BlueWhiteBlood
New member
Potvin29 said:
Santorelli might be cheaper, but Legwand is probably going to take a bit less term I would think.
Leaf Free agent Target(s)
- Thread starter BlueWhiteBlood
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Santorelli might be cheaper, but Legwand is probably going to take a bit less term I would think.
Potvin29 said:
I think he can be a good fit.
JVR-Bozak-Kessel
Lupul-Kadri-Frattin
Komarov-Legwand-Clarkson
Broll/Leivo/UFA-Holland-Ashton
Frattin/Clarkson/Ashton are all fairly interchangeable there.
BlueWhiteBlood
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
I don't mind that and I also think that it might be Leivo that ends up playing higher in the line-up on the wing. Gives Holland an opportunity to steal a job also.
GhostofPotvin29
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
Dreger says Leafs have made an offer to Legwand "around $4m" and that Legwand is mulling it over.
bustaheims
Active member
Potvin29 said:
Doesn't leave a lot room to bring in a another quality top 6 winger without moving someone out, but, on a short term deal, it's probably not the end of the world.
bustaheims said:
They really shouldn't be looking to bring in another quality top 6 winger, not with Kessel, JVR, and Lupul on the books (not to mention Clarkson). We can't really commit more money in that area without moving somebody out (like Lupul). Going with JVR, Kessel, Lupul or a Lupul replacement, and Clarkson/Ashton/Frattin/Leivo as the 4th guy is more than fine.
bustaheims
Active member
CarltonTheBear said:
I don't agree. The Leafs still haven't really addressed their secondary scoring issues, and another top 6 winger would go a long way to helping that. I'd much prefer a cheap 4th line centre and a good 2nd line winger than a good 3rd line centre and rotating gang of question marks on the 2nd line. A short-term deal with someone like Vrbata is the smarter move.
bustaheims said:
Kadri had 50 points last season, Lupul was on pace for that too. That's solid production for a 2nd line. I'll admit they ran a little too hot and cold for my liking, but generally those two alone on L2 plus the top line should mean we get enough production from our top-6. Our scoring depth issues last season stemmed more from the fact that our bottom-6 provided zilch.
bustaheims
Active member
CarltonTheBear said:
Honestly, the line up that you put together there doesn't strike me as one where the bottom 6 will produce more than they did last season and, without Raymond on the 2nd line, the top 6 looks like it won't produce as much, either. I think Frattin on the 3rd line with Holland in the middle is a much better bet for bottom 6 offence than Holland on the 4th with a 3rd line with 2 wingers that have limited offensive abilities.
bustaheims said:
Like I said, I'm really not too worried about who plays with Kadri and Lupul. They'll produce regardless. Maybe they'll produce a little bit more with Vrbata, but I don't think it'll be enough to justify spending another $4mil on our already strongest position. As for the 3rd line, Legwand's been a consistent 45+ point centre his entire career. That might drop a little bit because of his deployment, but as long as Carlyle eases up a little on how he utilizes his checking line he should be fine. Legwand alone would give that 3rd line a tremendous leg-up* on the one from last season that frequently featured McClement or Bodie or D'Amigo. And then a 4th line of Holland and Ashton/Frattin/Leivo/whoever would easily outproduce it's counterpart from last season.
In a more general sense I also just think the days of the cheap 4th line centre are coming to an end. Kind of like the cheap back-up goalie. There are so many good players out there that there's almost no reason you should be wasting a spot on somebody like that. You look at teams out West and 1 through 4 they have solid NHL players down the middle. It's almost like instead of having a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th line centre teams are going with a 1A, 1B, 3A, and 3B. Bringing it back to the Leafs, even Bozak's biggest supporters have to admit that head-to-head he doesn't match up against other teams 1As, so automatically we lose that individual match-up. Kadri's probably more like a 2 than a 1B right now, but in the East that's still acceptable so that will generally be a wash. I like Holland, but given his lack of NHL experience he's probably better suited to being that 3B, and if we bring in Legwand to be the 3A there's a good chance we'll have the advantage in bottom-6 centres against opposing Eastern conference teams at least.
* didn't do that on purpose I swear
BlueWhiteBlood
New member
There is also the Nylander factor. I think he's going to be magic with Kadri.
JvR - Bozak - Kessel
Nylander - Kadri - Lupul
Komarov -Legwand - Clarkson
UFA - Holland - Frattin
Then you can bring in another defensive left winger to strengthen up the PK and checking duties, maybe Broll is ready, I don't know.
JvR - Bozak - Kessel
Nylander - Kadri - Lupul
Komarov -Legwand - Clarkson
UFA - Holland - Frattin
Then you can bring in another defensive left winger to strengthen up the PK and checking duties, maybe Broll is ready, I don't know.
Champ Kind
New member
Bullfrog said:
I would have to agree here. Maybe Brian Boyle instead on the fourth line and, Bobs your uncle, Holland on the third.
GhostofPotvin29
New member
Bullfrog said:
I think it would be okay if the 4th line was given actual minutes like many teams in the league do.
BlueWhiteBlood
New member
Lee-bo said:
He needs to put on size and learn how to backcheck, if he can overcome those two things, yeah, he's got a good shot. He's got every other skill you need.