Ya I hear a lot of Leafs say that about Kerfoot (traded).

He does provide speed, good defensively, can dig out pucks, decent skill…would be good fit up there for energy and what he brings.
- Big23Questions

Kerfoot is a perfect 3LW*. He's miscast as 3C and does not belong in the Top 6.

* albeit, overpaid for that role

Ya I hear a lot of Leafs say that about Kerfoot (traded).

He does provide speed, good defensively, can dig out pucks, decent skill…would be good fit up there for energy and what he brings.
- Big23Questions

He’s ok at a bunch of things and I’m ok with him on a shut down 3rd line unless there’s a good return for moving his $ out.

Kerfoot is a perfect 3LW*. He's miscast as 3C and does not belong in the Top 6.

* albeit, overpaid for that role
- mjones242

He was top 6 in Colorado and scored more than half a point a game.

He’s paid adequately it’s just that the leafs aren’t using him properly.

Tbh I hope they put him on the second line as a winger this year but who knows?

He was top 6 in Colorado and scored more than half a point a game.

He’s paid adequately it’s just that the leafs aren’t using him properly.

Tbh I hope they put him on the second line as a winger this year but who knows?
- Dozzer

Well he worked well with Nylander in the playoffs so I'm going to bet that's where he starts.

He was top 6 in Colorado and scored more than half a point a game.

He’s paid adequately it’s just that the leafs aren’t using him properly.

Tbh I hope they put him on the second line as a winger this year but who knows?
- Dozzer

Agreed

He was top 6 in Colorado and scored more than half a point a game.

He’s paid adequately it’s just that the leafs aren’t using him properly.

Tbh I hope they put him on the second line as a winger this year but who knows?
- Dozzer

Yep. I still don't think he's Top 6 worthy or what this team needs on the top two lines though. They need grit and size.

I like Kerfoot as a PK option and as a third line winger. I'm not in love with his 3.5M contract and I hope they trade him before his M-NTC comes in to affect next season.

Well he worked well with Nylander in the playoffs so I'm going to bet that's where he starts.
- bobbyisno1

Lest we forget that Montreal threw everything and the kitchen sink at Matthews/Marner. I think that likely explains his (and Willie's) playoff success.

But yeah, I guess it's worth a shot to see if there's some chemistry with Snake and BillNy. I definitely wouldn't want him on the top line though.

Well he worked well with Nylander in the playoffs so I'm going to bet that's where he starts.
- bobbyisno1

That’s what I’m hoping, a Tavares, Nylander, and Kerfoot line seems appealing to me

Yep. I still don't think he's Top 6 worthy or what this team needs on the top two lines though. They need grit and size.

I like Kerfoot as a PK option and as a third line winger. I'm not in love with his 3.5M contract and I hope they trade him before his M-NTC comes in to affect next season.
- mjones242

The leafs aren’t being built as a rough team tho.

So even if you don’t like it you should still look at the players they have and try to guess what’s best for the current coaching style

Kerfoot plays along the boards well and skates quickly, the perfect little touch for JT and Nylander with Keefe’s style of play

Agreed
- Atomic Wedgie

Yup, let him accent a line and don’t expect him to run one

Lest we forget that Montreal threw everything and the kitchen sink at Matthews/Marner. I think that likely explains his (and Willie's) playoff success.

But yeah, I guess it's worth a shot to see if there's some chemistry with Snake and BillNy. I definitely wouldn't want him on the top line though.
- mjones242

So the Danault line would have double shifted had Tavares not been injured 😂

I am guessing the top shutdown line from Montreal and defense pairing would have been matched up with Matthews even if Tavares and had been healthy.

The leafs aren’t being built as a rough team tho.

