Guru Tugginmypuddah
Active member
Guilt Trip said:
I'm guessing top 4 midway through the first period of the season opener.
Mikko Lehtonen signs with Leafs
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
I'm guessing top 4 midway through the first period of the season opener.
Highlander
Active member
Yessire Bob!Rob said:
Guilt Trip
Active member
Haha. Let's hope the Leafs can sign 1 top 4 RD man. That would help a lot and if we can push Holl down to the third pairing eventually, that'll be good.Highlander said:
Guilt Trip
Active member
Lehtonen is going to give the Leafs a different look on the PP because of his shot. Both PP units should be fun to watch.herman said:
The one thing that worries me is that a lot of his highlights, especially goals, seem to come from one-timers. And without any actual evidence to back this up I feel like that's one of the biggest things that's easier to pull off in Europe/KHL than it is to do in the NHL. So I'm not really sure I'd expect him to get double digit goals or anything here. Those laser passes still sound nice though.
herman
Well-known member
Guilt Trip said:
He, and that unit, will have 20 seconds to make something happen on an on-the-fly shift. I don't think there'll be much outside of a patented Jason Spezza entry-fake-short snapper to the shelf. Lehtonen will also be competing for open looks with Spezza and maybe Robertson.
I expect the formation to be something like
Simmonds
Thornton - Robertson
Spezza - Lehtonen
herman
Well-known member
CarltonTheBear said:
Normally, I hate overshooting defense; they're a waste of possession with a low percentage attempt. They certainly shouldn't be the primary locus of attack (see MTL PP, how Tyson Barrie envisions success).
For Lehtonen, I don't mind. His shot is a weapon, certainly, but just the most photogenic aspect of his game. He covers a lot of ice, he's involved in a lot of plays, and his passing is well above average and at pretty good volume. The Leafs under Sheldon Keefe have very active D on the attack, be it on the rush or when setup in the OZ (high F, wall-driving strong-side D); Dubas is gradually filling the D-corps with better handlers who can keep plays alive. Even Bogosian is more than capable of pinching down and just mashing the puck back below the red line to restart the cycle. In the event the Leafs are left with a low-to-high play when the slot's closed off (they do this sooooo much), at least we're feeding pucks to someone like Lehtonen who can do something with his shot.
Phileas Fogg
New member
I remember when Zaitsev was the considered the best defenceman not playing in north america, and a lot of similar specific superlatives were being heaped on. Maybe it'd be best to see if his game even translates to the NHL before laying it on too thick.
bustaheims
Active member
Frycer14 said:
I'm all for being cautious with European veteran imports, but Zaitsev never produced at the level Lehtonen is right now. 8 goals would be tied for Zaitsev's 2nd highest output as a professional hockey player.
In terms of offensive ability, Lehtonen is in a completely different stratosphere than any of the European D the Leafs have brought over in recent years.
herman
Well-known member
Also, everyone who has written in this thread has been extremely cautious and sort of gun shy by Zatisev, so I'm not sure what superlatives are being laid on thickly here. Unless you hate seeing goal highlights that just keep appearing for some reason...
I do desperately want to see a clip set of Lehtonen neutralizing rushes in the NZ, pinning a puck and squirreling out of a forecheck to spring an open forward, and completing 10-15' passes.
I do desperately want to see a clip set of Lehtonen neutralizing rushes in the NZ, pinning a puck and squirreling out of a forecheck to spring an open forward, and completing 10-15' passes.
Phileas Fogg
New member
herman said:
"I have a feeling this guy is going to be pushing top 4 by mid season."
"Thornton is going to have so many fun options on PP2"
"Lehtonen is going to give the Leafs a different look on the PP because of his shot."
"at least we're feeding pucks to someone like Lehtonen who can do something with his shot."
That's literally just in the last two pages.
herman
Well-known member
Frycer14 said:
Who else on the Leafs defense, pray tell, has a positive power play record, aside from Rielly? A simple process of elimination, combined with fair chances to keeping the Russian free agent pipeline flowing makes this one of the easier reads of this lineup.
Phileas Fogg
New member
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Yeah. And that's fine, I'm sorry if I come across as a killjoy, Lehtonen may be an amazing revelation. But he's proven absolutely nothing apart from his ability to perform well offensively against much lesser competition. In a sense, it reminds me when Nylander was beating up on 3rd stringers during the world cup, and the "OMG he's finally fulfilling his destiny" quotes starting appearing.
Phileas Fogg
New member
herman said:
Hey, that's fine, but don't pretend like you aren't doing exactly what you claimed wasn't happening in your prior post.
herman
Well-known member
Frycer14 said:
Simple statements of fact is a pretty far stretch from 'superlatives' being laid on thick.
1) Lehtonen has a good shot
2) Lehtonen will be afforded power play opportunities
3) Joe Thornton, a power play passing wizard, will be afforded power play opportunities
I also pretty clearly said this:
"He, and that unit, will have 20 seconds to make something happen on an on-the-fly shift. I don't think there'll be much outside of a patented Jason Spezza entry-fake-short snapper to the shelf. Lehtonen will also be competing for open looks with Spezza and maybe Robertson."
Frycer14 said:
Was Z really thought of that way?
Also, I keep saying this, but Z wasn't the problem. It was his contract relative to his performance that was the problem. This is why I'm really not getting too bent out of shape if Lehtonen isn't lights out because he's costing the team less than $1m per. He doesn't need to be revelation, he just needs to be competent. Same goes for Thornton.
The real problem, and I don't want to beat a dead horse here, is that Z became a boat anchor @ 4.5m for 7yrs! If he had a shorter, more of a "let's see more" deal like 2M at 2yrs I don't think any of us would've balked at that. At least you get flexibility on a guy that isn't a sure bet. I mean, are any of us really complaining about the Mikhayev deal because it's too much for too long?