News Article: Five ways Toronto Maple Leafs have changed their culture this off-season

[HoweHullOrr]

Signing these 3rd and 4th line players to create competition is great. The next thing that needs to happen is Carlyle needs to actually play those lines. I think the players we have on those lines now will be an upgrade and he shouldn't have any issue putting them out there to take the load off the top 2 lines, hopefully keeping them fresh.

This is so true. Our 4th line the past years has been pretty much an AHL line consisting of bruisers who can't play more than 3-4 mins a night. You can't play an 82 game schedule with basically 3 lines..there's no wonder we have collapses when our top lines are gassed by the 60 game mark. Having a 4th line that can actually play like 10-14 mins a night will give some much needed rest to our top lines.

Instead of making Kessel play 25-30 mins a night he can draw back a bit and play 20-23 mins a night. That's a difference of 3-5 mins a game..multiply that by 82 you're saving Kessel and the top line 328 mins of ice-time over the course of the season.

I've been saying for years that if 4th line players can't play in the playoffs, or get meaningful 3rd period minutes in a tight regular season game, then its obvious coaches don't have the confidence in the 4th line players, and you don't have an effective 4th line. Even Burke figured it out for awhile when he got all teared up during a presser about having to demote Orr.

 

[TheThrill81*]

Starts with shipping Phaneuf out. Everything else is just an excuse to deflect the real problem.

That's exactly it.

 

[Cor]

I have been saying that having a 4th line playing 10-12 mins instead of 3, with actual hockey players, will have more of an impact than some people realize.

Shocked McClement isn't a part of it, considering it doesn't seem he priced himself out, and Carlyle loved the guy

 

[Mess]

I have been saying that having a 4th line playing 10-12 mins instead of 3, with actual hockey players, will have more of an impact than some people realize.

Shocked McClement isn't a part of it, considering it doesn't seem he priced himself out, and Carlyle loved the guy

There were reports that McClement wanted to leave and didn't want to return to TO.. Both him and Bolland upon leaving commented on something being wrong in the Leafs locker-room but never gave any specifics.

Perhaps that is why we saw 1/2 the forwards replaced to address this, and change the culture on and off the ice.

 

[yubbers]

*cough*

 

[TheThrill81*]

There were reports that McClement wanted to leave and didn't want to return to TO.. Both him and Bolland upon leaving commented on something being wrong in the Leafs locker-room but never gave any specifics.

Perhaps that is why we saw 1/2 the forwards replaced to address this, and change the culture on and off the ice.

I'm guessing their comments had to do with them being told they weren't good enough to warrant another contract. And in Bolland's case, a ridiculous overpayment. Good riddance.

 

[realgoodleafs]

The Leafs have been "changing the culture" year after disappointing year for some time now...

Yeah it must be easy for all the journalists in Toronto. Just take the article you wrote last year and update the names and date.

Every off season it's another 3rd/4th liner, lower executive, or janitor that is going to change the entire make up of the team.

 

[Pholus]

Why does every article say Nylander is 5'9" but Ehlers is 5'11"? It's the other way around. Nylander is almost 6'0", Ehlers is not even close to Nylander's height but he's taller than him? Makes no sense. The article also failed to mention we drafted Nikolai Kulemin in that draft also, so technically it was Kulemin, not Tlusty, who was the last European we drafted in the first two rounds.

Because his size is one of the only things the media can hold against him, so saying that he's average height won't really help their case.

 

[RD616]

Instead of making Kessel play 25-30 mins a night he can draw back a bit and play 20-23 mins a night. That's a difference of 3-5 mins a game..multiply that by 82 you're saving Kessel and the top line 328 mins of ice-time over the course of the season.

2013-2014 Average TOI/G

21:03 James van Riemsdyk
20:56 Tyler Bozak
20:39 Phil Kessel

 

[Johny Drama]

Because his size is one of the only things the media can hold against him, so saying that he's average height won't really help their case.

Who cares how tall he is. These kids are 17/18...and still have time to grow.
By time he is mid 20's, probably be at least 6 feet and close to 200 lbs.