CantLoseWithMatthews
Registered User
- Sep 28, 2015
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- 59,473
our defense is better now and going forward than most people realize. Our strength is easily our offense though, and it's not close
our defensive structure centers around quick transition more than anything else. measuring it by shots against is pointlessThe Maple Leafs are 30th in the league in shots against with only the NYI giving up more.
Leafs present Dcore is a direct result of that factor and if it wasn't for Andersen's outstanding play while facing the most shots the underlying results would be much worse than they are.. Freddy is masking the constant mistakes the Dcore that plays in front of him, making it appear better than it is.
Leafs are moving in the right direction but the defensive mistakes and blunders are still far too prevalent.
Not sure I follow ? Reilly hatched top 2. Dermott hatched top 4. Gardiner no longer an egg, top 4. Zaitsev hatched but contract smelly. Borgman hatched top 6. Lily incubating well, no cracks in the shell. Rasanen, well a potential black swan.
our defensive structure centers around quick transition more than anything else. measuring it by shots against is pointless
Lou Lam would love to go big game hunting to add that elite top 4 guy is possible. IMO
OEL will be the talk of the summer at the draft.
Gordeev has scouts buzzing this year as well.
James Greenway has many of us here talking about him in the rookie camp as well, though I can’t say I’ve watched him at all since.
There’s ‘potential’ for sure. However it’s more for a consistent flow of cheap third pairing guys.
If the Leafs can acquire a top pairing d-man, they still should.
More than Karlson, doughty or mcd?
Or be like the Flames, have a high priced, name defence and still might finish out of the playoffs.....Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton, Stone and Hamonic, that's over 24m.The Leafs best three defensemen at the moment are Reilly, Gardiner, Zaitsev, and we can put that in any order we want.
Borgman and Dermott have shown enough to make us believe that they will be top 4 material in the coming years.
In the meantime, unless the Leafs are willing to give up a lot, no other top 4 defenseman is coming to this team.
Look at the Islanders. Trade Hamonic (for a very steep price), get an injury, and they instantly become one of the worst defensive teams in the league, when they were a rather good defensive team the past few years. It can unravel quickly, as we should know as Leafs fans.
Doughty will retire a King, EK will be dealt now or at the draft and Leafs will not pay that asking price and of all the players on the list McD of NY might be a Leaf by this time next week perhaps.
OEL will want out of Arizona a perpetual rebuilding team and Leafs would be all over that possibility at the entry draft, but this years playoff results will factor heavily into how much they feel the need to improve the defense will be required to have more playoff success down the road.
Doughty will retire a King, EK will be dealt now or at the draft and Leafs will not pay that asking price and of all the players on the list McD of NY might be a Leaf by this time next week perhaps.
OEL will want out of Arizona a perpetual rebuilding team and Leafs would be all over that possibility at the entry draft, but this years playoff results will factor heavily into how much they feel the need to improve the defense will be required to have more playoff success down the road.
Personally believe we'll keep Gardiner next season and let him go in the offseason, next year is when we become true contenders so I'm fine with expending the potential Gardiner return on having a dman that plays like a #1 when he's on in the playoffs (unlike JVR never really having truly dominant games and isn't relied upon at all in a non top contending year). Also gives enough time to get Dermott to a non-rookie level, and gives us 4 top 4 dmen + Hainsey (could play like 1st half or 2nd half Hainsey, but def good enough for bottom pair). Then the season after, it becomes this IMONext year its IMO:
Rielly- ???
Dermott-Hainsey
Borgman-Zaitsev
I think Babs gets frustrated and has had enough of Gards, at the very least he won't be retained once his contract is up which is two years away rather. Babcock loves reliability and Gards is way to unpredictable for him. Plus, our right side is way to weak to get rid of Zaitsev.
This board is so low on Zaitsev - it is insane. You really think his contract sucks after what he showed in his initial rookie year? Zaitsev will be in our top 4 to stay - also he still hasnt peaked
FACT:
Overrated: dermott, lijegren and our other prospects
Underrated: zaitsev, reilly, gardiner
So you don't like 18 year old Stud D Liljegren eh....Check back in 3 years.
Could be Gardiner. Chayka loves his analytic darlings.Lil might not be a Leaf in 3 years and perhaps even less than that as he would likely be included in any trade that brought in a big name Dman in trade.