Player Discussion: Tyler Ennis - Top Line Winger Edition

[MapleLeafs77]

I think he is awful there but I understand why Babcock is doing it. He doesnt want to mess up his other lines right now.

Once Nylander signs, Ennis is scratched and that is the end of it. But what if Kapanen works on that line and they score a ton? Then Nylander shifts down to 4th line? Be hard to break them up. Also then it changes all the other lines for chemistry.

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Leivo - Kadri - Kapanen
Johnsson - Lindholm - Brown

Those lines just make so much sense to me. I think Brown would do way better with those two players and I think Kadri’s line would do great with Kapanen.

 

[93WrapAround]

What do Matthews' powerplay and 3 on 3 points have to do with Ennis' poor play? I swear people can't just watch hockey and evaluate, gotta just defer to stats. 5 on 5 this line has looked nothing like a top 6 line through 2 games. The world is not ending its been 2 games but the facts are the facts, it hasn't worked so far.

 

[Blanche Blanche]

I think he is awful there but I understand why Babcock is doing it. He doesnt want to mess up his other lines right now.

Once Nylander signs, Ennis is scratched and that is the end of it. But what if Kapanen works on that line and they score a ton? Then Nylander shifts down to 4th line? Be hard to break them up. Also then it changes all the other lines for chemistry.

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Leivo - Kadri - Kapanen
Johnsson - Lindholm - Brown

Those lines just make so much sense to me. I think Brown would do way better with those two players and I think Kadri’s line would do great with Kapanen.

Kappanen can hang with Matthews and Marleau. Has speed/size and hes not afraid to go into a corner. He belongs on a higher line.

So far - Ennis has more impact with the puck than :
Hyman, Leivo, Brown and Johnsson.

I know i know, hes on with AM, and is boosted, but he is also playing vs higher QoC, and hes been a 2nd liner tops his career if im not mistaken.
The 4 guys i listed above are playing vs lower QoC and just messing up regular plays and passes.

Give Ennis his credit - few games in and hes gotten goals and assists and isn't shying away from battles like some of the other leafs are.

 

[socko]

In my opinion Marleau at least deserves the benefit of the doubt because of his experience and he still scored 27 goals last season. Plus it was Marleau setting up Matthews for the OT goal against Montreal.

5 of those Marleau goals last year were into an empty net.

 

[Not My Tempo]

5 of those Marleau goals last year were into an empty net.

6

 

[Clark4Ever]

As others have mentioned, Ennis is not necessarily the problem, he's just out of his element on the top line. It was fine as a stop gap measure in pre-season, but Babs has to look at a long term solution based on the way Nylander's contract negotiations are going. Kapanen is the obvious choice.

 

[socko]

Ennis either plays on a skill line or you waive him. There is no way you put him on a checking line.

 

[ToneDog]

Ennis is not the problem. Sure he would look better on the 3rd or 4th line but he battled and was not invisible on the ice.

Stack the top 3 lines and use the fourth sparingly.

 

[socko]

He has given Marleau 2 really good passes, 1 in each game, but Marleau can't score.

 

[Menzinger]

Ennis either plays on a skill line or you waive him. There is no way you put him on a checking line.

The Leafs don’t really have a checking line though. Not in the classic sense.

 

[Jeffrey Pedler]

5 of those Marleau goals last year were into an empty net.

Who cares, if you can't hit an empty net, then you shouldn't be playing pro hockey. Some people are just complainers, the fact that he put up 47 points at age 38 is good. Most hockey players wouldn't put up those kind of numbers at that age.

 

[Menzinger]

He looks like he still has NHL life still in him, a useful depth forward. He looks awful though on Matthews line (which has been bad at 5v5). He’s be fine lower in the lineup, or as a 13th forward they could switch into the lineup when need be

Matthews has 3 goals and 1 assists in 2 games. Why are we talking about this?

Ennis wasn’t on the ice for two of the goals.

 

[666]

Ennis is not the problem. Sure he would look better on the 3rd or 4th line but he battled and was not invisible on the ice.

Stack the top 3 lines and use the forth sparingly.

The mistake that people are making is suggesting that Ennis is replacing Nylander, he's not, he's replacing Hyman and Marleau is replacing Nylander.

 

[hotpaws]

I think he is awful there but I understand why Babcock is doing it. He doesnt want to mess up his other lines right now.

Once Nylander signs, Ennis is scratched and that is the end of it. But what if Kapanen works on that line and they score a ton? Then Nylander shifts down to 4th line? Be hard to break them up. Also then it changes all the other lines for chemistry.

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Leivo - Kadri - Kapanen
Johnsson - Lindholm - Brown

Those lines just make so much sense to me. I think Brown would do way better with those two players and I think Kadri’s line would do great with Kapanen.

what makes more sense is dropping Hyman to the 3rd or 4th line but Babs will never do that .

