Line Combos: If Marleau plays in the top nine, which forward from 16/17 Leafs is pushed down?

[Morgs]

It is what Rutherford thinks not the fans. The Leafs signed Martin for three years and I don't seeing him being moved before then. They also protected him in the expansion draft.

The Pens also won the Cup lead by seasoned vets. The Leafs are led by a bunch of kids.

Four years actually, what a ****ing mess.

Who gives a **** about vets/grit. You win games by scoring goals and not letting goals in. Martin succeeds at neither playing against 4th line ****heads.

 

[Marshy]

Marleau - Matthews - Marner

Kapanen - Kadri - Nylander

JVR - Bozak - Hyman

Komarov - Moore - Brown

Martin


Never happen but would be quite balanced

 

[ToneDog]

Four years actually, what a ****ing mess.

Who gives a **** about vets/grit. You win games by scoring goals and not letting goals in. Martin succeeds at neither playing against 4th line ****heads.

Leafs management feels that the kids need protection. If you think other teams are going to let the Leafs' kids freewheel and score at will, you got another thing coming.

The Oilers have Lucic and Maroon for the same reason.

 

[Willy Stylez]

JVR-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Bozak-Marner
Kapanen/Leivo-Kadri-Brown
Komarov-Moore-Hyman

 

[Morgs]

Leafs management feels that the kids need protection. If you think other teams are going to let the Leafs' kids freewheel and score at will, you got another thing coming.

The Oilers have Lucic and Maroon for the same reason.

Yeah, but Lucic / Maroon can actually play hockey and will be on the ice when McDavid is. Always remember that Marc Savard's career ended with Lucic on the ice, so really prevention based on goons is impossible.

Where do you think Martin will be if one of our guys gets blasted? ... oh yeah the bench.

 

[kb]

Leafs management feels that the kids need protection. If you think other teams are going to let the Leafs' kids freewheel and score at will, you got another thing coming.

The Oilers have Lucic and Maroon for the same reason.

And Kassian

 

[Trapper]

Four years actually, what a ****ing mess.

Who gives a **** about vets/grit. You win games by scoring goals and not letting goals in. Martin succeeds at neither playing against 4th line ****heads.

Babcock must think there is a use for him as he played him every game and the playoffs.
And in the end, since Babcock is the man who makes those decisions, he always gets his way.

 

[Morgs]

Babcock must think there is a use for him as he played him every game and the playoffs.
And in the end, since Babcock is the man who makes those decisions, he always gets his way.

Yeah, I know Babcock always get his way, I just don't think he needs to be praised for everything he does.

He's the best tactical coach in the league, but I do think his roster decisions lack fundamental knowledge at times.

 

[kb]

Yeah, but Lucic / Maroon can actually play hockey and will be on the ice when McDavid is. Always remember that Marc Savard's career ended with Lucic on the ice, so really prevention based on goons is impossible.

Where do you think Martin will be if one of our guys gets blasted? ... oh yeah the bench.

And what would be the deterrent to stop the opposition from doing it repeatedly, and then laughing about it? Remember a couple of years ago when teams took repeated runs at the Leafs, and then laughed the Leafs off the ice on the bench and on the scoresheet?

Short memories. The kids love him and feel safer - they say so often. There is value in that. I suspect anyone who disagrees has only played video game hockey, or hasn't played at any competitive level.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Yeah, I know Babcock always get his way, I just don't think he needs to be praised for everything he does.

He's the best tactical coach in the league, but I do think his roster decisions lack fundamental knowledge at times.

Fundamental knowledge? Really? That's a rather absurd statement.

 

[ToneDog]

Yeah, but Lucic / Maroon can actually play hockey and will be on the ice when McDavid is. Always remember that Marc Savard's career ended with Lucic on the ice.

Where do you think Martin will be if one of our guys gets blasted? ... oh yeah the bench.

Whether Lucic/Maroon can play is debatable. There is never a guarantee that some nutbar trying to make a name for himself doesn't take a run at one of the kids but you can bet without Martin the number of attempts will be higher. I only recall Dotchin going knee on knee on Matthews and Sestito elbowing Andy last year as the major cheap sots. I think Kadri gave more cheap shots than the opposition gave the Leafs.

Let's wait and see what the lineup looks like in October to find out who Leaf management agrees with.

 

[ToneDog]

And Kassian

Yup but he can play

 

[Nithoniniel]

Short memories. The kids love him and feel safer - they say so often. There is value in that. I suspect anyone who disagrees has only played video game hockey, or hasn't played at any competitive level.

This I agree with. I've said before that the deterrent factor doesn't really work, but that doesn't mean that it won't provide something. Make the kids feel safer perhaps. Make them feel less like victims if something did happen for certain.

