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Maple Leafs Training Camp 2024-25 Thread

Very interesting to see grown men lose and gain height, well into their 20's and early 30's..

On a side note, Alex Nylander is huge!
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
I don't hate this.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/why-the-maple-leafs-should-try-mitch-marner-at-centre-this-season/
Click to expand...

I agree with the general direction, but I'd lay out the lines a bit differently within those line identities. Marner has never really played centre and his point to being the non-faceoff centreman still stands fine in this array. Nylander's been doing it for the past couple of seasons for Tavares already.

Primary Scoring: Knies-Matthews-Domi
Shutdown (two-way): McMann-Tavares-Marner
Overmatch: Pacioretty-Nylander-Cowan
Shutdown (any production is bonus): Holmberg/Dewar-Kampf-Jarnkrok
 
Andy said:
Very interesting to see grown men lose and gain height, well into their 20's and early 30's..

On a side note, Alex Nylander is huge!
Click to expand...

Entirely predictable prediction, Willy carries him through camp and pre-season and he starts the year with an NHL deal on Willy's wing.
 
I suppose I've always been a glass half full Leafs fan.
What they have done since their playoffs ended hasn't changed that.

Berube, Lambert & Savard have replaced Leafs coaches. All three of them have their name on
the Stanley Cup (along with Leafs assistant Mike Van Ryn). As many as 3 new faces may play with the Leafs after winning the Cup in Florida.

I'm not sure it is a major change given the quality of the individuals
but the captain has changed.

At least 35% of last season's opening roster won't be in the line up on opening night.

Nylander will be tried at center.

Along with the new coaches is a new system to try to address goals against.
Replacing Samsonov is going to help that regardless.
I think the goalie depth they have is quite good.

Tanev should definitely help in the early years of his deal.
OEL gives them a point shot for the PP they haven't had much of.
Hakanpaa may help the PK depending on his knee.
Benoit should take another step.
Liljegren is the wild card - he could go either way.
I expect more of the same from Rielly & McCabe
If Hakanpaa plays decently, the D has definitely improved

They were 2nd in goals scored last year. They did that without a lot from their D.
They gave up Bertuzzi & his 21 goals.
But a full season from McMann, adding Pacioretty and/or Cowan/Robertson and going with a 3rd line that can score with OEL helping should offset that.
They may lose some offense playing the new system
But they're in pretty darn good shape

A noticeable thing is a number of them beefed up. Not as many under 200lbs. Which is probably in response to reducing getting pushed around in the playoffs.

There are no guarantees in this business. You have to have some luck and good health.
I have no idea how the season will end except I expect an improvement on last season.
I think management has made a pretty good effort in the off season. Not every team can say that.

Go Leafs Go!!
 
https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/william-nylander-at-centre/

They're going to try

LW-Matthews-Marner
Domi-Nylander-RW
LW-Tavares-Jarnkrok
Kampf

And it's probably going to be a bit of a poop show on that second line unless they score on every single shot they take. and knowing how Domi shoots (when he shoots), that's not happening. For someone with a relatively wicked shot, he unsurprisingly uses it somewhat stupidly. I can see the allure of the rush game and the give-and-go in both players, but this is magnifying strengths at the expense of magnifying their weaknesses. Maybe they see it as resistance training for Nylander to focus on defensive details to have to babysit Domi, with the reward being a crazy seam pass once in awhile.

LW-Matthews-Domi puts a bit more defensive burden on Matthews, but the downstream effect is:
LW-Nylander-Marner
LW-Tavares-Jarnkrok
Kampf

which I think should scare most opposing teams. Nylander and Marner have pretty similar outputs but play complementary styles and cover each others weaknesses. The only reason they haven't spent much time together without the other two centres is because they're both also very good at complementing the centres.

Nylander really only has to do it until Minten is ready.
 
https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1836768973175636001

Presumably that leaves Nylander with Pacioretty and Domi in group 2.
 
Most of the defense, other than that Rielly-Tanev pair are on the B squad of better overall defense + lesser offense. Domi-Nylander will get first line duties on that side.

https://x.com/lukefoxjukebox/status/1836769418241581142
 
https://x.com/sunhornby/status/1836772533229531359
Tanev and Tavares showing the kids how it's done
 
herman said:
Most of the defense, other than that Rielly-Tanev pair are on the B squad of better overall defense + lesser offense. Domi-Nylander will get first line duties on that side.

https://twitter.com/lukefoxjukebox/status/1836769418241581142
Click to expand...

Group 3 is the clear "not making the opening night roster" group/
 
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
It's a little interesting that they've split the Nylander brothers early, I fully expected them to give them a chance to find that Sedin chemistry.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised that they're split because it would have been cool to see them get a pre-season game together (which of course could still happen) but I don't think Alex was ever going to be given much of an opportunity to actually play alongside Willy. Guys like Robertson, Pacioretty, and Cowan will be given the higher focus in terms of making the opening night roster. He's more of a midseason injury replacement guy.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
WhatIfGodWasALeaf said:
It's a little interesting that they've split the Nylander brothers early, I fully expected them to give them a chance to find that Sedin chemistry.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised that they're split because it would have been cool to see them get a pre-season game together (which of course could still happen) but I don't think Alex was ever going to be given much of an opportunity to actually play alongside Willy. Guys like Robertson, Pacioretty, and Cowan will be given the higher focus in terms of making the opening night roster. He's more of a midseason injury replacement guy.
Click to expand...

I can see that, but if he looks decent in drills, I think it's a missed opportunity not to give them at least a game together early.
 
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1836798927070208390

Interesting to see Pacioretty on a not-really-NHL line right off the bat. Also noteworthy to see Lorentz skating on the Kampf line on day 1. Last year Gregor, also a PTO at the time of course, started with Kampf and Reaves too and held that spot throughout preseason and into game 1. He is certainly someone I could see Berube liking on the 4th line, especially depending on how long Dewar is out for. Webber is filling in for Benoit, who is absent from day 1 due to the birth of his first child.

Using these groups you could see a potential game 1 line-up as:

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Domi-Nylander-Jarnkrok
McMann-Tavares-Robertson
Lorentz-Kampf-Reaves

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-McCabe
Benoit-Liljegren

Woll/Stolarz

Injured: Dewar, Hakanpaa
Wild cards: Pacioretty, Cowan, Holmberg
 
Domi and Jarnkrok were also the wingers Keefe assigned to Willy when he opened camp with him at C last year, before of course changing his mind on that whole thing a few days later.
 
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