Seravalli: Tatar to the Leafs?

[CupcakeSprinkles]

Nobody is denying the fact Marner(especially) and Matthews being worthless offensively was the main reason we lost, I'm saying you stating our depth produced is simply not accurate. Our offense as a whole was disappointing against Montreal and certainly didn't inspire confidence when the 11 million dollar captain was in the lineup and we were getting shutout by CBJ in an elimination game either.

I'm not trying to advocate for Hyman as some kind of playoff warrior, but his numbers were okay prior to this postseason when he clearly didn't look like an individual who should have been playing.

You have to understand we have to actually make the playoffs, in the Atlantic division. As of this very moment Boston, Tampa and Florida all look stronger on paper than Toronto. We're going to be in tough to make the playoffs.

We can only go off of the most recent team going up 3-1 in a series and failing to close out. We missed our 3rd best forward in Tavares and Kerfoot on our 3rd line which shifted the entire roster around. Kerfoot had to play up and lines went into a blender. The Marner-Matthews offense was disappointing against Montreal, but it became quite predictable Keefe didn't split Marner-Matthews. Danault shut down the topline and let lines 2-4 do their thing which gave opportunity. This is why I don't really blame Dubas.. the roster on paper prior to Tavares going down and Foligno injured took away two forwards in the top 9. We lacked depth due to injury..

Our D against CBJ genuinely sucked especially on the right side, we signed Brodie to a steal of a contract. This was the first year our D really didn't disappoint. I agree we need to improve depth, but the MTL series was a bit strange with the Tavares series and how it exposed it due to injury.

Atlantic wise - new season, new animal
Tampa got significantly worse - lost all coveted depth players.
Florida got better upfront - questionable D, goaltending
Boston got better upfront - questionable D, goaltending.

The Leafs lost Hyman, Freddie, Thornton and 9 games of Foligno, Bogosian and added Bunting, Kampf, Mrazek.. we're essentially bringing back the same team and I expect another top 6 F to be added in the mix. If it is Tatar I would argue we got better, depth D

 

[Habs Halifax]

Perfect fit for Dubas. Offensive skill with no grit. Turnover king.

 

[Habs Halifax]

You sure? Montreal had the better team last year, based on results.

We beat them with depth and defense but they didn't have Tavares. Tatar played 5 games. Was it the 1st 5 games where the Leafs won 3 of them? Can't remember but probably true.

 

[Kurtz]

Perfect fit for Dubas. Offensive skill with no grit. Turnover king.

Stats don't seem to back this up - he has career 175 takeaways-158 giveaways. Was also a positive for 3 years for the Habs. A little worse in the playoffs though. But he's also averaged 2 hits/game in the playoffs, which is pretty good.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Stats don't seem to back this up - he has career 175 takeaways-158 giveaways. Was also a positive for 3 years for the Habs. A little worse in the playoffs though. But he's also averaged 2 hits/game in the playoffs, which is pretty good.

Tatar, Domi, and Drouin coughed the puck up more than you might know. Very similar to Galchenyuk, Sandin, and Dermott in the last playoffs. They are killers to team momentum and the amount of blown leads the Habs had had in the last few seasons is context most don't understand or notice. Habs fixed it in the playoffs and the results showed.

 

[TT1]

perfect fit for their roster hehe, charmin soft

 

[TimeZone]

We can only go off of the most recent team going up 3-1 in a series and failing to close out. We missed our 3rd best forward in Tavares and Kerfoot on our 3rd line which shifted the entire roster around. Kerfoot had to play up and lines went into a blender. The Marner-Matthews offense was disappointing against Montreal, but it became quite predictable Keefe didn't split Marner-Matthews. Danault shut down the topline and let lines 2-4 do their thing which gave opportunity. This is why I don't really blame Dubas.. the roster on paper prior to Tavares going down and Foligno injured took away two forwards in the top 9. We lacked depth due to injury..

Our D against CBJ genuinely sucked especially on the right side, we signed Brodie to a steal of a contract. This was the first year our D really didn't disappoint. I agree we need to improve depth, but the MTL series was a bit strange with the Tavares series and how it exposed it due to injury.

Atlantic wise - new season, new animal
Tampa got significantly worse - lost all coveted depth players.
Florida got better upfront - questionable D, goaltending
Boston got better upfront - questionable D, goaltending.

The Leafs lost Hyman, Freddie, Thornton and 9 games of Foligno, Bogosian and added Bunting, Kampf, Mrazek.. we're essentially bringing back the same team and I expect another top 6 F to be added in the mix. If it is Tatar I would argue we got better, depth D

Our Defense didn't cost us against CBJ, our lack of scoring did. Tavares or no Tavares blowing that lead against MTL, and generating one scoring chance in game 7? I genuinely don't have much faith he would've carried the rest of those clowns over the finish line. I'm not about to forget about our offense being shutout by CBJ a mere 11 months ago, it's not like this was our first rodeo failing to score goals in important playoff games.

