Guilt Trip
Well-known member
I understand that he's softer then Robertson. I'm just saying he may need to change his style completely if he wants to be an NHLer. Alex will have no path if he doesn't adjust his game.
2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion
- Thread starter herman
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herman
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I agree he needs to adjust his game, but I think he sooner adjusts his skating mechanics and sense of positioning within a team structure than he does physically asserting himself in the game like he would need to on the 4th line (likely never).
Guilt Trip
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Barring a trade, when healthy, Steeves, Grebs and Minten will be back with the Marlies no matter what they do here. Asset management will come into play first.
McCabe missing presumably just for "maintenance" reasons.
Plug Knies in for Holmberg obviously and then Domi in for Minten is what I'd try in the near future. Max with two shooters could be worth trying in sheltered minutes.
I would predict the +/- to be atrocious for a Robertson-Domi-A.Nylander line.
It probably wouldn't make sense until Kampf comes back and there was a 4th line that could make sure the Domi line was sheltered as much as humanly possible. But I mean not much else has worked on L3 and eventually the team is going to need a way to find semi-consistent offence from the bottom-6 so I'd at least try it out for a few games still.
bustaheims
Well-known member
Would be a nightmare when they don't have the puck, though. They'd definitely have to out there with McCabe-Tanev.
Guilt Trip
Well-known member
Robertson would be the only guy playing D on that line. Domi is horrible and Alex, lol.
Is something going on with Hakanpaa?
Upon his return, he played 15+ mins against the Caps Nov 13th and 12+ mins against the Oilers Nov 16th
His last shift was 15 seconds long
10 days later, he is paired with Myers at practice on the 7/8 pairing
I'm all for not working his knee too hard so he can help in the playoffs.
Maybe that is something they're doing.
But it is looking like the earliest he could play is 2 weeks after the Oilers game - hard to stay game shape conditioned with that long of a layoff.
I wonder if he's had a setback.
Upon his return, he played 15+ mins against the Caps Nov 13th and 12+ mins against the Oilers Nov 16th
His last shift was 15 seconds long
10 days later, he is paired with Myers at practice on the 7/8 pairing
I'm all for not working his knee too hard so he can help in the playoffs.
Maybe that is something they're doing.
But it is looking like the earliest he could play is 2 weeks after the Oilers game - hard to stay game shape conditioned with that long of a layoff.
I wonder if he's had a setback.
Guilt Trip
Well-known member
bustaheims
Well-known member
And, even then, as much as Robertson has improved defensively, he's still not winning a lot of puck battles. Would just be a mess outside of the offensive zone.
herman
Well-known member
I think they're just building up Hakanpaa gradually. He didn't have an offseason for training and he didn't have a training camp. We have the cap room and the defensive depth to give him some runway to build back up and monitor the knee health. Once they're pretty sure about his fundamentals, he can get back up to game speed (which is different for an aircraft carrier like him).
The alternative (and honestly more likely outcome) will be Holmberg with Domi and one of Robertson and Nylander instead of both. I don't think one decent defensive forward really changes how well that line will defend and it will hold it back considerably more offensively.
At least until Pacioretty returns and gives us another top-9 winger the 3rd line will have issues regardless.
If/when they return to health:
Knies Matthews Nylander
McMann Tavares Marner (maybe swap Pacioretty with McMann on this line)
Pacioretty ______ ______ (Domi would be in one of those blanks
Lorentz ______ ______
In no particular order:
Minten, Steeves, Grebyonkin seem to be longer shot candidates that can be returned to the AHL for depth
Kampf, Robertson, Dewar, Reaves, Holmberg, Nylander (Jarnkrok eventually)
or someone they trade for fills in the other three blanks.
At least two of them will have to go if the roster is totally healthy
The injuries will help them sort out that list to determine who should stay and what they need.
Knies Matthews Nylander
McMann Tavares Marner (maybe swap Pacioretty with McMann on this line)
Pacioretty ______ ______ (Domi would be in one of those blanks
Lorentz ______ ______
In no particular order:
Minten, Steeves, Grebyonkin seem to be longer shot candidates that can be returned to the AHL for depth
Kampf, Robertson, Dewar, Reaves, Holmberg, Nylander (Jarnkrok eventually)
or someone they trade for fills in the other three blanks.
At least two of them will have to go if the roster is totally healthy
The injuries will help them sort out that list to determine who should stay and what they need.
Berube on McMann-Tavares-Marner line staying together (and Matthews line today):
"(that) line has been very good, both defensively and offensively. They are doing a really good job there. I felt really reluctant to just put Mitch and Matty back together. We will see, but I like the looks of what I had today with them. They had a good practice, and they looked pretty good and pretty comfortable. I know that Auston has played with Willy and [Holmberg] before."
"(Holmberg) hangs onto pucks. He is strong on pucks in the offensive zone. He is responsible defensively. It is more about him hanging onto pucks, creating loose pucks on the forecheck, and getting to the net. That’s his job on that line, and he can do it."
"(that) line has been very good, both defensively and offensively. They are doing a really good job there. I felt really reluctant to just put Mitch and Matty back together. We will see, but I like the looks of what I had today with them. They had a good practice, and they looked pretty good and pretty comfortable. I know that Auston has played with Willy and [Holmberg] before."
"(Holmberg) hangs onto pucks. He is strong on pucks in the offensive zone. He is responsible defensively. It is more about him hanging onto pucks, creating loose pucks on the forecheck, and getting to the net. That’s his job on that line, and he can do it."
herman
Well-known member
Something to look forward to tomorrow:
The Panthers are on a skid. They lost again last night to the Capitals in what was a coin flip game going into the third until they incurred a 3on5 and gave up the lead, and subsequently 2 more empty netters when they tried to open up the game to generate chances.
The Panthers are on a skid. They lost again last night to the Capitals in what was a coin flip game going into the third until they incurred a 3on5 and gave up the lead, and subsequently 2 more empty netters when they tried to open up the game to generate chances.