Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign Zach Aston-Reese - 1 year 840k

[crump]

If the 4th line doesn't gel, like if Kubel isn’t fitting in, he can get waived, drop Engvall down to the 4th line. It’s still a “show me” time of year.

I’m still not convinced Muzzin will be playing in 2 weeks time. You can almost set your LTIR projection on him.

It does, I just think with Benn and Liljegren hurting, they're going to want the insurance at defense. Kerfoot is insurance against a centre injury.

Engvall though? We got wingers.

 

[TMLeafer]

Nice signing. Can play on the PK too (looks like he averaged ~1:30 on the PK per game last year) which should help pick up some of what Mikheyev/Blackwell's departure left open. Assuming Willy gets some PK minutes as well.

 

[Gabriel426]

Really like our current 4th line with ZAR, Kubel and Kampf. Just hope nobody complains about their lack of scoring in the playoffs.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

The secret handshake is no longer secret.

 

[cyris]

Really like our current 4th line with ZAR, Kubel and Kampf. Just hope nobody complains about their lack of scoring in the playoffs.

I don’t think anyone cares if we have 1 line that doesn’t provide much offence. Especially if they can play good in a shutdown roll. But we really didn’t get much from both our bottom 2 lines in the playoffs last year.

 

[Gabriel426]

I don’t think anyone cares if we have 1 line that doesn’t provide much offence. Especially if they can play good in a shutdown roll. But we really didn’t get much from both our bottom 2 lines in the playoffs last year.

Didn’t they got 5 goals in the series, even though it was pretty much came in the same game.

 

[The Masters]

Good. This will be the first time we’ve iced a proper 4th line since, idk, the Quinn years.

This is 100% right
No more of these older end of roster 4th line guys who provided NOTHING IN THE PLAYOFFS.

Spezza, thornton, clifford, simmons - these guys werent providing anything

Leafs needed productive bottom 6 as we saw last year that was difference.

Sliding kampf down to 4th line while pairing him with ZAR / AK / Malgin will be a massive improvement.

Good job dubas

 

[GardinerTheForward]

This is 100% right
No more of these older end of roster 4th line guys who provided NOTHING IN THE PLAYOFFS.

Spezza, thornton, clifford, simmons - these guys werent providing anything

Leafs needed productive bottom 6 as we saw last year that was difference.

Sliding kampf down to 4th line while pairing him with ZAR / AK / Malgin will be a massive improvement.

Good job dubas

I like the idea but saying Spezza provided nothing in the playoffs is revisionist history and offensive to him I am sure. He fought to save us in game 4 agaisnt the jackets and gave a wicked speech for our comeback win in game 5 against the bolts.

 

[Shak19]

I like what I saw from ZAR in the pre-season
- tough to play against, plenty of hits, backchecks, uses his body well to get in way of players and set picks

 

[showtime8]

The secret handshake is no longer secret.

The same handshake agreement that didn't occur with Campbell to Edmonton too. hahaha

Adds another element to the Leafs 4th line. Low cost & low expectations.

 

[The Iceman]

Didn’t they got 5 goals in the series, even though it was pretty much came in the same game.

Not positive on the exact numbers other than Mikehyev for sure scored 2 empty netters.

 

[al secord]

What is ZAR's empty netters/60?

 

[zeke]

4th Lines in the Matthews Era:

16-17 Season: Martin 27, Soshnikov 23, Smith 28, Gauthier 21, Boyle 32
16-17 Playffs: Martin 27, Boyle 32, Kapanen 20

17-18 Season: Brown 24, D.Moore 37, Martin 28, Kapanen 21, Plekanec 35
17-18 Playffs: Plekanec 35, Kapanen 21, Johnsson 23, Komarov 31, D.Moore 37

18-19 Season: Brown 25, Gauthier 23, Lindholm 27, Ennis 29, T.Moore 23
18-19 Playffs: Brown 25, Gauthier 23, T.Moore 23, Ennis 29

19-20 Season: Gauthier 24, Spezza 36, Engvall 23, T.Moore 24, Timashov 23, Shore 27, Clifford 29
19-20 Playffs: Engvall 23, Spezza 36, Clifford 29, Gauthier 24

20-21 Season: Engvall 24, Simmonds 32, Spezza 37, Boyd 27, Barabanov 26
20-21 Playoffs: Thornton 41, Simmonds 32, Spezza 37, Brooks 24, Nash 31

21-22 Season: Simmonds 33, Spezza 38, Engvall 25, Kase 26, Clifford 31, Blackwell 28
21-22 Playffs: Kase 26, Blackwell 28, Spezza 38, Simmonds 33, Clifford 31


The biggest issue with the 4th line imo has simply been the lack of a legit quality defensive C.