So even if you don’t like it you should still look at the players they have and try to guess what’s best for the current coaching style

Kerfoot plays along the boards well and skates quickly, the perfect little touch for JT and Nylander with Keefe’s style of play
- Dozzer

Ya that’s the way I would look at it - you can’t make an apple an orange. Leafs aren’t built tough don’t pretend. Try to play to strengths and hope you’re right in your build. I don’t think they are (I don’t think a team that soft can win personally), but having Kerfoot Top 6 is a good look.

In my opinion he is actually not well suited for bottom 6. I think he will play better and be more impactful with better talent around him. He’s a typical ‘compliment player’. Not a comparison at all but just like Hyman in that sense.

My thought was that Tavares played well with Marner and Nylander with Matthews and also to split them up spread it out. With that comes the need for a bigger body with Tavares and Marner so Ritchie it was…but Top 6 nonetheless.

So the Danault line would have double shifted had Tavares not been injured 😂

I am guessing the top shutdown line from Montreal and defense pairing would have been matched up with Matthews even if Tavares and had been healthy.
- jribout

I think they would have actually. If JT didn’t get hurt that second line would have been even more of a threat and Montreal wouldn’t have been able to fully focus on the Matthews line without paying for it big time.

How do you see the lines looking this year?

My loose guess is

Ritchie, Matthews, Marner
Kerfoot, Tavares, Nylander
Bunting, Kampf, Mikheyev
Simmonds, Spezza, Kase

The bottom six with get changed here and there of course but that’s the one I’ve read about before that I agree with.

Ya that’s the way I would look at it - you can’t make an apple an orange. Leafs aren’t built tough don’t pretend. Try to play to strengths and hope you’re right in your build. I don’t think they are (I don’t think a team that soft can win personally), but having Kerfoot Top 6 is a good look.

In my opinion he is actually not well suited for bottom 6. I think he will play better and be more impactful with better talent around him. He’s a typical ‘compliment player’. Not a comparison at all but just like Hyman in that sense.

My thought was that Tavares played well with Marner and Nylander with Matthews and also to split them up spread it out. With that comes the need for a bigger body with Tavares and Marner so Ritchie it was…but Top 6 nonetheless.
- Big23Questions

I see Ritchie with Matthews and Marner since they’re the ones who will need that guy willing to park himself in front of the net. Tavares is one of those stars willing to do it himself. Otherwise I completely agree with your opinion on Kerfoot. Don’t make him lead a defensive line get him to compliment an offensive line.

Ugh. To be honest, I'd sooner put Ritchie on with AM34 and Mitch to add some muscle and pain on our top line.

Kerf... needs to get traded.
- mjones242

Kerf and Muzzin are our only reliable playoff performers right now.

Kerf and Muzzin are our only reliable playoff performers right now.
- Fakepartofme

mjones242 really hates Kerfoot for some reason.

When he was put into the top 6 he got 3/4s of the points that his linemate who makes twice as much got.

I think he should be regular top 6 because then he’d seem like a deal and not an overpaid player

The leafs aren’t being built as a rough team tho.

So even if you don’t like it you should still look at the players they have and try to guess what’s best for the current coaching style

Kerfoot plays along the boards well and skates quickly, the perfect little touch for JT and Nylander with Keefe’s style of play
- Dozzer

Having some grit spread amongst skill does not mean you're building a "rough team".

Ritchie, for example, was brought in to help provide a physical presence. Another Ritchie-type would further help balance the force, methinks.

Kerfoot plays hard(ish) but he's hardly a puck-in-the-corner retrieval machine. His GV/TK stats aren't exactly impressive and his lack of playing any more than 14+ mins a game throughout his career should you give an indication that he's never been truly seen as a Top 6 winger.

This team needs to be bigger and meaner if they want to make any progress (read: as more than a 1st round participant). Dubas knows this which is why they brought in Foligno at the TDL and then settled on Ritchie in the off-season.

I'm hoping that Bunting impresses in training camp because I think he would be the perfect fit in the Top 6: he's an uber-pest, is not afraid to hit, and has some good hands.

Guess we'll see.

