Leafs @ Canucks - Dec 2, 7:00pm - CBC, Fan 590
- Thread starter herman
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bustaheims
Active member
Significantly Insignificant said:
Yeah. He is still better than 90%+ of the players in the league.
Strangelove
New member
azzurri63 said:
Sure they could have. But it?s pretty clear Babcock loves Polak. He likes old school character guys, even if all available evidence clearly indicates they shouldn?t be playing.
Guru Tugginmypuddah
Active member
bustaheims said:
I'm trying to get the reverse jinx going!
azzurri63 said:
Well looking at it from a what's best for Dermott point of view, having him bounce in and out of the lineup probably isn't the best for him, whereas platooning Carrick, Polak and Borgman probably isn't going to hurt anyone in the rotation.
Also, Carrick is a better option than Polak. For whatever reason they are going to play Polak. Trading assets to get another player to watch Polak play seems like a waste of assets.
WhatIfGodWasALeaf
Active member
Significantly Insignificant said:
With the best team in AHL and a full stock of picks and prospects, this seems like an easy excuse to make for the management.
azzurri63
Active member
Strangelove said:
Well if he ain't playing good leave him in the stands. That should go for all of them and yes Babcock is part of the problem and I've said it before with his favouritism. You telling me Gardiner hasn't deserved to be benched this year? Babcocks all talk.
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
Doesn't that become a question of the best way to use your assets? Lower tiered d-man should be the easiest to acquire. Do you want to spend a Bracco, or a Kapanen on a bottom pairing d-man? I don't think the difference between a Carrick, and someone you can acquire is going to be that great, so I think the problem is more a question of "Why aren't the Leafs playing Carrick?"
WhatIfGodWasALeaf
Active member
If you can turn Carrick and a pick/prospect into a solid #5 that kills penalties and is mobile I think you do it.
Excusing deficiencies in the bottom of the lineup is a recipe for disappointment, we are all familiar with the 2% hypothesis, when you can upgrade without crippling the future you should.
I don't care that Babcock likes Polak, he's not good enough and it should be a decision taken out of his hands.
Excusing deficiencies in the bottom of the lineup is a recipe for disappointment, we are all familiar with the 2% hypothesis, when you can upgrade without crippling the future you should.
I don't care that Babcock likes Polak, he's not good enough and it should be a decision taken out of his hands.
L K
Active member
Significantly Insignificant said:
While there is no guarantee that you can get the assets you want from it. I think the offseason was the time to try and move Bozak/JVR/Komarov. Guys that realistically aren't going to be brought back due to cap limitations. The Leafs supposedly have the depth to absorb those losses with guys like Kapanen/Soshnikov. I think the time/opportunity was there in the offseason to make that move, instead they added Hainsey who has exceeded expectations were relying on unproven players in Borgman/Rosen. Borgman has been ok but has clearly been a guy who would have benefitted from seasoning. He has some games where he makes great plays and others where he makes awful mistakes. The kind of mistakes that have Nylander/Marner bouncing down to the 4th line and have had Kapanen/Soshnikov playing in the AHL.
L K said:
So I'm not going to say Borgman's been great, but I do think that sometimes mistakes get attributed to players they shouldn't.
The other night the Sens played the Habs. On one of the goals, Ceci made this play that ended up resulting in a goal. Ottawa was up in arms and wants Ceci gone. Now Ceci hasn't been good, but in this particular play, if you watched the whole thing transpire, it was actually Dzingle that caused the problem. Dzingle left the ice early on a line change, that caused an odd man rush for Montreal (5 on 4 ). What happened is that Ceci got hamstrung with the puck because he didn't have anywhere to go with it, so he tried to clear it and it failed. It was broken down that by Dzingle going off early, it caused the Sens to lose their structure, and that left no options for Ceci. If he doesn't get off, and the Sens maintain their structure, then Ceci has an outlet and that play probably goes differently.
I'm just not so sure that the Leafs defence is always the reason they get running around in their own end. Sure there are times where Gardiner looks lost and situations like that. But there are also times where they get hemmed in because the forwards have blown the zone early.
azzurri63 said:
I'm not so sure you could have. If you are going to trade an asset for something that is going to spend 1 or 2 games out of every 3 in the press box, I think that is a waste of an asset. I think as a depth signing, or a situational player, Polak is not horrible. But as an everyday player, the Leafs have better options, such as Carrick. It's just that they don't use him.