Not Generating Assists

[AustonMitchWilly]

Now I understand that just looking at an assist column will yield a weak arguement, I think there is more to this than meets the eye.

Leafs have only 1 player in the top 90 players in the NHL in the assists column.

That player is Phil Kessel.

We are running a team where the majority of our assists are coming from a player that is expected to be scoring a lot of our goals.

One player cannot do it all.


I dont necessarily think we are missing someone of any specific forward position, we are missing someone with the vision of creating a play and being able to score a 1-pass goal.

Joe Thornton has more assists than Phil has in total points. Lets throw money at this gentleman in free agency and make sacrifices. Lets let our AHLers fill in the cracks.

Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[hotpaws]

Now I understand that just looking at an assist column will yield a weak arguement, I think there is more to this than meets the eye.

Leafs have only 1 player in the top 90 players in the NHL in the assists column.

That player is Phil Kessel.

We are running a team where the majority of our assists are coming from a player that is expected to be scoring a lot of our goals.

One player cannot do it all.


I dont necessarily think we are missing someone of any specific forward position, we are missing someone with the vision of creating a play and being able to score a 1-pass goal.

Joe Thornton has more assists than Phil has in total points. Lets throw money at this gentleman in free agency and make sacrifices. Lets let our AHLers fill in the cracks.

Thoughts?

If he was the missing piece in making us a serious contender I'd agree but he turns 35 before next season and I can't him improving us that much , never mid the fact we couldn't afford him without dumping a quality player of two . I also don't see him wanting to come here .

 

[thewave]

If he was the missing piece in making us a serious contender I'd agree but he turns 35 before next season and I can't him improving us that much , never mid the fact we couldn't afford him without dumping a quality player of two . I also don't see him wanting to come here .

He would improve us huge.

This team is disjointed, they fire the puck in deep and don't compete to get it. Over and over rinse and repeat. It's **** hockey, I stinks and is boring to watch. The team needs fixed.

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

If he was the missing piece in making us a serious contender I'd agree but he turns 35 before next season and I can't him improving us that much , never mid the fact we couldn't afford him without dumping a quality player of two . I also don't see him wanting to come here .

I see him wanting to come here. Hes a London boy, ready to retire soon I am sure. But he feeds everyone with the puck.

 

[BodaciousBeefBazooka]

I'm not a psychic or anything but why the **** Would he come to toronto? This team and franchise is tainted and he's like 35. I would assume he wants to compete for the playoffs and contend for a cup which Toronto won't be doing anytime soon as evident with this pathetic team.

 

[DaveT83*]

Ready to retire?

Toronto better pick him up.

 

[member 147413]

I'd love to have Big Joe for 3 years or so, that said, Clarkson+Bozak would probably have to be moved for cap space, and I love the way Bozie has been playing.

 

[Mess]

Now I understand that just looking at an assist column will yield a weak arguement, I think there is more to this than meets the eye.

Leafs have only 1 player in the top 90 players in the NHL in the assists column.

That player is Phil Kessel.

We are running a team where the majority of our assists are coming from a player that is expected to be scoring a lot of our goals.

One player cannot do it all.


I dont necessarily think we are missing someone of any specific forward position, we are missing someone with the vision of creating a play and being able to score a 1-pass goal.

Joe Thornton has more assists than Phil has in total points. Lets throw money at this gentleman in free agency and make sacrifices. Lets let our AHLers fill in the cracks.

Thoughts?

Wonder what they mean when they say "strength down the middle" is the key to success, because playmaking centers generate and run a team's offense.

Wonder if what your talking about is a flawed team built with its strength in their wingers trying to generate offense from the walls rather than down the middle ?

 

[Hero]

Little puck possesion -> Scoring on the rush and on turn overs -> Unassisted or 1 assist goals.

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

I'm not a psychic or anything but why the **** Would he come to toronto? This team and franchise is tainted and he's like 35. I would assume he wants to compete for the playoffs and contend for a cup which Toronto won't be doing anytime soon as evident with this pathetic team.

I think Joe would welcome the opportunity and challenge of trying to turn the Leafs franchise around. By adding him, his presence would be around a team that is built very similarly to the Sharks. Hes canadian, a leaf fan growing up I believe. I say throw the coin at him.

