GDT: Training Camp discussion - Rifai and Murray on waivers -- Steeves clears

thewave

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Jun 17, 2011
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We’ve never Marner-Nylander - could that be a line that takes over?

Knies-Matthews-Domi
Robbie-Nylander-Marner
McMann-Tavares-Jarnkrok

Worth a shot if Nylander is moving to C. Marner can get him the puck like no other and he has the shot to finish it, plus you get some of the defensive ability.
 
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egd27

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Chief’s not putting the cart ahead of the horse, Mathews will play with whoever the coach says he’ll play with…….
I would expect that.

For now, its Marner, much to the chagrin of many posters.
 
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egd27

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Remember, the players were running the team when it was happening in seasons before, so that must be the case now too, right?????????
Too soon to tell who is running things, just pointing out that 34 & 16 remain joined at the hip for the moment
 

ULF_55

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I would expect that.

For now, its Marner, much to the chagrin of many posters.

If that is the best line for Matthews then that should be the line.
I expect that will be the same thing next year, regardless of their shortcomings in the post season. Who knows maybe a mature Knies can get this line over the finish line?

The make-up of lines 2 and 3, are where the interest lies.
These two lines probably determine the success of the team.
 

IrishInOntario

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May 18, 2013
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Given that it looks like Toronto wants to give Nylander an extended look at center, my ideal forward group to start the season would be following....

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Jarnkrok-Nylander-Domi
McMann-Tavares-Robertson
Pacioretty-Kampf-Grebenkin
Dewar / Holmberg / Reaves

That said, the obvious upgrade required is at 2LW, which I think comes via in season trade, with Jarnkrok and Robertson going the other way to make the money work. That also gives time for Grebenkin time to acclimate to the NHL before moving onto that 3rd line permanently. I'd like to end the season with...

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Addition-Nylander-Domi
McMann-Tavares-Grebenkin
Pacioretty-Kampf-Dewar
Holmberg / Reaves / Minten
 
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WTFMAN99

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Jun 17, 2009
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I'm trying to project some of the standings this year and wondering about possible acquisition pieces for the blue line later this year.

My top choice would be Marcus Pettersson and extend him.

Travis Sanheim is another option, he's played both LD/RD, he has term, he was nearly traded to the Blues and then had a strong season last year. They probably want to keep him but who knows.

Mackenzie Weegar is another guy I like but the decline could occur and Calgary seems to not want to do business with us.

Going to throw out an absolute wild one but what if Vegas sucks or has injuries that take them down? They're fairly cut throat there, I wonder if they would move on from Pietrangelo to keep Shea Theodore. That could be an off-season move, if they entertained it at all.

I think the Pens want to extend Pettersson.

So I guess we wait for the year to progress and see what names show up in Friedman's 32 thoughts.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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Now what I want, but what I think will happen:

Traded: Robertson
Sent Down: Cowan
LTIR: Dewar
Signed: Pacioretty & Lorentz

Lines
Knies-Matthews-Marner
Domi-Nylander-Jarnkrok
Pacioretty-Tavares-McMann
Lorentz-Kampf-Reaves
Holmberg

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-McCabe
Benoit-Liljergren

Woll
Stolarz

I don't think they went through that whole song and dance + plus media campaign where everyone kept talking about "opportunity" for Robertson just to trade him now.

He'll be in the lineup game one imo
 
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WTFMAN99

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I don't think they went through that whole song and dance + plus media campaign where everyone kept talking about "opportunity" for Robertson just to trade him now.

He'll be in the lineup game one imo

While I don't doubt it's a real possibility...I could totally see them trying to keep it business as usual to not devalue him in a trade.
 
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Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
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While I don't doubt it's a real possibility...I could totally see them trying to keep it business as usual to not devalue him in a trade.

Which I think he'll need real games played to up that trade value around the league, otherwise he was gone this summer when he asked for a trade

. There seems to be a gap at the moment between perceived value around the league and how the Leafs value him
 

Mitch nylander

One of the biggest fans from a bipolar fanbase
Jun 2, 2016
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Curious to see tomorrow's lineup. Hoping to see a nice even split so we can really watch some of the bubble guys

Something like this

Team 1
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Cowan - Domi - Jarnkrok
Holmberg - Kampf - Reaves
Abruzzese - Hirvonen - Tverberg
Shaw

Ekman-Larsson - McCabe
Mermis - Liljegren
Kokkonen - Niemela
Webber

Woll
Murray

Team 2
McMann - Nylander - Robertson
Pacioretty - Tavares - Grebenkin
Lorentz - Quillian - A. Nylander
Steeves - Pare - Voit
Kressler

Rielly - Tanev
Rifai - Timmins
Myers - Mattinen
Villeneuve

Stolarz
Hildeby

Injuries - Dewar, Minten, Danford, Hakanpaa, Clifford

-----------

Later in Camp I hope they do a players on the bubble game.

