Skilled team vs leafs right now?

[zeke]

 

[zeke]

don't understand what you think this proves , strange

Just information.

 

[LeafGrief]

I find this to be a completely bizarre take tbh. Physicality is obviously an advantage in hockey and you'd have to be insane to think otherwise. Skill is far more important than physicality is, but the Leafs have not been losing in the playoffs because of any surplus (or lack, for that matter) of physicality.

 

[notbias]

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

Firstly, Abruzesse and Hollowell are on the roster, so we have two more.

If you want to say only players who have played, then Robertson, and likely soon to be Abruzesse.

Dubas is head of the drafting, he is the GM, we have scouts for a reason, if you want to give full credit to Dubas for the drafting, do it, I love how our prospects are trending compared to how they usual trend.

"Home runs", no clue, but Robertson, Niemela, Abruzesse, Knies, all look really good outside of the first round, and most are smurfs, time will tell how impactful they are since they are all pretty young.

I'd rather take chances on skilled players than pick the tallest player left on the board.

Speaking of tall players, how dare Dubas sign Douglas!

I am saying Tom Wilson is a player who has skill and size, much like Knies. My comparison was to illustrate that taking players who are good is more important than size. We gave away Martin for free cause those players aren't worth anything.

The idea is that drafting for high upside is probably a better strategy than drafting for size. If we just wanted some tough big guys in the later round, just throw those draft picks away at the deadline for someone, it's much easier and guaranteed.

I support good decisions and reject bad ones, I don't have allegiance to the GM, I want what's best for the team.

Not sure what you're obsession is with size, but am assuming you lack confidence based on it, so hopefully you can get that sorted out.

I really hope you start watching more hockey so you understand size is nothing if you can't play.

 

[Fogelhund]

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

If I was referencing you, I would have quoted you, which I didn't... it was part of a general discussion, so this wasn't directly just about drafting.

A guy like you though, you've been around, posted a great deal, and I assume pay attention to the team. I find it surprising that such devoted fans, don't understand the team philosophy around drafting, and obtaining the players it needs to fill out the roster. When drafting, Dubas most often is looking for players that have been overlooked, for whatever reason... Covid illness, Mono, size, or a number of other things... he's looking for impact potential players, that other teams have overlooked, he's looking for inefficiencies. The team belief is impact players, are more expensive to trade for, than grit and size. He's filled out the team with grit and size, to a pretty good balance now.. and there is more coming. This type of ongoing narrative both ignores the current team makeup, some of it's prospects, and seems to completely lack understanding of the plan the team has.

 

[hotpaws]

If I was referencing you, I would have quoted you, which I didn't... it was part of a general discussion, so this wasn't directly just about drafting.

A guy like you though, you've been around, posted a great deal, and I assume pay attention to the team. I find it surprising that such devoted fans, don't understand the team philosophy around drafting, and obtaining the players it needs to fill out the roster. When drafting, Dubas most often is looking for players that have been overlooked, for whatever reason... Covid illness, Mono, size, or a number of other things... he's looking for impact potential players, that other teams have overlooked, he's looking for inefficiencies. The team belief is impact players, are more expensive to trade for, than grit and size. He's filled out the team with grit and size, to a pretty good balance now.. and there is more coming. This type of ongoing narrative both ignores the current team makeup, some of it's prospects, and seems to completely lack understanding of the plan the team has.

yup Dubas use to love to spew his philosophies about drafting among anything else he could think of , thankfully he went silent after multiple failed seasons

he loved drafting what he believed were inefficiencies , smurfs and over agers , the problem with Dubas is he acted like he had been doing this for 20 years with a large number of home run picks under his belt and a fist full of cup rings

 

[Fogelhund]

he went silent after multiple failed seasons

I mean, that you lack patience to see prospects develop, and have some expectation that these guys should all be NHL stars already, says a great deal.

Oh, ya... Meanwhile, a former FOURTH rounder, makes his NHL debut tonight. Hopefully something you can enjoy.

 

[hotpaws]

I mean, that you lack patience to see prospects develop, and have some expectation that these guys should all be NHL stars already, says a great deal.

Oh, ya... Meanwhile, a former FOURTH rounder, makes his NHL debut tonight. Hopefully something you can enjoy.

the part of my post you picked out quite obviously had nothing to do with the teams drafting

but hey if it makes you feel better replying to points i didn't make have at er

 

[Menzinger]

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.

This season has been very strange. The team has been on pace for a franchise record for most of it and some folks are acting like they're heading to a bottom 10 finish. Probably the biggest gap of on ice results vs fan behavior I've ever seen with this team

 

[Stephen]

I feel like our blueline skill level isn't quite as high quality or matching the level of the top end forward, even though the overall depth and balance has seriously taken a step forward in with the last two trades and emergence of Lily a little bit. Colorado has the upper hand in the sizzle department.

 

[kb]

I feel like our blueline skill level isn't quite as high quality or matching the level of the top end forward, even though the overall depth and balance has seriously taken a step forward in with the last two trades and emergence of Lily a little bit. Colorado has the upper hand in the sizzle department.

