GDT: Leafs @ Sens - TSN 7pm

[Coaches Coroner]

From what I witnessed last night .
Kerfoot
Mik
Engval
Are trade pieces, it would also give us cap space to possibly sign another player.
6.2 mil

lol who are you signing mid season?

 

[Benttheknee]

Bunting is impressive. Nice to see a guy like that find success.

 

[horner]

lol who are you signing mid season?

We will have extra cap space
Kerfoot does nothing for me
Mik skates like the wind but 0 finish
Engval doesn't do much for me

And we may get some draft picks back or prospects

Brooks I don't want to lose on waivers

 

[Czechboy]

Filip Kral leading in TOI by quite a fair bit is interesting.

Oiler fan but now a Leaf fan since they have a distinct Czech flare... especially last night. I think the idea of giving him that many minutes (he was over 4 minutes for both special teams) was to give him a real look and a 'to do' list for the AHL. I'm curious if he gets a call up this season. He was 2 years away in my eyes before training camp. However, his comet seems to be rising.

On a funny note.. I think he would've made the World Championships team this Spring but the Leafs took him out of Czech training camp and sent him to the Marlies (where he was 'meh').

He might be the next Kubalik, Palat or O. Kase (ironically) as a later Czech pick who catches on and punches above his weight. Or, you know, he'll be a really good pro in the Extraliga in 2 years.

 

[Maplebeasts]

The ship has sailed on trading him cause he’s very close to bust territory but we definitely could have used him as part of a package in years prior to get more of what really need (top 4 RHD that isn’t Justin Holl). Liljegren will never be a top 4 dman.

Clearly you have never watched the Marlies since he joined. He's been better than Sandin there and looks around the same quality at the NHL level. Far from a "bust".

 

[Macallan18]

From what I witnessed last night .
Kerfoot
Mik
Engval
Are trade pieces, it would also give us cap space to possibly sign another player.
6.2 mil

Totally. Of the three I am most disappointed with Kerfoot, just nothing there.

 

[Legion34]

Clearly you have never watched the Marlies since he joined. He's been better than Sandin there and looks around the same quality at the NHL level. Far from a "bust".

I agree. I watched all of the marlies run for the past few years. I didn’t watch much last year.

but IMO it has been pretty clear head to head in the AHL Lilly was the better player

he seemed to be struggling in a few NHL games but he got fed to the wolves with games when muzz. Holl rielly we’re all hurt.

Lilly is legit

 

[DraftSchmaft]

From what I witnessed last night .
Kerfoot
Mik
Engval
Are trade pieces, it would also give us cap space to possibly sign another player.
6.2 mil

This is the difference between specialists versus in-betweens. We are finally seeing the contrast live with some of these signings. Leafs problem is they're surrounding their core with these "I'm not above average at anything but I am not weak at most things either" players. Being above average at only skating and effort level is not how you build hockey teams. This isn't figure skating , it's hockey.

You want strong defence get a Kampf. The difference between him and Mik in the defensive zone is enormous.

You want upside on offensive skill? Give Ho Sang a PTO. The difference between his hands and Kerfoots hands is enormous. Nylander/Marner should never see Kerfoot as their C unless there's an injury. You want to improve the offence you go the Caps route where you find two cheap high upside wingers to round it out (Ho Sang -- nylander on LW, Ritchie, Bunting etc) and keep your stars together.

You want offensive depth where the guy is not a liability defensively? Get yourself a Kase. Probably ends up on the IR but it still reflects the type of player we should be looking for if the goal is depth scoring. Develop your Robertsons and Brooks who actually have hands / can finish, have high IQ and are willing to learn the 2-way game. These Mik and Engvall types have hands of stone and don't excel at anything that puts you over the edge in the post season. It's dumb to bank on them for depth scoring in the playoffs especially. They've already cost us 2 years in a row with abysmal post season play. We're going for a hat trick?

You want a guy to keep opponents honest? Get a specialist like Gabriel for when you need him. Why waste a roster spot on Simmonds just because he can tip the puck in the net once every 10 games. Going the "specialist" perspective, overall impact isn't worth having Simmonds over a true enforcer like Gabriel. Gabriel injects brotherhood and confidence into the whole lineup that you can feel through the screen in his first 2 games. Guys like Thornton and Simmonds who are washed up do not. Leafs lack this "brotherhood" feeling in the post-season.

 

[LeafSteel]

Totally. Of the three I am most disappointed with Kerfoot, just nothing there.

Maybe we can interest the Kraken in a Kerfoot for McCann trade??

 

[BlueForever75]

Kerfoot will be kept. No reason to deal him. He, Kampf and Micheyev have the makings of a great shutdown line. All are defensively responsible and can chip in offensively. I am ok getting rid of Engvall for a 3rd rounder if we can. But the other 2 stick around.

 

[Morgs]

Kometa Brno won 2 championships in the last 5 years. They also made the Semi's of the Extraliga in the last 5 years. In Krals year they made the playoffs and won a round. Not sure how you got worst team in the CZE last year?

