2023-24 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[herman]

Can they waive Reaves, and demote him on paper to the Marlies, but he still practices with the Leafs?  That way if they want to "bring him up" for a game he is just ready to go?

They can waive without loaning, but once loaned to the Marlies, the player is no longer eligible to participate in Leafs work until he is recalled. Fortunately, the Leafs and Marlies have the same practice facility and resources, albeit different ice pads and dressing rooms.

 

[dappleganger]

Teams still short a top-9 winger with Domi at C. Holmberg can't hang there. Either Robertson or McMann need to get a shot, they need to sign a Kane or Puljujarvi, or make a trade for someone.

3 suitably 2-way lines has to be the goal. Ideally 4. Stacking two lines and having only one ever going off at a time (and sometimes zero) is no bueno. The secondary depth needs to have a role, and needs to feel like they can be a solution, and part of this team -- not just guys who are watching Mitch Marner get gassed with 27 min in early February. Coaching plays a part here in spacing out the skill and giving roles out to skaters and letting them work through it.

That means we need players who have wheels and can do the simple stuff routinely, and 1 more top-9 centre if not Nylander or top-9 winger, who can drive a line. This is not even taking into consideration the defense, which is in shambles on the right side due to injury and ineptitude. The early this correction is made, the more time they have to settle in.

This is without any major personnel moves:

Bertuzzi-Matthews-Jarnkrok
Knies-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Nylander-Domi
Gregor-Kampf-McMann

Can I suggest:

Knies-Matthews-Jarnkrok
Bertuzzi-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Nylander-Domi
Gregor-Kampf-McMann

I think the two Arizona guys have a chemistry together. J?rnkrok seems todo well with Matthews too.

I like the dynamic of the 2nd line guys and let Nylander cook on the 3rd line.

 

[herman]

Can I suggest:

Knies-Matthews-Jarnkrok
Bertuzzi-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Nylander-Domi
Gregor-Kampf-McMann

I just think the two Arizona guys have a chemistry together. J?rnkrok seems todo well with Matthews too.

I like the dynamic of the 2nd line guys and let Nylander cook on the 3rd line.

Yeah, I was thinking that this morning as well, after seeing the two practice buddies causing a good ruckus, without much required from Mitch. Domi up the middle with Robby and Willy on the wings could work too (better handedness), but either way they can be a sheltered rush line. I like the pairs here.

Knies-Matthews
Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Nylander

Kind of want to just litter the rest of the lineup with younger Jarnkrok clones. Low maintenance, positionally sound, solid effort, doesn't need the puck to perform (i.e. cheap Zach Hymans).

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I kind of get wanting to swap Nylander to the 3rd line for the sake of having 3 scoring lines, but he's been great to start the season(he was a little off last night). So has Tavares. Why are we so anxious to split them up?

I didn't mind Domi in the middle between Robertson and Jarnkrok last night. They generated the tying goal. Domi was actually skating. I'd give them a few more games together.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I kind of get wanting to swap Nylander to the 3rd line for the sake of having 3 scoring lines, but he's been great to start the season(he was a little off last night). So has Tavares. Why are we so anxious to split them up?

I didn't mind Domi in the middle between Robertson and Jarnkrok last night. They generated the tying goal. Domi was actually skating. I'd give them a few more games together.

The Tavares-Nylander line hasn't produced a 5-on-5 goal in 6 games now. With that said the 1st and 3rd lines looked the best they have at any point this season last night so I think they've earned a long look together. I dunno, maybe Bertuzzi needs a drop back on the 4th line for a little bit in place of Gregor or McMann to see if their simpler games mesh better on the 2nd line.

 

[cabber24]

100% spread the stars over 3 lines. It's early November we need some balance. Cannot go with 2 lines for 82 games.

 

[ZBBM]

MLHS called out both Lagesson and Benoit for good, simple performances last night.  I haven't seen Lagesson make a bonehead play yet (the likes of which put a quick end to Lajoie's time with the team against Buffalo).

Just what the doctor ordered. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

100% spread the stars over 3 lines. It's early November we need some balance. Cannot go with 2 lines for 82 games.

You don't necessarily need to spread the stars over 3 lines to get balanced scoring. You just can't have a WHL player (Minten), AHL player (Holmberg), or 4th liner (Kampf) centering the 3rd line and expect it to succeed. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

MLHS called out both Lagesson and Benoit for good, simple performances last night.  I haven't seen Lagesson make a bonehead play yet (the likes of which put a quick end to Lajoie's time with the team against Buffalo).