I had zero interest in re-signing Hyman at his demand, but I certainly wanted to replace his production. Tatar seems to be the only guy left to my eye capable of replacing Hymans offensive production during the regular season.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

Why was Tatar benched these just passed playoffs? A quick googling didn’t answer.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Sure hope not. He is awful. Not even an NHL player.

Why lie?

 

[Fatass]

Why was Tatar benched these just passed playoffs? A quick googling didn’t answer.

Maybe because he’s soft skill, and the playoffs are about hard skill?

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I enjoyed Tatar the best three years but no doubt he's a playoff fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Why was Tatar benched these just passed playoffs? A quick googling didn’t answer.

Second time he gets iced-out on a finalist too. He got benched for poor performance, nothing else. And he's really not a fit for how the Habs played during that run.

 

[Mitch nylander]

Tatar, Domi, and Drouin coughed the puck up more than you might know. Very similar to Galchenyuk, Sandin, and Dermott in the last playoffs. They are killers to team momentum and the amount of blown leads the Habs had had in the last few seasons is context most don't understand or notice. Habs fixed it in the playoffs and the results showed.

Not trying to be disrespectful here but stats actually say otherwise.

Tatar was ranked sixteenth, 10th amongst forwards on the habs in giveaways this regular season at 14 in 50 games.

Your leading giveaway forwards, were Nick Suzuki at 41 giveaways in 56 and Tyler Toffoli at 33.

That being said I'd prefer to go for a guy like Ritchie here in Toronto.

 

[TootooTrain]

Sounds like a good addition as long as the salaryakes sense.

 

[TheDoldrums]

I mean, the only reason the Leafs might be able to afford him is because of his reputation.

If people looked at his production, his underlying numbers but actually thought he was a warrior instead of soft, he'd be making more than Hyman. Because the data alone paints him as a clear top line winger and a possession beast.

Obviously they're not going to get a perfect player with their remaining space, but I think he's a good gamble to take.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Tavares has had one great playoff series (Against the Isles in 2016). Otherwise, his postseason resume is spotty to say the least.

Not buying the Leafs losing due to his absence. They were good enough to go up 3-1 without him. Against an average team. They collapsed. Plain and simple.

 

[JianYang]

Tavares has had one great playoff series (Against the Isles in 2016). Otherwise, his postseason resume is spotty to say the least.

Not buying the Leafs losing due to his absence. They were good enough to go up 3-1 without him. Against an average team. They collapsed. Plain and simple.

That Tavares excuse is so lame.

One of the reasons why I had them ranked as a heavy favourite in the first round is that if they lost a marner, Matthews, or Tavares, they still had the depth to overcome that. This is not like when Tavares was an islander for so many years, who had no other stars to overcome his injury.

If the leafs lost because they could not overcome his absence, then it would also be time to admit that the team is not as good as alot of their fans and media want to think they are.

But I don't see it that way. What the leafs need to do is focus on adding to their roster with players who can help them get through the playoffs, and help those stars over the hump.

Tatar is simply more of what they currently have. Teams looking for him should be the ones who feel like they need help getting to the playoffs, but that's not a problem Toronto should have.

 

[ole ole]

The leaf's would be smart to pick up Tatar. He fits the mold of the team. Adds more scoring power.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Not a bad signing. He'll score a lot for the leafs with C's like Tavares and Matthews, but his playoffs performances are underwhelming.
Was benched by Vegas
Was terrible in the bubble
Was benched in the middle of leafs series and supplanted by both Evans and lehkonen

 

[yianik]

Thought Tatar was signing with the Blues

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Thought Tatar was signing with the Blues

Never heard that but they got Saad, so I doubt it now

 

[GQS]

I think I’d rather re-sign Galchenyuk. But I’m not opposed to it.

Definitely shouldn’t be our only remaining move though if so.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I'd 1000x rather re-sign Galchenyuk than ever have Tatar on the Leafs and it will be cheaper as well.

 

[yianik]

Never heard that but they got Saad, so I doubt it now

Might have gotten it mixed up. Thanks

 

[TheGroceryStick]

The Habs fans in here eh.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Tavares has had one great playoff series (Against the Isles in 2016). Otherwise, his postseason resume is spotty to say the least.

Not buying the Leafs losing due to his absence. They were good enough to go up 3-1 without him. Against an average team. They collapsed. Plain and simple.

Point me to Leaf fans that tried to make you "buy" that?