123offtheglass
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can guys be moved from taxi squad to ahl and vise versa? Or even called up from AHL to NHL leapfrogging the taxi squad guys?
Updated line up - Pre Training Camp with taxi squad
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Coachcorner
Senor Martinez
- Sep 28, 2017
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Is there treally a realistic chance for a Big Joe Thornton to play with Matthews and Marner/Nylander no? On the same line? Is that realistic. Hyman - Matthews - Nylander, Mikheyev - Tavares - Marner was the first go to we've had for so long and so many medias are pushing it real hard.
Golden_Jet
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The Iceman
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Can someone please explain how we can keep Dell as our 3rd goalie with the cap and waivers in play?
zeke
The Dube Abides
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LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
Lmao!
Everyone's going to cry about Thornton being slow but if you look at Thornton's numbers even last year, he still produces when played with offensive players.
The Iceman
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Golden_Jet
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Jimmy Firecracker
Backcheck, Forecheck, Paycheque.
Jimmy Firecracker
Backcheck, Forecheck, Paycheque.
The Iceman
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LeafChief
Matthew Knies Enthusiast
You know what he can do to get more? Play well.
I'm pretty confident Vesey's spot on line 2 isn't locked in all year.
Yeah, These are the first combinations before camp has even gotten started.
They might not even be what the lines end up being on opening night.
lovemyleafs
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- Jan 23, 2017
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zeke
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I love love love that he's starting with these lines.
A Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Hyman line makes oodles of sense - that's a fast, strong, skilled, excellent defensively line. That could be a quality 2nd line tbh.
And then the two star duos really should be able to carry a 3rd more limited guy. Love to see Thornton get a first look up there, and even Vesey makes plenty of sense with his combo of speed size and shot. No reason he can't flourish as a 3rd wheel up there.
And then if Thornton or Vesey can't hack it, they can try literally any of the others - Robertson, Engvall, Spezza, Anderson, Boyd, Simmonds, Barabanov......all of them could potentially hack it as a 3rd wheel on either of those lines.
And I'm glad Simmonds is starting on the 4th line. Unless he has a miraculous health turnaround that should be as high as he ever gets.
Super encouraged to see those lines to start. Good stuff.
A Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Hyman line makes oodles of sense - that's a fast, strong, skilled, excellent defensively line. That could be a quality 2nd line tbh.
And then the two star duos really should be able to carry a 3rd more limited guy. Love to see Thornton get a first look up there, and even Vesey makes plenty of sense with his combo of speed size and shot. No reason he can't flourish as a 3rd wheel up there.
And then if Thornton or Vesey can't hack it, they can try literally any of the others - Robertson, Engvall, Spezza, Anderson, Boyd, Simmonds, Barabanov......all of them could potentially hack it as a 3rd wheel on either of those lines.
And I'm glad Simmonds is starting on the 4th line. Unless he has a miraculous health turnaround that should be as high as he ever gets.
Super encouraged to see those lines to start. Good stuff.
Rob Brown
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zeke
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moon111
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During the regular season and playoffs, the biggest weakness on the Leafs forward group was when John Tavares was on the ice. He had horrible amount of goals-against in the regular and playoffs. The #1 priority in building lines for the Leafs is how to keep the puck out of their own net when Tavares is on the ice. You want Tavares and his right-wing (Nylander or Marner) to be trying to create something offensively. With no defense-needed play from Barrie and Reilly as they act like #4 forwards, it was too much to put on the shoulders of someone like Mikheyev or Robertson to try and help out Cody Ceci. You might find making that line flashy with offense will even come out scoring more goals in the regular season they they let in, but in the playoffs when things are a lot tighter, they will fail again. Tavares should have a very defensive LW if not both wingers with two-way acumen.
Wafflewhipper
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- Jan 18, 2014
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S
Spezza,Simmonds, Thornton and Vesey will get spelled in and out and up and down. The fluidity of the lines needs to be based on system and defensive work to be tougher to play against. These b2b and sets against same teams are going to get chippy and physically draining for everyone. It will be mentally draining also but the competition keeps you going mentally. I say thiscseason is tougher onbthe players physically and all players even the Taxi squad are very important. The depth will the big difference
Really like the look of the opening camp forward lines.
I love putting Thornton on a line with Matthews and Marner for a variety of reasons.
1. Flanking Matthews elite finishing ability with 2 elite passers.
2. Jumbo is a puck possession player, and still draws a lot of physical attention given his size and ability to protect the puck. More space for Matthews and Marner
3. Most importantly, everything you read on jumbo is that he holds people accountable. Having jumbo play with Matthews and Marner he will make sure these guys are playing the RIGHT way. Jumbo has been known to call line mates out for not putting in the work. I feel like Matthews was very consistent last year, and was largely our best player every game (as he should be) but I really am expecting Mitch to show a more consistent compete level with jumbos leadership.
I think vesey on the second line with JT and Nylander has a real chance to work as well. If not, he can be slotted in and out of the lineup with Robertson without disrupting the other lines (provided the other lines are working)
I also like the byproduct of Hyman slotting down the lineup for the sole reason that this is a contract year. I love Hyman, I want him to be a career leaf, but the way his play was trending playing alongside Matthews we would not be able to resign him. Hyman makes every line better. And the leafs 3rd line was absolute trash last year. Moving him and soup to the 3rd line instantly makes that line very good with kerfoot in the middle.
The 4th line is a bit of a crapshoot for me. I love what spezza brought last year, and I love he addition of Simmonds character. In terms of the 4th line RW, I really know nothing about Barabanov. That said, the leafs have left themselves with a lot of flexibility to move him in and out by having quality players like Anderson, Boyd, engvall and Robertson if need be
Really excited to see these in action
I love putting Thornton on a line with Matthews and Marner for a variety of reasons.
1. Flanking Matthews elite finishing ability with 2 elite passers.
2. Jumbo is a puck possession player, and still draws a lot of physical attention given his size and ability to protect the puck. More space for Matthews and Marner
3. Most importantly, everything you read on jumbo is that he holds people accountable. Having jumbo play with Matthews and Marner he will make sure these guys are playing the RIGHT way. Jumbo has been known to call line mates out for not putting in the work. I feel like Matthews was very consistent last year, and was largely our best player every game (as he should be) but I really am expecting Mitch to show a more consistent compete level with jumbos leadership.
I think vesey on the second line with JT and Nylander has a real chance to work as well. If not, he can be slotted in and out of the lineup with Robertson without disrupting the other lines (provided the other lines are working)
I also like the byproduct of Hyman slotting down the lineup for the sole reason that this is a contract year. I love Hyman, I want him to be a career leaf, but the way his play was trending playing alongside Matthews we would not be able to resign him. Hyman makes every line better. And the leafs 3rd line was absolute trash last year. Moving him and soup to the 3rd line instantly makes that line very good with kerfoot in the middle.
The 4th line is a bit of a crapshoot for me. I love what spezza brought last year, and I love he addition of Simmonds character. In terms of the 4th line RW, I really know nothing about Barabanov. That said, the leafs have left themselves with a lot of flexibility to move him in and out by having quality players like Anderson, Boyd, engvall and Robertson if need be
Really excited to see these in action
Buds17
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- Nov 29, 2015
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I can understand trying to give a few of the new guys some spotlight. Keefe isn't reticent about changing lines anyway. I'm not sure about Thornton and Vesey in top six roles over the long haul. Can't say they wouldn't be well insulated though. It is only the first day of camp with the season still a week and a half away. The third line would absolutely be a two-way force. Although it would be the fourth line, not confident about Spezza at centre for too long either. No spot for Engvall at the moment though, so...
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