Value of: ROR to the Leafs at the deadline.

[biturbo19]

Never really seen it so who knows. In my mind his lack of speed might actually hinder him more on the wing then it does down the middle. Could be wrong about that though.

Yeah. That's kinda what i was thinking. I haven't seen it but that was my initial inkling as well, regarding his lack of speed (and stop/start acceleration) there. The fact we haven't really seen it...also lends to the idea he might not be overly comfortable there.

Just a factor to think about if the plan would be to shift him to the wing to accommodate someone like ROR. Though ROR has previously played pretty successfully on the wing, so worst case...i guess you just do that and leave Tavares in the middle instead. Kind of a waste of ROR's full ability as a two-way Center, but you've always still got the option to flex him out as a 3rd Center, and he'd still be able to contribute by taking faceoffs, killing penalties and all that stuff.

 

[Mike Liut]

Kneis + 1st for ROR

OReilly is still a beast. He’s even more of a beast when the playoffs start. You’ll love him. I’ll even root for you to win a cup

 

[jjniner]

Go ask Boston! Totally dominated their top line!

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Kneis + 1st for ROR

OReilly is still a beast. He’s even more of a beast when the playoffs start. You’ll love him. I’ll even root for you to win a cup

I would do Knies+ or a 1st+ likely not both together though.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

sign me up what will it cost to get him? and what do we have to add on top of prospects/picks to make the cap work? or are all offers going to be shut down because those players needed to be included for cap reasons they have no interest in?

 

[TheOrganist]

That makes sense, if Dubas is interested I hope they scout ROR for a while to make sure we know what we're getting here. A repeat of Foligno can't happen

Nick Foligno? Seriously? You’re talking about a guy 3 years removed from a Conn Smythe and 1 year removed from shutting down Nathan MacKinnon at even strength. He’s a winner through and through. It would alter the balance of power in the East for whoever gets him. Arguably more than P. Kane because of his position.

 

[leafsfan5]

Nick Foligno? Seriously? You’re talking about a guy 3 years removed from a Conn Smythe and 1 year removed from shutting down Nathan MacKinnon at even strength. He’s a winner through and through. It would alter the balance of power in the East for whoever gets him. Arguably more than P. Kane because of his position.

My comparison isn't saying they're equivalent players lol, it's about spending premium assets for a player whose price tag is based moreso on his reputation than his current play. We did that with Foligno and got burned badly, can't afford to do it again

That's why I was asking about RORs play since his slow start

 

[MagicalRazor]

The though of ROR and Marner on a line makes me precum

 

[dirtydanglez]

I would do Knies+ or a 1st+ likely not both together though.

now is not the time to cheap out. dubas job is on the line and the leafs best shot at winning is this season and next.

 

[TheOrganist]

My comparison isn't saying they're equivalent players lol, it's about spending premium assets for a player whose price tag is based moreso on his reputation than his current play. We did that with Foligno and got burned badly, can't afford to do it again

That's why I was asking about RORs play since his slow start

He’s going to start approaching the natural downside of an age 30+ career with a lot of miles in the next two years but he’s not there yet and still very much elite. Particularly come playoff time. I’m not even pumping his tires for the sake of it. I can very much commiserate with the plight of the Leafs and their fans considering the playoff pain & futility of the Blues pre-2019. I’m just telling ya…this is a guy that can get you over the hump and win a Cup with.

 

[Maple Leaf]

like a rich mans ryan smyth or kesler

 

[PocketNines]

Let's keep in mind that the two Eastern conference finalists are likely to occupy two of the draft spots 30-32. Adding ROR to an Eastern contender would make that team pretty frightening to anyone. Blues might reasonably be expecting the first that comes back with him to end up pick 30-32.

So if Leaf fans are convinced this gets them at least two rounds then a 1st + Knies becomes expensive but may be the price of topping the market. I'd love a bidding war for obvious reasons and it's going to be all about the quality of that second piece.

 

[BleedBlue14]

You can ask for him but we won't go for it, Liljergen looks like he can be a top pair RHD for years to come. He has the tools for an ideal modern defenseman, imo

How has ROR's game been since his rough start? Is he still really good or are we looking at a situation where his reputation is higher than his current play

Better, much better since he’s been in a line with Saad and Leivo. Confusingly enough Leivo plays a simple enough game that it makes ROR extremely effective.

If this hypothetical were actually something that would be explored I think the Leafs would be best suited to have ROR on a 3rd line that plays a fairly simple game. He didn’t mesh well at all with Tarasenko or Kyrou. But was fantastic with Perron and Saad/Leivo. Main difference is the latter players are more cerebral and much less of the fly the ice score on the rush.

Would be extremely scary to see ROR on a 3rd line with two high end scoring lines in front. That’s a lot of firepower coming at a defense and is pretty much matchup proof.

Not sure if his struggle was a part of his own personal downfalls or if it was linemate/stylistic marches that weren’t there.

Great player, Blues just could really use a retool and can’t afford to lose 90 and 91 for nothing while possibly missing the playoffs, because it’s borderline impossible to re-sign both of them. One alone would be pretty tough to also make work.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Shoot. I'll buy a TML jersey, hat, and throw in Mikkola

I'd like Robert Bortuzzo regardless of an ROR trade, though I am a big fan of Mikkola. That is if he is healthy. We need a guy like that down the streach and into the playoffs. He is 30 or close to it, but I would take him for run.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

From the outside looking in, I don't see the Leafs moving Tavares to wing. He's not 35+. If the Leafs trade for ROR, they are looking for a above average 3C and that 3 headed monster you are talking about.

