Toronto Maple Leafs

[mounD]

Saw this.... seems like this is why Jake hasn't signed with anyone yet:

James (@Account4hockey): Chris Johnston said that the Toronto Maple Leafs wouldn’t trade defenseman Cody Ceci unless they have another defenseman lined up.
Jake Gardiner is still wanting to return to the Maple Leafs and would do so on a discount.

Still hoping against the odds that not only has Rutherford correctly identified the Penguins biggest need as a top-4 LHD, but that he's prepared to act on it by dumping some contracts and making a run at Jake Gardiner.

[2014olympicgold]

Saw this.... seems like this is why Jake hasn't signed with anyone yet:

James (@Account4hockey): Chris Johnston said that the Toronto Maple Leafs wouldn’t trade defenseman Cody Ceci unless they have another defenseman lined up.
Jake Gardiner is still wanting to return to the Maple Leafs and would do so on a discount.

Marner and Gardiner can only sign for a max 15.9mill combined I guess. 11.4 for Marner (calculated ish before), and 4.5mill for Gardiner (what Ceci is making). But more realistic is a 10mill/5.9mill?

So the D would be:
Rielly-Barrie
Muzzin-Gardiner
Then bunch of other possible combinations for the 5/6?


So I know Gardiner is newly married and his wife has her own (I think her own) like Yoga place in Toronto, and he has a 2yr old ish kid. Maybe the last thing he wants to do is uproot his family for a million-ish bucks

[mounD]

Marner and Gardiner can only sign for a max 15.9mill combined I guess. 11.4 for Marner (calculated ish before), and 4.5mill for Gardiner (what Ceci is making). But more realistic is a 10mill/5.9mill?

So the D would be:
Rielly-Barrie
Muzzin-Gardiner
Then bunch of other possible combinations for the 5/6?


So I know Gardiner is newly married and his wife has her own (I think her own) like Yoga place in Toronto, and he has a 2yr old ish kid. Maybe the last thing he wants to do is uproot his family for a million-ish bucks

Has Gardiner played much on his off side? I know Dermott played on the right side a good bit after Muzzin was acquired, but I'm not sure Gardiner did. Second, I'm thinking that Barrie and Rielly probably shouldn't be on the same pairing, given that they're both rover types who love to activate into the play and have the puck on their stick. The thing is ... if Gardiner does come back, where does he play? Doesn't seem like you'd stick him on the third pair, but he's probably behind Rielly and Muzzin as LHD options, so someone is going to have to play their off side if they want decent minutes.

With the Marner situation dragging on, I just don't see a plausible scenario where Gardiner comes back unless they part ways with Ceci - and that doesn't seem like it's happening.

[2014olympicgold]

Has Gardiner played much on his off side? I know Dermott played on the right side a good bit after Muzzin was acquired, but I'm not sure Gardiner did. Second, I'm thinking that Barrie and Rielly probably shouldn't be on the same pairing, given that they're both rover types who love to activate into the play and have the puck on their stick. The thing is ... if Gardiner does come back, where does he play? Doesn't seem like you'd stick him on the third pair, but he's probably behind Rielly and Muzzin as LHD options, so someone is going to have to play their off side if they want decent minutes.

With the Marner situation dragging on, I just don't see a plausible scenario where Gardiner comes back unless they part ways with Ceci - and that doesn't seem like it's happening.

Ya when typing out the lines, it was hard to find a spot for him. He did play offside with Rielly when they need a goal. I would prefer Muzzin/Dermott on a line if he was coming into the season fully healthy. Ya I dunno what's gonna happen with their d.

[lucafen4]

Has Gardiner played much on his off side? I know Dermott played on the right side a good bit after Muzzin was acquired, but I'm not sure Gardiner did. Second, I'm thinking that Barrie and Rielly probably shouldn't be on the same pairing, given that they're both rover types who love to activate into the play and have the puck on their stick. The thing is ... if Gardiner does come back, where does he play? Doesn't seem like you'd stick him on the third pair, but he's probably behind Rielly and Muzzin as LHD options, so someone is going to have to play their off side if they want decent minutes.

With the Marner situation dragging on, I just don't see a plausible scenario where Gardiner comes back unless they part ways with Ceci - and that doesn't seem like it's happening.

Sometimes it feels like he is... even when he's not. Positive possession numbers be damned

[Auston'sWilly]

The reason you put Barrie with Rielly, and I sure hope they do, is exactly because they're similar players.
They are both excellent puck movers, so opposing teams won't be able to overload one side of the ice since an effective breakout could come from either side.

This is why Gardiner and Rielly were so effective together when they were a pair, although, in fairness, it was probably too small a sample to say it would have worked longer term.

But I think if you put Rielly with Ceci, the other teams know exactly where the Leafs will want to break out from and they'll force the issue by pressuring Rielly while playing passive on Ceci's side.

Put Rielly and Barrie together and dominate the play. The best defence is always to keep the puck in the offensive zone.

