Line Combos: Leafs Lines Going Into Next Season (2018-2019)

[SnizzNasty88]

well if you say so. I think we'll go with Rielly and Carlson as our 2 PP defensemen and continue with two 4-1 units

well if you say so. I think we'll go with Rielly and Carlson as our 2 PP defensemen and continue with two 4-1 units

Yeah I think so too, signing John Carlson would be absolutely huge and I’d love to have him here, but WSH will do everything they can to retain him. Hope WSH gets eliminated in the 2nd round again so he finally decides to pack up and leave a losing situation every year in the playoffs.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Yeah I think so too, signing John Carlson would be absolutely huge and I’d love to have him here, but WSH will do everything they can to retain him. Hope WSH gets eliminated in the 2nd round again so he finally decides to pack up and leave a losing situation every year in the playoffs.

yeah i hope so too. he's awesome. Leafs are currently better than Washington and we're on the upswing and they're on the downswing so hopefully he wants to play for us

 

[SnizzNasty88]

yeah i hope so too. he's awesome. Leafs are currently better than Washington and we're on the upswing and they're on the downswing so hopefully he wants to play for us

One of my favourite defensemen, also huge cause he’s a RHD and something we desperately need. I think he’d fit perfectly here. Hopefully he sees us as a team he wants to play for and a team he can win a championship with. I’d easily give him 7/$49M, he’s definitely worth that. My pipe dream this summer is for us to acquire OEL somehow as he’s been my favourite defenseman in the league for about 5 years now. To think we were one pick too late on Pietrangelo and OEL is sickening, imagine that as a top pairing

 

[Tak7]

Does anyone else feel like Marleau may be playing himself out of a roster spot? 10 points in 20 plus games in 2018 and starting to look older by the shift.

He hasn't been great.

But he's one of those "Bab's boys" that is virtually untouchable.

I didn't like the signing. 60ish games into his first season, and it's pretty "meh" for me

 

[dominicmoore19]

Depending who is back I'd expect to see Johnsson and Grundstrom slotting in. Korshkov could be NHL ready as well. Tavares is also a realistic signing, despite what some people say. Potentially a shot at Carlson but for this post I'll speculate we chose Tavares, as it would be one or the other.

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Grundstrom/Johnsson-Tavares-Kapanen
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Johnsson/Grundstrom-Aaltonen-Brown

Rielly-Dermott/Hainsey
Gardiner-Hainsey/Dermott
Borgman-Zaitsev

Andersen
Mac or Sparks

Without Tavares:

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Grundstrom-Nylander-Kapanen
Johnsson-Kadri-Marleau
Korshkov-Aaltonen-Brown

Rielly-Dermott/Hainsey
Gardiner-Hainsey/Dermott
Borgman-Zaitsev
Carrick

Andersen
Mac or Sparks

 

[Rick gillies]

Here is best line up without trades or resigning USA
Hyman/Mathews/kappy
Marleau/Kadri/Marner
Johnson/Nylander/brown
Leivo/Aaltonen/Grunstrom
Trevor Moore

Rielly/Holl
Gardner/Zaitsev
Dermott/Hainsey
Carrick

Anderson/sparks

 

[PuckMagi]

Marleau - Matthews - Marner
Johnsson - Nylander - Kapanen
Leivo - Kadri - Brown
Martin - Lindholm - Hyman

Rielly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Holl

Andersen
McElhinney

---------------------

Not a bad looking lineup. I haven't done the math, but I think this roster would be like $20+ million under the cap. We could be adding guys like Tavares, Joe Thornton, or Kovalchuk, etc. and still have lots of extra cap space.

 

[kindalaidback]

none of this excites me. i want the leafs to sign a legit superstar, but we're probably not getting one, so what am i supposed to do?

first two lines like last season and then fill the third and fourth lines like you wish.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

Until the backend develops in 3-4 years of drafting/developing this will be a round 1 or round 2 exit team.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Hypothetically, if we can sign Tavares:

Trade William Nylander for Dougie Hamilton (maybe add a small piece to Willy? i.e. a 3rd?)

Sign Patrick Maroon/Michael Grabner 2 years x 2.5 million

HYMAN - - MATTHEWS - - MARNER
MARLEAU - TAVARES - - KAPANEN
_______ - - - - KADRI - - - - BROWN
GRUNDSTROM - GOAT - JOHNSSON

RIELLY - - HAMILTON
GARDINER - HAINSEY
DERMOTT - - ZAITSEV

ANDERSON
MCELHINNY

I would love to keep Willy, but with the addition of JT, we could afford to trade him for a top pairing d-man

 

[The Iceman]

Those poster who actually think Tavares will sign with leafs are the same poster who thought Stamkos is coming to Toronto. Stop with that please

Stamkos gave it a HARD thought before returning. All the management thought they could get him or they wouldn't have gone through all the effort they did. I bet that got to a 40-60 and Leafs lost at the end. If you don't ever ask the pretty girl to dance you will never dance with the pretty girl....Yeah, showing my age with that analogy.

