ATD2018 - Draft Thread 3

[jarek]

He brings some not tons, not trying to sell him that way. His job is to play responsible hockey, annoy other teams start players and occasionally notch a goal or two.

Change Leswick's name to literally any other checker type and it's still accurate.

What is his ES VsX?

 

[ResilientBeast]

Change Leswick's name to literally any other checker type and it's still accurate.

What is his ES VsX?

I haven't bothered to calculate it

Read his old bio here, don't just jump to numbers

According to NHL.com over his entire career 39 of his total 324 points came on either special teams

 

[Sturminator]

Leswick doesn't bring much offense to the table does he? What can he realistically provide there in an ATD setting?

He was good enough to make an all-star team, and lead his team in scoring a couple times. He's not going to be a star, but neither is he one of those checkers whose game weighs down a line offensively. As a "third best guy" offensively on a 3rd line, Leswick is actually pretty good.

 

[Sturminator]

Change Leswick's name to literally any other checker type and it's still accurate.

What is his ES VsX?

I don't think we have ES data going back far enough to calculate his whole career, anyway. He started in 1945-46.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Change Leswick's name to literally any other checker type and it's still accurate.

What is his ES VsX?

So? I just think he's among the best at it.

How many checkers drafted have an AST team in the NHL along with some top 10 scoring finishes?

The reductionism to numbers is reaching ridiculous levels especially for checking line players.

 

[jarek]

So? I just think he's among the best at it.

How many checkers drafted have an AST team in the NHL along with some top 10 scoring finishes?

The reductionism to numbers is reaching ridiculous levels especially for checking line players.

You're the one who said he was a strong even strength scorer.. was it wrong of me to expect that you had some way to back that up?

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

You're the one who said he was a strong even strength scorer.. was it wrong of me to expect that you had some way to back that up?

I doubt Leswick was a "strong" even strength scorer. In fact, looking at that Rangers roster, I'm sure he saw a decent amount of PP time.

That said, would "acceptable" even strength scorer be more accurate? Leswick's offense wasn't so bad that I don't think it actively hinders the ability of a line to score, like some checkers already drafted and checkers who will be drafted. AKA, Leswick's offense wasn't strong, but he wasn't a black hole either.

 

[ResilientBeast]

You're the one who said he was a strong even strength scorer.. was it wrong of me to expect that you had some way to back that up?

Benchmarks don't go back far enough for two of his strongest offensive seasons, and sorry let me rephrase it for you. A strong even strength player for a checking line role
Without his two strongest scoring seasons because benchmarks weren't posted his best 5 year score is 53.3%

 

[ResilientBeast]

I doubt Leswick was a "strong" even strength scorer. In fact, looking at that Rangers roster, I'm sure he saw a decent amount of PP time.

That said, would "acceptable" even strength scorer be more accurate? Leswick's offense wasn't so bad that I don't think it actively hinders the ability of a line to score, like some checkers already drafted and checkers who will be drafted.

According the data from NHL.com he has a total of 33 powerplay points

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

According the data from NHL.com he has a total of 33 powerplay points

Does that cover his whole career? Meaning does accurate PP points data go back before 1950? We know he didn't see much or any PP time in Detroit; it's the Rangers where he was basically a 1st liner by default, IIRC

Edit: Yes, I see that just about all his recorded PPP are with the Rangers. Now the question becomes, how accurate the data before 1950 really is.

 

[VanIslander]

I have provided 1st lines, top pairings and starting-6's from the roster threads and now am giving my 2 cents on teams I'm impressed by:

New York Americans: Kariya - Mikita - Mikhailov ... Salming - Park... solid!
Halifax Citadels: Bobby Clarke, Sprague Cleghorn, Alf Smith.. nasty!
Pominville Estacades: European skill and NHL nastiness.
Pittsburgh Bankers: Foyston - Gretzky - Martinec - Lapierriere - Clapper - Roy .
Kenora Thistles - Yzerman, Malkin, Larionov with Broda in net.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Does that cover his whole career? Meaning does accurate PP points data go back before 1950? We know he didn't see much or any PP time in Detroit; it's the Rangers where he was basically a 1st liner by default, IIRC

The website has data going back to the start of his career so I would assume so.

