Overpay for Mikeyev

1 year, 1,75 mil AAV

I agree with most of your points but something just seems off about the way this team is built. there’s a lot potential but too many guys who play a very similar game. I just can’t see this team as a serious contender

*Edit* Also, while I don’t think an expensive top 4 RHD is absolutely necessary, the Leafs need more defensive depth. Lehtonen and sandin are both very unproven.

I could see Dermott taking less, kind of like a MP type deal with Pittsburgh.

Maybe, but honestly Mikheyev is a guy I think wouldn't look bad if he made 3.5. He's a terrific player and I hope he's around for a long time, if you go 1 year and the cap somehow goes up big next summer, then you are looking at a bigger contract at that time. Get him for 2 years and if the cap goes up and it looks like you won't be able to keep him beyond that since Rielly is needing a new deal the next summer, you can flip him for something and get a nice return. An argument can be made for either scenario.

And a lot of guys who take a night off every week. Like the team plays 3 amazing games in a row and then doesn't bother to show up the next 2 games

That is a good thing though, you want a cohesive unit if you are going to contend. Having a full squad of players buying into the same system. Keefe wants puck control and he wants to attack the middle of the ice offensively and defend the middle defensively. Its kind of a funny system because they really don't try to stop the cycle all that much, which many see as a very bad sign but when the team is back defending as a unit, teams don't get any clean shots. What I saw more than anything this past season under Keefe is sometimes the skilled guys get carried away in the offensive zone, they would force plays and it resulted in odd man rushes and that is where they looked bad defensively, which then people say the defence sucks which is just not correct. I think with more time under Keefe the players who buy in will shine, and they will need to have the necessary skill to play his brand of hockey. It may not be as tough as many think hockey needs to be, but it will be stifling. That one game they lost against Florida last year where over a 30 minute stretch TO allowed only 2 shots from outside the blueline is the high water mark of what this team can do. Playing against the Leafs will be a night where you just don't have the puck, you are constantly defending and if you make any mistake with Matthews on the ice, or JT you are going to pay for it. I support Dubas in sticking to that mold, once the team finds consistency its going to be so hard to face them.

That is the sign of a young team. They are still one of the youngest in the league. Take Spezza out and they may be the youngest. Consistency comes with experience, I think some of the guys who took nights off really started showing signs of growth this season. Nylander is the poster of that, he's on all the time now. Kapanen made strides towards the end of the season, Matthews and Marner were always going and Hyman never takes a night off. They are still building up to their moment in the spotlight. Jordan took 6 seasons before he took a team over the top. Matthews is in year 4. Patience.

Uhhhhhh... Matthews took nights off, so did Marner, really for a stretch the only 2 who didn't do that were Kappy and Hyman (AKA Gallagher 2.0)

Also how does youth have do do with anything here? It doesn't they are just very lazy VERY often, and they'll never come close to a cup if they continue like this

You clearly have a type of player you love to watch and that clouds all your judgement. Matthews was consitent most of the season, under Babs there were nights where things didn't go his way and I think Babs constantly harping and yelling really wore him down but under Keefe the whole team generally put in a good effort but the mistakes too often lead to several goals against and then the team wilted a little. That is a sign of their age. Players get better with more experience. You don't seem to understand that.

Matthews is lazy? He was 3rd in the NHL in takeaways, and was climbing. He back checked hard in the second half, his game really came on after Keefe arrived, and he's only going to get better. This is why I question whether you even watch hockey.

Except a lot of young players show up way more often than guys that TOR has.


What I find puzzling is that the Leafs have shown less progression from 2018 onward than from 2016 to 2018. Idk, Just doesn't feel right, something's not right for this team. We thought it was Babs yet it was only a part of it. They are so frustrating to watch, they lose the puck then do nothing to get it back, they let their G out to dry every so often ARGHHHHHH

I said «they» not «he». He just doesn't seem to have the fire he had in 16-17, when I fell in love with him. Combine the 2019 game 3 Marner and the Matthews when he shows up and I wouldn't even bother saying anything about him.

