Matthew Lombardi update/information thread

[Mack674]

That is a good point. Does management consider keeping a player because he can win shootouts? How many points in the standings did a player like Jussi Jokinen help earn? It's  a fact of life in today's NHL.

I think you'd be smart to keep at least one guy dressed who does well in shootouts. Regardless, we still have grabovski and his magical maneouvers.

 

[bustaheims]

That is a good point. Does management consider keeping a player because he can win shootouts? How many points in the standings did a player like Jussi Jokinen help earn? It's  a fact of life in today's NHL.

For what it's worth, Jokinen has 9 game deciding shootout goals in his career . . . and only 4 player have had more than 4 in a single season - 2 of them are no longer in the league (Satan and V. Kozlov who did it twice), and one of the other two is already a Leaf - Phil Kessel. Oddly enough, it's a defenceman who holds the single season record - Adrian Aucoin, with 6.

No player has scored more than 10 shootout goals in a season. Jokinen's 28 is the current career high water mark - spread out over 6 seasons. Of all the players with at least 15 career shootout goals, there are only 2 who have never posted a 20+ goal season - Erik Christensen and Frans Nielsen. Nielsen has been a very good PK forward in his time on the island and Christensen has been a very effective 3rd line agitator type in Pittsburgh and now, with the Rags.

Basically, what it comes down to is that some players may help you get a couple extra points in the shootout, sure, but, at the end of the day, those players also tend to be the types of players that help you earn point before the game gets to the shootout - that will always be the primary concern when choosing who makes the roster. Whether that's Frattin or Kadri, I don't know, but, neither will be kept because of the shootout - that's well down the list of considerations, behind things like fitting the role available, chemistry, etc.

 

[Zee]

The more you think about it the better the team looks. i think we are heading into a new era with the leafs, one that we will enjoy.

God I hope you're right. I can't take another extended period of futility. I want to have an organization like the Red Wings who always seem to have regular season success and then are a threat in the playoffs.

 

[Deebo]

mirtleJames Mirtle
Wilson: "For sure the playoffs are do-able." Says Lombardi is getting very close and will likely participate in some practices

mirtleJames Mirtle
Wilson says Lombardi could play left wing to start.

 

[Bender]

mirtleJames Mirtle
Wilson: "For sure the playoffs are do-able." Says Lombardi is getting very close and will likely participate in some practices

mirtleJames Mirtle
Wilson says Lombardi could play left wing to start.

They've gotta be pretty confident in his return! I don't think they'd rush him at all, so this is very welcome news.

In other concussion news: I was reading on Twitter, JR stated himself that he experienced 5 concussions while with the Flyers. 5!!!

 

[SchenNeuf]

What do you guys think will happen when Lombardi returns?  It's an interesting scenario when you consider Grabovksi is going to be a UFA at the end of the year and will likely be looking for $5m+ per season.  If Connolly and Lombardi play well and can fill the #1 and #2 slots and Bozak plays well at #3 (which I expect him to do), do you consider trading Grabo....especially considering Parise may be available on the UFA market?

 

[maplesyrup]

What do you guys think will happen when Lombardi returns?  It's an interesting scenario when you consider Grabovksi is going to be a UFA at the end of the year and will likely be looking for $5m+ per season.  If Connolly and Lombardi play well and can fill the #1 and #2 slots and Bozak plays well at #3 (which I expect him to do), do you consider trading Grabo....especially considering Parise may be available on the UFA market?

I wouldn't be shocked to see one of Bozak or Grabs traded at some point this year. The same holds true for Gunnarsson I think (if Komisarek can't be dealt with.)

 

[dappleganger]

I think you'll see a "thanks for the effort, best of luck" with Lombardi.

Bring Grabs back for 5 mil a season. We actually have a decent 2nd line with Grabs and Kuly. Why mess with that?

Granted a lot depends on how this season pans out but I think we know what we have in Grabs.

If Lombardi is your number 2 center, you have one of the weaker No. 2's in the league.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I think you'll see a "thanks for the effort, best of luck" with Lombardi.

Bring Grabs back for 5 mil a season. We actually have a decent 2nd line with Grabs and Kuly. Why mess with that?

Granted a lot depends on how this season pans out but I think we know what we have in Grabs.

If Lombardi is your number 2 center, you have one of the weaker No. 2's in the league.

I don't think Burke is silly enough to pay Lombardi 5 million anyway.

 

[Bender]

I think you'll see a "thanks for the effort, best of luck" with Lombardi.

Bring Grabs back for 5 mil a season. We actually have a decent 2nd line with Grabs and Kuly. Why mess with that?

Granted a lot depends on how this season pans out but I think we know what we have in Grabs.

If Lombardi is your number 2 center, you have one of the weaker No. 2's in the league.

I don't think Burke is silly enough to pay Lombardi 5 million anyway.

Or Grabovski imo.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Or Grabovski imo.

Grabo is a different story IMO. If he continues to put up these numbers or better, it will be hard to argue that he doesn't deserve it. He is also younger as well, so a good case can be made that he should get paid for it. I suppose he's not too much younger, but he hasn't had the injury history and I think he is steadily getting better, who knows where his ceiling is?

 

[dappleganger]

I think you'll see a "thanks for the effort, best of luck" with Lombardi.

