Liminality
Registered User
- Oct 22, 2008
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Johnsson left wing, Kapanen is not 100% better than Brown yet.Johnsson, Kapanen?
Johnsson left wing, Kapanen is not 100% better than Brown yet.Johnsson, Kapanen?
Johnsson left wing, Kapanen is not 100% better than Brown yet.
Lol. Kapanen was on pace for more goals than Brown last year saddled to partial fourth line minutes while Brown player regularly with Kadri, Marleau and Matthews while playing PP time with Matthews, Nylander, Marleau all year long.
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Johnsson-xxx-Kapanen
Martin-xxx-Brown
There’s no reason he should be a “lock” for this team, especially in the top 9. He should have to work to make this team and likely be the fourth line winger but if someone out plays him I wouldn’t be against press box duty. Unfortunately Babcock has an unhealthy opinion of him and that won’t be the case and he’ll start the year on the Kadri line
Lol. Kapanen was on pace for more goals than Brown last year saddled to partial fourth line minutes while Brown player regularly with Kadri, Marleau and Matthews while playing PP time with Matthews, Nylander, Marleau all year long.
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Johnsson-xxx-Kapanen
Martin-xxx-Brown
There’s no reason he should be a “lock” for this team, especially in the top 9. He should have to work to make this team and likely be the fourth line winger but if someone out plays him I wouldn’t be against press box duty. Unfortunately Babcock has an unhealthy opinion of him and that won’t be the case and he’ll start the year on the Kadri line
Kap was on pace for 15 goals, Brown had 14 so not a really big difference. Brown also had like 17 ES goals the season before that.Kapanen was on pace for more goals than Brown this year and was stuck with semi regular playing time on the fourth line and no PP time. Brown often played with Kadri, Marleau and occasionally Auston Matthews all year long and was stapled to a PP that featured Matthews, Nylander and Marleau
Agreed but I doubt the Leafs sign a #2C. That is Kadri's spot in my mind.That's really the only way I see Brown getting minutes needed, if Dubas doesn't add a 3rd C, which I don't see happening. I think right now, especially while 16/34 are on ELCs next season, the goal is to load up as much as possible. So, unless Dubas fails on that front, I see the top 9 shaking out something like this:
Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Johnsson - (Center) - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Maybe he takes Kapanen's spot on Kadri's wing, but that line had very little success last season, so I don't see Babs going back to it this season.
I also don't think it's people seeing them in a different tier, more in the same tier and likely cheaper combined than Brown costs on his own.
Fair enough, I don't see AJ/Kap as higher in that same tier than Brown. Haven't really done anything to prove they are better than Brown at this point. Everything is just projections from AHL stats or the fact AJ had an amazing Calder cup performance. Until I see AJ or Kap put up 20 goals I won't classify them as better than Brown.I don't think people are saying AJ and Kappy are in a different tier than Brown. They're saying (At least from what I've seen) that they're all in the same tier, but AJ/Kappy are higher in that tier). You have to look at the context of the situation for AJ/Kappy vs Brown too. Connor Brown got to play NA hockey his whole life. AJ came from Sweden to AHL in 2016/2017 (Brown's 1st year in the NHL), where he had to adapt to North American hockey. Kappy came when he was 18. He put up a 0.94 PPG in the AHL at the same age (20 and 21 year old seasons) Brown put up 0.82 PPG. Kapanen is 2 years younger, so he's on the exact same track as Brown to the NHL.
The biggest reason why I have AJ/Kappy higher than Brown in the future (SAME tier though), is that AJ/Kappy drive their own lines and create their own chances (you can literally see the fifty thousand breakaways Kappy gets). That's not a shot at Brown, Brown can play with anyone and do well while AJ/Kappy probably can't.
Fair enough, I don't see AJ/Kap as higher in that same tier than Brown. Haven't really done anything to prove they are better than Brown at this point. Everything is just projections from AHL stats or the fact AJ had an amazing Calder cup performance. Until I see AJ or Kap put up 20 goals I won't classify them as better than Brown.
