Waived: Leafs Waive Michalek, Claim Ben Smith

[IBeL34f]

Didn't like Smith so far this season on Colorado (I'm an Avs fan first). No more than a 4th line C role is fine but I don't even expect him to play the whole season up here.

Don't care though, pretty happy to see Michalek gone because he's lost his hands and he was dragging down Kadri's production. Hopefully Kadri gets a better winger there, maybe Kapanen in the near-future (I used to want JVR there but I'm fine with them wasting JVR and Bozak together since they both look mediocre now).

They waived Michalek specifically so they could move Brown up the lineup and have him play with Kadri.

Also, Smith was brought in essentially to take draws on the PK, since we had Komarov and Hyman out there who aren't as adept in the faceoff circle.

Babcock mentioned both of these things himself yesterday after the moves were made, but I can't find the video anymore.

 

[FreeBird]

"You're never playing hockey again (in the NHL) again"

That's okay Lou your paying me 4 million not too.

 

[81Leafs50]

My guess is the leafs have a minor deal in the works. The player movements are a little odd and it feels like the leafs are bidding there time to wait on the Cowan ruling before they can announce it.

Just a feeling though. No hard evidence.

No decision coming until the second week of November.

 

[paulhiggins]

That's okay Lou your paying me 4 million not too.

"But Lou. I hate buses and dinky little AHL towns where the shopping is no good. Would you mind if I had season-ending hangnail surgery and go to Robidas Island instead?"

 

[BertCorbeau]

"But Lou. I hate buses and dinky little AHL towns where the shopping is no good. Would you mind if I had season-ending hangnail surgery and go to Robidas Island instead?"

I think you're confusing Michalek with Lupul

 

[RootinTootinPookin*]

Guess which three forwards have the best possession stats (using FF%) on the Leafs? Hyman-Matthews-Nylander. Guess which forward has the worst FF%? Milan Michalek.

Matthews has looked good in 1 maybe 2 games? Take away his four-goal game, and he's still a PPG player with good possession stats. What exactly are you expecting?



Among forwards, JVR is tied for third in points, has the third best CF%, and has the fourth best FF%. He may look like garbage but he's isn't producing like it.

And advanced stats say Zaitzev has been garbage. The eye test says he has been our best defenseman.

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander spent atleast 80% of their TOI in the Winnipeg game hemmed into their own zone. They spent a good 70% in their own end against Minni. They spent a large chunk of their TOI hemmed in against Chicago.

Matthews has struggled since that Winnipeg game. Confidence issue.

Amazing vs Ottawa
Meh vs Bruins
Bad vs Winni
Bad vs Minni
Bad vs Chicago (Good toward the end)

JvR looks slow, lazy, and a step behind the play mentally. Marner has fed him some beauty diamonds and he does nothing with them because he isn't keeping up.

 

[WTFMAN99]

And advanced stats say Zaitzev has been garbage. The eye test says he has been our best defenseman.

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander spent atleast 80% of their TOI in the Winnipeg game hemmed into their own zone. They spent a good 70% in their own end against Minni. They spent a large chunk of their TOI hemmed in against Chicago.

Matthews has struggled since that Winnipeg game. Confidence issue.

Amazing vs Ottawa
Meh vs Bruins
Bad vs Winni
Bad vs Minni
Bad vs Chicago (Good toward the end)

JvR looks slow, lazy, and a step behind the play mentally. Marner has fed him some beauty diamonds and he does nothing with them because he isn't keeping up.

Zaitsev's CORSI away from Hunwick shows him around 55-59%

I think your eye test may be failing you in regards to Matthews.

 

[Datsyukiam13]

combined with Kessel's salary retention and gleason's and grabovski's (although it has no cap hit) buyout, that is:

$26 725 000

that we're paying players to NOT play for us....

Horton, Robidas, and Lupul's contracts aren't all towards the cap hit though, being that they are on LTIR

 

[Nithoniniel]

And advanced stats say Zaitzev has been garbage. The eye test says he has been our best defenseman.

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander spent atleast 80% of their TOI in the Winnipeg game hemmed into their own zone. They spent a good 70% in their own end against Minni. They spent a large chunk of their TOI hemmed in against Chicago.

Matthews has struggled since that Winnipeg game. Confidence issue.

Amazing vs Ottawa
Meh vs Bruins
Bad vs Winni
Bad vs Minni
Bad vs Chicago (Good toward the end)

JvR looks slow, lazy, and a step behind the play mentally. Marner has fed him some beauty diamonds and he does nothing with them because he isn't keeping up.

Someone showed a shift-by-shift for that line after the Jets game. They had a few shifts where they got pinned in, that's all.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

And advanced stats say Zaitzev has been garbage. The eye test says he has been our best defenseman.

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander spent atleast 80% of their TOI in the Winnipeg game hemmed into their own zone. They spent a good 70% in their own end against Minni. They spent a large chunk of their TOI hemmed in against Chicago.

Matthews has struggled since that Winnipeg game. Confidence issue.

Amazing vs Ottawa
Meh vs Bruins
Bad vs Winni
Bad vs Minni
Bad vs Chicago (Good toward the end)

JvR looks slow, lazy, and a step behind the play mentally. Marner has fed him some beauty diamonds and he does nothing with them because he isn't keeping up.

That line has been dangerous at both ends of the rink in 4 of the 5 games. I thought they were invisible vs. Minny.

But you cannot expect the world from them defensively. Their best defense is to have the puck in the other zone.

 

[Macallan18]

With Zaitsev now with Rielly and Hunwick with Carrick it looks like Babcock has pulled the plug on (his insane idea of) Hunny being his go-to shutdown dman.

