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2020-2021 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

Assuming Simmonds returns this weekend (or shortly afterward), I wonder where he fits in the line-up. When we were healthy to start the season he was on the 4th line, and then moved up to the middle-6 when injuries started to open up room. So I would assume he might slot back on the 4th line now but I'm not sure that's the best spot for him. I really wasn't a fan of the Spezza and Simmonds combo to start the year. They both looked pretty ineffective, and it probably isn't a coincidence their play got better once split up. There's other potential factors (start of the season with no training camp, new team for Simmonds, Barabanov was often their other linemate and he also struggled for the same reasons) but I also just think their play styles aren't super compatible.

So if no trades happen this week and Simmonds return I'm guessing our line-up against Calgary is:

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Thornton-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds
Vesey-Engvall-Spezza

The problem here is that 3rd line becomes more of an offensive one, but if Hyman stays in the top-6 I think that's bound to happen anyway. Engvall going up against other teams top players wasn't going to happen forever.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Thornton-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds
Vesey-Engvall-Spezza

One thing that I was opposed to earlier in the season, but would not be opposed to now is splitting Marner and Matthews. Put Nylander and Matthews together. If Matthews is going to continue to struggle to shoot the puck, let's give him a shooter.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Assuming Simmonds returns this weekend (or shortly afterward), I wonder where he fits in the line-up. When we were healthy to start the season he was on the 4th line, and then moved up to the middle-6 when injuries started to open up room. So I would assume he might slot back on the 4th line now but I'm not sure that's the best spot for him. I really wasn't a fan of the Spezza and Simmonds combo to start the year. They both looked pretty ineffective, and it probably isn't a coincidence their play got better once split up. There's other potential factors (start of the season with no training camp, new team for Simmonds, Barabanov was often their other linemate and he also struggled for the same reasons) but I also just think their play styles aren't super compatible.

So if no trades happen this week and Simmonds return I'm guessing our line-up against Calgary is:

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Thornton-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds
Vesey-Engvall-Spezza

The problem here is that 3rd line becomes more of an offensive one, but if Hyman stays in the top-6 I think that's bound to happen anyway. Engvall going up against other teams top players wasn't going to happen forever.
I think after this downtime, Keefe goes back to Thornton being with M&M and Hyman goes to the 2nd or 3rd line. I think Vesey will have a seat at some point as well. Leafs will only room for a 21 man roster with everyone healthy so 1 sub a game. I also see Barabanov possibly getting a shot again if he continues playing the way he has so far, (2gms, 5pts) on the Marlies.
 
OldTimeHockey said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Thornton-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds
Vesey-Engvall-Spezza

One thing that I was opposed to earlier in the season, but would not be opposed to now is splitting Marner and Matthews. Put Nylander and Matthews together. If Matthews is going to continue to struggle to shoot the puck, let's give him a shooter.
Agree with giving Matthews a shooter like Willy. I'm kind of leaning towards keeping him out until the 25th if his wrist doesn't respond well in the next 4 days. The PP has suffered without him being a threat to shoot.
 
Guilt Trip said:
OldTimeHockey said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Thornton-Tavares-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds
Vesey-Engvall-Spezza

One thing that I was opposed to earlier in the season, but would not be opposed to now is splitting Marner and Matthews. Put Nylander and Matthews together. If Matthews is going to continue to struggle to shoot the puck, let's give him a shooter.
Agree with giving Matthews a shooter like Willy. I'm kind of leaning towards keeping him out until the 25th if his wrist doesn't respond well in the next 4 days. The PP has suffered without him being a threat to shoot.

Yeah, they have to bite the bullet on Matthews if he can't demonstrate improvement on the injury during the time off.  If he's still injured like this going into the playoffs any chances the team has to advance deep are pretty reduced.
 
Guilt Trip said:
Agree with giving Matthews a shooter like Willy. I'm kind of leaning towards keeping him out until the 25th if his wrist doesn't respond well in the next 4 days. The PP has suffered without him being a threat to shoot.

http://moneypuck.com/player.htm?p=8477939

Unless I'm reading this wrong, Nylander isn't a huge upgrade, at least, from a shooting perspective.

I'd actually lean towards putting Spezza in the shooting lane.

http://moneypuck.com/player.htm?p=8469455
 
Easy PP Solution: stack your minutes here

34
88-91-16
44

Pretty much the setup as before, except with Matthews in tippy land (but also leveraging his underrated playmaking on kickouts to 88, 91). Marner gets to play on his strong side to give him JvR-Kadri options once again, but instead they are Matthews-Tavares, or threading the one-timer to Nylander.

If they don't like that look, just rotate in-cycle
88
44/16-91-34
16/44
When PKs see Matthews in his one-timer zone, they will tighten up the slot and it'll open up space for Nylander to either tuck one in, or make the next pass of his own into chaos (Tavares) or glory (Matthews).

