2022-23 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[herman]

That's the season in a nutshell so far: Top D-Pair and Top Line are sputtering (I guess you could also say the top goalie is on the shelf too); second layer is stepping up, but they're secondary for a reason and it's not going to hold forever. Lack of effective adjustment in general even in the face of accurate self-assessment.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I'd like to see ZAR and NAK back on the 4th line next game, hopefully their stint in the pressbox can wake them up a little and they can provide more of a spark in their limited minutes. Engvall's benching certainly didn't wake him up so maybe he needs to spend more time there. Give Malgin a chance on the 3rd line, while maybe swapping Jarnkrok in at C. Move around the defence a little. So something like:

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Robertson-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Jarnkrok-Malgin
ZAR-Kampf-NAK

Giordano-Rielly
Brodie-Holl
Sandin-Mete

Top 4 D gets loaded up a bit, with Rielly needing to play on the right side at least until Liljegren returns. Brodie's shown to be able to settle Holl down in the past, although both of them are a little shaky these days. Sandin and Mete get a heaping load of offensive zone shifts with the top unit for the time being, similar to how Giordano-Liljegren was deployed late last season.

 

[bustaheims]

Auston and Mitchy have gotta start scoring at some point...

They will. The flood gates have to open soon. There's no way this team will go on shooting 6% at 5-on-5, or below 8.5% overall, when they've been in the 8.5-9.5% range 5-on-5 and 10%+ overall for the last few years. A correction is coming.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/scottcwheeler/status/1584930812453076994

 

[ZBBM]

Let?s go nuts

Robertson-Matthews-Nylander
Bunting-Tavares-Marner
ZAR-Kerfoot-Jarnkrok
Engvall-Kampf-Simmonds/Malgin/NAK

MLHS is suggesting a trial breakup of Marner/Matthews, with the very good logic that these two seem to hit a wall like they are experiencing now during the playoffs, usually G6 or G7, and Keefe hasn't preemptively tried out other combos so he's got no options when it really counts ... so why not test-flight some of those options now?  Makes sense.  But I think I'd go more with what herman is suggesting here, i.e., take Bunting off the top line.  This too was floated by MLHS: see what he's got w/o M&M before you commit to a long-term contract.  Also makes sense.

Anyway, I'd put Bunting on the 3rd line for a few games and slot Malgin back in on Line 2.

And break up Rielly/Brodie.

 

[princedpw]

I think a total line blender would be fun:

Nylander-Matthews-NAK
Bunting-Tavares-Jarnkrok
Robertson-Kerfoot-Marner
Engvall-Kampf-Malgin

 

[rdowdall]

I think a total line blender would be fun:

Nylander-Matthews-NAK
Bunting-Tavares-Jarnkrok
Robertson-Kerfoot-Marner
Engvall-Kampf-Malgin

I'd put Marner and Nylander together, and then shake up every around them.

 

[L K]

Muzzin has formally been transferred to LTIR.

 

[herman]

Muzzin has formally been transferred to LTIR.

Because:
https://twitter.com/kyle_cush/status/1585044524472336384

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1587980466958659584
Just putting this back into the forum for appreciation and anybody who needs some bunk time.

Reminiscent of
[youtube]5rFIsS5pfdE[/youtube]

 

[L K]

I never, ever doubted this team.  They are awesome.  John Tavares is awesome.  Any posters who were critical of the team are not real fans.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I never, ever doubted this team.  They are awesome.  John Tavares is awesome.  Any posters who were critical of the team are not real fans.

The last week-ish of posts being deleted was probably for the best anyway.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/nhl_watcher/status/1588295970890346497

 

[L K]

I hope Muzzin is ok with retirement.  The last thing I want to see is him try to play again and have something catastrophic happen.

Really sucks to have his career end.  Healthy Muzzin was a warrior.  You could never accuse him of not giving it his all.

 

[Arn]

I?m a big fan of Muzzin both as a player but also he seems like a genuinely great bloke.

As much as they?d miss him, I?d rather he gave himself the chance to be that great bloke to family and friends rather than risk it just for me to see the Leafs maybe win a few more games.

 

[Bender]

https://twitter.com/nhl_watcher/status/1588295970890346497

Obviously I want him to be better and have nothing in hockey impact his life. All the more head scratchy as to why, if they knew Muzzin had a ton of miles on him, did they not even entertain the idea of trading him. The only defense would be that he wouldn't pass the physical.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

https://twitter.com/nhl_watcher/status/1588295970890346497

Obviously I want him to be better and have nothing in hockey impact his life. All the more head scratchy as to why, if they knew Muzzin had a ton of miles on him, did they not even entertain the idea of trading him. The only defense would be that he wouldn't pass the physical.

Maybe because Muzzin has a NTC? 

 

[Guilt Trip]

https://twitter.com/nhl_watcher/status/1588295970890346497

Obviously I want him to be better and have nothing in hockey impact his life. All the more head scratchy as to why, if they knew Muzzin had a ton of miles on him, did they not even entertain the idea of trading him. The only defense would be that he wouldn't pass the physical.

Maybe because Muzzin has a NTC? 

They may have shopped him around. We don't know.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1588563817214414849

We've gone from "Simmonds is probably the teams 15th forward" to "let's play him on the 3rd line" in less than a month.

 

[bustaheims]

Coming off the year he had, with that contract, the injury history, and the NTC . . . I'm not surprised he wasn't moved or that there may not have even been much interest around the league. Everyone in the league knew the Leafs' situation. No one was going to do them any favours, and Muzzin wasn't exactly a high value asset anymore.

As much as we would have liked the team to have moved him - and I'm sure members of the organization would have liked to free up that cap space and use if more effectively - it wasn't going to be easy, if it was even possible.