Nik the Trik said:
I'd expect those whispers would be drowned out by all the people screaming about how the Leafs made a mistake picking Dubas instead of Hunter.
Kyle Dubas is new Leafs GM
- Thread starter Redleaf
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I'd expect those whispers would be drowned out by all the people screaming about how the Leafs made a mistake picking Dubas instead of Hunter.
L K said:
Johnsson did seem to score a lot of goals in the AHL from right around the net so he'd be good in that role too. But that's why we have 2 units. If Babcock keeps Matthews/Nylander and Kadri/Marner split up then I think Leivo would work well with Marner's and Johnsson on the other one.
Coco-puffs
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
Johnsson has shown very well playing the "bumper" role, not the net-front presence. Late in the season and in the playoffs, thats where Johnsson was on the Matthews PP unit. Kadri plays the bumper role on the Marner PP unit.
Leivo does have a good chance as the net-front guy- as does Grundstrom if he surprises and makes the squad (I think he starts the year with the Marlies and gets the Johnsson treatment late in the season). Marleau was the net front guy on the Matthews unit this past season.
How would I line them up? I'd no longer give an even split to the PP units and go:
Marleau
Matthews - Kadri - Marner
Rielly
Leivo
Kapanen - Johnsson - Nylander
Gardiner
edit: My only concern with this plan is that Marner will be looking to go cross seam way more often with Matthews there instead of Bozak. The Marner PP unit was extremely effective because the Rielly-Marner duo created space for Marner to make creative plays to the net VERY often. If it doesn't work, I'm fine with swapping Matthews and Kapanen on those two units.
Nik the Trik said:
You need 8 forwards to get powerplay time every game. If Leivo's the 8th most used forward on the PP for us behind Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Kadri, Johnsson, Tavares or other acquisition, Marleau or Kapanen, then I don't think it'd really be the end of the world.
edit: I guess Tavares would qualify as "seismic shift" of course.
Kin
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
Well, sort of. My point is more, I guess, that if they don't add a major piece to their blueline and, assuming that the 7 guys you mention there under contract to the Leafs are our PP 7, then using Leivo as the #8 guy would effectively mean an off-season with no significant additions.
So, no, not the end of the world but I'll stick with disappointing.
herman said:
I'm fairly certain I had about as much of an impact on the team as Lemaire and Caron did.
herman said:
What do you mean, "if"? I'm taking full credit for that pick.
hockeyfan1
New member
For some of us feeling a little blue over some of the draft picks, It's obvious that Dubas prioritized skill and vision over top-end skating. Let's not forget that Dermott wasn't deemed a fast skater but under Underhill's tutelage he improved that part of his repertoire.
Dubas apparently isn't too concerned with some of the picks such as Sandin & Durzi. Skating can be improved whereas natural talent is a different skillset altogether. Many of the draft picks already incorporate good lateral movement and are good on the edges. Couple that with imbuing an upside to their skating and you've got a decent package.
Pronman grades Dubas' draft choices at B--:
https://theathletic.com/404379/2018/06/23/maple-leafs-put-together-solid-talented-draft-class/
Dubas apparently isn't too concerned with some of the picks such as Sandin & Durzi. Skating can be improved whereas natural talent is a different skillset altogether. Many of the draft picks already incorporate good lateral movement and are good on the edges. Couple that with imbuing an upside to their skating and you've got a decent package.
Pronman grades Dubas' draft choices at B--:
https://theathletic.com/404379/2018/06/23/maple-leafs-put-together-solid-talented-draft-class/
Highlander
Active member
hockeyfan1 said:
Time will tell, how many NHL players grade a draft successful, would the average be 2 a year from the crop selected? Or less? What if 5 of them play in the league someday, does this mean that Dubas gets a revised A+ down the road from the Prongman?
hockeyfan1
New member
The Dubas files: his transformation of the Greyhounds transcends his vision as GM for the Leafs. Skill, size, and hockey IQ were tenets under Dubas. A combination of big and small players.
The Leafs drafted big players in last year's draft and smaller sized but highly skilled in this year's draft. Not a large deviation but looking at it another way, it's actually a departure from the traditional route under Lamoriello & Hunter.
The Greyhounds stopped worrying about plucking the biggest, brawniest kids each spring and instead put speed, skill, and smarts atop their annual priorities list. It worked. Eight days before he took over from Lou Lamoriello as GM of the Maple Leafs the Hounds finally advanced to their first OHL final in 25 years with many of those same players from the Dubas drafts.
The Leafs scooped up four defenders, two centres, two right wingers, and a goalie and at first glance the nine picks appeared to share many of the same traits as those Dubas desired in the Soo. The prospects had skill. They could skate. They came equipped with that so-called high hockey I.Q. And size, finally, appeared not to matter ? an apparent reversal in course from where the organization seemed to be heading under the recently departed Mark Hunter.
[tweet]1010913567539806208[/tweet]
The Leafs drafted big players in last year's draft and smaller sized but highly skilled in this year's draft. Not a large deviation but looking at it another way, it's actually a departure from the traditional route under Lamoriello & Hunter.
The Greyhounds stopped worrying about plucking the biggest, brawniest kids each spring and instead put speed, skill, and smarts atop their annual priorities list. It worked. Eight days before he took over from Lou Lamoriello as GM of the Maple Leafs the Hounds finally advanced to their first OHL final in 25 years with many of those same players from the Dubas drafts.
The Leafs scooped up four defenders, two centres, two right wingers, and a goalie and at first glance the nine picks appeared to share many of the same traits as those Dubas desired in the Soo. The prospects had skill. They could skate. They came equipped with that so-called high hockey I.Q. And size, finally, appeared not to matter ? an apparent reversal in course from where the organization seemed to be heading under the recently departed Mark Hunter.
[tweet]1010913567539806208[/tweet]