have to check, but i dont think thats allowed
- senstroll

Agree with both of those statements.

Leafs are stacked with "top tier" talent. That's good except the continual Cap constraints but even still they don't need the "expensive" type players. The Leafs still need complimentary types for LW and D that are more "tough, hardworking" and "don't take nights off" type playoff players.

I go back to this: (secretly hopes Dubas pulls off these moves)

Bunting, Matthews, Nylander
Domi, Tavares, Marner
Kerfoot/Knies*, Kampf, Jarnkrok
Hunt/Kerfoot, Holmberg, ZAR

*only if Knies is ready, and you could swap him and Domi and Bunting all around on LW 1, 2, 3 to see what clicks best.

Having Domi's toughness and versatility will do wonders in the playoffs, never mind the "make Dad proud" energy he would bring to the Leafs.

Gio, Brodie
Rielly, Schenn
Sandin, Lily
Benn, Timmins

All the "Rielly sucks defensively" comments aren't totally untrue. He needs a solid defensive partner that doesn't roam around much and Schenn is exactly that guy...with serious toughness that is really needed back there. Timmins won't work yet because he's young and too new to the systems. Why (frank) him up? He's a project type player that could be really good for us with a little patience....not ready to pick up Rielly's baggage. Schenn is experienced on the ice and in Toronto and would be a perfect partner.

Put Gio back with Brodie and let them do what they've done before in Calgary.

Sandin/Lily are good together so leave them.

And then Timmins and Benn are depth so sub them in if someone is slacking or injured.

Trade pieces are Holl or Engvall or Kerfoot and prospects/picks. Neither Domi or Schenn should cost too much and have workable cap hits, so with Muzzin's LTIR the Leafs could probably keep all of them...but they're UFAs so Dubas can make some hard choices for a change...trade them for much needed picks/prospects.

Think Domi and Schenn vs Kucherov and his dirty poop.
Think Domi and Schenn vs Marchand and his dirty poop.
Think net front for Schenn.
Think of punishing the other team's D with Domi.

Just think about those two mixing it up against all the Richard head type players we complain about. The yummiest!

Domi, Bunting, ZAR, Jarnkrok, Hunt and Knies likes to hit, nice forward compliment to Tavares, Nylander, Marner, Matthews going forward.

Schenn, Benn, Gio, nice harder defensive compliments to Rielly, Brodie, Sandin, Lily going forward.

JMHO and makes all kinds of sense for the Leafs.


Edit: I agree with whomever mentioned Tom Wilson. He would be (frank)ing awesome with JT and Marner OR Matthews and Nylander. Would love him on the Leafs.
- underhill14

I mentioned Domi as a possibility in here. It did not go over well. I like him as an option for all the same reasons as you.

Leafs are going all the way this year, baby. Aw yeaaaahhhhh.

Agree with both of those statements.

Leafs are stacked with "top tier" talent. That's good except the continual Cap constraints but even still they don't need the "expensive" type players. The Leafs still need complimentary types for LW and D that are more "tough, hardworking" and "don't take nights off" type playoff players.

I go back to this: (secretly hopes Dubas pulls off these moves)

Bunting, Matthews, Nylander
Domi, Tavares, Marner
Kerfoot/Knies*, Kampf, Jarnkrok
Hunt/Kerfoot, Holmberg, ZAR

*only if Knies is ready, and you could swap him and Domi and Bunting all around on LW 1, 2, 3 to see what clicks best.

Having Domi's toughness and versatility will do wonders in the playoffs, never mind the "make Dad proud" energy he would bring to the Leafs.

Gio, Brodie
Rielly, Schenn
Sandin, Lily
Benn, Timmins

All the "Rielly sucks defensively" comments aren't totally untrue. He needs a solid defensive partner that doesn't roam around much and Schenn is exactly that guy...with serious toughness that is really needed back there. Timmins won't work yet because he's young and too new to the systems. Why (frank) him up? He's a project type player that could be really good for us with a little patience....not ready to pick up Rielly's baggage. Schenn is experienced on the ice and in Toronto and would be a perfect partner.

Put Gio back with Brodie and let them do what they've done before in Calgary.

Sandin/Lily are good together so leave them.

And then Timmins and Benn are depth so sub them in if someone is slacking or injured.

