Forward Depth

[dappleganger]

Two first names: Brad Ross.

I have high hopes for this kid. I don't think he's NHL ready. I wish he was.

Just to clarify the point wasn't really about who was ready right away but who conceivably could be over the next year or two that made signing bottom six guys to multi-year deals a bad idea.

Oh, ok. Brad Ross. He's got some skill, he's feisty. Ideal 3rd liner.

 

[mr grieves]

There might be a side benefit to having Clarkson in that maybe Carlyle will only feel the need to dress one of his enforcers as Clarkson can do some of the middle weight fights (hopefully not too many as a top 6).

Almost makes you wonder why they signed both heavy weights...  :-\

Just musting but .. if Orr gets hurt and with no McLaren, Clarkson becomes the defacto enforcer. Not what you want.

That, and Carlyle likes to have as much toughness as possible. Guys who can score and can fight are pretty darned valuable to the team (Wendel Clark).

Except that we only have "guy" who can fight and score.

And even then, on "pretty darned valuable to the team," are there any examples you can point to from the last decade? I'd thought we learned in 2005/6 that the game has changed a bit.

 

[Kin]

And even then, on "pretty darned valuable to the team," are there any examples you can point to from the last decade? I'd thought we learned in 2005/6 that the game has changed a bit.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVKAV_d_Lmo[/youtube]

 

[mr grieves]

And even then, on "pretty darned valuable to the team," are there any examples you can point to from the last decade? I'd thought we learned in 2005/6 that the game has changed a bit.

[youtube][snip]

Yeah, I was giving the fellow a chance to move on from the 'Wendel's back!' business himself.

Lucic is nice.

 

[Corn Flake]

Except that we only have "guy" who can fight and score.

And even then, on "pretty darned valuable to the team," are there any examples you can point to from the last decade? I'd thought we learned in 2005/6 that the game has changed a bit.

Did you watch the playoffs after the Leafs were eliminated?  Lucic was a force. When he finally dialed in he was nearly unstoppable.  The game gets more physical in the post season and it's not just about fighting.

Remember what Roberts and Tucker were like in the Leafs last playoff runs and what the Leafs were like before those guys came to town.  They weren't always scoring but they sure scored a lot, and they made room for guys like Mogilny & Sundin to do their thing.

 

[Tigger]

Trevor Smith?

Edit, that's not a question involving the Clarkson debate, just that I didn't see the signing.

 

[L K]

Maybe.  I mean Clarkson did put up 12 points in 24 games in the Devils Cup run the year before.  Maybe he does elevate his game to that wrecking ball level for the team.  The Leafs certainly lacked that guy who grabbed the team by the curlies and got them back on track when things fell apart in Game 7.  Lucic did that.  I'm just not convinced that Clarkson = Lucic in terms of that ability.  It's a step in the right direction though.  I think they are missing that guy on the blueline at this point and I think you need that guy too (Chara).

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Maybe.  I mean Clarkson did put up 12 points in 24 games in the Devils Cup run the year before.  Maybe he does elevate his game to that wrecking ball level for the team.  The Leafs certainly lacked that guy who grabbed the team by the curlies and got them back on track when things fell apart in Game 7.  Lucic did that.  I'm just not convinced that Clarkson = Lucic in terms of that ability.  It's a step in the right direction though.  I think they are missing that guy on the blueline at this point and I think you need that guy too (Chara).

Where do you get a guy like though? I mean, teams that have one aren't in a big hurry to trade him. I agree with your point on the Chara like presence, but that is a tough player to get a hold of.

 

[Corn Flake]

Maybe.  I mean Clarkson did put up 12 points in 24 games in the Devils Cup run the year before.  Maybe he does elevate his game to that wrecking ball level for the team.  The Leafs certainly lacked that guy who grabbed the team by the curlies and got them back on track when things fell apart in Game 7.  Lucic did that.  I'm just not convinced that Clarkson = Lucic in terms of that ability.  It's a step in the right direction though.  I think they are missing that guy on the blueline at this point and I think you need that guy too (Chara).

Where do you get a guy like though? I mean, teams that have one aren't in a big hurry to trade him. I agree with your point on the Chara like presence, but that is a tough player to get a hold of.

