TSN: Leafs projected early defensive pairings already set.

[Deebo]

I'm amazed at how strong the opinions of Polak are.
Can people honestly say they've watched him play more than a few times?

You shouldn't be amazed, everyone here is an expert on every player and draft eligible prospect.

 

[thigpen]

Having watched Polak play every game since joining the Blues, I can say with certainty he should not be matched against the opposition's top players 5 on 5.

He can handle the minutes physically, but his IQ will be exposed against the best players and he'd be better off with selective matchups. Of course, I really have no idea how he'll compare to the other RD options in TO so maybe he's actually the best option they have.

I love Roman, he's a heart and soul player and he'll be great on the PK but he better be taking that 'Limitless' drug over the Summer months if he's going to play 1st pairing minutes this season.

 

[Porn*]

nothing is set... polak hasn't even laced em up with the guys yet, how can anything be set... this thread is absurd.

I could actually see one of gardiner or rielly being placed with phaneuf

phaneuf - gardiner
Robidas - Franson
Rielly - Polak

 

[The_Chosen_One]

I'm amazed at how strong the opinions of Polak are.
Can people honestly say they've watched him play more than a few times?

Polak is essentially a #4-5 defenceman. I'd say he's around the same level as Gunnarsson, but instead of being a tweener puck mover, he is much more physical. I think him on a pairing with a youngster would make more sense. Seeing that we still have Franson, we'll need one more LD.

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Robidas
LD - Polak

Looks really solid to me.

I think they should just go with Gardiner - Phaneuf as the top pair. Gardiner gets the PP time... Phaneuf gets the PK time.

Each plays about 25 minutes a night.

I think that they're both capable of playing big minutes... and they're our two best defenders IMO.

I agree. We haven't had a bonifide puck mover on the top pairing since Kaberle. In today's game that is critical even under the tougher minutes. If Gardiner could be groomed into a J-Bo, Vlasic-type of defenceman, we'd look a lot better.

 

[diceman934]

Why? Everyone loves to say this but I've rarely seen legitimate arguments why this is important. Because it looks nice on paper?

This is one of the more overrated things people in hockey think is a desired positive for a team.

It is one of the most over looked aspects in hockey....having a D man on his strong hand on faceoffs is often the difference in a hockey game...a player on his weak hand has less time and space to make a decsion on a won draw as a result of being on their weak side....

Time and space is the biggest commodity in hockey as it allows for better decisions. Think about a key faceoff late in a game while on the PK. Face off is in the D zone and is won back to a D man who is on his weak hand......he has no angle to make a hard rim around to clear the puck hard around the boards and out.....can and does cost games.

 

[diceman934]

I'm amazed at how strong the opinions of Polak are.
Can people honestly say they've watched him play more than a few times?

I have watched almost everyone of the Blues games since Jaden Schwartz has made the team...

Read back in the Polak trade thread and you will find that I like the trade for what Polak can bring to the team, but he should not be anywhere near the other teams too players as he lacks the puck skills required to make good decisions under the lack of time and space he will be subjected to....he would be an ideal partner for a strong PMD.

 

[WildcatMapleLeafs28]

Not a big fan but nothing is set in stone.

I'd like to see this

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Robidas
Franson - Polak

Those pairing compliment each other very well and are definitely worth a shot.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Having watched Polak play every game since joining the Blues, I can say with certainty he should not be matched against the opposition's top players 5 on 5.

He can handle the minutes physically, but his IQ will be exposed against the best players and he'd be better off with selective matchups. Of course, I really have no idea how he'll compare to the other RD options in TO so maybe he's actually the best option they have.

I love Roman, he's a heart and soul player and he'll be great on the PK but he better be taking that 'Limitless' drug over the Summer months if he's going to play 1st pairing minutes this season.

Thanks for this, this is what I have been saying, Roman will be fine on the 3rd pairing, most likely with Rielly until he is ready to handle a higher QOC. A third pairing guy should not jump into the 1st pairing and expect to handle Dion Phaneuf mins, it would be a recipe for failure.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Not a big fan but nothing is set in stone.

I'd like to see this

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Robidas
Franson - Polak

Those pairing compliment each other very well and are definitely worth a shot.

The righty lefty thing has the Leafs only playing with 3 logical tandems.

