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Confirmed with Link: TOR signs Nic Aube-Kubel 1x$1M

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Hard to be upset with this. The exact type of player we need to fill out the 4th line.

Now that 2LW slot is more of a problem...
 
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Leviathan899 said:
Everyone getting so cocky that this team will just automatically replicate last seasons results, when in reality we had a very lucky season when it came to key players avoiding lengthy injuries, an elite PK that got worse today losing Mikheyev and Blackwell. Bringing in Aube Kubel, who I do like as a fourth line guy, and Gaudette means we’ve gotten significantly worse. Now we have two goalies with huge question marks. I think we’ll be in a battle for a wildcard spot and I wouldn’t be shocked if we’re on the outside looking in. Detroit may be a better team, or very close to one now with their additions. Dubas has handcuffed this team and he’s stuck trying to place bandaids on the roster. Our right side on D is absolutely thin as can be too. I just don’t understand everyone whose dead serious that this team is guaranteed to make the playoffs.
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Blackwell played about 12 minutes of PK duty while a Leaf. They'll probably be fine without him ;)
 
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CantLoseWithMatthews said:
Trying to fill major holes in free agency is piss poor cap management
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Oddly enough, that's exactly how you end up with Tavares. By the time most hit free agency, their best years are behind them, even if they're only 27 or 28 years old. And I'd bet the farm that the same people who demanded the Tavares signing are now questioning the cap management.
 
LaPlante94 said:
It's not a bad signing. Idk why people are upset about it.
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Because it doesn’t make the team any better. At worst it’s a downgrade and at best it is a lateral move. The idea is to get better and do you see that this off season so far
 
Leviathan899 said:
Everyone getting so cocky that this team will just automatically replicate last seasons results, when in reality we had a very lucky season when it came to key players avoiding lengthy injuries, an elite PK that got worse today losing Mikheyev and Blackwell. Bringing in Aube Kubel, who I do like as a fourth line guy, and Gaudette means we’ve gotten significantly worse. Now we have two goalies with huge question marks. I think we’ll be in a battle for a wildcard spot and I wouldn’t be shocked if we’re on the outside looking in. Detroit may be a better team, or very close to one now with their additions. Dubas has handcuffed this team and he’s stuck trying to place bandaids on the roster. Our right side on D is absolutely thin as can be too. I just don’t understand everyone whose dead serious that this team is guaranteed to make the playoffs.
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Our best players actually being able to play was...luck? Since when are you not allowed to use your own players.

Mik is behind Kampf Marner and Kerfoot on the PK depth chart so not sure how the PK got worse losing that softy. Blackwell zero relevance to our regular season success.

We will cruise in the regular season again, I guarantee you.
 
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Racer88 said:
Because it doesn’t make the team any better. At worst it’s a downgrade and at best it is a lateral move. The idea is to get better and do you see that this off season so far
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He plays a heavy forecheck game and hits a lot. Would you not agree that he is better than Simmonds who doesn't really contribute much other than going after guys after the whistle?

This is the kind of player we have been needing on the 4th line.
 
acrobaticgoalie said:
He plays a heavy forecheck game and hits a lot. Would you not agree that he is better than Simmonds who doesn't really contribute much other than going after guys after the whistle?

This is the kind of player we have been needing on the 4th line.
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Hopefully this is all true
 
Racer88 said:
Because it doesn’t make the team any better. At worst it’s a downgrade and at best it is a lateral move. The idea is to get better and do you see that this off season so far
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Lateral moves with depth guys is a good thing. And it is insanely easy in todays game to lateral move depth pieces. Identifying the correct ones your team needs is what is important. When you downgrade a core piece, that's when it's time to panic.

I'd rather a 10-12 goal 150 hit player over Mik any day as well. I wasn't impressed by Mik's scoring streak in the second half. All that space he was eating then going backhand on the goalie.....those plays/space does not exist in the playoffs. I knew his goal scoring wouldn't translate and he even missed another wide open net scoring chance that would have ended the series. He needs 4v5 or 5v6 to really shine in the playoffs. Space exists there to use his north-south legs.
 
