Pre-Game Talk: OFFICIAL: Nylander will make season debut vs. Detroit

[BackPassChampions]

Amazing news. After much patience and never losing hope in either side, the day is upon us everyone!

Buckle up, enjoy the ride. Brendan & co have restored the core foundations of this organization.

Let’s go Willy!!!

GO LEAFS GO!!!!

 

[Walshy7]

No chance...if Kap isn't with Matthew's he will be with Kadri

Keep an eye on it. Babcock won’t demote brown imo.

 

[Once]

I won’t be able to watch tomorrow.

Matthews - Nylander will be together for sure .

 

[Rude Dog]

4 mins away from not seeing this potential line up all season. Pumped. Best Leaf team I have watched in my 40 years on this planet. Gilmour still my favourite but he never had this supporting cast.

 

[kindalaidback]

Keep an eye on it. Babcock won’t demote brown imo.

he might move brown to the lw and kapanen to kadri's right.

 

[BackPassChampions]

I suspect Kappy to stay on either the first or second line, I can’t see a player with his skill go to a bottom pairing.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

he might move brown to the lw and kapanen to kadri's right.

You're probably right, putting AJ in the 4th RW spot

 

[frizzer1]

I would imagine that there are about 30 coaches who would love a chance to coach this group.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Whichever line gets the weaker matchup is going to run circles around Detroit's defence.

 

[I am Canadian]

My previous stance in the Nylander thread was that fans would be foolish and silly to boo him, so I was just jesting towards the idiocy a few fans will display.

Good.

 

[Walshy7]

he might move brown to the lw and kapanen to kadri's right.

Haha even worse. Brown is shit in his natural position

 

[egd27]

I would have bet they would have preferred to start him on the road.

Nah, get the big home town cheer.

He would be intimidated in Boston by both the crowd and the Bruins as a first start

 

[Pi]

If we lose because we added Nylander to the team, who are we trading him for?

I’d love to have Adam Larsson on this team.

 

[Pi]

Interested to see who Babcock puts on the LW on the Matthews-Nylander line

I'd go with Kapanen or Johnsson but I'm presuming Babcock goes with Marleau instead

Definitely Marleau. He put them out together in OT.

 

[Duke Silver]

So Brown is the new whipping boy, eh?

Some of these so-called Leaf "fans" make me sick.

What's your evaluation of Brown's game this year?

 

[DarkKnight]

A few times during this ordeal I watched some Willie YouTube to remind myself of his game, rather than the endless bs of a salary cap world. Exciting.

 

[Leafidelity]

Finally, the full 2018-2019 Leafs are released on the NHL

 

[Kiwi]

Definitely Marleau. He put them out together in OT.

Marleau and Matthews don't look great together, Marleau and Kadri however actually do look pretty good together

Matthews Nylander
Tavares Marner
Marleau Kadri

That's the pairs I'd work from and fill out the other positions from there

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Maybe Babcock promised Marleau to play with Matthews for the entire year if Marleau agreed to waive his NMC this summer.

 

[TDotMassive]

I was wondering who the whiners would select as their whipping boy after Polak and Leo exited.

Again, these are people who will complain that Babcock took too many games to win the Cup while the rest of us are at the parade.

The parade... I'm already there man

 

[Pi]

Marleau and Matthews don't look great together, Marleau and Kadri however actually do look pretty good together

Matthews Nylander
Tavares Marner
Marleau Kadri

That's the pairs I'd work from and fill out the other positions from there

I know.

From Twitter:

Matthews with Marleau: 48.22%CF
Matthews w/o Marleau: 59.65%CF
Marleau w/o Matthews: 43.55%CF

Marleau has had a pretty bad season so far and definitely drags Matthews down. I’d rather have Hyman on his line.

Matthews Hyman and Nylander were beastly on ES last year.

 

[member 300185]

Nylander won't be starting on the first line. He may finish there, but I doubt it.

 

[FlareKnight]

Might as well just get him out there. There's going to be rust and he's probably not going to be up to speed like the rest of the league. But the only way to get up to speed is to play some hockey.

Ideally he just jumps up and starts hot. But however it goes at least we can get our full force out on the ice.

 

[Judas Tavares]

Please please please go into the corners!

 

[MapleLeafs77]

I think this is how babcock pictures this lineup. Two skilled guys who control the puck in the offensive zone while the other guy sits in front of the net.

I think he knows that kapanen is great. I think he knows marleau should only be in front of the net.

So it comes down to this:
Brown/Marleau Matthews Nylander
Hyman Tavares Marner
Brown/Marleau Kadri Kapanen
Johnsson Lindholm Ennis

Honestly, I think babcock is going to have marleau on the first line. That is what he said in the beginning and that is what he is going to stick with.