How do you value Joffrey Lupul going forward?

[Puckstuff]

I think the general consensus is that Lupul is NOT good defensively... however he scores goals and is a pretty effective player on offence and is important to our secondary scoring. His numbers have dropped but a 25 goal pace is pretty solid for 2nd line minutes. However, are his goals enough to keep him around? How do you value Lupul?

Please select one of the options...

option a) I value Lupul for his offence, We need his secondary scoring regardless of his defensive play

option b) I value him for his offence, but he is to much of a liability defensively and he should be traded.

option c) I value him for his offence, we need his secondary scoring and he is not a liability defensively.

option D) He's a dime a dozen player, he should be moved at all costs.

Click to read more...

 

[HockeyThoughts]

a).

I like Joffrey Lupul for his offense and intangibles. Alongside Nazem Kadri and Nikolai Kulemin his defensive shortcomings are hardly noticeable. It is when he plays alongside someone else who is weak defensively like Mason Raymond or slow and uncoordinated like David Clarkson when Lupul's warts become apparent.

 

[SprDaVE]

I think A fits better my thinking, all though I wouldn't be overly upset if we were able to trade him for a major piece on defence.

Either way, he's a good offensive player that seems to be a leader on this team. He's taken a bit of step back this season but overall he's been producing well enough to have a solid impact.

 

[A1LeafNation]

IF your line is a negative because of you, your offence obviously doesn't outweigh your defence. Trade him for a stud d-man.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Good 2nd line guy when he is putting up 50+ pts a season, however the injuries and defensive coverage is a concern, and he does disappear for stretches.

I think there are better 2nd line guys, but upgrading on Lupul is very far down the list of priorities.

#1-2 D man, and another top 4 Dman.

#1 Centre

#3 depth guys who are useful - Our top line is carrying the offense this year, and we're one of the worst teams defensively. If you can't score, and you can't play team defense, why do we have them on our team?

 

[A1LeafNation]

I love our centers. I wish Bozak was signed for longer. 4.2M per is amazing for cap management. No doubt our #1 line is as good as any in the league.

 

[Dugath]

I think this "defensive" issue with Lupul is just being inflated by people who need "something" to complain about.

The whole line has not been great defensively.
Heck the Whole team has sucked defensively, but sure lets target one player.

He has been 4 seasons now... and only this year people are bringing this issue up.. the year the whole team just stands around and does nothing. But yeah.. lets target Lupul, our second line winger who will probably end up with 21-25 goals and over 50 points. Might as well trade him for someone who will do the same but is also better in his own end.. because you know.. they are just all over the place and easy to get.

 

[darrylsittler27]

None of the above.

He is in decline but gives some veteran leadership. I am not worried about his defense but he is slowing down(or hiding a groin pull). He can score 20 goals and help Kadri.$5M plus? No. There just wont be that many takers on Lupul, he is of more value to our young team than others. He won't be traded in all likelihood but he can play better and just may in the playoffs when we need him most.

 

[Faltorvo]

I'm starting to now understand why he has been traded away 4 times already in his career.


I can see why other teams would "take a shot at him".

he has the skills and tools but there is something wrong with his toolbox.

he reminds me of Brian McCabe , at first you wonder how stupid these other gms must be to have traded him away so many times, then after a couple of seasons you see the light.

 

[BonMorrison]

He is not only the worst forward at defense on the team, he is one of the worst I've seen in the league among players who get as much ice time as him.

That said, he still is valuable to this team and his scoring and leadership is incredibly important. I would only explore a trade route if he continues his questionable play into next season.

 

[Faltorvo]

He is not only the worst forward at defense on the team, he is one of the worst I've seen in the league among players who get as much ice time as him.

That said, he still is valuable to this team and his scoring and leadership is incredibly important. I would only explore a trade route if he continues his questionable play into next season.

I'm starting to question his so called "leadership" qualities.

I was taught to trust and respect ones actions over their words.

his actions and effort level, leaves me very wanting.