Kerf and Muzzin are our only reliable playoff performers right now.
- Fakepartofme

Unfortunately, Muzzin is reliably injured.

I can't remember if it was Toffoli or another Habs player but when they found out Muzzin was hurt they knew they were going to win the series.

mjones242 really hates Kerfoot for some reason.

When he was put into the top 6 he got 3/4s of the points that his linemate who makes twice as much got.

I think he should be regular top 6 because then he’d seem like a deal and not an overpaid player
- Dozzer

I don't "hate" Kerfoot. I just feel like he's miscast as a Top 6 winger or as 3C. He's overpaid to be anything else.

He'll only seem like a deal in the Top 6 if he can actually perform as a legit Top 6 guy. I'm not convinced he's the answer. I've been wrong before but nothing leads me to believe that he's the right guy for the job and a small sample set of 7 games in the playoffs last year is not enough evidence to change my opinion.

Bunting please.

Kerf and Muzzin are our only reliable playoff performers right now.
- Fakepartofme

Nylander says hi

Unfortunately, Muzzin is reliably injured.

I can't remember if it was Toffoli or another Habs player but when they found out Muzzin was hurt they knew they were going to win the series.
- mjones242

I think it was toffoli.
Jt and then muzzin out...ugh.

Having some grit spread amongst skill does not mean you're building a "rough team".

Ritchie, for example, was brought in to help provide a physical presence. Another Ritchie-type would further help balance the force, methinks.

Kerfoot plays hard(ish) but he's hardly a puck-in-the-corner retrieval machine. His GV/TK stats aren't exactly impressive and his lack of playing any more than 14+ mins a game throughout his career should you give an indication that he's never been truly seen as a Top 6 winger.

This team needs to be bigger and meaner if they want to make any progress (read: as more than a 1st round participant). Dubas knows this which is why they brought in Foligno at the TDL and then settled on Ritchie in the off-season.

I'm hoping that Bunting impresses in training camp because I think he would be the perfect fit in the Top 6: he's an uber-pest, is not afraid to hit, and has some good hands.

Guess we'll see.
- mjones242

This team isn’t going to be big and mean plain and simple, not until the GM and coach are replaced anyways. So if I were you I’d quit hoping for it because you’ll just get depressed lol

Kerfoot’s stats that you’re mentioning aren’t all that great but that’s because he’s being misused in my opinion. When he played in Colorado he was top 6, he actually played C with Landeskog, his game minutes have dropped here but he played more regularly there.

The problem with Kerfoot here is he’s being misused. Not his skill set.

Hi
🥇

Kerfoot Matthews Nylander
Ritchie Tavares Marner
Bunting Kampf Kase
Gusev Semyonov Mikheyev
Engvall Spezza Simmonds
Robertson Brooks Anderson
Ho Sang Amadio Gabriel

Lots of options 👍

Or….

Ritchie Matthews Marner
Bunting Tavares Kase
Mikheyev Kerfoot Nylander
Engvall Kampf Spezza
🤔
- mr.sir

for schits and giggles

Bunting Matthews Nylander
Ritchie Tavares Marner
Kerfoot Kampf Kase
Mikheyev Spezza Simmonds

So the Danault line would have double shifted had Tavares not been injured 😂

I am guessing the top shutdown line from Montreal and defense pairing would have been matched up with Matthews even if Tavares and had been healthy.
- jribout

The Danault line likely would have been deployed against the line that was running hot. But the point was this:

Kerfoot and Nylander were not facing the Habs top defensive pairing nor their shutdown line. Guess what? They responded.

It's interesting that the Leafs had few problems with the Habs in the regular season. It's almost as if having Snake in the lineup made a difference in the Leafs being able to exploit a weak second pairing and very little countermeasures against a secondary scoring line.

Lou rules.
Fire Dubas.
Gusev might be ok.
Where did Galchenyuk sign?
- MaximusAurelius

Nowhereville in the k