Ideally I would like to see Dion, Gardiner, and Rielly carry the 1st to 3rd pairings.

Gardiner is 24, and he has been given a raise to carry the 2nd pairing. Franson has been given a raise and his play is expected to be better.

The logical pairings are:

Dion - Robidas
Gardiner - Franson
Rielly - Polak

Granberg may be eased in, he is going to be much better than Ranger.

 

[Bluelines]

in "TH: Gardiner In The Mix" Simmons report that...

"My understanding from talking to the people I've spoken to today is that Jake Gardiner will play with Stephan Robidas to start next season."

"Captain Dion Phaneuf is likely to play with Roman Polak"

"Which leaves Cody Franson and Morgan Rielly as the third pair"

Phaneuf - Polak
Gardiner - Robidas
Rielly - Franson

Good just be TSN trying to get some summer news out there, but sort of interesting.

Polak playing 1st line pairing? He was Meh! in St Lou playing in a Hitchcock system and getting bottom 3 ice time.

This is a horrible plan.

 

[Hockey Talker29]

The righty lefty thing has the Leafs only playing with 3 logical tandems.

Ideally I would like to see Dion, Gardiner, and Rielly carry the 1st to 3rd pairings.

Gardiner is 24, and he has been given a raise to carry the 2nd pairing. Franson has been given a raise and his play is expected to be better.

The logical pairings are:

Dion - Robidas
Gardiner - Franson
Rielly - Polak

Granberg may be eased in, he is going to be much better than Ranger.

This is reasonable, but considering that Franson was all but traded for Gorges, I find it unlikely that they plan to have him on our 2nd pairing. I'm not even sure Franson will be on the roster come October (due to a trade), but it's possible.

 

[MastuhNinks]

Polak on the top pairing is a little surprising, although these 'set pairings' are hardly reliable. I envisioned something little more like Phaneuf-Gardiner, Rielly-Robidas, Franson-Polak. (actually I envisioned Franson gone altogether but it seems that isn't the plan)

 

[Porn*]

anyone pairing polak and franson is asking for a 5 on 5 disaster... their foot speed would get us slaughtered unless they were ONLY playing sheltered minutes against 4th liners.

we need to alternate speed with size...

 

[Mess]

anyone pairing polak and franson is asking for a 5 on 5 disaster... their foot speed would get us slaughtered unless they were ONLY playing sheltered minutes against 4th liners.

we need to alternate speed with size...

They are also both RH shots and play the right side.

Putting Polak on his weak side would be putting him in a position to fail and I don't think Leafs have any desire for that.

 

[Kubus]

I would like to see something a bit more fluid this season, not so static. I think we should pair D dependent on what is need more for that game. Yes, it's nice to have some chemistry between our pairings but that doesn't mean game to game we couldn't see small changes.


For example lets say that for one team their top line doesn't respond well to tough, hard hitting players. In this game we should have Phaneuf with Polak play against them. In another game a top pairing doesn't respond well against puck moving D, in this game we should pair Dion with Jake.


I'm not talking about putting the pairings in a blender every game to see what comes out, but to use the possible pairings to our advantage.

 

[p.l.f.]

Strange how we go from having too many LDs to having too many RDs
I blame it on Franson heh

 

[Porn*]

They are also both RH shots and play the right side.

Putting Polak on his weak side would be putting him in a position to fail and I don't think Leafs have any desire for that.

that too :p

thanks for pointing out the less obvious?

I still like the idea of having Robidas play with Franson and Rielly play with Polak.

 

[carko32]

I think that we should consider not playing Phaneuf against the best opponents, maybe we should do like Chicago and plaay our 2nd D unit against the best opposition forwards. I like Phaneuf and I think he is marginal #1 D, but I'd love to see him with Gardiner from the end of this season.
I hope that we start season like this:
Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Robidas
xxxx - Polak
Granberg

I'd love to see Granberg play, as I think that he'll be one of a hell of shutdown D, liek Hjalmarsson for Chicago, but atm we don't have space for bottom RHD.

I see Phaneuf as #1D, Gardiner as #3D and also Robidas as #3D. Rielly is probably #5 D atm, but he can be top4 D at the end of season, and I think Polak is something between 4 and 5. So we probably need someone like Polak, but he should be faster and LHD. Any ideas?