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

This team can win a cup.


FORWARDS
Joffrey Lupul ($5.250m) / Joe Thornton ($7.000m) / Phil Kessel ($8.000m)
James Van Riemsdyk ($4.250m) / Tyler Bozak ($4.200m) / David Clarkson ($5.250m)
Josh Leivo ($0.793m) / Peter Holland ($0.851m) / Nikolai Kulemin ($3.200m)
Jerry D'Amigo ($0.851m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) / Carter Ashton ($0.851m)
Trevor Smith ($0.550m) /

DEFENSEMEN
Dion Phaneuf ($7.000m) / Tim Gleason ($4.000m)
Jake Gardiner ($0.827m) / Morgan Rielly ($0.894m)
Carl Gunnarsson ($3.150m) / Stuart Percy ($0.863m)
Paul Ranger ($1.000m) /

GOALTENDERS
Jonathan Bernier ($2.900m)
Drew MacIntyre ($1.200m)

------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $66,253,375; BONUSES: $1,195,000
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $4,846,625

 

[Mess]

This team can win a cup.


FORWARDS
Joffrey Lupul ($5.250m) / Joe Thornton ($7.000m) / Phil Kessel ($8.000m)
James Van Riemsdyk ($4.250m) / Tyler Bozak ($4.200m) / David Clarkson ($5.250m)
Josh Leivo ($0.793m) / Peter Holland ($0.851m) / Nikolai Kulemin ($3.200m)
Jerry D'Amigo ($0.851m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) / Carter Ashton ($0.851m)
Trevor Smith ($0.550m) /

DEFENSEMEN
Dion Phaneuf ($7.000m) / Tim Gleason ($4.000m)
Jake Gardiner ($0.827m) / Morgan Rielly ($0.894m)
Carl Gunnarsson ($3.150m) / Stuart Percy ($0.863m)
Paul Ranger ($1.000m) /

GOALTENDERS
Jonathan Bernier ($2.900m)
Drew MacIntyre ($1.200m)

------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $66,253,375; BONUSES: $1,195,000
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $4,846,625

What the heck happened to Kadri and Reimer?

 

[I Believe]

As much as I would love big Joe, there's probably a 99% chance he finishes his career with the Sharks sadly.

 

[Durrr]

This team can win a cup.


FORWARDS
Joffrey Lupul ($5.250m) / Joe Thornton ($7.000m) / Phil Kessel ($8.000m)
James Van Riemsdyk ($4.250m) / Tyler Bozak ($4.200m) / David Clarkson ($5.250m)
Josh Leivo ($0.793m) / Peter Holland ($0.851m) / Nikolai Kulemin ($3.200m)
Jerry D'Amigo ($0.851m) / Dave Bolland ($3.375m) / Carter Ashton ($0.851m)
Trevor Smith ($0.550m) /

DEFENSEMEN
Dion Phaneuf ($7.000m) / Tim Gleason ($4.000m)
Jake Gardiner ($0.827m) / Morgan Rielly ($0.894m)
Carl Gunnarsson ($3.150m) / Stuart Percy ($0.863m)
Paul Ranger ($1.000m) /

GOALTENDERS
Jonathan Bernier ($2.900m)
Drew MacIntyre ($1.200m)

------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $66,253,375; BONUSES: $1,195,000
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $4,846,625

That team can't even compete in the east let alone win a cup LOL. Defense is awful, Gardiner is a RFA and needs a raise, Gleason is not capable of top pairing minutes, apparently Kadri and Riemer died, Bolland will want 4 mil, and there is no way Randy rolls half those young players together.

Even if that were the team, it's still playing a flawed system with one of the worst D cores in the league, and lacks serious depth. More realistic is taking out Bolland and swapping in Kadri on the 2nd line and Bozak on 2/3, but even then, a 35 year old Thorton does not make this team a contender alone.

 

[number72]

Now I understand that just looking at an assist column will yield a weak arguement, I think there is more to this than meets the eye.

Leafs have only 1 player in the top 90 players in the NHL in the assists column.

That player is Phil Kessel.

Thoughts?

