A thread speculating about possible lines? Already?!

[Kin]

Stack 'em up 1-4/5 against the rest of the league though? It's ugly... and against some,  it's down-right embarrassing.

Sure. Here are the Leafs vs. the Rangers, who some think could be the Stanley Cup favourites.

Richards > Bozak
Stepan < Grabo
Boyle > McClement
Halpern = Steckel

Is it an edge for the Rangers? Sure. But that's almost entirely centered, pardon the pun, around the difference between Bozak and Richards. Other than that it's basically a push.

 

[maplesyrup]

Stack 'em up 1-4/5 against the rest of the league though? It's ugly... and against some,  it's down-right embarrassing.

Sure. Here are the Leafs vs. the Rangers, who some think could be the Stanley Cup favourites.

Richards > Bozak
Stepan < Grabo
Boyle > McClement
Halpern = Steckel

Is it an edge for the Rangers? Sure. But that's almost entirely centered, pardon the pun, around the difference between Bozak and Richards. Other than that it's basically a push.

Well yeah, like I said in my Edit. A lack of a #1 kills you know matter who you stack up your guys against. It's the red nose on this Rudolph.

 

[Kin]

Well yeah, like I said in my Edit. A lack of a #1 kills you know matter who you stack up your guys against. It's the red nose on this Rudolph.

Well, but we can at least put the proper face on the issue. The problem isn't how they stack up 1-4, it's how they stack up at #1 and as much of a gap as there is between, say, Bozak and a great centre I don't know that the gap is that much bigger than Phaneuf and a great #1 defenseman or Reimer and Henrik Lundqvist.

 

[lc9]

Nik just nailed it I think... Though I'm curious to see if Komorov can bump Steckel.

I sure hope he didn't.  What a travesty it would be to have Bozak with Kessel.  All this time without hockey I forgot just how poor this team is up the middle.

 

[maplesyrup]

Well yeah, like I said in my Edit. A lack of a #1 kills you know matter who you stack up your guys against. It's the red nose on this Rudolph.

Well, but we can at least put the proper face on the issue. The problem isn't how they stack up 1-4, it's how they stack up at #1 and as much of a gap as there is between, say, Bozak and a great centre I don't know that the gap is that much bigger than Phaneuf and a great #1 defenseman or Reimer and Henrik Lundqvist.

Marginal I guess but in my opinion, the gap would bigger at the #1 centre spot. Honorable mention to the goaltending.

 

[maplesyrup]

Nik just nailed it I think... Though I'm curious to see if Komorov can bump Steckel.

I sure hope he didn't.  What a travesty it would be to have Bozak with Kessel.  All this time without hockey I forgot just how poor this team is up the middle.

Yeah, like I said earlier, JVR could change things at centre but I'm certainly not counting on it.

 

[lc9]

Yeah, like I said earlier, JVR could change things at centre but I'm certainly not counting on it.

I moved JVR to center on the xbox NHL game, he didn't fair to well. 

Maybe the limiting of contract lengths will give the Leafs a better chance at signing a #1 center.  Burke has been here 5 years without delivering competent goaltending, a #1 center or a playoff berth. 

 

[Kin]

Nik just nailed it I think... Though I'm curious to see if Komorov can bump Steckel.

I sure hope he didn't.  What a travesty it would be to have Bozak with Kessel.  All this time without hockey I forgot just how poor this team is up the middle.

What's the alternative then? You can try Grabo but that leaves for a pretty sketchy second line offensively and hasn't worked well in the past. JVR isn't really a centre and is a crapshoot at this point. Connolly?

Bozak's just the best of a bad bunch of choices.

 

[lc9]

What's the alternative then? You can try Grabo but that leaves for a pretty sketchy second line offensively and hasn't worked well in the past. JVR isn't really a centre and is a crapshoot at this point. Connolly?

Bozak's just the best of a bad bunch of choices.

I would be willing to let Conolloy redeem himself.  Bozak has too many limitations to play next to a top flight winger like Kessel.  But, you're right, so does every other center on this team. 

Maybe put Grabovski with Kessel and let the others play for the #2 slot. 

 

[Kin]

Maybe put Grabovski with Kessel and let the others play for the #2 slot.

The problem there is just that it hasn't really worked in the past. Both Kessel and Grabo, I think, are at their most effective with the puck and neither guy is great off it or creating space for others.

That said, I'd bet that we'll see all manner of line combinations as the season rolls on.

 

[bustaheims]

To Nik's point, it's going to be an interesting league-wide scramble over the next couple of week. To be honest, we really shouldn't be doing this exercise right now though I know it's all in good fun.

