Keefes comments regarding Benoit after the game.....

[thusk]

Lilly is what he is. Low hockey IQ, can’t stop the cycle, can’t clear front of net and can’t handle strong forwards
On the forecheck.
I don’t think he will be a leaf after this year. I think He will be traded at the draft.

and people considerating his lack of hockey IQ for a lack of confidence but its not a lack of confidence.

 

[crump]

It’s called depth. We can have the conversation again when the playoffs start. There will be injuries, we’ll be happy for the depth. Having said that, why not play Benoit in basically his home town. Bad look. We visit again on April the 6th so they can right a wrong.

 

[Burkeocet]

It isn't though, this team won't have a genuine opportunity to compete until JT's contract comes off the books, 35 year old Tanev isn't changing that.

Maybe not individually but picking up a legit, defensively responsible RD would have been a major upgrade for this group. Reilly has needed a solid partner for years and bringing in Joel Edmomdson or Ilya Lybushkin is not going to fix that. All they’ve done is create a logjam on the bottom pair of guys who probably don’t deserve to be in the lineup. Lagesson was a fine 7D and they lost him to give up picks for Joel edmondson ffs..

The worst part is once that contract comes off the books, they’ll make the same mistakes all over again and sign Marner to some 13m contract and we will be right where we were this whole time. Don’t forget Nylander’s extension will kick in too. This team is doomed without major changes. Thanks Dubas

 

[DarkKnight]

Edmondson can play RD as well

He said in his first team presser he has no issues whatsoever playing his off side, he’s done it through his career.

 

[TimeZone]

Maybe not individually but picking up a legit, defensively responsible RD would have been a major upgrade for this group. Reilly has needed a solid partner for years and bringing in Joel Edmomdson or Ilya Lybushkin is not going to fix that. All they’ve done is create a logjam on the bottom pair of guys who probably don’t deserve to be in the lineup. Lagesson was a fine 7D and they lost him to give up picks for Joel edmondson ffs..

The worst part is once that contract comes off the books, they’ll make the same mistakes all over again and sign Marner to some 13m contract and we will be right where we were this whole time. Don’t forget Nylander’s extension will kick in too. This team is doomed without major changes. Thanks Dubas

We need a long term solution on RD, Tanev isn't that guy either.

We aren't good enough to beat Boston or Florida in a 7 game series, I would have preferred they sold to be perfectly honest with you.

 

[Burkeocet]

We need a long term solution on RD, Tanev isn't that guy either.

We aren't good enough to beat Boston or Florida in a 7 game series, I would have preferred they sold to be perfectly honest with you.

A solution is a solution, short term or long term. Either way, it needs fixed and Tanev would have been a good stopgap for that position of need, even if as a rental.

I agree with you on the Florida or Boston thing and I know we will see the same playoff collapse but they need to at least try to do something different. As long as Shanahan is upstairs though, we won’t see this team make too many waves and that’s by design. They’re too scared to piss people off so they maintain the status quo and that’s it. A new coach won’t fix this either.

The future of this team was decided when Dubas and Shanahan refused to strongarm Marner and Matthews into longer term or less money. Tavares was the icing on the cake and the handling of Nylander shows they’ll just keep making the same mistakes over and over and pray for a fluke. We all know what’s next when Marner and his daddy stiff the team again for the most money they can get. It’s a shame management doesn’t have the guts to make a business decision. Nylander should have been moved in the off-season.

It’s insane they double down every single year on the same losing recipe. Heads need to roll badly and I say this every year. I don’t watch them much anymore because the core is just so unlikable to me

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

lily is bad defensively and soft and was i think a minus 7 in the playoffs last year....

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

whens tavares contract done? gio and brodie after this year? i hope the new ceo fires shanahan immediately.

 

[TimeZone]

A solution is a solution, short term or long term. Either way, it needs fixed and Tanev would have been a good stopgap for that position of need, even if as a rental.

I agree with you on the Florida or Boston thing and I know we will see the same playoff collapse but they need to at least try to do something different. As long as Shanahan is upstairs though, we won’t see this team make too many waves and that’s by design. They’re too scared to piss people off so they maintain the status quo and that’s it. A new coach won’t fix this either.

The future of this team was decided when Dubas and Shanahan refused to strongarm Marner and Matthews into longer term or less money. Tavares was the icing on the cake and the handling of Nylander shows they’ll just keep making the same mistakes over and over and pray for a fluke. We all know what’s next when Marner and his daddy stiff the team again for the most money they can get. It’s a shame management doesn’t have the guts to make a business decision. Nylander should have been moved in the off-season.

It’s insane they double down every single year on the same losing recipe. Heads need to roll badly and I say this every year. I don’t watch them much anymore because the core is just so unlikable to me

No, he wouldn't have. He's a good player at the end of his career and we have more holes to fill to compete for a cup than a middle aged RD. Would we be a better team with Tanev? Absolutely. Would he put us over the edge and make us a better team than Boston or Florida? Absolutely not.

I'm glad we didn't move our first round pick for another short term solution, realistically that would likely be the asking price from Calgary as we have no seconds.