Because Phil Kessel is a puck hog. Kessel is either shooting or passing and doesn't give the opportunity for his team mates to generate offence. No wonder a skilled playmaker like kadri didn't work with KEssel, because Kessel was running with the puck and squeezed kadri out of the plays.

 

[Mess]

Because Phil Kessel is a puck hog. Kessel is either shooting or passing and doesn't give the opportunity for his team mates to generate offence. No wonder a skilled playmaker like kadri didn't work with KEssel, because Kessel was running with the puck and squeezed kadri out of the plays.

Kessel is among the NHL shot leaders and you don't get intentional assists firing shots at the net, so its likely that at significant portion of Kessel's assists are generated from his shot on goal and his teammates cleaning up rebounds.

 

[Gallagbi]

Kessel is among the NHL shot leaders and you don't get assists firing shots at the net, so its likely that at significant portion of Kessel's assists are generated from his shot on goal and his teammates cleaning up rebounds.

You're contradicting yourself.

 

[Mess]

You're contradicting yourself.

I've added the word intentional in front of assists to complete my first point.

Kessel's assist total is not directly playmaking generated, but rather shot resulting outcomes if you prefer. Shots directed at the net as opposed to setting up others for their shots on net which is normally associated with direct assists.

 

[Gallagbi]

I've added the word intentional in front of assists to complete my first point.

Kessel's assist total is not directly playmaking generated, but rather shot resulting outcomes if you prefer. Shots directed at the net as opposed to setting up others for their shots on net which is normally associated with direct assists.

That doesn't really help, since Kessel does shoot for rebounds in certain situations.

He's also a very underrated playmaker, anyone who watches him on a regular basis should know that he's a more than capable passer.

I think number72's point was that Kessel carries the play on his line. The offense revolves around him, so it's difficult for others to put up points.

 

[Mess]

That doesn't really help, since Kessel does shoot for rebounds in certain situations.

He's also a very underrated playmaker, anyone who watches him on a regular basis should know that he's a more than capable passer.

I think number72's point was that Kessel carries the play on his line. The offense revolves around him, so it's difficult for others to put up points.

They don't put up points because Kessel is shooting the puck at the net and on goal, so rebounds would therefore be where linemates could increase their own point totals but not assist totals.

A sniper defines a player who is considered the finisher, and assists are usually associated with playmakers setting up the finishers.

Long goalless droughts by your sniper also don't help linemates generate assists.

Kessel generated 1 assist in 13 games in November, had 7 assists in 14 games in Dec and 2 assists in 5 games in Jan. In Leafs last 32 games he has 10 assists.

 

[Gallagbi]

They don't put up points because Kessel is shooting the puck at the net and on goal, so rebounds would therefore be where linemates could increase their own point totals but not assist totals.

A sniper defines a player who is considered the finisher, and assists are usually associated with playmakers setting up the finishers.

Long goalless droughts by your sniper also don't help linemates generate assists.

Thanks for the overview on how points occur in the NHL.

None of that changes the fact that Kessel produces assists both off rebounds and off actual passes.

Is it a coincidence that JVR and Lupul both had career years playing with Kessel?

 

[TankNationTillDeath]

The reason is simple.. it is because Carlyle is a rush coach!

We are not a puck possession team, which he says we are.
We cannot cycle the puck for ****, which is his system.

We block a random shot or two, fan on the clear, hope for their defence to trip, then have JVR/Kessle skate and get a goal

 

[Liminality]

They don't put up points because Kessel is shooting the puck at the net and on goal, so rebounds would therefore be where linemates could increase their own point totals but not assist totals.

A sniper defines a player who is considered the finisher, and assists are usually associated with playmakers setting up the finishers.

Long goalless droughts by your sniper also don't help linemates generate assists.

Kessel generated 1 assist in 13 games in November, had 7 assists in 14 games in Dec and 2 assists in 5 games in Jan. In Leafs last 32 games he has 10 assists.

Yet Kessel still has 153 assists and 140 goals in 328 games as a Leaf.

 

[Mess]

Yet Kessel still has 153 assists and 140 goals in 328 games as a Leaf.

Kessel does generate the most points both goals and assists above every other Leaf.

 

[Liminality]

Kessel does generate the most points both goals and assists above every other Leaf.

Just showing that he has more assists than goals as a Leaf.