Lucas Neilson: Gauging the Maple Leafs Roster Moving Forward
Overall Depth of the Club
- Lucas.Neilson

JVR-Matthews-Nylander

The Leafs should have an Ultimate Fighter style reality show for the rookies...

Make them all live in the same house and record their every move..

catch all the drama unfolding and kick one guy off every episode..
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Solid idea!

Million dollar even

The big dawg is baaaack
- TheThrill

yarp!

Nice write up Lucas.

Come get Jake, somehow he is now running by my house in a soccer uniform, kid gets around.
- LeafMan

Honestly, I got a good work out just chasing him around

JVR-Matthews-Nylander

- Deeps27

The "only Matthews has any semblance of what a defensive game looks like and he's just a rookie" line

The "only Matthews has any semblance of what a defensive game looks like and he's just a rookie" line
- Conquest

so true

What bout Stephen Desrocher, he seemed to have a solid year. Has anyone seen him play? Not sure if hell factor into the future or not. I heard good things from last year about him.

Solid article


I'm on board with everything you said except I think Brown will find a spot in the lineup. Obviously trading Bozak should be a huge priority.

This is the lineup I'm hoping to see

JvR - Stamkos - Marner
Nylander - Matthews - Brown
Komarov - Kadri - Soshnikov
Michalek - Laich - Hyman
Leivo

The 3rd line becomes one of the highest played 3rd lines in hockey. Babcock uses them as a line that annoys the opposing team's best players. While the other coach are trying to deploy their guys to stop Stamkos, Matthews becomes the "other line" that create all sorts of mis-matches throughout the game because the depth doesn't stack up


Rielly - **Off-season acquisition**
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Marincin - Carrick
Hunwick - Corrado


Barrie, Trouba and Vatanen could all be trade targets but who knows what it would take to get them

What bout Stephen Desrocher, he seemed to have a solid year. Has anyone seen him play? Not sure if hell factor into the future or not. I heard good things from last year about him.
- Archaic

46 pts in 69gp last season as a 20 yr old...

has a good +/- but... idk..

no ones really talking about him, probably an AHL lifer.

46 pts in 69gp last season as a 20 yr old...

has a good +/- but... idk..

no ones really talking about him, probably an AHL lifer.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

agreed
more of a shut down guy, not sure if theres a place for him in the NHL.

Nice write up Lucas.

Come get Jake, somehow he is now running by my house in a soccer uniform, kid gets around.
- LeafMan

Blow it up!

Blow it up!
- AdamFrench

Too much talent and too confusing, start over.

Too much talent and too confusing, start over.
- Garnie

relocate to Hamilton

Blow it up!
- AdamFrench

blaze it hard

Solid article


I'm on board with everything you said except I think Brown will find a spot in the lineup. Obviously trading Bozak should be a huge priority.

This is the lineup I'm hoping to see

JvR - Stamkos - Marner
Nylander - Matthews - Brown
Komarov - Kadri - Soshnikov
Michalek - Laich - Hyman
Leivo

The 3rd line becomes one of the highest played 3rd lines in hockey. Babcock uses them as a line that annoys the opposing team's best players. While the other coach are trying to deploy their guys to stop Stamkos, Matthews becomes the "other line" that create all sorts of mis-matches throughout the game because the depth doesn't stack up


Rielly - **Off-season acquisition**
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Marincin - Carrick
Hunwick - Corrado


Barrie, Trouba and Vatanen could all be trade targets but who knows what it would take to get them
- t_leafs21

Hunwick over Marincin all day errday

Marner won't be there this season, if he is its below the 9 game mark. Why burn a year of eligibility to play him on the 3rd line. Connor Brown is a player, a real player; he will grow into a Leafs captain one day. Kid has done it all; he plays with vision, heart and very high Hockey IQ. If he finds a bit of a mean streak; we may be looking at a young version of Dougie G. Go back and look at Dougies path from juniors to the NHL....he was main,y used in a shut down role in St.louis and even in Calgary. He really didn't blow up offensively until he came to Toronto in a lead role. Always considered "too small" throughout his career.....once he found that means streak he became "killer" on the ice.