Single handedly relevant? Libor Hajek (NYR), Jakub Zboril (Bos), Karel Vejmelka (playing for Arizona as I type right now) were on the team.

When Kral joined they were at the bottom of the standings and had some of the worst underlying numbers of any team. He dragged that team to relevance last season in a way that even a first round pick in Zboril couldn't do.

 

[stickty111]

The ship has sailed on trading him cause he’s very close to bust territory but we definitely could have used him as part of a package in years prior to get more of what really need (top 4 RHD that isn’t Justin Holl). Liljegren will never be a top 4 dman.

Incorrect. You clearly haven't been following him. You also use nicknames so you clearly don't have an argument.

 

[ottomaddox]

I know it's early but Kudos to Dubas. A lot of the "maybes" and "ifs" seem like competent replacements, and a compliment to our stars.

 

[stickty111]

Clearly you have never watched the Marlies since he joined. He's been better than Sandin there and looks around the same quality at the NHL level. Far from a "bust".

When he started using nicknames like dubasites, it means he has no argument. Best to not give attention.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

Why are people acting like Mikheyev is a weak defensive player? I understand the lack of scoring is frustrating believe me but he does everything else so well that's he's still a plus player lower down the lineup. He has good positioning, wins battles, and pressures the other teams' players pretty relentlessly.

 

[zeke]

Probably jumped the gun on re-signing Andreas Johnsson to a bigger AAV and moving Brown in the Zaitsev deal. If we could do that one over, maybe Johnsson and Zaitsev get paired up together and we keep Brown on that sweet deal a little longer.

or don't sign Marleau.

 

[Sypher04]

Why are people acting like Mikheyev is a weak defensive player? I understand the lack of scoring is frustrating believe me but he does everything else so well that's he's still a plus player lower down the lineup. He has good positioning, wins battles, and pressures the other teams' players pretty relentlessly.

It’s mainly one person spouting about how Mikheyev isn’t actually a good defensive player. I don’t imagine many people agree with him though

 

[zeke]

Why are people acting like Mikheyev is a weak defensive player? I understand the lack of scoring is frustrating believe me but he does everything else so well that's he's still a plus player lower down the lineup. He has good positioning, wins battles, and pressures the other teams' players pretty relentlessly.

he' snot bad defensively but to be fair not great defensively eithher....which is another similarity with Hyman, tbh. Neither is a great defensive player, and their gritty puckhounding is actually more impactful in creating offensive chances than playing defense. Though both are good on the PK.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

It’s mainly one person spouting about how Mikheyev isn’t actually a good defensive player. I don’t imagine many people agree with him though

I've seen a few different people saying it but you are right it is probably just a vocal minority. I just find it weird after hearing years of complaining that our bottom 6 had small offensive players, people are now complaining at having a big and fast strong defensive player who's only weakness is goal-scoring.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

he' snot bad defensively but to be fair not great defensively eithher....which is another similarity with Hyman, tbh. Neither is a great defensive player, and their gritty puckhounding is actually more impactful in creating offensive chances than playing defense. Though both are good on the PK.

Sometimes the best defense is just getting the puck out of the zone and down the ice which Mikheyev is great at. What's your basis for saying Mikheyev isn't great defensively? I've never really seen him be the reason for a goal against, he's responsible. I don't agree with the Hyman similarity, because I've thought that Hyman was way overrated defensively since day 1, never felt that for Mikheyev.

Edit: And not saying that Mikheyev is a Selke level player or anything, but for 1.5mil playing 3rd line he wins the majority of his battles.

 

[zeke]

What's your basis for saying Mikheyev isn't great defensively?

I could be wrong. He might be better than I think. He certainly passes the eye test there but iirc some of his numbers were pretty iffy there....but I'd have to check those.

 

[Oscar Peterson]

I could be wrong. He might be better than I think. He certainly passes the eye test there but iirc some of his numbers were pretty iffy there....but I'd have to check those.

If you check those let me know, from what I've read he was also somewhat of an advanced stats darling with the exception of his offensive zone shots heat map, but I could be misremembering, don't really know how to check those things out on my own though

 

[PromisedLand]

So Lily has to make the team right?

I didn't watch the game last night; but if it was up to me Lily would make the team over both Holl and Sandin. I still think Dermott can add more value that Holl.

Holl without Muzzin always looks lost, Dermott can play without Muzzin

 

[horner]

I've seen a few different people saying it but you are right it is probably just a vocal minority. I just find it weird after hearing years of complaining that our bottom 6 had small offensive players, people are now complaining at having a big and fast strong defensive player who's only weakness is goal-scoring.

He doesn't use his big frame physically same goes for engval

 

[Stephen]

or don't sign Marleau.

Meh, Marleau was not the best pick up but there were plenty of off ramps from the Marleau Highway each with their unique pros and cons.