But I think we do it because we don't have defensive defenders. We have offensive guys so we are trying to generate offense from the defense. But it has been a long term draft process and that's what we got now and for next 5 years. This is why I really like Sandin draft because he is a break from the standard. We need a guy who thinks defense first.
Leafs need more truculence!!!
- Thread starter Lainehasaweirdface
- Start date
Skill or toughness. If only it were possible to have both. Oh well.
Trapper
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The first thing we need to do is weed out a collection of players.
We need a more aggressive, physical style of play to compliment the skill.
Marleau,Brown,+ 1 of Johnsson/Kapanen is a good place to start before we look at the core. That’s 3 players replaced with some skill and aggressive puck pursuit/forecheck.
Obviously JT,Matthews,Marner,Nylander,Rielly have the longest leash but they need to have good playoff showings or eyes will have to look at the core eventually.
Adding Moore to the 4th line is great, but it’s no good if the skilled players you depend on disappear beyond one style of play.
We need a more aggressive, physical style of play to compliment the skill.
Marleau,Brown,+ 1 of Johnsson/Kapanen is a good place to start before we look at the core. That’s 3 players replaced with some skill and aggressive puck pursuit/forecheck.
Obviously JT,Matthews,Marner,Nylander,Rielly have the longest leash but they need to have good playoff showings or eyes will have to look at the core eventually.
Adding Moore to the 4th line is great, but it’s no good if the skilled players you depend on disappear beyond one style of play.
ToneDog
56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Unless Nylander becomes a 70-80 point player, or can take on some PK duties, he is the asset I would move. Yes, he is flying out there now but unless something changes over the summer he might be better off elsewhere as a #2C and we should sell him as such.
Trapper
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I agree with you. I’ve said from the start when we signed JT, we need to pick 3 of 4 and commit dollars to D + support.
However in the interest of not causing a meltdown here + where Dubas and his comments have left us, this seems the logical place to start.
the next "New" nhl will be big physical forwards to take advantage of all the tiny defencemen in the league
Yep, the NHL typical tends to go through cycles, bigger players will now be trained for skating/skill and not just as power forwards that hit everything in sight. We are already seeing some big, young forwards with skill that can skate and are using their size to their advantage. Coaches will also devise game plans to minimize the use of speed as more teams head in that direction. It's not like speed and skill are new to the NHL, it is just the extent it is being used right now.
Lainehasaweirdface
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Carltons Cup
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Stephen
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They need a lot of things, but when the game gets away from them, they need a momentum stopper/starter. And if it's not a lucky goal or a bounce, or a save, that's usually someone who will emphatically and hatefully take the body on a play just to get the opposition's boot off you.
There's the game in October, there's the game in Microsoft Excel, and then there's the game in the playoffs. Just have to have as many tools as possible to be able to play as many styles of the game that your opponent brings to you.
Also, high flying offense usually has a big target on its back.
There's the game in October, there's the game in Microsoft Excel, and then there's the game in the playoffs. Just have to have as many tools as possible to be able to play as many styles of the game that your opponent brings to you.
Also, high flying offense usually has a big target on its back.
I know its early days and Grundstrom has only played two NHL games so far and his two goals aside, it hurts a bunch to hear Kings fans talk so highly of him and enjoy his style of play. He really should've stayed a Leaf. 
We keep talking about truculence and how the Leafs are lacking in grit and toughness and yet here was a player that had EXACTLY THAT in our system and we traded him away.
We keep talking about truculence and how the Leafs are lacking in grit and toughness and yet here was a player that had EXACTLY THAT in our system and we traded him away.
Bomber0104
Registered User
I know its early days and Grundstrom has only played two NHL games so far and his two goals aside, it hurts a bunch to hear Kings fans talk so highly of him and enjoy his style of play. He really should've stayed a Leaf.
We keep talking about truculence and how the Leafs are lacking in grit and toughness and yet here was a player that had EXACTLY THAT in our system and we traded him away.
Dubas is literally trolling us at this point.
The one type of player this team sorely needs, on an ELC...
Ships him away.
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
You think the team needed a depth winger more than a top four D man? You guys can’t even keep your complaints consistent about Dubas
Stephen
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Grundstrom was a pretty penny to trade away for Muzzin, but these types of trades always feel bad when you give up youth. Way less upset about the Muzzin deal than the 2 2nds that went out the window for Plekanec (in particular) and Boyle (also bad but not as bad). Those picks could have been anything from another Grundstrom to a Carter Hart to an extra Travis Dermott or a Sebastian Aho. Second rounders are serious.
Bomber0104
Registered User
A 21 year old who has two games under his belt (and two goals) is being written off by "Menzinger" as a "depth winger". Laughable. Especially considering that's exactly the brand of player this team needs right now, present day.
A top 4 d-man with a left shot we don't particularly need who's up for a new contract after next year... and with Dubas negotiating he'll probably ask for $8M a year... considered essential by "Menzinger".
Dubas is bad at contracts but not even he could screw up Grundstrom's for at least a few years down the road.
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
He’d be a depth winger for this team over the next two years: there’s absolutely no denying that. We also have the likely departure of Gardiner next year, so even a left handed Muzzin is a necessity.
It takes a fair amount of blindness to be more worried about this team’s winger situation than its defense.
Bomber0104
Registered User
Oh right... we're racing against the clock trying to piece together a passable playoff team before we're completely capped out thanks to Dubas' terrible contracts. And we'll trade youth and cap flexibility to correct mistakes that should have been addressed in the off-season.
1st round exit upside, maxed out against the cap.
Nice!
hector morrison
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Bomber0104
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hector morrison
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The problem is Grundstrom isn't your average winger and he's the kind of player that this entire thread is talking about. A guy who can play with toughness and grit, can hit and fight and chip in with some offense. Are you saying that there isn't a very good chance if you gave Grundstrom the 14 mins that Brown is getting on most nights that he wouldn't contribute more to the Leafs than Brown currently is?
And also I'd argue that having a player who can play tough and hard is even more of a priority than having a good Dman. If you look in the Leafs system, they have Liljegren, Sandin, Rosen who could be ready next year and Hollowell and now Duszak who can perhaps be ready abit further out. Namely we have good players in our system that can help our defense. Who do we have in the system that is the kind of player Grundstrom is that's ready to contribute now or next season? No one.
The bottom line is Grundstrom if we had given him a chance could've been our version of Wilson or Ferland without having to go out and get one through trade or free agency.
Trapper
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We definitely need D but a long term (especially RHD) is needed.
Muzzin is also a stop gap to bigger issues that exist on D. That have existed and have not been addressed.
If Muzzin walks UFA, that’s not really a great long term solution.
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