Speculation: Toughness and Brad Treliving

[Ianturnedbull]

Whats your definition of toughness?

The same as everyone else.

 

[Twine Tickler]

The tough part is that we need our big dogs to play tough. We can try an insulate these guys with mutants, but when push comes to shove, our big boys don't want to push or shove.

It's a man's game in May/June. If you don't want to play after the whistles, you will get bullied on the ice in between them.

Pretty well every recent cup winner had guys at the top who wouldn't shy away from the scrums after the whistles. Not necessarily dropping the mitts all the time, but they never backed down. And often times they initiate it. Mackinnon, Kucherov, Stamkos, Schenn, O'Rielly, Ovi, Wilson...etc. None of those guys in their cup winning seasons were afraid to get in the mix.

You can surround this core with as many Lucic's and Simmonds' as you want, but if they aren't on the ice mucking it up it means f*** all in May/June.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love Lucic on a team friendly deal, but we also need a different look in our top 6 IMO.

 

[Jozay]

The same as everyone else.

Bad answer

 

[Ianturnedbull]

The real question is, is it possible to have LESS toughness on a roster?

I asked that every single time I watched Tyson Barrie play.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

“You can never rule anything out. Obviously, it’s an Original Six franchise, storied franchise; I’ve had my fair share of rivalries with the team. And now, with Brad Treliving coming in, there’s some familiarity there.”

He also admitted that Giordano and Muzzin have been telling him how much they love being Leafs, how great the team is.

They are already selling him on Toronto

 

[Leafblooded]

He's just another puppet. Whatever ownership says, goes. Muppet organization, prove me wrong

 

[ULF_55]

Lucic will be a Leaf, I have very little doubt about that after watching the interview he did.

A new interview?

Last one I saw he said Vancouver.

 

[ULF_55]

Hard to find #2C without moving 16 or 88. Best affordable, bang for the buck UFA Cs are Bjugstad, Kampf, Sundvist ???

Bertuzzi, Barbashev, Erne, Lucic, Domi, Nosek, Bunts (23 g) are LW targets IMO.

Mayfield at the right price.

Will be interesting to see how Tre reinvents the D.


How not to build a team - by Kyle Dubas 2018-2023

They don't need a top center, they need one who can skate, win face-offs and defend. Get the puck to Nylander or Knies.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I new interview?

Last one I saw he said Vancouver.

Post 30

 

[justashadowof]

The tough part is that we need our big dogs to play tough.

It may not be as difficult as we think. Did Matthews look like he was having the worst time of his life when he got into that fracas with Tampa and Stamkos? If anything we want that to never happen again: he came perilously close to tearing up a knee. All we need is a little more inside play from the stars, take a little more contact and initiate a little more contact. It doesn't take much but you do get more bumps and bruises. And we're mostly talking only about the playoffs. They can dance away from excess contact during the regular season excepting rivalry games. And presumably they've got new teammates who have actually got their backs when the opponent goes into bully mode. Radko Gudas' Wunderbar routine should have caused a swarm. It will next season.

 

[justashadowof]

See the interview above, Lucic asked to join Team Canada this spring. You know who the assistant GM of Team Canada was? Shane Doan.

 

[Martin Skoula]

He also admitted that Giordano and Muzzin have been telling him how much they love being Leafs, how great the team is.

They are already selling him on Toronto

Why would you need to sell a borderline NHL player on Toronto? Giving him more than league minimum is the entire sales pitch necessary, he needs to sell us on being one of our 12 best forwards.

Add more bite to the team but that bite needs to be fast, able to clean up garbage in front of the net, and make the other goalie’s life hell without being a liability on the back check. A healthy Wilson would be the top target but failing that, Acciari, Hathaway, Barbashev, etc. You can have one Lucic as a treat for dessert if Brad eats his veggies.

 

[BallardEra]

Lucic has 3 goals in his last 40 playoff games played.

He'd fit right in.

Milan Lucic! COME ON DOWN!!!

 

[ToneDog]

They don't need a top center, they need one who can skate, win face-offs and defend. Get the puck to Nylander or Knies.

