, love reading and learning about a player, then making an effort to watch rookie tournament/pre season and he does what mcmann is doing, developing into a coaches favorite, low line dependable simple winger.

Robertson - looked good, his first goal still took time getting that shot off, you lose so much time in the show with things like that, especially once things get going after the first 30 games or so. he has gotten better, the talent and shot, of course are there but he just still looks too raw. he isn't making the small plays quick enough on and off puck either zone, you can still see him thinking at moments, i just see him benefiting from starting in the A. he's making them think though

Simmonds - dammit, love him but this would be the definition of true cap casualty. i would like him as a 13th forward, however money wise there isn't that luxury, he played with a lot of heart tonight from what i saw.. he's trying

Steeves - excellent projection this camp, again small things, knows where and how to be/play, he could likely be a call up this year and full time next year, good all around player.

---

Holl - ugh.. did not look great, looked like his stick was too long when the puck was around / and slow

Kral - silent and good boring, simple game. i think he has jumped to call up status with dahlstroms injury and if benn/mete are victim of waivers

Mete - looked good, still believe he is what he is, could be a viable 7th over holl

Villeneuve - loving him, does think the game very well and when his talents catch up he has potential for a very good all around guy, showing that he can push the play up.. couple years away in my opinion, they better not f*** him up


basically what i think i am seeing a big mid to long term

mcmann --> aston reese replacement
steeves --> engvall replacement (likely to leave due to $)
robertson --> potential bunting replacement
holmberg --> kerfoot replacement
malgin --> wildcard, i have no idea


personally i know at this point who i would like to be in the lineup, i think these guys have given us options to truly run a 3 line team.

bunting > matthews > marner
kerfoot > tavares > jarnkrok
engvall > holmberg > nylander
aston-reese > kampf > aube-kubel

i should add - if kerfoot ends up getting traded - i move engvall to tavares/jarnkrok and malgin beside holmberg/nylander

 

[A1LeafNation]

How did samsonov look?

Really good. Got shaken up with a puck to the head though.

 

[Anthrax442]

Malgin shoould be on 2 line

And i really like Holmberg

 

[TheDoldrums]

Case in point: we are cash crunched. Given the choice between waiving Malgin to sign ZAR, it's not a difficult decision based on what the team needs. Malgin is a nice story, but he's not a guy I want going into the playoffs and I have an easier time waiving him and losing him some of the other's we stand to lose due to cap/roster crunch.

he is a guy I want going into the playoffs because we keep losing low scoring elimination games and more people contributing offensively are needed

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

The sens fan base hive mind on here severely overrates their players/prospects

This has been true for years. Still remember ten years ago when the likes of Rundblad, Silfverberg, and Cowen was going to be their next Cup Contending core.

 

[Bellefour20]

This has been true for years. Still remember ten years ago when the likes of Rundblad, Silfverberg, and Cowen was going to be their next Cup Contending core.

You mean Leafs legend Jared Cowen?

 

[djdev]

he is a guy I want going into the playoffs because we keep losing low scoring elimination games and more people contributing offensively are needed

malgin and ZAR are separated by about .7 goals per season over their careers(malgin ahead by a hair). its not like malgin has outskilled reese in his time in the league. and zar actually has played in the post season before and plays a playoff style game more than malgin.

maybe malgin has put it together since his last nhl stint, but im gonna need way more of a sample size than a few pre-season games.

 

[GrizzLeaf]

Malgin shoould be on 2 line

And i really like Holmberg

I feel the same about Malgin.

Love the competition this year's camp has.

 

[bossram]

Malgin - again looked very solid, definitely has the skill, displays the effort, he was digging. he is likely playing himself into a spot, however i just can't get past the old 20 games in and he is lagging feeling. part of it is to do with size, which he doesn't appear to have the strength to overcome.. if he makes it great, and i really hope he produces and sticks long term (season long term) but i don't see impact there unfortunately

Robertson - looked good, his first goal still took time getting that shot off, you lose so much time in the show with things like that, especially once things get going after the first 30 games or so. he has gotten better, the talent and shot, of course are there but he just still looks too raw. he isn't making the small plays quick enough on and off puck either zone, you can still see him thinking at moments, i just see him benefiting from starting in the A. he's making them think though

Steeves - excellent projection this camp, again small things, knows where and how to be/play, he could likely be a call up this year and full time next year, good all around player.


