Opening Roster

[slapshot]

Babcock says it will probably take 10 games into the season to figure out the roster but they'll have to start with something.
I've been pleasantly surprised with the two Swedish defencemen, Rosen and Borgman. To me, they shown so far to be the best 6-7 defencemen, though I don't think it makes sense to have one of them in the press box. Going in the hype was around Dermott, but the Swedes have been impressive in their puck movement and hockey sense. If Rielly, Zaitsev and Carrick take a step forward the way Gardiner has, this d-group might be quite a bit better than people have been going on about. What's your take on an opening night roster?

 

[Zee]

Babcock says it will probably take 10 games into the season to figure out the roster but they'll have to start with something.
I've been pleasantly surprised with the two Swedish defencemen, Rosen and Borgman. To me, they shown so far to be the best 6-7 defencemen, though I don't think it makes sense to have one of them in the press box. Going in the hype was around Dermott, but the Swedes have been impressive in their puck movement and hockey sense. If Rielly, Zaitsev and Carrick take a step forward the way Gardiner has, this d-group might be quite a bit better than people have been going on about. What's your take on an opening night roster?

I've liked both Rosen and Borgman, especially last night for Borgman.  He has a bit of edge to his game, reminds me somewhat of Danny Markov.  If they keep developing like this it'll be difficult to keep them out of that d-corp.  Carrick is the guy that might be the odd man out.

 

[Kaberle15]

So, the Leafs have like 1 regular spot open upfront and 1 on D

A)

4C Moore
6D Borgman

EF1 Leivo
EF2 ? Not Smith
ED1 Marincin

B)
Komarov moves to 4C
2LW Kapanen/Brown
4LW Brown/Kapanen

5D Borgman
6D Rose

EF1 Moore
ED1 Carrick
ED2 Marincin

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So, the Leafs have like 1 regular spot open upfront and 1 on D

A)

4C Moore
6D Borgman

EF1 Leivo
EF2 ? Not Smith
ED1 Marincin

I think it'll be:

4C Aaltonen
6D Rosen

EF1 Leivo
EF2 Moore
ED1 Marincin

I think Babs would prefer 2 extra D but if Aaltonen gets the 4C spot then they aren't waiving Moore or Leivo.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Shoula checked twitter before I posted that, Leafs lines today per Shilton:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
JvR-Bozak-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov
Martin-Aaltonen-Brown
Fehr-Moore-Leivo

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Marincin-Carrick
Borgman-Rosen

Fehr goes down, one of Borgman and Rosen go down, and there's your team. I'm surprised to see Marincin there with Carrick given the talk surrounding him. I still kinda feel like Babs would want him there for the PK.

 

[disco]

I think Marincin may be on a short leash. Might see one or Rosen or Borgman with Carrick without an injury happening.

Waiting for an injury at center: Moore, Fehr.
Waiting for an injury at wing: Kapanen, Soshnikov, Leivo.
Waiting for a massive flu out-break: 2017-2018 Toronto Marlies.

 

[Crucialness Key]

Shoula checked twitter before I posted that, Leafs lines today per Shilton:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
JvR-Bozak-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov
Martin-Aaltonen-Brown
Fehr-Moore-Leivo

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Marincin-Carrick
Borgman-Rosen

Fehr goes down, one of Borgman and Rosen go down, and there's your team. I'm surprised to see Marincin there with Carrick given the talk surrounding him. I still kinda feel like Babs would want him there for the PK.

My hunch would be Rosen stays up, as the oldest, and he spots in for Marincin / Carrick. Meanwhile Borg gets heavy minutes with the Marlies (along with Dermott, hopefully Liljegren...)

 

[herman]

Since they're a topic of conversation

Calle Ros?n is pronounced Cal-eh Ro-see-en
Andreas Borgman is pronounced An-dree-as Bory-man (also, borg means castle)

And while we're at it: Forsberg is pronounced Fors-bery (river mountain), Lindberg is Leend-bery (winding mountain), and Andreas Johnsson's is Yuun-son

I'm not Swedish.

 

[bustaheims]

I'm surprised to see Marincin there with Carrick given the talk surrounding him. I still kinda feel like Babs would want him there for the PK.

Marincin is probably the best bet for a #7 D right now. He's really the only 'veteran' under contract who fits.

 

[mr grieves]

So, if it's as Carlton says above, hoping there's a bit more flexibility with the lineup than there was last season. Depth is great. But I wonder if they can find a better use for it than waiting around until someone's hurt.

For home games and weaker teams, a 4th line of Leivo-Aaltonen-Brown could wreck the opposition and allow the top three lines easier nights. Bring in Moore and Martin for tough matchups, away games, etc. This team's supposed to be playing late into the spring, so should probably see if there's a way to keep them from burning out or hitting walls.

 

[Bullfrog]

Agreed mr g. I don't think any 4th line(r) should be considered a lock. I'd like to see lots of rotation on that line. Really, there's no reason Martin should be getting 82 games this year.

