The thing with a team is that you can have different players with different skills that work together. I value the way JVR can boost the powerplay and especially be an asset in close to the net. You'll miss that positional asset and the 30 goals that go with it when you don't have it. And, it's worth adding players around him to complement what he offers and protect from his liabilities. A team with 12 forwards who are 15 goal, 30 point 200-foot specialists may be Babcock's dream but the time will come when you need goal scoring and you discover you can't win without it. That JVR tip-in or roof-job from the blue paint will look pretty good when it's the difference in the game. I think JVR may yet decide that his role in Toronto will extend his career more than getting more money elsewhere. On this team, I think he could see his annual numbers even rise a bit over the next few years if he continues to be used in this role.
Leafs have more tip attempts and more goals scored from tips than any other team in the league. Ask any goalie if they would prefer to see a shooter clean with no tip or have the puck tipped in front of him and I can guarantee you 100 out of 100 goalies will say they would rather see the shooter clean with no tip attempt.
JVR's skillset is greatly under appreciated and as you say his one way game with elite tip abilities will look pretty good when we are flush with average shooters from 30 ft away.
Grass is greener I guess, we dump a 13 min a night, 30 goal guy, team player, who plays only in specific situations and suddenly we are an 82-0 team? Awesome. If JVR leaves next year , is there any point in having a season, I mean that should pretty much lock up our first cup since '67 right?
I'm only on the move on from JVR boat because he will take cap space away from younger players and that unnamed savior(s) on D that are going to be due for a pay bump, if we had no cap limitations I would be on the keep JVR boat.
