Confirmed with Link: Aaltonen returns to KHL

[Kiwi]

I guess he wasn't interested in a depth role. I think he could definitely have taken that #4LW spot.

So did I

Losing him isn't a big deal but I'm surprised he didn't go to camp and try to give the NHL dream one more go

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Meh nothing lost he was never likely to make the NHL anyway go get Jay Begal and fill that 4th line center hole properly for once.

 

[Fogelhund]

we have lots of good wingers
just not a lot of good centers

Do we though? You move Nylander to C, and Marner stays with Kadri/Marleau.. who exactly is anywhere near the quality of Nylander? Which other guy steps up to be a 60 point Winger?

 

[Fogelhund]

Meh nothing lost he was never likely to make the NHL anyway go get Jay Begal and fill that 4th line center hole properly for once.

I doubt he's a Dubas guy at all.

Jay Beagle Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

Career possession is terrible, relative Corsi, Relative Fenwick, all bad......

The only saving grace, and potential qualifier on such numbers, is that his play starts, are very heavily biased towards DZone starts. I'm not sure how to discount such a bias to DZone starts, for possession metrics.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Meh, sucks for our centre depth but I don’t know if he was anything special

 

[TMLeafs17]

I don’t understand this move. He just spent a year here, showed good promise, and is throwing in the towel before training camp.

He had a pretty good shot at the 4th line either as a winger or the C.

 

[Fogelhund]

I don’t understand this move. He just spent a year here, showed good promise, and is throwing in the towel before training camp.

He had a pretty good shot at the 4th line either as a winger or the C.

More money, more ice time, bigger role in the KHL.... not the NHL, but probably better for his family and bank account.

 

[Menzinger]

I don’t understand this move. He just spent a year here, showed good promise, and is throwing in the towel before training camp.

He had a pretty good shot at the 4th line either as a winger or the C.

More money in the KHl.

 

[Kiwi]

Meh, sucks for our centre depth but I don’t know if he was anything special

I doubt he's a center at the NHL level Bert

He's not good enough offensively for 3C and he can't win draws or play a good enough defensive game to play 4C for Babcock imo

 

[Battle Lin]

watching the marlies run, he didnt look like a nhl 4C yet so this isnt a bad move, he was on a great line with 2 great ahl wingers...most nights gauthier was more noticeable to me, and goat even got called up this year before aaltonen...playing anther year on top line in ahl or khl is about the same, maybe he improves and is ready after that

 

[DarkKnight]

Lindholm is going to have to really disappoint to not win the 4C job.

We are obviously getting another center.

 

[Jozay]

kinda unfortunate, but not exactly going to break the team. Hopefully Lindholm or Gauthier can be a good 4C

Dont even think Gauthier will be brought back.

 

[FlyingLeafus]

Do we though? You move Nylander to C, and Marner stays with Kadri/Marleau.. who exactly is anywhere near the quality of Nylander? Which other guy steps up to be a 60 point Winger?

You don't have to keep Marner with Kadri. Marner is the sort of player who can play with anyone, and aside from a few games he and Matthews haven't been given a chance to show what they can do. Moving Nylander certainly changes the makeup of the lineup though and would require some tinkering.

 

[Fogelhund]

You don't have to keep Marner with Kadri. Marner is the sort of player who can play with anyone, and aside from a few games he and Matthews haven't been given a chance to show what they can do. Moving Nylander certainly changes the makeup of the lineup though and would require some tinkering.

Ok... so we move Marner up to Matthews, and then the Kadri line falls flat... so who is of Marner's quality, to play on the Kadri line then? Part of our strength is our depth. We are just moving where the holes are. We have a hole that needs to be filled, with someone currently not in the organization. It doesn't matter too much to me, which hole we have to fill... but it's either a C, or a very good winger.

 

[nuck]

I don’t understand this move. He just spent a year here, showed good promise, and is throwing in the towel before training camp.

He had a pretty good shot at the 4th line either as a winger or the C.

I am not sure the club was that high on him. He isn't a million dollar player in the K and if they saw any real promise they could have offered him enough minor league money to stay and push for a spot. It suggests they are looking for a better pure 4th line center option and they are sure that isn't him. I can't lie I don't agree with scrapping a guy without a single NHL game to show his stuff but contract spots are important to this team and that probably means a guy they like more will take his right away.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I'm not comparing them as players but this is just like when Komarov went back to the KHL after the 2013 season.

 

[FlyingLeafus]

Ok... so we move Marner up to Matthews, and then the Kadri line falls flat... so who is of Marner's quality, to play on the Kadri line then? Part of our strength is our depth. We are just moving where the holes are. We have a hole that needs to be filled, with someone currently not in the organization. It doesn't matter too much to me, which hole we have to fill... but it's either a C, or a very good winger.

A hole on the wing is easier to fill than a hole at centre. A hole on first line wing takes priority over second line wing. The lineup was always going to require some shifting around going into next season. Our strength in depth is at the wing, so shore up the centre position with Nylander (let's see if he can hack it) and hope our depth at wing is as good as we hope it is. Re-evaluate after first 10-15 games of the season and address issues if need be.

 

[Daisy Jane]

whatever. bye, Miro.

 

[LeafChief]

I wouldn't have hated that Grundstrom - Aaltonen - Johnsson trio coming to the big club as a line.

 

[saltming]

We now have to look for 2 Cs. I don't like our chances with Par or the Goat as our #4C.

I like Lindholm. I'm hoping he adjust quickly and make a the team out of camp

 

[ottomaddox]

we have lots of good wingers
just not a lot of good centers

Marleau Dakota Joshua Marner
Hyman Matthews Brown
Grunstrom Kadri Kapanen
Marchment Nylander Bracco
Johnsson

 

[PromisedLand]

Matthews
Kadri
Nylander
UFA (Plek?)

Marleau can sub in center if one of the center(s) are injured. I don't see whats the issue. Also, I expect GOAT would improve; he was pretty good with the Marlies in a bottom 6 role

 

[ottomaddox]

You keep parroting this, but it's not particularly insightful tbh. Every single team has what ifs.

Most people on this board have made poor arguments as to why Nylander should be a center. Here's your opportunity to present one.

 

[PromisedLand]

I think he is plan B. I just hope we do not get desperate enough to resign TyBo.

I would lose my marbles if any of jvr/bozak are back. (include Polak in it as well)

 

[FlyingLeafus]

Most people on this board have made poor arguments as to why Nylander should be a center. Here's your opportunity to present one.

WHAT IF it works out?