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Havoc said:
Lateral moves with depth guys is a good thing. And it is insanely easy in todays game to lateral move depth pieces. Identifying the correct ones your team needs is what is important. When you downgrade a core piece, that's when it's time to panic.

I'd rather a 10-12 goal 150 hit player over Mik any day as well. I wasn't impressed by Mik's scoring streak in the second half. All that space he was eating then going backhand on the goalie.....those plays/space does not exist in the playoffs. I knew his goal scoring wouldn't translate and he even missed another wide open net scoring chance that would have ended the series. He needs 4v5 or 5v6 to really shine in the playoffs. Space exists there to use his north-south legs.
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I don't get the hype with Miks legs tbh. He can only use space that already exists. Additionally he doesn't use open space creatively. He's not going to north-south east-west his way through, it will be a predictable path.

A player like Nylander who has an elite burst you can only get through genetics to create space is more impressive to me and irreplaceable. I am definitely not going to cry over losing Mik. Players like Aubel neutralize him with ease when it counts.
 
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Made Pionk bleed...I'm sold. Good signing.

Jokes aside, this guy has excellent forcheck mentality, hits and will defend himself if necessary. Has some skill too. Might see time on a Kampf, Engvall line (if Engvall gets signed.)
 
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kb said:
Yeah,, the Leafs need to blow it up because they were 1 goal away from beating Tampa, who just lost Palat and McDonagh.

I mean.....come on. All they literally have to do is run it back and they are ahead of what their competitors could do.
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We actually can’t run it back since Toronto has been unable to replace Mikheyev and Kase, and it’s completely unknown if we’ll have superior or inferior goaltending. So we can’t simplify the challenges like that.

The good news is Boston, Florida and Tampa are also going to be worse on paper so the level of competition comes down. The bad news is the Atlantic floor is also rising with Ottawa, Buffalo and Detroit getting better on paper.
 
Very good value add.

Becomes not very good when it's your marquee forward addition.

But the bottom six needs a revamp and he should be part of that identity. Speed, tenacity, hard forechecking to go with a passable skillset.
 
Stephen said:
We actually can’t run it back since Toronto has been unable to replace Mikheyev and Kase, and it’s completely unknown if we’ll have superior or inferior goaltending. So we can’t simplify the challenges like that.

The good news is Boston, Florida and Tampa are also going to be worse on paper so the level of competition comes down. The bad news is the Atlantic floor is also rising with Ottawa, Buffalo and Detroit getting better on paper.
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That's what I mean.....our running it back is only missing bottom 6 players. And both Mikheyev and Kase missed 30ish games each, with little impact to the standings.

The Leafs 3 main rivals took much bigger steps back, that's why essentially running it back is not the worst thing....
 
Stephen said:
We actually can’t run it back since Toronto has been unable to replace Mikheyev and Kase, and it’s completely unknown if we’ll have superior or inferior goaltending. So we can’t simplify the challenges like that.

The good news is Boston, Florida and Tampa are also going to be worse on paper so the level of competition comes down. The bad news is the Atlantic floor is also rising with Ottawa, Buffalo and Detroit getting better on paper.
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Mikheyev and Kase played 50gms last year, for the record. In terms of regular season production Ritchie was actually playing in Mikky's spot for the first 30+gms. So we have to replace the Mikky/Ritchie combo as that one top-9 spot.

And of course Kase was part of a rather useless 4th line in the playoffs, after being deservedly beaten out for a 3rd line spot by a significant margin by Engvall. Not so sure we need to worry too much about replacing Kase.

Having to replace a 3rd liner and some 4th liners isn't exactly the toughest task.

Stephen said:
Never thought of Aube-Kubel as a player with weight.
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5'11" 215
 
Amadeus said:
Where else do we do that? At the deadline giving up picks?
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Draft and develop.

This is the year where guys drafted in 2018/2019 should have been establishing them in the lineup.

Robertson and Holmberg will be given a lot of opportunity in training camp to do just that.
 
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