And how much are they willing to pay for him ?? I mean Kerfoot is out there.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Bad answer

toughness: godzilla
no toughness: bambi

 

[BallardEra]

 

[ULF_55]

And how much are they willing to pay for him ?? I mean Kerfoot is out there.

Doesn't fit the add grit criteria.

 

[myleafs]

He's just another puppet. Whatever ownership says, goes. Muppet organization, prove me wrong

The old prove a negative trick......

If "you can't prove a negative" means you can't prove beyond reasonable doubt that certain things don't exist, then the claim is just false

 

[PromisedLand]

treliving was very clear in terms of how he wants his defense to play, the checking component of the game especially in the playoffs and be willing to "impose" you own will on opposition from the get go.

at least from his talk it seems he will change the outlook/culture/style of the team. now what remains to be seen is whether it was all talk or does he put it into action

 

[Leafblooded]

The old prove a negative trick......

If "you can't prove a negative" means you can't prove beyond reasonable doubt that certain things don't exist, then the claim is just false

Well, if you don't factor time into the equation sure... But my statement isn't fact, it's a hypothesis. And the only one who can prove it wrong is the Leafs organization

 

[Trapper]

toughness: godzilla
no toughness: bambi

There are different types of toughness.
There is the aggressive, intimidating toughness like Tkachuk/Bennett.
There is the big body toughness like a Rantanen/Sheifle.
A hard to contain or slow toughness like Stone/Draisaitl.

Many different styles and your core players should have that incorporated with their skill.

Skill that loses races, puck battles, board battles, forecheck, pushed off the puck, intimidated to fall back will lose to the above more often than not.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

We definitely need more team toughness. But adding tough 4th line players isn't going to help. I believe the problem is the top players on this team don't play tough, and therefore it doesn't trickle down throughout the lineup. When the top players on a team play hard, go to the dirty areas, stand up for themselves / teammates, etc.... then it is more likely that the rest of the team will instinctively do it as well. Adding a player like Schenn was great and highly needed because he played with Rielly and was able to provide that presence, but Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares don't have that in their repertoire. Until that aspect gets sorted out no amount of tough guys will help.
But I definitely think Treliving will try and add a few tough guys to this team in order to try and counteract the softness of the core 4.

That is the primary problem. Who cares about tough guys playing 4 minutes a game, especially when they're net negative impact.
When you have 4 star forwards that run your locker room, and a Dman who is the longest tenured but is as weak as the others, combined with the fact that your captain is perhaps the biggest pansy of them all, you will never win anything.

As for the OP question, I've seen little to nothing from Treliving's press to suggest he sees team toughness/grit as an issue. He claimed we're the second best checking team in the league... does that include fly-bys where a Leaf stick may make contact with the opposition as their turning off the forecheck?

 

[Rude Dog]

Need to be careful not filling out roster with tough guys who are slow. I am not sure ORielly is completely gone based on his interview on overdrive. But this team is going to be in tough with a roster that is only getting older which may include ROR, Tavares, Schenn, Lucic. Way too slow.

Also listening to tough guys talk after their career, they are done with fighting the longer it goes. Lucic would be a horrible addition. Why would he risk his long term health for min salary

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

This is precisely why a new coach is needed.

It's the coach for sure with an added bump from Shanny and Dubas that eschewed the rough players. Keeping Keefe will result in more of the same NuHockey shit just with bigger players. If you watch the finals it's really eye opening how quickly both teams are rushing up the ice compared to us with our stupid F$%king regrouping shit. We nullify any speed on the team with this way of playing and Keefe has been preaching it since the Marlies...it won't change if he is back.

The real question is, is it possible to have LESS toughness on a roster?

We could bring back Engvall....

 

[Chief Leaf]

I chose Very Likely as we know Trev likes grinding teams so adds should come our way in order for him to start his fingerprint. Adding more toughness takes away the softness logo we had from the dubas years even though he tried to add some grinders. BUT... FOR NOW,.....

I'm hoping somehow, someway to add some more UMMMPH on the D along with Schenn.

My target would be BIG Z (Zadorov) from the Flames and wonder if we sent Brodie back , along with an add if need be if there would be a deal to be made?