I know I will get crucified..but whatever.

Marner won't be there this season, if he is its below the 9 game mark. Why burn a year of eligibility to play him on the 3rd line. Connor Brown is a player, a real player; he will grow into a Leafs captain one day. Kid has done it all; he plays with vision, heart and very high Hockey IQ. If he finds a bit of a mean streak; we may be looking at a young version of Dougie G. Go back and look at Dougies path from juniors to the NHL....he was main,y used in a shut down role in St.louis and even in Calgary. He really didn't blow up offensively until he came to Toronto in a lead role. Always considered "too small" throughout his career.....once he found that means streak he became "killer" on the ice.

I know I will get crucified..but whatever.
- Kinggilmour

its years to FA now, ( see Nylander)





Captain Morgan

What about P.A. Parenteau? I'm assuming the Leafs would want to re-sign him after not dealing him at the deadline last year.

What about P.A. Parenteau? I'm assuming the Leafs would want to re-sign him after not dealing him at the deadline last year.
- harolddruken

If PA didn't get hurt at the deadline; he was getting dealt to the blues for a conditional 3rd round pick.

If the leafs can get him for 1.5 million he will be back, but look for Detroit to snag him if they don't sign radulov. They offered him yesterday a 7.5 million 2 year term.

What about P.A. Parenteau? I'm assuming the Leafs would want to re-sign him after not dealing him at the deadline last year.
- harolddruken

yeah that's quite possible.

draft + FA is approaching - there will be changes 100%.

Marner won't be there this season, if he is its below the 9 game mark. Why burn a year of eligibility to play him on the 3rd line. Connor Brown is a player, a real player; he will grow into a Leafs captain one day. Kid has done it all; he plays with vision, heart and very high Hockey IQ. If he finds a bit of a mean streak; we may be looking at a young version of Dougie G. Go back and look at Dougies path from juniors to the NHL....he was main,y used in a shut down role in St.louis and even in Calgary. He really didn't blow up offensively until he came to Toronto in a lead role. Always considered "too small" throughout his career.....once he found that means streak he became "killer" on the ice.

I know I will get crucified..but whatever.
- Kinggilmour

bit much with the C talk but I think he has a good chance to be a Maple Leaf.

If PA didn't get hurt at the deadline; he was getting dealt to the blues for a conditional 3rd round pick.

If the leafs can get him for 1.5 million he will be back, but look for Detroit to snag him if they don't sign radulov. They offered him yesterday a 7.5 million 2 year term.
- Kinggilmour

really? yuck... I could see PA going to the wings

thought Dreger said they offered 1 yr at 4mill to Radulov

Marner won't be there this season, if he is its below the 9 game mark. Why burn a year of eligibility to play him on the 3rd line. Connor Brown is a player, a real player; he will grow into a Leafs captain one day. Kid has done it all; he plays with vision, heart and very high Hockey IQ. If he finds a bit of a mean streak; we may be looking at a young version of Dougie G. Go back and look at Dougies path from juniors to the NHL....he was main,y used in a shut down role in St.louis and even in Calgary. He really didn't blow up offensively until he came to Toronto in a lead role. Always considered "too small" throughout his career.....once he found that means streak he became "killer" on the ice.

I know I will get crucified..but whatever.
- Kinggilmour

Gilmour had several seasons of 80-100 points before coming to Toronto. I mean, we traded former 50 goal scorer Gary Leeman for him!

What’s the point in sending marner back to the ohl? He has nothing left to prove. He’s won it all.

Burning a year off his elc isn’t a big deal… can actually end-up working out better.

If PA didn't get hurt at the deadline; he was getting dealt to the blues for a conditional 3rd round pick.

If the leafs can get him for 1.5 million he will be back, but look for Detroit to snag him if they don't sign radulov. They offered him yesterday a 7.5 million 2 year term.
- Kinggilmour

So, $3.75/year?