Gunnarsson is a safe defender who can play big minutes and chip in offensively. He's definitely a top-4 dman, he's shown he can cover for any mistakes Phaneuf makes(which is why he'd been his most steady partner)... Until we have a better defense-first option for Phaneuf, he's the guy.

Gardiner is not an option yet, as he's very prone to mistakes, and Rielly's inexperience would probably mean the same thing. It'd be nice to still have one of Aulie or Schenn, but alas, we do not.
- Feeling Glucky?

Gardiner is 100 times better than Gunnarson, but you're right he's not ready yet. I'll take JVR over Schenn all day, personally. Schenn has been bad in Philly, even though i've always liked the guy and hope he turns it around, JVR has a much bigger upside.

Gunnarsson is a safe defender who can play big minutes and chip in offensively. He's definitely a top-4 dman, he's shown he can cover for any mistakes Phaneuf makes(which is why he'd been his most steady partner)... Until we have a better defense-first option for Phaneuf, he's the guy.

Gardiner is not an option yet, as he's very prone to mistakes, and Rielly's inexperience would probably mean the same thing. It'd be nice to still have one of Aulie or Schenn, but alas, we do not.
- Feeling Glucky?

you say Gardiner is 'very prone to mistakes' and then dream of the day Schenn could still be in the line-up?
come on already. let it go.

i dont get the hate for liles... everyone is hating on him and he's tallying points at a 0.5PPG clip

welcome to toronto.. sign a good contract and if you arent an allstar you're a bum
- Dozzer

Liles and Franson should be on our top PP.
Phaneuf needs to be removed......or better yet...traded.

Another yank.
- t_leafs21

Curse you Minnesota

(frank) off with that poop
- faceto27

This team has a distinct lack of physical shut-down dmen. Whether you like the trade or not, you can't deny that.

Liles and Franson should be on our top PP.
Phaneuf needs to be removed......or better yet...traded.
- Fakepartofme

Liles has been brutal though.

One would have to think that Liles would have some value if the leafs where looking to move him??..
- Fruitcakenipple

dont be so fast to move him out to bring a kid in way too early

let him mentor gardiner (when gardiner finally gets his game together) and then let gardiner mentor rielly

an ongoing cycle.. thats how its supposed to work

yeah, i think the thing here is carlyle is spreading out the experience throughout the d corps

phaneuf and liles are by far the teams most experienced CAPABLE defenders lol
- Dozzer

I just wish he would stop thinking Fraser is Sean O'Donnell.

Liles and Franson should be on our top PP.
Phaneuf needs to be removed......or better yet...traded.
- Fakepartofme

I don't like Phaneuf on the PP either. His shot is erratic at best.

i dont get the hate for liles... everyone is hating on him and he's tallying points at a 0.5PPG clip

welcome to toronto.. sign a good contract and if you arent an allstar you're a bum
- Dozzer

"We're not winning the right way!"

"We're not losing the right way!"

"That player is a bum!"

"That player is playing too well and now we'll need to re-sign him to a bigger contract!"

"That player's individual accomplishments are meaningless because he doesn't help the team win!"

"That player isn't accomplishing enough individually!"

----------------

Basically, just pick a couple of those and post them after every game.

doubt the leafs buy him out

i think it was wedgie who pointed out that the last time teams could use a capless buyout not one player with more than a year remaining was bought out
- Dozzer

I don't think there is any possibility of them buying him out in summer 2013.

Summer 2014 may be an option.

Komi is as good as gone this summer. Leaves the Leafs (ha - didn't mean to do that!) with one more buyout. Nobody else really jumps out as a buyout candidate - maybe Grabbo.

All things considered, I'd rather hang on to Liles, and do a trade for bad contract + something good for bag of pucks, and then buy out the bad contract. Would be funny to see the league get upset about it.

This team has a distinct lack of physical shut-down dmen. Whether you like the trade or not, you can't deny that.
- Feeling Glucky?

No argument there........ the problem is Schenn is not a shutdown defenseman. He attempts to be, but his skill level is........

I get it though....... you have a bromance for the guy.

This team has a distinct lack of physical shut-down dmen. Whether you like the trade or not, you can't deny that.
- Feeling Glucky?

