SalarySwishSalarySwish
Avatar

Leafsfan23

Member Since
Oct. 16, 2018
Favourite Team
Toronto Maple Leafs
Forum Posts
74
Posts per Day
0.0
Forum: Armchair-GMFeb. 11, 2019 at 3:59 p.m.
Thread: Marlies Update 4
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Leafsfan23</b></div><div>There has been a lot of hype around Sandin lately but is that just because of Liljegren's injury or is he legitimately the better prospect? Who do you believe has the higher ceiling?</div></div>

Personally, I don't know if I can choose. I find Sandin to be a bit more promising because he has excelled so quickly at this level, but at the same time Lilly has shown skills that most players don't have, and it could make him a potential top 2 dman if he hits all the right strides. Unlikely tho, both of these guys are more likely going to be top 4 dmen for this leafs team in the next 2-3 years. I wouldn't compare them too much, but rather appreciate the fact that we have two relatively high level defence prospects, who will be an important part of this team for years to come.
Sandin is somewhat similar to Rielly in a lot of ways. Great skater and puck mover, with a decent shot and serious offensive talent. Is he a stud defensively? No. But he's capable, and hasn't been burned too often. One more year in the AHL will have him ready, tho he will likely have to play next to someone of decent size in the NHL.

Lilly could be very good as well, and it looks like his defensive game is coming together a bit. His skating (especially lateral movement and crossovers) is A+. However, his shot has some accuracy troubles, and he takes weak scoring chances too often. Luckily for his development, he plays with Borgman a lot, who is a shutdown AHL dman, so he can be a bit more "spontaneous". His SuperElite League stats are amazing, whereas Sandin has looked slightly better as an AHL rookie.