bustaheims
Well-known member
I would think Robertson at least would be in the lineup ahead of Steeves at this point, with Holmberg dropping down to the 4th line.
2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion
- Thread starter herman
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herman
Well-known member
Yeah, that's the silver lining. Wingers aren't at as much risk as RD or C of getting claimed, especially soft scoring style wingers that aren't scoring.
bustaheims
Well-known member
I'm starting wonder if Robertson is the type of player that performs well on lesser teams, but struggles on better teams. We've seen a number of that type in the league over the years. He seems like he needs top 6 minutes to produce, but, on a contender, I'm not sure he has enough to his game to hold down that kind of spot over the long haul.
Not that I'm a big fan of his but I was pulling for Alex to get a longer look - partly because of the brother story but particularly when so many are still out. He's the only one who requires waivers. Maybe cutting him so quick might help him clear waivers. I guess they felt Lorenz provides needed muscle for the 3rd line.
Grebenkin falling to the 4th line is probably indicative of their thoughts on where he is at right now.
Saturday marks 2 weeks since Hakanpää played ...
It is a little gut wrenching because the guy has truly tried to elevate his defensive game. Top 6 on a bottom feeder getting 1st PP time and he'll probably score 20 goals. But I doubt a team with him in their top six would go deep in the playoffs. I suspect a different system might help him put up better numbers.
herman
Well-known member
Depends on the roster hole, I think. I'm curious to see how Steeves holds up in a middle-six third banana role. He's not as big a forechecker as Lorentz and his shot is not Robertson, but I think he does enough of all the little things he might show as a reliable, cheap, temporary option. Especially while Robertson has the yips.
If he can help produce garbage goals for the 4th line by being a honey badger at and below the goal line, then Reaves is donezo.
Some type of struggling player for struggling player swap probably makes sense here. I thought about Nils Hoglander as his name is in the rumour mill but I don't love the extension he signed recently ($3mil AAV x 3 years). My old friend Jesse Puljujarvi seems potentially available in Pittsburgh but even if Dubas still really liked Robertson I don't see a spot in their line-up for him right now. There was a point in the offseason when they were both unsigned RFAs that I wondered about a Robertson for Peyton Krebs swap. Krebs doesn't seem to have found a real role in Buffalo but I still think his value is higher than Robertson's right now.
I'd rather see Grebenkin playing top line minutes on the Marlies instead of 6 minutes on the 4th line for the Leafs - though I agree that he could probably bring at least as much as Reaves right now. I imagine Reaves will be right back in the lineup after the suspension, though it's nice to imagine a world where that is not the case. Now, if everyone ever gets healthy at one time, that's a different story.
herman
Well-known member
Oh this is so realistic. Even in video games he is programmed to fall down and draw penalties.
A key thing the linked article doesn't mention is that Steeves was up under emergency recall which is why I think he was able to avoid having to clear waivers.
To me, at the moment with Steeves return to AHL and McMann to IR, the active roster has 2 goalies, 8 dmen & 20 forwards = 22 players - as it did before Matthews & Knies returned. Am I missing someone? If not, Steeves did not have to go down unless they wanted to save up his emergency recall games (6 left) or they have something else in the works.
That would mean Alex Nylander will play tonight unless they go with 7 dmen.
bustaheims
Well-known member
Hockey News: Nov 12, 2024 The Toronto Maple Leaf have recalled forward Alex Steeves from the Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis.
TSN & other media also reported that emergency basis. That also provides exemption from waivers.
The key distinction is that emergency recall is a separate counter. They could subsequently recall Steeves 'regularly' and the tally of 10 cumulative games starts at 0 for that kind of recall (emergency games don't count - they have a separate tally)
I suspect the roster count of 22/23 on Puckpedia for the Leafs might not be accurate. Suspended players can receive "non-roster" status if the NHL team ask for it and the league grants it. But if the Leafs didn't ask or the league didn't grant it, Reaves would count as a player on the active roster. I've found no media report saying the Leafs requested it. That may be what triggered sending Steeves down to the AHL - they were forced to because Reaves is a suspended player without non-roster status who counts as being on their roster.
Just Saw this by Mirtle
This probably isn't going to be the world's biggest surprise but weird they kept him practicing this whole time if something was wrong. Like he couldn't have gotten on the plane to Germany with Matthews?
Some good news on the injury front also though. It's a little crazy to think Domi played multiple games with an injury that's now kept him out for at least 2 weeks (and will probably end up around 3 weeks). Hopefully he's able to play a lot better when he returns.