Speculation: Leafs need defensive help to contend

[justafan22]

So the leafs played another soft game tonight.

The defense is a major concern. Unless Zaitsev/Hainsey get their minutes chopped, + Holl/Borgman step up in a big way, the defense as isn’t good enough to contend in the NHL this year, (or even win a round) which would be a massive waste of Matthews and Marner’s last ELC year Babcock needs to adjust his coaching and stop the goddamn line matching while Dubas needs to be active at this deadline.
A winger to force Connor Brown to the 4th line for good and defensive help (Pietrangelo/Gudas?) is sorely needed or else it’s another failure season.

Who are the targets the GM should look at?

Click to read more...

 

[frog]

Leafs should look at Zadorov in Colorado. Huge mobile tough defensemen, with massive hits and big slapshot. Recently a healthy scratch.

 

[Duffman955]

They need a lot of things.

Defense is definitely one of them

 

[PemIceKing]

Leafs should not panic either. Dubas is capable and knows our needs. Borgman and Holl are certainly not the answer. Gardiner should be shopped immediately to get a replacement for Hainsey. Dermott and Ozhiganov need to be bumped up to 2nd pairing and Hainsey and Zaitsev need to be dropped to 3rd pairing. I agree with OP their minutes need to be dropped. We are only at the 30 game mark. Lots of time, but defense is more vulnerable than I thought they were to complete for all the marbles.

 

[DictatorTots427]

My top targets for defense right now are Brodin and Montour

 

[Trapper]

They need a lot of things.

Defense is definitely one of them

I agree we could use a top 4 D but D isn’t going to help the forwards inability to fore check.
Every Boston D looked like a top 2 D when you apply zero pressure. You could play 40 minutes a night not being touched or battle.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

The solution is clear. But it's very hard to get rid of a former GM's mistakes.

Hainsey and Zaitsev both play completely opposite game styles to the team's D. Getting rid of them is difficult since 1) Hainsey's contract ends this season and is a leader on the team already 2) Zaitsev's contract is difficult to move. Dubas has gotten rid of the issues with the forward defensive issues for the most part with not bringing back JVR/Bozak/Komarov/Martin and not bringing back Polak.

The best solution right now is to look for a temporary solution. Wait for Sandin and Lilijegren to come up next season. We will have all strong puck-moving D:

Rielly - Dermott*
Gardiner - Ozhiganov
Rosen/UFA - Lilijegren

Zaitsev **(Scratch)/Borgman(Scratch)/Sandin(AHL)

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Easy. Trade Marner for Hanifin and trade Nylander for Ritchie so we can fix the mistakes of last 4 years drafting soft skilled players.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

the problem goes beyond personnel. they should be getting better results than they do

 

[Duke16]

Once Willy gets back to form, I think Kapanen will be dangled for defense. I have always though this, and his hot start only helped his value. I think Kapanen probably is a 50 PT guy, but he benefitted from Matthews' next level play at the start of the year.

He has been good, great even, but he is no William Nylander.

 

[Boutette]

Easy. Trade Marner for Hanifin and trade Nylander for Ritchie so we can fix the mistakes of last 4 years drafting soft skilled players.

 

[OVO16]

Connor Brown for Radko Gudas
A package around Johnsson ++ for Jake Muzzin
Scratch Hainsey
Call up Marchmant

Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Mathews-Nylander
Linholm-Kadri-Kapanen
Ennis-Gauthier-Marchment

Reilly-Muzzin
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Gudas

 

[Knies iT]

They really just need one additional top four piece right now on the back-end. If they can get a relatively young, physical right shot defensemen (i.e. Manson), it bumps Hainsey down, improves the subsequent pairs (Ozhiganov to press-box) and allows Babcock to play the Rielly pair more.

Many people point to Nylander/Kapanen/etc. as a trade chip, but I think the best way to solve this via trade is moving Kadri. Its unnecessary to deploy a player of his calibre on the 3rd line without PK minutes. The net benefit would be greater than trading a top line winger.

 

[hullsy47]

They need a lot of things.

Defense is definitely one of them

ya and nylander to be in shape and Mathews earning his reputation money every night
he looked hurt again against boston

 

[hfman]

the problem goes beyond personnel. they should be getting better results than they do

they are 20-9-1 and second OVERALL in the nhl.

and you want better results lol

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

they are 20-9-1 and second OVERALL in the nhl.

and you want better results lol

Did I really need to specify defensive results in the leafs defensive thread?

 

[A1LeafNation]

All teams who win a cup all looked terrible at some point during the season.

The team is good enough to be considered in the top 5 this year.

No sense in panicking and forcing a move.

 

[Polaris1010]

No sense in panicking and forcing a move.

Really doubtful there will be a single move to this roster from a trade.

