Line Combos: Leafs roster [Before] & [After] and work in progress

[mydnyte]

Marner needs to come off the PK. He plays way too many minutes.

I'd like to see Nylander on the PK, he has great takeaway skills, and speed to be a threat or cover guys in stride

 

[VanW27]

yea, but in some other series, most of the Col or TB games, they were calling lots of penalties.
...but, some of the calls in the Toronto vs Mtl series were insane ...break a stick over someones back is okay, but, a hook that doesnt even take the player out of stride gets called ...on the same shift

There's always some variability but I thought overall the reffing standard for the playoffs was pretty much mid 90s slog fest. Finals/Semis a lot more penalties started to be called but not because the standard changed, but because teams just kept pushing the limits further and further with the hooking and holding.

 

[mydnyte]

Funny how people can watch the same thing and yet see different things. I thought he started slow got on a bit of a heater, got hurt and was kinda useless after that and at times I wondered why he was even in the nhl as his passing, grit and hockey iq seemed non existent. I thought he and Thornton were gonna bring some physical play to the playoffs and I didn't see anything from either one of them. And I was happy when they signed him originally, now not so much.

i agree with most of your assessment, but, i think Simmonds was underused in the playoffs, and Thornton overused.
Simmonds at least went to the net and tried to create. ...and if it was x-bar and in, rather than x-bar and out, the series was over.

 

[zeke]

We would like to reduce Marner's minutes and improve. In a relatively mediocre division...this was our PK...

View attachment 460858

The PK was great, as long as Fred wasn't in net.

Team Total: 5.67xga/60 (#5), 7.53ga/60 (#22)

With Jack: 4.08ga/60 (would rank #1)
With Hutch: 6.72ga/60 (would rank #12)
With Fred: 9.19ga/60 (would rank #30)

 

[mydnyte]

There's always some variability but I thought overall the reffing standard for the playoffs was pretty much mid 90s slog fest. Finals/Semis a lot more penalties started to be called but not because the standard changed, but because teams just kept pushing the limits further and further with the hooking and holding.

yea, some of the series were more like the old NJD trap clutch and grab than they had been the past few years ...and lots of non-calls on interference all over the ice
i.e. if a player doesnt have the puck, you cant hit him, impede his path or even touch him, and players were getting knocked around just trying to enter the zone, and more often before they got the puck
dump and chase became dump, and try to get around the obstruction.

 

[The Iceman]

Slim pickings there with Kase on IR most of the last year with 0:00 SH/TOI even in past year with Boston and Anaheim he didn't much PK time, Bunting with 26 NHL games under his belt with 0:00 SH TOI/g, Brooks not even on the team perhaps with 0.26 sec SH TOI/g , and Ritchie who had 0:00 SH TOI/g and Engvall 0:.33 secs SH TOI/g.

You really have Mikheyev and Kerfoot from holdovers and Kampf as new additions.

Of course Hyman was Leafs leader in SH TOI/g @ 1:58 so Kampf @ 2:19 basically replaces him on the PK.

I still go Marner on the PK. He is too good at it not to.
Lots of top players PK and we don't have PK forwards in abundance.
Marner, Kampf, Engvall, Soup, Kerfoot, Spezza, and I would say JT can help too

 

[mydnyte]

FWIW

Marner's 22:26 TOI/g was #1 among all NHL forwards in 2020-21 and his 21:33 placed him the top 5 in 2019-20 regular season.

Those were also in covid shortened years 70 and 56 game seasons.

You have to wonder how much is left in the tank for a long playoff run if you're running him into the ground in the regular season?

His 24:39 in the playoffs last year was #2 OA behind only Matthews @ 25:00 TP/g and their productivity decline tied to their unsustainable TOI/g is likely no coincidence.

to be fair, in the playoffs, 1/2 their shifts were skating around the O-zone while Hyman played footsie with the puck along the boards, then they would get tired of waiting for the never to come pass, and make a change.
Great things are going to happen without that albatross (Hyman) on the top line

 

[WTFMAN99]

We already got rid of the player that almost single-handedly tanked our PK: Andersen

The PK was great, as long as Fred wasn't in net.

Team Total: 5.67xga/60 (#5), 7.53ga/60 (#22)

With Jack: 4.08ga/60 (would rank #1)
With Hutch: 6.72ga/60 (would rank #12)
With Fred: 9.19ga/60 (would rank #30)

It's a bit of a projection though right? Sure Andersen is gone but so is Hyman and Bogosian. I think Bogosian doesn't get enough love for his PK work.

What if Campbell falters a bit?

Mrazek is hot and cold and I imagine some stats are inflated playing with a good defensive team like Carolina. From what I have seen with Mrazek, he has potential to absolutely steal games but if he is off? Oh man, GOOD LUCK winning that night.

Again, last season we were facing some fairly mediocre competition so it'll be interesting to see how it unfolds for the team when they're facing 32 other teams. Edmonton and I believe Winnipeg were fairly high up for PP but I just don't think you get a real sense of what your team is facing only a hand full of teams.

Maybe it's not as bad as it is ranked this past season but it's probably not #1 either. Maybe somewhere in the middle.

 

[ACC1224]

I'd like to see Nylander on the PK, he has great takeaway skills, and speed to be a threat or cover guys in stride

He's never really struck me as a PK type player but it could work I suppose. He may end up with too many minutes as a result though.

 

[zeke]

It's a bit of a projection though right? Sure Andersen is gone but so is Hyman and Bogosian. I think Bogosian doesn't get enough love for his PK work.

What if Campbell falters a bit?

Mrazek is hot and cold and I imagine some stats are inflated playing with a good defensive team like Carolina. From what I have seen with Mrazek, he has potential to absolutely steal games but if he is off? Oh man, GOOD LUCK winning that night.

