I think he'll get his opportunity in the top 6 but end up on the third line.
My lineup after game 25
Ritchie Matthews Marner
Robertson Tavares Nylander
Bunting Kerfoot Spezza
Mikheyev Kampf Kase
Simmonds (injured)
New Line combos and roster thread
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I think he'll get his opportunity in the top 6 but end up on the third line.
My lineup after game 25
Ritchie Matthews Marner
Robertson Tavares Nylander
Bunting Kerfoot Spezza
Mikheyev Kampf Kase
Simmonds (injured)
Ritchie - Matthews - Nylander
Bunting - Tavares - Marner
Kerfoot - Kampf - Kase
Mikheyev - Spezza - Simmonds
Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Liljegren
Mrazek - Campbell
Bunting - Tavares - Marner
Kerfoot - Kampf - Kase
Mikheyev - Spezza - Simmonds
Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Liljegren
Mrazek - Campbell
This is correct! Marner with JT.
My only add is trade Rielly and add Engvall when Kase can’t go.
- Sep 8, 2004
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he gets a lot out of players... its his actual lineup deployment, and matchup decisions that are mind boggling sometimes.
- Sep 8, 2004
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we finally just got rid of Hyman (who limited Matthews offense by never passing him the puck), why would we fill the spot with Hyman lite
Dreakmur
Registered User
Hopefully we do it your way, and you might just learn how valuable players like that are.
… or you might be right and I’ll learn something…
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- Sep 8, 2004
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they are very valuable when used correctly. Hyman is a great 3rd liner, but, he is not a top 6 player, and should never have been in the top 6.
I really doubt Matthews & Marner will lament the loss of Hyman on their wing. it will be like having a heavy load lifted off their chests and hopefully they get someone who will pass the puck back to them on occasion, or look for them, rather than slow dance against the boards the entire shift.
Dreakmur
Registered User
I think they will end up with a load added. Now that Hyman isn’t there to do all the dirty work, they’ll have to pick up the slack.
Matthews complained when Hyman went to the Tavares line. Everyone wanted Hyman with them. That’s pretty telling.
ottomaddox
Registered User
If Dubas moves on from Rielly will Muzzin be our #1 D?
Muzzin Brodie
Dermott Holl
Sandin Subban
Liljegren
????????
Muzzin Brodie
Dermott Holl
Sandin Subban
Liljegren
????????
- Sep 8, 2004
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i feel bad for Matthews, since he got saddled with either Hyman, and Thornton last year... he's never had a quality LWer.
hamzarocks
Registered User
He won't have one this year either
Also Hyman is quality he's just bad now because he left. Put up 55-60 point paces back to back years.
He was a legit top 6 LW. Now our best LW is a 3rd liner in Ritchie
He's had a superstar RW past two years so don't see any reason why Matthews would feel he has had poor linemates
- Sep 8, 2004
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first off, 'pace' is 100% meaningless, you either did it, or you didnt.
he has a career high 41 point playing the bulk of his career with 2 star players
i have not liked Hyman on the top line since the first time they used him there... you can check my entire history, its anti-Hyman
...anyone they use on the top line this season will be an improvement on Hyman, if they do one simple thing, PASS the puck.
hamzarocks
Registered User
we'll see whether your right or wrong. Hyman can't control a pandemic occuring which happened the past two seasons limiting his opportunities to produce.
People were pacing Matthews in 2018 and 2019 when he was injured so its a common practice.Hyman worked on any line he was played on this year. His speed, board play and improved shooting led to greater production than before in his career.
He's going to outproduce any LW on the leafs next year. He's a great player, sucks he chased money but that doesn't make him not a guy who provided great value in the top 6.
