This is now my guess

Rielly Tanev
OEL McCabe
Benoit/Liljegren/Hakanpaa
- Dozzer

finally a group with some cojones

This is now my guess

Rielly Tanev
OEL McCabe
Benoit/Liljegren/Hakanpaa
- Dozzer

I feel bad for Timmins. I hope he earns some playing time, but he is likely the odd man out.

finally a group with some cojones
- systemtool

Kind of hoping Liljegren gets moved for the needed cap space. Just keep Timmins around.

Kind of hoping Liljegren gets moved for the needed cap space. Just keep Timmins around.
- Dozzer

Fully agree

I feel bad for Timmins. I hope he earns some playing time, but he is likely the odd man out.
- Whipper

They need cap space. Makes me curious if Liljegren gets moved in the next couple days. Would clean up the $1mill they’re over and buy them the space needed to land Pacioretty lol

Hakanpaa signed

https://x.com/MapleLeafs/...MBEPG4h59p_CRFCVvNbA&s=19

1 x 1.47m
- Fakepartofme

I think that will put to end to Gio coming back to the Leafs as the 6-8D man

Well, I guess the leafs trust his health, but not enough to give him two years, fair enough. I wonder who gets dropped to make room for him, they’ll need a million
- Dozzer

Reaves or Dewar???

Well, I guess the leafs trust his health, but not enough to give him two years, fair enough. I wonder who gets dropped to make room for him, they’ll need a million
- Dozzer

13F, 7D and 2G ....would put the Leafs right at the Cap.

Subject to any injuries or trades I'd expect that Timmins is waived and guys like Robertson, Cowan, Patches and Holmberg are battling for two spots.

It sets them up to carry 7 NHL dmen and get a good look at Hakanpaa and make sure he's healthy and to carry 13F which allows them to spot start Reaves.

This is now my guess

Rielly Tanev
OEL McCabe
Benoit/Liljegren/Hakanpaa
- Dozzer

Ya, I like that too....just reluctant to break up one of our better pairings in Benny/McCabe.

But IDreallyGAF about the pairings as long one of them hits some poop and keeps garbage out of the crease and plays MFing defense.

Edit

Beniot, Hakanpaa (if healthy) might do some damage if I think about it.

Cush, if it was one player it's easy to dismiss. When it's a collection of highly competitive, highly respected leaders who all want a player like Marner on their team? There's a pattern that's foolish to ignore.

And it's not just this year when suddenly the Leaf "faithful" have decided Marner is the whipping boy. Guys have been propping up Marner for years because he is that good.

Look I've said this before and I don't know why I'm repeating it because you feel the way you do and I feel the way I do, but when you want to shut down Toronto, who do you need to focus on? Who is the guy getting worked, getting double-teamed when he has the puck? It's not Matthews - who is our best player - it's Marner because he is the stick that stirs the drink. I do think last year he wasn't as mobile and it showed. And to be fair he seemed slower all year, so it is a concern to me -but . . .

Keefe did an abysmal job of finding ways to make room for him - and I've said before and whether you believe it or not, I'll say it again - Chicago made room for Patrick Kane. Kane didn't magically overpower other guys being 5'10 and 180 - he had guys running picks and creating lanes for him - something Keefe has not done a good job of in Toronto at all. I am sincerely hoping that Craig Berube finds some guys to help give Marner some space to operate. 'Cos it's not Matthews being parked in a soft spot waiting for a pass and it hasn't been Bertuzzi or Bunting - who were both busy falling down behind the net. Who is helping the puck carrier to move with the puck and find an opening? I hope this year we see a guy like Knies doing it. And if he can then I think Marner gets the chance to show us all who he is.
- Monkeypunk

Bolded is something Tampa always excelled at. Setting picks was an artform during their successful Cup runs. They got away from that.

Berube will embrace that. I wouldn't be surprised if creating picks was on the agenda during week one of practices.

I think that will put to end to Gio coming back to the Leafs as the 6-8D man
- dmnted

Must not have smelled bone on bone burning during the physicals.

I pray he stays healthy and fills a role without becoming LTIR cap space.

Ya, I like that too....just reluctant to break up one of our better pairings in Benny/McCabe.

But IDreallyGAF about the pairings as long one of them hits some poop and keeps garbage out of the crease and plays MFing defense.

Edit

Beniot, Hakanpaa (if healthy) might do some damage if I think about it.
- underhill14

You could always keep Benoit/McCabe and run OEL with Hakanpaa. I'm sure the D will be a blender for a while, those are some massive changes on the back end.

You could always keep Benoit/McCabe and run OEL with Hakanpaa. I'm sure the D will be a blender for a while, those are some massive changes on the back end.
- Whipper

That's orignailly how I had it, Dozzie changed it to Beniot/Lily/Hakanpaa. I agree there will be a blender for a bit so all speculation and fun for me.

For me, I really think it ends up like this:

Rielly, Tanev
Beniot, McCabe
OEL, Hakanpaa

Webber for the LS in case of injury
Timmins for the RS in case of injury

That's a solid D line up.