His highest PP season was 1949-1950 with 13 points

Tony Leswick Stats and News

 

[Sprague Cleghorn]

Not sure why Gary always goes before him.



... It was really that easy all along?

It only became easy a month or two ago

 

[jarek]

It only became easy a month or two ago

Well this pretty much means everyone can pretty easily figure out an ES VsX for so many players.

 

[Habsfan18]

@papershoes and @Hawkey Town 18 have until 6:16pm est right?

 

[ImporterExporter]

@papershoes and @Hawkey Town 18 have until 6:16pm est right?

Correct.

 

[tinyzombies]

So? I just think he's among the best at it.

How many checkers drafted have an AST team in the NHL along with some top 10 scoring finishes?

The reductionism to numbers is reaching ridiculous levels especially for checking line players.

"Nicknamed "Tough Tony" and "Mighty Mouse," Leswick quickly developed a reputation as a relentless checker, a tough as nails body checker, and perhaps the NHL's all time ultimate pest."

"Although he did chip in offensively while in New York, including 27 and 24 goal seasons, Tony was best known for shadowing the league's top players. Perhaps his favorite target was Montreal's fiery Rocket Richard. The long lasting feud between the two lasted for years. Leswick knew how to get under Richard's skin. Richard, who had a short fuse to start with, would often blow up at Leswick and assaulted him. Often Leswick would take Richard's shot and write it off as "taking one for the team." Richard would be banished to the penalty box while the Rangers would go on the powerplay. Other times Leswick was more than willing to answer Richard's battle cry, and the two would brawl it out. Both players were banished to the box, which of course would have to be a small victory for the Rangers. Anytime you could take Rocket Richard out of the game for a few minutes at a time greatly enhanced the Rangers chance of winning.

Now picking on the ferociously explosive Richard takes guts. The only player perhaps more dangerous to tick off was Gordie Howe - not only arguably the greatest player of all time, but perhaps the greatest fighter of all time too. Leswick fearlessly needled Mr. Hockey with great success. Like Richard, no one had as much success keeping Howe off of his game as Leswick did. So impressed by Leswick's performance were the Red Wings, they went out and traded legendary xxx to get him."

 

[tinyzombies]

"The sawed-off left winger teamed with xxx and xxx to form the Wings’ top checking line. However, in the decisive game of the 1954 Stanley Cup Finals, it was Leswick’s scoring touch, not his zealous checking ability, that gave the Wings the championship in one of the weirdest Game Seven endings ever in professional sports."

 

[tinyzombies]

"And guys like xxx and xxxand Leswick were great checkers."

"My Life in Hockey," by Marcel Pronovost.

***

“We had to check (Rocket) Richard and all the best lines. That was our job.
“That was (Detroit coach) Tommy Ivan who started that. We were really kind of the first checking line and it worked out. We could stop them and we killed a lot of penalties, too.”

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Undrafteds

 

[tinyzombies]

Undrafteds

I removed them.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Also if someone snipes any of the players I've been gathering material for, please make a bio I can pass along the folders I have with 60+ newspaper scans a piece.

I can live with the thievery as long as they get bios they deserve

 

[ImporterExporter]

Also if someone snipes any of the players I've been gathering material for, please make a bio I can pass along the folders I have with 60+ newspaper scans a piece.

I can live with the thievery as long as they get bios they deserve

RB, what was that link you had with different newspaper archives (think it was via a university)? I thought I had it saved, but can't seem to find it.

 

[ResilientBeast]

RB, what was that link you had with different newspaper archives (think it was via a university)? I thought I had it saved, but can't seem to find it.

It's with mine up here in Edmonton land, as far as I can tell it's open access

Newspapers

The best source for the most part is the Edmonton Bulletin, they have complete reports up till winter 1923

 

[ResilientBeast]

As tinyzombies posted above, with Gordie Howe in our division and the chances for a playoff series against him it can't hurt to have one of his biggest pests