General Leafs Talk

[4th Liner]

“@TSNScottyMac: #Leafs are incredibly young: @TSNResearch says of all current rosters, Leafs only team in #NHL w/all players born 1980 or after.”

 

[bustaheims]

?@TSNScottyMac: #Leafs are incredibly young: @TSNResearch says of all current rosters, Leafs only team in #NHL w/all players born 1980 or after.?

Only 2 players (Connolly and Liles) have already passed their 30th birthday, and only another 3 (Lombardi, Komisarek and Orr) will get there before the end of the season. That's crazy.

 

[ZBBM]

Seems everybody's jumping up and down happy with this roster, eh?

I'm all a-tingle.

 

[cw]

There were some pretty awful rumours about Orr's concussion last winder/spring. I wonder if he's one 'good' (if you'll excuse the terminology because it wouldn't be 'good') punch away from retirement. And therefore, Rosehill is being retained to provide insurance - something like that. Or maybe Orr is a little banged up ...

Keeping both enforcers longer term doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Further to this, Orr has 373 GP plus 12 playoff games. To get a max NHL pension, he needs 400. Now I think games missed due to injury or games available to play count towards the 400 but maybe if he was short a few, they'd hang on to him and let him get his full pension.

And maybe he's just fine or has enough games and that has nothing to do with it.

Just noting I kicked around the notion.

 

[Newbury]

Can't believe Franson starts as the 7th D-man. At least he has a few things he can do other than be a pylon. Komi needs to be shown the door.

Is this true? If he's not already, I think Franson has top-four potential. He was pretty good on Nashville last year so I'm not sure why he wouldn't be in our top six.

 

[Bender]

Can't believe Franson starts as the 7th D-man. At least he has a few things he can do other than be a pylon. Komi needs to be shown the door.

Is this true? If he's not already, I think Franson has top-four potential. He was pretty good on Nashville last year so I'm not sure why he wouldn't be in our top six.

Honestly. He's good enough for Nashville but not good enough here? What?

Komi has got to go. He's holding the defense back completely. Franson's played a steadier, if unspectacular game.

 

[Corn Flake]

re: Komi over Franson... its only the roster for opening night, right?

Also, Franson didn't exactly tear it up at camp, and Komi established chemistry with Gardiner, who was the winner of camp.  So by association he gets to play opening night. 

We will see if it lasts beyond game 1.

 

[Corn Flake]

Aulie and Zigomanis go to the Marlies along with Crabb, Boyce, and Lashoff who have to clear waivers.

Gardiner sticks with the club for now.  Interesting.

I'm not a fan of keeping two completely useless players in Rosehill and Orr on the roster, I think that is a huge mistake and it only serves to tire out the top 3 lines who have to play more minutes because you can't play Rosehill/Orr more than 6-7 minutes a game at the best of times.

Lupul - Connolly - Kessel
Kulemin - Grabovski - MacArthur (Frattin)
Frattin - Bozak - Armstrong
Rosehill/Lombardi - Dupuis - Orr

Phaneuf - Liles
Gunnarsson - Schenn
Gardiner - Komisarek
Franson

Check out any good team....the 4th line plays 5-7 minutes max. I think you're way off with the tiring comment. I want the top 2 lines playing roughly 20 mins , and the 3rd playing up to 15. That leaves 5 for for 4th. Same with the D. Top pair plays 25, 2nd 20, 3rd around 15.

I think Lashoff might get picked up by Edmonton.

The Leafs aren't a good team.  On any given night, the Kessel line is going to look bad, the Grabovski line isn't going to be able to carry 82 games, and the Leafs are going to be carrying guys who you can't trust on the ice.  Detroit doesn't ice a terrible 4th line, they don't play it as much because their top 9 is just much better.

Stanley Cup Winning Boston Bruins - no forward under 10 min/game
Chicago - No player with >5 games played under 10 min/game
Detroit - No player under 8 min AND no player >10 games under 10 min

Always the eternal optimist.

I'd like to think the Leafs can aspire to being close or on par with teams more at their level (like 6th-10th seeds) rather than comparing to the last 3 cup winners... lets wait a few years on that one.

 

[Spider]

re: Komi over Franson... its only the roster for opening night, right?

Also, Franson didn't exactly tear it up at camp, and Komi established chemistry with Gardiner, who was the winner of camp.  So by association he gets to play opening night. 

We will see if it lasts beyond game 1.

Plus, the Leafs are playing against the Habs (which is Komi's ex-team).  Usually players play harder against their previous employers. 

 

[Bender]

re: Komi over Franson... its only the roster for opening night, right?

Also, Franson didn't exactly tear it up at camp, and Komi established chemistry with Gardiner, who was the winner of camp.  So by association he gets to play opening night. 

We will see if it lasts beyond game 1.

Plus, the Leafs are playing against the Habs (which is Komi's ex-team).  Usually players play harder against their previous employers. 

I think I've watched this movie before.

 

[cw]

Can't believe Franson starts as the 7th D-man. At least he has a few things he can do other than be a pylon. Komi needs to be shown the door.

Is this true? If he's not already, I think Franson has top-four potential. He was pretty good on Nashville last year so I'm not sure why he wouldn't be in our top six.

