Leafs could have 5 or 6 forward lines next year.

[mr grieves]

Yeah I think that's roughly where I'm at too. I'm not fully convinced we move all 3 of JVR/Komarov/Bozak though. So assuming Komarov stays he plays with Nylander/Kapanen. If JVR stays he goes with Matthews-Marner and Leipsic drops down to the 2nd line.

I agree that it seems unlikely that all three of them go but with the exception of JVR I just can't wrap my head around how either Komarov or Bozak could fit on the team next year. I guess Leivo could be seen as surplus but if you deal JVR and bring back a LW of Leivo, Leipsic, Hyman and Komarov...I don't know. That just strikes me as a lot of missed opportunities for offense from your middle 6(assuming Leipsic is on a top line).

It sounds crazy but absent the significant blue line improvements the team needs I'm really thinking that a major piece they need to be targeting is a winger(preferably left) who contributes both in the grit/puck retrieval way and is a decent offensive option. If Nylander moves to the middle, I'm not crazy about the wings on this team right now.

Not right now perhaps, but isn't this where the team's prospect pool is particularly deep? It might take a couple years for the serviceable top-9 guys to separate from the pack and establish themselves, but quality wingers available for short term contracts also seem to be something you can find on the UFA market.

 

[Kin]

Not right now perhaps, but isn't this where the team's prospect pool is particularly deep? It might take a couple years for the serviceable top-9 guys to separate from the pack and establish themselves, but quality wingers available for short term contracts also seem to be something you can find on the UFA market.

Yes and no. I think there is some quality in the prospect pool but for the most part they tend to be undersized and mid round picks. So I have some serious questions about how much versatility they can add.

That said, you're right about the UFA market. You'd just have hoped not to have to spend money there after, like you point out, investing so much in that area in picks

 

[mr grieves]

Not right now perhaps, but isn't this where the team's prospect pool is particularly deep? It might take a couple years for the serviceable top-9 guys to separate from the pack and establish themselves, but quality wingers available for short term contracts also seem to be something you can find on the UFA market.

Yes and no. I think there is some quality in the prospect pool but for the most part they tend to be undersized and mid round picks. So I have some serious questions about how much versatility they can add.

That said, you're right about the UFA market. You'd just have hoped not to have to spend money there after, like you point out, investing so much in that area in picks

I guess they've invested "so much" in terms of an absolute number of picks, but that they're mid-rounders is sort of the deal, no? If you devote a bunch of picks to something, they're going to be less pedigreed, mid-round picks, and those will take time to develop.

They've got 4 open spots in their top-9 (assuming Marner and Hyman stick; Brown, Leivo, and Sosh might).

Hyman - Matthews - (A)
(B) - Kadri - Marner
(B) - Nylander - (A)

For skill and scoring (A), between Brown, Leivo, Kapanen, Leipsic, Brooks, Bracco, Timashov, and Johnson, they've got a good chance of some quality top-9 wingers. As for size and grit/puck retrieval (B), they've got Rychel, Korostelev, Grundstrom, or Korshkov in the system, and, if we drop 'size,' Soshnikov... and Leipsic probably counts here too.

But I expect that'll take a couple years to sort out. In the meantime, I guess I'm not too worried that the team's competitiveness is going to be all that diminished if the Leafs already have some serviceable top-9 options (Leivo, Brown) and are replacing JvR and Komarov by getting by on short term deals for the next Clarke MacArthurs, PAPs, Grabners, Radulovs, etc.

The UFA market does offer stuff you'd rather not have to spend money on when it comes to the precise thing you think they're missing -- size/grit with offense -- but I'd rather they get called soft or small next season than try to sign the likes of Clarkson, Lucic, or Backes.

 

[rdowdall]

I was thinking about this last night.  Who do they sit when Marner comes back?  I mean all things being equal, I would say Martin or Komarov.  However, I think it's more likely one of Soshnikov or Leivo.

It seems unlikely that it would be someone on the left side so Sosh seems like the easy answer.

Yeah, it'll be Sosh for sure. The bigger question is which winger drops out of the top-9. Leivo or Brown?

I don't think it's fair that it's Soshnikov.

 

[Highlander]

I suggest we have two Leaf teams. Team A and Team B. They alternate nights they play so we can see the Leafs play every night in season. 

 

[Kin]

I guess they've invested "so much" in terms of an absolute number of picks, but that they're mid-rounders is sort of the deal, no?

Well, yes and no. Over the years they've had opportunities to add high second/low first type prospects on the wing and instead have gone with the strategy of using mid round picks on the sort of imperfect prospects you're likely to find around there.

That's more what I meant by their investment. It's that, with some exceptions, their strategy on building up on the wing is the hope that 3rd-5th liners become pretty good players as opposed to adding higher ceiling guys when they've had the opportunities to do so.

They've got 4 open spots in their top-9 (assuming Marner and Hyman stick; Brown, Leivo, and Sosh might).

