Marincin Redux

[KW Sluggo]

Reading through this I really don't understand the negative response. As I said in the Hutchinson thread, a one year deal at 700k doesn't commit the Leafs to anything or preclude them from doing anything else. This is a depth move that in no way binds them to anything.

But even more, the idea that some people are surprised that the Leafs are kind of in a thorny spot defensively makes no sense. Once the Leafs decided to short-cut the rebuild when Matthews came aboard this year was always coming. The Leafs being without a lot of cap maneuverability isn't anyone's fault. It's the result of absorbing four big contracts over two years. No team could bring on the Tavares deal and the three big extensions and not feel the pinch.

Sure, jump starting the process once Matthews was here but without a bunch of good defensive prospects was a move worthy of criticism(and I gave it at the time) but realistically with those four forwards in the fold any major improvements to the defense, at least in the foreseeable future, was going to have to come from within. That's just the whole nature of the cap. If you think the Leafs should make major structural changes so as to add a defenseman from outside the organization, I think it's incumbent on someone making that argument to outline what those changes actually are and what chance they have of succeeding in a league that prizes good defensemen as highly as it does.

Either way, the signing of Marincin has nothing to do with that larger issue. Nobody here or in the Leafs front office is working under the impression that signing him is fixing the issues with the team.

Last year we had a pisse pauvre defence, partly due to forwards but mainly due to less than a playoff successful level blueline. It showed in the playoffs just as it did the uyear before.

Marincin was not the answer a year ago or the year before that. Thinking he will be any part of the answer next year is insanity, you know, repeating the same failed steps and expecting a different result.

That is the big deal -- not that there is anything per se wrong with a depth move, more that we have been there done that and this is not addressing the problem at all.

As for your final comment, just when do you suggest they do start to address "the issues with this team"?

How the hell about now?

Sure, it is a season later than I would have liked but "Now" works.

You don't address a team weakness by going small time cheap and by "arresting the usual sunsets".

That is why the negative response.

 

[Kin]

Marincin was not the answer a year ago or the year before that. Thinking he will be any part of the answer next year is insanity, you know, repeating the same failed steps and expecting a different result.

So should the Leafs not make any moves that don't solve the problem in one fell swoop? Should they ignore the fairly easy problem of the Marlies' depth on D because the larger issue of the Leafs defense is out there? Marincin being signed is not an attempt to address that larger issue and what's insane, as opposed to the definition you cribbed from an 80's self-help guide, is pretending that that's what this move is about.

As for your final comment, just when do you suggest they do start to address "the issues with this team"?

As soon as they're legitimately able to. As soon as they see a path to doing so that is more than just someone yelling "FIX IT!" but, you know, an actual plan wherein they have the resources available to make larger scale moves. If you see a clear cut way for the Leafs to turn the available resources at their disposal into a significantly improved blueline, by all means lay out the case for it.

But to suggest that they shouldn't make low consequence depth moves because they in and of themselves don't solve everything that's wrong with the roster isn't a legitimate criticism, it's just whining.