[2014olympicgold]

There's very few instances of on-going pairing of 2 offensive d-men like Barrie/Rielly. Someone on the pair has to take a back seat, and it's hard to find 2 offensive guys who can learn to dial it back to help out the other guy.

It's just too hard and out of their comfort zone to do easily. However Rielly is strong defensively but lets be serious, he's an offensive d-man.

[Auston'sWilly]

Works for Gio and Brodie. Works for Werenski and Jones.
I understand the traditional philosophy of one offensive guy and one defensive guy in a pairing, but teams once thought face punchers were a necessity in a lineup. Things change, teams adapt to new strategies.

[2014olympicgold]

Works for Gio and Brodie. Works for Werenski and Jones.
I understand the traditional philosophy of one offensive guy and one defensive guy in a pairing, but teams once thought face punchers were a necessity in a lineup. Things change, teams adapt to new strategies.

Gio was never an offensive stud, then exploded this past season. He's a 2-way guy. Outside of last yr, he never was thought to be a point producing D-man.

Jones and Werenski: You could say both fell short of expectations.

If it was put across like I was saying Rielly needs to be only paired with a Hainsey style defenseman, I messed up. But what I'm trying to say is it's hard for 2 offensive thought driven defensemen to co-exist on 1 line 5on5. Rielly has been transformed into a defensively sound offensive guy and that took 3yrs to get him too. Barrie has been bread to be offensive driving. Leafs have 1 yr of him.

I would not be opposed to seeing if they can gel, but I can't see it working. I do however see it as a "we need a goal, go out you two" at any point of the game.

Also, just because it's an old ideology, doesn't mean you compare it to fighting in the NHL. If you're good at faceoffs, they used to put them in a position to take faceoffs. If you're good at scoring goals, you were put in a goal scoring position.

But this is what pre-season and practice is for.

[Axeman33]

Gio was never an offensive stud, then exploded this past season. He's a 2-way guy. Outside of last yr, he never was thought to be a point producing D-man.

Jones and Werenski: You could say both fell short of expectations.

If it was put across like I was saying Rielly needs to be only paired with a Hainsey style defenseman, I messed up. But what I'm trying to say is it's hard for 2 offensive thought driven defensemen to co-exist on 1 line 5on5. Rielly has been transformed into a defensively sound offensive guy and that took 3yrs to get him too. Barrie has been bread to be offensive driving. Leafs have 1 yr of him.

I would not be opposed to seeing if they can gel, but I can't see it working. I do however see it as a "we need a goal, go out you two" at any point of the game.

Also, just because it's an old ideology, doesn't mean you compare it to fighting in the NHL. If you're good at faceoffs, they used to put them in a position to take faceoffs. If you're good at scoring goals, you were put in a goal scoring position.

But this is what pre-season and practice is for.

Im not so sure I agree with this but i guess it depends on what you consider to be a "point producing Dman". I've always considered him to be a high 40s pt guy so if that isn't a point producing Dman, I am not sure what is.

[2014olympicgold]

Im not so sure I agree with this but i guess it depends on what you consider to be a "point producing Dman". I've always considered him to be a high 40s pt guy so if that isn't a point producing Dman, I am not sure what is.

I was considering him a 2-way guy. Should have stated offensive-defenseman. Until last yr he was viewed more of an all around dman. Last yrs performance turned it into an offensive-defenseman who is strong defensively (?).

His offense and defense ability were evenly ranked (lets say 80/100 each), last yr moved it to 90/100 offense, 80/100 defense.

I hope that conveys what I was thinking.

[mounD]

I think the crucial difference between a pairing like Giordano-Brodie and something like Rielly-Barrie is that the latter group of guys are rovers, often acting as a fourth forward at 5v5. They're not just PP studs, and stylistically I'm not sure loading both of those guys on the same pair would (1) work out, or (2) be the most efficient use of each's abilities. They're both at their best with the puck on their stick, activating into the play off the rush, etc. It's going to be difficult to accommodate both guys doing that on the same pairing.

[Dennis]

Lamoriello refused Nylander's request a few years back to continue wearing #88 that he had worn in Sweden. Now that he's gone Nylander is taking 88 and apparently putting up his own money to have any old jerseys updated with the new number.

I though that was pretty cool but I'm sure someone can find a way to crap all over it.

Toronto Maple Leafs✔@MapleLeafs

Hitting the ice with a new number this season.

If you already have a @wmnylander jersey, have it recrested to #88 at @RealSports on him.

[Auston'sWilly]

I'm a big Lou fan overall - he did way more good than bad in his time with the Leafs.
But his thing with jerseys and haircuts/facial hair was kind of silly. If Nylander wanted 88, what benefit do you obtain by denying him that request?
If anything, you build a little goodwill with this (supposedly) core piece going forward by showing that you can make an exception for him to wear the number he loves.

[ericdaoust]

It's yet another silly thing to get the internet upset