Prospect Info: Marlies/Prospects Thread

[Martin Skoula]

Being able to insert Robertson and Amirov to our top 9 next year is gonna make our cap situation much easier to handle…

x-Matthews-Marner
Amirov-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Kerfoot-x
x-x-x

It's crazy that they're all smooth offensive players but every single one of them is known for being a two-way puck thief at their respective levels. Plus everyone except Marner has a shot that can beat goalies from distance.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Being able to insert Robertson and Amirov to our top 9 next year is gonna make our cap situation much easier to handle…

x-Matthews-Marner
Amirov-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Kerfoot-x
x-x-x

Don't even really need Amirov in there yet. We still have Ritchie and Bunting locked up for another year at a reasonable rate, as long as they don't totally suck.

Ritchie-Matthews-Marner
Bunting-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Kerfoot-Spezza/similar UFA who can split draws with Kerfoot
PKer - Kampf - Anderson
Simmonds

Marner, Kerfoot, and your 4th line are your 5 PKers. I imagine Robertson will be groomed as a PKer this year as well.

You also have Kase and Engvall as an arb-eligible RFAs. Amirov can come in once Bunting/Ritchie move on.

 

[hockeynorth]

Don't even really need Amirov in there yet. We still have Ritchie and Bunting locked up for another year at a reasonable rate, as long as they don't totally suck.

Ritchie-Matthews-Marner
Bunting-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Kerfoot-Spezza/similar UFA who can split draws with Kerfoot
PKer - Kampf - Anderson
Simmonds

Marner, Kerfoot, and your 4th line are your 5 PKers. I imagine Robertson will be groomed as a PKer this year as well.

You also have Kase and Engvall as an arb-eligible RFAs. Amirov can come in once Bunting/Ritchie move on.

I feel like Amirov could play today and next year he'll surpass Robertson.

 

[notbias]

Being able to insert Robertson and Amirov to our top 9 next year is gonna make our cap situation much easier to handle…

x-Matthews-Marner
Amirov-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Kerfoot-x
x-x-x

We don't have a cap issue, a cap issue is a team with a bunch of bad contracts.

If we don't resign any of RFAs or UFAs we still have this going into the season after this one.

Ritchie - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Robertson
Amirov - Kerfoot - Nylander
Steeves - Kampf - Simmonds
Anderson, Gogolev, Holmberg, SDA, Abramov

RFAs - Engvall, Kase,
UFAs - Mikheyev, Spezza

We realistically could spend all of our money re-signing Rielly and Campbell and call it a day.

 

[hockeynorth]

We don't have a cap issue, a cap issue is a team with a bunch of bad contracts.

If we don't resign any of RFAs or UFAs we still have this going into the season after this one.

Ritchie - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Robertson
Amirov - Kerfoot - Nylander
Steeves - Kampf - Simmonds
Anderson, Gogolev, Holmberg, SDA, Abramov

RFAs - Engvall, Kase,
UFAs - Mikheyev, Spezza

We realistically could spend all of our money re-signing Rielly and Campbell and call it a day.

That's why I called it a situation not an issue, situation being Rielly and Campbells contracts

 

[notbias]

That's why I called it a situation not an issue, situation being Rielly and Campbells contracts

I may have misread it or just skimmed over it and assumed, but ya, I just think our cap "situation" is overblown, my mistake.

I really think with how we have set things up, we can field a competitive team each year for the next 3 years without anything but ELCs filling in the missing spots.

 

[hockeynorth]

I may have misread it or just skimmed over it and assumed, but ya, I just think our cap "situation" is overblown, my mistake.

I really think with how we have set things up, we can field a competitive team each year for the next 3 years without anything but ELCs filling in the missing spots.

I agree, and Robby/Amirov/Sandin/Lilly are going to be a big part of that!

 

[aingefan]

I agree, and Robby/Amirov/Sandin/Lilly are going to be a big part of that!

Lili and Sandin transitioning in is the biggest deal this year, imo.

 

[Zookeeper]

Lili and Sandin transitioning in is the biggest deal this year, imo.

Absolutely

 

[Knies iT]

Sheldon Keefe on Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren: "Both guys have taken significant steps from where they were a year ago" | Maple Leafs Hotstove

Keefe saying Liljegren and Sandin have taken significant steps.

Liljegren needs to graduate.

 

[Twine Tickler]

Liljegren needs to graduate.

He deserved gratitude last year IMO. He was outstanding for the Marlies, and I honestly thought he was a stand out in the Blue/White game before the year even began. I remember watching that game pre-season and saying to myself this was the year that Lilly would be given a crack. But once again he was boxed out.

At this point I'd love them to see what they have with him and Rasmus in the lineup on a more consistent basis. I posted this in the Training camp thread, but I'd look to move Dermott and Engvall by the end of camp. Dermott for pick(s), Engvall for anything or to the minors. That would free up enough cap to run a 22 man roster instead of the 21 man roster that is currently being shown on capfriendly. With 1 spare player at forward and defence

Ritchie - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Nylander
Micheyev - Kerfoot - Spezza
Seymonov - Kampf - Kase
Simmonds

Rielly - Brodie
Muzz - Liljegren
Sandin - Holl
Mennel

Campbell/Mrazek

 

[aingefan]

Sheldon Keefe on Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren: "Both guys have taken significant steps from where they were a year ago" | Maple Leafs Hotstove

Keefe saying Liljegren and Sandin have taken significant steps.

Liljegren needs to graduate.

Lili with Muzz. Love.

 

[Legion34]

How has petruzelli looked?

 

[Northernguy10]

He deserved gratitude last year IMO. He was outstanding for the Marlies, and I honestly thought he was a stand out in the Blue/White game before the year even began. I remember watching that game pre-season and saying to myself this was the year that Lilly would be given a crack. But once again he was boxed out.

