IDK what your talking about. Lupul and Kadri didn't play great last year because 1: they had no 3rd line mate that was even semi good. 2: Lupul was injured and missed time.
Are you forgetting how money they were in the shortened season?
Confirmed with Link: Kontiola signs 1 year deal with Leaf @ ($1.1 mil AAV) - #Embrace the Petri !
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IDK what your talking about. Lupul and Kadri didn't play great last year because 1: they had no 3rd line mate that was even semi good. 2: Lupul was injured and missed time.
Are you forgetting how money they were in the shortened season?
ChickenMcNugget
Registered User
but lupul is far better than komarov, he was an awesome player in the shortened season
ULF_55
Moderator
Only so many center positions.
Kontiola is a smart center with great passing ability and playmaking skills. C
Santorelli is a speedy forward with good vision and playmaking ability. C/R
Santorelli is identified as a center or right wing.
Kontiola is a smart center with great passing ability and playmaking skills. C
Santorelli is a speedy forward with good vision and playmaking ability. C/R
Santorelli is identified as a center or right wing.
TLeafsFan
A True BeLeafer
Actually, Lups and Kadri have pretty crazy chemistry together, when Lupul was 1. allowed to play LW and 2. Clarkson wasn't on the right side.
Raymond hurt the second line by being placed on LW by Carlyle because is isn't comfortable on the right wing and Lupul is a RH shots who prefers and is more effective on LW.
The most effective 2nd line last season was actually Lupul-Kadri-Kulemin. Carlyle was too blind to see it though.
ULF_55
Moderator
Clarkson will rebound and have a good season this year.
Kadri like to hold the puck, and that's ideal with Clarkson as you don't want Clarkson carrying the puck. Kadri like to slow it down again ideal for someone like Clarkson.
Leafs have too much tied up in Clarkson and he will get every opportunity to prove worthy of his contract. Nonis is going to have more input into the on ice use of players ... his job depends on being right.
Komarov played with him, probably only reason he's signed. Auditioning for an NHL career, and Leaf Lunch reported that he had to 'payoff' KHL $600,000 to get out of his contract to sign with Leafs. So he's only taking home $700,000 and ya know he'll bring it all for the opportunity. Should be another player that'll play with the heart of Komarov, and hopefully help the other lackluster players elevate their compete level. Good signing with little to no downside.
TLeafsFan
A True BeLeafer
Frattin is back too and they connected well.
Pre-season + first 10 should determine how the line gets set, but I would certainly love to see Calrkson get his Jersey mojo back.
If not, playing with Kontiola and Komarov should be a pretty serious third line.
crump
~ ~ (ړײ) ~ ~
Lupul getting no love.
He was electric with Bozak and Kessel. Far more so than JVR. I think he should be back up there. Have JVR with Kadri and santorelli.
He was electric with Bozak and Kessel. Far more so than JVR. I think he should be back up there. Have JVR with Kadri and santorelli.
Dominant player on the big ice, not physical enough to do the same in NHL. Jori Lehterä, who is a similar player and also signed to the NHL but got a much better deal, got that deal because he is less likely to fall flat physically. Potential to be a top6 player but good enough defensively to play bottom6.
Lupul getting no love.
He was electric with Bozak and Kessel. Far more so than JVR. I think he should be back up there. Have JVR with Kadri and santorelli.
If Santorelli is in our top 6 we have big problems.
diceman934
Help is on the way.
To funny...the better more skilled player will fail and the less skill player will succeed.
Are you forgetting that his play in the AHL was not that of a timid player...he will be more than fine on the small ice as his on ice vision is very good as is his general hockey IQ.
Not necessarily. If he can put up 40-50ish points while being solid defensively there is nothing wrong with him being the 6th best forward in our top 6.
Mess
Global Moderator
Except that he is likely to play center on the 3rd or 4th lines with Kontiola playing the other as Leafs look to replace Bolland and McClement.
Santorelli is also likely to the be the starting C on the PK#1 as his 51.3% last season is better than any current Leaf in the face-off dot that they have on the roster.
So I don't see him playing wing or in the top 6 very often other than a fill-in if required as I see Santorelli becomes Carlyle's new Jay McClement used strategically as he used him in the past.
I wouldn't be surprised if they had him taking faceoffs for the second line, then shifting to wing once the puck is dropped.
Mess
Global Moderator
If he were to be placed on the 2nd line that is exactly what I would expect one of the main reason why he is there.
Kadri at 45.2 % faceoff % is the weakest on the team with even Holland 46.7 higher.
Who knows Kontiola or Santorelli might even push Kadri out of the top 6 and on to the #3 center spot if the newcomers show a much better strength in the face-off dot.
Winning faceoffs is all about gaining puck possession and possession is something Leafs are looking at improving on.
Lupul getting no love.
He was electric with Bozak and Kessel. Far more so than JVR. I think he should be back up there. Have JVR with Kadri and santorelli.
Put him back on RW then he won't be such a liability in his own end trying to get the puck out of his own zone on the back hand.
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
At the same time, one shouldn't over-value faceoff win %. After all, it was McClement's faceoff prowess that helped him see so much icetime last season - and that led to disastrous results. If Kontiola or Santorelli want to play in the top six, they'll have to prove they have the necessary skill to deal with the puck once the faceoff is over.
Mess
Global Moderator
McClement was used because Bozak, Holland and Kadri were not very good all below 50% while Jay Mac was >53% efficient.
McClement was actually #22 in the NHL overall among regulars in FO% (http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats....S&country=&status=&viewName=faceOffPercentage)
The other guys are still here only Jay is missing so it will be up to the new guys to prove themselves in the dot or major internal improvement from within.
Puck possession begins with winning faceoffs consistently both offensively and defensively to generate offense and defend in your own zone.
kule41
Registered User
- Mar 26, 2008
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Bozak is pretty good at faceoffs, remember him being around 52% the lockout year. Last year he was injured and didn't win as much but I expect him to be back to around the same as the lockout year. Kadri has been improving his faceoffs since the lockout season and probably will be better at it this year.
Who is much better than him? Frattin? Clarkson? Booth?
Either way we have a third-line player on 2nd line wing.
Mess
Global Moderator
The difference between winning and losing sometimes comes down to just a few handful of key faceoffs a game.
Can't beat "Strength down the Middle" ..
Hopefully Petri is good for > 50% in the dot.
I wouldn't say Santa's defensive game is anything special. If anything, he's a depth playmaker. Kadri needs a forward that can retrieve and protect the puck and Matt Frattin seems most appropriate. In fact Clarkson CAN play that role as well.
As for the Kadri - Lupul pairing being effective, that would be wrong. Both Kadri and Lupul had terrible GA/ 60 minute figures. While, it is true that Bozak was under tougher minutes, Kessel was around the same range of Duchene or Marleau and JVR wasn't that bad either. In other words, the best thing to do is split up the pairing.
Kontiola, for instance, would look a lot better with Lupul. I would have Holland as the third guy giving us a depth scoring like that's defensively solid. If we're going to re-experiment with Clarkson on Kadri's line, Frattin as a retriever could work.
JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Frattin - Kadri - Clarkson
Lupul - Kontiola - Holland
Komarov - Santa - Booth
That'd give us four lines that can drive possession and be scoring threats. We can even swap Clarkson and Holland, but this depth chart would be more effective than one line format last season.
p.l.f.
use the force
Al14
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2007
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We've got BIG problems no matter who is on our top, or bottom 6, for that matter. We'll see if the new additions can make a difference, and, make us a little more competitive.
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