I'm certainly not saying AJ or Kap will be worse than Brown in the future, I just don't think they are better players yet and it is guaranteed they will be better in the future.
Up until this point Brown has been used purely as a shut down winger which he isn't. When watching him on the Bozak line this year he always took up defensive positioning, covering the pinch etc. If he isn't relied on to carry 100% of the defensive load I expect we will see better offensive production from him and see him driving his line more. Also gotta give Gards a lot of credit for Kap's many many breakaways haha.
That could very well be true. I'm not commenting on who will be a better player in the future. I'm largely commenting on the fact that AJ/Kap are not better players than Brown right now and that I don't think both of them will play significantly more ice time than Brown like I've seen in many proposed lineups.And like Grabner, until Kapanen actually has linemates similar to what the Rangers had with Grabner, IE a Hayes and a Miller analog set, you aren't going to see his real potential. We've seen Brown's potential, a steady 20+/20+ player.
Definitely, I'm willing to trade him if the price is right but I don't think people should be downplaying his talents. I see him as you described and he's a glue player to play on any line as a fill in.Brown is the definition of the modern 3rd line winger.
Fast, hard checking, good defensively, can score 30-40, and is just a mobile effective player. He can play 2nd line due to injuries and we should be able to get him on a long term reasonable contract. He reminds me a TON of Helm from Detroit albeit different positions. I agree with the poster above, I hold onto him as long as I can, but hes right on that line of good but not too good that he could be included in a deal for a stud.
Brown started on the 4th line aswell last year with Moore/Fehr/martin, and started the season in the first 17 games by putting up 11 points in that span which pushed him up the lineup even tho he only averaged 10:45 of ES minutes(10th among forwards) while Kapanen averaged 10:08 so basically 1 shift less. Kapanen also averaged 1:05 PP time vs Brown's 1:42. only 1 of those 11 points came on the PP. so when given similar ice time Brown still out pointed Kapanen in 17 games while Kapanen only managed 9 points in 38. and the Majority of games Kapanen played Martin/Fehr/Moore were not in the lineup he actually had better linemates in the 4th line role then Brown had.
Brown played the most minutes with Bozak and JVR, being the forechecking and defensive presence on that line. Averaged 1:10 minutes on the PP so not as often as you thought.
Everything you have said about Brown is the same position Kapanen is in but Brown has proven more. Kapanen should have to work to make this team but I'm not going to blindly blame the coach if someone makes it higher up the lineup than someone else.
Not sure why everyone is underrating Brown again all of a sudden.
Brown started on the 4th line aswell last year with Moore/Fehr/martin, and started the season in the first 17 games by putting up 11 points in that span which pushed him up the lineup even tho he only averaged 10:45 of ES minutes(10th among forwards) while Kapanen averaged 10:08 so basically 1 shift less. Kapanen also averaged 1:05 PP time vs Brown's 1:42. only 1 of those 11 points came on the PP. so when given similar ice time Brown still out pointed Kapanen in 17 games while Kapanen only managed 9 points in 38. and the Majority of games Kapanen played Martin/Fehr/Moore were not in the lineup he actually had better linemates in the 4th line role then Brown had.
Kap was on pace for 15 goals, Brown had 14 so not a really big difference. Brown also had like 17 ES goals the season before that.
Ya Brown did not play with Kadri or Matthews much this year at all. He played mainly on the 4th line and then on the 3rd line with Bozak after Marner moved up to play with Kadri. He also hardly played any PP time this year. Not sure what your talking about.
Ya played a large portion of the season with Martin, Moore etc on the 4th line then got moved to the Bozak line to carry the defensive load and lower the goals/shots against.My bad, he played on Bozak and JVRs line that was offensive zone start heavy and he played on the Matthews PP unit pretty much all year, not sure what you’re talking about.