the very limited times they've played on same line they were very good. I still want to see it for a few games before we declare it as fact. but then that's what a full training camp would have been for. no time for testing now. - Big_Lightnin
How many years has it been they've been on the same roster? You don't think this would have happened by now if it would work?
How many years has it been they've been on the same roster? You don't think this would have happened by now if it would work? - Deeps27
RW's reasoning was always to keep 2 scoring lines. Grabo was always the offensive spark of his line. Putting him with Kessel would have put all offense together and made the Leafs even easier to play against.
I was harping about Grabs when he signed that deal last year. By no measure was he worth 5.5. He had inflated minutes because we had nobody to fill those minutes. He is also damn near 30 years of age. His window is closing and he has certainly peaked. Perhaps a change of scenary will do him good as I can't imagine him being thrilled with with current role, yet the team is winning and he hasn't done a single thing offensively in damn near a month.
Not to say I had a hard-on for Bozak but I think a lot of people were willing to dump on the younger Bozak because Grabs was playing so well. Bozak is a very smart hockey player. He wins key faceoffs, and is a suitable 2nd line centre for the next couple years. Colborne should be ready to fill in the 3rd line centre role permanently as of next season.
Bozak won't command something similiar to the stupidity of Grabs' deal, as the cap is dropping, and I do believe he enjoys life in Toronto enough to take something slightly smaller. I'd say 4 years at 4-4.5 per
I do still believe there is a market out there for a guy like Grabs too. If Erat can fetch the likes of Forsberg in NSH then certainly there's something to be had from Grabs.
I say CBJ:
Grabs
Ashton
1st
________
Jenner
Dansk
We lose a 1st rounder, but gain two prospects who are further ahead in their development. Jenner did well with Biggs in Oshawa this year, and should be NHL ready in a couple season.
Dansk, meanwhile, was taken at the end of the 1st round last year, is highly touted, and will be coming around in 5 years or so, at a time when we may need other options than James Reimer - AngryWhiteMale
This is a great post, and I hope the Leafs can fetch a decent return for Grabovski. Again, like the player, but it's not just about liking the player in the NHL...it's the role he plays in relation to the cap space he occupies that is a major consideration.
RW's reasoning was always to keep 2 scoring lines. Grabo was always the offensive spark of his line. Putting him with Kessel would have put all offense together and made the Leafs even easier to play against. - Big_Lightnin
So the answer is to move Grabovski to a checking role now? A checker who doesn't take the last 3 defensive zone draws in a the last minute of a must win 4-3 game? You want to let that guy walk for nothing or Kadri? Or do you want 15 million in cap space occupied by 3 centres next year when the number goes down dramatically?
Travis Yost is at it with the stats in his brand new blog. Here's a quote for the ages:
According to Yost, we are not yet in lock status for the playoffs......... - PrinceLH
I actually like some advanced stats but is he being serious? Ottawa has been dominant in 5 straight losses?
Regulation losses no less. One was a 4-0 crushing by the Leafs, one was to garbage Florida, one was to garbage Tampa, one was to garbage Buffalo and then one vs the Bruins.
So the answer is to move Grabovski to a checking role now? A checker who doesn't take the last 3 defensive zone draws in a the last minute of a must win 4-3 game? You want to let that guy walk for nothing or Kadri? Or do you want 15 million in cap space occupied by 3 centres next year when the number goes down dramatically? - Deeps27
How about we don't correct the problem of overpaying Grabo buy overpaying the other 2 centers as well?
If Bozak wants 1 red cent more than $3.75M for 2-3 yrs, let him walk.
Kadri should be on a bridge deal, very similar to that as well.
Grabo is having a bad year in a short season when he's been asked to play a role he's not suited for. But, his line was used against top lines in the past, so Carlyle, not having a training camp to sort out his lines, stuck with that and used them as the shut-down line since they were historically the best line defensively.
Prior to this 40G stretch, Grabo has proven to be better than Bozak at both ends of the ice. Lot of people on here are putting way to much stock in a shortened season for all 3 players.
If you want to know how a player or team is playing, you use your eyes and brain not useless and complete B.S. numbers pulled out of someone's ass.
Corsi and Fenwick is pure crapola. - LeafMan
The quote about the Sens being dominant, in the last 5 games, but still losing, is insanity. I distinctly remember the Leafs destroying them in the first game, on the Sens home ice. How does that translate into dominance? Boston seemed to handle them easy enough also. Losing to bottom feeders is insane. I want them to make the playoffs, because I don't want to see New Jersey in.
Sure, technically we're not in, but the teams behind us will eliminate each other over the balance of the season. Two more wins will put us in the playoffs.
The quote about the Sens being dominant, in the last 5 games, but still losing, is insanity. I distinctly remember the Leafs destroying them in the first game, on the Sens home ice. How does that translate into dominance? Boston seemed to handle them easy enough also. Losing to bottom feeders is insane. I want them to make the playoffs, because I don't want to see New Jersey in. - PrinceLH
I've watched all of the last 5-6 sens games(live in Kanata) and the shots they've taken have been perimeter shots. They really don't have the finish or the skill available to get the job done.
They had Andersson putting up Vezina-like numbers early on in the injury storm. That combined with the fact that they had a large number of home games to play meant they could weather the storm.
Yet they had the WWHC in town and thus a 7 game road trip resulted in them simply running into the law of probability. Over a whole 82 game season there's no doubt they'd have had a hard time keeping pace