Bring Grabs back for 5 mil a season. We actually have a decent 2nd line with Grabs and Kuly. Why mess with that?

Granted a lot depends on how this season pans out but I think we know what we have in Grabs.

If Lombardi is your number 2 center, you have one of the weaker No. 2's in the league.

I don't think Burke is silly enough to pay Lombardi 5 million anyway.

I don't think anyone would suggest paying Lombardi 5 million.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I don't think anyone would suggest paying Lombardi 5 million.

Perhaps I may have misread that. So, I agree with you that Lombardi may not be here after his contract is up, unless he plays so well that we can't afford to lose him. Something tells me that that won't be the case though.

I believe Burke will try his hardest to keep Grabovski in the fold as long as he can though. I also have this feeling that Grabs won't be totally unrealistic with his demands either. I mean he'll want to be paid well and the going rate, but I don't think it will drive him to leave the Leafs, if the price is a million off.

 

[lamajama]

Parise is coming no where near Toronto as Burke will not hand out the retirement deals and with the CBA up at the end of this year, Parise will want to hit the last home run. Just not happening.  :-[

 

[maplesyrup]

... and the news keeps getting better...  ;D

DavidAlter590 David Alter Matthew Lombardi is practicing with linemates for the first time at camp , looks like Mueller and Caputi. #Leafs
6 minutes ago

 

[CarltonTheBear]

... and the news keeps getting better...  ;D

DavidAlter590 David Alter Matthew Lombardi is practicing with linemates for the first time at camp , looks like Mueller and Caputi. #Leafs
6 minutes ago

The plot thickens. Say he's ready to go for opening night (which I don't think will happen), or even sometime a little later, where does he play? I originally figured he'd either be left-wing or centre on the 3rd line with Armstrong, but both Kadri and Bozak have looked really good in the pre-season.

 

[SchenNeuf]

I think you'll see a "thanks for the effort, best of luck" with Lombardi.

Bring Grabs back for 5 mil a season. We actually have a decent 2nd line with Grabs and Kuly. Why mess with that?

Granted a lot depends on how this season pans out but I think we know what we have in Grabs.

If Lombardi is your number 2 center, you have one of the weaker No. 2's in the league.

I think you're looking at this with your blue and white goggles on and are significantly discounting Lombardi's abilities.  He and Grabo are two fairly comparable players.  Lombardi is only a bit older, but is also a bit bigger.  If you look at each player's best season in the league, they're fairly comparable as well. 

Overall, when Lombardi is healthy (which he appears to be the case or at least close to it), I wouldn't say there is any drop off from Grabo to Lombardi.  He would not be considered one of the weaker #2 centres in the league.  If you recall when Nashville signed him, although it was a relatively weak UFA crop, he was the best centre available.

I also acknowledge that Grabo and Kulemin have chemistry and play well together, but I think Kulemin would play well with whoever you put at centre.  He's just a great all-around winger. 

In the end, if we have Connolly, Grabo, Bozak and Lombardi, I think Grabo (as the pending UFA) would be the one I'd be looking to trade.  He'd likely yield a good return and it makes no sense to pay him $5m+ when you a comparable replacement under contract for $3.5m. 

 

[nutman]

I think you'll see a "thanks for the effort, best of luck" with Lombardi.

Bring Grabs back for 5 mil a season. We actually have a decent 2nd line with Grabs and Kuly. Why mess with that?

Granted a lot depends on how this season pans out but I think we know what we have in Grabs.

If Lombardi is your number 2 center, you have one of the weaker No. 2's in the league.

I think you're looking at this with your blue and white goggles on and are significantly discounting Lombardi's abilities.  He and Grabo are two fairly comparable players.  Lombardi is only a bit older, but is also a bit bigger.  If you look at each player's best season in the league, they're fairly comparable as well. 

Overall, when Lombardi is healthy (which he appears to be the case or at least close to it), I wouldn't say there is any drop off from Grabo to Lombardi.  He would not be considered one of the weaker #2 centres in the league.  If you recall when Nashville signed him, although it was a relatively weak UFA crop, he was the best centre available.

I also acknowledge that Grabo and Kulemin have chemistry and play well together, but I think Kulemin would play well with whoever you put at centre.  He's just a great all-around winger. 

In the end, if we have Connolly, Grabo, Bozak and Lombardi, I think Grabo (as the pending UFA) would be the one I'd be looking to trade.  He'd likely yield a good return and it makes no sense to pay him $5m+ when you a comparable replacement under contract for $3.5m.

This is a good thing, and shows we are deep. this team is turning the page and its about time.

 

[maplesyrup]

... and the news keeps getting better...  ;D

DavidAlter590 David Alter Matthew Lombardi is practicing with linemates for the first time at camp , looks like Mueller and Caputi. #Leafs
6 minutes ago

The plot thickens. Say he's ready to go for opening night (which I don't think will happen), or even sometime a little later, where does he play? I originally figured he'd either be left-wing or centre on the 3rd line with Armstrong, but both Kadri and Bozak have looked really good in the pre-season.

It's a nice problem to have.

 

[Kaberle15]

I wish he could play a game in the pre season to see if he is near as ready as it seens.

Also, good to see Kadri, Colborne, Frattin, Scrivens and Gardiner having a good camp.

How much is left in the Komisarek deal ?