PP2:
11
97-15-19
Whoever: a righty helps back here actually for quicker feeds to Thornton to setup Spezza's snipe.
 
herman said:
Easy PP Solution: stack your minutes here

34
88-91-16
44

Pretty much the setup as before, except with Matthews in tippy land (but also leveraging his underrated playmaking on kickouts to 88, 91). Marner gets to play on his strong side to give him JvR-Kadri options once again, but instead they are Matthews-Tavares, or threading the one-timer to Nylander.

If they don't like that look, just rotate in-cycle
88
44/16-91-34
16/44
When PKs see Matthews in his one-timer zone, they will tighten up the slot and it'll open up space for Nylander to either tuck one in, or make the next pass of his own into chaos (Tavares) or glory (Matthews).

PP2:
11
97-15-19
Whoever: a righty helps back here actually for quicker feeds to Thornton to setup Spezza's snipe.

I don't really like Matthews in tippy-land with pucks flying at him at unheard of speeds.  Sooner or later he'll get tagged.  If he can't shoot, break the big boys into 2 units and let him play Marner role on the other one.

24
88-91-16
44

11
19-97-34
38  :)
 
Here's one small thing I don't get: why isn't Dermott getting PP2 minutes? He might not be a prototypical powerplay QB but neither is Brodie, who has 8 PP points over the last 2.5 seasons. Brodie also gets big 5-on-5 minutes and is on the secondary pairing on the PK.

My top choice for that spot given the defencemen on the roster might be Muzzin, who's actually put up pretty decent offensive numbers this season and throughout his time as a Leaf at 5-on-5, but since he's already getting a ton of minutes on the PK and at 5-on-5 I can understand wanting to give him a break during powerplays.

Dermott's 5-on-5 ice-time is down about 2.5 minutes a game this season, and his overall ice-time is down about 5 minutes a game. I don't think that's entirely his fault, and more a reflection of how much stronger our defence is with the additions of Brodie and Bogosian. I'm not really arguing that he'd be a massive boost to the powerplay unit, I think he'd probably perform roughly at the same level of Brodie, but at least he'd be getting into the game more and have a more defined role on the team as opposed to just being a bottom pairing defenceman and the only player who doesn't have a consistent spot on either specialty team.
 
Just as a small addendum to that last point: every single player who has played more than 1 game for the Leafs this season averages over 30 seconds a game on at least one of the specialty teams except for Barabanov and Dermott.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Just as a small addendum to that last point: every single player who has played more than 1 game for the Leafs this season averages over 30 seconds a game on at least one of the specialty teams except for Barabanov and Dermott.

Is Brodie there maybe because he can defend the inevitable 2 on 1 situations better than most?
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Here's one small thing I don't get: why isn't Dermott getting PP2 minutes? He might not be a prototypical powerplay QB but neither is Brodie, who has 8 PP points over the last 2.5 seasons. Brodie also gets big 5-on-5 minutes and is on the secondary pairing on the PK.

My top choice for that spot given the defencemen on the roster might be Muzzin, who's actually put up pretty decent offensive numbers this season and throughout his time as a Leaf at 5-on-5, but since he's already getting a ton of minutes on the PK and at 5-on-5 I can understand wanting to give him a break during powerplays.

Dermott's 5-on-5 ice-time is down about 2.5 minutes a game this season, and his overall ice-time is down about 5 minutes a game. I don't think that's entirely his fault, and more a reflection of how much stronger our defence is with the additions of Brodie and Bogosian. I'm not really arguing that he'd be a massive boost to the powerplay unit, I think he'd probably perform roughly at the same level of Brodie, but at least he'd be getting into the game more and have a more defined role on the team as opposed to just being a bottom pairing defenceman and the only player who doesn't have a consistent spot on either specialty team.
I would like to see Dermott get a shot on the PP. I think ultimately though it will be Sandin there.
 
Frank E said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Just as a small addendum to that last point: every single player who has played more than 1 game for the Leafs this season averages over 30 seconds a game on at least one of the specialty teams except for Barabanov and Dermott.

Is Brodie there maybe because he can defend the inevitable 2 on 1 situations better than most?

It's an interesting suggestion but considering how infrequently shorthanded goals happen I'm not sure it's really necessary.
 
Guilt Trip said:
I would like to see Dermott get a shot on the PP. I think ultimately though it will be Sandin there.

Ultimately yes when Sandin cracks the roster the PP2 spot will be his from day 1 I imagine. But that's probably not going to be the case until next season.
 
I agree with CtB - Dermott should get some PP2 time. He has some offensive ability, and some PP time could help boost his confidence. Would also help manage Brodie's minutes a little better, so the team can lean on him a little more in other situations.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Guilt Trip said:
I would like to see Dermott get a shot on the PP. I think ultimately though it will be Sandin there.

Ultimately yes when Sandin cracks the roster the PP2 spot will be his from day 1 I imagine. But that's probably not going to be the case until next season.
I think Sandin will be in the line up before the year is over. Next year for sure though.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Guilt Trip said:
I would like to see Dermott get a shot on the PP. I think ultimately though it will be Sandin there.

Ultimately yes when Sandin cracks the roster the PP2 spot will be his from day 1 I imagine. But that's probably not going to be the case until next season.

"Pass it to William."
"Wait 'til next year, Rasmus."

You people are SO TEDIOUS
 

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