Line Combos: Leafs 3rd Line Centre 2020-21Season??

[aingefan]

Kerfoot is not unlike Kadri, though obviously different play styles. They’ve not been #2c’s in the NHL and played 3C for the Leafs.
Adding the pk to his resume helps.
Im not in a rush to move him unless there’s a sweetheart deal for him and there’s an FA lined up for less. Since that pair sounds unlikely, I’d keep Kerfoot there.
I’m more concerned about the depth of C’s in the system and who’s gonna be the next 3C or 2C. That asset doesn’t look present internally right now.

 

[Judas Tavares]

A player with the skillset of Danault would be perfect. I'd love a full-time penalty killer so our wingers aren't taking draws. I'd also love this player to be able to take the most important 5on5 defensive zone draws to free up Matthews and Tavares for more offensive zone time. It would be nice for this player to pot a bunch of points, but with our top 2 Cs, I think it becomes less necessary. I'd rather him score 10 and prevent tons of them than someone who could approach 20 but not do much on the defensive side of things.

 

[LaPlante94]

A player with the skillset of Danault would be perfect. I'd love a full-time penalty killer so our wingers aren't taking draws. I'd also love this player to be able to take the most important 5on5 defensive zone draws to free up Matthews and Tavares for more offensive zone time. It would be nice for this player to pot a bunch of points, but with our top 2 Cs, I think it becomes less necessary. I'd rather him score 10 and prevent tons of them than someone who could approach 20 but not do much on the defensive side of things.

Danault would be perfect but I doubt Montreal trades him to us and he's probably gonna get quite the pay raise when he hits free agency so we won't be able to target him.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I agree with the cheap cheap cheap bottom 6 approach. Its a pretty obvious move , assuming the big 4 are all sticking around (which I do)
But Dubas better find a 1.5- 2m good pk centre replacement . Having Marner or Hyman taking those face offs is asinine imo

Marner shouldn’t be killing penalties period for my thinking. Rolling the top two lines 20 minutes each and the bottom two lines 10 minutes would be showing balance.
Spezza $1,250,000/$1,500,000 Max
Clifford ( could care less about the pick change) $1,400,000/$1,500,000 max
Barabanov $925,000
Mikheyev $1,750,000
Perry $$2,000,000 max
Hallander $765,000 Thats a bottom six cheaper than
kappy,Johnsson and kerfoot which cost $10,100,000 and keep Goat incase Hallander isn’t ready. Give Goat Clifford and Perry for wingers. Teach that kid how to be nasty and get him involved in scraps etc lol. Just drag him right in and push him and make him pay the price ha

Could go younger and try adding a lawson Crouse From the Coyotes too

 

[Morbo]

Erik Haula.

 

[cgc83]

I don't mind Marner on pk for those potential offensive moments that are safe . Safe being the key word there . Just get a guy who is experienced at the dot and will gain procession , chip in here an there and be defensively minded.
Normal off seasons make that add pretty tough but the 2020 state of it will open up a lot more options depending how savvy the gm is.
Love the Corey Perry call ( not at C clearly) but yes great sh✓t distributer addition and he's made enough dough hopefully he comes home like his boy SPEZZA and signs the same deal Doubtful but hey .

 

[Wafflewhipper]

This article suits many threads but I’ll throw it in here https://thehockeywriters.com/maple-leafs-lamoriello-dubas-burke/
It suits this one good too. Lets see what greedy trader Dubas can get for our players on low actual salary players.

 

[daveleaf]

Kadri!!

Oh right, we traded him for a bag of pucks and scored nine goals for another team that made into the second round. My bad.

 

[aingefan]

Erik Haula.

Speed to burn and pretty tenacious if I recall.
If he’s into TO for <Kerfoot $, that’s an interesting scenario.
I’m interested in the team gathering some picks to add some prospects in deficit: two way C’s, maybe some rugged D, maybe a rugged forward or two.

 

[Dreakmur]

David Kampf - Chicago
Radek Faksa - Dallas
Joel Eriksson Ek - Minnesota
Scott Laughton - Philadelphia
Andrew Copp - Winnipeg

 

[Menzinger]

Erik Haula.

He's interesting because I think he's the kind of player whose going to get squeezed this free agency. May end up signing a shorter term deal too

 

[BrainyBomber]

I agree with the cheap cheap cheap bottom 6 approach. Its a pretty obvious move , assuming the big 4 are all sticking around (which I do)
But Dubas better find a 1.5- 2m good pk centre replacement . Having Marner or Hyman taking those face offs is asinine imo

Riley Sheahan could fill that role for 1.5m and is UFA. Elite PKer, defensively and with size. Crap offensively but we don't need that for a 3C with AM and JT ahead of him logging 40 mins.

I'd do this downgrade if the 2m savings is put to good use on RD.

 

[exporta]

I'd trade him for Kadri

 

[KaprizovEntitlelist]

David Kampf - Chicago
Radek Faksa - Dallas
Joel Eriksson Ek - Minnesota
Scott Laughton - Philadelphia
Andrew Copp - Winnipeg

Joel eriksson ek isnt available, in fact he's untouchable. he's wild only young c and a stud defensive c. yeah dont get why you think wild would give up the only young c Minnesota has and is getting better.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I'm actually in the camp we should definitely trade him.

