Speculation: *Rifai vs. Liljegren. It's a thing and it's happening.

[grapes55]

Kings would give up a 4th for timmins and a little more for lilly, I think there's upside with both of them but come on now lol

 

[WTFMAN99]

Kings would give up a 4th for timmins and a little more for lilly, I think there's upside with both of them but come on now lol

6-7th round pick for Timmins would honestly be okay.

 

[ULF_55]

Why would that "be risky"? Why do you consider that "wishful thinking"?

You're asking what is risky about replacing a NHL defender with a non-NHL defender?

 

[notbias]

Let’s look at lilly
Good skater
Average offensively
Poor hockey IQ
Gets knocked off the puck easily
Can’t clear the front of the net

Easily replaceable

Is Benoit much better?

He's slightly better at anything defensively and slightly worse at anything offensively, and I am not even convinced he is better defensively.

He gets beat up more in fights so fans like him, that's the big difference.

 

[ACC1224]

You're asking what is risky about replacing a NHL defender with a non-NHL defender?

No about having Timmins on the bottom pair.

 

[notdoneyet]

Is Benoit much better?

He's slightly better at anything defensively and slightly worse at anything offensively, and I am not even convinced he is better defensively.

He gets beat up more in fights so fans like him, that's the big difference.

Benoit plays a great role beside McCabe
Clears the front of the net
Breaks up the cycle in the corners
Takes the body whenever it presents itself which makes
The opposition aware they are going to get pasted
Makes half as much as Lilly and in the playoffs when the sledding gets tougher makes a difference where as Lilly is ineffective and usually watched from the press box

So yes I say Benoit it much more better equipped to play his role

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Liljegren and Timmins seem to be in direct competition, not sure why the op thinks it's Rifai.
Considering play and cap, Timmins may be the guy they keep.

It could go either way. I wouldn't disagree with this. Timmins could change Berube's mind. A 3 million dollar a year 7th defenseman looks pretty bad. It's not the worst thing, but there's always such a cap squeeze with TOR. Keeping Robertson and Patches might change things.


_________________________________________
Does Rifai have to clear waivers?

 

[sxvnert]

Lily will get the edge because hes right handed. That said, Lily should have never been signed in the first place.

Rielly Tanev
OEL McCabe
Benoit Hakanpää
Rifai RD

 

[horner]

I agree. But begs the question why management didn't just trade him before signing him to 3 mil.

He needs to be in the lineup for that much money.

Mirtle has even said the front office was considering a trade earlier in the summer (or at least wasnt sure about Lily's future), but I guess they got cold feet

A summer of training or not can change a view on a player .

 

[notbias]

Benoit plays a great role beside McCabe
Clears the front of the net
Breaks up the cycle in the corners
Takes the body whenever it presents itself which makes
The opposition aware they are going to get pasted
Makes half as much as Lilly and in the playoffs when the sledding gets tougher makes a difference where as Lilly is ineffective and usually watched from the press box

So yes I say Benoit it much more better equipped to play his role

Failed miserably in the playoffs which seems to be the argument of why Liljegren is bad.

Lily will get the edge because hes right handed. That said, Lily should have never been signed in the first place.

Rielly Tanev
OEL McCabe
Benoit Hakanpää
Rifai RD

That 3rd pairing will spend the entire game in their own end cross-checking people.

 

[Menzinger]

A summer of training or not can change a view on a player .

It can,.but management ultimately bet 6 million on him taking the next step and so far.looks like it could be a loss.

Hopefully I'm wrong

 

[DarkKnight]

Benoit was out there in the dying minutes of playoff games, Lil was benched for washed up Brodie. Nuff said there lol. The Bruins laughed at Lil.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Failed miserably in the playoffs which seems to be the argument of why Liljegren is bad.



That 3rd pairing will spend the entire game in their own end cross-checking people.

Liljegren tends to be hemmed in, no cross-checking, and side-lined for 2 months because he didn't protect himself when skating into the boards with another player.

Hakanpaa's scouting says: "he can play a smart and steady game".

To me that means he can make a good first pass, or clear it into the neutral zone (without relying on cross-checking).

 

[DarkKnight]

Athletic gave Benoit a B+ for the playoffs, Lil a C+.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5470735/2024/05/05/maple-leafs-bruins-playoffs-grades/

 

[notbias]

Liljegren tends to be hemmed in, no cross-checking, and side-lined for 2 months because he didn't protect himself when skating into the boards with another player.

Hakanpaa's scouting says: "he can play a smart and steady game".

To me that means he can make a good first pass, or clear it into the neutral zone (without relying on cross-checking).

"Scouting says"

Athletic gave Benoit a B+ for the playoffs, Lil a C+.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5470735/2024/05/05/maple-leafs-bruins-playoffs-grades/

Benoit lost to him in every metric except advanced stats, so if we want to use those now, we can, but otherwise, he was worse in every way.

Liljegren also sucked.