Post-Game Talk: Leafs win a barn burner

[therealkoho]

I don't know the exacts. I thought Babcock was the guy to discover Hyman.

Maybe I am wrong.

Course now. Everyone is probably saying, "it was me". But from my memory, the internet accused Babcock, of all kinds of weird things.

To clarify, I am not a Babcock guy per se. But I think Jack Campbell would give Babcock a tap.

Heck if Jack can do it, so can I.

Detroit had been scouting Larkin at Michigan, Hyman was his line-mate, clearly Larkin was the more talented of the two but Babs wanted Hyman almost as much as he wanted Larkin

When it was clear McKegg wasn't the player they thought he was going to be, Babs suggested that maybe Florida would swap him for Hyman, the rest they say is history

 

[Mess]

That was a very entertaining game.

Ottawa sure give our Leafs a run for their money and this is game #8 and all have been nearly 1 goal differences.

 

[Sypher04]

Detroit had been scouting Larkin at Michigan, Hyman was his line-mate, clearly Larkin was the more talented of the two but Babs wanted Hyman almost as much as he wanted Larkin

When it was clear McKegg wasn't the player they thought he was going to be, Babs suggested that maybe Florida would swap him for Hyman, the rest they say is history

Dubas' relationship with Hyman predates Babcock

 

[therealkoho]

Dubas' relationship with Hyman predates Babcock

how so Kevin

 

[Sypher04]

how so Kevin

I've heard several times that Dubas was an advisor to Hyman in the NCAA

 

[Menzinger]

I've heard several times that Dubas was an advisor to Hyman in the NCAA

Yep. Dubas' relationship with Hyman predates him joining the Leafs.

NCAA players can't technically have agents but they can have "advisors" and Dubas' did that with Hyman

 

[therealkoho]

more info
SIMMONS: Finding Zach Hyman. The story behind the trade that brought him to Toronto | Toronto Sun

 

[Stephen]

Detroit had been scouting Larkin at Michigan, Hyman was his line-mate, clearly Larkin was the more talented of the two but Babs wanted Hyman almost as much as he wanted Larkin

When it was clear McKegg wasn't the player they thought he was going to be, Babs suggested that maybe Florida would swap him for Hyman, the rest they say is history

That Nylander-Larkin decision in 2014 was interesting. Dylan Larkin is a Michigander who was actually a Leaf fan:

For some Larkins, Leafs ties are thicker than family ties - Featurd Stories

 

[Stephen]

more info
SIMMONS: Finding Zach Hyman. The story behind the trade that brought him to Toronto | Toronto Sun

I love that story. On the flipside, I'm also curious about the story of why the Leafs threw Carter Verhaeghe out with the bath water in that Michael Grabner trade. It's been a long road but he seems to have become a really good find for Florida after Tampa developed him into a useful part.

 

[saltming]

Detroit had been scouting Larkin at Michigan, Hyman was his line-mate, clearly Larkin was the more talented of the two but Babs wanted Hyman almost as much as he wanted Larkin

When it was clear McKegg wasn't the player they thought he was going to be, Babs suggested that maybe Florida would swap him for Hyman, the rest they say is history

Hyman also requested to be traded here only or he would go to FA and then try to get into Toronto

 

[therealkoho]

I love that story. On the flipside, I'm also curious about the story of why the Leafs threw Carter Verhaeghe out with the bath water in that Michael Grabner trade. It's been a long road but he seems to have become a really good find for Florida after Tampa developed him into a useful part.

Yeah for sure they hardly gave him a look, it very well could've been something as simple as saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong guy, or maybe he liked off ice activities more then he should have, a la Danny Cleary or Bradley Boyes

 

[therealkoho]

Hyman also requested to be traded here only or he would go to FA and then try to get into Toronto

I guess his Dad couldn't afford MLS&E so it had to get done some other way

kidding just kidding

 

[Stephen]

Yeah for sure they hardly gave him a look, it very well could've been something as simple as saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong guy, or maybe he liked off ice activities more then he should have, a la Danny Cleary or Bradley Boyes

I think Verhaeghe would be like a Josh Leivo type depth guy who was worth keeping around and developing but it happens. I just remember on the eve of the big rebuild before we had anything he was a guy people were circling as a darkhorse so I guess there's a bit of a sentimental attachment to seeing him succeed.

 

[mix1home]

Man what a find Mikheyev has been. Definition of free wallet

Unlike many others we found this wallet was full of ca$h.

