Speculation: "Toronto's forward lines look like Swiss cheese" - Jay Rosehill

[Sypher04]

Move Domi to line 1 and Marner to line 3, boom people will stop whining hopefully.

That’s highly optimistic.
When are people here ever not whining?..

No. I disagree. Many forwards are question marks. Yes I keep getting told by everyone here that every team has question marks. OK, but this is playoff futile Toronto. Their 3rd line does not represent anything that a good team would have, and the 4th is not much better. I don't know how "holes" became the meaning for "will not score".

No one can really challenge TOR on that. Yes they will score. They will make the playoffs likely. Beyond that we can expect the same results. The holes are depth. Where is the depth? There is no definitive easy answer when it comes to who will play center on the 3rd line. That's just the start.

Team that starts the season is highly unlikely to be the same as the one entering the playoffs. with any luck we won’t have to spend a bunch of assets on D this deadline and can focus on a targeted addition like a bonafide 3C by then at the latest.

 

[Racer88]

The core four forwards are a bigger concern to me.

They always have been

 

[ULF_55]

The core four forwards are a bigger concern to me.

I was more concerned with Keefe than any of the players.

Other coaches got more with less.

 

[socko]

I was more concerned with Keefe than any of the players.

Other coaches got more with less.

That's a hypothesis that will get tested this season. Another possibility is the players are losers.

 

[ULF_55]

That's a hypothesis that will get tested this season. Another possibility is the players are losers.

Well they do have some playoffs MVP's on their team.

Championships:
Nylander - check
marner - check
Tavares - check

Regular Season:
Matthews - check

 

[Gaberd2608]

I dont think our forward situation is that dire. The only position we really need to solidify is the 3C.

Domi. Matthews. Nylander
Knies. Tavares. Marner

^^^^- As good a top 6 as there is in the NHL imo.

Mcmann/ Robertson. Xxxxxx. Jarkrok
Holmberg. Kampf. Dewar
Reaves

^^^- add a legit 3C and we are ready for playoffs imo.

 

[LeafEgo]

I dont think our forward situation is that dire. The only position we really need to solidify is the 3C.

Domi. Matthews. Nylander
Knies. Tavares. Marner

^^^^- As good a top 6 as there is in the NHL imo.

Mcmann/ Robertson. Xxxxxx. Jarkrok
Holmberg. Kampf. Dewar
Reaves

^^^- add a legit 3C and we are ready for playoffs imo.

That's the way I see the top six as well, assuming they won't commit to Willy 2C.

That 3C (which could be a top six winger under a different configuration), along with a few other gaps, is the deficit that has to be made up by Marner out of circumstance.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Well they do have some playoffs MVP's on their team.

Championships:
Nylander - check
marner - check
Tavares - check

Regular Season:
Matthews - check

NHL playoffs are vastly different than anything you listed

 

[Racer88]

Well they do have some playoffs MVP's on their team.

Championships:
Nylander - check
marner - check
Tavares - check

Regular Season:
Matthews - check

Peewee house league MVP’s don’t count

 

[notDatsyuk]

Doesn't 'swiss cheese' refer to their defensive ability?

So many posters are talking about how many goals we can score, but nobody is talking about there being only 11 teams that allowed more.

 

[ULF_55]

Peewee house league MVP’s don’t count

I didn't go back that far, but thanks for the research.

More information is usually better.

Was it Matthews in peewee?

 

[Racer88]

I didn't go back that far, but thanks for the research.

More information is usually better.

Was it Matthews in peewee?

Your welcome

 

[Buds17]

I suppose there was a similar sentiment last season then because I'm not seeing a whole lot of change?

 

[HolyCrap]

Well they do have some playoffs MVP's on their team.

Championships:
Nylander - check
marner - check
Tavares - check

Regular Season:
Matthews - check

You might want to put a sarcasm emoji after this post. I’m assuming your joking.

 

[ULF_55]

You might want to put a sarcasm emoji after this post. I’m assuming your joking.

No I wasn't making any judgement on any particular player just stated their history.

Kind of like saying Karlsson won the Norris a year ago.

 

[HockeyVirus]

People have been screaming to subtract up front for defense for a while. Leafs have chosen to subtract from the bottom 6 to dress an average Dcore and maintain an elite top 6. Do I think it will work? No I don't. But I also think we have some prospects who will breakout this year and give us some real depth that is not obvious at this point of the offseason.