Personally, I think the Leafs need to go after mobile/physical types on D. Leafs are doing a wonderful job at sustaining the injuries on D and still winning but remember, these are regular season standards.

Add another Giordano type at the deadline (or two). Then if you have cap room left, try ROR or even Monahan types at 3C. Team becomes even better in the trenches and when scoring gets very tough, you can still win a 1-0 or 2-1 game.

That would be nice, The problem is there is1 Gio,The good thing is we have him but there isn't Gio type he's a unicorn.

How many other 39 year old d men do you know of that can play on any pair on either side?

Because that's what Gio has been since he arrived.

Do you know who has another one of those?

because I don't

 

[John Mandalorian]

This move would make Toronto pretty lethal. I'm not sure if it gets them a cup but one has to think it gets them past the first round and more.

 

[Captain Crunch]

We don't really have an idea of what specifically we'd target. When we traded Stastny and Shattenkirk, it was essentially 1st + prospect that was ready or near ready, so I imagine it would be similar to that. I think Army is probably going to wait and see this team more to determine if it's a relative quick re-tool, or if it needs a big bigger of a project.

Besides, a dream scenario of Knies refusing to sign because he wants to play with his buddy Snuggs, I don't really care what a deadline deal looks like to be honest. And obviously Knies won't happen.

All of us Leafs’ fans know the dilemma we have been facing with Nic Robertson. He has been a healthy scratch for far too many games (Keefe has not given him too many games, especially games in a row, to show whether he was indeed a steal of a prospect, although our depth isn’t bad). We believe he will turn out to be a top 6 winger with 30 plus goal potential. Any idea if the Blues would be interested in Robertson and a 1st for O’Rielly?

 

[leafsfan5]

Better, much better since he’s been in a line with Saad and Leivo. Confusingly enough Leivo plays a simple enough game that it makes ROR extremely effective.

If this hypothetical were actually something that would be explored I think the Leafs would be best suited to have ROR on a 3rd line that plays a fairly simple game. He didn’t mesh well at all with Tarasenko or Kyrou. But was fantastic with Perron and Saad/Leivo. Main difference is the latter players are more cerebral and much less of the fly the ice score on the rush.

Would be extremely scary to see ROR on a 3rd line with two high end scoring lines in front. That’s a lot of firepower coming at a defense and is pretty much matchup proof.

Not sure if his struggle was a part of his own personal downfalls or if it was linemate/stylistic marches that weren’t there.

Great player, Blues just could really use a retool and can’t afford to lose 90 and 91 for nothing while possibly missing the playoffs, because it’s borderline impossible to re-sign both of them. One alone would be pretty tough to also make work.

Thanks for the insight. I'm happy to hear Leivo is fitting in well there, I always liked him on Toronto but he never found a home. Maybe St. Louis is it?

But it's very interesting, we would likely put ROR in the 3C slot if he comes over since that's a major hole in the lineup right now. A 3-headed monster of Matthews/Tavares/ROR would be tough to matchup against in the playoffs, especially if we let ROR get the major defensive matchup

In terms of stylistic, the Leafs play more of a cerebral and slower game so I think he'd fit in. We're not really a quick team anymore, only a few players (Marner, Nylander, Matthews) have that kind of off the rush talent. It feels like Keefe is trying to mold us into a defensive-first, 2-1 type of hockey, which ROR would be able to fit

I do hope Dubas looks at ROR seriously. He definitely won't do 1st + Knies but maybe something else gets worked out

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

This move would make Toronto pretty lethal. I'm not sure if it gets them a cup but one has to think it gets them past the first round and more.

Any team adding ROR at the deadline would make them lethal

 

[Adam da bomb]

Liljegren would be the least likely to be moved in my opinion. Both have stepped into the top 4 this year and have looked very good. Both are also physical and gritty and can play a solid 200 foot game. I don't see either availible, and especially not for a rental.


2023 1st + 2024 2nd + prospect is what it probably takes. No one gives away a prospect like knies even for a top end rental like ROR.

As a Jets fan I’d beat that by going with two first if he’d sign a 3-4 year deal with us.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

That makes sense, if Dubas is interested I hope they scout ROR for a while to make sure we know what we're getting here. A repeat of Foligno can't happen

ROR and Foligno are not remotely the same thing

 

[leafsfan5]

ROR and Foligno are not remotely the same thing

I already explained above that it wasn't about equating players, it was the idea that a player's value was more-so based on their reputation than their current play

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I already explained above that it wasn't about equating players, it was the idea that a player's value was more-so based on their reputation than their current play

I mean I am not sure how much Foligno was a pro scouting issue as it was just really shitty luck making the trade awful. Like he threw his back out 2 games into being a Leaf and never really got right the rest of the way. He could have been prime Foligno prior to the deadline and it doesn't matter if he gets hurt.

 

[leafsfan5]

I mean I am not sure how much Foligno was a pro scouting issue as it was just really shitty luck making the trade awful. Like he threw his back out 2 games into being a Leaf and never really got right the rest of the way. He could have been prime Foligno prior to the deadline and it doesn't matter if he gets hurt.

Even before the deal he wasn't some high end piece, he was a 3rd line guy essentially. We were paying a premium for his reputation

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Even before the deal he wasn't some high end piece, he was a 3rd line guy essentially. We were paying a premium for his reputation

Right but he was atleast a good player. We all know O'Rielly can still play. A freak injury is always a risk with rentals. Even if you want to say that the Foligno deal was bad regardless....which it was but he had value to add if he didn't blow his back out.