Prospect Info: Ben Harpur

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He is going to make the team. We lost all of our toughness with Kadri gone. There are times in tough games when teams are gunning our goalie when you need Harpur to bust someone up. He knows what he needs to do. Just keep things simple- play PK ... clear the net, use his extra large reach advantage, eat pucks on boards, block shots and ice puck. on his few ES shifts help Dermott get puck out of our end. and when someone runs Freddy then bust him up bad. Put a bad hurt on a few people and it will get around league quick.
Thats what I said in the playoffs last year.
 

ZippityDooDa

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Dec 22, 2018
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I remember how successful the team was with Rosehill and Orr logging regular minutes. Do you?

Maybe not goons but we need to fill in the roster with a bit of grit. Agostino and Harpur would be ideal. Marchment would be great but that's not happening yet.

Guys who can play, hit and stand up for our younglings when opposing teams start taking liberties will be needed and hopefully Dubas understands this.
 

BodaciousBeefBazooka

Go Leafs Go
Apr 4, 2013
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The Leafs lost to Boston due to 55% PK. No other reason.
How we prevent PK? Eliminate mentally and physically weak hockey players who are lazy, cant forecheck and have poor self discipline so they hook a guy because they are flat footed to try to make up for it (for example of course)
 

Fogelhund

Registered User
Sep 15, 2007
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How we prevent PK? Eliminate mentally and physically weak hockey players who are lazy, cant forecheck and have poor self discipline so they hook a guy because they are flat footed to try to make up for it (for example of course)

Last year in the NHL there were 31 teams. We were 30th of 31 teams, in terms of how often we were short-handed.

We were the least penalized team, per game in the playoffs.

In avoidance of taking penalties, we are amongst the best in the league. 56.3% PK overall and 28.6% at Home, is the problem... not how many penalties we took.
 

BodaciousBeefBazooka

Go Leafs Go
Apr 4, 2013
3,717
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Toronto
Last year in the NHL there were 31 teams. We were 30th of 31 teams, in terms of how often we were short-handed.

We were the least penalized team, per game in the playoffs.

In avoidance of taking penalties, we are amongst the best in the league. 56.3% PK overall and 28.6% at Home, is the problem... not how many penalties we took.
Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do research and rubuttle my comment. All the best.
 

Blueboy

Registered User
Apr 15, 2019
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I do think we should add toughness, where we can is a different story, with Dermott and Hyman out to start, I would be open to the following roster.

Moore - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Kapanen
Marchment - Spezza - Agostino

Muzzin - Barrie
Rielly - Ceci
Harpur - Liljegren
Marincin - Schmaltz

Liljegren back to Marlies once Dermott is back (unless he’s too good to send back)
 

JT AM da real deal

Registered User
Oct 4, 2018
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I don't know a thing about Ben Harpur (hats off to him though) but physicality ain't getting him in this lineup. Every single physical player except Hyman has been shipped out. I don't necessarily disagree with his approach but clearly physicality isn't what management and/or the coaching staff is looking for.
Babs is no fool he knows you can't let attackers go after your goalie. It is why Chara is the great equalizer. He does not have to do much but attackers are scared to have to deal with his wrath. 6ft6 230 is 6ft6 every day all day. and it helps guys like Marner and Matty play bigger when guys like Wilson tell them he is gonna take them on a canoe ride.
 

ShaneFalco

Registered User
Jul 15, 2012
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London, On
This roster adding a Rosehill and Orr would be dynamite

We score on them and then we crunch them
1557310702.1267_UgysAp_n.jpg
 

Fogelhund

Registered User
Sep 15, 2007
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Babs is no fool he knows you can't let attackers go after your goalie. It is why Chara is the great equalizer. He does not have to do much but attackers are scared to have to deal with his wrath. 6ft6 230 is 6ft6 every day all day. and it helps guys like Marner and Matty play bigger when guys like Wilson tell them he is gonna take them on a canoe ride.


Even scarier when the dude is 6'9" 250 lbs. ;)

But let's be clear, Chara has been an excellent defender most of his career. He's not just a big plug, who is there to intimidate. You'd take a big guy, who can play the game well, any day of the week. But not plug names like are being thrown around here.
 
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jaric1862

Registered User
Jan 14, 2014
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Honestly I think Harpur should be on the team, in a very limited/sheltered third pairing role (14-15 mins a night-ish). He’s a big guy who can play the enforcer role for the team, and can be a go to guy on the PK. He also adds a bit of grit and size to the lineup, elements that the leafs lack. Yeah he’s not great at moving the puck but he’ll most likely be paired with a good puck mover (Dermott) and it’s not like he’s going to make a huge impact on the game playing against lesser competition in a very sheltered role.
 
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kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
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Even scarier when the dude is 6'9" 250 lbs. ;)

But let's be clear, Chara has been an excellent defender most of his career. He's not just a big plug, who is there to intimidate. You'd take a big guy, who can play the game well, any day of the week. But not plug names like are being thrown around here.
We have to remember that big guys tend to take longer to put it all together. Chara didn't really become Chara until his age 26 season. He was plug-like before breaking out.
 

Boutette

Been there done that
Sep 28, 2017
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Babs is no fool he knows you can't let attackers go after your goalie. It is why Chara is the great equalizer. He does not have to do much but attackers are scared to have to deal with his wrath. 6ft6 230 is 6ft6 every day all day. and it helps guys like Marner and Matty play bigger when guys like Wilson tell them he is gonna take them on a canoe ride.

Chara isn't the equalizer he used to be. Enough of the time players on the leafs just skate around him. When he can be taken down by a player the size of Moore, you have to question how effective he is anymore.
 
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Boutette

Been there done that
Sep 28, 2017
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Now now, don't cherry pick, the Orr and Rosehill days had one player on that team that would be in our top 6 today.

Not even in one in our top 12. Why? Because as we all remember, those who are still even in the league were wisely traded away for good reason.
 

X66

114-110
Aug 18, 2008
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The Leafs lost to Boston due to 55% PK. No other reason.

Leafs PK the 3 years since they've made them

64% lol just putrid.

You can argue that if they had normal PKing they'd win all of those series.

Good job putting no centers out there and playing Hainsey and Zaitsev.
 
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JT AM da real deal

Registered User
Oct 4, 2018
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Chara isn't the equalizer he used to be. Enough of the time players on the leafs just skate around him. When he can be taken down by a player the size of Moore, you have to question how effective he is anymore.
But he is what 50 now? I was talking about his prime.
 

ZippityDooDa

Registered User
Dec 22, 2018
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But he is what 50 now? I was talking about his prime.

Chara was around 30 when he got to Boston. He was far from plug-like on Ottawa posting regular 40+ pt seasons and +/- of over +20 often. Sens just made a big mistake hitching their wagon to the younger Redden and as soon as Chara was traded, Reddens game started to decline while Chara continued to chug along.

Chara didn't find his game until he was in his mid 20s. There's hope for Harpur still but Chara is a rare example.
 

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