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Playoff Roster

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Very happy with the blue line, forwards seem solid, not worried about Campbell

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Blackwell-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Kampf-Kase
Knies-Kerfoot-Mikheyev

Rielly-Lyubushkin
Giordano-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl

Campbell
Kallgren
 
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hockeynorth said:
Very happy with the blue line, forwards seem solid, not worried about Campbell

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Blackwell-Tavares-Nylander
Engvall-Kampf-Kase
Knies-Kerfoot-Mikheyev

Rielly-Lyubushkin
Giordano-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl

Campbell
Kallgren
Click to expand...

I would love this but I feel like there's just no way the Leafs sit Spezza AND Simmonds.

If Knies is like... a star out of the gate... maybe.
 
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Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Knies/Blackwell - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kampf - Mikheyev
Knies/Blackwell - Kerfoot - Kase

Rielly - Lyubushkin
Gio - Brodie
Muzzin - Lilly
Holl

Campbell
Mrazek
Kallgren
 
SprDaVE said:
I would love this but I feel like there's just no way the Leafs sit Spezza AND Simmonds.

If Knies is like... a star out of the gate... maybe.
Click to expand...
Love both of those guys, but both are near the end. At best I think you can rotate them based on matchups.
Really wish Spezza had a slightly more productive early season as I really don’t want him being just short on 1000pts. Hanging over the team.
 
Lemontree said:
Why is the exact reason he should be fired in the off-season. I agree it is not realistic for this team to win a cup which is why it is also stupid to spend draft picks to upgrade, before the trade we weren’t good enough to win a cup and after blowing out multiple 2nd round picks we are still not a contender. Those picks could be used as assets in the off-season to upgrade for next years version to try and be a legit contender. Dubas fails once again.
Click to expand...
I agree that we’re in a tough division.

Why would we give up now when we’re 39-18-5 because we’re not a “legit contender”. Why feel sorry for ourselves and use the picks as upgrades in the summer when if we’re targeting someone I’m sure we’ll have the assets to make the trade.

I’m happy with Dubas. Yeah he’s not perfect but I think the players respect him. I also think he’s gaining respect around the league. All of the other teams are depleting their assets significantly while we’re treading water while remaining a dangerous team.

If he got fired, a lot of teams would be looking to add him.
 


Not sure why people are saying Kase is out of the year, seems like he'll miss a few games to be on the safe side, but nothing bad, anyways, not penciling Knies into our lineup, he will get some games in the NHL this year, but unless he really impresses and forces you to keep him in the lineup, he wont be playing.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Kase - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kampf - Micky
Spezza - Kerfoot - Blackwell

Moe - Bush
Gio - Brodie
Muzzin - Sandin/Lilly.
Holl.

Really like the defense, puck mover on each pairing and a steady defender that can protect the front of the net on each pairing. Depending on how the series goes, I could see Holl coming in for the two rookies.
 
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Bunting --- Matthews --- Marner
XXXXXX --- Tavares --- Nylander
Blackwell --- Kerfoot --- Kase
Mikheyev --- Kampf --- Engvall
(Clifford --- Spezza --- Simmonds)
(Robertson --- Abbruzzese --- Knies)

Hopefully one of the kids can take that spot on the 2nd line.

If not, stick one of Kerfoot/Kase/Blackwell up there and Hopefully a kid can fill a spot on that 3rd line.

Or, Alternatively, we could stick Tavares with two more plumber type wingers and reunite Willy and Kerfoot and hope a kid can replace Galy:

Blackwell --- Tavares --- Kase
XXXXXXX --- Kerfoot --- Nylander
 
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Knies needs to get on the team asap and see what we have. Even if he's a energy 4th liner that's a big boost. Love for Blackwell to get some looks in the top 6 and see what we have.

Glad the team has some flexibility on the roster. We can really move some parts around.
 
I know that a lot of people have crush on Knies right now, but lets taper expectations if he does get signed and plays some games in the playoffs. You have to remember, the kid is 19 and has zero AHL or NHL experience. Anyway, I can see a lineup like this at some point in the playoffs:

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Blackwell - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kampf - Mikheyev
Knies - Kerfoot - Kase

Spezza or Simmonds slot in if Knies struggles too much. They could also slot in the right wing spot on the 4th depending on Kase's health.

Rielly - Lyubushkin
Giordano - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl

Depending on Sandin's knee injury, Holl gets first crack over Liljegren based on games experience. If Holl struggles, Liljegren steps into his spot. If Sandin is healthy, he slots into the bottom pair with Muzzin, over both Holl and Liljegren.

Campbell
Kallgren

Campbell starts over Kallgren, unless his struggles continue and Kallgren is playing better.
 
It's interesting - if we put together Gio-Brodie and Muzz-Holl then the Rielly pairing would actually turn into the softest usage pairing of the 3 - which would mean it would be a good place to put Sandin or Lilly.
 
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zeke said:
It's interesting - if we put together Gio-Brodie and Muzz-Holl then the Rielly pairing would actually turn into the softest usage pairing of the 3 - which would mean it would be a good place to put Sandin or Lilly.
Click to expand...
Lyubushkin is here to stay and from the sounds of it, Keefe likes him as Rielly's partner.
 
