2017-18 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/951176118324858882

I missed this tweet from last week. So we're looking at late-January now for a potential return date.

 

[herman]

The sad thing is, I'm not super convinced that's true. I'd probably take Gudbranson over Polak. The first issue would be cost: I obviously wouldn't give up much of anything to acquire him. The second issue would be if they wanted to re-sign Gudbranson. He's probably more likely to get a long-term extension because of his age than Polak is.

But if A) Babcock is insistent on having a big stay-at-home defenceman in the 3RD spot, B) the cost to acquire Gudbranson was cheap (I saw someone throw Andrew Nielsen's name around, I could stomach that), and C) the team would let him walk at the end of the season, I'd take Gudbranson over Polak.

This new comparison viz suggests you might be right (in fairly small recent samples).
https://twitter.com/CJTDevil/status/951608543840559104

For the most part, the data I've seen suggests they're both poop emojis at hockey. It's a bit like Vegemite vs Marmite.

 

[Coco-puffs]

The sad thing is, I'm not super convinced that's true. I'd probably take Gudbranson over Polak. The first issue would be cost: I obviously wouldn't give up much of anything to acquire him. The second issue would be if they wanted to re-sign Gudbranson. He's probably more likely to get a long-term extension because of his age than Polak is.

But if A) Babcock is insistent on having a big stay-at-home defenceman in the 3RD spot, B) the cost to acquire Gudbranson was cheap (I saw someone throw Andrew Nielsen's name around, I could stomach that), and C) the team would let him walk at the end of the season, I'd take Gudbranson over Polak.

This new comparison viz suggests you might be right (in fairly small recent samples).
https://twitter.com/CJTDevil/status/951608543840559104

For the most part, the data I've seen suggests they're both poop emojis at hockey. It's a bit like Vegemite vs Marmite.

Yes, neither please.  Interesting to see that Carrick isn't much better than Polak until you see the Zone-Entries against data.  Seriously, Carrick is almost as bad as him at moving the puck according to that data.  Not sure how Carrick manages to control his own blue line quite well yet still allows goals against at the same rates as Polak. 

Took a look at the forwards and have the following comments:

Nylander, Matthews, Marner, and Kadri are fantastic. 
JvR and Bozak don't look good- Marner really carries that line. 
Marleau and Komarov also don't look good- Kadri carries that line.

For all the talk about having so much winger depth, only Marner and Nylander (no data for Hyman) look good.  Marleau and JvR get lots of shots but do very little getting the puck out of our zone and into the other zones.  I do wonder if the system they are playing is really hurting the winger stats.  Ain't getting any zone exits if you are already out of the zone waiting for the long bomb play.

 

[Zee]

This by weeks sucks.

 

[disco]

https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/951176118324858882

I missed this tweet from last week. So we're looking at late-January now for a potential return date.

Cool, we're at one/two weeks now. Poor Zaity, that's a full six weeks total.

 

[herman]

Interesting to see that Carrick isn't much better than Polak until you see the Zone-Entries against data.  Seriously, Carrick is almost as bad as him at moving the puck according to that data.  Not sure how Carrick manages to control his own blue line quite well yet still allows goals against at the same rates as Polak. 

I think Carrick overthinks on defense a bit (makes him slower than actual), and then underthinks when he gets emotional about something (lots of penalties taken). He's having a very down year when the spot was wide open for the taking and Babcock's brought it up several times this year and last that some players have played like they've sewn up a roster spot when it's a try out every day. I don't believe him because Polak and Martin, but he still has a point about Carrick's play.

Took a look at the forwards and have the following comments:

Nylander, Matthews, Marner, and Kadri are fantastic. 
JvR and Bozak don't look good- Marner really carries that line. 
Marleau and Komarov also don't look good- Kadri carries that line.

For all the talk about having so much winger depth, only Marner and Nylander (no data for Hyman) look good.  Marleau and JvR get lots of shots but do very little getting the puck out of our zone and into the other zones.  I do wonder if the system they are playing is really hurting the winger stats.  Ain't getting any zone exits if you are already out of the zone waiting for the long bomb play.

