Why is Wayne Simmonds on the Team?
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Isaac Nootin
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- Sep 28, 2017
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Took less than 10 seconds, William.
DraftSchmaft
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- Jul 29, 2021
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The issue with Simmonds is he has no smash bros squad. If Simmonds is your no.1 grit guy, your team has no grit. Simmonds needs to be moved down the grit depth chart. For example if you put Simmonds on Predators 4th line, he's absolutely perfect there. Fits in well. His 4th line rates are fine. Their bottom 6 becomes even harder to play against.
Our roster is not constructed for Simmonds to be our captain of grit. His body only has a once per month captain of grit game in it. He needs a younger Hathaway type winger with him to go out there and crash and bang with. Get a more smash bros worthy 4C as well and now we're finally talking. Simmonds will shine if you get him a squad. Lines like this are money in the playoffs. Literally just go out there to throw 2 hits each (not highlight reel, just feisty play) and come off and crash the net when in the o-zone.
Our roster is not constructed for Simmonds to be our captain of grit. His body only has a once per month captain of grit game in it. He needs a younger Hathaway type winger with him to go out there and crash and bang with. Get a more smash bros worthy 4C as well and now we're finally talking. Simmonds will shine if you get him a squad. Lines like this are money in the playoffs. Literally just go out there to throw 2 hits each (not highlight reel, just feisty play) and come off and crash the net when in the o-zone.
Isaac Nootin
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Instantly and obviously bad contract from the get go. Like JT.
2 years seemed like we were bidding against no one at all. A virtuous effort for sure. But yikes.
2 years seemed like we were bidding against no one at all. A virtuous effort for sure. But yikes.
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Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds has always taken his career one game at a time. That got him to 1,000 | The Star
It was Simmonds’ season in Brockville that brought him to the attention of Mike Futa, then GM of the Owen Sound Attack. The Simmonds family was not wealthy and purchasing equipment was an issue, and playing Tier II could lead to a scholarship with a U.S. college team.
Futa convinced Simmonds and his family to give up the scholarship and try to get to the professional ranks though the OHL.
“My mom had talked about getting education first and foremost,” Simmonds said. “Obviously, the percentage of players who make the NHL that play junior is very low, so it was a tough decision. But Futa was my whisperer. We got it done. Full faith in him.”
Futa was hired as the Kings’ director of amateur scouting in 2007, the first year Simmonds was eligible for the NHL draft. The Kings didn’t have Simmonds on their draft list at the time. Futa took him in the second round.
“He almost made the team as an 18-year-old,” Futa said. “But he goes back to junior, wins the world juniors. Comes in in his first rookie game, has a couple of goals and a couple of fights and he wasn’t going anywhere … We had talked about us changing our culture and, all of a sudden, you have a guy that can score and fight, his teammates love him. The rest is history.”
Simmonds remember his first game against San Jose, when he was facing the likes of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.
“My line started, but I didn’t start,” Simmonds said. “But I was OK. I had a lot of butterflies. I was pretty nervous but it was a great experience.”
And now, looking back, he can barely believe it all happened — six NHL teams, 262 goals, 521 points, 1,217 penalty minutes.
“It’s been a long journey but I’m definitely happy. I don’t think I ever really thought about (playing 1,000 games). My career was just one game at a time. Being in the NHL was enough. For me, it was take everything that came my way, try to make the best of it."
“And 14 years later, here we are at 1,000. So it’s been cool.”
It was Simmonds’ season in Brockville that brought him to the attention of Mike Futa, then GM of the Owen Sound Attack. The Simmonds family was not wealthy and purchasing equipment was an issue, and playing Tier II could lead to a scholarship with a U.S. college team.
Futa convinced Simmonds and his family to give up the scholarship and try to get to the professional ranks though the OHL.
“My mom had talked about getting education first and foremost,” Simmonds said. “Obviously, the percentage of players who make the NHL that play junior is very low, so it was a tough decision. But Futa was my whisperer. We got it done. Full faith in him.”
