Do we have our 1-2 punch down the middle?

[WTFMAN99]

After drafting Marner, and having Nylander already in the system, do we have our top end centres in place?

All the other forwards taken in this draft project to be wingers.

I think both Nylander and Marner have to play centre in the AHL and OHL respectively for a full season but otherwise, are we set?

Are we happy? Are we okay with both being 5'11?

I know some people would prefer some size down the middle, but we do have Gauthier in the system.

Both Nylander and Marner play bigger then they are and are not afraid to go in the corners, or to the net. They have high end skill and can find their linemates.

Thoughts?

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[Charizard]

Nah, I don't think it's likely both turn out to be centres.

I wouldn't be surprised if one is turned into a winger, maybe both.

In reality it'll probably be:

Nylander - Marner - ______

 

[Warden of the North]

I would say no. I think one of them goes to a winger. Ideally we draft Matthews next summer.

Matthews-Marner/Nylander
Marner/Nylander
Gauthier

 

[LeafingTheWay]

Marner will most likely be our franchise center. Nylander will be an elite winger, who I hope is developed as a winger and center to some extent.

Marner, Kadri and Gauthier probably round out our top-3 C spots.

 

[Stephen]

I see Nylander and Marner as a great duo on a first line, and maybe a Matthews style big center on another first line, with a third line anchored by a Gauthier or someone like that. I don't see Nylander and Marner being able to grind it out in a seven game series against Bjugstad, Barkov, Crouse, Ekblad, Gudbranson or something like that.

If the slow build happens we will be picking a lot of great young players in the next few years. We will most certainly need size and skill up front and on defense.

 

[The CyNick]

Probably not, but we dont have to have them in place yet either

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

I think it's more than likely that Marner will be the #1 center some day and Kadri will be the #2 center...Nylander will more than likely be a RW.

BUT,

Now with Babcock coming in he may have a different idea about Nylander...Train them both as centers and may the best man win...Worst case scenario is that one of them plays wing on the top line.

or how about this group of centers?

1. Marner

2. Nylander

3. Kadri

4.Gauthier

 

[WTFMAN99]

Appreciate the thoughts so far guys.

Believe Marner is set to be a centre for us after what Hunter said (definitely going back to Jr and playing centre for London).

Nylander is a complete wild card for me. I can see him being a winger, and I can see him playing in the AHL most of next year as a centre to develop.

I thought about Matthews too...


Nylander-Matthews-?
JVR-Marner-

Or

JVR-Marner-?
?-Nylander-?

 

[Morning Dart]

I think it's more than likely that Marner will be the #1 center some day and Kadri will be the #2 center...Nylander will more than likely be a RW.

BUT,

Now with Babcock coming in he may have a different idea about Nylander...Train them both as centers and may the best man win...Worst case scenario is that one of them plays wing on the top line.

or how about this group of centers?

1. Marner

2. Nylander

3. Kadri

4.Gauthier

100% this. Best case scenario they're both elite centres or one is pushed to the wing because we've got another elite centre.

 

[Shwaguy*]

Marner and Nylander will be Bab's next Datsyuk and Zetterberg (I hope)

 

[Mess]

What happened to Kadri ?

I would think if 1 of them became a regular NHL center Leafs would be happy with the other one riding shotgun on the wing.

They are currently both wingers and would need to be groomed and developed into centers and Nylander not being strong defensively is the least likely to play the middle in the NHL.

Marner will need to get bigger and stronger and become efficient in the face-off dot so that he can go against the best centers in the NHL head to head and in the face-off circle as a #1C.

 

[Jozay]

I would say no. I think one of them goes to a winger. Ideally we draft Matthews next summer.

Matthews-Marner/Nylander
Marner/Nylander
Gauthier

agreed.

Think Nylander will end up being the Winger.

Both might end up being wingers, so we may not be set down the middle at all.

Want Matthews (1C) or Chychrun (1D). Dont think we'll get either of them though.

 

[KGL]

I think Nylander likely ends up as a winger. I expect Marner to be a centre, however. Based on Hunter's comments and also Shanny's comments about knowing the London owner, I think they're going to see to it that he's playing centre in the OHL.

 

[WTFMAN99]

What happened to Kadri ?

I would think if 1 of them became a regular NHL center Leafs would be happy with the other one riding shotgun on the wing.

They are currently both wingers and would need to be groomed and developed into centers and Nylander not being strong defensively is the least likely to play the middle in the NHL.

Marner will need to get bigger and stronger and become efficient in the face-off dot so that he can go against the best centers in the NHL head to head and in the face-off circle as a #1C.

Kadri is a wild card, I want to see how he does with Babcock, and then go from there.

Marner is actually pretty good on faceoffs, and surprisingly enough Nylander was solid on his strong side in the face off circle.

This summer and next is going to be key for these guys.

I think Nylander likely ends up as a winger. I expect Marner to be a centre, however. Based on Hunter's comments and also Shanny's comments about knowing the London owner, I think they're going to see to it that he's playing centre in the OHL.

Think we've committed to developing Marner as a centre for sure, and whenever he's played centre he's done well, so no worries there.

 

[Stephen]

What happened to Kadri ?

I would think if 1 of them became a regular NHL center Leafs would be happy with the other one riding shotgun on the wing.

They are currently both wingers and would need to be groomed and developed into centers and Nylander not being strong defensively is the least likely to play the middle in the NHL.

Marner will need to get bigger and stronger and become efficient in the face-off dot so that he can go against the best centers in the NHL head to head and in the face-off circle as a #1C.

I think you can think of Kadri's role in this organization today as Mikhail Grabovski's back in 2009 when Kadri himself was picked. He's an NHLer now, skilled and moderately productive, but more of a placeholder until all the new prospects have grown up and are ready to take over. Rebuild fodder basically.

