Interesting training camp notes

[SeaDawg]

None of this pre-season info may amount to anything, but I sure as hell love reading about it. Hockey's back, baby!

[Axeman33]

None of this pre-season info may amount to anything, but I sure as hell love reading about it. Hockey's back, baby!

Agreed!

[Pengwin7]

Keefe's comments about Jumbo with Marner/Matthews is going to give a lot of people pause on Hyman - as true as what you're saying is. From NHL.com:

Keefe said the idea of moving Thornton from his natural center position to left wing on a line with Matthews and Mitchell Marner first came to him when Thornton began showing interest in joining the Maple Leafs. Thornton played left wing for HC Davos in Switzerland's National League in the fall.
Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan, who coached Thornton from 2008-15 with the Sharks, said he'll be an outstanding mentor for Matthews and Marner.
"I think it's great. It's great for those two kids to have Jumbo on their line," McLellan said. "He's such a good player, he's going to be so good for those young players, and he's going to drive them.
"He'll make those two better as overall players. Jumbo will have fun doing that, and they'll enjoy having him there. https://www.nhl.com/news/joe-thornto...?tid=277548856

99% of the time I agree... this one though, Hyman owners should be watching camp closely

^Comments/quotes mean almost nothing at the start of camp.
What is Keefe gonna say???
"I think Thornton's too slow to keep pace with these guys... but we're going to put him there to welcome him to the team."
"We need less grit on this line. Having somebody battle in the corners is overrated."
"Defensively, older legs are OK... it'll throw our defensemen into odd-man rushes a little earlier in the season. They need the practice."

Come.On.
Toronto has their C1 and C2.
You bring a HHOF like Thornton onto a team... you don't treat him with 3rd line respect on Day1.
You treat him with 1st line respect on Day1.

And then... slowly... you tweak things.
The 1% missing from your 99%... is the odds that Thornton is lining up with Matthews/Marner in Game#56.

[rufio.85]

None of this pre-season info may amount to anything, but I sure as hell love reading about it. Hockey's back, baby!

Exactly why I wanted to start this thread.
Can't wait until puck drop.

[hockeyrobot]

^Comments/quotes mean almost nothing at the start of camp.
What is Keefe gonna say???
"I think Thornton's too slow to keep pace with these guys... but we're going to put him there to welcome him to the team."
"We need less grit on this line. Having somebody battle in the corners is overrated."
"Defensively, older legs are OK... it'll throw our defensemen into odd-man rushes a little earlier in the season."

Come.On.
Toronto has their C1 and C2.
You bring a HHOF like Thornton onto a team... you don't treat him with 3rd line respect on Day1.
You treat him with 1st line respect on Day1.

And then... slowly... you tweak things.
The 1% missing from your 99%... is the odds that Thornton is lining up with Matthews/Marner in Game#56.

Well said. Hope Joe gets a few looks there when they need to switch things up.

[lucafen4]

^Comments/quotes mean almost nothing at the start of camp.
What is Keefe gonna say???
"I think Thornton's too slow to keep pace with these guys... but we're going to put him there to welcome him to the team."
"We need less grit on this line. Having somebody battle in the corners is overrated."
"Defensively, older legs are OK... it'll throw our defensemen into odd-man rushes a little earlier in the season. They need the practice."

Come.On.
Toronto has their C1 and C2.
You bring a HHOF like Thornton onto a team... you don't treat him with 3rd line respect on Day1.
You treat him with 1st line respect on Day1.

And then... slowly... you tweak things.
The 1% missing from your 99%... is the odds that Thornton is lining up with Matthews/Marner in Game#56.

Likely they're not playing in game 56 themselves. But resting for the playoffs

It's also more likely Tavares or Nylander is on the top line with Matthews/Marner come game 56 than Hyman (ALA Columbus) if they're battling for a playoff spot.

It's game 2 - 55 that counts. That's what gets you into the playoffs and then the finals.

I don't think there's anything wrong with pointing Hyman owners to watch Tor. camp closely.

it's been an incredibly good regular season line, but it hasn't continued that success in the playoffs for the past three years.
Worth watching to see if Keefe tries something new and creates a real checking line with Mikheyev & Hyman on the 3rd line.

I know, I know - if it's not broke don't fix it.
But if it don't make you win when it counts, perhaps you do fix it.

Again I suggested to view only,
Not make a move based on one day.

They're going to try Jumbo in 3 or 4 different spots in camp and first couple weeks of the season. same with Hyman.
Next 3 days in practice they'll all be in different positions almost each day.
But it also won't be the last time we see Jumbo trialed with AM & MM

[hawkdog]

Jack Ahcan


Boston Bruins
@NHLBruins
· Jan 5
#NHLBruins Group A lines:

Marchand – Bergeron – Studnicka
Bjork – Kuraly – Wagner
Frederic/Carey – Lindholm – Senyshyn

Lauzon/Zboril - McAvoy
Miller/Ahcan – Kampfer

Rask
Vladar
Booth

[Moses]

^^ the signature in the post above is fantastic!

[hawkdog]

Retro is all the rage. lol.

[SeaDawg]

^^ the signature in the post above is fantastic!

Took me a minute to figure out what I was looking at.

[lucafen4]

Likely they're not playing in game 56 themselves. But resting for the playoffs

It's also more likely Tavares or Nylander is on the top line with Matthews/Marner come game 56 than Hyman (ALA Columbus) if they're battling for a playoff spot.

It's game 2 - 55 that counts. That's what gets you into the playoffs and then the finals.

I don't think there's anything wrong with pointing Hyman owners to watch Tor. camp closely.

it's been an incredibly good regular season line, but it hasn't continued that success in the playoffs for the past three years.
Worth watching to see if Keefe tries something new and creates a real checking line with Mikheyev & Hyman on the 3rd line.

I know, I know - if it's not broke don't fix it.
But if it don't make you win when it counts, perhaps you do fix it.

Again I suggested to view only,
Not make a move based on one day.

They're going to try Jumbo in 3 or 4 different spots in camp and first couple weeks of the season. same with Hyman.
Next 3 days in practice they'll all be in different positions almost each day.
But it also won't be the last time we see Jumbo trialed with AM & MM

To add to this. There's an article in the Athletic where Keefe talks at length of wanting a real fast, high energy grinding line consisting of Mikheyev & Hyman to act as an old school checking line vs. other teams top lines.
He said it's something he's wanted to see for a long time - Hyman and Mikheyev together.
Goodrow & Coleman in TB is given as a comparable
If they have chemistry.
This is more than a one off - first day of camp thing.

Like I said, something to watch.

[butch]

Tim Stutzle missed his flight to Ottawa, but sources say, he skated along the Trans-Canada in full uniform to Ottawa, averaging 27 km/h. My sources confirmed that he stopped only once in Thunder Bay, at Tim Hortons, for a modestly fresh Bavarian Apple Fritter and small ice cap w/shot of Jagermeister. Dorion greeted him at the players entrance and told him that he won't have any line mates because he's that good and won't require any.

Back to you in the studio....

BTW, great post topic. Tnx.

mostly downhill to ottawa once you get past thunder bay so he should he ready

[2014olympicgold]

mostly downhill to ottawa once you get past thunder bay so he should he ready

Might hit some traffic around DT Toronto, but it's pretty clear after that.

[Eskimo Brother]

Yandle off the top PP, Duclair, Wennberg, and Ekblad taking the three other spots.
Kerfoot injured (Engvall promoted)
Sounds like Dobson/Green is the third pair on Long Island

[tweetdrivr]

Yandle off the top PP, Duclair, Wennberg, and Ekblad taking the three other spots.

YES!!!