Skilled team vs leafs right now?

[Vaive50]

What the heck is this thread.

We're on pace to absolutely demolish the single season points record for the franchise, a franchise that has lasted over 100 years.

We're 7-3 in our last 10, often starting a 3rd string goalie, and missing half our defense.

This team is better than ever before, and more importantly, as well built as its ever been for a playoff run.

I was just going to write the exact words you did. And unlike last year, we are now playing the entire league. The strong teams are afraid of us, teams such as Colorado, Carolina, Florida, Boston, etc. I'm looking forward to playing TB after the Philly game, hopefully we'll have a healed (and back to his great self) Jack Campbell in net for that game. Although we do beat most of the lower teams most of the time, but we only remember the ones we lose, it sucks but then again, we are not playing any of those basement dwellers in the playoffs. This is the strongest 8-team playoff combination I can ever remember.

 

[zeke]

Hyman --- Bunting
Simmonds --- Simmonds
Foligno --- Clifford
Dermott --- Giordano
Bogosian --- Lyubushkin

Not sure I see a difference in toughness tbh.

 

[Advanced stats]

Bunting, Liljegren and Lubushkin make a huge difference in keeping other teams honest.

Having a Bunting on the 1st line and a Lubushkin on the first pairing is astronomically more effictive than having a Simmonds on the 4th line.

 

[Fogelhund]

What the heck is this thread.

We're on pace to absolutely demolish the single season points record for the franchise, a franchise that has lasted over 100 years.

We're 7-3 in our last 10, often starting a 3rd string goalie, and missing half our defense.

This team is better than ever before, and more importantly, as well built as its ever been for a playoff run.

Honestly, 3rd string goalie is generous. Every time the team has a struggle here and there, the fan base goes into full meltdown mode, and these threads happen. Then we beat Florida, Boston and Winnipeg, despite missing players, top goalie, D.... and then silence.. Just silence. If this team can get healthy, particularly the goaltending, this is the best version of the Leafs we've seen for a long time.

 

[ToneDog]

Honestly, 3rd string goalie is generous. Every time the team has a struggle here and there, the fan base goes into full meltdown mode, and these threads happen. Then we beat Florida, Boston and Winnipeg, despite missing players, top goalie, D.... and then silence.. Just silence. If this team can get healthy, particularly the goaltending, this is the best version of the Leafs we've seen for a long time.

Can't wait until they can add Muzzin and his "skill". The front of our net will no longer be a welcome area for campers.

 

[Doublerum1975]

Can't wait until they can add Muzzin and his "skill". The front of our net will no longer be a welcome area for campers.

I wish this was true but muzzin hasn’t played that way all year

 

[ToneDog]

I wish this was true but muzzin hasn’t played that way all year

True but I am guessing/hoping he is closer to his normal self in the playoffs. Brodie on the left side has been an adventure.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Adding washed vets like Simmonds isn't adding grit anymore than adding Sam Gagner would be adding skill.

 

[notbias]

adding cooked players regardless of the type doesn't improve a team

problem is outside of Knives Dubas has drafted nothing but smurfs so is forced to try to trade/sign his grittier players and when you can only afford league min guys this is what you get

Facts.

It's nice to see Middleton and Ransanen turning into good NHL players for us.

Also, will just assume you have no clue about our prospects (or hockey), but what is not a smirf? 6'0?

Like half of our draft picks under Dubas are 6'0+, and a lot of the ones tracking really well are under 6'0, he should have skipped them (Robertson, Niemela, Abruzesse).

It always amazes me that people think Dubas drafts small, he just drafts the best player, outside of the first round, it is hard to find 6'3 skilled player, but when they are there, Dubas has proven that he will draft them.

 

[hotpaws]

Facts.

It's nice to see Middleton and Ransanen turning into good NHL players for us.

Also, will just assume you have no clue about our prospects (or hockey), but what is not a smirf? 6'0?

Like half of our draft picks under Dubas are 6'0+, and a lot of the ones tracking really well are under 6'0, he should have skipped them (Robertson, Niemela, Abruzesse).

It always amazes me that people think Dubas drafts small, he just drafts the best player, outside of the first round, it is hard to find 6'3 skilled player, but when they are there, Dubas has proven that he will draft them.

sure Middleton and Rasanen aren't the prospects Big Mac Hollowell and SDA are but who the hell is , am i right ?

i'm always hopeful our picks turn out but as of right now there's exactly 1 pick since Dubas has been GM who's on our roster and that's a D that can't play D

also since Dubas does all our drafting why is the team wasting money on scouts ?

 

[Sypher04]

I wish this was true but muzzin hasn’t played that way all year

Muzzin struggled with puck handling and break out at points of this season. But his bread and butter still remain playing in zone, in front of his net. Didn’t see any notable difference there.

 

[notbias]

sure Middleton and Rasanen aren't the prospects Big Mac Hollowell and SDA are but who the hell are , am i right ?

i'm always hopeful our picks turn out but as of right now there's exactly 1 pick since Dubas has been GM who's on our roster and that's a D that can't play D

also since Dubas does all our drafting why is the team wasting money on scouts ?

I'd say it is a little early to say "1 pick on our roster", Dubas has done a really good job filling out the roster so it is hard to fit in prospects at this point. For example, we have 8 NHL D.

Is Sandin the prospect you're bad-mouthing? Interesting.

SDA and Hollowell are long shots, like most picks outside the first round, the point is, we were drafting guys like Kroshkov and Ransanen in the second round instead of guys like DeBrincat, and now we draft the smaller skilled player (Robertson) if he is there instead of just size, but we also draft the large skilled players too.

