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Speculation: Searching for the #2 Defenseman

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kessley Snipes*
  • Start date Start date
See, this is WHY we shouldn't have let Schenn go, I really feel under Carlyle's toutalage Schenn would have been a solid partner for Phaneuf.
 
Michael Gary Scott said:
Kostka is the odd man out here. Frasers been too good, and Holzer has a better fit on this team when he figures it out. Hes alot bigger and hits alot harder. Just needs to adjust. Ideally next season

Gardiner-Phaneuf
Rielly-Franson
Holzer-Fraser
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I'm not as against the whole Phaneuf-Gardiner pairing as many of you are. It wouldn't hurt to test it out for a couple of games. Phaneuf isn't exactly the type to be often caught out of position.. and this year it doesn't seem like he's going out of his way to throw those huge, open-ice hits that often leave him out of position as much as he has in years past. He's out of position more times than, say, a Fraser would be, but if you have forwards to help out in those situations then the effects can be negligible, and the benefits would be increased ice time for a Jake Gardiner, who hopefully continues to progress.
 
Fraser and Holzer do what Schenn does can do

Who does what JVR does? he could be the Leafs best player
 
smitty10 said:
Stephane Robidas is terrible now and Morris is almost 40. Neither of those guys are what we need.
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Robidas isn't terrible. He's simply asked to be the # 1 dman on a bad team.

Morris is 34. He's also still good for 20 solid minutes a night.

Neither player is ideal but they wouldn't cost anything significant to acquire and are both natural righties who would be better options over Kostka, Holzer, Fraser.
 
Ricky Bobby said:
Carlyle is showing he wants Phaneuf on the left side and I agree with the move because it helps him from making the big defensive blunders by getting beat to the outside.

Gardiner, Gunnarson, Liles, Rielly and Ranger are also all best suited to the left side.

So yeah we need to look outside for a legitimate top 4 minute Dman who can play the right side.

If Ranger signs with us for next year I think Gunnarson is that top trade chip to help us get that player.
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This. To take it even a step further, our top prospects on defence are all better suited to the left side. It's all fine and dandy to say DP needs a shutdown, stay at home defenseman, but why not shutdown, stay at home defenseman with skill, who is suited to the right side. Easier said than done obviously. Gudbranson is the dream.... And sadly just that.
 
r0bPr0 said:
This. To take it even a step further, our top prospects on defence are all better suited to the left side. It's all fine and dandy to say DP needs a shutdown, stay at home defenseman, but why not shutdown, stay at home defenseman with skill, who is suited to the right side. Easier said than done obviously. Gudbranson is the dream.... And sadly just that.
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If Erik Johnson wasn't hurt, I'd say he would be my "dream" acquisition. Big, mobile, right handed defenseman, who has underachieved, but is supremely talented. He's due to return to their lineup soon, could be the best time to buy low on a former 1st overall pick coming off a couple of unspectacular seasons.
 
Diamond Joe Quimby said:
If Erik Johnson wasn't hurt, I'd say he would be my "dream" acquisition. Big, mobile, right handed defenseman, who has underachieved, but is supremely talented. He's due to return to their lineup soon, could be the best time to buy low on a former 1st overall pick coming off a couple of unspectacular seasons.
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Colorado paid a ridiculous amount for him. I can't see them giving up on him so quickly.
 
Jeff Petry is a guy who might come cheap and has very good offensive upside. He might be a perfect replacement for Kostka.
 
Not enough Zach Bogosian in this thread, although I doubt he gets traded. I've mentioned before that I secretly hope he holds out against any contract offered by Winnipeg as it is his last year before he's RFA.
 
ULF_55 said:
6'3", 200 lbs. Granberg shoots right. He's only 20 though. Apparently, according the NHL, Nilsson shoots right.
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Hopefully one of them pans out into a top 4, preferably top 2 defenseman then. Or Holzer could. But as of right now there is a whole in the #1 pairing right side slot.

I actually have high and probably unfounded hopes for Nilsson. I think Granberg could be a bottom pairing guy in the near future from what little I've seen.
 
Would love to have Z.Michalek alongside Phaneuf.

Phaneuf-Michalek
Gunnar-Gardiner
Fraser-Franson

Ya baby, that is a solid line up.
 
