Its been a soft team top to bottom but they have skill.
Great for regular season. Hasnt worked in the playoffs yet.
But we'll see.
Plus its only game 2 of the preseason.
Give the team 20 reg games and then we'll judge if they are a little grittier.
- Fakepartofme

If they didnt have to play one of the best teams in the NHL in the first round every year we'd probably be having quite a different conversation right now.

Also, the their main issue in the playoffs was not grit, it was their D wasnt great, and last year the powerplay looked like they were the Senators, but worse. If they had more grit on the backend theyd be fine.

Im not sure I agree here. I just dont think they want to sacrafice skill for grit. If a player is available to meet both theyll go for it, but there just arent a bunch available. I am kind of surprised they didnt at least inquire into a player like McQuaid though, even though he might be a 6/7.

IMO opinion they are find for forwards, is their D that needs a bit more grit to deal with the other team.
- Archaic

not really arguing with you here... sacrificing skill isn't the objective... but a guy like Petan is emblematic of the problem in my opinion. Great junior career- clearly has skills. Problem is ... you can't use that skill if you are on your ass 10 minutes of the game. And that skill isn't want the Leafs need from the bottom 6. Similarly for Bracco. Unless he's a replacement for one of the top6 guys... I don't see him having a place in the bottom6...

Conversely I liked what I saw from Mikheyev last night a lot. And he didn't shy away from contact, and he didn't get knocked on his backside a bunch.

There's skill there... but the Leafs seem to some degree to have tunnel vision regarding the profile of the players they have.

Ya its so predictable. Drive the net buddy, do something different.
But its only his 1st game.
Give him 20 reg games to see if he changes it up.
- Fakepartofme

He won't change things up, it's all he does when he enters the zone with the puck, button hooks every single time. That's one thing he does that'll always drive me crazy.

It would be nice if Babcock would show Spezza just a bit of respect. Dissing him in the media shows that this was not his choice for a forth line centre. There are times I wish he would realize that his knees don't quite hit the table. Not sure he's the right coach/leader for this team.
- Hardbalz

He was probably pissed Dubas signed him and thought WTF am i supposed to do with Jason Spezza.

I think we need a modern version of the Osborne-Zezel-Berg line..
- PatC80

those guys were effective, Zezel was a beast in the faceoff circle.

and they chipped in a fair number of important goals.

definitely not easy to play against...

something like that is exactly what the Leafs need now... a group with an identity.

He was probably pissed Dubas signed him and thought WTF am i supposed to do with Jason Spezza.
- walshyleafsfan

That's gotta be it, right? Spezza was taught 6'3.

those guys were effective, Zezel was a beast in the faceoff circle.

and they chipped in a fair number of important goals.

definitely not easy to play against...

something like that is exactly what the Leafs need now... a group with an identity.
- BorjeFan4Ever

Oh for sure.. I agree with you.. We just need one line that is hard to play against. I think that's all we are missing, a true shutdown line.. We don't have that right now.

Im not sure I agree here. I just dont think they want to sacrafice skill for grit. If a player is available to meet both theyll go for it, but there just arent a bunch available. I am kind of surprised they didnt at least inquire into a player like McQuaid though, even though he might be a 6/7.

IMO opinion they are find for forwards, is their D that needs a bit more grit to deal with the other team.
- Archaic

IMO the Leafs are fine for skill and speed. More than fine. They have a plethora of those guys. And their top prospects are all that way too.

I believe, as strange as it sounds, you don't need 18 players on a team that are highly skilled. The current Cup champs had Sanford, Blais, Bortuzzo, Gunnarsson and Bouwmeester (to a slightly lesser extent) on their roster winming team. They're not exactly what you would call good hockey players.

The problem is the Leafs have to scrape the barrel on about 6 positions due to cap issues. There's absolutely no reason why Jason Spezza, God bless him, should be anywhere near this roster.

Same for Nic Petan

Eventual lineup (Dermott and Hyman back):

Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Mikheyev - Matthews - Johnsson
Kerfoot - Nylander - Kapanen
Spezza - Gauthier - Moore
13th: Shore

Rielly - Dermott
Muzzin - Barrie
Kivihalme - Ceci
7th: Marincin

Andersen
[waiver backup goalie]

Go Hockey Go

Eventual lineup (Dermott and Hyman back):

Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Mikheyev - Matthews - Johnsson
Kerfoot - Nylander - Kapanen
Spezza - Gauthier - Moore
13th: Shore

Rielly - Dermott
Muzzin - Barrie
Kivihalme - Ceci
7th: Marincin

Andersen

- MaximusAurelius[waiver backup goalie]

Didn't bench or trade Nylander

Go Hockey Go
- Zezel

Matthews and Nylander together at last..

Did you bench or trade Nylander
- PatC80

He's 3rd line center on that lineup.

Matthews and Nylander together at last..
- PatC80

The Hair and The Stache return to save hockey.

The Hair and The Stache return to save hockey.
- Zezel

I thought Nylander played great last night.. That play, once the Leafs pulled the goalie and he outmuscled Tkachuk and kicked the puck back to Rielly was awesome

Matthews was also great last night.

He's 3rd line center on that lineup.
- LeafGuy89

It was a joke directed at Max, because he hates Willy.

It was a joke directed at Max, because he hates Willy.
- PatC80

I'm surprised Johnsson is in that lineup too and wasn't traded away.

Love the excuses guys. Keep em coming!
- RedRevenge

It's the pre-season bro, have a valium

Love the excuses guys. Keep em coming!
- RedRevenge

Response to trolling

Anyone know when the next round of cuts is coming?

I figure once they whittle it down to 30 players, I'll put up the 2019-20 Official Leafs Prediction Thread. You'll have until opening night to lay your infinite wisdom down on paper. And then, if I can actually find a referee around here, I'll get them to lock the thread.

A gentle reminder on two simple rules:

- don't comment on other guy's picks in the thread. You can do that in the main Leafs threads.

- if you don't put your own thoughts down, commenting on other guys' thoughts is chicken (Swede) of you.

I'm surprised Johnsson is in that lineup too and wasn't traded away.
- LeafGuy89

My guess is that it will be;

Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Kapanen
Marchment - Spezza - Shore

Rielly - Ceci
Muzzin - Barrie
Dermott - Schmaltz

Andersen
Neuvirth

Love the excuses guys. Keep em coming!
- RedRevenge

Because one win in three games is so much better.

My guess is that it will be;

Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Kapanen
Marchment - Spezza - Shore

Rielly - Ceci
Muzzin - Barrie
Dermott - Schmaltz

Andersen
Neuvirth
- PatC80

How did he look last night?

Anyone know when the next round of cuts is coming?

I figure once they whittle it down to 30 players, I'll put up the 2019-20 Official Leafs Prediction Thread. You'll have until opening night to lay your infinite wisdom down on paper. And then, if I can actually find a referee around here, I'll get them to lock the thread.

A gentle reminder on two simple rules:

- don't comment on other guy's picks in the thread. You can do that in the main Leafs threads.

- if you don't put your own thoughts down, commenting on other guys' thoughts is chicken (Swede) of you.
- Atomic Wedgie

I'm looking forward to the annual prediction thread.

Maybe we can change it from a yearly tradition an annual custom...

How did he look last night?
- Atomic Wedgie

Looked good, he was engaged in the play, skated well