Potential NEW Leafs Line up:

[JT AM da real deal]

vs Tampa

Home Lines:
Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Tavares - O'Rielly - [34/16/88]
Nylander - Lafferty - Jarnkrok
Kerfoot - - Kampf - - Acciari

McCabe - Brodie
Giordano - Liljegren
Rielly - - - Schenn
Holl

Away Lines:
Bunting - Matthews - Jarnkrok
Kerfoot - - O'Rielly - - Marner
Lafferty - Tavares - Nylander
AstonReese - Kampf - Acciari

Rielly - - - Brodie
Giordano - Liljegren
McCabe - Schenn

I think your home lines is what I would go (as we need 3 productive lines vs Tampa) with BUT unfortunately Lily lost trust of coach in those 2 road games with playoff fighting teams .. Keefer will go with Gio and Holl now as 2nd pair .. rest of games are now garbage games which don't mean anything except getting ROR back into game shape

 

[TMLAM34]

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander
Bunting - O’Reilly - Lafferty
Aston Reese - Kampf - Acciari

With home ice and last change, I’d also consider stacking up the top two lines.

 

[crump]

Shouldn’t be too many surprises of players in the lineup, just the combinations.

One issue I would be concerned about is ROR’s ability to take face offs recovering from a broken finger. I don’t know which finger was broken or it’s role in his face off technique, I bet they start him on the wing instead of centre until his finger has full strength. Here is my ROR recovered/Knies in lineup:

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Knies. - Tavares - Nylander
Bunting - ROR. - Kerfoot
Kampf. - Acciari . Lafferty

Of course this is assuming Knies is as advertised. “An NHL player playing outside the NHL.”

What an add if he translates his game to the NHL quickly. One can dream.

 

[13pacheco31]

Shouldn’t be too many surprises of players in the lineup, just the combinations.

One issue I would be concerned about is ROR’s ability to take face offs recovering from a broken finger. I don’t know which finger was broken or it’s role in his face off technique, I bet they start him on the wing instead of centre until his finger has full strength. Here is my ROR recovered/Knies in lineup:

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Knies. - Tavares - Nylander
Bunting - ROR. - Kerfoot
Kampf. - Acciari . Lafferty

Of course this is assuming Knies is as advertised. “An NHL player playing outside the NHL.”

What an add if he translates his game to the NHL quickly. One can dream.

I wouldn't hold my breath with knies. Good prospect, but never played an NHL game and to be thrown in the lineup for the playoffs? Not likely, maybe next year

 

[NJG]

WITHOUT KNIES:
Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Nylander
Kerfoot - O'Rielly - Lafferty
A. Reese - Kampf - Acciari

Rielly - Brodie
McCabe - Holl
Giordano - Schenn

WITH KNIES:
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Jarnkrok - Tavares - Nylander
Bunting - O'Rielly - Lafferty
Kerfoot - Kampf - Acciari

Rielly - Brodie
McCabe - Holl
Giordano - Schenn

 

[crump]

I wouldn't hold my breath with knies. Good prospect, but never played an NHL game and to be thrown in the lineup for the playoffs? Not likely, maybe next year

Oh I know. He's playing against "men" now compared to junior, but some of these men are 5'7" and the Goalies aren't close to NHL calibre.
Without Knies I'd go with TMLAM34's lineup

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner - have looked good lately
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander - Kerfoot will need to keep producing these last 9 games me to want him up there, otherwise Bunting will probably slot back up in the top 6.
Bunting - O’Reilly - Lafferty - Some offence, good intensity, tough to play against, wings with speed (could swap Bunting with Kerfoot)
Aston Reese - Kampf - Acciari - -have had some really good forechecking shifts together, potential to chip in too.