 

[seanlinden]

None of the above.

Lupul's strengths / weaknesses are well established.

Do we need to trade him? absolutely not. We need to improve our team at all costs. If we can do so by trading Lupul, he's gone.

 

[Al14]

He is a magician at times on the shootout. He can score some timely goals too. I would only trade him if it brings a significant upgrade, age and skill wise.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

He's awful defensively, put him with Kadri and we have defensive liabilities. Maybe move him for a 2 way winger.

 

[I Believe]

He's playing at a 54 point pace and many people are considering this an off year for him, so his value is definitely there.

The way I see it, we don't have a replacement for him right now. If we trade him, we have to look for another 2nd line winger. No real point I guess.

 

[MakeTheIronSing]

I view Lupul as the ideal piece to trade for Jake Muzzin at the draft.

Make it so.

 

[Delicious Dangles*]

Good luck finding somebody better for 5.25.

You trade him, and you open up a huge hole and destroy our secondary offense. Then you're just looking for somebody like him, and you end up paying more for less, plus potentially assets.

His defensive deficiencies are greatly exaggerated. Hell, people said he was our best player last year and wanted him as captain.

He's skating with a somewhat struggling sophomore and a rotating carousal of players on his wing, and still producing like a top-end 2nd liner.

 

[Baarle*]

He is a valuable second line player, he will provide secondary scoring and can get really hot for stretches at a time. He has shown chemistry with multiple leaf teammates as well. I have no interest in trading him, even for a dman. We have multiple defence prospects who can hope to fill the void on defence, but no offensive forward prospects that could fill the hole left by Lupul.

 

[Purity*]

I'm starting to now understand why he has been traded away 4 times already in his career.


I can see why other teams would "take a shot at him".

he has the skills and tools but there is something wrong with his toolbox.

he reminds me of Brian McCabe , at first you wonder how stupid these other gms must be to have traded him away so many times, then after a couple of seasons you see the light.

Did you just become a Leafs fan this year?

Lupul was amazing the last 2 years, producing at a point per game pace for the most part. There is NOTHING wrong with his "toolbox" ...

He is simply having a down year, it happens to even the best of players, IE : Ovie's 60 point season, Getzlaf's 57 point season etc...

When Joffrey is playing with intensity, he's one of our best players. His contract is a bargain when he's playing to his full potential.

I view Lupul as the ideal piece to trade for Jake Muzzin at the draft.

Make it so.

Muzzin is literally everything we DON'T need in a defensemen. Why would we acquire him?

 

[The Beyonder]

I don't understand this whole "defensive liability" as pertains to Lupul. The guy is not a Jay McClemment, but he's far from a defensively liability. I think this thing is blown out of proportion. Obviously my choice is (c).

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I don't understand this whole "defensive liability" as pertains to Lupul. The guy is not a Jay McClemment, but he's far from a defensively liability. I think this thing is blown out of proportion. Obviously my choice is (c).

He may be the worst defensive forward in our top 9. A top 9 that includes Phil Kessel.

 

[ConnorTO]

i voted B cause i thought it was a A to D rating A being the best

so i think he is a B ! average

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

On a team structured differently, he'd be a good asset, but when we already have Kessel and Kadri in our top six - both of whom are clearly more valuable moving forward - he seems like the odd one out. We just have too many guys who need to be insulated by better defensive players, both up front and on the back end.

 

[Igy]

I would only trade him if we could get an improvement on D back.

 

[MakeTheIronSing]

Did you just become a Leafs fan this year?

Muzzin is literally everything we DON'T need in a defensemen. Why would we acquire him?

Explain to me why this is, knowing that the acquisition would occur when the season is over?

Franson RFA, Gardiner RFA, Ranger UFA, Rielly 20 years old by the end of next season.

Seems to me like Muzzin is everything we don't have on this team to be perfectly honest. A dependable mid 20s puck moving D that costs 1 million dollars.