Diamond Joe Quimby said:
If Erik Johnson wasn't hurt, I'd say he would be my "dream" acquisition. Big, mobile, right handed defenseman, who has underachieved, but is supremely talented. He's due to return to their lineup soon, could be the best time to buy low on a former 1st overall pick coming off a couple of unspectacular seasons.
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Guy Boucher said:
Colorado paid a ridiculous amount for him. I can't see them giving up on him so quickly.
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This too, Erik Johnson is going to be ruined, ever since he was drafted he's been relied on way too much by poor hockey teams. He needed to be brought in beneath a veterans wing, ala D.Hamilton. Boston as much as I hate them, do a very good job developing players. Also, any team that moves a top young player into a savvy veterans home, is a good move IMO as well.

Unfortunately I don't see a deal that would make sense for them, to trade him.
 
Sometimes I think Gards can be the guy who can be right beside phaneuf but then again his defensive game can be questionable. Another guy, aside from the obvious thought of Rielly beside him, is percy. His vision of the ice and IQ to read plays might be good enough to just get there and stick, not per say excel but be a good way for him to just work through it while we find a good partner for Dion. Or while we nurture Rielly's skill to be his best.
 
Leaf Rocket said:
Sometimes I think Gards can be the guy who can be right beside phaneuf but then again his defensive game can be questionable. Another guy, aside from the obvious thought of Rielly beside him, is percy. His vision of the ice and IQ to read plays might be good enough to just get there and stick, not per say excel but be a good way for him to just work through it while we find a good partner for Dion. Or while we nurture Rielly's skill to be his best.
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Carlysle plays people on their strong side we need a Right D for phaneuf and those are all leftys.
 
Kingstonian84 said:
See, this is WHY we shouldn't have let Schenn go, I really feel under Carlyle's toutalage Schenn would have been a solid partner for Phaneuf.
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Schenn doesn't have the mobility to be a top nhl pairing defenseman. His high end potential IMO is a Brooks Orpik type player. Which is ok, but nothing exceptional.

Ian Cole makes too much sense here, he looks like a young Beauchemin, whom I think is your stereotypical Caryle player. I'm watching Coles youtube clips and following in love with his game. He hits hard, he fights, but has more mobility and a better fitness level then Luke Schenn. Cole clearly has that Beauchemin, B.Stuart, Suter type game about him. Has offense, can fight, can move the puck, and more likely to Stuart, he is willing to throw the occasional big hit (actually seems much more keen to them then any of the aforementioned players). Seems to have very similar attributes as Bogosian, but he just doesn't have the sexy draft position (and likely doesn't have the offensive ceiling that people expect\ed from Bogosian).

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In all honesty, I think St.Louis is the team to look too, when\if your considering a blockbuster deal. They have pieces we need, and we have pieces they could use. They have a bunch of tenacious\hard hitting top 6 players, but might be lacking in the offensive department. Berglund is a potential top C, but definitely is looking like a guy who won't realize it, UNLESS, he gets a change of scenery.
 
Sure, the Leafs could improve at th #2 defense slot, but it isn't very high on the pressing needs list. Moreover, there are many young blue liners who might play there, in the pipeline. Save the assets for a bigger need such as #1 C.

By the way, a lot of you are dismissing Holzer much too early in his career. I don't know if he is a #2 blue liner, but I think he has a lot of potential to improve.
 
Its a shame that Matt Finn has had mono, because he should be in discussion for a future top 4 on this team, that was my fav part of the draft, seeing him available to pick in the 2nd round

Top line d men are hard to come by cheap unless you're on the phone with the flames, no that I think about it, Giordano could be had I bet haha
 
I would personally like to see them go after Bouwmesster if he becomes available. He is big, great skater, good defensively, eats a ton of minutes and never gets injured. Big cap hit but its manageable since Komisarek and Liles could be bought out (assuming they don't get traded). Bouwmesster only has a year left after this season so they could let him walk as Leafs should a glut of defensemen NHL ready by then (Reilly/Finn/Percy/Blacker) or re-sign him if they so choose (he will make less money in his next contract).

If he starts producing offense like he did in Florida (seems to be doing it so far) then thats just gravy. Leafs really need a good defensemen to play with Dion.

Price would have to be reasonable of course. If they start asking for Kadri/Gardiner/Reilly then its an easy no.
 
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