Trade pieces are Holl or Engvall or Kerfoot and prospects/picks. Neither Domi or Schenn should cost too much and have workable cap hits, so with Muzzin's LTIR the Leafs could probably keep all of them...but they're UFAs so Dubas can make some hard choices for a change...trade them for much needed picks/prospects.

Think Domi and Schenn vs Kucherov and his dirty poop.
Think Domi and Schenn vs Marchand and his dirty poop.
Think net front for Schenn.
Think of punishing the other team's D with Domi.

Just think about those two mixing it up against all the Richard head type players we complain about. The yummiest!

Domi, Bunting, ZAR, Jarnkrok, Hunt and Knies likes to hit, nice forward compliment to Tavares, Nylander, Marner, Matthews going forward.

Schenn, Benn, Gio, nice harder defensive compliments to Rielly, Brodie, Sandin, Lily going forward.

JMHO and makes all kinds of sense for the Leafs.


Edit: I agree with whomever mentioned Tom Wilson. He would be (frank)ing awesome with JT and Marner OR Matthews and Nylander. Would love him on the Leafs.
- underhill14

Domi isn’t what the leafs need. They need a true blue physical winger, not some small guy with more skill but doesn’t play anything like his dad.

As for Holl, nope, there’s four guys you don’t move this year back on D

Rielly and Brodie: NMC
Gio and Holl: by far and away a top end defensive pairing this year and the only two that haven’t been hurt

That being said a third pairing of Sandin and Liljegren is fine, and 7/8 guys like Benn and Timmins are a perfect fit. Just wish Benn would be brought in unless the injured D is Rielly or Sandin, he’d be a better fit for Gio, Holl, Brodie, Liljegren since they’re D first guys.

Without injury don’t expect much change to the D.

All in all there isn’t going to be a whole lot of change for a team who’s currently tied for third in the league. A nice addition but no real changes will be about it.

Domi isn’t what the leafs need. They need a true blue physical winger, not some small guy with more skill but doesn’t play anything like his dad.

As for Holl, nope, there’s four guys you don’t move this year back on D

Rielly and Brodie: NMC
Gio and Holl: by far and away a top end defensive pairing this year and the only two that haven’t been hurt

That being said a third pairing of Sandin and Liljegren is fine, and 7/8 guys like Benn and Timmins are a perfect fit. Just wish Benn would be brought in unless the injured D is Rielly or Sandin, he’d be a better fit for Gio, Holl, Brodie, Liljegren since they’re D first guys.

Without injury don’t expect much change to the D.

All in all there isn’t going to be a whole lot of change for a team who’s currently tied for third in the league. A nice addition but no real changes will be about it.
- Dozzer

Domi plays with jam and is a pain in the ass. Is he a fighter or a true power forward? No. But the one thing he can do is skate with our top six and has decent skills.

The Nick Ritchies of the world cannot do that.

Leafs had more hits than Boston...apparently

- AdamFrench

Why did a cat set an alarm clock in the first place. Garfield is totally unrealistic.

Yes because Colorado went into last year with ALL the pieces to win. They didn't trade for Lehkkonen or Manson. Nope. No way did they do that.
- Aaron_85

Excellent point, I'm tired of the broken record of "Dubas is going to get fired because he hasn't brought in the grit needed to be as good as the Leafs were in the good old days"


It's pretty easy to arm chair GM and if the Leafs don't win jump and proudly proclaim "Told you so". It's fun to be right, I guess for some more fun than enjoying a top 3 team in the entire NHL having yet another killer season.

If we want to talk about the 'good old days" does anyone care to guess how many years it took Stevie Y to win his first cup? It was 10 years after he became the captain at the age of 32, because Detroit built a team that was a winner and did that the right way, slow and steady.

Patience is just not something so many Leaf fans seem to have.

Hell the Leafs best player isn't even the captain and is in year 7 and 25 years old but I digress.

losing top PK defender in Holl seems risky
- drexel

Ya, fair point Drex. Not sure how Schenn is on the PK, I tried to find Schenn PK stats but ???

I know he's playing second pairing on the PK in Van but their PK is poop. Not sure it's HIS fault or the team's but since it's been years of bad PK stats for Van I have a feeling it's not Schenn.

Risk/reward type call I guess.

Leafs probably can't resign Holl next season any way so deal with it now or then?

Domi isn’t what the leafs need. They need a true blue physical winger, not some small guy with more skill but doesn’t play anything like his dad.

