Bullfrog
Active member
Nik the Trik said:So, to be clear, this question is whether the Leafs should keep Johnsson over a guy who is younger, faster, bigger, stronger, who can kill penalties and is a better scorer?
I said it in the ex-Leaf thread but honestly, Johnsson really hasn't done much to establish that he has a real spot on the team going forward. I compared him to Leipsic there and their numbers are virtually identical while being of a similar age and size and Leipsic could have been had for virtually nothing. The Leafs are going to have internal options there shortly(Grundstrom, Marchment) and Johnsson doesn't address any of the peripheral needs the team has. He's shown flashes of being a decent offensive player but those really aren't as rare as we might think.
I've got nothing against him, he's an ok place holder, but honestly if I could choose right now I'd rather have Leipsic in the lineup.
I agree with this take. I've been one of Johnsson's biggest supporters (and still am), but he's a fringe player at best. He's an Ennis and easily replaceable. Kapanen is miles ahead of Johnsson, primarily because of his versatility and his age.
The only thing I somewhat disagree with is your preference for Leipsic. I think he and Johnsson are basically interchangeable, yet Johnsson has shown a bit more at the NHL level. Objectively though, that's likely due to opportunity as you infer above. Their AHL production -- both outstanding -- is essentially identical.