I agree with everything else but realistically speaking this team is in purgatory until the anchor(Tavares) and his 11 mil come off the books, personally I don't want to see them moving anymore picks/prospects unless its for a long term solution at RD.

 

[5mokey]

Benoit should be a staple on this blue line. Reilly and Brodie make the most bone headed plays with the puck in our own end.
If I was in charge they would be both gone.

 

[TMLife17]

Benoit should be a staple on this blue line. Reilly and Brodie make the most bone headed plays with the puck in our own end.
If I was in charge they would be both gone.

How exactly would you get rid of Rielly?

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

He looked solid when Rielly was out. He was moving the puck well and making excellent transition passes.

 

[Torontonian]

He looked solid when Rielly was out. He was moving the puck well and making excellent transition passes.

Consistency has been his biggest issue, one week he looks like he's putting it all together to be a top 4 dman, another week he looks like he can't defend or handle a forecheck.

I don't care they sat Benoit or I don't care if they sit whomever, the coach is trying to experiment with what works best.

Toronto is at a crossroads with Lilly, I think its either he's able to crack the teams playoff roster or he will be traded in the off season..

 

[DarkKnight]

Benoit is a good soldier; we gave him a solid chance this season. Not to mention before the game, Keefe specified why it is important to get Lily going.

It helps when we have all cylinders firing, rather now versus than in playoffs in my opinion.

Did we give him a solid chance or did he take the puck and run with it? Seems he stole a spot really based on play.

and people considerating his lack of hockey IQ for a lack of confidence but its not a lack of confidence.

On the Fan last week, one of the guys said he was around the Marlies beat at the time and it was common knowledge that Lil's "hockey IQ" concerns were the main reason he wasn't with the big club. Maybe it explains why he wasn't get much respect at the time, even in trades apparently wasn't wanted, because there was this concern of a fatal flaw. I do think as well though, his confidence does wane, but maybe it's just a result of not playing week based on his hockey IQ.

When the team are on their toes, he's excellent. When the other team is pressing us, he just falls apart, you see the IQ escaping him and he's literally the worst "puck mover" back there, he throws it anywhere relying on luck to find a teammate, rather than the subtle composure plays you have to have in these moments. All the other stuff is irrelevant, particularly in the playoffs.

 

[NJG]

I hope Benoit plays a lot. What confuses me is the entire league wants a young RHD. We have one, and keep treating him like crap. Play the kid. Especially in the playoffs. This team isn't going anywhere this post season. Watch him, if you don't like the production trade him this summer. Then continue to look for a young RHD. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

I agree that I hope Benoit starts to play again and that everyone wants a young RHD. The problem with Liljegren however is that he's very one dimensional and not even that great in that dimension. He's supposed to be a puck moving, skating the puck out, more offensive kind of guy, but he doesn't even really do that all that well. He has more negatives in his game then positives. We need defensive minded d-man especially young ones.

We already have Rielly for that and in about a year or two will have Niemela to take his spot. So I say trade him now before his stock drops even more he was a former first round pick, so maybe you could get a first back for him, I mean Sandin got us a first so I don't see why Liljegren can't get us the same type of return.

 

[NJG]

Lilly is what he is. Low hockey IQ, can’t stop the cycle, can’t clear front of net and can’t handle strong forwards
On the forecheck.
I don’t think he will be a leaf after this year. I think He will be traded at the draft.

This sums it up perfectly. He has more negatives to his game than positives. I hope he's gone at the deadline and we get a Sandin-type return for him. We have Timmins who's pretty much the same age, bigger, can play more physically and can provide more offence when he plays.

 

[thusk]

Did we give him a solid chance or did he take the puck and run with it? Seems he stole a spot really based on play.

On the Fan last week, one of the guys said he was around the Marlies beat at the time and it was common knowledge that Lil's "hockey IQ" concerns were the main reason he wasn't with the big club. Maybe it explains why he wasn't get much respect at the time, even in trades apparently wasn't wanted, because there was this concern of a fatal flaw. I do think as well though, his confidence does wane, but maybe it's just a result of not playing week based on his hockey IQ.

When the team are on their toes, he's excellent. When the other team is pressing us, he just falls apart, you see the IQ escaping him and he's literally the worst "puck mover" back there, he throws it anywhere relying on luck to find a teammate, rather than the subtle composure plays you have to have in these moments. All the other stuff is irrelevant, particularly in the playoffs.

sure if im able to see this from my couch, keefe is able to see the same thing, Dubas/treliving was abke to see the same thing and every scout in NHL are able to see it too. in term of pure skill, hes great but at the end the most important thing in hockey is hocley IQ. You can develop your skill with the puck, you can develop your skatin but its pretty hard to develop your understanding of the game. so thats why he basically at the same level than when he started in NHL.

i making a comparaison with Justin Holl whos for me dont have the skill but with a pretty hockey IQ. so he always in good position but unable to finish it. But because he had an understanding of the game, he was able to develop his game to become a NHLer even if he dont have half of liljegren skill