As for Holl, nope, there’s four guys you don’t move this year back on D

Rielly and Brodie: NMC
Gio and Holl: by far and away a top end defensive pairing this year and the only two that haven’t been hurt

That being said a third pairing of Sandin and Liljegren is fine, and 7/8 guys like Benn and Timmins are a perfect fit. Just wish Benn would be brought in unless the injured D is Rielly or Sandin, he’d be a better fit for Gio, Holl, Brodie, Liljegren since they’re D first guys.

Without injury don’t expect much change to the D.

All in all there isn’t going to be a whole lot of change for a team who’s currently tied for third in the league. A nice addition but no real changes will be about it.
- Dozzer

I maybe don't agree with your Domi assessment. Skill and grit he has for sure, not fighting per se but not backing down and having an edge, definitely. Marchand-lite. He's a better and tougher than Bunting IMO; and Bunting, who I like a lot, is working pretty well on the top line.

Your D comments make sense and I can agree with those. I would just like to have Schenn back for the hits and toughness for playoffs. We need that on forward and defense. And I like Luke.

Excellent point, I'm tired of the broken record of "Dubas is going to get fired because he hasn't brought in the grit needed to be as good as the Leafs were in the good old days"


It's pretty easy to arm chair GM and if the Leafs don't win jump and proudly proclaim "Told you so". It's fun to be right, I guess for some more fun than enjoying a top 3 team in the entire NHL having yet another killer season.

If we want to talk about the 'good old days" does anyone care to guess how many years it took Stevie Y to win his first cup? It was 10 years after he became the captain at the age of 32, because Detroit built a team that was a winner and did that the right way, slow and steady.

Patience is just not something so many Leaf fans seem to have.

Hell the Leafs best player isn't even the captain and is in year 7 and 25 years old but I digress.
- Cush29

Yzerman and Matthews are a good comparison. Yzerman played a high offense game early in his career and I think Matthews has come around to the more 2 way faster than Y did.

People don't realize how long it takes to win most of the time. Once again, Colorado got out of the first round like once or twice in 8 years since drafting MacKinnon. Leafs are certainly due!

I maybe don't agree with your Domi assessment. Skill and grit he has for sure, not fighting per se but not backing down and having an edge, definitely. Marchand-lite. He's a better and tougher than Bunting IMO; and Bunting, who I like a lot, is working pretty well on the top line.

Your D comments make sense and I can agree with those. I would just like to have Schenn back for the hits and toughness for playoffs. We need that on forward and defense. And I like Luke.
- underhill14

I prefer RoR over Domi. I like the versatility of a real center to swing into the middle should it be needed instead of Kerfoot. Plus RoR or JT on the wing I think would be just fine.

However, if the leafs got Domi and someone like Schenn would I be that upset? No. Schenn would be a whatever deal anyway.

I mentioned Domi as a possibility in here. It did not go over well. I like him as an option for all the same reasons as you.
- fifty__missions

Ya, I've mentioned him a few times too, not the response I expected for sure.

I think he's perfect. Exactly the type that's missing in the top 6. Can open up space, punish the D on the forecheck, make a mess in front of the opposition's net, Leafs legacy connection, plays C/LW, not too expensive for acquisition or Cap hit, and he has more skill and toughness than Bunting.

Don't understand, what's not to like?!?!?

Domi plays with jam and is a pain in the ass. Is he a fighter or a true power forward? No. But the one thing he can do is skate with our top six and has decent skills.

The Nick Ritchies of the world cannot do that.
- fifty__missions

Lol I don’t mean the Nick Ritchies whatsoever I promise lol I’m thinking more of a net crasher who can bang the pucks in tight.

I’m not anti Domi at all, just don’t see the current fit is all, unless they move Nylander too to bring in an expensive net crashing and productive RW lol

Yzerman and Matthews are a good comparison. Yzerman played a high offense game early in his career and I think Matthews has come around to the more 2 way faster than Y did.

People don't realize how long it takes to win most of the time. Once again, Colorado got out of the first round like once or twice in 8 years since drafting MacKinnon. Leafs are certainly due!
- Aaron_85

Leafs Cap ≠ AVs Cap

This team is 2 years from being very different. Not sure how people can keep saying be patient having witnessed the past 6/7 years while knowing the Cap issues quickly coming the Leafs way.

I prefer RoR over Domi. I like the versatility of a real center to swing into the middle should it be needed instead of Kerfoot. Plus RoR or JT on the wing I think would be just fine.