I take ours over theirs 100 times out of 100. Not saying they aren't good (because they are), but I really like and prefer the mix here. The Leafs top-8 have all played in the top-4, and played well in those minutes. 7 of our top-8 play an all round game, only with only Boosh being a pure defensive D.

 

[Tak7]

I feel like our blueline skill level isn't quite as high quality or matching the level of the top end forward, even though the overall depth and balance has seriously taken a step forward in with the last two trades and emergence of Lily a little bit. Colorado has the upper hand in the sizzle department.

This is one of the main reasons I'm not too keen on keeping the Rielly - Lyubushkin pair together.

It works well, but I don't think Lyubushkin is the guy that can consistently get the puck to the elite forwards up the ice consistently enough to warrant it.

 

[Stephen]

I take ours over theirs 100 times out of 100. Not saying they aren't good (because they are), but I really like and prefer the mix here. The Leafs top-8 have all played in the top-4, and played well in those minutes. 7 of our top-8 play an all round game, only with only Boosh being a pure defensive D.

I think there’s a lot of potential in this new balanced group and we can certainly live with it but I would happily take Colorado’s high octane talent level in Makar over anything we have and Toews, Girard and a healthy Byram is just off the charts puckhandling, speed and transition game.

 

[Stephen]

This is one of the main reasons I'm not too keen on keeping the Rielly - Lyubushkin pair together.

It works well, but I don't think Lyubushkin is the guy that can consistently get the puck to the elite forwards up the ice consistently enough to warrant it.

I think Rielly and Brodie are more efficient puck movers as a duo but just comes down to the kind of forecheck you’re playing against. If you don’t need as many stops, aren’t getting pasted into the end wall on every retrieval there’s no need for Boosh on that line but if it’s a nasty physical game you’ll be glad to have that option.

 

[zeke]

Makar is a monster no doubt.

Toews is really good but a bit inflated due today Makar imo.

But I take the rest of our D over theirs.

 

[NinjaKick]

this is the first time in a very long time where I can say I love this team... just gotta figure out our goaltending... good news is we still have plenty of time for that

 

[ToneDog]

this is the first time in a very long time where I can say I love this team... just gotta figure out our goaltending... good news is we still have plenty of time for that

What's to figure out? It is Soup or bust.

 

[IPS]

I feel like our blueline skill level isn't quite as high quality or matching the level of the top end forward, even though the overall depth and balance has seriously taken a step forward in with the last two trades and emergence of Lily a little bit. Colorado has the upper hand in the sizzle department.

I think there’s a lot of potential in this new balanced group and we can certainly live with it but I would happily take Colorado’s high octane talent level in Makar over anything we have and Toews, Girard and a healthy Byram is just off the charts puckhandling, speed and transition game.

Colorado undoubtedly has the best transition D in the league. Their problem is that they're a bit undersized, Vegas put a ferocious forecheck on them last playoffs and really broke them down. They took on Manson for a bit of muscle on their back end. Same reason why Keefe likes Lyubushkin beside Rielly on our defense.

 

[Lauro]

Was this thread supposed to be an early April Fool's joke?

 

[horner]

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kampf - Mikheyev
Blackwell - Spezza - Simmonds

I'm having a hard time finding the grit adds. That Bunting guy must be sinking us.

Or team toughness has improved this yr.
Mathews is leading the way getting involved physically.
Marner the same
When your top player get involved this way other players follow .
Mik and Engval

Bunting and Blackwell don't need someone to lead them , it is in there game
DNA.

We will need this in the playoffs.

 

[zeke]

What's much more encouraging than any grit adds is all the speed adds.

A huge part of that is mikky and Engvall stepping up into impact top9 roles instead of the 4th line level stuff they were last year, and also the adds of Kampf Kase and Blackwell and Liljegren meaning we have none of the slowfoots we had last year like Foligno Galchenyuk Thornton Nash Bogosian.

Huge improvement in team speed this year and it's giving the top teams we're playing all sorts of trouble.

 

[BlueBaron]

This is probably the best team since 93. The whole premise kind of collapses after that fact...

Physicality is a thing. I'd like to add a power forward on LW. We have enough skill.

 

[aingefan]

We have been worse as a team since we tried to add grit/size to the team. Simmonds, Foligno last season, Thornton etc...
This team was a lot better when they were mainly skilled.

This team’s pretty hard to match when the talent plays through the physical, and initiates contact themselves. It appears to me that this team is ramping up their physical play for the playoffs, just like good teams do.

JT, WN and AM going postal *once* would also go a long way.

 

[aingefan]

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.

It’s rote/muscle memory for Muzz.

Fingers crossed for good health, concussions are no joke.

(Same goes for OK25. I just realized the initials.)

 

[aingefan]

the part of my post you picked out quite obviously had nothing to do with the teams drafting

but hey if it makes you feel better replying to points i didn't make have at er

I fail to see how seeking inefficiencies can be a critique.

Besides, he typically drafts one of the youngest players in the draft each year