Again, last season we were facing some fairly mediocre competition so it'll be interesting to see how it unfolds for the team when they're facing 32 other teams. Edmonton and I believe Winnipeg were fairly high up for PK but I just don't think you get a real sense of what your team is facing only a hand full of teams.

Maybe it's not as bad as it is ranked this past season but it's probably not #1 either. Maybe somewhere in the middle.

I mean if Campbell and mrazek suck then they suck. That's not on the Pk forwards tho.

As for Bogo be was a distant #4D on the PK.

Muzzin 2:33
Holl 2:31

Brodie 1:44
Bogo 1:25

Between Rielly and Dermott and Liljegren that should be covered just fine.


As for last year's competition - even if you argue it was a weak division despite little evidence - there's no way anyone can say it was a weak offensive division, having arguably the best forward and PP talent of any division

 

[WTFMAN99]

I mean if Campbell and mrazek suck then they suck. That's not on the Pk forwards tho.

As for Bogo be was a distant #4D on the PK.

Muzzin 2:33
Holl 2:31

Brodie 1:44
Bogo 1:25

Between Rielly and Dermott and Liljegren that should be covered just fine.


As for last year's competition - even if you argue it was a weak division despite little evidence - there's no way anyone can say it was a weak offensive division, having arguably the best forward and PP talent of any division

Not always true, you have to disrupt the opposing players, if you're allowing clear passes etc and quality scoring chances, a good goalie is still going to get torched.

Rielly was never really a good penalty killer. Liljegren...we don't even know if he's in the starting 6. Have to hope Dermott learned a bit from Bogosian.

I'm more skeptical than anything about the PP/PK of the Canadian division, they performed well but in a weak division. That's just my opinion though. I suspect the Leafs are going to be around 15-20 for PK this season but the season will unfold the way it unfolds.

 

[mydnyte]

He's never really struck me as a PK type player but it could work I suppose. He may end up with too many minutes as a result though.

Marchand doesnt either, but, he's great on the PK and always a threat

 

[ACC1224]

Marchand doesnt either, but, he's great on the PK and always a threat

True enough. I'm doubtful they'll try it. Has Nylander PK'd anywhere in the past?

 

[Dekes For Days]

It's a bit of a projection though right? Sure Andersen is gone but so is Hyman and Bogosian.

I could understand concerns around how going from Hyman-Bogosian to Kampf-Dermott? could impact the PK. Just pointing out that we're coming from the position of a very good PK, and the impact of removing Andersen would likely more than offset the losses of Hyman and Bogosian.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I could understand concerns around how going from Hyman-Bogosian to Kampf-Dermott? could impact the PK. Just pointing out that we're coming from the position of a very good PK, and the impact of removing Andersen would likely more than offset the losses of Hyman and Bogosian. Mrzaek has never had a PK season as bad as Andersen last year, and Carolina's defensive results are actually wildly exaggerated.

Andersen played over 50 games in 15-16 and Ducks had #1 ranked PK

Leafs last season 19-20 had 21st ranked PK

How much of this is Andersen vs the Leafs?

 

[ACC1224]

Andersen played over 50 games in 15-16 and Ducks had #1 ranked PK

Leafs last season 19-20 had 21st ranked PK

How much of this is Andersen vs the Leafs?

What do you think?

 

[WTFMAN99]

What do you think?

 

[ShaneFalco]

Kase sounds great but injury prone big time
Bunting is kind of an unknown
Ritchie should be fun to watch
Simmonds I'm not sold on but we'll see
Mik - I just don't think we can have Mik and Engvall on the same team
Kampf - should be a nice shut down C
Ho-Sang should come in to PTO hungry but who knows.....
Both of our goalies are injury prone

I don't see this as a finished product yet

 

[ShaneFalco]

 

[WTFMAN99]

Underrated movie lol.

 

[Magic Man]

I could understand concerns around how going from Hyman-Bogosian to Kampf-Dermott? could impact the PK. Just pointing out that we're coming from the position of a very good PK, and the impact of removing Andersen would likely more than offset the losses of Hyman and Bogosian.

Kampf was #1 in ice time among forwards for the Hawks last year too and he's an actual center for the top unit. So, they lost a first unit PK'er and replaced him with one from another team.

I imagine Liljegren will get the nod on the blueline. But, he might be in and out with Dermott. Making Rielly or Dermott the extra PK'er when he's out.

 

[egd27]

What is the problem exactly?

PKtoi/gm last year

Hyman 1:58 ---> Kampf 2:16
Marner 1:57
Mikheyev 1:35
Kerfoot 1:31
Spezza 0:48
Engvall 0:33

The issue is whether or not Marner should be on the PK as some believe he's playing too many minutes.

 

[zeke]

Andersen played over 50 games in 15-16 and Ducks had #1 ranked PK

Leafs last season 19-20 had 21st ranked PK

How much of this is Andersen vs the Leafs?

Andersen was good in 15-16 at age 26.

He was also good for Toronto at ages 27 and 28, when the Leafs had a top-10 PK both years.

Unfortunately, Fred is no longer good.

Note, of course, that in 2015-16, Fred had a mediocre 5.59 ga/60 on the PK, while both Gibson (3.39) and Khudobin (3.36) were elite for Anaheim on the PK that year.

 

[zeke]

The issue is whether or not Marner should be on the PK as some believe he's playing too many minutes.

the easiest way to reduce his minutes would be to either play the Tavares-Nylander line more at even strength, or flip Marner and Nylander on those two lines.

of course, I didn't see any signs that Marner was playing too many minutes.

 

[Sypher04]

We would like to reduce Marner's minutes and improve. In a relatively mediocre division...this was our PK...

View attachment 460858

Kampf being actually a penalty killing center filled a big need