I still wish we were seeing a Gardiner-Carrick 2nd pairing but this is a nice first step.

It'lll be interesting to see how the ice time is divvied up with the new pairings.

omg, imagine? Rielly and Zaitsev, Gardiner and Carrick, and then whomever on the third pairing, ideally Marincin PLAYING THE LEFT SIDE with Corrado.
Will we ever get there?

 

[Macallan18]

I think you're confusing Michalek with Lupul

haven't you seen Michalek's Lupul imitation? Pretty impressive.

 

[The Examiner]

omg, imagine? Rielly and Zaitsev, Gardiner and Carrick, and then whomever on the third pairing, ideally Marincin PLAYING THE LEFT SIDE with Corrado.
Will we ever get there?

I like this. Hopefully Babcock comes to his senses and we get to see this eventually. Marincin/Corrado would still be pretty scary but it's miles better than Hunwick/Polak.

 

[SportsJunkie]

These moves don't mean that the Leafs are about to make a deal...

However they are getting ready for one later in the season but they have to make moves like this to be ABLE to make a deal later in the season

 

[burpsalot]

They waived Michalek specifically so they could move Brown up the lineup and have him play with Kadri.

Also, Smith was brought in essentially to take draws on the PK, since we had Komarov and Hyman out there who aren't as adept in the faceoff circle.

Babcock mentioned both of these things himself yesterday after the moves were made, but I can't find the video anymore.

I would say more to replace Hyman on the dot. Komarov has been at 66.7%, Hyman at 33.3%.

 

[RootinTootinPookin*]

Zaitsev's CORSI away from Hunwick shows him around 55-59%

I think your eye test may be failing you in regards to Matthews.

It's possible. I'd like to clarify, though, it wasn't just Matthews. What I was seeing from Hyman and Nylander in that stretch wasn't good, either.

Someone posted below that a line by line chart shows they didn't get pinned in as much as I saw, so it's possible confirmation bias on my part.

 

[RootinTootinPookin*]

Someone showed a shift-by-shift for that line after the Jets game. They had a few shifts where they got pinned in, that's all.

Can you link that if you have it off-hand? Be interested in seeing it.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Ok so when Leivo is ready, waive Hunwick please.

 

[Antropovsky]

I wonder if Ben Smith priced himself out of Toronto, only to end up taking less money to go to Colorado. Colorado has a little less depth than Toronto.. in terms of youth competition. So maybe he took less to go to Colorado than he was asking to stay in Toronto.

I know I'm looking way to far into this, but Babcock said he really liked Ben Smith and the price is right so they picked him off waivers.

Ben Smith was asked about how he didn't end up here in the offseason and instead Colorado, and he said it didn't quite work out... but I'm back.

Makes you get the impression that Toronto wanted him, but he wanted either more money, or a better opportunity.. or maybe just wanted to live in Colorado... regardless sounds like Toronto had conversations, sounds like Ben Smith priced himself out... signed in Colorado for less money/didn't allow Toronto to match/thinking he'd have more of an opportunity with Colorado due to their lack of depth.

Regardless happy to see him back, says all the right things, very well spoken/very respectful... hard worker. Produced well for Toronto last season in the role they gave him.

 

[keon]

Horton, Robidas, and Lupul's contracts aren't all towards the cap hit though, being that they are on LTIR

None of Robidas, Horton, or Lupul are currently on LTIR and all three salaries currently count on the cap. You can check Cap Friendly.

 

[bobermay]

Horton, Robidas, and Lupul's contracts aren't all towards the cap hit though, being that they are on LTIR

1) I wasn't saying cap hits, I was saying the organization is dishing out 26.75 million to pay for those select players to not play for them...

2) None of them are on LTIR right now. (Edit: Should have continued reading before making this point)

 

[wingman75]

I didn't see another BS thread... so posting here.

Does anyone know Ben Smith's FO% since he has returned to the team? I am more interested in that % on PK FO's. It doesn't seem like he wins many, but it just may seem like that - hence I asking for the actual %.

Coach keeps putting him out, like all the time, and I don't really see him getting the job done.

Is this a case of Babs just believing in him, or is he asking him to do something his is not capable of?

GOAT seemed better on faceoffs, especially considering he is a rookie.

Or is BS in the lineup simply to get those GP and he goes back to AHL once he reaches the required games?

I could probably look these numbers up but I know you guys already know this...

 

[Randy Randerson]

I didn't see another BS thread... so posting here.

Does anyone know Ben Smith's FO% since he has returned to the team? I am more interested in that % on PK FO's. It doesn't seem like he wins many, but it just may seem like that - hence I asking for the actual %.

Coach keeps putting him out, like all the time, and I don't really see him getting the job done.

Is this a case of Babs just believing in him, or is he asking him to do something his is not capable of?

GOAT seemed better on faceoffs, especially considering he is a rookie.

Or is BS in the lineup simply to get those GP and he goes back to AHL once he reaches the required games?

I could probably look these numbers up but I know you guys already know this...

http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?agg...7-02-10&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,&sort=faceoffs

 

[teeder333*]

Ben Smith actually barged into the St Louis crease twice. Guy literally could have been the hero twice in this game. Maybe Babcock loves his guts. They were a couple of gutsy thrusts for sure.

 

[wingman75]

http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?agg...7-02-10&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,&sort=faceoffs

Rarely go to NHL.com site. Nice to see they have update that section with all kinds of filters. Thanks

Also, good to know I am seeing what I think I am seeing. 33% on SH FO's.... wow.

Ben Smith actually barged into the St Louis crease twice. Guy literally could have been the hero twice in this game. Maybe Babcock loves his guts. They were a couple of gutsy thrusts for sure.

He was decent tonight, agreed.