Leafs Regular Season Discussion

s e n s i · Post #201 » by **s e n s i** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:33 pm

as per the FAN, grabo could potentially return as soon as sunday's game in anaheim.

which leaves wilson with a little bit of a dilemma. connolly can play with whoever, but with bozak playing as well as he has, you leave the top 2 lines as is imo (though to be fair, the top line has been beasting regardless of who is centering it). where does grabo go then? not sure if i'd reset the lines as they were at the start of the season. maybe have grabo center the third line, keep colborne up, and release dupuis outright since he's more useless than the chad kilger's and ben ondrus' of times past.

_venom_ · Post #202 » by **_venom_** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 4:34 am

chocolateSensi wrote:as per the FAN, grabo could potentially return as soon as sunday's game in anaheim.

which leaves wilson with a little bit of a dilemma. connolly can play with whoever, but with bozak playing as well as he has, you leave the top 2 lines as is imo (though to be fair, the top line has been beasting regardless of who is centering it). where does grabo go then? not sure if i'd reset the lines as they were at the start of the season. maybe have grabo center the third line, keep colborne up, and release dupuis outright since he's more useless than the chad kilger's and ben ondrus' of times past.

What the Leafs should do:

Kessel/Bozak/Lupul
Kulemin/Connolly/MacArthur
Colborne/Grabovski/Frattin
Dupuis/Steckel/Crabb

Release all 3 of Rosehill/Dupuis/Orr for all I care though (there are better players on the waiver wire like Comeau for example)

What the Leafs will do:

Kessel/Bozak/Lupul
Kulemin/Connolly/MacArthur
Crabb/Grabovski/Frattin
Rosehill/Steckel/Dupuis

Colborne will be sent back down and as soon as the Leafs have a bad game or 2 Wilson will go back with Grabo on the 2nd line and possibly switch out Connolly and Bozak depending on how the lines are playing. Starting Grabovski out on the 3rd line when he gets back is the right call imo.

Bankai · Post #203 » by **Bankai** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:27 am

As I have been saying Reimer/Jonas or Jonas/Scrivens. Scrivens should be the 3rd backup, hes nice but with Jonas sometimes he looks shaky but the defense are more on the spot with him. And they win. Scrivens first game was too early to call a goalie controversy. And look at my earlier posts, ive been a naysayer of Jonas, but the Leafs need continuity, not added pressure. Nice win in Dallas.

_venom_ · Post #204 » by **_venom_** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:04 am

Good win tonight but 2 more leafs go down with Steckel and Gunnarson. Hopefully the injuries aren't serious especially Gunnarsson. I assume Zigomanis would get the call up for Steckel if he is out. Do you call Aulie up and hope he finds his game being back with Phaneuf or do you just play Holzer?

s e n s i · Post #205 » by **s e n s i** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:47 am

i thought this was kessel's worst game of the season.

dion's ability to keep pucks in the zone at the blue line has been impressive. JML is a solid pincher too

didn't think i'd ever say it but gustavsson kept us in this game throughout and was more than stellar. no one is asking for zeros across the board, just minimize the excessive amount of mickey mouse goals -- which he has been able to do lately.

the special teams have been MUCH better as of late

bassmastert · Post #206 » by **bassmastert** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:14 am

With Steckel probably out and Grabovski probably in, we don't have to do much jugging right at the moment. No need for a call up (maybe a defenseman for Gunnarson). We can give Grabovski some minimal time on the 4th line (I think him and Crabb would be able to do well together) and spread out our skill level from top to bottom. Our top 3 lines seem to be gaining chemistry and I wouldn't want to break that up until it's absolutely necessary.

Post #207 » by **Crowned** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:13 am

Hopefully Steckel's injury isn't serious. That's a big whole in the lineup (his faceoff ability).

hsb · Post #208 » by **hsb** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:36 am

2 goals 19 seconds apart.

The Leafs have a lot of fans attending the last four road games. I remember hearing 'go leafs go' in Tampa too.

kaulkhara15 · Post #209 » by **kaulkhara15** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:04 am

Great movement of the puck there. Really impressed with Crabb lately.

Bankai · Post #210 » by **Bankai** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:08 am

I think the most support the Leafs got was in Dallas, they seemed more vocal like their was lots of them.