Futa was hired as the Kings’ director of amateur scouting in 2007, the first year Simmonds was eligible for the NHL draft. The Kings didn’t have Simmonds on their draft list at the time. Futa took him in the second round.
“He almost made the team as an 18-year-old,” Futa said. “But he goes back to junior, wins the world juniors. Comes in in his first rookie game, has a couple of goals and a couple of fights and he wasn’t going anywhere … We had talked about us changing our culture and, all of a sudden, you have a guy that can score and fight, his teammates love him. The rest is history.”
Simmonds remember his first game against San Jose, when he was facing the likes of Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau.
“My line started, but I didn’t start,” Simmonds said. “But I was OK. I had a lot of butterflies. I was pretty nervous but it was a great experience.”
And now, looking back, he can barely believe it all happened — six NHL teams, 262 goals, 521 points, 1,217 penalty minutes.
“It’s been a long journey but I’m definitely happy. I don’t think I ever really thought about (playing 1,000 games). My career was just one game at a time. Being in the NHL was enough. For me, it was take everything that came my way, try to make the best of it."
“And 14 years later, here we are at 1,000. So it’s been cool.”
Hopefully this is the last year we have to watch Simmonds play. Aside from being able to drop the gloves here and there, he’s been pretty much useless.
DarkKnight
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- Jan 17, 2017
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Exactly what you want on a fourth line. Teammates love him and he brings intangibles we simply don’t have otherwise. Least of our worries.
I used to defend him, but it looks like he’s forgotten how to play hockey. Guy can’t shoot, pass or play defence. He throws a hit here and there but only drops the gloves when absolutely needed so I guess that’s a positive in a way lol
Magic Man
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National Hockey League Team Fighting Major Leaders for the 2021-2022 Regular Season
NHL Stats
These should help you to piece the puzzle together.
NHL Stats
These should help you to piece the puzzle together.
kb
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Magic Man
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I was trying to point out the team is really soft in comparison to other teams, Simmonds is a necessity because of the lineup being structured in such a way that it doesn't have enough muscle as a result. There is also a Simmonds on basically every team, many of them have multiple versions of Simmonds. So, the fact that the Leafs ice someone who uses body contact as a way to seperate the other team from the puck is actually a tactic employed by many. Not all of them score at Wayne's pace either.
I don't think they need to remove him and end the year last in FM's, with no more accumulated since his absense and last in hits, like they do every year, like the old school Red Wings teams.
They are still a very good team.
Contenderorpretender
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DarkKnight
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Leafsfan74
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Hoping that Wayne has a great game tonight to celebrate his 1000th.
Nylander88
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Gotta love Bunting. Seems like such a great teammate. Always posting his teammates accomplishments and stuff on his instagram stories too. Plays with heart and is way more skilled than I thought he'd be. Really hope he's a Leaf for a long time.
Congrats to Simmer on 1000
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
The fact theyve printed t-shirts goes to show how they vuew his role/impact internally.
Now, one can still go back and forth whether he deserves a spot over one of the Marlies. But inthink youd still be hard pressed that hes a liability at 8-10min on the 4th
Now, one can still go back and forth whether he deserves a spot over one of the Marlies. But inthink youd still be hard pressed that hes a liability at 8-10min on the 4th
He is not a necessity, aggression is, but not Simmons. Even 4th line tougher players must play the game. He is done. A soft version of his former self.
Isaac Nootin
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Glad he's here (I'm sure his teammates feel the same way) and happy for 1000 games.
This Leafs team is once again insanely soft outside of Wayne.
This Leafs team is once again insanely soft outside of Wayne.
Magic Man
Registered User
Go look at hockeyfights.com and tell me how many of the players on the top page can play hockey better than Simmonds. The ratio is not very high. Yet, these teams keep playing them anyways.
I think in general the GM sees things a certain way and fans parrot that way of thinking to make sense of his moves. It's going to be hard to make a fan of the harlem globetrotters see the impact of intangibles like body contact.
