Drag0nDan

I also don't see him cracking 40 goals - if he didn't do it shooting 16% (like 4-5% higher than career average). I also don't see it happening now that he's become more injury prone, and isn't really a PP goal threat.

He's in that wheelhouse for sure Mcdavid, Matthews, Draisaitl, Mackinnon probably make up the top 4. After that you have Point, Hughes, Tage, Crosby in some order. If bergeron plays hes in the top 10. Then I'd put Petterson, Eichel, Malkin, Zibanejad, Stamkos (and probably some others like Tavares Larkin and Hischier) in that next tier. I can't argue much there. Aho always scores on us and he's one that i forgot.

Some improved back skating and back checking would go a long way to improving team defense. There are WAY too many wide open shots from the high slot, and a guy like VO or Skinner just sort of drifting behind the play looking to turn up ice. I think all 4 of the centers need to prioritize this as well as something that just can't happen. On the PK i think they can do a better job at the blue line on making zone entry more challenging, they also got caught puck watching way too much as the season wore on. Seemed like teams figured out how to attack us down-low on their PP's, and we just gave up a lot of space. Backdoor cross crease passing was also just wide open for business, and there wasn't a tandem that did a great job there clearing that out.

I always felt like 3 on 3 was just... a different game. Basically man coverage and simple plays and cycling to create space.

i dunno what that means but they definitely smoke a ton of weed? If i had to guess, there's probably some other more party-focused drugs going around as well.

Its rarely anything of note like a lifting injury. It's usually something stupid like a box jump where you land and it just snaps.

Friend of mine lives in Nashville and was pretty tight with Johansen and Duchene... I'm not shocked that a new GM would move them.

I think id rather plan for longer and eat some money than keep VO, or put an inexperienced player in a position they aren't prepared for. I don't think you need to look at the top of the free agent bucket, but i think the team also could use a compher type in the bottom 6 anyway.

Probably rather have toews tbh.

Did we miss free agency?

Good to know! Hard to tell... it just said drafted by buffalo and tons of junior stats, in any case i crossed him off

So... Where do the higher picks (i just did the first few rounds) fit prospect wise and what timetables are we looking for? Who would you be willing to move from this group? AHL Rosen Kulich Rousek Kisakov Overseas Östlund Neuchev Polpatov Juniors Savoie Benson Bloom Nadeau

I seriously doubt he is. Levi will be with the club and my guess is you want to bring him along... not slowly but not the everyday starter either. Somewhere in the 30-40 start range maybe? I don't know that i want to see Comrie or UPL make the rest of them, and i don't think you can look at their 22 numbers and say that you're comfortable with them either. You say it in a press conference because... you have to.

He's also not very good at Hockey.

Yes - the same one who lead the league in wins, GAA, and SV%.

I mean - he doesn't backcheck at all, not much forecheck, doesn't do much on the walls, isn't a very good passer in neutral zone, and he's streaky as hell. He has a good shot, and the one-timer on the power play can be great - but he's the person most targeted in our power play to pressure since he gives it up more than tage or dahlin. I can do without that player in my bottom 6.

I mean... are they really trading a (presumed) vezina trophy winner who has 2 years left at 5M per?

You can always put Skinner over there. His one-timer isn't as effective, but he's better on the walls and harder to take the puck from and a far better skater. You have tage on the one timer side and skinner is more of your, on net from the opposite dot so cozens and tuch can crash. You also have dahlin up top. Other option is probably mitts? But i think he probably centers PP2 with some combo of greenway, krebs, Quinn, JJP, or Skinner.

If it gets us to the playoffs - its worth it. He would put up better numbers than either of the goalies we had, and if we struggled to score or were out of the playoff picture come playoff time, he's likely to fetch you back something like 70 or 80 cents on the dollar. Maybe you get a top contenders first rounder back for your lottery pick or something. Assuming he helps end the playoff drought, then it's worth it for the rental. And to me, Levi is off the table. He's the future in net and I'm not signing a 10M per year goalie to block his path - i do at the same time want to be upgraded for 2023-2024 because he'll be a rookie and its unfair to ask him to carry the team for 50+ starts.

Leafs have had Rielly on a team friendly deal for pretty much the entire duration of his time there. But depth wise... they have the 3rd and 4th highest paid centers in the league (with like no term left either), 4th highest paid winger in Marner. They have Matthews and Nylander coming up on FA, then Tavares and Marner after that. I'm just hoping Matthews leaves and the team falls apart. Because we all know they're going to overpay some players in FA to keep up and it will go terribly.

I think rosen is fairly ahead of most of the other wingers drafted around his position - Most are playing in juniors. Having come from a different type of game I would actually say he's adjusted quite well to a narrower patch of ice. I'm not opposed to trading him, as pieces will have to be moved if you want to bring in any new players through trades.

Not wrong there - I just think Thompson is still growing as a center and wouldn't want to move him from his position to accommodate mittelstadt.

I don't see knocking a healthy thompson off line 1 (he's our best scorer), and out of position (he's our best center). They seemed to do it out of necessity to avoid hits. I like what Mitts was doing there at the end of the year, and he was playing with more confidence for sure. Just not playing with olofsson seemed to help him at times earlier in the year though.

Quinn sees the ice a lot better than i thought, and has a pretty nice shot. Good enough skater right now, and JJP is fast as hell and drives to the net. He needs work on the all-around game, but i can't say i wasn't impressed with him. This is like... year 1 - of them learning the NHL game. They disappeared for stretches, need to work on conditioning for backskating to help break up some of the easy crap we give up in the high slot. But thats honestly an issue for all 4 lines.

I'm sure goalies were just lining up to play for Buffalo...