Barring injury, this is the roster this team is going into the playoffs with.

Babcock has to kick some asses.

If the coach gets his match-ups, the teams wins.

If they do not get a good match-up, they fold in the Gardens.

 

[hfman]

All teams who win a cup all looked terrible at some point during the season.

The team is good enough to be considered in the top 5 this year.

No sense in panicking and forcing a move.

totally. this is a top-3 team maybe.

the funny thing is, year after year, decade after decade, millions upon millions of fans keep forgetting that the playoffs is a whole new season and a whole new league.

And the weak teams get bounced just about 95% of the time. Screw their talent and skill; if they're a weak, pansy-@ss team then they get bounced even if they DO have 6 all-star forwards.

And the Leafs are just that: a pansy-@ss weak team with an absurd amount of talent up front.

Just ask Vegas about their playoffs last year. How did they make it to the finals with a bunch of no-names?

That's right, they were a bunch of no-name HARD working players with HEART SOUL and GRIT and could't be pushed around.

Do you think they cared about players like Matthews Marner Nylander and Tavares? No way, they plowed their way through those types of players because they were bigger and stronger.

Sorry but the Leafs will wilt again this post-season unless they can find a way to add some physical presence to this line up - mark it.

Nylander is nice to have, but man, they already had kapanen who in all seriousness is and has been the better player by a long shot - so they should have kept running with him and moved out Nylander for a defense with some grit... but oh well we'll see what happens

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Gudas should be the target. Hes everything we wanted Polak to be. I'd add both him and Tanev. I know people hate Tanev for his injury history but he gets hurt because he plays hard. Both of these guys would completely change how this D looks.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

totally. this is a top-3 team maybe.

the funny thing is, year after year, decade after decade, millions upon millions of fans keep forgetting that the playoffs is a whole new season and a whole new league.

And the weak teams get bounced just about 95% of the time. Screw their talent and skill; if they're a weak, pansy-@ss team then they get bounced even if they DO have 6 all-star forwards.

And the Leafs are just that: a pansy-@ss weak team with an absurd amount of talent up front.

Just ask Vegas about their playoffs last year. How did they make it to the finals with a bunch of no-names?

That's right, they were a bunch of no-name HARD working players with HEART SOUL and GRIT and could't be pushed around.

Do you think they cared about players like Matthews Marner Nylander and Tavares? No way, they plowed their way through those types of players because they were bigger and stronger.

Sorry but the Leafs will wilt again this post-season unless they can find a way to add some physical presence to this line up - mark it.

Nylander is nice to have, but man, they already had kapanen who in all seriousness is and has been the better player by a long shot - so they should have kept running with him and moved out Nylander for a defense with some grit... but oh well we'll see what happens

Kapanen has a training camp, preseason and first 20 games under his belt to get in shape, plus many practices. Too early to make any comment on a comparison there at this point. Gotta give Nylander about 20 games. We have plenty of time to evaluate him.

Any trade would have been a net loss, especially if we traded with a mind set to look for grit and not just the best return.

 

[Nalens Oga]

I doubt that adding a dman or two to replace Hainsey/Gardiner will move the needle enough. The team needs a change in their DNA in terms of how they play.

That means a change in their coaching system. And with how rigid these guys have been to change it, it means changing the coaching staff at some point. Hopefully it's just an assistant that needs to be changed or they're in trouble. You can bring in steady dmen but if they keep losing the puck at the opposing blue line or along the boards, if they refuse to skate it out, if forwards continue to jump the zone before the puck has left, if wingers don't help break up the cycle, if the team gives up large numbers of rushes, if the team keeps letting players cut into the slot with ease, if the team continues to not cover point shots, etc etc etc.....it's gonna suck defensively no matter who the dmen are.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

There are two obvious needs for this team:

Primary Need: Top 4 RHD

Secondary Need: Power Forward/Hybrid Power Forward.

We cans go far without a winger to fit that power forward archetype, but it’s doubtful we’ll get out of the second round (read: beat Tampa) without replacing Hainsey in the top four. Bless Hainsey for trying and being a good pro and a leader, but he’s going to burnout again come April. Shake he’s not 5 years younger.

Our focus and any potential trade resources should solely be on acquiring a top 4 rhd. The gritty forward can be addressed from within (Marchment, Grundstrom).

If we had both types of players this team would be constructed damn near perfectly with no glaring holes at all. Just have to have patience.

 

[hfman]

i don't care that they have all this insane talent up front.

they can't go into the playoffs like this.

when teams flex their muscle and size against them, they wilt like flowers. Same story for years now.

Fix this problem and then MAYBE we can talk about a cup.

 

[MagicalRazor]

Really want Rosen to get called up would love to see him in the line up get some NHL ice time . Hes a monster in the AHL for us this year