Bankai · Post #211 » by **Bankai** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:04 am

Jonas really has a problem with hugging the goal post saving, at least thats what it looks like to me this season when I watch him. Its when the shot comes from the far sides and Jonas goes down and hugs the post to prevent space. Sadly those never work cause he must leave space somewhere. I think ive seen too many one timers this season sneaking by between Jonas and the goalpost when they shouldnt. That is one thing he needs to clean up, because rarely it goes in from the other side despite having bigger space, a defenseman is there to block it well.

s e n s i · Post #212 » by **s e n s i** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:59 am

how nice does wilson feel right now...for the first time in years no one is calling for his dismissal. and not to make any outlandish projections but crabb has been holmstrom-esque in front of the net. if he develops into a deflection specialist he'd have a solidified spot on the 3rd line.

bozak's second goal was unbelievable. literally dominated the ice in that 10 second span...the theft to prevent a shot, a beauty backhanded tip pass to kessel, and then potting home the rebound...he's playing out of his mind right now.

SharoneWright · Post #213 » by **SharoneWright** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 7:43 am

Sign Jonas to cheap extension. Serious. 1 year past Reimer's deal. That leaves options.

ATLTimekeeper · Post #214 » by **ATLTimekeeper** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 5:36 pm

These two Boston games are huge for our psyche. Need at least a split, IMO. If we get hammered again tomorrow night there will be a media #$@*storm surrounding Kessel leading up to Saturday.

Schenn is rounding the corner, no Komi, I'm pretty content right now.

Hate to say it, but Lombardi has been addition by subtraction. He really wasn't giving us much.

_venom_ · Post #215 » by **_venom_** » Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:02 pm

So apparently Bobby Ryan is available and I gotta believe that Burke would be going HARD to get him. He drafted him and he's a prototypical Burke player. He's off to a slow start but his upside is undeniable. I would definitely offer up a package to get him. Something like Kulemin/Kadri/young dman (Aulie or Franson or Blacker) for Ryan. He put up 34 goals and 71 points last year and he's only 24. He'd be perfect on the 2nd line with MacArthur and Connolly.

I actually really like Kulemin too and I think he's playing fine but he can't catch a break right now. I'm sure he'll find his touch at some point this year and still score over 20 goals.

Colborne and Gardiner would be my 2 untouchable young players.

Post #216 » by **Next Coming** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 12:34 am

Grabo, Kulemin, Franson and a 2nd Rounder for Ryan. I'd sign off.

Post #217 » by **Crowned** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:09 pm

I don't think I'd package both Grabo and Kulemin, that's a lot of depth to give up.

Kulemin, Kadri, Blacker and a pick for Ryan is about fair market value.

If the Flyers wanted Kulemin and Kadri for Richards, you're looking at a similar package for Ryan.

ATLTimekeeper · Post #218 » by **ATLTimekeeper** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:24 pm

I doubt Anaheim will allow us to rob them again. Ryan could get a pretty significant return, even at that cap hit.

_venom_ · Post #219 » by **_venom_** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 8:13 pm

The Ducks are rumored to be asking for a top 3 Dman/top D prospect + top 6 forward/top 6 F prospect + 2nd rd pick.

Would you guys do Schenn/Kadri/2nd for Ryan. I'm torn on that deal but I actually probably would do it. I don't see Burke trading Schenn away after he signed an extension here though. Our top 3 lines would be fantastic though.

Lupul/Bozak/Kessel
MacArthur/Connolly/Ryan
Kulemin/Grabovski/Frattin

Plus you could conceivably let Grabovski go in free agency because you'd have Colborne ready.

At the end of all this I don't see Ryan being traded though. The coach will get the axe before they make a move like that.

Relentless88 · Post #220 » by **Relentless88** » Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:49 pm

Who would you guys rather trade between Schenn and Gardiner? I doubt they trade Gardiner back to Anaheim, so it would probably be Schenn. Also how good of a prospect is Stuart Percy? Is he good enough to be that top D prospect? I would trade Kadri + Schenn/Gardiner for Bobby Ryan. A 24 year old that posted 71 points last season, and 3 straight seasons of 30+ goals. I'd even throw in Kulemin (since he wouldn't fit here with Ryan anyway).

I think Burke knows that the Leafs can't keep depending on the top line, especially as the season goes on. Adding Ryan to that line (with Connolly at C) would make an exciting 2nd line.