 

[tmlfan98]

Marleau-Tavares-Nylander
Grundstrom-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Aaltonen-Kapanen
*Lindholm*

Rielly-Myers
Dermott-Tanev
Hainsey-Holl
*Rosen-Ozhiganov*

Andersen
Sparks

-Gardiner for Myers
-25th overall, Korshkov and Zaitsev for Tanev

 

[shortfuze]

Don't see Tavares coming here..would love it but his cap hit would cripple us in the future and NYI are actually a pretty young talented team that needs to find a goalie. I also don't see Washginton letting John Carlson go in free agency. Think a realistic lineup -

2018-2019 Roster

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
Johnsson - Aaltonen - Kapanen
Grundstrom - Goat - Brown

Reilly - Hainsey
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Holl/etc


2019-2020 hopeful Roster (babcock loves speed)

Kapanen - Matthews - Marner
Johnsson - Nylander - Simmonds/Silfverberg
Grundstrom - Kadri - Brown
Hyman - Altonen - Korshkov

Dermott - Doughty
??? - Reilly
McQuaid - Timmy


I think it would be essential to get a Top 6 forward like simmonds who plays with speed and also grit which i feel we lack in our top 6. JVR is currently built like an PWF but plays very soft. Also wouldn't mind Silfverberg on Nylander line as he has ton of playoff experience as well.

I hope they wouldn’t do your next years line up. 5 rookies in the bottom six would be a bad idea.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I think swapping Kadri and Matthews would be a good call, @Daisy Jane brought it up in another thread. Matthews covers more ground defensively than Kadri does but is worse in 1on1 shutdown assignments, I think that fits better with an all-purpose offensive matchup line (takes on Towes, Scheifele instead of Kane, Laine). Kadri would do better with north-south grinding wingers IMO, plus it would give the defense some easier minutes to play with two good zone exit options in Hyman and Kapanen. Nylander gets his own line that can mop up 3rd line competition but still not be exposed in mismatched shifts against the opponent's top units.

Marleau-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Kadri-Kapanen
Johnsson-Nylander-Brown
Some combination of Leivo, Grundstrom, Aaltonen, Goat, Greening, or UFAs.

Trade Gardiner for Braun + 1st or a prospect/roster player management likes. If not that, trade Gardiner for futures and move some of those for Myers or a similar RHD.

Rielly-Braun/Myers
Dermott-Zaitsev
Hainsey-Holl

 

[IPS]

I think swapping Kadri and Matthews would be a good call, @Daisy Jane brought it up in another thread. Matthews covers more ground defensively than Kadri does but is worse in 1on1 shutdown assignments, I think that fits better with an all-purpose offensive matchup line (takes on Towes, Scheifele instead of Kane, Laine). Kadri would do better with north-south grinding wingers IMO, plus it would give the defense some easier minutes to play with two good zone exit options in Hyman and Kapanen. Nylander gets his own line that can mop up 3rd line competition but still not be exposed in mismatched shifts against the opponent's top units.

Marleau-Matthews-Marner
Hyman-Kadri-Kapanen
Johnsson-Nylander-Brown
Some combination of Leivo, Grundstrom, Aaltonen, Goat, Greening, or UFAs.

Trade Gardiner for Braun + 1st or a prospect/roster player management likes. If not that, trade Gardiner for futures and move some of those for Myers or a similar RHD.

Rielly-Braun/Myers
Dermott-Zaitsev
Hainsey-Holl

That would be an awesome trade but I really don't know if San Jose does that.

 

[Martin Skoula]

That would be an awesome trade but I really don't know if San Jose does that.

From what I've seen the value on both Braun and Myers is about a late 1st, I think Gardiner can bring back somewhere just under a Hamonic package in overall value (but more along the lines of 25th + 28th + 75th instead of 15th + 1st 2019 + 45th).

 

[Thissiteisgarbage]

Seeing how Babcock has had every opportunity to play Leivo over the last two years and has pretty much avoided using him in all situations, I'm not sure why a lot of you have him pencilled in the line up?
I don't think Babcock changes much of anything to be honest. He just strikes me as a coach who is stuck in his ways at this point. We'll have another year of Hyman on the 1st line with our best forward and another year of Nylander on his wing, IMO, all with the same (wrong) rationale.

 

[tmlms13]

4th line center will be Par Lindholm. He won't sign here without being told he's going to play in the NHL, and he's all but signed with Maple Leafs.

 

[Leafsman]

All I can say is Matthews and Marner will hopefully be on a line.

I kind of like Nylander on with Marleau and Kadri - did wonders for Marner.

 

[DraftGuru]

Having Dubas come out and say that William Nylander is just scratching the surface in how good he will be and how well him and Matthews gel together makes me think that the plan will to keep him on Matthews wing.

 

[Jozay]

Having Dubas come out and say that William Nylander is just scratching the surface in how good he will be and how well him and Matthews gel together makes me think that the plan will to keep him on Matthews wing.

do you have a link to the interview where he said this? Interested to hear what else he said.

I completely agree with the assessment. Babcock doesnt even trust Nylander defensively as a winger, I just dont see Willy making a big enough improvement in one offseason for him to be trusted by Babcock as a center. Maybe in a couple years.

 

[Liminality]

He hasn't been great.

But he's one of those "Bab's boys" that is virtually untouchable.

I didn't like the signing. 60ish games into his first season, and it's pretty "meh" for me

Hasn't been great? He's done exactly what he was brought to do and then did more in the playoffs.
Also Bab's boys? Lou signed him.

 

[MR4]

4th line center will be Par Lindholm. He won't sign here without being told he's going to play in the NHL, and he's all but signed with Maple Leafs.

And this signing is different from the Aaltonen signing, that had him play a full year of AHL, how?

 

[tmlms13]

And this signing is different from the Aaltonen signing, that had him play a full year of AHL, how?

Leafs have about 8 Aaltonens. not so much Lindholms

 

[saltming]

Leafs have about 8 Aaltonens. not so much Lindholms

8?