2023 Training Camp Thread
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
Frank E said:
They want to be as close to the cap ceiling as possible before flipping Muzzin/Murray to LTIR to maximize the amount of relief they get.
Minten is a great story and it?s easiest to test drive those players at the beginning of the season.
Holmberg is waiver exempt. Easy to call up. Minten can?t be recalled if he is sent to junior.
L K
Well-known member
CarltonTheBear said:
I know this stops immediate moves but how does 24 hours change the impact of paper transactions. Cowan stays for one additional practice and then gets sent to the OHL tomorrow and that changes absolutely nothing. Gregor signs a contract tomorrow instead of today and could still play in the game on Wednesday.
herman said:
The cap stuff is a bonus but really a 24-year old Pontus Holmberg lost a spot on the opening night line-up that could have been his with a worthy training camp performance to a 19-year old nobody really thought would be on the radar this year. That's a tough beat for him.
Deebo said:
Let's hope Domi can do what someone like Kerfoot couldn't and get the Tavares-Nylander duo going consistently again. The Leafs can't afford to have a 2nd line with a 44% GF. That or Keefe can't be afraid to swap RWs in the top-6.
herman
Well-known member
CarltonTheBear said:
I see it more like compounding advantageous circumstances to get a longer look at Minten in the NHL nearly risk-free. His performance has been buoyed by Knies (who is truly the example of new guy outcompeting a roster spot from Robertson).
I think Holmberg is part of the equation as to why it?s safe to test drive Minten and had a fine camp. With his contract and waiver eligibility, he was also going to be used for cap shenanigans, regardless of performance.
I would not be against seeing something like
Bertuzzi-Matthews-Jarnkrok
Domi-Tavares-Marner
Knies-Minten/Holmberg*-Nylander
* during WJC and beyond if Minten is returned to junior.
https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/mapleleafs?twitter_img=1696894826
CapFriendly has McMann & Cowan on the roster as cap placeholders (or maybe more in McMann's case ...).
Timmons on LTIR
I suspect they'll sign Gregor tomorrow and send Cowan off to the CHL.
With all the waived players clearing, they have all kinds of options for callups for the early going.
CapFriendly has McMann & Cowan on the roster as cap placeholders (or maybe more in McMann's case ...).
Timmons on LTIR
I suspect they'll sign Gregor tomorrow and send Cowan off to the CHL.
With all the waived players clearing, they have all kinds of options for callups for the early going.
Frank E
Active member
CarltonTheBear said:
This is my point. Holmberg didn't even get a mention at a camp where there was a job gift wrapped for him. He simply blew it...he may draw back in once Minten's 9 games are up, but clearly he and other prospects got their collective clocks cleaned by a 19 year old.
I was thinking that maybe Tre was letting Keefe make some new decisions on some of these "prospects".
herman
Well-known member
I don't think Holmberg had anything gift wrapped for him; he was typecast as Kampf's understudy from the get go, aside from the the throwaway road games where he played with Bertuzzi a bit and Domi a bit. Otherwise it was a steady diet of pretend-he-is-Kampf. He did fine in that role, just no offensive ceiling in the NHL with those linemates. The coaching staff already knows what they have in Pontus.
Minten on the other hand was almost stitched to Knies hip, even when they start on different 5v5 lines, they got paired on PKs and PPs anyway because the coaching staff wanted an extended look after their development camp chemistry. Minten's offensive ceiling in the NHL is currently unknown, and a full season in the NHL might actually hamper its development. Do we want him to be a forever 3C, or should we find out if he can handle a 2C position? But nature abhors a vacuum and there is an opportunity to learn more in October.
Not taking anything away from Minten, as he absolutely earned those looks and the Opening Day start, but it rarely comes down to a singular prospect A > prospect B comparison when there are holistic roster and cap considerations.
Matthew Knies, though, deserves the accolades for blowing everyone else out of the water. There's a good chance he supplants Domi/Bertuzzi partway through this season, which makes it trickier because for all their offensive capabilities, those two LWs need more weight carried by their centres. Not a terrible problem to have.
Minten on the other hand was almost stitched to Knies hip, even when they start on different 5v5 lines, they got paired on PKs and PPs anyway because the coaching staff wanted an extended look after their development camp chemistry. Minten's offensive ceiling in the NHL is currently unknown, and a full season in the NHL might actually hamper its development. Do we want him to be a forever 3C, or should we find out if he can handle a 2C position? But nature abhors a vacuum and there is an opportunity to learn more in October.
Not taking anything away from Minten, as he absolutely earned those looks and the Opening Day start, but it rarely comes down to a singular prospect A > prospect B comparison when there are holistic roster and cap considerations.
Matthew Knies, though, deserves the accolades for blowing everyone else out of the water. There's a good chance he supplants Domi/Bertuzzi partway through this season, which makes it trickier because for all their offensive capabilities, those two LWs need more weight carried by their centres. Not a terrible problem to have.
Guilt Trip
Well-known member
Very well stated Herman. Totally agree.herman said:
herman
Well-known member
Guilt Trip said:
Thanks! anyway, the season is long, and the opening day roster is almost meaningless relative to the playoff roster post-trade deadline. The Leafs, outside of a catastrophic slew of injuries, should comfortably make the playoffs and maybe push for the top seed in the division.
They can afford to experiment in the early goings (especially with Tampa and Boston so depleted). With the young players, we want to make sure they don't just impress because of 110% effort in Oct/Nov, but that they have the smarts and stamina to conserve enough energy to elevate their game in April/May.