 

[Stats01]

Polak playing 1st line pairing? He was Meh! in St Lou playing in a Hitchcock system and getting bottom 3 ice time.

This is a horrible plan.

It's indeed a horrible plan, like I said a few pages ago only in Toronto do we trade for a defensive D-man who has never played and will never be a top pairing D-man and put him exactly where he shouldn't be..on the top pairing. It's absurd to even entertain the idea of Polak playing with Phaneuf on the top pair. Put Gardiner or Rielly with Dion, put the other with Robidas, and have Franson and Polak form a pretty good 3rd pairing. There is no need to force puzzle pieces into spaces that they clearly don't fit in. If a defensive guru like Hitchcock puts Polak on the third pairing that's a pretty good indication where his limit is. I'm sure Polak can cover the 2nd pairing if there are injuries but please just keep him away from the top pairing and he'll be fine.

 

[Mess]

It's indeed a horrible plan, like I said a few pages ago only in Toronto do we trade for a defensive D-man who has never played and will never be a top pairing D-man and put him exactly where he shouldn't be..on the top pairing. It's absurd to even entertain the idea of Polak playing with Phaneuf on the top pair. Put Gardiner or Rielly with Dion, put the other with Robidas, and have Franson and Polak form a pretty good 3rd pairing. There is no need to force puzzle pieces into spaces that they clearly don't fit in. If a defensive guru like Hitchcock puts Polak on the third pairing that's a pretty good indication where his limit is. I'm sure Polak can cover the 2nd pairing if there are injuries but please just keep him away from the top pairing and he'll be fine.

Agreed, if you trade 1 Dman Gunnarsson playing above his skill level in the top pairing for another Dman Polak and put him in the same position what have you gained?

Hitchcock believes the Blues have upgraded their defense and are stronger defensively as he plans on playing Gunnarsson with Shattenkirk on his 2nd pairing as Polak was a 3rd pairing defender on his team.

Leafs taking a 3rd pairing defender off of a strong team and putting him on their top pairing speaks to the level and status of their defense core strength and team talent level.

The only pairings that make sense are Robidas playing with Gardiner in a mentoring role on the 2nd pairing and Polak playing with and protecting Rielly on the 3rd pairing. That leaves Dion on the top pairing with the only possible player left Franson. But Leafs tried to trade Franson for Gorges to pair with Phaneuf so we know the organization is not happy with Phaneuf -- Franson pairing.

 

[Budsfan]

Things could change when Camp and Preseason are over but if a new or improved system is in the offing, they may try this because Franson played with Phanuef quite a bit last year....

Phanuef/Franson
Gardiner/Polak
Rielly/Robidas
Percy/Granberg

Polak and Robidas could change pairing partners.

 

[Stats01]

Things could change when Camp and Preseason are over but if a new or improved system is in the offing, they may try this because Franson played with Phanuef quite a bit last year....

Phanuef/Franson
Gardiner/Polak
Rielly/Robidas
Percy/Granberg

Polak and Robidas could change pairing partners.

As long as Franson is with either Dion or Polak I'll be a happy fan. I don't want to see anymore experiments with Rielly-Franson or Gardiner-Franson it was a train wreck last season and it'll be a train wreck this season.

 

[Budsfan]

As long as Franson is with either Dion or Polak I'll be a happy fan. I don't want to see anymore experiments with Rielly-Franson or Gardiner-Franson it was a train wreck last season and it'll be a train wreck this season.

The problem is nothing is set in stone and there are any number of things that can happen and as I eluded to, Training camp and Preseason, will sort it all out but a trade could also happen however I have a feeling after reading Spotts interview, this may be may be the way they try first, when pairing D men... Phanuef/Franson

 

[ULF_55]

Things could change when Camp and Preseason are over but if a new or improved system is in the offing, they may try this because Franson played with Phanuef quite a bit last year....

Phanuef/Franson
Gardiner/Polak
Rielly/Robidas
Percy/Granberg

Polak and Robidas could change pairing partners.

Neither Phaneuf nor Franson are mobile or agile.

Other teams would be happy with that.

 

[InShannyWeTrust]

I want to see

Phaneuf- Robidas
Gardiner- Polak
Rielly- Franson
Granberg