Honestly. He's good enough for Nashville but not good enough here? What?

Komi has got to go. He's holding the defense back completely. Franson's played a steadier, if unspectacular game.

It's not a big fall for Franson. He was a 6th or 7th in Nashville with limited ice time.

Ron Wilson has no future in Toronto if he gets off to a bad start. No contract renewal and this time, I'd predict Burke will pull the trigger sooner than later - no thumbs twiddling until after Xmas this season.

Ron picks the roster. So it comes down to which dmen Ron feels give him the best chance to get them off to a good start (and keep his job).

If Komi sucks, then Wilson will be quick with the hook. His job attempting to finish this season as Leafs coach depends on it.

 

[Jalili]

Komisarek is such a useless mofo.

Not only are Aulie and Franson better than him, but I prefer Lashoff and Finger as well.

 

[Scot4bz]

Komisarek is such a useless mofo.

Not only are Aulie and Franson better than him, but I prefer Lashoff and Finger as well.

I'm not a big fan either - but to his credit, he does seem to genuinely be trying and his preseason was (in some ways) better than what he has showed in his time with the Leafs. Points for trying (but maybe the points get taken away for not succeeding)

 

[Tigger]

There were some pretty awful rumours about Orr's concussion last winder/spring. I wonder if he's one 'good' (if you'll excuse the terminology because it wouldn't be 'good') punch away from retirement. And therefore, Rosehill is being retained to provide insurance - something like that. Or maybe Orr is a little banged up ...

Keeping both enforcers longer term doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Further to this, Orr has 373 GP plus 12 playoff games. To get a max NHL pension, he needs 400. Now I think games missed due to injury or games available to play count towards the 400 but maybe if he was short a few, they'd hang on to him and let him get his full pension.

And maybe he's just fine or has enough games and that has nothing to do with it.

Just noting I kicked around the notion.

I didn't mention it before but I thought Orr looked ok against Detroit, set up Brown IIRC. I take the piss out of him regularly so if I'm to be fair...

Interesting notion regarding the pension and if true it wouldn't surprise me with BurkeplayersgmInc. I agree with the suggestion that Rosehill will be gone when Mac returns but if he isn't then we'll definitely be revisiting at least the question of 'why' if not this theory directly.

 

[Tigger]

The choice to send down Aulie is interesting if only in that Gardiner is somewhat his antithesis as a player.

I agree with Cornb'zkill Flake, we'll see how it shakes out. I can't imagine Burke sitting around with Aulie in the minors for long though...

 

[lamajama]

Connolly "50-50" for opener according to Wilson (as per TSN)
<sigh>

Couldn't he have waited a few games at least.

The naysayers about the contract will have fun with this.... :-[

 

[leafplasma]

Makes sense. Who would need to be waived? Crabb, and? I can't even remember who is left in camp...

Lashoff and Rosehill would need to go through waivers to be sent down.

Barring a glut of defensemen going on waivers, I think Lashoff is an Oiler when he gets waived.

I have the same feeling.

If that happens, well good for him, he deserves the shot.  We have far too much depth here in TO and on the farm to worry about the loss of Lashoff.

Agree with the first part, disagree with the second.  You can't have too much depth on D.  Lashoff would be a capable call-up when injuries hit the back end.

Not me Lashoff is serviceable sure but I would prefer the Leafs number 7 stepping in or one of Aulie, Mikus or Holzer as the first call ups.  Then there is Blacker depending on how he plays with the Marlies and even Gysbers has shown a lot of promise.  Whatever way you slice it the Marlies IMHO will have one of the best if not the best D in the AHL and it is time for Lashoff to catch on somewhere else.  You may say we have more than enough depth at D and if we lose Lashoff I won't be too upset.

 

[leafplasma]

Can't believe Franson starts as the 7th D-man. At least he has a few things he can do other than be a pylon. Komi needs to be shown the door.

Is this true? If he's not already, I think Franson has top-four potential. He was pretty good on Nashville last year so I'm not sure why he wouldn't be in our top six.

He was used in a pretty limited role in Nashville, his D game has a lot to be desired so far at this stage in his young career. 

 

[Tigger]

Not me Lashoff is serviceable sure but I would prefer the Leafs number 7 stepping in or one of Aulie, Mikus or Holzer as the first call ups.  Then there is Blacker depending on how he plays with the Marlies and even Gysbers has shown a lot of promise.  Whatever way you slice it the Marlies IMHO will have one of the best if not the best D in the AHL and it is time for Lashoff to catch on somewhere else.  You may say we have more than enough depth at D and if we lose Lashoff I won't be too upset.

Agreed, I don't want to lose Lashoff but I also won't be torn up if the Leafs lose him to a numbers game.  I agree with your call ups pretty much in that order but I'd say while I don't know Gysbers very well I think Blacker is the kind of player that will benefit from pretty much a full year with the  Marlies, look for him next year is my guess and in a regular role. Same goes for Mikus though maybe closer to February but only if hockeyjeebus smiles on him as far as a regular role goes.

 

[Kaberle15]

He was used in a pretty limited role in Nashville, his D game has a lot to be desired so far at this stage in his young career.

yada yada yada, he is better than Komisarek. PERIOD!