Ritchie/Bunting will need to be quite good next year to replace his contributions
These offense only fans will never understand .. Zach was too expensive for Leafs pure and simple because Mitch took too much .. and you can't blame da player as they have sacrificed their whole life for this contract payday .. what will end up being sad is when Matty gets hurt fore checking to get a loose puck this season and his back gets messed up again and team can't replace (no team in CAP world can) .. successful forward lines are all about getting da mix right .. a big average speed centre with great skill and shot and a small shifty slow winger with great skill and no power can work but they need a big boy to open up ice for them as neither is blessed with big time blow away speed .. again looks like Leafs are gonna try to go with 3 forward lines and a checking 4th line in camp to see if it will work
- Sep 8, 2004
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the NHL is not a 90's video game where you need the sniper/finesse/grinder setup
...the arguable best line in hockey the past few seasons has been Boston's big line ...3 pure Skill players, no board hugging Hyman types on Boston's top line, and they have plenty of Hyman like players on their team, and when they tried to split them up, they sucked.
lol @ that bottom 6. Just total shit except for Spezza.
Ritchie and Bunting in our top 6 is almost just as bad.
Dreakmur
Registered User
That Boston line is not anything close to 3 pure skill players. Bergeron is an elite defensive center who happens to be pretty good offensively. Marchand is an elite pest who happens to also be elite offensively.
Marchand likes to bang and muck it up he has amazing edges and core strength too and carries that line .. so does Bergey .. Pasta is all skill and to top it off he can FIRE bullets .. great mix of 3 guys with speed, 2 guys who can muck/skate and 1 guy who can dangle/shoot .. but you have a fans perspective which is fine too .. every successful line in NHL history has a great mix .. as much as you kids think things have changed they really haven't except da goonery which we used to play with is gone as hockey has become a more legal focused game
I wouldn’t call Kerfoot total shit. Plus if Kase can stay healthy, that’s a very good piece on the 3rd line. Very big if however.
Dreakmur
Registered User
Saddled because he wanted all the money he could get. Same with his buddy Marner.
Not sad at all for these me first players.
Rob Brown
Way She Goes
- Dec 17, 2009
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Kerfoot is not a bad third line player, Kampf appears to be solid defensively which is important, and if Kase can stay healthy he can provide some offense on that third line. I don't think it's 'total shit'.
ottomaddox
Registered User
Spector's Hockey:
"NHL.COM: Mike Zeisberger wondered who will join Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander among the Toronto Maple Leafs top-six this season. The Leafs are top-heavy and will need more secondary scoring from their supporting cast.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could be Nick Ritchie, Alex Kerfoot, and/or Ilya Mikheyev skating among the top six. Perhaps Michael Bunting gets a shot at left wing if Ritchie or Kerfoot don’t work out in those roles"
"NHL.COM: Mike Zeisberger wondered who will join Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander among the Toronto Maple Leafs top-six this season. The Leafs are top-heavy and will need more secondary scoring from their supporting cast.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could be Nick Ritchie, Alex Kerfoot, and/or Ilya Mikheyev skating among the top six. Perhaps Michael Bunting gets a shot at left wing if Ritchie or Kerfoot don’t work out in those roles"
Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Ritchie-Tavares-Nylander
Kase-Kerfoot-Spezza
Mikeyev-Kampf-Simmonds
Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Liljegren
Sandin
1PP
Ritchie (Net front)-Matthews-Nylander
Rielly-Marner
2pp
Simmonds-Tavares-Bunting
Muzzin-Liljegren
Ritchie-Tavares-Nylander
Kase-Kerfoot-Spezza
Mikeyev-Kampf-Simmonds
Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Dermott-Liljegren
Sandin
1PP
Ritchie (Net front)-Matthews-Nylander
Rielly-Marner
2pp
Simmonds-Tavares-Bunting
Muzzin-Liljegren
- May 3, 2016
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I am not sure about the Bunting as the #1LW. I think Mikheyev's speed will allow for better puck retrieval. After all the #1LW's job is to literally get the puck to 1 of the other 2 lol
On paper Ritchie makes sense as the 2LW, since his style matches Tavares well.
However I do think Bunting or Robertson will be the 3LW.