 

[cabber24]

Shoula checked twitter before I posted that, Leafs lines today per Shilton:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
JvR-Bozak-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov
Martin-Aaltonen-Brown
Fehr-Moore-Leivo

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Marincin-Carrick
Borgman-Rosen

Fehr goes down, one of Borgman and Rosen go down, and there's your team. I'm surprised to see Marincin there with Carrick given the talk surrounding him. I still kinda feel like Babs would want him there for the PK.

If Marincin wants to be in opening day line up he better be lights out tonight. FYI, I give zero credit for his "goal" last game. I want a strong enough roster that Marincin's name doesn't have to be on it. Didn't we all wish that going into the off season yet there he is?

 

[cabber24]

I still don't have a lot of confidence in that D. I like Hainsey over Polak and hope one of the Swedes can bump Marincin. I also hope Rielly and Gardiner can be more defensively sound. Honestly disappointed we will likely have 5 returned from last season was hoping for more of an upgrade. Marincin was awful last year... surely we can do better.

 

[L K]

Good thing a guy like Kapanen can spend another year in the AHL so Matt Martin can put up 7 points-9 points.

 

[ZBBM]

Shoula checked twitter before I posted that, Leafs lines today per Shilton:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
JvR-Bozak-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov
Martin-Aaltonen-Brown
Fehr-Moore-Leivo

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Marincin-Carrick
Borgman-Rosen

Fehr goes down, one of Borgman and Rosen go down, and there's your team. I'm surprised to see Marincin there with Carrick given the talk surrounding him. I still kinda feel like Babs would want him there for the PK.

If Marincin wants to be in opening day line up he better be lights out tonight. FYI, I give zero credit for his "goal" last game. I want a strong enough roster that Marincin's name doesn't have to be on it. Didn't we all wish that going into the off season yet there he is?

Uh no, we didn't all wish it.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Uh no, we didn't all wish it.

Yeah, I'm perfectly fine with Marincin playing a 6/7 role. Admittedly he wasn't great last season but he wasn't given any rope at all. First mistake he made and Hunwick was right back in the line-up over him.

 

[rdowdall]

Poor Kasperi.  So unfair.

 

[Kin]

Uh no, we didn't all wish it.

Yeah, I'm perfectly fine with Marincin playing a 6/7 role. Admittedly he wasn't great last season but he wasn't given any rope at all. First mistake he made and Hunwick was right back in the line-up over him.

It'd have been great if the Leafs were so stacked on the blueline that there was no room for Marincin but that was never likely going to be the case without, you know, adding guys.

 

[L K]

Uh no, we didn't all wish it.

Yeah, I'm perfectly fine with Marincin playing a 6/7 role. Admittedly he wasn't great last season but he wasn't given any rope at all. First mistake he made and Hunwick was right back in the line-up over him.

It'd have been great if the Leafs were so stacked on the blueline that there was no room for Marincin but that was never likely going to be the case without, you know, adding guys.

That's the thing for me.  Marincin did a pretty solid job on the PK last year but struggled 5 on 5.  In an ideal world the Leafs added a better top 4 defenseman or two by trading some of their pending UFA forwards (which would also free up roster spots for guys like Soshnikov and Kapanen who are really kind of getting screwed over here from an organization that talked about guys working hard and earning spots but a guy like Matt Martin is going to win out because of "intangibles").  Instead they signed a bunch of younger players who have actually impressed a fair amount but would likely benefit from a little more ice time in the AHL before placing them in a 5-6-7-8 defenseman role.  Hainsey was signed but he really just takes the Roman Polak roster spot.

Marincin for now seems like my choice for the 6/7 spot with the eventual plan to replace him with either a trade deadline move or one of the Rosen/Borgman/Dermott trio playing at a high enough level to supplant him later in the year.

 

[cabber24]

Uh no, we didn't all wish it.

Yeah, I'm perfectly fine with Marincin playing a 6/7 role. Admittedly he wasn't great last season but he wasn't given any rope at all. First mistake he made and Hunwick was right back in the line-up over him.

It'd have been great if the Leafs were so stacked on the blueline that there was no room for Marincin but that was never likely going to be the case without, you know, adding guys.

That's the thing for me.  Marincin did a pretty solid job on the PK last year but struggled 5 on 5.  In an ideal world the Leafs added a better top 4 defenseman or two by trading some of their pending UFA forwards (which would also free up roster spots for guys like Soshnikov and Kapanen who are really kind of getting screwed over here from an organization that talked about guys working hard and earning spots but a guy like Matt Martin is going to win out because of "intangibles").  Instead they signed a bunch of younger players who have actually impressed a fair amount but would likely benefit from a little more ice time in the AHL before placing them in a 5-6-7-8 defenseman role.  Hainsey was signed but he really just takes the Roman Polak roster spot.

Marincin for now seems like my choice for the 6/7 spot with the eventual plan to replace him with either a trade deadline move or one of the Rosen/Borgman/Dermott trio playing at a high enough level to supplant him later in the year.

Agreed trade from a position of strength to help the weaker areas. Kapenen is now in the AHL and our D is almost the same as last year. I suppose, as always, quality D aren't available. Nice to have Rosen in the hopper though. Hanifin for Marner?