Well, funny enough, I'd say Komisarek is playing better than Schenn did last year, and in fact, from what I hear, this year as well.

So, trading away a guy that has actually been reasonably important to the offense for a guy that doesn't particularly look like he would help the D all that much, probably wouldn't be a smart thing to do.

Honestly I think i've heard announcers say Liles' name about 5 times this year. He's been invisible, and sure that's good for not making mistakes, but come on he's an offensive defenseman. He's been brutal on the PP, and his skating looks worse than last year. Not looking good for him.

Liles has been brutal though.
- blahman20

where are you getting this from?

he is one of the guys who actually have a plus rating on D

liles gunnar komi fraser and franson

so with gunnar out liles is the only guys in the top 4 with a plus rating

he is scoring half a point a game

the only sore spot really is his turnovers.. but lets be fair here.. thats a team wide issue

you say Gardiner is 'very prone to mistakes' and then dream of the day Schenn could still be in the line-up?
come on already. let it go.
- Barx

The schenn hate is so strong you guys can't see the point I'm making.


We don't have very many shut-down d-man options to play beside Phaneuf, who, it should be noted, plays his best hockey when he's got a defensive d-man backing him up, allowing him to play as a 4th forward.

This team has a distinct lack of physical shut-down dmen. Whether you like the trade or not, you can't deny that.
- Feeling Glucky?

When did we have one of those? Never.

I don't think there is any possibility of them buying him out in summer 2013.

Summer 2014 may be an option.

Komi is as good as gone this summer. Leaves the Leafs (ha - didn't mean to do that!) with one more buyout. Nobody else really jumps out as a buyout candidate - maybe Grabbo.

All things considered, I'd rather hang on to Liles, and do a trade for bad contract + something good for bag of pucks, and then buy out the bad contract. Would be funny to see the league get upset about it.
- Atomic Wedgie

I argued this about Horcoff for awhile. He is universally hated in Edmonton. Like Komi + Toskala hatred.

This was back in the day when a buy-out wasn't an option and we'd have to play him. We also had a few more years on his deal.

where are you getting this from?

he is one of the guys who actually have a plus rating on D

liles gunnar komi fraser and franson

so with gunnar out liles is the only guys in the top 4 with a plus rating

he is scoring half a point a game

the only sore spot really is his turnovers.. but lets be fair here.. thats a team wide issue
- Dozzer

Have you watched the games? Not just looking at the box scores.

Gardiner is 100 times better than Gunnarson, but you're right he's not ready yet. I'll take JVR over Schenn all day, personally. Schenn has been bad in Philly, even though i've always liked the guy and hope he turns it around, JVR has a much bigger upside.
- blahman20

As I stated at the time and have now seen others repeat it..the Aulie trade was a bad trade...the Leafs should have kept him.
But it is what it is.

This team has a distinct lack of physical shut-down dmen. Whether you like the trade or not, you can't deny that.
- Feeling Glucky?

and lacked that when schenn was in the line-up as well.

Liles and Franson should be on our top PP.
Phaneuf needs to be removed......or better yet...traded.
- Fakepartofme

i'm fine with phaneuf.. but if he is asking for the same kind of money next contract the leafs have to say bye bye

Well, funny enough, I'd say Komisarek is playing better than Schenn did last year, and in fact, from what I hear, this year as well.

So, trading away a guy that has actually been reasonably important to the offense for a guy that doesn't particularly look like he would help the D all that much, probably wouldn't be a smart thing to do.
- prock

Komi is definitely earning himself more minutes, IMO.

Having a very good season, but I don't see him remaining a Leaf into next season... there'd be a riot if Nonis didn't use one of his buyouts on him.

As I stated at the time and have now seen others repeat it..the Aulie trade was a bad trade...the Leafs should have kept him.
But it is what it is.
- Fakepartofme

I liked Aulie, but lets not overrated him. He's a good depth defenseman, can come in and play bigger minutes if there are injuries. Would the quality depth be nice? Sure, but i'm not going to cry over Keith Aulie.

Liles has been brutal though.
- blahman20

Actually he hasn't....he's made good passes and still has good hockey sense....he reads the plays well.