Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson...

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Clark4Ever

What we do in hockey echoes in eternity...
Oct 10, 2010
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Based on what they all showed in limited sample sizes last season, I think Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson might be ready to step into full time roles in the NHL, and we desperately need them to plug holes on the roster given our salary cap situation. Therefore, we might not need to go dumpster diving for as many veteran UFAs as we did last off season.

Do you think all 3 players will be given a legitimate shot to make the team in training camp, or do you think it has been predetermined by Dubas & Co. that one or more of them will start the season with the Marlies to continue developing?
 
Based on what they all showed in limited sample sizes last season, I think Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson might be ready to step into full time roles in the NHL, and we desperately need them to plug holes on the roster given our salary cap situation. Therefore, we might not need to go dumpster diving for as many veteran UFAs as we did last off season.

Do you think all 3 players will be given a legitimate shot to make the team in training camp, or do you think it has been predetermined by Dubas & Co. that one or more of them will start the season with the Marlies to continue developing?
Waivers typical dictate who stays up and who goes down.
Do any of them need to clear to go to the Marlies?
 
Waivers typical dictate who stays up and who goes down.
Do any of them need to clear to go to the Marlies?

Good question. I'm not sure off the top of my head. Maybe someone with knowledge can shed light on that for us...
 
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Good question. I'm not sure off the top of my head. Maybe someone with knowledge can shed light on that for us...

All three players are exempt from waivers.

I imagine one of the d-men makes the team for sure (perhaps both if the management/coaching staff are somehow undecided and opt for a rotation to start with). I'm 50/50 about Robertson's chances.
 
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Sandin & Robertson for sure. Not sure Keefe is a fan of Lilly. Seems kinda Engvall-ish about him. But use him this year or trade him in.my mind
Funny, my instinct is the opposite. Sandin and NickRob start the year dominating the A, getting stronger. And free Lili.
But, they sure love those two guys.
Just free Lili.
 
Based on what they all showed in limited sample sizes last season, I think Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson might be ready to step into full time roles in the NHL, and we desperately need them to plug holes on the roster given our salary cap situation. Therefore, we might not need to go dumpster diving for as many veteran UFAs as we did last off season.

Do you think all 3 players will be given a legitimate shot to make the team in training camp, or do you think it has been predetermined by Dubas & Co. that one or more of them will start the season with the Marlies to continue developing?
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
 
I have a feeling that dubey will not sign as many cheapo vets that can't get waived down to the minors as he did last year.

And I would add Anderson as a kid who will get a look too, particularly in a bottom 6 role.

If the kids can't hack it they can always add depth at the deadline.
 
will depend on how Kyle does at Value Village

Last year we saw Leafs let Barrie walk and signed TJ Brodie however after that the rest of the additions we Thornton, Vessey, Simmonds, Barabanov, Lehtonen, Bogosian, Boyd etc all as cheaper players to fill out the roster mainly because the team was going all-in.

There wasn't a lot of room to "play the kids" as there was no room and nor roster spots available.

So it will be interesting to see if the Leafs change course this year and go with youth in a year where results are going to be even more critical to future decisions based on those outcomes.
 
Definitely can’t count on Liljegren to be a starter, I don’t think he’s ready and will probably be with the Marlies again.
 
Sandin was a trainwreck in the playoffs and Robertson fell down every time someone breathed in his direction. They're young and could be ready next year but nothing they showed last year indicates they should be opening the season in the NHL.

Lily has the most experience and has been the best AHLer but Keefe/Dubas don't seem to be fans of his.
 
Definitely can’t count on Liljegren to be a starter, I don’t think he’s ready and will probably be with the Marlies again.

I thought Liljegren looked more or less fine and could blossom into a Rasmus Andersson style defenseman, and could conceivably ride Muzzin's coattails and do a little bit of Holl's job if he was given the reps. On the other hand, Sandin looked like he had a higher offensive ceiling but also a tire fire floor being small, having zero wing span and having issues with foot speed and separating speed.

Robertson's young and his development path has been less than stable, so I don't want to sound harsh, but he doesn't look ready at all. He works his tail off every shift and I'm definitely rooting for him to succeed - we need him to - but is completely chasing the game and didn't seem to have a great sense of how to get into scoring areas. Needs a lot of time and a lot of patience.
 
