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JTrades

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Toronto Maple Leafs
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Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 13, 2023 at 12:53 p.m.
Thread: Offseason thoughts
1. GM has been fine. His drafting has been very good, especially in later rounds and and he's managed to make the best out of most poor situations. Every GM makes a couple bad moves here and there though so even if I think the Kadri signing at the loss of Monahan and a 1st was overall a poor decision I can understand the thinking behind the move. I do think the team needs to change up behind the bench though.
2. Almost certainly running it back. How are you supposed to build any synergy at all if you rework 2 years in a row.
3. Biggest problem is the disconnect between coach and team. Sutter's system is fine for underlying numbers but it also stopped the team from playing "freely." Calgary leads the league in shots that result in blown dead plays, something like 60% of their shots resulted in blown whistle and faceoff. This says that even though Calgary takes a lot of shots a large majority of them are low danger simple shots towards the net. The team played with very minimal east to west movement.
All this plus the constant strain Sutter puts his players through has resulted in a pretty major disconnect between team and coach
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 29, 2023 at 7:16 p.m.
Thread: Off Season
Lifelong Vancouver fan. You're not far off here.

OEL buyout makes our books a mess but saves the owner millions long term. Decision is between whether Tocchet/Gonchar/Foote can rehabilitate the asset or management deems OEL incompatible with competing short term, which is the only and stated goal. I lean rehab for now.

Boeser's agent has been trying to facilitate a trade for a while. He's not an Allvin/Pittsburgh model winger, skates like he has bricks for feet. He's produced well down the stretch here but his defensive numbers will make it hard for a team (like Carolina, who'd otherwise be a decent fit) to swallow his $6.65m cap hit. Not sure if they'll be able to find a dance partner.

Knowing our ownership & management, your $10m in cap space would be spent immediately. An OEL buyout would all but guarantee a big Gavrikov contract. Wouldn't hate it, especially if they can find a home for Hughes on the right side.
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 28, 2023 at 4:10 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 23, 2023 at 12:32 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 22, 2023 at 11:31 a.m.
Thread: Is it time to worry about Keefe
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>palhal</b></div><div>I don't think it's so much the forwards but getting the Dmen to play "together". Leafs are carrying 9 Dmen...Timmins is the the guy "out" right now. That leaves eight and Schenn and Gustaffson, the new guys have been in and out of the lineup. If anyone that should be sitting due to indifferent play it's Reilly but that ain't going to happen.</div></div>

You're right.

And I dont even think its close to even see who should be in the lineup.

Give Gustaffson his dues for having a good offensive year on a bad Capitols team, but his defense is poor. Timmins had a magical start here, and hes still learning, but his defense is bad. So I dont even think those two should be in the rotation. Granted, neither can be sent down without going through waivers, but they dont need to play.

It leaves you with Reilly, Brodie, Giordano, Liljegren, Schenn, Holl and McCabe. That is your 7 and that is who should be playing.

Reilly and Liljegren are solid puck rushers, and Giordano/Brodie no slouches offensively. Holl, McCabe and Schenn are there to clear the crease, hit and take the body/win board battles. It shouldn;t take 15 games to figure out who SHOULDN'T even be dressed, it should take 10 games (unless Dubas got these guys without any thought as to whether keefe could fit them in) to see who looks better with who and your pairings should be set.

And even with ROR injured, your 3rd and 4th lines shouldn;t be jumbled one game to the next by this point after the TDL.
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 22, 2023 at 10:33 a.m.
Thread: Is it time to worry about Keefe
1. these are not the playoff lineups. No ROR. Blend away. Find out who works well with who, how can you spark the boys with a few extra mins here or there. Our position in the postseason as all but locked.
2. It's affecting the players. I would guess there's a balance of positive / negative though. Can't have 2-3 NHL Defensemen in the press box every night. Could question Dubas a much as Keefe in this sense.
3. McCabe is much better than expected.
4. Biggest fall from grace is likely Liljegren. Still a fan. But he's not maintained the same level of consistency.
5. Give me a full game of Gio / Schenn, playing meaningful defensive minutes.

1st period of last nights game I thought Leafs looked good. I understand the final score was awful, but it's also misleading. TOR was as good, if not better, for a good chunk of the game. Yes the wheels fell off. But are we concerned with the final score of games in March? or is it the 60min narrative circling back?
Not that it's ideal, but they're 5-4-1 in their "bad stretch", when right now the outcome barely matters- they know they're the 2 seed.