 

[I am Canadian]

Wish Leafs opted for another pick in the Sandin trade and flipped it for another forward option.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

GAME 1:
Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Tavares - - O'Rielly - - Nylander
Bunting - - Acciari - - Lafferty
AstonReese - Kampf - Kerfoot

McCabe - Brodie
Rielly - - Schenn
Giordano - Holl

Samsonov
Murray

With Knies:

Knies - Acciari - Bunting
Kerfoot - Kampf - Lafferty

 

[thusk]

Oh I know. He's playing against "men" now compared to junior, but some of these men are 5'7" and the Goalies aren't close to NHL calibre.
Without Knies I'd go with TMLAM34's lineup

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner - have looked good lately
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander - Kerfoot will need to keep producing these last 9 games me to want him up there, otherwise Bunting will probably slot back up in the top 6.
Bunting - O’Reilly - Lafferty - Some offence, good intensity, tough to play against, wings with speed (could swap Bunting with Kerfoot)
Aston Reese - Kampf - Acciari - -have had some really good forechecking shifts together, potential to chip in too.

If keefe want to use oreilly as shutdown line, i would switch bunting and kerfoot

If its to get balance in the line up, its fine

 

[Phion Keneuf]

I don’t want Nylander with Tavares during the playoffs at all. I’d say stick Nylander back with Matthews, but Matthews and Marner have been amazing together & Jarnkrok has been a perfect finishing piece on that line.

I’d experiment a bit but thinking of something like this:

Jarnkrok-Matthews-Marner
Bunting-O’Reilly-Nylander
Knies-Tavares-Kerfoot
ZAR-Kampf-Acciari
/Lafferty

Currently have ZAR above Lafferty based on recent play, but could go either way. Potentially can sub them both in if Knies happens to not be ready (I personally think he’ll be solid but we’ll see). On the flip side, if Knies impresses you could swap him and Bunting.

 

[sxvnert]

Put Gustafsson on PP1 & on the 4th line. No need shuffle the entire lineup throughout the game to maintain an 11/7.

 

[TopCheese]

Put Gustafsson on PP1 & on the 4th line. No need shuffle the entire lineup throughout the game to maintain an 11/7.

He would be a terrible 4th liner. Zero grit and poor defensively. He should not be used at all

 

[sxvnert]

He would be a terrible 4th liner. Zero grit and poor defensively. He should not be used at all

Better than messing up the D pairs. PP1 will tank with Rielly on it.

 

[sxvnert]

Jarnkrok Matthews Marner
Tavares O'Reilly Nylander
Bunting Lafferty Acciari
Gustafsson Kampf ZAR

McCabe Brodie
Gio Holl
Rielly Schenn

 

[mydnyte]

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Marner
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander
Bunting - O’Reilly - Lafferty
Aston Reese - Kampf - Acciari

With home ice and last change, I’d also consider stacking up the top two lines.

I'd really be tempted to flip Tavares and ROR
Kerfoot - O’Reilly - Nylander
Bunting - Tavares - Lafferty
that 2nd line could easily defend any teams top line and be a threat on offense, and JT vs 3rd liners could be a slaughter

OR, also flip a few more wingers

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Nylander
Kerfoot - O’Reilly - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Acciari
Aston Reese - Kampf - Lafferty

 

[thusk]

I'd really be tempted to flip Tavares and ROR
Kerfoot - O’Reilly - Nylander
Bunting - Tavares - Lafferty
that 2nd line could easily defend any teams top line and be a threat on offense, and JT vs 3rd liners could be a slaughter

OR, also flip a few more wingers

Jarnkrok - Matthews - Nylander
Kerfoot - O’Reilly - Marner
Bunting - Tavares - Acciari
Aston Reese - Kampf - Lafferty

If you want to use ror as a shutdown line

Third should look like
bunting-Jt-Nylander
kerfoot-Ror-Acciari
Zar-Kampf-Lafferty

 

[Ianturnedbull]

So many people in this thread posting with 7 Defensemen.

What's wrong with you people?