At this point I'd love them to see what they have with him and Rasmus in the lineup on a more consistent basis. I posted this in the Training camp thread, but I'd look to move Dermott and Engvall by the end of camp. Dermott for pick(s), Engvall for anything or to the minors. That would free up enough cap to run a 22 man roster instead of the 21 man roster that is currently being shown on capfriendly. With 1 spare player at forward and defence

Ritchie - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Nylander
Micheyev - Kerfoot - Spezza
Seymonov - Kampf - Kase
Simmonds

Rielly - Brodie
Muzz - Liljegren
Sandin - Holl
Mennel

Campbell/Mrazek

I'm probably in the minority but I've been a fan of Dermott since his junior days and was happy when we drafted him. To me he's a very solid 3rd pairing defenceman with the attributes to be a good middle pairing guy.I think it would be a mistake to get rid of him before we know what we have in Sandin and Liljegren. Personally I'd like to see these 3 rotate in with Holl as the bottom 3 defence men til 3 of them emerge. I'm not as high on Holl as others so I think a rotation of the 4 makes the most sense to me. We need to start playing and developing our younger defencemen, something we seem hesitant to do. I'm seeing a regression in Muzzin's play (slight but there in my opinion) and he has had trouble staying healthy the last few years so lets see what the kids can do.

 

[stickty111]

Kokkonen assist today. Holmberg 1st goal of the season.

 

[Knies iT]

Hirvonen secondary assist to put HIFK up 2-1 late 2nd.

Don't know if he'll ever set the Liiga on fire production wise, but he looks to be a solid complementary player. Makes smart passes all over the ice.

 

[nobody]

Hirvonen secondary assist to put HIFK up 2-1 late 2nd.

Don't know if he'll ever set the Liiga on fire production wise, but he looks to be a solid complementary player. Makes smart passes all over the ice.

I think he's a more skilled, less gritty version of Leo Komarov. I think he can be a real pest if he wanted to be while still providing good offensive numbers from the bottom 6. I wish we had a real POS player in the pipeline though. I want a guy or two who can really get under the skin of the other team and play right on the edge. And if the other teams retaliate to their non-sense, our potent offense can put them under the ground quickly.

 

[Knies iT]

I think he's a more skilled, less gritty version of Leo Komarov. I think he can be a real pest if he wanted to be while still providing good offensive numbers from the bottom 6. I wish we had a real POS player in the pipeline though. I want a guy or two who can really get under the skin of the other team and play right on the edge. And if the other teams retaliate to their non-sense, our potent offense can put them under the ground quickly.

I could see it. He might have less total hits than Komarov at his peak, but I think they have similar subtle pest qualities. Him and Costmar were probably the biggest agitators in last year's WJC.

He's been given a couple misconducts over the past two seasons for questionable hits. Latest one in the game against Kokkonen last week:

 

[stickty111]

Kokkonen assist today. Holmberg 1st goal of the season.

Add an assist for Holmberg as well.
As @Knies iT mentioned, an assist for Hirvonen as well.

 

[kerk]

holmberg assist is worth posting

 

[stickty111]

holmberg assist is worth posting

He's more skilled then he shows sometimes.

 

[Twine Tickler]

I'm probably in the minority but I've been a fan of Dermott since his junior days and was happy when we drafted him. To me he's a very solid 3rd pairing defenceman with the attributes to be a good middle pairing guy.I think it would be a mistake to get rid of him before we know what we have in Sandin and Liljegren. Personally I'd like to see these 3 rotate in with Holl as the bottom 3 defence men til 3 of them emerge. I'm not as high on Holl as others so I think a rotation of the 4 makes the most sense to me. We need to start playing and developing our younger defencemen, something we seem hesitant to do. I'm seeing a regression in Muzzin's play (slight but there in my opinion) and he has had trouble staying healthy the last few years so lets see what the kids can do.

Ya in an ideal set of circumstances I'd have to agree with you I'd like to keep all 3 of them and rotate them in and out. That would mean we surely lose Mennel. Unfortunately the only way to keep all 4 of Sandin, Lilly, Mennel and Dermott would likely mean Lilly spends the entire year in the AHL until an injury occurs. Because Dermott and Mennel are not waiver exempt, and our cap dynamic will not allow us to carry 2 extra d-men. In my opinion, If Liljegren looks ready out of camp, we have to roll the dice on him. Because another year in the AHL does absolutely nothing for him. In fact it might negatively affect his desire to ever play for the Leafs.

In my opinion, Dermott will never be anything more than the 3rd best defensemen on a good team. And that's, If he filled his absolute ceiling. I'd say that is also unlikely, and more so appears to be a solid 4-6 guy. Whereas Timmy looks like he could be a 2-4 guy on a good team. And plays the right side. I just think it is not as big of a risk to move Dermott. As much as I do like him, and wish he could be retained. At what point is Timmy's development going to be a priority?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Marlies should have Niemela, Rindell, Villeneuve, and Kokkonen all joining the roster next year, and none of them are likely going to be going to the Growlers.

Our defense is going to be a competition next year.

 

[Ashdown2]

Marlies should have Niemela, Rindell, Villeneuve, and Kokkonen all joining the roster next year, and none of them are likely going to be going to the Growlers.

Our defense is going to be a competition next year.

so another year of the marlies being complete dogshit ?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

so another year of the marlies being complete dogshit ?

Depends on Moore and how some of the younger forwards (SDA, Abramov, Steeves, Robertson, etc.) do. This team is significantly better than last year on paper, at least in terms of offensive ability, and it is up to Moore to make it work. Defensively there are question marks, but everyone back there is experienced and should be able to play a stronger defensive game than the putrid efforts we consistently saw last year. Otherwise, none of them will likely be back next year.