 

[saltming]

I guess his Dad couldn't afford MLS&E so it had to get done some other way

kidding just kidding

"It was always a dream of mine to play for Toronto," Hyman said, standing in the Leafs dressing room a few hours after scoring his first NHL goal. "I didn't know how that would happen. Everything kind of worked out."

Leafs rookie Zach Hyman a privileged kid who plays a ‘blue-collar game’

 

[Antropovsky]

Muzzin looked bad in this game.

 

[mix1home]

Dude, that one armed stick check? I want his home address lol. Here we have one of the NHL's

Hall has played 30 mins last game. Not sure of his ice time this game, but I guess Keefe trains him to play that long for PO games. May as well try it now to have the feel of it and make some mistakes in regular season.

 

[Antropovsky]

more info
SIMMONS: Finding Zach Hyman. The story behind the trade that brought him to Toronto | Toronto Sun

Morrison just keeps hanging around... overall his record at the draft was better than the guru Hunter who took his job. Glad he is hanging around still.

 

[Brobust]

Detroit had been scouting Larkin at Michigan, Hyman was his line-mate, clearly Larkin was the more talented of the two but Babs wanted Hyman almost as much as he wanted Larkin

When it was clear McKegg wasn't the player they thought he was going to be, Babs suggested that maybe Florida would swap him for Hyman, the rest they say is history

LOL, even Steve Simmons admits that it was Dubas who found Hyman.

 

[Brobust]

Hyman also requested to be traded here only or he would go to FA and then try to get into Toronto

Based on a recent article, Hyman was fully willing to sign in Florida if they wasted year 1 of his ELC.

 

[saltming]

Based on a recent article, Hyman was fully willing to sign in Florida if they wasted year 1 of his ELC.

Maybe. I can't remember where I heard he requested the trade but I don't think Tallon would say that Hyman wanted out

 

[Menzinger]

Morrison just keeps hanging around... overall his record at the draft was better than the guru Hunter who took his job. Glad he is hanging around still.

He seems like a good company man: there's a reason he's now worked under like 5 GMs at this point.

His biggest problem was some of those GMs had pretty bad drafting ideas

 

[fahad203]

I will never understand why, after a Leafs win, the vanquished team’s fan base:

1. Is “not impressed” with the Leafs that just beat their team
2. Knows the Leafs will never win a playoff round
3. States with certainty that our best players stink, are over-rated, draft busts or otherwise completely inept
4. Points out the obvious facts that their team outplayed, outchanced and otherwise owned the Leafs, but the (refs, bad ice, bad luck, bad bounce, Universe in general) were just against them tonight.

Happens EVERY game the Leafs win. Makes no sense.

THE LEAFS JUST BEAT YOUR TEAM. How does this not even register with some of those people?

(As an aside, I should really go back and see if we too say all of this after a Leafs loss, but the last loss seems SOOOOO long ago, so I won’t bother.)

Because most fans have seen enough hockey to sometimes see smokes and mirrors

The fact Leafs even last night had hard time beating Ottawa. They allowed a goal with 20 seconds to go. Constantly having hard time closing out games

Our PP again looked so lackluster and has been for last 12 games

Our D last night was badly played

These are tale tale signs. Contending teams have bad games but they don't make habits of these recurrences

 

[Iapyi]

Tavares might have lost a step but he is making it up by playing with determined effort and great intensity every time he is on the ice. His problem to me has been he likes carrying the puck into the enemy zone - trying to go through multiple opposing players in tight spaces, without support, and often losing the puck in the process.
He should learn to distribute the workload to his wingers, by dumping the puck in and let Willy and whoever to earn their livings in the corners and along the boards, while he circles around the net which he is good at.

I like some components of Nylanders game but in the corners and along the boards is not realistic from his game.

Why is he without support? Because Nylander doesn't do corners and boards. Add in that he is not an NHL centre and it kind of results in Tavares doing what he has to do on that line.

Perhaps if Hyman was on that line and Galchenyuk was with M&M it would be the best. Last nights game showed this may be a viable option.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Because most fans have seen enough hockey to sometimes see smokes and mirrors

The fact Leafs even last night had hard time beating Ottawa. They allowed a goal with 20 seconds to go. Constantly having hard time closing out games

Our PP again looked so lackluster and has been for last 12 games

Our D last night was badly played

These are tale tale signs. Contending teams have bad games but they don't make habits of these recurrences

Not sure where you're getting this from. Outside of a mini slump when Matthews has hurt, this team has been winning games at an absurd pace and even with that slump, is just a hair out of 1st place overall.

Take a closer look, I'm pretty sure the glass is at least half full.