Based on what they all showed in limited sample sizes last season, I think Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson might be ready to step into full time roles in the NHL, and we desperately need them to plug holes on the roster given our salary cap situation. Therefore, we might not need to go dumpster diving for as many veteran UFAs as we did last off season.

Do you think all 3 players will be given a legitimate shot to make the team in training camp, or do you think it has been predetermined by Dubas & Co. that one or more of them will start the season with the Marlies to continue developing?

I swear I made a thread topic like this recently.
 
Based on what they all showed in limited sample sizes last season, I think Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson might be ready to step into full time roles in the NHL, and we desperately need them to plug holes on the roster given our salary cap situation. Therefore, we might not need to go dumpster diving for as many veteran UFAs as we did last off season.

Do you think all 3 players will be given a legitimate shot to make the team in training camp, or do you think it has been predetermined by Dubas & Co. that one or more of them will start the season with the Marlies to continue developing?

In a normal year, or their current level of development if it was a year or two ago, all three should have a real shot. I know some Dubophiles won't agree but I am pretty certain he has used up all his lives now and things needs to translate into a stronger playoff result or he is toast. Even if he somehow thought he could survive another choke, this core that he loves is in its prime, and by any standard there has been some peak years wasted by weaknesses in the lineup and/or the coach, and JT and Muzz are just getting older. His primary goal is to win a Cup, not hand the kids an opportunity to maybe be able to fill a role, so the kids are either a solution, or an asset toward a solution.

I think he is going to assemble the strongest lineup he can to start the year and that means plugging holes now while there are still many more proven options to be had than three rookies. All three will likely have the chance to steal a job from a vet but I would be really surprised if there was more than a 6-7 D spot open at camp, and there really shouldn't be.

If they were to get squeezed out of the UFA frenzy because they spent to keep Rielly then the vets they add will be maybe easier to displace and something could happen in camp but I still think they will scratch for every win they can from game one. Unless they are dealt, Keefe does have a habit of dialing some players back, like Dermott this year or Engvall last year so I could see them getting decent opportunities in season, and there is always the chance that Nick explodes and Mik implodes in camp.

I believe Sandin's use late in the season and in the playoffs was a test to see whether he could play significant minutes in a post Rielly era, and it was a bit of a fail so no job earmarked for him. Robertson easily handled the pro pace but wasn't dominant in the AHL like Kadri or Brown their first seasons so he doesn't seem like he is "there" yet. Not sure what their thoughts on Lily are because to me he looks like the most well cooked of the three bus was only worth a 30 minute review. Based on last season it doesn't look like they are likely to commit to these guys right now.
 
In exchange for all the draft picks Dubas has stockpiled?

Good point. The thought of Dubas spending even more futures at the deadline isn't a pleasant one but if he thinks we need to win a playoff round in order for him to keep his job, who knows what he might do. It's not like GM's haven't done this sort of thing before ...
 
Based on what they all showed in limited sample sizes last season, I think Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson might be ready to step into full time roles in the NHL, and we desperately need them to plug holes on the roster given our salary cap situation. Therefore, we might not need to go dumpster diving for as many veteran UFAs as we did last off season.

Do you think all 3 players will be given a legitimate shot to make the team in training camp, or do you think it has been predetermined by Dubas & Co. that one or more of them will start the season with the Marlies to continue developing?
I think they could all play solid defensively. To qualify thinking that i would say they need to be playing full time and they need the right veterans to play with. Sandin with brodie,Liljigren with Muzzin and Robertson playing in the top 6. Full time. Not wasting on the bench. Make them all regulars or whoever isn’t goes to the Marlies.
That said, i am defined not against them all playing for the Marlies another year together either.

Robertson,Sandin,Liljigren,Amirov,Abramov, SDA,J.Anderson and Brazzy etc is a nice group to contend for a Calder Cup. Then with the right veteran Ahl’ers added to them, you have a solid Marlies of player likely all definitely ready the following year. I’m pretty bullish on over development too so i might be off the mark here. Camp will tell the story.
 

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