Just what the doctor ordered. 

Lagesson's been solid as an injury replacement guy. To the point where if he keeps up this performance and needs to clear waivers again I wouldn't be shocked if another team gave him a hard look.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

100% spread the stars over 3 lines. It's early November we need some balance. Cannot go with 2 lines for 82 games.

Spreading your stars out weakens all 3 lines if you don't have players capable of keeping up/supporting those stars. Bertuzzi with M&M and then with Tavares and Nylander shows that.

Every coach tries to spread their talent at some point. It rarely works if you spread it too thin. So far this year, there's only 4 players really going(short of Knies when he plays the lightning). If you spread them out even more, your production would actually drop IMO. Matthews may be able to carry players. I don't know that the other 3 stars can. Tavares has in the past, but we all know it's not the same JT as 5 or 6 years ago.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

After a slow-ish start Marner has somewhat quietly jumped into 2nd on the team in scoring (behind Matthews) and top-10 overall in the league. 8 points in 2 games will do that I guess.

 

[herman]

After a slow-ish start Marner has somewhat quietly jumped into 2nd on the team in scoring (behind Matthews) and top-10 overall in the league. 8 points in 2 games will do that I guess.

Each game had 1G, 1 Primary, and 2 Secondaries. More importantly (and impressively), all but one of those 8 points came at 5v5.

 

[Zee]

Let's revisit this great Gary Lawless article from 7 years ago

 

[ZBBM]

After a slow-ish start Marner has somewhat quietly jumped into 2nd on the team in scoring (behind Matthews) and top-10 overall in the league. 8 points in 2 games will do that I guess.

Each game had 1G, 1 Primary, and 2 Secondaries. More importantly (and impressively), all but one of those 8 points came at 5v5.

And he made two spectacular passes on the final Leafs PP in the third that should have ended up as the dagger goal.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

After a slow-ish start Marner has somewhat quietly jumped into 2nd on the team in scoring (behind Matthews) and top-10 overall in the league. 8 points in 2 games will do that I guess.

Each game had 1G, 1 Primary, and 2 Secondaries. More importantly (and impressively), all but one of those 8 points came at 5v5.

That made me check his 5-on-5 performance and it makes his surge even crazier. He had 3 points at 5-on-5 in 9 games during October. League wide 152 players had 4 or more 5-on-5 points in that month. In November he has 8 points at 5-on-5 so far through 3 games. That's catapulted him to 2nd overall in 5-on-5 scoring (tied with Matthews), just 1 behind William Karlsson in Vegas who has played 1 more game.

 

[cabber24]

Let's revisit this great Gary Lawless article from 7 years ago

Haha, I did believe Laine was going to easily score 50+ for years! I hope he can find his health.

 

[cabber24]

100% spread the stars over 3 lines. It's early November we need some balance. Cannot go with 2 lines for 82 games.

You don't necessarily need to spread the stars over 3 lines to get balanced scoring. You just can't have a WHL player (Minten), AHL player (Holmberg), or 4th liner (Kampf) centering the 3rd line and expect it to succeed.

I am more worried about the ice time that the current loaded two lines have resulted in. Maybe save loading the first two lines for games that we are chasing? Need something in the tank come playoff time.

 

[herman]

That made me check his 5-on-5 performance and it makes his surge even crazier. He had 3 points at 5-on-5 in 9 games during October. League wide 152 players had 4 or more 5-on-5 points in that month. In November he has 8 points at 5-on-5 so far through 3 games. That's catapulted him to 2nd overall in 5-on-5 scoring (tied with Matthews), just 1 behind William Karlsson in Vegas who has played 1 more game.

November Marner is real*. Let?s see if he can keep it going in May/June when he gets iso?d.

I think Knies being a dangerous body (shooting, and slip passing, and puck holding) makes it a lot harder to sit on Marner and Matthews.

* Is it the Halloween candy?

 

[bustaheims]

Let's revisit this great Gary Lawless article from 7 years ago

He wasn?t the only one who took that position. I wonder how much of that we would have seen if the Leafs weren?t the team that drafted him.

 

[Bill_Berg]

Let's revisit this great Gary Lawless article from 7 years ago

Imagine arguing that they don't need Matthews because they have Bryan Little.