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We Need A Finisher

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What does Joe Thornton add to the leafs?

Answer that for me.

He can't play defense, can hardly skate. His passing right now is average.

Why can't we afford to give Robertson a look?
 
OB34KNH said:
Apart from Matthews who is a pure finisher on this team?

Nylander?
No. He's more of a hybrid finisher/playmaker than a pure finisher.
Tavares?
No. He can't bury anything this season.

Hyman is the only one who comes close to mind.

We need a pure finisher. Call up Nick Robertson and see if he can finish these empty nets.

I'm tired of seeing Mikheyev, Kerfoot, Rielly, and, co missing empty netters.

Robertson is a pure shooter, it's common sense to give him a go.
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For real?!?! A finisher? Seriously? We ran into a goalie on Hasek mode. What the leafs really need is a real goalie.
 
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RaptorLeaf13 said:
For real?!?! A finisher? Seriously? We ran into a goalie on Hasek mode. What the leafs really need is a real goalie.
Click to expand...

Who on the Leafs other than Matthews is a pure finisher?
Nylander is pass first.
Tavares can't finish anything this season.

If Matthews gets injured, we are doomed.
 
OB34KNH said:
Who on the Leafs other than Matthews is a pure finisher?
Nylander is pass first.
Tavares can't finish anything this season.

If Matthews gets injured, we are doomed.
Click to expand...

So what is your solution? Nobody out there is replacing Matthews if he goes down... That's the nature of being one of the best players in the world.

Nick Robertson hasn't looked sharp in the finishing department in his brief stint in the AHL this year, so I doubt he fixes our problems.

Hall can't finish anything this season either and he has a lot of warts.

Rakell is not a finisher.

Maybe Palmieri but he would be a marginal upgrade at best.

The Leafs don't need a finisher. They need a goalie. If they can get a decent forward to bolster our depth without breaking the bank, that is a bonus, but far from a necessity. The only thing that is consistently hampering us right now is Andersen, and he has done so since Keefe has taken over.
 
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Well that Nylander, Tavares and Kerfoot line has been heating up of late. And Nylander does finish. Honestly, I think this team has enough depth in scoring. If we really want to get another finisher then that would be a Forsberg, Rackell maybe Hall. and etc... But at what cost? The issue lies in our goalie who really sucks. We can’t always be out scoring every team. We need a goalie who can step up and make the big saves at the right time. If the Leafs got that the Leafs would be dominating and actually make it far and deep in the playoffs.
 
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Man Bear Pig said:
That'd be a bold move, but I wouldn't hate it. Andersen needs a fresh start somewhere else.
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You can tell this team has lost confidence in Freddy.

Freddy allowing that 4th and final goal IMO should have been the cherry on top.
 
OB34KNH said:
Who on the Leafs other than Matthews is a pure finisher?
Nylander is pass first.
Tavares can't finish anything this season.

If Matthews gets injured, we are doomed.
Click to expand...

Last year we had the 3rd, 15th and 28th highest goal scorers in the league and they all still play for this team...pretty sure we are covered on this front.
 
We could use another game breaker in the top 6 but what team couldn’t? Those players don’t grow on trees.

Our LW is bad, Thornton is a negative out there and Kerfoot has a muffin on him. Dubas will add something up top, I’m sure of it.
 
Ah yes scoring goals is the issue with this team, don't score enough ! We need a competent starer, Andersen has been utter garbage since the the second half of 2019. He's obviously declined and isn't a starter anymore. Look at what Helly was able to do last night. Not suggesting we need a vezina goalie, but just someone you can count on to consistently have a .900+ save percentage, Freddy has been awful.
 
OB34KNH said:
Who on the Leafs other than Matthews is a pure finisher?
Nylander is pass first.
Tavares can't finish anything this season.

If Matthews gets injured, we are doomed.
Click to expand...
every damn team is doomed if their 11 million dollar player gets hurt
 
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Matthews leads the league in goals by a wide margin (despite games missed to injuries), and Nylander, Marner, Tavares and Hyman are all top 90 league wide in goals. Simmonds might be there if not for injuries. As a team we're also 2nd in the league in goals-for per game, and 1st in PP%.

We're in a small offensive slump as a team, but hockey is fickle, a lot of that is just luck. Every team, every year, goes through hot streaks and cold streaks with goal scoring. Goal scoring is really not an issue for us at all, it's our biggest strength. I'd consider Matthews to be an elite goal scorer, Tavares and Nylander very good, Hyman solid, and Marner seems to have really improved his shot and nose for the net, he's looking like a solid goalscorer too.

IMO we've got 2 clear weaknesses:
  • Toughness - we will certainly take a hit to make a play, but we do not punish teams at all. Last in the entire league in hits/60 mins, don't muck it up in scrums, nobody but Simmonds is even decent at fighting. Intimidation is an important part of hockey, getting physically punished and having to constantly look over your shoulder makes you worse at all elements of the game, but teams can play worry-free against us. We're arguably the least intimidating team in the league
  • Goaltending - I don't think Andersen has been as bad as some say, but he's gone from being an above average starter (his first 3 years with us), to a below average one (this year and last). In the majority of games he's outperformed by the opposing goalie. Mostly, he gets lit up on the PK
We're great offensively, our puck possession/control is elite, as is our finish - both on the PP and at ES. We're finally very good defensively too, though the PK is below average (main issue here is Andersen, solid ES goalie but gets smoked on the PK). IMO we're very well coached too. Toughness is our major weakness, goaltending a smaller weakness, but that's pretty much it.
 
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Critical13 said:
Ducks fans are asking Habs fans for Guhle/Caufield + a 1st for Rakell on the mainboards :eyeroll:
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considering all i've heard is how pitiful Guhle/Caufield are on our board that really isn't much of a price to pay , lol
 
hotpaws said:
considering all i've heard is how pitiful Guhle/Caufield are on our board that really isn't much of a price to pay , lol
Click to expand...

I don’t like either prospect all that much and that’s still a huge ask.

Even bigger ask with news coming out that confirms cap is going to be mostly
Flat for 4 more years. Those ELCs will be pure gold.
 
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Critical13 said:
I don’t like either prospect all that much and that’s still a huge ask.

Even bigger ask with news coming out that confirms cap is going to be mostly
Flat for 4 more years. Those ELCs will be pure gold.
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it's the HF trade forum , they ask for

-Robertson and a 1st

we offer

-Hollowell and a 4th

then we take shots at each other until we get an infraction and the thread gets locked , lol
 
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hotpaws said:
it's the HF trade forum , they ask for

-Robertson and a 1st

we offer

-Hollowell and a 4th

then we take shots at each other until we get an infraction and the thread gets locked , lol
Click to expand...

lol very true. I'd like to go after Rakell if Palmieri/Wood aren't realistic, but I wouldn't give more than a 1st, and even then I would be hesitant.
 
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Ah HFboards.

the only place where one of the best teams for goals for per game needs a finisher.

This is why shows that feature skip bay less and the likes are popular - because people actually think that way.
 
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