Yup. Dermott is a beaut but until he actually shows he can do it it's just a guess. He's just 21 still. He's a good one.

The way to fix the d isn't to throw out the good ones you have and try to replace them (becomes to expensive $ ans/or acquisition wise) need to push those guys down and get them more support. Not play them 25mins a night, find more guys that you trust to play more than 12mins a night
- burn

Be nice if we had a defenseman who’s a threat to score. Reilly has a pathetic shot and so does Dermott.
I’ve heard that Lilegrin has an nhl shot. Hope so, those weak wrist shots don’t scare anyone.

I said close. I don't think 45 points is a hard ask if he plays a full season with PP time and more responsibility.
- gravyface

Tomas Kaberle, in his 2nd season as a Leaf at the age of 21, put up 40 points on a pretty good Leafs team. Dermott is good but even 45 points is indeed a hard ask. Gardiner had a good rookie season too and spent his sophomore season in the AHL. Young players have ups and downs all the time.

Be nice if we had a defenseman who’s a threat to score. Reilly has a pathetic shot and so does Dermott.
I’ve heard that Lilegrin has an nhl shot. Hope so, those weak wrist shots don’t scare anyone.
- shack67

Leafs were dead last in the NHL in slapshot attempts. They absolute have a few too many players who play cute and a big booming shot from the blueline is definitely something missing from the equation.

Tomas Kaberle, in his 2nd season as a Leaf at the age of 21, put up 40 points on a pretty good Leafs team. Dermott is good but even 45 points is indeed a hard ask. Gardiner had a good rookie season too and spent his sophomore season in the AHL. Young players have ups and downs all the time.
- Unholy_Goalie

Leafs fans are the worst. The year Malkin won the Conn Smythe the media was ripping him apart in the first round.
And now Leafs fans are on Matthews because of one round. No wonder other fan bases laugh at us.

Leafs were dead last in the NHL in slapshot attempts. They absolute have a few too many players who play cute and a big booming shot from the blueline is definitely something missing from the equation.
- Unholy_Goalie

Defenseman who can hammer the puck also have good wristers. When Polak is your best shooter you better do something.

Defenseman who can hammer the puck also have good wristers. When Polak is your best shooter you better do something.
- shack67

i'm not seeing it. scoring goals wasn't the problem.

i think we need a defensive dman like hjlarmasson who makes the right play getting out of the dzone.

i don't know who is available that fits that bill.

Leafs were dead last in the NHL in slapshot attempts. They absolute have a few too many players who play cute and a big booming shot from the blueline is definitely something missing from the equation.
- Unholy_Goalie

Could definitely use that

i'm not seeing it. scoring goals wasn't the problem.

i think we need a defensive dman like hjlarmasson who makes the right play getting out of the dzone.

i don't know who is available that fits that bill.
- Tumbleweed

But can you imagine Morgan Reilly with a shot like Karlsson. He’d be a superstar. Don’t have to shoot like Weber, just nhl quality.

Defenseman who can hammer the puck also have good wristers. When Polak is your best shooter you better do something.
- shack67

The game has changed.

One of the sports channels (maybe HNIC?) had a good feature on it this year.

D men don’t have the time and space anymore to wind up and slap it - so they are opting for flexier sticks and just trying to get pucks on net.

The game has changed.

One of the sports channels (maybe HNIC?) had a good feature on it this year.

D men don’t have the time and space anymore to wind up and slap it - so they are opting for flexier sticks and just trying to get pucks on net.
- Atomic Wedgie

this too

The game has changed.

One of the sports channels (maybe HNIC?) had a good feature on it this year.

D men don’t have the time and space anymore to wind up and slap it - so they are opting for flexier sticks and just trying to get pucks on net.
- Atomic Wedgie

Exactly. It's by design. Get pucks in close from the walls for high danger chances. I'm pretty sure the leafs were the top team in that regard

The game has changed.

One of the sports channels (maybe HNIC?) had a good feature on it this year.

D men don’t have the time and space anymore to wind up and slap it - so they are opting for flexier sticks and just trying to get pucks on net.
- Atomic Wedgie

This is true. But check the goal scoring leaders for defensemen. They can all hammer it. And when the threat is there teams have to cover the points and that frees up space for the forwards
I guess my point is that the Leafs have peewee quality shooters on the back end. Their wrist shots are so weak they flutter on the way in.

Leafs fans are the worst. The year Malkin won the Conn Smythe the media was ripping him apart in the first round.
And now Leafs fans are on Matthews because of one round. No wonder other fan bases laugh at us.
- shack67

Anybody ripping on Matthews right now is (frank)ing stupid. At 20 years old, he's so far ahead of where he should be it's crazy. There's definitely better players like McDavid but he's at the top of his class in his age range. In five years, when the old guard of superstars are declining or outright gone, Matthews will be among the leaders. He lost a battle to a 32 year old Selke nominee with two elite wingers. That's prime Bergeron vs. sophomore Matthews. The circumstances matter.

