TSN: Lamoriello on Leafs' captaincy, expansion draft and managing expectations

[LeafsNation75]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/lamorie...nsion-draft-and-managing-expectations~1136360

Click to read more...

 

[The_Chosen_One]

I can see us making no moves in D and instead of perfecting our situation up front. We have an opportunity to be a very capable team simply by tightening up the forward core. The depth scoring line was a sieve last season and having that line keyed as a liability by our opponents harmed us big time. Those three shouldn't be playing with each other at all.

Furthermore, Matthews needed help on the left wing especially with regards to handedness. His playing style needs a complete use of the ice surface. Hyman was struggling to effectively protect the puck because he was playing and he doesn't have the puck skills of Ovechkin to compensate for that either. Just by having a winger who can better protect the puck and with the puck skills to enable tic-tat-toe passing, we're talking an additional 20 goals.

More so, there is significant opportunities to tighten up Kadri's and the fourth line. Personally, I am leaning towards increasing Kadri's scoring opportunities by having Marner on the line. Both play a left-right brand of hockey, can be gritty, creative, and can thrive by dragging out puck possession. Ideally, a physical PWF who can own the net when we get access to scoring lanes and just simply disrespect the stars. Komarov doesn't cut it, and he doesn't stop-start, twist his body around the net like Tomas Holmstrom either meaning that we'll need a lefty with a bit more reach.

 

[Budsfan]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/lamorie...nsion-draft-and-managing-expectations~1136360

Lou doesn't let the cat out of the bag when discussing players he is very good at not commenting on their status.

 

[DopeyFish]

the comment about trades was interesting

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Can someone give me a rundown of what was said? I'm at work, can't watch the video

 

[hockeywiz542]

can someone give me a rundown of what was said? I'm at work, can't watch the video

you have the 17th overall pick. Of course, the age-old debate at the draft is taking the best player available or picking by positional need. It’s well-documented that you are a team that hopes to get better on the backend as time goes on here, but how do you think things will fall as you get to that 17th pick in terms of that debate?

lamoriello: I’ve always felt, without question, that you always take the best player available because you can never have enough quality players. Now, if it was a call between two equal players, then you would look at a position and have a choice. When it’s the best player by some sense, i don’t think you should have a choice.

how difficult is it, though, to go out and upgrade your blue line in an offseason in which it is clear there is a long list of teams that have identified wanting to upgrade their blue line as a top priority, and yet there are not that many teams actually selling defencemen? There is a market imbalance. How do you navigate through that?

lamoriello: That’s a great question. If i had an answer, then we’d have a solution. Like the old proverb, there is supply and there is demand. For certain positions right now, there is more demand than there is supply so we’ll just have to do the best we can. We’re very comfortable with our defence, with our young players we’ve got coming, and also the addition of a couple of swedish defencemen. We’ll just have to wait and see. I don’t feel you’re ever good enough in any position, provided you can get better without subtracting to make another hole. You never fill something by making another hole. So we’ll just have to wait and see.

you made an interesting comment at your end-of-season media availability when you said that one of the factors with vegas coming into the league is that there may be players who suddenly become available that maybe you didn’t think were available, as sort of a domino effect on the market. Have you since then discovered, in your conversations, exactly that?

lamoriello: We’ll just have to wait and see. You knew what you were going to get there.

you’ve got some players entering the final years of their contracts in tyler bozak, james van riemsdyk and leo komarov. Some teams like to extend those guys one year out so that they don’t enter their walk year with their contracts expiring. What is your philosophy on that?

lamoriello: My philosophy is really not getting into any type of conversation on it until a decision is made as far as what we will or will not be doing. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t speaking to people. It’s just that i think that’s a private matter.

curtis mcelhinney ended the season as your backup goalie. He is a ufa on july 1st. What is your sense of the backup goalie position, whether it’s curtis or someone else?

lamoriello: First of all, i think it’s a very important position. I thought he did an outstanding job for us. No decision has been made at that position at this point. Certainly, not much can and will be done, i don’t think, until july 1. We are going to certainly fill that position, whether it’s with curtis or whoever we feel is the right person that is available.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Can someone give me a rundown of what was said? I'm at work, can't watch the video

I just wanted to add Lou doesn't see them naming a captain for next season.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

why o we have both a red TSN button and a blue TSN button?

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I just wanted to add Lou doesn't see them naming a captain for next season.

I am fine with that.

 

[SprDaVE]

People hated JFJ for saying nothing. Lamoriello is the master of saying nothing in a lot of words.

 

[Brown Dog]

Could listen to Lou all day. Great stuff.

 

[Raym11]

The only thing i got out of this was that we will without a doubt have a backup goaltender next season.

 

[SprDaVE]

The only thing i got out of this was that we will without a doubt have a backup goaltender next season.

And that it's likely we won't have a captain again.

 

[Morbo]

The only thing i got out of this was that we will without a doubt have a backup goaltender next season.

thanks Lou

 

[ShaneFalco]

The only thing i got out of this was that we will without a doubt have a backup goaltender next season.

I barely got that

 

[Budsfan]

Typical interview with Lou

 

[Pocket Hercules]

People hated JFJ for saying nothing. Lamoriello is the master of saying nothing in a lot of words.

Because JFJ was inept at his job, while Lou is GOAT at his.

 

[sxvnert]

Interviewing Lou is pointless.

 

[ACC1224]

Could listen to Lou all day. Great stuff.

I've never found him to be very informative, he's more an action than words guy.

I didn't listen to this one but it doesn't sound like he said much.

 

[bluumax]

People hated JFJ for saying nothing. Lamoriello is the master of saying nothing in a lot of words.

Theres a big difference between saying nothing because you know nothing, and saying nothing because it would screw with your plans.

 

[Mess]

Lou plays things very close to the vest so you;re not going to get any real "new" information when you listen to him being interviewed.

There is nothing wrong with this, particularly in a market like TO where anything said becomes instant headlines and scrutinized to death.

Lou is not going to give away any trade secrets and Fans will find out after management has decided or acted.

 

[Bluelines]

the comment about trades was interesting

Are you referring to when Friedman asked Lou " You mentioned before that you never know what player might become available because of the expansion draft, someone who would never be available but is now because of the draft?

Lou smirked and stumbled a bit and gave a safe answer... that smirk said way more than anything Lou verbally said. My spidey sense is tingling.... Lou has a deal brewing for a player he covets .

 

[fahad203]

People hated JFJ for saying nothing. Lamoriello is the master of saying nothing in a lot of words.

JFJ couldn't confirm or deny anything. He just didn't know.
Lou on the other hand does know but chooses not to reveal. As for contracts, that's the new norm now. Nobody tips their hands

I believe the Leafs will pick the best player possible. It just makes sense. Even if that's a forward.

Expansion draft will open up a lot of possibilities, especially if teams loses significant players. Considering we have 15+ Million in our pockets to play with, that will be a good leverage

 

[thewave]

So basically he said no big trades that leave us with a big hole to fill. Reliance on youth and getting players from SWE RUS for nothing to tryout in camp etc. Sounds like they will go after McBackup though.

 

[FlareKnight]

Yeah, I don't really care about knowing exactly what the Leafs are trying to do. I only care about what they actually do and we do find that out when the moves happen.

Don't get a lot from Lou, but get little things. Going to go another year without a Captain. Which is fine. The question is when they give the C to Matthews. If they don't feel now is the time then we wait until it is.

And his non-answers aren't wrong. If there was an easy answer to how they navigate finding defense when that position is at a premium...he'd probably have already made the deal .