New Line combos and roster thread

[smitty10]

New Line Combo:

09-05-2021

Ritchie Matthews Marner
Kerfoot Tavares Nylander
Bunting Kampf Mikheyev
Simmonds Spezza Kase

Rielly Brodie
Muzzin Holl
Dermott Chara

Campbell
Mrazek

I absolutely hate the idea of Kerfoot playing in our top 6. We've seen him play in that exact spot for stretches with no results. Allowing McCann to be selected by Seattle was a mistake.

 

[Dreakmur]

Marchand is better than Pastrnak on the spreadsheets.

He’s better in just about every way. It’s not even close.

 

[zeke]

He’s better in just about every way. It’s not even close.

Should be in the mvp conversation every year.

 

[I am Canadian]

Bunting - Matthews - Nylander

Robertson - Tavares - Marner

Ritchie - Kerfoot - Kase

Spezza - Kampf - Simmonds

Mikheyev

 

[Dreakmur]

Should be in the mvp conversation every year.

He should be, and he has been.

Hart voting - 5th(2019), 5th(2021), 7th(2017), 9th(2020), 11th(2018)

 

[zeke]

He should be, and he has been.

Hart voting - 5th(2019), 5th(2021), 7th(2017), 9th(2020), 11th(2018)

Higher.

 

[sittler rules!!!]

This is a pretty good post, I'm just going to hit on a few points...

1. It was likely more of a cap thing, with them having wanted Krejci and Rask back they needed the money and Ritchie was a wildcard.
2. They probably hoped someone would trade an asset for him since he played like a 3C option before.
3. Cassidy is the first coach to get Ritchie to play like a top six option, if Keefe can get more out of him we have a significant piece.

Keefe??................Get more out of Richie? Keefe??

 

[Dreakmur]

Higher.

I thought he should have been a finalist this year, that's for sure.

 

[ULF_55]

I can't help but feel there is going to be another move before camp is done.

Is the thought there is no room for rookies?

Other than the potentially overrated Robertson are there no assets in the system that warrants any attention?

 

[kb]

I absolutely hate the idea of Kerfoot playing in our top 6. We've seen him play in that exact spot for stretches with no results. Allowing McCann to be selected by Seattle was a mistake.

There is not much difference between the 2. And you'd prefer to expose Holl instead, even after seeing what absolutely shit Dmen cost in UFA?

Not a smart battle plan....

 

[Stephen]

There is not much difference between the 2. And you'd prefer to expose Holl instead, even after seeing what absolutely shit Dmen cost in UFA?

Not a smart battle plan....

I think it says less about Holl being a must have player and more like a lack of confidence in Liljegren to slide in as a regular RHD who can apprentice alongside Muzzin.

 

[Sypher04]

I think it says less about Holl being a must have player and more like a lack of confidence in Liljegren to slide in as a regular RHD who can apprentice alongside Muzzin.

I don’t know lack of confidence is the right way to classify their position with Liljegren. Just sounds overtly negative to me, even if not meant that way. Fact does remain though that Holl played top 4 minutes on a very good defensive Leafs team last year and liljegren lacks nhl experience. Obviously if there is room for Lil this year and he proves ready he will be expected to do so as a bottom pair first

 

[TheGroceryStick]

We shuffled the deck chairs with a bunch of bargain bin wingers. Yay..... see you on opening night, with bells on.

 

[zeke]

I think it says less about Holl being a must have player and more like a lack of confidence in Liljegren to slide in as a regular RHD who can apprentice alongside Muzzin.

Not sure why we would break up the best top 4 we've had in forever.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I think it says less about Holl being a must have player and more like a lack of confidence in Liljegren to slide in as a regular RHD who can apprentice alongside Muzzin.

I don't think there's a world where you go into the season with Liljegren at 2RD with no backup plan (save for paying a bottom pair slugger 3x3 as was the norm this off-season) regardless of how confident you are in him, especially if you're also planning to bring Sandin along.

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Liljegren
Sandin-Holl

You can gamble on this for a month or two and reunite Muzzin-Holl if Liljegren can't handle it. I don't feel better about that lineup with McCann up front and Forbort on a 3x3 replacing Holl. If Bogo was willing to tolerate living in Ontario for 1 mil a year, maybe it would be doable.