Mete - looked good, still believe he is what he is, could be a viable 7th over holl

Villeneuve - loving him, does think the game very well and when his talents catch up he has potential for a very good all around guy, showing that he can push the play up.. couple years away in my opinion, they better not f*** him up

Just wanted to echo your thoughts on this group of interesting fringe players, because I almost totally agree.

Despite the points (which everyone is being blinded by), I haven't been impressed with Robertson. He doesn't play with NHL pace. He doesn't have great feet, and he's weak on his skates. He's weak defensively too (many times, other players were pointing at him to where he should be in the d-zone). He definitely has a strong shot, but he isn't creating chances on his own. Malgin has been the facilitator for him (the first goal tonight is case in point). Robertson's second goal was kind of a broken/fluke play. Malgin has shown better details in his game and been more of a creator.

Steeves, yeah. Guy just looks he'll be a bottom-six player at some point. He understands how to play at the NHL level, given his abilities.

I liked Mete in camp. He's good in transition both ways.

I was big on Villaneuve in his draft. He's very good in transition, and keeps strong details (i.e. lots of shoulder checks) that will help him get to the NHL. Reportedly made good strides defensively.

 

[Leaf Fans]

I would keep Simmons 100%

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Leafs are spoiled for choices when it comes to the depth forwards. Someone worthy is going to miss out.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

It's kind of funny to go to the Senators' board tonight and watch them all freaking out about the defense they swore wasn't a problem when they were blaming Matt Murray for every problem the team had.

 

[LeafSteel]

he is a guy I want going into the playoffs because we keep losing low scoring elimination games and more people contributing offensively are needed

Sorry, I just don’t see Malgin and his game translating well in the playoffs at all.

 

[kb]

 

[weems]

I think Steeves should make the team.

Not sure over who but he's definitely one of our 12 best forwards and could slot into many different roles/lines with his speed, smarts and offensive ability.

Wasn't expecting that much as college FA's usually dont turn out to be much but he's been suprisingly effective and also very consistent.

 

[AvroArrow]

So Marlies > Senators ?

 

[Malachi Crunch]

Despite the points (which everyone is being blinded by), I haven't been impressed with Robertson. He doesn't play with NHL pace. He doesn't have great feet, and he's weak on his skates. He's weak defensively too (many times, other players were pointing at him to where he should be in the d-zone). He definitely has a strong shot, but he isn't creating chances on his own. Malgin has been the facilitator for him (the first goal tonight is case in point). Robertson's second goal was kind of a broken/fluke play. Malgin has shown better details in his game and been more of a creator.

You are correct, sir. I have seen people say the exact opposite about Malgin and Robertson, but you are clearly paying attention to detail. Also, Malgin has been very consistent throughout all of the games. Robertson has been hit/miss. Consistency is a huge factor.

Mind you, Robertson has been pretty good, offense-wise. I'm still open to him stealing a spot. Needs to play like he did yesterday for the remaining of the pre-season.

 

[crump]

There’ll be some tough choices for Keefe and Dubas. Robertson has earned a look on a 2nd line in a preseason game at least, and his shot can’t be denied, it’s wicked. He may get a few regular season games to really prove himself if Engvall is still injured to start the year. If he cleans up the small mistakes and keeps scoring those goals it will be damn impossible to send him down.

Malgin has looked good too, I think he might get claimed if we don’t keep him up.

Simmonds looks faster, brings so much including leadership, he has unique skills. He will be a tough cut.

Best game for Mete so far. He might get picked off a wire waiver wire.

 

[ACC1224]

Mess only comments on games that the Leafs lose?

Leafs are 3 - 1 and he seems to comment daily........weird take.