We also have the trade deadline to add to the bottom 6 which is a lot easier to do than add top 6 or top 4 dmen. The Oilers did exactly this last offseason adding Henrique and Carrick.

 

[francis246]

Peewee house league MVP’s don’t count

OHL and AHL are house leagues now?

 

[Racer88]

I didn't go back that far, but thanks for the research.

More information is usually better.

Was it Matthews in peewee?

Do they have any NhL mvp awards? I await your answer

 

[francis246]

Do they have any NhL mvp awards? I await your answer

I don’t understand this, does it make you feel good to tear down the players on the team you actively cheer for? It’s not rational. It’s not, why cheer for the leafs?

I understand the position of you can’t think your players are the best and we shouldn’t worship them as if they are. I completely understand that. But I can’t for the life of me understand what enjoyment it brings some of you to tear down players on our team constantly. It’s really backwards.

 

[Racer88]

I don’t understand this, does it make you feel good to tear down the players on the team you actively cheer for? It’s not rational. It’s not, why cheer for the leafs?

I understand the position of you can’t think your players are the best and we shouldn’t worship them as if they are. I completely understand that. But I can’t for the life of me understand what enjoyment it brings some of you to tear down players on our team constantly. It’s really backwards.

Of course I don’t and it brings me no enjoyment but I was responding to a poster that was pumping them up by claiming they had MVP awards.
What I am is sick of losing. My god 1 playoff round in 8 years with the most expensive core of 4 forwards is simply pathetic and no excuses explain that.
I am just 1 side of an equation and the other side is the posters that think Dubas was awesome and the core 4 are awesome. When pressed on it they claim they are not Dubas/core 4 supporters yet here they are ripping on other posters.so I give them something to post about

 

[ULF_55]

Do they have any NhL mvp awards? I await your answer

Yep.

I know it was a rhetorical question because all Leafs' fans know the answer.

 

[francis246]

Of course I don’t and it brings me no enjoyment but I was responding to a poster that was pumping them up by claiming they had MVP awards.
What I am is sick of losing. My god 1 playoff round in 8 years with the most expensive core of 4 forwards is simply pathetic and no excuses explain that.
I am just 1 side of an equation and the other side is the posters that think Dubas was awesome and the core 4 are awesome. When pressed on it they claim they are not Dubas/core 4 supporters yet here they are ripping on other posters.so I give them something to post about

Liking/appreciating the core doesn’t mean you support Dubas. You could simply just like our talent and be an optimistic fan. I hate most of Dubas’ moves but I love the talent we have for a core. Dubas had little to do with that. We drafted our guys before he was GM. I would rather this core 100 times over than suffer what we suffered from 2005-2016 honestly. Yeah I wish for better playoff success but there is no way in hell I’d want to be at the bottomless pit of hell we were in especially 08-12 that was some dark ass times lol. The JFJ to Cliff Fletcher to Burke Era was so ass. Horrible trades, botched picks, horrible UFA signings, so much dead cap contracts. Yuck

 

[ShameOnYouZidlicky]

According to capwages, the team has 875k of cap space left with 11F, 7D and 2G. How does the team fit in Robertson (RFA) or Cowan (905k) on the team?

EDIT: That number is with 12 forwards, which makes this question irrelevant. I guess a forward would need to be sent down if Robertson is signed

 

[DraftSchmaft]

Swiss Cheese until all the young blood like Knies, Robertson, Nylander, Cowan and Minten break out (within realistic expectations) behind the core 4. Domi will also be a great leader for this group.

Nylander is at his age 26 season and just had a mini break out in goals. Immensely skilled player. He will reach / pace the 20 goal mark if he plays with us. Look for some Florida Panthers style breakouts from at least 2 of the above group. My money is on Knies and Nylander making a run at 25 goals each.

 

[ULF_55]

According to capwages, the team has 875k of cap space left with 11F, 7D and 2G. How does the team fit in Robertson (RFA) or Cowan (905k) on the team?

EDIT: That number is with 12 forwards, which makes this question irrelevant. I guess a forward would need to be sent down if Robertson is signed

Reaves doesn't have a regular +35 contract due to the way Treliving structured it.

Someone can correct me if I'm incorrect but I believe most of his contract can be buried in minors.