GDT: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Buffalo Sabres Preseason Game #3

[Maplebeasts]

I like watching preseason games because it's the only time I ever get to see any of the hopefuls.

Cowan looks pretty good so far. Minten too. They might make the NHL one day, they might not, I have no clue.

I don't think Robertson will though.

I think he realizes it too. Seeing him on the bench in the third period he looked almost defiant. He comes across the same way in a recent interview too: "I know my name isn't what it used to be. I don't give a f***".

I forgot how much more enjoyable it is to watch the games without the digital ads on the boards, plexiglass, and ice.

Up yours Bettman.

Now that Dubas is gone my guess is Liljegren gets waived. He's not worth anything in a trade. Waiving Giordano makes way more sense but I doubt that happens.

Gregor put in a good effort and should get a contract.

I think Buffalo gets into the playoffs this year, while Boston does not, but I'm really actually hoping it's Ottawa that makes it instead.

Power is awesome.

Go Leafs Go.

Klingberg and Brodie are likely gone after this season and you think Liljegren is going to be waived? He is arguably the best RHD on the team currently.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Klingberg and Brodie are likely gone after this season and you think Liljegren is going to be waived? He is arguably the best RHD on the team currently.

We can agree to disagree on that one.

Or we can just disagree. Either way I'm not convinced Liljegren is better than Timmins. One of them is almost definitely gonna be waived.

I'm thinking it's Liljegren.

 

[horner]

No he doesn't since the season hasn't started, andd we wouldn't be sending him down.

I heard that players on a PTO

No he doesn't since the season hasn't started, andd we wouldn't be sending him down.

I think Dave poulin

We can agree to disagree on that one.

Or we can just disagree. Either way I'm not convinced Liljegren is better than Timmins. One of them is almost definitely gonna be waived.

I'm thinking it's Liljegren.

Traded

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

We can agree to disagree on that one.

Or we can just disagree. Either way I'm not convinced Liljegren is better than Timmins. One of them is almost definitely gonna be waived.

I'm thinking it's Liljegren.

Lilly might be traded but he's not getting waived, not a chance

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Traded

Lilly might be traded but he's not getting waived, not a chance

There might be a trade available.

I don't know what the market is on a soft third pairing defenseman that struggles in his own end but there might be a team looking for a guy that matches that description.

Hopefully they're willing to pay up for him.

 

[notdoneyet]

Lilly doesn’t have a high hockey IQ
Poor decision making and poor passing

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Lilly is fine.

Timmins considering age and potential is another one you keep.

The easy and obvious answer here is waiving Giordano.

 

[Nineteen67]

Lilly is fine.

Timmins considering age and potential is another one you keep.

The easy and obvious answer here is waiving Giordano.

Gio could just say he’s retiring if he gets picked.

 

[ACC1224]

Lilly is fine.

Timmins considering age and potential is another one you keep.

The easy and obvious answer here is waiving Giordano.

I think they’ll carry 7D.

 

[thusk]

Lilly doesn’t have a high hockey IQ
Poor decision making and poor passing

I said it since 2 year now

He having a good skating ability, great passing game and he have skill to have impact but he dont see play in front as much offensivly than defensivly. Result he can do a lot of everything without excelling in any part of the game. People taking for granted than because hes 24, he will become better but they're a chance than the player we see right now will be the same exact guy at 27-28 exactly because of his lack of hockey IQ

Maybe liljgren? He definitely has a spot lol

I dont know how a guy who was fighting for a roster spot ( most of the time healthy scratch) after his own team didn't had enough faith in their D group last deadline and was healthy scratch big part of playoff should have a granted roster spot...

 

[13pacheco31]

I said it since 2 year now

He having a good skating ability, great passing game and he have skill to have impact but he dont see play in front as much offensivly than defensivly. Result he can do a lot of everything without excelling in any part of the game. People taking for granted than because hes 24, he will become better but they're a chance than the player we see right now will be the same exact guy at 27-28 exactly because of his lack of hockey IQ



I dont know how a guy who was fighting for a roster spot ( most of the time healthy scratch) after his own team didn't had enough faith in their D group last deadline and was healthy scratch big part of playoff should have a granted roster spot...

He played 67 games last season, how is that a healthy scratch most the time? If the only player he's competing for a spot with is Timmins, he should have that spot. His overall body of work is better than Timmins and a couple of preseason games doesn't change that

 

[Hellcat]

Klingberg and Brodie are likely gone after this season and you think Liljegren is going to be waived? He is arguably the best RHD on the team currently.

When you look at the bottom RD there isn't really much to separate Timmins and Lily. I think Lilly is still growing as a NHL dman, does not bring much to the table in terms of generating offence, I think for a #6 he plays well with out the puck. Timmins is somewhat an unknown, although in a short sample size it looks like he can drive offence at a very high level, his play with out the puck may be on the questionable side, he gained 21lbs in the off season, probably to allow him to be a better defender without the puck (board battles, in front of the net battles). For me I think there is more upside in Timmins vs Lily but again I dont think any of the 2 are irreplaceable. I'd rank them Timmins, Lily.

