Randy Carlyle/Leaf Coach thread

[Andy007]

Also it honestly boggles my mind that Leivo hasn't been called up yet to replace Lupul.

Even guys like Bodie, Broll and Abbot are upgrades over Smithson, Orr and McLaren. If they want to start playing more aggresively, stay away from unnessecary penalties and start drawing more penalties, then these younger, faster, hardworking types should be inserted over slower, clutching usless types.

 

[L K]

Fraser can hardly even skate anymore.

What happened to conditioning stints?  It seems like a slow moving defenseman coming off a knee injury would be perfect for that kind of role.

As for the forwards I would love nothing more than to try:

Kessel - Bozak - JVR
Clarkson - Kadri - Kulemin
Leivo - Holland - Raymond
Ashton - McClement - Smithson

 

[Deebo]

Combinations from practice today:

Raymond-Kadri-Kulemin
Ashton-Smith-Clarkson

 

[bustaheims]

Why is Liles still not called up?

Phaneuf - Gardiner
Franson - Liles
Rielly - Gunnarsson

No more Fraser getting walked around and pinching like he actually has the speed/offensive ability to justify pinches.  No more Ranger getting the excuses of "he's working off the rust".

All three lines have a PMD at that point.  The defense isn't going to be good defensively regardless of who we play.  Get back to using speed and making this a rushing offense team rather than a collapse and counter-attack team.

I actually wouldn't be surprised if this group made the team better offensively. I mean, it would mean having 6 guys on the ice who actually have NHL level puck skills - many of them being on the higher-end. That could very easily equate to less giveaways in the defensive zone and just outside the blue line, which has been a big area of concern for the team.

 

[Andy007]

Combinations from practice today:

Raymond-Kadri-Kulemin

I was thinking that would be a good combo.

Quite frankly I liked Holland with JVR and Kessel. I'd put Bozak with Clarkson and Leivo.

 

[L K]

Combinations from practice today:

Raymond-Kadri-Kulemin
Ashton-Smith-Clarkson

That's not bad either actually.  I'm happy with that.  McClement finally on the 4th line.  That could actually be a decent 3rd line that grinds stuff out.  I'm sure it will last 30 seconds though in game.

 

[ZBBM]

Those are exactly the pairings that I would go with as well LK.

Even if the team is going to continue being stubborn and have Fraser or Ranger in the line-up, I would have one of them with Franson and keep the other two pairings together. Gardiner spent a decent amount of time with Phaneuf against Montreal so it might be something we see going forward.

I don't get breaking up Phaneuf & Gunnar.  Phaneuf is finally playing good defensive hockey, and I attribute at least part of that to Gunnar being solid (except Sat nite, when he had a bad game).  If you pair him with Gardiner running around and giving the puck up all the time, then Phaneuf could regress by trying to do too much again.

Sure, Gardiner needs a steadying influence.  Fraser is too slow to make that work, so I'd try Liles with him.

Ranger can sit.

Franson can play with Rielly. 

 

[bustaheims]

That's not bad either actually.  I'm happy with that.  McClement finally on the 4th line.  That could actually be a decent 3rd line that grinds stuff out.  I'm sure it will last 30 seconds though in game.

McClement's actually not at practice, but, yeah.

 

[L K]

That's not bad either actually.  I'm happy with that.  McClement finally on the 4th line.  That could actually be a decent 3rd line that grinds stuff out.  I'm sure it will last 30 seconds though in game.

McClement's actually not at practice, but, yeah.

Oh...so Clarkson-McClement-Ashton it is.......

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Still would like to see Holland draw back in.  We're getting no offense from the bottom 9, why not put a skilled player in there?

Also:

@mlse
If Carlyle had gotten the goaltending this year Wilson did in the first 27 games of his last year, the Leafs would've given up 31 more goals

*shudders*

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Those are exactly the pairings that I would go with as well LK.

Even if the team is going to continue being stubborn and have Fraser or Ranger in the line-up, I would have one of them with Franson and keep the other two pairings together. Gardiner spent a decent amount of time with Phaneuf against Montreal so it might be something we see going forward.

I don't get breaking up Phaneuf & Gunnar.  Phaneuf is finally playing good defensive hockey, and I attribute at least part of that to Gunnar being solid (except Sat nite, when he had a bad game).  If you pair him with Gardiner running around and giving the puck up all the time, then Phaneuf could regress by trying to do too much again.

Sure, Gardiner needs a steadying influence.  Fraser is too slow to make that work, so I'd try Liles with him.

Ranger can sit.

Franson can play with Rielly.

