2020-2021 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[Guilt Trip]

Milstein was asked if how the Barabanov experiment ended gave Semyonov any hesitation to signing with the Leafs....He said "No."
Hope it works out. Barabanov is doing fine is SJ.

With an assist tonight, Alexander Barabanov has 5 points in 5 games since joining the Sharks.
It's arguable he could have another assist on SJ first goal tonight, but still cool nonetheless!

I don't think Keefe ever had any trust in Barabanov. Oh well glad he's doing well.

 

[herman]

Scott Pellerin was promoted in 2015 to Director of Player Development. Stephan Robidas was promoted to fill the Director vacancy back in 2018 when Pellerin was bumped up to Senior Director.

(paywall) https://theathletic.com/2569545/2021/05/06/maple-leafs-departing-player-development-head-scott-pellerin-on-philosophy-prospects-gm-kyle-dubas/

Pellerin was promoted to director of player development in June 2015 and further implemented his vision for the department. In 2018, he became senior director of player development. Since he joined the Leafs, over 20 players graduated to make their NHL debut with Toronto.

?The purpose of the development department was focused solely on the player: How can we make the player better? The success of the players going through the program, finding their own way, believing in their abilities, that?s the purpose. And that?s where I find the most gratification: watching a player get to the NHL,? he said.

A core belief of the Leafs development staff under Pellerin was that young players and prospects should feel connected to the NHL organization. He ensured young players have access to the same level of video analysis, nutritional and on-ice advice and personal attention that every Leafs player does.

Pellerin put a personal touch to building relationships with draftees and prospects and really made the randos and their families at the bottom of each draft feel valued, and tailored development approaches to the individual. So why did he not get renewed?

Mirtle's theory is that a higher profile hire is coming in the offseason; Kloke thinks there are more non-renewals coming down the pipeline, so there is likely a shift coming. Also, none of those value-add things Pellerin instituted are tied to him specifically. He should be a hot commodity in the offseason for a team looking to revamp their dev efforts though.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Hard to imagine that Rogers and Bell couldn't find a couple $100k or so under their couch cushions to keep this guy in the fold.

 

[herman]

Hard to imagine that Rogers and Bell couldn't find a couple $100k or so under their couch cushions to keep this guy in the fold.

If his primary contribution is easily incorporated into the team culture (and requires no continued upkeep from Pellerin himself) and his specific skills are redundant (French?), it's pretty hard to justify a Senior Director salary there, especially as the team shifts into ruthless contender mode and has to shed more of his personal projects.

Letting him go sooner to an organization where he will be more valued (with lots of runway to retirement) is better than letting him linger as a very expensive figurehead. It's pretty hard for the person who built something to later transform it significantly.

 

[herman]

https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/toronto-maple-leafs-prospects/2017/7/8/15940290/toronto-maple-leafs-development-camp-interviews-timothy-liljegren-eemeli-rasanen
Just an old Pellerin interview at the 2017 Dev camp (the one with Mark Hunter's giant sons)

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://twitter.com/jtbourne/status/1390658214002405380

 

[Bender]

https://twitter.com/jtbourne/status/1390658214002405380

They definitely work in a hot spot and most probably live in hotspots seeing as very few Toronto postal codes aren't.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Peel has opened up Vaccines to anyone 18 and older so I don't see why they can't get theirs.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/JClipperton_CP/status/1390710987683209216
Alright, you've convinced me that we need to keep you, Mo.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

We?ve likely seen the last of Rasmus Sandin for the regular season.

Sheldon Keefe confirmed that the 21-year-old defenceman will be replaced by Ben Hutton for Saturday?s game against the Montreal Canadiens, calling it a salary cap-related decision, and it?s believed those same cap maneuvers are expected to keep Sandin sidelined for the games in Ottawa and Winnipeg next week as well.

That would exclude Sandin?s salary from the Leafs daily cap accounting and provide them with enough space to activate Riley Nash off long-term injured reserve. Nash has been recovering a knee sprain since coming over in a trade with Columbus on April 9.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/marner-recalls-chanting-matthews-name-at-concert-on-draft-night~2197458

"Mitch Marner recalls the night he found out Auston Matthews had been drafted to the Maple Leafs. Sheldon Keefe also explains his thought process between keeping the two stars together all season long."

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

https://twitter.com/_NickRichard/status/1391121996252164101

Ooh, that was soft by Freddy...

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

And this was weak:

https://twitter.com/nickbarden/status/1391109329965797378

And apparently this wasn't tipped:

https://twitter.com/nickbarden/status/1391115973621649417

Ugh.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Again it doesn't matter what he does here. It's a matter of him getting comfortable and getting his timing back.

 

[dappleganger]

I'm about as big of a Freddie supporter out there, but, let's just say I'm having doubts.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I'm about as big of a Freddie supporter out there, but, let's just say I'm having doubts.

If this wasn't like pre season for him, I would be too. He's made some good saves. One thing I like is that he pretty much has to battle through screens almost every shot. Leafs should take a page out of how the Moose play lol. They love to jam the net.
I like his side to side movement though. He def looks unsure at times with the Marlies D if that makes any sense.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Made some big saves in the dying seconds. Man the Marlies D reminds me of the Leafs in the past sometimes. Giveaway machines in their own end lol.

 

[dappleganger]

Made some big saves in the dying seconds. Man the Marlies D reminds me of the Leafs in the past sometimes. Giveaway machines in their own end lol.

And a fair point. Will have to wait and see what he looks like back on the big club.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Kossila tried the Michigan in OT..lol
Freddie makes two huge saves in OT so far. Big glove and a breakaway save.

 

[bustaheims]

Lots of NHL goalies struggle in the AHL. Passes aren?t as accurate, guys aren?t in the spots they usually would be, etc. It?s harder to follow the play when you?re used to the way the game flows at the NHL level. AHL goalie stats are pretty useless as predictors for NHL success.