We started with old guys who were on their last legs (D.Moore/Pleks) or not really Cs anymore (Boyle, Smith).

Then we hoped Gauthier would grow into that role but also brought in guys like Lindholm and Shore to compete, but they weren't really NHL caliber.

Then Engvall was a pleasant surprise and was a decent 4C for us even though he wasn't really a C, and quickly earned his way up to the 3rd line. Spezza was always in the mix but really couldn't hack it at C anymore. And guys like Boyd and Blackwell who weren't really Cs either.

Kampf though is an absolutely legit NHL defensive center that you can trust against anyone. ZAR and NAK aren't world beaters but they're legit 4th line wingers too and should complement Kampf nicely. But really, with Kampf down there now I think we could put most any wingers with him and it would be a more dependable 4th line than we've had.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

Not positive on the exact numbers other than Mikehyev for sure scored 2 empty netters.

I'm sure it was too trivial for anyone else to think about but the way Mik celebrated that 2nd EN goal with the game out of reach and only a couple seconds left in the game pissed me off.
My attitude became you can GTFO once our playoffs are over.

 

[Menzinger]

Not at all surprising. But nice to see it finalized.

Has the potential to make a (lesser) Kampf like impact on the 4th line the bottom six is looking stronger this season

 

[Stephen]

I like the idea but saying Spezza provided nothing in the playoffs is revisionist history and offensive to him I am sure. He fought to save us in game 4 agaisnt the jackets and gave a wicked speech for our comeback win in game 5 against the bolts.

That's exactly right. Spezza gave us exactly what we would want from any 4th liner going forward over his time here. 5 points in 7 games vs Montreal and had enough left in the tank for the leadership moment in the Lightning series.

 

[Stephen]

I'm sure it was too trivial for anyone else to think about but the way Mik celebrated that 2nd EN goal with the game out of reach and only a couple seconds left in the game pissed me off.
My attitude became you can GTFO once our playoffs are over.

I know what you mean. Sometimes you get a sense a team is really ready to win when they don't get too high when they're winning a game in a series or scoring a big goal. They have their focus on something higher. Saw that with the Raptors early on in their series against GSW in 2019.

 

[Menzinger]

Really like our current 4th line with ZAR, Kubel and Kampf. Just hope nobody complains about their lack of scoring in the playoffs.

Ideally they are able to neutralize one of the oppositions top 9 lines for 14-15min. Which will mean the game has a higher chance of being decided when guys like Matthews/Marner are out on the ice (which is fine with me)

 

[Buds17]

Good signings don't always have to be surprising. I like the contract.

 

[Anthrax442]

Good signing.

This will be one of the best 4th lines we’ve had in a long time.

if only the other 3 lines scored in the playoffs when matterrs...

 

[stickty111]

Nice to have it official. Pridhim does it again with the cap gymnastics

 

[Gabriel426]

Ideally they are able to neutralize one of the oppositions top 9 lines for 14-15min. Which will mean the game has a higher chance of being decided when guys like Matthews/Marner are out on the ice (which is fine with me)

I agree. And honestly, depth players might scored those winning goals in OT…but to me your top players need to your best players for the team to advance. I could be wrong but I think Dipetro(can’t spell his name) is the only depth player to win the Conn Symthe since the 90s and that’s says a lot about top players being top players.

 

[The Masters]

I like the idea but saying Spezza provided nothing in the playoffs is revisionist history and offensive to him I am sure. He fought to save us in game 4 agaisnt the jackets and gave a wicked speech for our comeback win in game 5 against the bolts.

still lost

 

[Puckstuff]

Nice to have it official. Pridhim does it again with the cap gymnastics

oh please, we paid ZAR his market rate. Could have got him for 800 k honestly.

 

[kb]

oh please, we paid ZAR his market rate. Could have got him for 800 k honestly.

lol.

You were involved in the negotiations I assume?