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IPS said:
Lyubushkin is here to stay and from the sounds of it, Keefe likes him as Rielly's partner.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know - and I see why, but a lot of that is due to Keefe relying on Mo on one of our heavier usage d pairs...if the other two pairs are suddenly both worthy of heavy usage, then maybe it frees him up to use more skill beside Mo.

Of course another way to do that would be to stick Boosh with Muzzin, and drop Holl.
 
Looking at our team changes from last year's playoffs.....

Hyman --> Bunting
Foligno --> Kampf
Galchenyuk --> Kase
Thornton --> Blackwell

Dermott --> Giordano
Bogosian --> Lyubushkin

Andersen --> Mrazek

Hard not to see us as nicely upgraded from last year's playoffs, and hopefully this year we don't suffer injuries as bad as we did to Tavares, Kampf (Aka Foligno), and Muzzin last year.
 
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With JT and Willie not working, maybe try JT for awhile with some harder workers:
Bunts - AM - MM
Blackwell - JT - Kase
Mik - Kampf - Engvall
Spezza - Kerfoot - Nylander

Sprinkles offence through the lineup a little more.
Another alternative would be to put willie on LW with AM, and move Bunts down with JT and Kase.

If we exit early I fully expect Nylander to be shipped out in the off season.
 
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Know it will never happen but would Love to see

Tavares - Matthews - Marner
Nylander - Kerfoot - Bunting
3rd line
Blackwell - Spezza - Simmonds
 
zeke said:
Looking at our team changes from last year's playoffs.....

Hyman --> Bunting
Foligno --> Kampf
Galchenyuk --> Kase
Thornton --> Blackwell

Dermott --> Giordano
Bogosian --> Lyubushkin

Andersen --> Mrazek

Hard not to see us as nicely upgraded from last year's playoffs, and hopefully this year we don't suffer injuries as bad as we did to Tavares, Kampf (Aka Foligno), and Muzzin last year.
Click to expand...
Too bad we aren't playing montreal this year though. We're in tough but I do like the makeup of the team right now
 
Won't have to wait long (Sunday) to see how we're gonna stack up against Florida and their new toys. I expect that game to get pretty intense
 
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Torontonian said:


Not sure why people are saying Kase is out of the year, seems like he'll miss a few games to be on the safe side, but nothing bad, anyways, not penciling Knies into our lineup, he will get some games in the NHL this year, but unless he really impresses and forces you to keep him in the lineup, he wont be playing.

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Kase - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kampf - Micky
Spezza - Kerfoot - Blackwell

Moe - Bush
Gio - Brodie
Muzzin - Sandin/Lilly.
Holl.

Really like the defense, puck mover on each pairing and a steady defender that can protect the front of the net on each pairing. Depending on how the series goes, I could see Holl coming in for the two rookies.
Click to expand...


Because the sky is always falling for some here.
 
Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Blackwell - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kampf - Mikheyev
Spezza - Kerfoot - Kase

Giordano - Brodie
Rielly - Boosh
Muzzin - Holl

Hopefully at some point Keefe tries Bunting with the 2nd line in an attempt to get them going a bit. I feel like Matthews and Marner will be good enough to carry a 3rd linemate, they just need someone to bring energy and not have the puck die on their sticks.

Maybe getting Blackwell allows them to spread things out a bit and they can try him there and Bunting down on the 2nd line and keep Kase when healthy on that 4th line that's been struggling.
 
If fully healthy I could see something like this

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Nylander - Tavares - Kase
Engvall - Kampf - Soup
Knies/Robertson - Kerfoot - Blackwell
EX: Knies/Robertson - Spezza - Simmonds

Rielly - Lyubushkin
Giordano - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
EX: Sandin - Liljegren

Campbell
Mrazek/Kallgren

lots of depth top to bottom and should be able to deal with injuries. Only big question mark I see is goaltending TBH
 
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I don't know why everyone is slating Lyubushkin playing the top line with Rielly all the time.

And yes I know that Giordano and Brodie were partners for so long but please also don't underestimate how well Rielly/Brodie pair played for us all year. We have only really separated them because of injuries to our D else I feel they would still be together. Also, when asked about Gio - Kyle said he wanted to give Keefe the most tools to play with back there and didn't get Gio just to play with Brodie. Personally, I would go with what has worked recently vs what has worked 3 years ago. Brodie has been the most stabilizing thing to Reilly I have ever seen. Better than when Hainsey was here.


So personally, I would go with something like this (if all are healthy):

Locked into position:

Rielly - Brodie
Giordano - ??
Muzzin - ??

Next in line to fill the available 2nd RD and 3rd RD spot in my preferred order:
Lybushkin/Liljegren/Sandin/Holl

Which gives you:

Rielly - Brodie
Giordano - Lybushkin
Muzzin - Liljegren

OR

Rielly - Brodie
Giordano - Liljegren (I think Gio would be great for Lily)
Muzzin - Lybushkin (heavy hitting)

*Sandin steps in for any injury.

Please please don't make Rielly/Lybushkin a permanent pairing. I think that is a big mistake.

My 2 cents.
 
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