I remember quite the flurry of activity after the lockout ended in 2005.

That was a very different situation than what is facing teams right now. I imagine this off season will be pretty interesting, but, the lead up to this shortened season? I doubt we'll see many (if any) moves of significance.

 

[Rebel_1812]

how many of the leafs were playing over in europe.  I'm counting only grabbo, kulemin and briefly lupul.  That doesn't bode well for the leafs for players in game shape coming in.  I don't think they leafs will do well out of the gate because of these conditioning issues.

 

[drummond]

how many of the leafs were playing over in europe.  I'm counting only grabbo, kulemin and briefly lupul.  That doesn't bode well for the leafs for players in game shape coming in.  I don't think they leafs will do well out of the gate because of these conditioning issues.

plus Franson, Gunnarsson and you may also add Komarov and potentially Frattin, Gardiner, Scrivens, Kadri and Holzer or Ranger with the Marlies.

 

[ZBBM]

We cannot have Mr. Tyler Bozak as the #1C on your Toronto Maple Leafs.

We cannot have Mr. Tyler Bozak as the #1C on your Toronto Maple Leafs.

We cannot have Mr. Tyler Bozak as the #1C on your Toronto Maple Leafs.

Are we agreed on that much, at least?

 

[ZBBM]

BTW, I am not as down on Bozak as many are.  I think he's a good 3C center on middling-and-below teams.  It's just that there doesn't seem to be a fit on this particular roster for him, even at 3C.

Connolly taking up space makes me ill.  What a dogbutt signing that was.

 

[McPwnage]

James Van Riemsdyk/Mikhail Grabovski/Phil Kessel
Joffrey Lupul/Tyler Bozak/Clarke MacArthur
Nikolai Kulemin/Matthew Lombardi/Matt Frattin
Tim Connolly/David Steckel/Mike Brown

Dion Phaneuf/John Micheal-Liles
Carl Gunnarrsson/Mike Komisarek
Korbinian Hotzer/Mike Kostka

Gardiner is out with a concussion so I don't expect to see him back. Kostka deserves a shot with the Leafs if anyone does, that guy has been amazing with the Marlies.

 

[gunnar36]

A few comments:

I would think that JVR gets a serious shot at centre since we desperately need some size down the middle.  That would move Grabbo to 2nd line which makes more sense.

I would have to think that at least one of Bozak, Connelly or Lombardi will be moved if they can find a taker since none of them provide any kind of size or physical play that they are really lacking in their top 9.

Does anyone know if Rosehill is under contract for this season?  They will need someone like him in the line up when the Bruins start tossing us around again this year.

 

[Bender]

BTW, I am not as down on Bozak as many are.  I think he's a good 3C center on middling-and-below teams.  It's just that there doesn't seem to be a fit on this particular roster for him, even at 3C.

Connolly taking up space makes me ill.  What a dogbutt signing that was.

I don't understand the hate for Connolly and never will. We tried him out for one year with very few better options out there and his salary is gone in less than 6months. His signing had next to no negative impact unless you want to go down the road of what ifs, which could lead to any conclusion you want it to.

I can understand Komisarek but a guy on a relatively cheap 2yr deal? Jeez. People go on about this contract as if it were Jason Blake's.

 

[Bender]

A few comments:

I would think that JVR gets a serious shot at centre since we desperately need some size down the middle.  That would move Grabbo to 2nd line which makes more sense.

I would have to think that at least one of Bozak, Connelly or Lombardi will be moved if they can find a taker since none of them provide any kind of size or physical play that they are really lacking in their top 9.

Does anyone know if Rosehill is under contract for this season?  They will need someone like him in the line up when the Bruins start tossing us around again this year.

He's not on the Marlies roster and even if he was he's a liability. We don't really have a forward pugilist outside of junior David Broll afaik. I think were also at what, 49 contracts?

 

[moon111]

BTW, I am not as down on Bozak as many are.  I think he's a good 3C center on middling-and-below teams.  It's just that there doesn't seem to be a fit on this particular roster for him, even at 3C.

Connolly taking up space makes me ill.  What a dogbutt signing that was.

I've wondered if Carlyle implemented a defensive system, where players don't always score...would Connolly look as bad.  Under Wilson, it seemed like the only way they'd succeed is to out-score the opposition every game.  Still, it was a gamble that didn't pay off.  Maybe Burke thought he'd be a good stop-gap measure.  Any free-agents come up when Connolly's contract expires?