2016-17 Marlies Talk: New Season, Continued Expectations

[herman]

Marlies have signed recently ousted London Knight J.J. Piccinich to a 2-year AHL contract. He was drafted by the Leafs in 2014 in the 4th Rd. and played on the Knights' energy line.

As a secondary scoring right winger in Juniors, JJ will have a tough time cracking the Leafs' lineup anytime soon, with the likes of Nylander, Marner, Kapanen, Brown, Griffith, Bracco, Korostelev, Korshkov ahead of him.

 

[rdowdall]

Marlies have signed recently ousted London Knight J.J. Piccinich to a 2-year AHL contract. He was drafted by the Leafs in 2014 in the 4th Rd. and played on the Knights' energy line.

As a secondary scoring right winger in Juniors, JJ will have a tough time cracking the Leafs' lineup anytime soon, with the likes of Nylander, Marner, Kapanen, Brown, Griffith, Bracco, Korostelev, Korshkov ahead of him.

Is there a point where you will admit that Griffith may not be a thing?

 

[herman]

Is there a point where you will admit that Griffith may not be a thing?

The Piccinich move (along with Cameranesi, Holl, Froese, Clune, Brennan, etc.) shows Toronto's intention of truly developing their assets. Instead of cutting bait, they're keeping them involved and inside their system, but off the SPC list, until such a time their value is realized (trade or call up).

With Griffith, I'm reminded of what Babcock mentioned about Kadri and JvR being young in their development, and his treatment of Corrado, Holland and Leivo, vs. Smith and Polak. Some players come from other organizations and their foundations (read: fitness, gudpro/60) aren't quite up to the standard Babcock wants/needs on the Leafs.

I think the Leafs are going to slow roll the rookies from here on out (never will we have a cohort such as this), so Griffith's value will come as an injury call-up into the top 9. I think he's worth a much longer look than he has received, even though he is not a slam dunk the way Nylander is. He's as AHL good as Leipsic, so if you're pretty high on Leipsic making hay in the NHL, thar be Griffith too.

 

[Kin]

Is there a point where you will admit that Griffith may not be a thing?

The Piccinich move (along with Cameranesi, Holl, Froese, Clune, Brennan, etc.) shows Toronto's intention of truly developing their assets. Instead of cutting bait, they're keeping them involved and inside their system, but off the SPC list, until such a time their value is realized (trade or call up).

With Griffith, I'm reminded of what Babcock mentioned about Kadri and JvR being young in their development, and his treatment of Corrado, Holland and Leivo, vs. Smith and Polak. Some players come from other organizations and their foundations (read: fitness, gudpro/60) aren't quite up to the standard Babcock wants/needs on the Leafs.

I think the Leafs are going to slow roll the rookies from here on out (never will we have a cohort such as this), so Griffith's value will come as an injury call-up into the top 9. I think he's worth a much longer look than he has received, even though he is not a slam dunk the way Nylander is. He's as AHL good as Leipsic, so if you're pretty high on Leipsic making hay in the NHL, thar be Griffith too.

"No" would be quicker.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Is there a point where you will admit that Griffith may not be a thing?

The Piccinich move (along with Cameranesi, Holl, Froese, Clune, Brennan, etc.) shows Toronto's intention of truly developing their assets. Instead of cutting bait, they're keeping them involved and inside their system, but off the SPC list, until such a time their value is realized (trade or call up).

With Griffith, I'm reminded of what Babcock mentioned about Kadri and JvR being young in their development, and his treatment of Corrado, Holland and Leivo, vs. Smith and Polak. Some players come from other organizations and their foundations (read: fitness, gudpro/60) aren't quite up to the standard Babcock wants/needs on the Leafs.

I think the Leafs are going to slow roll the rookies from here on out (never will we have a cohort such as this), so Griffith's value will come as an injury call-up into the top 9. I think he's worth a much longer look than he has received, even though he is not a slam dunk the way Nylander is. He's as AHL good as Leipsic, so if you're pretty high on Leipsic making hay in the NHL, thar be Griffith too.

"No" would be quicker.

That's rich.

 

[herman]

"No" would be quicker.

It would also be a poor discussion-inducer, and an improv faux-pas. There's a method to my madness.

I don't think Griffith has really received a fair shake, coming from the Boston organization that seemed to embody everything Griffith wasn't.

There was one game last season where the Providence Bruins threw him in between Vatrano and Pastrnak to maintain team continuity as Pastrnak was only down on a conditioning stint, and they immediately exploded for an 8-1 win, Vatrano and Griffith both potting 5 pts each (3G/2A and 1/4GA respectively), while Pastrnak had 1G/2A. And it's not like Griffith was just riding shotgun to NHL firepower, as he was already at 34GP-13G-28A prior to that game. He's a very good skill complement.