Hyman - Matthews - (A)
(B) - Kadri - Marner
(B) - Nylander - (A)

For skill and scoring (A), between Brown, Leivo, Kapanen, Leipsic, Brooks, Bracco, Timashov, and Johnson, they've got a good chance of some quality top-9 wingers. As for size and grit/puck retrieval (B), they've got Rychel, Korostelev, Grundstrom, or Korshkov in the system, and, if we drop 'size,' Soshnikov... and Leipsic probably counts here too.

I think among those guys there's a fair chance that some of them turn into the sorts of players who can be fairly productive being put in the right roles.

Where I think you sort of missed the point is that I think the team is sort of lacking in the sorts of Boone Jenner/Brandon Saad/Tyler Toffoli "hey, we don't have to choose between good size and skill and rather than accepting the idea of Zach Hyman as a lifetime 1st line player we can slide someone in there who both replaces his grit/size/retrieval and upgrades the scoring punch".

I have some hope for Leipsic in that sense, I guess Grundstrom although who knows with young swedes.

Anyways, the Leafs have some A's and some B's but what they don't have, and what I think they'll need sooner or later are some A/B's. Guys who can do both.

 

[gilmourthegreat]

Here are my future lines, given the following assumptions:

Hyman is overrated
Leivo is underrated

Leivo-Matthews-Brown
JVR-Nylander-Marner
Leipsic-Kadri-Kapanen
Martin-Gauthier-Hyman

What a change from invented lines in the mid aughts. That second line could be lethal.

 

[Frank E]

Maybe just chill on the Leivo hype a bit...he's only played a handful of games.

People were ready to put Sosh on the first line a couple of weeks ago, and that seems to have cooled off.

 

[mr grieves]

Where I think you sort of missed the point is that I think the team is sort of lacking in the sorts of Boone Jenner/Brandon Saad/Tyler Toffoli "hey, we don't have to choose between good size and skill and rather than accepting the idea of Zach Hyman as a lifetime 1st line player we can slide someone in there who both replaces his grit/size/retrieval and upgrades the scoring punch".

I have some hope for Leipsic in that sense, I guess Grundstrom although who knows with young swedes.

Anyways, the Leafs have some A's and some B's but what they don't have, and what I think they'll need sooner or later are some A/B's. Guys who can do both.

Ah, I see. I was willing to tolerate some solid Bs -- the next Komarov's or Kulemin's, 15 g/yr sorts -- given the skill level elsewhere in the forward corps. Something more like a 20-25 goal grit/retrieval guy would be great... I suspect their starting to draft bigger, over-age prospects means they've come to a similar conclusion as you've, but they seem to be over in Europe presently, so who knows what they'll end up being.

 

[McGarnagle]

Maybe just chill on the Leivo hype a bit...he's only played a handful of games.

People were ready to put Sosh on the first line a couple of weeks ago, and that seems to have cooled off.

Yeah, recency bias is a thing. I know Komorov isn't in anyone's plans post this season, and I think that he's played often a line up from where he ideally would slot in, but I think that it's a mistake for fans to assume he could be easily replaced by shoshnikov or other players in the org.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I remember a few years back when someone had a huge crush on DiDomenico...can't remember who it was though.

[tweet]836206475034898432[/tweet]

I TOLD YOU ALL HE'D BE A STAR!!! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW

 

[Frank E]

I remember a few years back when someone had a huge crush on DiDomenico...can't remember who it was though.

[tweet]836206475034898432[/tweet]

I TOLD YOU ALL HE'D BE A STAR!!! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW

He who hasn't played an NHL game at 28 years of age just got a one-way deal...well, good luck to him.

 

[Coco-puffs]

I remember a few years back when someone had a huge crush on DiDomenico...can't remember who it was though.

[tweet]836206475034898432[/tweet]

I TOLD YOU ALL HE'D BE A STAR!!! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW

He who hasn't played an NHL game at 28 years of age just got a one-way deal...well, good luck to him.

Based on the prices on the trade market, an "overpayment" (in salary) to a very good European pro without giving up assets is probably a good choice.  I doubt he makes a difference though.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I remember a few years back when someone had a huge crush on DiDomenico...can't remember who it was though.

[tweet]836206475034898432[/tweet]

I TOLD YOU ALL HE'D BE A STAR!!! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW

He who hasn't played an NHL game at 28 years of age just got a one-way deal...well, good luck to him.

I just couldn't believe the timing of it. What are the odds haha.

 

[Frank E]

I remember a few years back when someone had a huge crush on DiDomenico...can't remember who it was though.

[tweet]836206475034898432[/tweet]

I TOLD YOU ALL HE'D BE A STAR!!! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW

He who hasn't played an NHL game at 28 years of age just got a one-way deal...well, good luck to him.

I just couldn't believe the timing of it. What are the odds haha.

Yes, awesome timing indeed, and with my luck, he'll be super good and on the first line.

 

[disco]

This thread has aged well

    LW              C              RW
  Marleau    Matthews    Nylander
    JVR          Bozak        Marner
Komorov      Kadri        Brown
  Hyman        Moore      Kapanen
  Martin      Gauthier    Soshnikov
Aaltonen        Fehr          Leivo