There is never a guarantee that some nutbar trying to make a name for himself doesn't take a run at one of the kids but you can bet without Martin the number of attempts will be higher.

This theory has no support historically though. If you compare teams with a deterrent like Martin against teams without one, there's no significant difference at all.

 

[Morgs]

Fundamental knowledge? Really? That's a rather absurd statement.

I used it to sound smart, but really it was the wrong thing to say .

I meant it more along the lines of "stubborn", "plays favourites over better players", etc.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I used it to sound smart, but really it was the wrong thing to say .

I meant it more along the lines of "stubborn", "plays favourites over better players", etc.

He is definitely stubborn, that's for sure.

 

[Morgs]

And what would be the deterrent to stop the opposition from doing it repeatedly, and then laughing about it? Remember a couple of years ago when teams took repeated runs at the Leafs, and then laughed the Leafs off the ice on the bench and on the scoresheet?

Short memories. The kids love him and feel safer - they say so often. There is value in that. I suspect anyone who disagrees has only played video game hockey, or hasn't played at any competitive level.

That's perfectly fine, but let's not kid ourselves and pretend that an AHL goon wouldn't be able to do the same thing Matt Martin did last season.

I think he should sit on the bench 40~ games a year because there is rarely ever a time that his "protection" is needed.

 

[Morgs]

Whether Lucic/Maroon can play is debatable. There is never a guarantee that some nutbar trying to make a name for himself doesn't take a run at one of the kids but you can bet without Martin the number of attempts will be higher. I only recall Dotchin going knee on knee on Matthews and Sestito elbowing Andy last year as the major cheap sots. I think Kadri gave more cheap shots than the opposition gave the Leafs.

Let's wait and see what the lineup looks like in October to find out who Leaf management agrees with.

They're going to agree with you obviously? That's not the issue.

I'm saying that he's not worth having and there is literally nothing you could say that would convince me differently.

 

[ToneDog]

They're going to agree with you obviously? That's not the issue.

I'm saying that he's not worth having and there is literally nothing you could say that would convince me differently.

Then you are as stubborn as Babs

 

[Battle Lin]

its only between hyman and komarov

 

[Canada4Gold]

I was thinking last night, with 11 players who deserve to be in the top 9, it would be kinda cool to shift Nylander to center and run a legit 4th line as well. Something like

Marleau - Matthews - Marner
Leivo - Nylander - Kapanen
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
JVR - Bozak - Hyman

Those are 4 lines that could all be legit top 6 lines and they wouldn't be all that bad. Too bad we're paying Martin, and I have to think Moore will be in the lineup too given we need the PKer and faceoffs, especially given Martin will also be playing so you can play them together. But man whoever gets that 3rd spot on that 4th line is screwed.

 

[hotpaws]

Martin can play and is well suited in his 4th line role , if our lineup was grittier/tougher he'd be redundant but since it isn't he fills a void .

 

[Menzinger]

Unless a trade happens (and I think there's a decent chance one will bforemthe s son opens) the only possible place is to replace Human.

Marleau didn't sign that kind of contract to play alongside Kari and Brown, it was to play alongside a star player. And since Babcock isn't going to bump JVR down to the 4th line, and likely doesn't want to disrupt his Kadri-Leo-Brown shutdown line it leaves Hyman.

And quite frankly, Hyman in the 4th line is a role much better suited to his skillset. I think with that kind of usage we'd see an improvement in his play.

 

[Menzinger]

Leafs management feels that the kids need protection. If you think other teams are going to let the Leafs' kids freewheel and score at will, you got another thing coming.

The Oilers have Lucic and Maroon for the same reason.

Martin plays essentially all of his icetime against the opposition's 4th line.

I can see why Babcock likes him in the dressing but he's not protecting anyone on the ice.

 

[zeke]

I was thinking last night, with 11 players who deserve to be in the top 9, it would be kinda cool to shift Nylander to center and run a legit 4th line as well. Something like

Marleau - Matthews - Marner
Leivo - Nylander - Kapanen
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
JVR - Bozak - Hyman

Those are 4 lines that could all be legit top 6 lines and they wouldn't be all that bad. Too bad we're paying Martin, and I have to think Moore will be in the lineup too given we need the PKer and faceoffs, especially given Martin will also be playing so you can play them together. But man whoever gets that 3rd spot on that 4th line is screwed.

cool idea, but that I'd rather Matthews and Nylander and Marner get more icetime, not less.

 

[Mr Hockey]

As long as he "keeps" the 4th line at 8-10 minutes a game, I'm happy. I want our top 9 getting lots of TOI.