He is a decent player yes, but that means he will also have value in trade and is another player not worth their contract on this team. The complacent thing to do would be to 'just keep him' because he is 'pretty good.' This will be a mistake realized come playoff time. Again. I hope Dubas has learned this now.

Not impactful enough come playoff time. Too small, not strong enough in one on one battles on the boards, and offence is not good enough to balance that out. He looked pretty fast out there against CBJ. Looked like he was hustling. But in the end, the speed and skill is nullified as the refs put the whistles away and teams step up their defence and shot blocking efforts. In the 3C spot, I would prefer a better two way players with size and grit. Someone who may actually cause a problem for teams on the forecheck. Kerfoot would get in there and then what. Get muscled off the puck or lose board battle to bigger stronger defenders.

The Leafs need more guys on this team that can win the one on one battles for the puck.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Not that I'm against a bit of a mix-up in the bottom-6, but it's interesting how one of our main issues was depth scoring, and the reaction from many seems to be to trade all of our depth in order to run much worse depth...

 

[Judas Tavares]

Not that I'm against a bit of a mix-up in the bottom-6, but it's interesting how one of our main issues was depth scoring, and the reaction from many seems to be to trade all of our depth in order to run much worse depth...

It is a bit of an issue, especially how it went vs. Columbus. But the big 4 are paid to score. Yes, they won't score every night and you need to rely on depth. But with how things are set up, I'd rather hurt the depth to bolster the defence. If we need to win each game 3-2, that is great.

I would go
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Mikheyev-Tavares-Marner
Robertson

and 5 complete plugs if it meant absolutely bolstering the defence. Those 7 forwards should be able to do enough heavy lifting on not all but the majority of nights.

 

[Dekes For Days]

But the big 4 are paid to score.

That doesn't mean we need to put literally everything on them. There is enough money to improve our defense and not completely decimate our bottom 6.

 

[kb]

It is a bit of an issue, especially how it went vs. Columbus. But the big 4 are paid to score. Yes, they won't score every night and you need to rely on depth. But with how things are set up, I'd rather hurt the depth to bolster the defence. If we need to win each game 3-2, that is great.

I would go
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Mikheyev-Tavares-Marner
Robertson

and 5 complete plugs if it meant absolutely bolstering the defence. Those 7 forwards should be able to do enough heavy lifting on not all but the majority of nights.

When you have no depth scoring, you make matchups too easy for the other team. That means that your top lines are forced to score every game against non-favourable matchups, and if they don't score, you lose.

That is why I have no desire for a big name, big ticket D. Trade for David Savard, and extend him for 3 more seasons at or slightly below his current rate. It would be by far the best partner he has ever played with. Keep Muzzin and Holl as is...they put up great numbers vs tough competition. Sign a Dillon, Gudas, or DeMelo for 2 seasons to play alongside Lehtonen on the bottom pair, and when they walk you have the money to extend Rielly, and Sandin will be ready for full time duty at a low cap hit.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Kadri!!

Oh right, we traded him for a bag of pucks and scored nine goals for another team that made into the second round. My bad.

Suspended in the playoffs twice. Doesn't matter what he does elsewhere he blew it here

 

[ShaneFalco]

It is a bit of an issue, especially how it went vs. Columbus. But the big 4 are paid to score. Yes, they won't score every night and you need to rely on depth. But with how things are set up, I'd rather hurt the depth to bolster the defence. If we need to win each game 3-2, that is great.

I would go
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Mikheyev-Tavares-Marner
Robertson

and 5 complete plugs if it meant absolutely bolstering the defence. Those 7 forwards should be able to do enough heavy lifting on not all but the majority of nights.

I haven't been all that impressed with Mikheyev. And totally MIA in the playoffs

 

[kb]

I haven't been all that impressed with Mikheyev. And totally MIA in the playoffs

He gets squeezed big time on a show me contract if he stays.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

Kerfoot is not unlike Kadri, though obviously different play styles. They’ve not been #2c’s in the NHL and played 3C for the Leafs.
Adding the pk to his resume helps.
Im not in a rush to move him unless there’s a sweetheart deal for him and there’s an FA lined up for less. Since that pair sounds unlikely, I’d keep Kerfoot there.
I’m more concerned about the depth of C’s in the system and who’s gonna be the next 3C or 2C. That asset doesn’t look present internally right now.

Actually Kadri was a second line centre for the Leafs, before Tavares got here. That is why he had two straight thirty goal seasons.

 

[Dreakmur]

He gets squeezed big time on a show me contract if he stays.

Maybe, but why wouldn’t he ask for 3+ mil?

He was on pace to score 45-50 points, which puts him on pace with Kapanen and Johnsson before their deals, plus he was a key PKer.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I dont hate Kerfoot as a 3rd line winger with a few bigger, high tempo. Defensively minded guys.