Robertson and Lily will be gone for a 2LW. Then the forwards will shake out like this: (using Patch because he's been discussed but I think it will be some better if a trade happens)

Nylander, Matthews, Domi (dishes and digs)
Patches/NEW, Tavares, Marner (dishes and digs)
*Knies, Minten , Cowan
Dewar, Kampf, Lorentz
Reaver


*That is not a demotion. Knies played the 3rd line a bit last season and was a constant threat to the other team. Minten was close last year. I think he's ready and will look good. Cowan is going to be too hard to send back to Junior and since it can't be the AHL, I hope he'll stick this year too.

For me with the D rounding out nicely...like with legit Dmen not playing above their station...we could have a kid line this year and it would kick ass.

Things get juggled until they work but I kinda like this line up with a better 2LW than Patches.

And, I kinda like our goalies too.

(frank)ing hated this team after the playoffs, now I'm sucked right back in.

I wonder Sid said. I mean he would've been asked, too.

Probably said something like, "He's good. It's been fun."

Connor McDavid works out with Matthews. You think they haven't been asked about each other? The answers are bland enough that you never hear them.

Ryan O'Rielly went out of his way to talk about how he tried to encourage his GM to trade for Marner.

There's enough there that you can't dismiss it as idle chatter or media training.
- Monkeypunk

I think what you're missing here is that the NHL is a bit of a brotherhood. These guys are saying what they're saying about Marner because they know he's been feeling the heat and he doesn't seem like the type of guy that can easily handle that criticism. They know Toronto can be a tough market. Don't get me wrong, Marner IS a terrific player. He most definitely makes the Leafs a better team. But, McDavid isn't coming out and talking up Matthews because nobody is really critiquing him. It's all about helping out a guy they train with or have played with who is in a tough spot

Reaves or Dewar???
- dmnted

Sadly Dewar will get dropped. Reaves is well liked by his teammates and the new coach is known for liking his guys to be tougher.

13F, 7D and 2G ....would put the Leafs right at the Cap.

Subject to any injuries or trades I'd expect that Timmins is waived and guys like Robertson, Cowan, Patches and Holmberg are battling for two spots.

It sets them up to carry 7 NHL dmen and get a good look at Hakanpaa and make sure he's healthy and to carry 13F which allows them to spot start Reaves.
- The Law

Yeah agreed, unless there’s a move in the next 8 days clearing the space.

Liljegren to Pittsburgh for a pick? lol

Ya, I like that too....just reluctant to break up one of our better pairings in Benny/McCabe.

But IDreallyGAF about the pairings as long one of them hits some poop and keeps garbage out of the crease and plays MFing defense.

Edit

Beniot, Hakanpaa (if healthy) might do some damage if I think about it.
- underhill14

I get what you’re saying about Benoit and McCabe but they’re really two different talents. Benoit is a bottom pairing guy and McCabe is a top pairing one, they got lined up together last year due to the non stop D men changes. Worse comes to worse if they need to be put back together then it can be done quickly.

Kind of hoping Liljegren gets moved for the needed cap space. Just keep Timmins around.
- Dozzer

Liljegren + Kampf = 5.4 million in useless cap space.

Get some sweeteners in there and use it at 3C please. 🤞

Liljegren + Kampf = 5.4 million in useless cap space.

Get some sweeteners in there and use it at 3C please. 🤞
- joel878

So long as it’s not one of the 10 teams Kampf has said no to.

Also Kampf was paid with the concept of him being capable of the 3C roll, he wasn’t, an overpaid 4th liner all the way. The leafs would have to give up picks/prospects to get another team to take him for the next 3 years.

Yeah agreed, unless there’s a move in the next 8 days clearing the space.

Liljegren to Pittsburgh for a pick? lol
- Dozzer

The Pens are up against the cap themselves.
I think it would need to be a player for a player, a hockey deal.

Kind of hoping Liljegren gets moved for the needed cap space. Just keep Timmins around.
- Dozzer

Totally agree. Liljegren is way to soft for a contending team. At least Timmins can skate and shoot the puck.

Liljegren + Kampf = 5.4 million in useless cap space.

Get some sweeteners in there and use it at 3C please. 🤞
- joel878

this is some post of the year material stuff right here

Has a player ever been less than complimentary of another fellow NHLer? Sounds to me like they're giving the standard cliche response.

The ONLY thing I care about is the playoffs, and the ONLY player that has consistently played well in them is Nylander.

That being said, I don't know WTF was up with Willy missing so many games last post-season. All in all this bunch has been very frustrating. But they're close...
- Whipper

I’m not going to read through the whole thread to see if your question re: Nylander was eventually answered. He had ocular migraines. His vision was basically 50% when having an ocular migraine (can’t play a professional sport with 50% vision no matter who you are) and they weren’t going away / able to get them under control - so dressing him was risking playing down a forward.

Has a player ever been less than complimentary of another fellow NHLer? Sounds to me like they're giving the standard cliche response.

The ONLY thing I care about is the playoffs, and the ONLY player that has consistently played well in them is Nylander.

That being said, I don't know WTF was up with Willy missing so many games last post-season. All in all this bunch has been very frustrating. But they're close...
- Whipper

Gentlemen welcome to the Hawktua Era