 

[L K]

Piccinich had a pretty disappointing D+2 year.  3 points in 14 playoff games stands out.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Marlies eliminated Albany in triple OT tonight.  Facing Syracuse in the next round.

 

[L K]

Albany is a POS organization.

Last year you may remember them for a hit on Andreas Johnsson.  This year they knock Kapanen out with an elbow to the head.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Marlies eliminated Albany in triple OT tonight.  Facing Syracuse in the next round.

Byron Froese's new team.

 

[Kin]

It would also be a poor discussion-inducer, and an improv faux-pas.

This is why you and I need to start an improv group where we take turns explaining to the audience that the other one is just making up nonsense.

 

[Frank E]

Is there a point where you will admit that Griffith may not be a thing?

The Piccinich move (along with Cameranesi, Holl, Froese, Clune, Brennan, etc.) shows Toronto's intention of truly developing their assets. Instead of cutting bait, they're keeping them involved and inside their system, but off the SPC list, until such a time their value is realized (trade or call up).

With Griffith, I'm reminded of what Babcock mentioned about Kadri and JvR being young in their development, and his treatment of Corrado, Holland and Leivo, vs. Smith and Polak. Some players come from other organizations and their foundations (read: fitness, gudpro/60) aren't quite up to the standard Babcock wants/needs on the Leafs.

I think the Leafs are going to slow roll the rookies from here on out (never will we have a cohort such as this), so Griffith's value will come as an injury call-up into the top 9. I think he's worth a much longer look than he has received, even though he is not a slam dunk the way Nylander is. He's as AHL good as Leipsic, so if you're pretty high on Leipsic making hay in the NHL, thar be Griffith too.

Waived by Florida too.  So waived by Boston, Toronto, and Florida in 1 season.

 

[herman]

It would also be a poor discussion-inducer, and an improv faux-pas.

This is why you and I need to start an improv group where we take turns explaining to the audience that the other one is just making up nonsense.

We need a troupe name. Fans of Futility? Draft, Develop, Disappoint?

 

[Highlander]

It would also be a poor discussion-inducer, and an improv faux-pas.

This is why you and I need to start an improv group where we take turns explaining to the audience that the other one is just making up nonsense.

Sounds like Hillary and Trump

 

[herman]

Waived by Florida too.  So waived by Boston, Toronto, and Florida in 1 season.

Paragons of sound decision making, they all are.

 

[bustaheims]

Waived by Florida too.  So waived by Boston, Toronto, and Florida in 1 season.

And claimed every single time he was on waivers. Every. Single. Time.

 

[Kin]

It would also be a poor discussion-inducer, and an improv faux-pas.

This is why you and I need to start an improv group where we take turns explaining to the audience that the other one is just making up nonsense.

We need a troupe name. Fans of Futility? Draft, Develop, Disappoint?

26 Point Improvment or Mrogan Rielly's Ipmrov

 

[herman]

Mrogan Rielly's Ipmrov

We have a winner!

 

[herman]

http://www.torontosun.com/2017/04/29/hockey-in-may-a-big-help-to-marlie-newbies

SEASON SAVER

Veteran winger Rich Clune mentioned a couple of days ago how a series of mid-season meetings and player personnel moves changed direction when the Marlies were last in the North.

?I give (GM) Kyle Dubas a lot of credit,? Clune said. ?He has a good feel of when to pick his spots and he hit the team with some truth in January, from the coaches down to the players. We turned this ship around and almost won the division.?

Holl called the January soul-searching ?a come-to-Jesus moment? for the team. The Marlies then made the playoffs a sixth straight year and for the fifth time, are advancing beyond the first round.

?Development and winning go hand and hand here,? Clune said.

?It?s an environment where you don?t learn anything from losing. Sure you take lessons from some losses, but the ultimate goal is to win and encourage that culture. It?s an expectation when you sign now with the Leafs and the Marlies.?

Kyle Dubas, the William Nylander of the management team, snipes one home.

I dug through the Marlies schedule/results to see when this turnaround happened.

It looks like they had basically the lowest point of the season Jan 14, after losing Kapanen the night before thanks to Dotchin crunching him awkwardly into the boards behind the net, with the team mired in the midst of a 5-13-1 stretch since the start of December.

They really turned it around after that week off, going 26-10-2 since January 20 to close out the season.

What else happened to the team Jan 20?

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Jonsson has the Marlies up 1-0 early in game 1 of the second round.

Kaskisuo has been sensational, he's made two glove saves that have been absolute robbery.