 

[zeke]

I absolutely hate the idea of Kerfoot playing in our top 6. We've seen him play in that exact spot for stretches with no results. Allowing McCann to be selected by Seattle was a mistake.

Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander

20-21: 61.9gf%, 62.3xgf%
19-20: 50.9gf%, 56.2xgf%

 

[LeafChief]

This is what I would go with currently:

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

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Liljegren
Sandin/Holl
Dermott

Liljegren/Sandin/Dermott all rotate to get them all into games. When Liljegren is in he plays with Muzzin. The other two options would look like this.

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Liljegren
Dermott - Holl
Sandin

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Sandin - Dermott
Liljegren

 

[Racer88]

Is the thought there is no room for rookies?

Other than the potentially overrated Robertson are there no assets in the system that warrants any attention?

It’s starting to look like there is not much in the cupboard

 

[Zybalto]

We shuffled the deck chairs with a bunch of bargain bin wingers. Yay..... see you on opening night, with bells on.

Shuffling deck chairs was the difference between Tampa getting swept in the first round vs back to back titles.

 

[Coachcorner]

My thoughts/predictions:​

-Ritchie and Bunting will likely swap minutes between the 1st and 4th line, with each playing around 15 mins a night.
- Keefe is finally going to get his defensive 3rd line that he has been longing for. They will take most of the defensive zone draws.
-Kerfoot will become a full-time winger, only playing center when there's an injury.
- The 4th line will be a sheltered offensive line...the same as it was last year.
- There will likely be a battle for that 13th forward spot with Engvall having the inside edge. Brooks is a dark horse for that spot.
-Kase likely gets injured again, so the 13th forward/forward depth is important.
- The Leafs will have more net front presence this year with Ritchie, Bunting and Simmonds...this could be useful on the PP.
-The Penalty kill will benefit from the addition of David Kampf, who was 52.8% on faceoffs last year.
-Robertson starts in AHL and gets a second look around the trade deadline.
- Sandin and Dermott are going to be heavily sheltered
- This will be a make or break year for Travis Dermott. Though he will be sheltered 5on5, he will be relied upon on the PK.
-I think this year's deadline acquisition will be a defenseman with term. Someone with a manageable cap hit to "replace" Rielly (think Muzzin Acquisition when Gardiner was a pending UFA). I think Liljergren will be involved in the package

Opening night lines:

Ritchie/Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Kerfoot-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kampf-Kase
Bunting/Ritchie-Spezza-Simmonds

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Sandin-Dermott

Campbell-Mrazek

I agree on everythang milord, but one thang I can assure you..... Ritchie, the first liner in boston and their first powerplay guy, a second liner when pasternak got back, will be playing (all season) long with our first line, or the second line. You can invest your paper on that there sire. He was got to hit so many people to the head and to protect our star dolls... that its not possible to play him elsewhere. Even boston played him on the toughest spots and hottest lines. For life sire. But yeah, other than that. You is correctamundo. Bunting will play on those first two lines too, cause he a pest for life, hitta for the quitta, twerker for the pole. We got that swag now sire, and we smiling. Hard.

 

[ottomaddox]

This has to be the last chance for Liljgren. When is Dubas/Keefe going to remove his training wheels? I'm not sure of many great examples, but T.L. has been a Marlie since 2017. Someone please throw some cold water in his face.

 

[notbias]

It’s starting to look like there is not much in the cupboard

Lou definitely did a terrible job drafting, but the current crop of prospects is starting to look good. We have some that are right on the cusp, but we have too many NHLers right now, but we do actually have a respectable prospect pool currently.

This has to be the last chance for Liljgren. When is Dubas/Keefe going to remove his training wheels? I'm not sure of many great examples, but T.L. has been a Marlie since 2017. Someone please throw some cold water in his face.

I really think it is contract-related, he has a 400k bonus, which is an annoyance, we also are crowded on D, it isn't like he is an old prospect, he is still relatively young.
But my understanding on bonuses is if we have the room we pay them this year, if not they carry over to next year, but regardless I look at Liljegren as having a 1.2 million cap, not 800k.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Keefe??................Get more out of Richie? Keefe??

Yes, Keefe.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Da boys are scrimmaging at Ford today .. unofficial line skates may not mean much today as Matty out with injury .. skating past week or so individually

 

[peconcan]

What makes most people think Bunting will make the team and play on the top line? I’m not disagreeing with anyone I just didn’t know who he was until we signed him