 

[mikebel111*]

I think it's more than likely that Marner will be the #1 center some day and Kadri will be the #2 center...Nylander will more than likely be a RW.

BUT,

Now with Babcock coming in he may have a different idea about Nylander...Train them both as centers and may the best man win...Worst case scenario is that one of them plays wing on the top line.

or how about this group of centers?

1. Marner

2. Nylander

3. Kadri

4.Gauthier

That is pretty good. Than Kadri and Gauthier can switch depending on situation.

The wingers could be any combination of

Brown
Johnson
Leipsic
JVR [I still want to keep JVR, as much as I think size is over rated, JVR has that]
Komarov [if he is still around]
plus our other potential wingers

We might need one high end winger if Marner and Nylander are C's though. That could come in trades involving Kessel or Phaneuf, or we can draft.

Defense
Rielly
Gardiner
Travis
Loov
Percy
Nilsson
Finn
the Russian kid we have almost signed

I think we need potentially one more centre or winger, depending on what Marner and William develop into

than one more high end d man

I like where its going

 

[mikebel111*]

Kadri is a wild card, I want to see how he does with Babcock, and then go from there.

Marner is actually pretty good on faceoffs, and surprisingly enough Nylander was solid on his strong side in the face off circle.

This summer and next is going to be key for these guys.



Think we've committed to developing Marner as a centre for sure, and whenever he's played centre he's done well, so no worries there.

Well considering Babcock has already mentioned Kadri as one of the players moving forward, he might do well

 

[Mess]

I think you can think of Kadri's role in this organization today as Mikhail Grabovski's back in 2009 when Kadri himself was picked. He's an NHLer now, skilled and moderately productive, but more of a placeholder until all the new prospects have grown up and are ready to take over. Rebuild fodder basically.

At present he is the closest thing to a top 6 center the team has as Bozak is essentially a 3rd liner on a good team and trade fodder.

Its not easy being a #1C in the NHL and even players like Kessel and JVR etc that were drafted and played as centers in their draft years despite their skill level are not NHL centers.

Centers have among the greatest tasks in defensive zone coverage and assignments and have to be able to cover the opposition center in your own zone and help out the defense down low battling in front of your own net defensively and of course unless you can beat Bergeron, Thornton, Staal, Getzlaf , Toews, Kopitar and Malkin regularly in the face-off dot you can't play center in the NHL either as a #1. You have to have strength to lift and control sticks of opposing centers that are much bigger and stronger than you.

Marner or Nylander faced with that assignment I don't like the odds and believe both might end up on the wing in the NHL playing the role of a Patty Kane not Johnny Toews or a Marian Gaborik and not Kopitar on Cup winning teams.

 

[Tak7]

I would say NO.

I see both of them as wingers at their ceiling - neither of them really has the build to be that prototypical leading center, but to be outstanding wingers.

 

[thewave]

Nylander is a natural C.

I have no idea why or how people here think that Nylander is a winger. It makes absolutely no sense to me and baffles the mind. The guy is a C and has been a C for years and only was played on the Marlies wing because of his size and age.

Marner as it stands with his size is a likely winger. We all hope he fills out nicely at around 185-190 and then C looks like an option. Hard sell if he peaks at 175 unless he is Giroux good.

 

[hfdshdh]

Possibly. Not that they'll ever necessarily be worthy of the comparison, but Datsyuk and Zetterberg weren't big guys either. Or, going back further, Yzerman, Sakic, Dougie, etc.

If they both reach the absolute ceiling of what they're capable of, then yeah, that'd be a helluva 1-2 punch that could be part of a contending team. Add a Matthews, Puljujärvi, Brown, etc. to that next summer and we're starting to look pretty good up front.

 

[Trapper]

Nylander is a natural C.

I have no idea why or how people here think that Nylander is a winger. It makes absolutely no sense to me and baffles the mind. The guy is a C and has been a C for years and only was played on the Marlies wing because of his size and age.

Marner as it stands with his size is a likely winger. We all hope he fills out nicely at around 185-190 and then C looks like an option. Hard sell if he peaks at 175 unless he is Giroux good.

They are both natural centers. Marner says as much when he states he considers himself a center.
That being said, it would be nice to find that 6'2 center (doesn't need to be Crosby but a Bergeron type) and then you have the luxury of running one or the other as wing at various times. Injuries happen, slumps happen, it's nice to have players that can play C/RW or LW.
Many times Babcock used Z on Datsyuk's wing and then back at center. Sometimes he even used Johan Franzen at center (because he is also a C/W)

 

[Drew311]

What happened to Kadri ?

I would think if 1 of them became a regular NHL center Leafs would be happy with the other one riding shotgun on the wing.

They are currently both wingers and would need to be groomed and developed into centers and Nylander not being strong defensively is the least likely to play the middle in the NHL.

Marner will need to get bigger and stronger and become efficient in the face-off dot so that he can go against the best centers in the NHL head to head and in the face-off circle as a #1C.

Kadri is wildcard at this point. He's either going to flourish or crumble under the guidance of Babcock/Shanny. We'll see what Kadri is made of this coming season, that's for sure.

 

[Menzinger]

I think between Marner, Nylander, and Kadri the leafs will have a solid top six centre group, depending on how some develop. All three will become/already are great possession players

 

[LV*]

I would say no. I think one of them goes to a winger. Ideally we draft Matthews next summer.

Matthews-Marner/Nylander
Marner/Nylander
Gauthier

Ideally we take Chychrun with our first pick + 1/2 other 1sts from Kessel or Phaneuf trades