He played 67 games last season, how is that a healthy scratch most the time? If the only player he's competing for a spot with is Timmins, he should have that spot. His overall body of work is better than Timmins and a couple of preseason games doesn't change that

It's not just a couple of preseason games, look at Timmins stats from last year. Timmins drives offence at a high pace, this preseason is not a fluke, it's what he does.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I'm not going to worry about John Klingberg until bad things happen with him. He's an impact player with a bad year and a clean slate. If he starts playing like Tyson Barrie, maybe you can worry then but I don't know if we should be concerned that a Ducks defenseman didn't look good... Hampus Lindholm didn't even look good on Anaheim.

As long as he puts up points we will be ok. Can always do what the Oilers did last year when Bouchard made Barrie expendable and move Klingberg in the deal that brings in a different type of dman.

 

[Malachi Crunch]

 

[notbias]

It's not just a couple of preseason games, look at Timmins stats from last year. Timmins drives offence at a high pace, this preseason is not a fluke, it's what he does.

for the record, I want to give Timmins a shot in some capacity, I think he still has development left and has a lot of good tools, but Timmins and Gio are deployed differently and Gio still has better play-driving stats and better "real stats".

Timmins puts up points but also is not as defensively responsible as Gio.

Gio is more likely to win you some games it looks like and Timmins is more likely to put up points.

 

[thusk]

He played 67 games last season, how is that a healthy scratch most the time? If the only player he's competing for a spot with is Timmins, he should have that spot. His overall body of work is better than Timmins and a couple of preseason games doesn't change that

After trade deadline i talked...

If liljegren would not be a 1st round pick by leafs, i dont thing fan would see him the same way...

For me the edge between timmins offensive ability vs liljegren is much higher than the edge between liljegren defensive game and timmins defensive game.

 

[ACC1224]

Giordano is likely to be the odd man out not Timmins or Lili.
They'll carry 7D anyway to start.

 

[Gallagbi]

Lilly doesn’t have a high hockey IQ
Poor decision making and poor passing

I think his decision making is fine, but he has a nasty habit of flubbing basic plays at inopportune times.

 

[tmlfan98]

Seeing Timmins continue to make offensive impacts like this carrying over his momentum from last year, I'm starting to think Leafs should just risk it trying to replace Jarnkrok by committee with guys like Lafferty, Robertson, Gregor and McMann.

 

[weems]

I think his decision making is fine, but he has a nasty habit of flubbing basic plays at inopportune times.

It feels like his patience with the puck and overall calmness under pressure can be a problem sometimes.

He seemed to have figured it out early in 2022 but last season was more ups and downs.

 

[SprDaVE]

I heard that players on a PTO

I think Dave poulin

Traded

Nah for example, ZAR last year was on a PTO and then signed -- he didn't go on waivers.

 

[thusk]

It feels like his patience with the puck and overall calmness under pressure can be a problem sometimes.

He seemed to have figured it out early in 2022 but last season was more ups and downs.

It is really patience and calmness or just result of a player unable to read and/or anticipate whats happening in front of him.

 

[stickty111]

We can agree to disagree on that one.

Or we can just disagree. Either way I'm not convinced Liljegren is better than Timmins. One of them is almost definitely gonna be waived.

I'm thinking it's Liljegren.

Delete

 

[13pacheco31]

When you look at the bottom RD there isn't really much to separate Timmins and Lily. I think Lilly is still growing as a NHL dman, does not bring much to the table in terms of generating offence, I think for a #6 he plays well with out the puck. Timmins is somewhat an unknown, although in a short sample size it looks like he can drive offence at a very high level, his play with out the puck may be on the questionable side, he gained 21lbs in the off season, probably to allow him to be a better defender without the puck (board battles, in front of the net battles). For me I think there is more upside in Timmins vs Lily but again I dont think any of the 2 are irreplaceable. I'd rank them Timmins, Lily.



It's not just a couple of preseason games, look at Timmins stats from last year. Timmins drives offence at a high pace, this preseason is not a fluke, it's what he does.

He's also a mess without the puck and doesn't offer much else. Probably why he only played 25 games and didn't step foot on the ice for over a month until the last couple games of the season and didn't play a single playoff game

 

[Ianturnedbull]

We lose Holl and sign Klingberg in the offseason and all of a sudden the Leafs' D is in jeopardy. Is it?

Gio might be another step behind at this point, but can't he play the #6 role? He probably can.

Here's our depth: Benoit, Timmins, Niemela, Lagesson, etc.

Do we really need to waive Timmins, Gio, and Liljegren?