However, if the leafs got Domi and someone like Schenn would I be that upset? No. Schenn would be a whatever deal anyway.
- Aaron_85

Another good option for sure. Love RoR and he'd be great too.

I feel like Domi in Toronto has a little bit of the extra, greasy, ZZ blue koolaid, "intagibles" written all over it.

I maybe don't agree with your Domi assessment. Skill and grit he has for sure, not fighting per se but not backing down and having an edge, definitely. Marchand-lite. He's a better and tougher than Bunting IMO; and Bunting, who I like a lot, is working pretty well on the top line.

Your D comments make sense and I can agree with those. I would just like to have Schenn back for the hits and toughness for playoffs. We need that on forward and defense. And I like Luke.
- underhill14

I’d like to see Schenn too I just don’t see a true blue fit is all, for Dubas to mix up the D at this point my guess it would have to be an extremely notable move (like finding a top tier right side guy to give Keefe 2 options when it comes to Rielly’s partner hint hint Dubas)

And like what I was saying I do like Domi’s game.. just not sure it would fit… then again they have been giving Robertson multiple chances and he plays a similar style but keeps getting hurt and hasn’t gotten his production rolling at the NHL level… hmmm… picking up Domi as an upgrade to Robertson… that’s interesting, haven’t looked at it that way yet

Leafs Cap ≠ AVs Cap

This team is 2 years from being very different. Not sure how people can keep saying be patient having witnessed the past 6/7 years while knowing the Cap issues quickly coming the Leafs way.
- underhill14

Things changed in Colorado too. What they thought was their core turned out not to be. I can argue to win they had to bottom out and get Makar. I couldn't imagine the leaf fans in here if the leafs bottomed out WITH this core. Holy smokes!

Robertson out for the year

Robertson out for the year
- Fakepartofme

Guy can't catch a break huh?

I think indirectly, yes it would. A lot of the Leafs mistakes and turnover are caused by aggressive forechecks and physical play from the other team.(and I am not necessarily just looking the last Boston game) This causes many of our players to play skittish and cough up pucks more regularly. The other teams come into the leafs zone with no fear of being hit. They stand in front of our net without any fear of being aggressively moved. It creates a mindset. They play fearless, leafs play scared(or at least skittish). Confidence is contagious. Bravery is contagious. Heart is contagious.

Leafs at the moment have zero players that can grab this team by the balls and get them going. Think Clark, Tucker, Roberts, Gilmour. Even Domi had that effect on the team. Everyone played 6 feet taller knowing there was few that will stand-up and pushback if need. We don't need knuckle-draggers on the 4th line. We need actually players that have skill and toughness. They are not easy to find, but Dubas(who I actually like in most regards) has done nothing to acquire those types over his tenure and will eventually be his demise as the Leafs GM(Unless he corrects that in the next 6 weeks)

Skill along never wins in the playoffs. Leaf fans know this better than anybody. We had teams in the 90's that were way less talented that were successful in the playoffs because of their determination to win. How many times did we knock of the much more talented Ottawa Senators? Every year they kicked ass in the regular season and the lower seeded Leafs would "Will" their way to victory. This current team is lacking that.
- rSole

The “Tavares is skittish” take is a new one. Look at the three giveaways against Boston. Not one of them was the result of bruising Bruins (yeah I know, thank you) about to crush a Leaf. Every one of them was the result of carelessness; making the wrong play at the wrong time.

He tried one time to add Foligno..gritsy toughness.. failed miserably

Is there a player in the League like Shanny was? does that player even exist anymore? Sure BS was tough and fought, but he was also really good...#2 pick.

im not against adding some of that, i just dont see who. Also i dont think grit and toughness has much to do with losing in 7 games to TB. a Powerplay goal or 2 would have been nice
- senstroll

Only because he got injured. He had 4pts in 7 games and played well in those games.
It only failed cause he got injured

Robertson out for the year
- Fakepartofme

That poor kid, any specific details as to why yet?

Leafs are going all the way this year, baby. Aw yeaaaahhhhh.
- Zezel

As long as they win it all or get booted by may 17th.

That poor kid, any specific details as to why yet?
- Dozzer

Shoulder surgery

Injury updates:

"Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson had season-ending shoulder surgery and will be out for six months.

Toronto Marlies defenceman Mac Hollowell underwent surgery for a fractured kneecap and will be out a minimum of 12 weeks."