 

[Madap]

Okay random thought here…

I know O’Rielly has been injured, but even so there’s been a lot of line juggling. Do we think there’s anyway chance Dubas and Keefe are trying to ‘outsmart’ the competition by trying a bunch of combinations to limit the scouting on the Leafs?

The longer the season goes on the less I think it’s likely because we have to build chemistry eventually, but it has still crossed my mind.

 

[jaric1862]

Kampf deserves to be in the top 9 over Lafferty and O'reilly deserves to be in the top 6.

Ideally I'd like a crash and bang fourth line of Z.A.R-Acciari-Lafferty

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Jarnkrok-Matthews-Marner
Kerfoot-O’Reilly-Nylander
Bunting-Tavares-Lafferty
Knies-Kampf-Acciari
/ZAR

Potentially swap Kerfoot & Knies depending on how Knies does.

Way I see it is Knies could slide into 2LW, Kerfoot into 3RW/4LW & Lafferty potentially into 4LW (if Kerfoot goes to 3RW).

No way should Tavares and Nylander be together. They don’t work. Period.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Jarnkrok-Matthews-Marner
Kerfoot-O’Reilly-Nylander
Bunting-Tavares-Lafferty
Knies-Kampf-Acciari
/ZAR

Potentially swap Kerfoot & Knies depending on how Knies does.

Way I see it is Knies could slide into 2LW, Kerfoot into 3RW/4LW & Lafferty potentially into 4LW (if Kerfoot goes to 3RW).

No way should Tavares and Nylander be together. They don’t work. Period.

I like this except I don’t think Knies will play. ZAR be reliable on that bottom line. JT can slide up to Kerfoots spot when the going gets tough.

 

[Shooter2x]

The Kadri trade looks even worse today.

I can understand if they have a plan for their 3rd line that involves making a hard decision of cutting Kadri, and then his disciplinary reasons give them the fuel to finally go ahead with it.

But to go from a kadri/komarov 3rd line to what we have now gave me an anxiety attack this morning. No offence to Kampf but he's a softer poor mans version of uncle Leo (in his fan favorite form), and we don't have anyone good enough to even be a poor mans's version of Kadri. Therefore it's imperative O'Reilly plays in the bottom 6 and we don't stack the top 6.

The top 6 was already elite, so adding O'Reilly to it only makes us marginally better.

The bottom 6 is no bueno, so adding O'Reilly to it makes us significantly better.

Tavares > O'Reilly so it shouldn't be Tavares who gets bounced. Tavares is a beast and will be one of our best playoff performers even if he bores you to death.


Knowing Keefe he will choose the non optimal marginal route.

 

[LeafSteel]

Playoff Forwards for a fully healthy roster (fingers crosse):

Nylander-Matthews-Jarnkrok
Knies-Tavares-Marner
Bunting-ROR-Acciari
Zar-Kampf-Lafferty
Kerfoot

1st line: draws either Tampa's top line or their top checking line. They can score and they can defend. They have chemistry and Nylander when playing with Matthews is awesome.

2nd line: ambitious to have Knies on the 2nd line, but expect this line to be spared matching up against Tampa's top line/defence, and they should feast on their matchup. Great opportunity for Knies, to play with a veteran like Tavares and a wizard in Marner. They will give him room.

3rd line: top checking line and a nightmare for Tampa's top line to deal with. They will hit you, hurt you, annoy the crap out of you, and will score on you too.

4th line: This line has come on strong lately. Hard to play against, won't be a liability to play, will bring a high energy defensively sound game that will also pot a goal or two purely off of their hard work.

Great roster, we just need Keefe not to !uck it up........

 

[Jozay]

There is no scenario where Nylander snd Tavares should play together

 

[Puckstuff]

There is no scenario where Nylander snd Tavares should play together

Nylander is close to a 100 PPG pace without Tavares.

Nylander is under a 60 PPG pace with Tavares.

The only one who can’t see this is Keefe.