Franson/Rielly has been a pretty horrendous pairing.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I don't get breaking up Phaneuf & Gunnar.  Phaneuf is finally playing good defensive hockey, and I attribute at least part of that to Gunnar being solid (except Sat nite, when he had a bad game).  If you pair him with Gardiner running around and giving the puck up all the time, then Phaneuf could regress by trying to do too much again.

It's less about splitting that pairing up and more about spreading out the defensive talent. Those two are easily our two steadiest defencemen. I think Gunnarsson has helped Phaneuf sure but I don't think he would collapse defensively without him.

Franson can play with Rielly. 

Please god no, I honestly had nightmares when those two were together.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Combinations from practice today:

Raymond-Kadri-Kulemin
Ashton-Smith-Clarkson

I've been calling for that Kulemin-Clarkson swap since Lupul went down, so that's good. Clarkson had his most effective (albeit shot-lived) period here when he was playing on a more defensive/grinding line. His game clearly doesn't match-up with Kadri's. While on the other hand Kulemin has had success offensively with Kadri in the past. It's a no-brainer.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Fraser can hardly even skate anymore.

What happened to conditioning stints?  It seems like a slow moving defenseman coming off a knee injury would be perfect for that kind of role.

I'm not sure a conditioning stint would help him. He's going to have to wear a brace for the rest of the season I believe, and that's going to knock his already below-average NHL skating down a notch or two. Honestly, if Fraser doesn't turn things around pretty quickly Nonis is going to have to just waive him and cut bait. He's a free agent at the end of the season, and we'll have plenty of cheaper options available next season for 6/7 defencemen. Even this season, if Carlyle is adamant about having a physical presence in that spot, the team could call up MacWilliam or Granberg instead of Liles/Brennan. Those two have been getting pretty good reviews about their play this season with the Marlies.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I have a question for the cap guru's.

What does it take to recall Liles and fit under the cap? How could the Leafs manage that? I'm all for it if it's doable.

 

[bustaheims]

I have a question for the cap guru's.

What does it take to recall Liles and fit under the cap? How could the Leafs manage that? I'm all for it if it's doable.

The team would only have to clear the full season equivalent of $925K in cap to fit Liles. That can be done pretty easily - sending down Ranger, Fraser or Orr would do it on its own. Or any combination of 2 of Ashton, Holland, Smith, McLaren and Smithson.

I think the bigger issue is that Carlyle doesn't appear to be a fan of his, so, it's something that's not likely to happen until Randy's no longer behind the bench.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I have a question for the cap guru's.

What does it take to recall Liles and fit under the cap? How could the Leafs manage that? I'm all for it if it's doable.

With Bolland on LTIR I don't believe Liles' cap hit would be an issue. They'd just have to send down Holland or Ashton for the roster spot.

 

[ZBBM]

I don't get breaking up Phaneuf & Gunnar.  Phaneuf is finally playing good defensive hockey, and I attribute at least part of that to Gunnar being solid (except Sat nite, when he had a bad game).  If you pair him with Gardiner running around and giving the puck up all the time, then Phaneuf could regress by trying to do too much again.

It's less about splitting that pairing up and more about spreading out the defensive talent. Those two are easily our two steadiest defencemen. I think Gunnarsson has helped Phaneuf sure but I don't think he would collapse defensively without him.

Franson can play with Rielly. 

Please god no, I honestly had nightmares when those two were together.

Well, I disagree on your first point -- emphatically.  Phaneuf finally ain't broke, so please, let's not fix him.

On the second point, I think Rielly is slowly getting better defensively (he hasn't put many points up, incidentally) and Franson just needs to pick it up.  I just don't think Ranger is a better option than, say, Brennan even.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I have a question for the cap guru's.

What does it take to recall Liles and fit under the cap? How could the Leafs manage that? I'm all for it if it's doable.

The team would only have to clear the full season equivalent of $925K in cap to fit Liles. That can be done pretty easily - sending down Ranger, Fraser or Orr would do it on its own. Or any combination of 2 of Ashton, Holland, Smith, McLaren and Smithson.

Thanks.

To me, Fraser would be the first shipped out from the defense. Orr from the offense, but seeing the love affair with Orr, I could certainly see McClaren and Smithson sent down.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Well, I disagree on your first point -- emphatically.  Phaneuf finally ain't broke, so please, let's not fix him.

Again though that it has nothing to do with trying to fix Phaneuf. If he can go out and play his game with Gardiner and Gunnarsson can play his game with Rielly we would actually have two good defence pairings instead of just one.

Dion's not going to spontaneously combust when he's taken away from Gunnarsson.

Edit: on another note, before we sign Phaneuf to a massive deal I would be a little interested to see how he fares with another partner for an extended period of tome. Somebody who will only have success with one guy might not be a player I want to re-sign for 7 years/$49mil.