It would have to be 2 years, 1 year would be his QO

Matthews and Marner were top 10 in takeaways, Matthews 3rd and you say they do nothing to get the puck back. I will agree their defensive scheme does make it look like they don't try to get the puck back but its by design. Under Babs they were instructed to go pressure everyone all the time and that had them chasing everything in the defensive zone all the time and it was horrible to watch. When Keefe took over the team was told to just let teams pass it around the outside and cycle to their hearts content but never give up the middle of the ice, which works. The Islanders do the same thing, they just don't have any skill so when they have the puck they don't do anything with it. Defensively though its a smart plan, teams skating around the perimeter or firing shots from afar isn't going to hurt you much. So that is the point, don't chase, wait for the other team to force something and then get it back. Get it back when they are trying to exit their zone, clog the neutral zone and get it back there. That is what this team does, the one area they really need to fix is turnovers, they give up the puck at the opposition blueline way too much and that is what cost them more than anything else. But again, with time and more coaching from Keefe, they were curbing that as well. This notion they are a lazy soft team is just what cement headed old school fans like to say because they like the ideal of muckers going out and hitting people and being "hard to play against", you may be a little sore after playing those teams but when push comes to shove, skill wins. The Leafs have that and they will grow more. You need patience.

A QO is a QO, a 1 year deal can be anything over that.

You have to be a troll, Matthews actually started hitting people this year, had his best year of his career and you say he lacks fire. I have no idea where you come up with this ****. Its like you watch highlights, read comments on here and then just say I watched 55 games worth of highlights so I know everything and get it wrong always.

Here we're talking about 2 different things...

The first one is when they, say, have the puck in the O zone, then lose it and then do not much to get it back (which would be their style, since you even admitted yesterday that they rely on puck possession

The 2nd one is when they jump onto the ice, when they do that they get the puck very often you're right on that

But Keefe should try Willy with 34 and Kappy IMO and reunite Hyman JT and Marner together

Lol I don't I actually went in the NHL app, clicked on the Leafs schedule and counted the amount of games I watched, it was more or less 55.

Also yeah Matthews hits here and there which is great but he only does it when he's on. Again, gotta work on his consistency here, I can't stress this enough

Maybe, but I really like Marner with Matthews and Hyman and Nylander with JT and Mikheyev. Kapanen is overrated in my opinion, he's not going to be a top guy in TO. I like what he started doing towards the end of the season, hitting more, dropping the gloves a bit, and he started trying to be more of a play maker. His next step is he needs to go to the net more, much like Nylander had to evolve into doing. Kap could eventually turn into a top 6 player but I prefer Nylander working the right side with JT because it forces him to play closer to the net.

I am hoping that Kerfoot and Kap can be 2/3rds of an insane 3rd line. They both have the skill to be deadly against 3rd and 4th liners but they need to spend more time together.

I agree with consistency, and I also know it comes with age, when you are young your skill can dominate against other young players but in the NHL you need to learn how to get that edge all the time. That sense of urgency builds as you age as well. Matthews is getting there and soon I think the whole team is going to be scary good.

21 man rosters and no cap don' work. and If you have a short term injury, you can't make a Marlie call up.
Agree with you about Kerfoot. Leafs can't go razor think on centre, just for cap reasons. If can't sign Clifford at 800,000 X 3, insert with Korshov and then have room for either Marincin and Liljegren.

I must say we are getting closer to the same page here.

I have toyed with that as well but to do so, we have to drop another contract. I don't want to move Kapanen so Kerfoot is the one I'd trade but I don't think we are going to get a better fit than him with the usual suspects people trade for on this site. In my mind, Brooks will fight for that spot in training camp and if he earns the chance then trade Kerfoot for something else. I dug into Brook's advanced stats and he's actually a pretty positive player and with how dominant he has been in juniors and effective for the Marlies I think he could be a very good bottom 6 forward for the Leafs and most importantly cheap.