I don't think there more than maybe 3-4 of them in the league.  #1 d-men who are as physically imposing and dominating in their own end.  Chara, Weber, ?? , ??,

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I don't think there more than maybe 3-4 of them in the league.  #1 d-men who are as physically imposing and dominating in their own end.  Chara, Weber, ?? , ??,

Exactly, this is why I wonder why so many people want to run Phaneuf out of town. I mean, I'm not comparing Phaneuf to Chara, but we have him right now and he is a top pairing guy. His minutes would be near impossible to make up for, certainly with the current available options on and off our team.

This thread is about forward depth, so I'll leave this at that.

 

[Deebo]

Maybe.  I mean Clarkson did put up 12 points in 24 games in the Devils Cup run the year before.  Maybe he does elevate his game to that wrecking ball level for the team.  The Leafs certainly lacked that guy who grabbed the team by the curlies and got them back on track when things fell apart in Game 7.  Lucic did that.  I'm just not convinced that Clarkson = Lucic in terms of that ability.  It's a step in the right direction though.  I think they are missing that guy on the blueline at this point and I think you need that guy too (Chara).

Where do you get a guy like though? I mean, teams that have one aren't in a big hurry to trade him. I agree with your point on the Chara like presence, but that is a tough player to get a hold of.

I don't think there more than maybe 3-4 of them in the league.  #1 d-men who are as physically imposing and dominating in their own end.  Chara, Weber, ?? , ??,

Dion Phaneuf...?

*runs and hides*

 

[L K]

Maybe.  I mean Clarkson did put up 12 points in 24 games in the Devils Cup run the year before.  Maybe he does elevate his game to that wrecking ball level for the team.  The Leafs certainly lacked that guy who grabbed the team by the curlies and got them back on track when things fell apart in Game 7.  Lucic did that.  I'm just not convinced that Clarkson = Lucic in terms of that ability.  It's a step in the right direction though.  I think they are missing that guy on the blueline at this point and I think you need that guy too (Chara).

Where do you get a guy like though? I mean, teams that have one aren't in a big hurry to trade him. I agree with your point on the Chara like presence, but that is a tough player to get a hold of.

I don't think there more than maybe 3-4 of them in the league.  #1 d-men who are as physically imposing and dominating in their own end.  Chara, Weber, ?? , ??,

I don't think it necessarily needs to be a 1st pairing defenseman.  Just a guy who goes out and has the odd shift where he destroyed a few guys with hits, is capable of blocking 3 shots on a possession and just really pushes to get the puck out of the defensive zone.  The Leafs really don't have that kind of defensive D-man on the roster.  Even their more responsible defensive players are more like 2-way defensemen.  Fraser is the closest to it and while I like him as a 6th/7th guy, he's not someone who is good enough to rely on in that capacity. 

What they need is a Ken Klee 3/4 defensive D-man.    Maybe even take a run at Doug Murray.  He's old and a little slow, but that kind of defensive presence is missing.

 

[L K]

Maybe.  I mean Clarkson did put up 12 points in 24 games in the Devils Cup run the year before.  Maybe he does elevate his game to that wrecking ball level for the team.  The Leafs certainly lacked that guy who grabbed the team by the curlies and got them back on track when things fell apart in Game 7.  Lucic did that.  I'm just not convinced that Clarkson = Lucic in terms of that ability.  It's a step in the right direction though.  I think they are missing that guy on the blueline at this point and I think you need that guy too (Chara).

Where do you get a guy like though? I mean, teams that have one aren't in a big hurry to trade him. I agree with your point on the Chara like presence, but that is a tough player to get a hold of.

I don't think there more than maybe 3-4 of them in the league.  #1 d-men who are as physically imposing and dominating in their own end.  Chara, Weber, ?? , ??,

Dion Phaneuf...?

*runs and hides*

At times, sure.  However he certainly wasn't able to elevate his game in Game 7 when the team needed him to.  Phaneuf isn't bad defensively but he's not a shutdown kind of guy.

 

[hockeyfan1]

And even then, on "pretty darned valuable to the team," are there any examples you can point to from the last decade? I'd thought we learned in 2005/6 that the game has changed a bit.

[youtube][snip]

Yeah, I was giving the fellow a chance to move on from the 'Wendel's back!' business himself.

Lucic is nice.

Is there anybody who can beat Lucic?  McLaren or Clarkson?

 

[Britishbulldog]

Is there anybody who can beat Lucic?  McLaren or Clarkson?

There are only 2 forwards who I believe can match Lucic.  Clowe and Stewart and Clowe fell of the apple cart last year.  So I guess there is only one, and Stewart is making a paltry $4.14 MIL while Lucic drags in $6.0 MIL.