Leafs Acquire ROR and Acciari

[ZBBM]

Maybe this will be another Foligno debacle but it seems like a much better bet.  Sticking a Conn Smythe winner on your roster is appealing.

Just like the reaction here was overwhelmingly positive to the Foligno deal, every addition seems great when it's weighed against nothing.

I hear you.  You may be right. But getting Acciari too alone makes it a better bet (acknowledging that the 2nd rounder has value).  In any event, if they flame out in R1 I don't think Dubas will have any more opportunities to do this.

 

[ZBBM]

*Sigh*

I get that 90's nostalgia is in these days but I was sort of hoping we'd skip the "Draft, Schmaft" part of it.

At the same time, if you don't go for it now then when? Hopefully when we rebuild again our picks are like #5 and not #25.

This will make it 4 of the last 5 drafts where they haven't had a 1st round pick. They've been "going for it" every year.

And I want them to go for it every year.

I mean, this is the basic conundrum.  Are they likely to ever have 4 guys as talented at Tavares, Matthews, Marner, Nylander again?  Probably not.  If you knew you could keep them together for, say, 6 more years, then you can play it conservative.  But that won't be the case.

 

[ZBBM]

Isn't O'Reilly hurt right now?

He's been back for three games now

Thanks.

 

[Kin]

I hear you.  You may be right. But getting Acciari too alone makes it a better bet (acknowledging that the 2nd rounder has value).  In any event, if they flame out in R1 I don't think Dubas will have any more opportunities to do this.

I don't think Acciari meaningfully moves the needle at all but, regardless, the Leafs need to break out of the mold where they're always fighting last year's battles. Just getting out of the first round might save Dubas' job but it shouldn't be the long term goal.

 

[Kin]

Also, not liking the cost aside, this seems like another example of the Foligno deal where they emphasized improving the bottom 6 to the point of trading for an older guy not having a great year when they could have tried to improve the top 6 and improved the bottom half of the lineup  by knocking someone down.

 

[Bender]

Maybe this will be another Foligno debacle but it seems like a much better bet.  Sticking a Conn Smythe winner on your roster is appealing.

Just like the reaction here was overwhelmingly positive to the Foligno deal, every addition seems great when it's weighed against nothing.

I mean Folignos never been a scorer. I think plenty of people would've taken Taylor Hall instead.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I hear you.  You may be right. But getting Acciari too alone makes it a better bet (acknowledging that the 2nd rounder has value).  In any event, if they flame out in R1 I don't think Dubas will have any more opportunities to do this.

I don't think Acciari meaningfully moves the needle at all but, regardless, the Leafs need to break out of the mold where they're always fighting last year's battles. Just getting out of the first round might save Dubas' job but it shouldn't be the long term goal.

Acciari isn't someone to sleep on. He leads the Blues in hits by a mile and his takeaway to giveaway ratio is crazy. He's had 6 GVs all year. He gives Keefe options for the bottom 6.
Leafs just became harder to play against.

 

[ZBBM]

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Tavares-O'Reilly-Marner
Kerfoot-Acciari-Jarnkrok
Engvall-K?mpf-Holmberg

Yeah, probably not, but where, in fact, will the new guys slot in?

 

[Guilt Trip]

Also, not liking the cost aside, this seems like another example of the Foligno deal where they emphasized improving the bottom 6 to the point of trading for an older guy not having a great year when they could have tried to improve the top 6 and improved the bottom half of the lineup  by knocking someone down.

Foligno was never as good as ROR. I think you're undervaluing what he brings. We also don't know where either will play yet. I can see ROR on JT's wing at some point. Also if obtaining a 2LW to move Jarnkrok down, there's no guarantee he'll produce there. If/with ROR at 3C they should produce more then Kampf.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Tavares-O'Reilly-Marner
Kerfoot-Acciari-Jarnkrok
Engvall-K?mpf-Holmberg

Yeah, probably not, but where, in fact, will the new guys slot in?

Best thing is, Keefe has options. Let's not forget that I think Knies probably gets added to the bottom 6 at some point as well.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Tavares-O'Reilly-Marner
Kerfoot-Acciari-Jarnkrok
Engvall-K?mpf-Holmberg

Yeah, probably not, but where, in fact, will the new guys slot in?

I think I'd try ROR at 3C first. The bottom-6 in that scenario still feels a little too goal-less for my liking. Throw ROR in the top-6 as a last resort option.

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Kerfoot-Tavares-Marner
Engvall-ROR-Jarnkrok
ZAR-Kampf-Acciari

That 12th forward spot would be down to ZAR/Holmberg/Anderson.

That fits what Keefe's been doing recently. A more blendery/unlikely line-up I'd like to see would be:

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Engvall-ROR-Nylander
Kerfoot-Tavares-Jarnkrok
ZAR/Holmberg-Kampf-Acciari

 

[Kin]

Maybe this will be another Foligno debacle but it seems like a much better bet.  Sticking a Conn Smythe winner on your roster is appealing.

Just like the reaction here was overwhelmingly positive to the Foligno deal, every addition seems great when it's weighed against nothing.

I mean Folignos never been a scorer. I think plenty of people would've taken Taylor Hall instead.

But it was more of the same sort of "He adds grit, the Leafs will be tougher to play against, the sort of guy you need in the playoffs" stuff.

 

[ZBBM]

I just listened to Friedman's interview on Sportsnet. He was guarded as always but his main message is that you win Cups down the middle, and they improved themselves there, no doubt.  Also, he said this gives Dubas options to move guys ? plural ? to the wing.  That caught my ear.

 

[ZBBM]

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Tavares-O'Reilly-Marner
Kerfoot-Acciari-Jarnkrok
Engvall-K?mpf-Holmberg

Yeah, probably not, but where, in fact, will the new guys slot in?

Best thing is, Keefe has options. Let's not forget that I think Knies probably gets added to the bottom 6 at some point as well.

Yup.  Bring him in and let him run on the 4th line.

 

[Bender]

Also wonder if there's another move up Dubas' sleeve.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Also wonder if there's another move up Dubas' sleeve.

Not sure if he's done but he'll have to move out salary for the next trade or demote someone. Leafs have 578K in space with Murray on the roster. He is now on LTIR. I think with this trade we now know Muzz won't be back until at least the playoffs or not at all.

 

[ZBBM]

Also wonder if there's another move up Dubas' sleeve.

Not sure if he's done but he'll have to move out salary for the next trade or demote someone. Leafs have 578K in space with Murray on the roster. He is now on LTIR. I think with this trade we now know Muzz won't be back until at least the playoffs or not at all.

Kerfoot for picks?

 

[ZBBM]

The other thing to think about is special teams.  The second PP unit just got more interesting.  I don't know if the new guys kill penalties.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

The other thing to think about is special teams.  The second PP unit just got more interesting.  I don't know if the new guys kill penalties.

They were 1-2 on St. Louis for forward PK TOI and both have a history of logging big PK minutes.

 

[ZBBM]

The other thing to think about is special teams.  The second PP unit just got more interesting.  I don't know if the new guys kill penalties.

They were 1-2 on St. Louis for forward PK TOI and both have a history of logging big PK minutes.

Wowzers.  That's huge.