Recalled/Assigned: Sandin loaned to Sweden and Wins Best Defenseman Award

[Maple Leaf]

A player that has never held an nhl spot cannot possibly replace a top 4 nhl D. My goodness what planet are you living on?

The planet where Thomas Chabot replaced Erik Karlsson

 

[Isaac Nootin]

He won top defenseman because he lead all Dmen in scoring over the 6 game tournament.

If you watched him, he also had his lapses and defensive mistakes that lead directly to goals against.

If you watched him, you would know he was on the ice for exactly 1 goal against the entire tournament 5 on 5.

 

[biotk]

A player that has never held an nhl spot cannot possibly replace a top 4 nhl D. My goodness what planet are you living on?

1) Sandin has held an NHL spot.
2) Most NHL top-4 D came into the NHL as top-4 D and therefore replaced a top-4 NHL D. The less common thing is for a D to start out on the bottom pairing for a while and then progress beyond being a 4-6.

However, I am not in favour of bringing up Sandin at this point. I don't think that the damage Babcock wrought in the six game NHL stint has been undone at this point. Sandin will become a top-3 if the Leafs don't further screw up his development.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Risto has also averaged over 24 minutes a game throughout his career, gets the tough matchups, and continues to lead the Sabres in ice-time this year. Easily a first pairing D, even if many don't like him.

Romanov and Sandin are 19/20 and haven't been given a chance yet. And we can't really say anything about Gavrikov yet as he is a rookie (on a team with Jones, Werenski and Savard), but he has averaged over 21 minutes over the last 14 games (after 16 minutes a game for the first 31 games).

There is zero sense going back beyond the lockout as the game, especially for D, has changed a ton since then - and even Phaneuf was playing in the wrong era for his style.

Essentially what we have is 12 top pairing Ds, 1 who failed (Gormley) and 3 unknowns. So 12 out of 13.

Yet Sticky says: "There are a few who became top pairing defenceman, but a lot of them had short good careers in the NHL."

Of course Sticky also says: "Sandin has 7 points on the PP this season, and 5 at ES." which is completely wrong - Sandin recorded his 7th ES point this season on December 7th.

And posted this yesterday 9 minutes apart:

"Oh man, a rare mistake by Lilly. 3-3"
"Now Sandin with a mistake. This is becoming too common for him."

And believes there is an organizational conspiracy against Liljegren.

And went ballistic last fall at anyone who claimed Liljegren wasn't playing amazing - until months later Keefe and Dubas both specifically said that Liljegren had been playing poorly at that time.

There is an agenda being aggressively pushed by a small number of posters, who are not satisfied by simply admitting the improvements Liljegren has made this year, but who also have to make up negative claims about Sandin, and who claim that anyone who doesn't share their view doesn't watch the games, while making untrue claims themselves (like a week ago or so when one of them said that Liljegren was on the 1st PK last year with LoVerde, which is clearly not true and anyone who "watched the games" would know that).

I remember somebody going ballistic on the topic of Liljegren/Sandin, and it sure wasn’t Sticky.

 

[biotk]

I remember somebody going ballistic on the topic of Liljegren/Sandin, and it sure wasn’t Sticky.

I have been completely correct about Liljegren. I said that he was not getting NHL games until he dramatically improved his ES production. Funny how those who were adamant last spring that points were completely meaningless measure for AHL D have now changed their tune (or rather changed their tune again because the season before when Lilly was putting up high numbers for an 18 year old points were very meaningful).

 

[TheGoldenJet]

I have been completely correct about Liljegren. I said that he was not getting NHL games until he dramatically improved his ES production. Funny how those who were adamant last spring that points were completely meaningless measure for AHL D have now changed their tune (or rather changed their tune again because the season before when Lilly was putting up high numbers for an 18 year old points were very meaningful).

I was referring to your Liljegren crusade last year, after he failed to meet your expectations when returning from back to back high ankle sprains.

 

[biotk]

I was referring to your Liljegren crusade last year, after he failed to meet your expectations when returning from back to back high ankle sprains.

Yes, my crusade against lying about prospects when I was saying Liljegren was bad last fall, and the rest were saying he was great up until months later Dubas and Keefe also said that he was bad last fall...

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Liljegren should be in this lineup! Always was developing great and always set back by injuries.