Our wingers are largely complementary (other than Nylander, Marner, who are both underperforming at the moment). In and of itself, that is fine. I agree with you that our system/structure skews the passing stats for a lot of our forwards, as only one line tries to take multiple touches in the OZ and even then its with 2 players (Matthews-Nylander). The other ones are shovel-it-to-the-middle and crash-the-net lines when they even have enough possession time to make a go of it, and even then a lot of the shoveling is initiated from the points, as only Marner has the capability to reliably hold the puck for more than two plays against out of our middle 6 forwards.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/953004339165057034

YAAASSSS. Making it a bit harder to see who it is now with his new number, but at least he is a different handed shot than Brown, Nylander, Zaitsev.

He wore 44 with the Otters, and 8 when he was a full time Marlie. 8 is 4+4, so duh, but both those numbers are off the table with the Leafs. Not sure if 3 was picked or assigned but 3 is half of 8 visually. 23, or 2^3, is 8, so this sounds more like his choice than the 3 was and it's the kind of numerological overthinking that I'm into.

 

[ZBBM]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/953004339165057034

YAAASSSS. Making it a bit harder to see who it is now with his new number, but at least he is a different handed shot than Brown, Nylander, Zaitsev.

He wore 44 with the Otters, and 8 when he was a full time Marlie. 8 is 4+4, so duh, but both those numbers are off the table with the Leafs. Not sure if 3 was picked or assigned but 3 is half of 8 visually. 23, or 2^3, is 8, so this sounds more like his choice than the 3 was and it's the kind of numerological overthinking that I'm into.

THIS POST IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK

 

[herman]

Dermott and Gauthier recalls now official.

 

[AvroArrow]

Now put Dermott in the ****in lineup and leave him there.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

 

[bustaheims]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

https://www.hockey-reference.com/friv/numbers.cgi?number=3&year=2018

Guys that are either unavailable or not interesting (or that carry an unmanageable cap hit).

 

[hockeyfan1]

How the Maple Leafs prime their bodies for the grind of an 82-game season...

Here are a few hints:

For Connor Brown, sleep, and plenty of it, is key.  (Don't laugh, but it's purported that Lebron James gets half a day's worth of zzzzzzzs).

For Uncle Leo, it's a little bit of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g that everyone else on the team does.

For Tyler Bozak, it's specialized compression-air  apparatus for his legs, and Cryotherapy.  Yes, Cryotherapy, or the usage of cold chambers.  Uncle Leo's a fan, too.

For JVR, it's a back contraption and skate inserts.  Not a guy to divulge too much.

For Patty Marleau, it's alternating in hot/cold tub dips.

For Roman Polak.....zip.  Nada. Nothing.  Just eat & sleep.  Simple.

For those who subscribe, there's lots more details here:
https://theathletic.com/210336/2018/01/14/from-cold-chambers-to-deep-sleeps-how-the-leafs-survive-the-seasons-physical-grind/

 

[Bullfrog]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

Lou is strange.

 

[Zee]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

Lou is strange.

It is strange, but I'm sure he didn't choose #3 to begin with, it was just given to him.  Not sure why they'd suddenly take it away unless they have a trade incoming where a #3 is on the way in?

 

[Strangelove]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

Lou is strange.

It is strange, but I'm sure he didn't choose #3 to begin with, it was just given to him.  Not sure why they'd suddenly take it away unless they have a trade incoming where a #3 is on the way in?

They're probably just preparing to retire the jersey of Leafs legend Dion Phaneuf.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

Lou is strange.

It is strange, but I'm sure he didn't choose #3 to begin with, it was just given to him.  Not sure why they'd suddenly take it away unless they have a trade incoming where a #3 is on the way in?

They're probably just preparing to retire the jersey of Leafs legend Dion Phaneuf.

Or the Sens are sending Karlsson to Leafs along with Dion Phaneuf. 

 

[Bill_Berg]

https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/953022242144661504
!!!

So, what other players in the league wear #3?

Lou is strange.

It is strange, but I'm sure he didn't choose #3 to begin with, it was just given to him.  Not sure why they'd suddenly take it away unless they have a trade incoming where a #3 is on the way in?

They're probably just preparing to retire the jersey of Leafs legend Dion Phaneuf.

Or the Sens are sending Karlsson to Leafs along with Dion Phaneuf.

Maybe they're messing with Jim Hughson.

 

[Highlander]

Does this have anything to do with a strange movie with Jim Carrey?

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/DylanFremlin/status/953503298664980480

Click through to see the thread of Dermott clips and some of the detail work that he does regularly that doesn't make the highlights.