The game has changed.

One of the sports channels (maybe HNIC?) had a good feature on it this year.

D men don’t have the time and space anymore to wind up and slap it - so they are opting for flexier sticks and just trying to get pucks on net.
- Atomic Wedgie

That's for the average team. But a team as offensive dangerous and diverse as the Leafs, should be able to buy enough time for a big shot from the point. There are plenty of other teams that use that big shot and have plenty of time to set it up depending on how they do it.

A big shot gives our skilled guys more space and the skilled guys give the big shot more space. Being well rounded helps everybody in the big picture.

Tomas Kaberle, in his 2nd season as a Leaf at the age of 21, put up 40 points on a pretty good Leafs team. Dermott is good but even 45 points is indeed a hard ask. Gardiner had a good rookie season too and spent his sophomore season in the AHL. Young players have ups and downs all the time.
- Unholy_Goalie

True. I think we'd see more of Dermott if he was a right-handed shot too.

True. I think we'd see more of Dermott if he was a right-handed shot too.
- gravyface

There's a really big emphasis to have 3 LHD and 3 RHD. They just have to keep drafting them. Two years in a row, they traded a 2nd round pick for a 4th line center who played 20 games, hand a minimal impact and now they're gone. That's two fewer chances at drafting another Dermott, maybe a RHD version of him. But they have to find them somehow.

Exactly. It's by design. Get pucks in close from the walls for high danger chances. I'm pretty sure the leafs were the top team in that regard
- senstroll

They have to use that design. Their d can’t shoot. A guy who can skate like Reilly should score double digits easily. But he’s not even a threat because of his shot.

They have to use that design. Their d can’t shoot. A guy who can skate like Reilly should score double digits easily. But he’s not even a threat because of his shot.
- shack67

His shot is rather pathetic. And when he comes in, the other team knows exactly what he's going to do; pass or keep skating. For a little while, other teams thought Marner was going to do that and then he started shooting. What a difference that made.

His shot is rather pathetic. And when he comes in, the other team knows exactly what he's going to do; pass or keep skating. For a little while, other teams thought Marner was going to do that and then he started shooting. What a difference that made.
- Unholy_Goalie

The Leafs have been drafting weak shooting d for years. How good would Kaberle have been with a better shot? A guy like OEL would be great for the Leafs. But how do you get a player like that. Reilly scored 6 goals and Carrick scored 4 because he can slap it.

Dermott / Liljeren
Nielsen / Mattinen
Middleton / Rasanen

That's what the prospect situation looks like on D, under 22.

If they get two guys that are top 4 D, they'll be lucky. I still don't see any legit #1 D and that includes anybody playing in the NHL too.

The Leafs have been drafting weak shooting d for years. How good would Kaberle have been with a better shot? A guy like OEL would be great for the Leafs. But how do you get a player like that. Reilly scored 6 goals and Carrick scored 4 because he can slap it.
- shack67

Kaberle had a very good shot, he just never used it as often as he should have.

I'd rather have Carrick than Polak. (frank), I'd rather have Holl than Polak. That's going to be the battle for the 6th spot.

Carrick, Holl, Polak, Borgman and Rosen. Nothing special among any of them.

OEL you wait and hope to sign as a UFA. Or you overpay to get him in a trade.

Kaberle had a very good shot, he just never used it as often as he should have.

I'd rather have Carrick than Polak. (frank), I'd rather have Holl than Polak. That's going to be the battle for the 6th spot.

Carrick, Holl, Polak, Borgman and Rosen. Nothing special among any of them.

OEL you wait and hope to sign as a UFA. Or you overpay to get him in a trade.
- Unholy_Goalie

Kaberle didn’t have a good shot. Had a great fake shot though.

I'm stunned that some are still blind to Gardiner's boneheaded defence.

As for the low stats listed on giveaways by Gardiner, that's laughable, the eye test says otherwise.

Don't ever want to see him in a Leafs jersey again.

Kaberle didn’t have a good shot. Had a great fake shot though.
- shack67

You're mistaken. He had a good shot, he just didn't use it enough.

I'm stunned that some are still blind to Gardiner's boneheaded defence.

As for the low stats listed on giveaways by Gardiner, that's laughable, the eye test says otherwise.

Don't ever want to see him in a Leafs jersey again.
- LeafMan

He played too many big minutes and you're ignoring the offense he brings. Your hate-on for Gardiner has made you less and less objective on the topic.