Dubas is the GM, he runs the draft, we have scouts for a reason, they are to assist our management team, Dubas puts a lot of trust in his scouts it appears (which I think is a good thing), but ultimately, he is the one who makes final calls on things.

He would have vetoed Knies last year if your made-up opinion was right.

--Edit--

To add onto this, you pick up a Tom Wilson if he is available as a mid first-rounder, but you don't pick up Reaves, you pick up those types as free agents or spend a 4th on them if you need it, why waste a 4th round pick hoping someone will turn into that player instead of just trading the 4th for them?

 

[zeke]

Dubas Drafts

Robertson 20 --- Abbruzzese 22 --- Knies 19
Amirov 20 --- Hirvonen 19 --- Holmberg 22
Voit 18 --- Ovchinnikov 19 --- Tverberg 19
Abramov 20 --- SDA 21 --- Miettenin 20

Sandin 21 --- Durzi 23
Kokkonen 20 ---- Niemela 19
Kral 21 --- Villeneuve 19

Peksa 19
Akhtyamov 20

 

[fancy lad]

At least we have some will and ability to push back now.

the best part is we're still as skilled as all heck. just as much if not more than a few years ago. The core of the team is still about skill and offense, but at least now we have some physicality in our game to balance things out a little bit more.

Watching the last 2 games has given me some hope that we won't be total pushovers come playoff time.

 

[zeke]

When we're healthy all of simmonds Clifford and Boosh are likely out of the lineup btw.

 

[Fogelhund]

Why is it, that some people still go on about smurfs, when the evidence doesn't support that Dubas only acquires Smurfs? It doesn't matter if these are free agent signings, trades, or draft... I can't wait until these people hear about Curtis Douglas.

 

[zeke]

Why is it, that some people still go on about smurfs, when the evidence doesn't support that Dubas only acquires Smurfs? It doesn't matter if these are free agent signings, trades, or draft... I can't wait until these people hear about Curtis Douglas.

But....glasses!

 

[Sypher04]

When we're healthy all of simmonds Clifford and Boosh are likely out of the lineup btw.

See, you think that but Lyubushkin won’t be out of the lineup. Quite confident in that

 

[hotpaws]

I'd say it is a little early to say "1 pick on our roster", Dubas has done a really good job filling out the roster so it is hard to fit in prospects at this point. For example, we have 8 NHL D.

Is Sandin the prospect you're bad-mouthing? Interesting.

SDA and Hollowell are long shots, like most picks outside the first round, the point is, we were drafting guys like Kroshkov and Ransanen in the second round instead of guys like DeBrincat, and now we draft the smaller skilled player (Robertson) if he is there instead of just size, but we also draft the large skilled players too.

Dubas is the GM, he runs the draft, we have scouts for a reason, they are to assist our management team, Dubas puts a lot of trust in his scouts it appears (which I think is a good thing), but ultimately, he is the one who makes final calls on things.

He would have vetoed Knies last year if your made-up opinion was right.

--Edit--

To add onto this, you pick up a Tom Wilson if he is available as a mid first-rounder, but you don't pick up Reaves, you pick up those types as free agents or spend a 4th on them if you need it, why waste a 4th round pick hoping someone will turn into that player instead of just trading the 4th for them?

as i said , as of RIGHT NOW we have 1 of his picks on our roster , in the future we may have more and what's curios about saying Sandin is so far poor defensively ?

all you kept saying is Dubas does all the drafting so don't try to back track now since your explanation is just a jumble of non sense

also where all his home runs after the 1st rd like DeBrincat ? it's easy to spew garbage that if Dubas was GM at the time he would have picked every home run but where have they been since he was in charge ?

and how the f*** do you know a Tom Wilson is going to turn into a Tom Wilson ?

the vast majority of draft picks for EVERY team bust or don't amount to much so this idea that Dubas drafting smurfs because they're better bets is just a fantasy he cooked up in his head and regurgitated by his supporters

if Dubie turned around and just drafted woman his peeps would be backing him all the way as well and fighting to the death that's the perfect draft strategy

 

[hotpaws]

Dubas Drafts

Robertson 20 --- Abbruzzese 22 --- Knies 19
Amirov 20 --- Hirvonen 19 --- Holmberg 22
Voit 18 --- Ovchinnikov 19 --- Tverberg 19
Abramov 20 --- SDA 21 --- Miettenin 20

Sandin 21 --- Durzi 23
Kokkonen 20 ---- Niemela 19
Kral 21 --- Villeneuve 19

Peksa 19
Akhtyamov 20

don't understand what you think this proves , strange

 

[hotpaws]

Why is it, that some people still go on about smurfs, when the evidence doesn't support that Dubas only acquires Smurfs? It doesn't matter if these are free agent signings, trades, or draft... I can't wait until these people hear about Curtis Douglas.

the evidence as people have noted is he has drafted pretty much just smaller players so why the spin ?

 

[Fogelhund]

the evidence as people have noted is he has drafted pretty much just smaller players so why the spin ?

Maybe try and read what I've posted once more, for full comprehension. Thanks.

 

[fancy lad]

When we're healthy all of simmonds Clifford and Boosh are likely out of the lineup btw.

disagree.
I think the physical element is being recognized by keefe. We can all see it and obviously he can too.

One of Clifford and Simmonds (with probably Simmonds being first choice) will rotate and Boosh will play.

 

[hotpaws]

Maybe try and read what I've posted once more, for full comprehension. Thanks.

i read what you posted but as i said the criticism was he drafted mainly smurfs , not that he didn't sign or trade for bigger players like you tried to spin it as

 

[ShaneFalco]

See, you think that but Lyubushkin won’t be out of the lineup. Quite confident in that

Keefs and co. seem very happy with him. And he brings an element we've lacked. I'll be very disappointed if he sits