Cowan - Holmberg - Robertson
Pacioretty - Kampf - Grebenkin
Lorentz - Quillian - Steeves
Abruzzese - Pare - Reaves
A. Nylander

Rifai - Timmins
Kokkonen - Niemela
Myers - Mattinen
Mermis

Hildeby
Murray
 

Antropovsky

Registered User
Jun 2, 2007
15,383
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Would think the new coach would discuss preferences with his new captain.

Guess we shall see


Don't know for certain, but despite a golden opportunity to split them up, they are still line mates as of now

Just last season, Matthews hinted that he was fine with being separated from Marner, saying, "Sometimes a little change is good for everyone."

Also, in the All-Star draft, he picked Nylander and Reilly before Marner.

On top of that, Matthews produced twice as much at 5v5 with Domi compared to Marner.

It seems highly doubtful Matthews would request to play with him, especially with all the talk about Marner bwing the one particularly struggling last year when they were together.

Why Maple Leafs’ Keefe is splitting up Matthews and Marner​

So disconnected has the oft-magical Auston Matthews–Mitchell Marner duo been of late that Sheldon Keefe is willing to rob Peter to pay Paul.

But there has “just been great reluctance,” Keefe says, to disrupt his red-hot second line of Tyler Bertuzzi, John Tavares, and William Nylander when things are flowing so swimmingly with that trio.

“Willy, in particular,” Keefe explains, “has really found a nice groove. His game has been going so well that you’re reluctant to make a change to him and his situation. You don’t want to affect guys who were rolling and feeling good to boost other groups.

It’s a pitch to jump-start some sleepy giants as the general manager calls out the group’s general lack of consistency and knows that includes some guys earning eight figures.

“Sometimes a little change can help everybody,” Matthews said. “The way the weekend went, mixing things up isn’t the worst thing.”

In 248:25 of 5-on-5 action Matthews and Marner have shared this season, they’ve been outshot 124-116 and are only outscoring the competition 14-13.

When you consider that Matthews is starting 59 per cent of his shifts in the offensive zone and Marner is starting 57 per cent of his in the O-zone, that’s simply not good enough for a roster structured on top-end dominance.

Matthews hasn’t scored 5-on-5 in the past seven games. Marner hasn’t registered a point in five of the past seven.


Marner — a Selke Trophy finalist in June and a plus-86 over his career — is sitting at a career-worst minus-3.

“He knows he needs to be better,” Keefe said. “We are going to help him through it. We have been talking with him and meeting with him. We have been working on some things on the ice that I think he has to focus on and can help him start to be the Mitch Marner that we know.”

The data and eye test align: Marner is skating slower and shooting less. His accuracy is off, and his confidence has taken a hit here.

The greatest issue?

“Just not getting the puck with a whole lot of speed with myself moving,” Marner said.

“Not really trusting my abilities out there. So, that’s something that needs to change.”
 
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notbias

Registered User
Feb 16, 2017
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Florida fans really liked him.

Surprised by that, he played 7 minutes a night, didn't play every game, and most of the time he was on the ice, the puck was in his own end.

Do Florida fans actually like him? The other 4th liners I understand, this one I don't.
 

Antropovsky

Registered User
Jun 2, 2007
15,383
7,079
Surprised by that, he played 7 minutes a night, didn't play every game, and most of the time he was on the ice, the puck was in his own end.

Do Florida fans actually like him? The other 4th liners I understand, this one I don't.
I didn't poll them all, but when I read a few pages of the PTO main board thread, most were disappointed that they didn't sign him and praised his postseason play.
 

notbias

Registered User
Feb 16, 2017
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I didn't poll them all, but when I read a few pages of the PTO main board thread, most were disappointed that they didn't sign him and praised his postseason play.

I guess it is no different than some people being upset when Reaves doesn't make the team... they have the same effect.
 

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