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2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

CarltonTheBear said:
This probably isn't going to be the world's biggest surprise but weird they kept him practicing this whole time if something was wrong. Like he couldn't have gotten on the plane to Germany with Matthews?
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I wonder if they were hoping skating and strengthening exercises would be enough to help him get over it, but, clearly, that didn't work out. I suspect this will be an issue with him all season.
 
I feel like the only thing that will matter about Hakanpaa is whether he can play games in April/May.

You aren't getting much more of value at his price point and the Leafs have enough depth to not need him now.
 
L K said:
I feel like the only thing that will matter about Hakanpaa is whether he can play games in April/May.

You aren't getting much more of value at his price point and the Leafs have enough depth to not need him now.
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Deadline rental without the picks going out!

Good thing we signed a bunch of back up Hakanpaas. (Myers, Mattinen)
 
I was thinking about this, and it's still early in the season, and saying it out loud usually scuds things cos goalies are voodoo.

But is our current duo shaping up to be potentially the best tandem we've had?

Going back to basically the early 2000s, we've occasionaly had a very good starter - CuJo, Belfour, ummm maybe that's it. But they were backed up by basically fodder like Trevor Kidd or MIkael Tellqvist or Scott Clemmensen.

We've also had many years of terrible goalies - Raycroft, Toskala, Bernier or mediocre at best in maybe Campbell for spells or Samsonov for spells.

The position has changed of course and tandems are more of a regular thing now.

But when I watch games now, I don't have the fear that we're going to see a "back breaker" goal go in that's going to cause the team in front's shoulders to drop and take the air out of the sails.
 
Re: Grebenkin. I love the toughness he brings. The Leafs need a few guys that are willing to push people over for no real reason.

I think a fourth line of Lorentz - Dewar - Grebenkin would do well.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1863994781753393498

McCabe back at practice.

Domi practicing with the team but in a grey/scratched jersey. A return on one of the weekend games seems likely.

Reaves on the 4th line again with A. Nylander coming out.

Also worth noting that Timmins appears set to be a healthy scratch tomorrow in favour of Myers.
 
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Arn said:
I was thinking about this, and it's still early in the season, and saying it out loud usually scuds things cos goalies are voodoo.

But is our current duo shaping up to be potentially the best tandem we've had?

Going back to basically the early 2000s, we've occasionaly had a very good starter - CuJo, Belfour, ummm maybe that's it. But they were backed up by basically fodder like Trevor Kidd or MIkael Tellqvist or Scott Clemmensen.

We've also had many years of terrible goalies - Raycroft, Toskala, Bernier or mediocre at best in maybe Campbell for spells or Samsonov for spells.

The position has changed of course and tandems are more of a regular thing now.

But when I watch games now, I don't have the fear that we're going to see a "back breaker" goal go in that's going to cause the team in front's shoulders to drop and take the air out of the sails.
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Not sure about the best ever [Bower/Sawchuk ;) ] but not having the back breaker feeling is....an odd but very nice feeling...
 
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Some softer matchups this month (lots of B2Bs) as the injured get healthy.

I am interested to see Minten with better linemates so I will propose this. If you’re going to give Tavares the checking assignment and shelter Matthews a bit, might as well open up some firepower on L3.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
McMann-Tavares-Marner
Pacioretty-Minten-Nylander
Lorentz-Dewar-Grebyonkin

Not knowing how long McMann is down, that can be Holmberg for a bit.
 
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Arn said:
I was thinking about this, and it's still early in the season, and saying it out loud usually scuds things cos goalies are voodoo.

But is our current duo shaping up to be potentially the best tandem we've had?
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Potvin-Puppa/Rhodes was the best I personally had seen. But that just emphasizes your point at how long it’s been.

Remember getting all excited when we thought Aubin might finally be the answer in net? It’s been a long, long road. So we all deserve to over appreciate this.
 
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herman said:
Some softer matchups this month (lots of B2Bs) as the injured get healthy.

I am interested to see Minten with better linemates so I will propose this. If you’re going to give Tavares the checking assignment and shelter Matthews a bit, might as well open up some firepower on L3.

Knies-Matthews-Domi
McMann-Tavares-Marner
Pacioretty-Minten-Nylander
Lorentz-Dewar-Grebyonkin

Not knowing how long McMann is down, that can be Holmberg for a bit.
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I had the same lines but swap Marner and Pacioretty:

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Pacioretty - Tavares - McMann
Nylander - Minten - Marner
Lorentz - Dewar - Grebenkin

Minten is the new Bozak.
 
Andersen/McElhinney was a pretty good "one two" as well, given how lousy the team was.

2016-2017

Andersen - .918
McBackup - .914


2017-2018

Andersen - .918
McBackup - .934
 
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I
Frank E said:
Andersen/McElhinney was a pretty good "one two" as well, given how lousy the team was.

2016-2017

Andersen - .918
McBackup - .914


2017-2018

Andersen - .918
McBackup - .934
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I was going to mention Andersen on my list of decent goalies since Brodeur but I feel like he still had a capacity for a “bad” goal? Maybe I’m misremembering though.
 
Arn said:
I

I was going to mention Andersen on my list of decent goalies since Brodeur but I feel like he still had a capacity for a “bad” goal? Maybe I’m misremembering though.
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You remember correctly Freddo always let in the odd bad goal
 
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Arn said:
I

I was going to mention Andersen on my list of decent goalies since Brodeur but I feel like he still had a capacity for a “bad” goal? Maybe I’m misremembering though.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1715793693691580758

Liam Foudy entered the league that season as a call up before the season was shut down in 2020. This was the only goal he scored (play-in series) until Feb 2023 when he added 7 goals (in 62GP) to close out that season. He has not scored an NHL goal since.
 
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Arn said:
I

I was going to mention Andersen on my list of decent goalies since Brodeur but I feel like he still had a capacity for a “bad” goal? Maybe I’m misremembering though.
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Did you ever feel though that with Andersen in net the leafs had some kind of advantage? I rarely did. His numbers seem to mask that he wasn’t a high leverage goalie. It proved itself out in Carolina. He had crazy numbers there behind that great defence and went nowhere.
 
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