Hyman will never jell with JT and MM , JT plays low away from the puck in open space in the o-zone and since Hyman can't do much else other than wrestle with the D man in front of the net and chase loose pucks down low he just gets in the way since JT is basically occupying a similar space .

 

[34]

Not a fan.

Agree.

Ennis is terrible. He does not even belong opinion the NHL.

The faster we get Willy Nylander back the better off for Matthews it is!

 

[Stephen]

Ennis is a stop gap essentially.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Meh I’d still give him some time - new team, systems etc

 

[Mickey Marner]

what makes more sense is dropping Hyman to the 3rd or 4th line but Babs will never do that .

Hyman will never jell with JT and MM , JT plays low away from the puck in open space in the o-zone and since Hyman can't do much other than wrestle with the D man in front of the net and chase loose pucks down low he just gets in the way since JT is basically occupying a similar space .

Yeah, I don't really get the logic of it. Marner and Hyman fit better with Matthews than Tavares. Leivo and Nylander would be better linemates for Tavares, whose bread and butter is winning puck battles down low and centering it to wingers in the slot.

 

[hotpaws]

Yeah, I don't really get the logic of it. Marner and Hyman fit better with Matthews than Tavares. Leivo and Nylander would be better linemates for Tavares, whose bread and butter is winning puck battles down low and centering it to wingers in the slot.

the only reason for the switch i can see is Mathews told Babs he had enough of Hyman

it's too bad Babs loves Hyman because once Nylander signs he has a wide variety of options at his disposal he could try

 

[Mickey Marner]

the only reason for the switch i can see is Mathews told Babs he had enough of Hyman

it's too bad Babs loves Hyman because once Nylander signs he has a wide variety of options at his disposal he could try

I don't really have a problem with Hyman with Matthews as long as the RW is Nylander/Marner. I do have a problem with him leading our forwards in time on ice last season and Marleau being second.

This is the Ennis thread though, so I'll stop airing my unrelated grievances.

We'll have a league-min vet like Ennis every season for the foreseeable future. It's simply a must when you'll have ~40 million tied up in 5 forwards. As long as this player isn't losing us games, they're worth their contract.

 

[hotpaws]

I don't really have a problem with Hyman with Matthews as long as the RW is Nylander/Marner. I do have a problem with him leading our forwards in time on ice last season and Marleau being second.

This is the Ennis thread though, so I'll stop airing my unrelated grievances.

We'll have a league-min vet like Ennis every season for the foreseeable future. It's simply a must when you'll have ~40 million tied up in 5 forwards. As long as this player isn't losing us games, they're worth their contract.

if we're forced to having cheap vets in the future so be it but there's no reason to have Kap and Johnson on the 4th line while Ennis rides shot gun with Mathews this season

 

[Havoc]

I don't really have a problem with Hyman with Matthews as long as the RW is Nylander/Marner. I do have a problem with him leading our forwards in time on ice last season and Marleau being second.

This is the Ennis thread though, so I'll stop airing my unrelated grievances.

We'll have a league-min vet like Ennis every season for the foreseeable future. It's simply a must when you'll have ~40 million tied up in 5 forwards. As long as this player isn't losing us games, they're worth their contract.

True, but these league min vets are for the bottom 6.

Look at Pens:

Guenztel-Crosby-Hornqvist

Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel

Then look at Caps:

Ovi-Kuznetsov-Connolly

Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie


Then we have the Leafs:

Marleau-Matthews-Ennis

Hyman-Tavares-Marner


That's horrible. How can any team call that top 6 a contender. Easily a playoff team yes but not a contender.

Simple fix:

Marleau-Matthews-Marner

Kadri-Tavares-Kapanen



I don't understand the current lines. We can't outplay Habs or Sens with them. Wtf is going to happen when we come across an actual contender lol.

 

[Morbo]

At his very best he was a second line player. he was never a winger you should be playing with a Matthews. It's not like it's going to go on all season, either.

 

[MJ65]

Well, we're 2 games into the season now and Tyler Ennis is currently our top line RW (or at least 2nd line RW, depending on which number you feel Matthews' line is). Personally, can't say I'm impressed. No doubt he tries hard out there and while I appreciate the effort, I feel he would be better served lower in the lineup. Someone like Kappy I think would do much better in Ennis' spot until Willy returns.

What does everyone else think about Ennis?

It's not his fault, his skillset is not meant for the top lines

Once Nylander is back he is going to serve some time in press box along with Leivo, Johnsson and probably Brown (if coaching staff do not see any improvement, as he hasn't put the effort he is capable of)

 

[Azazel]

Ennis is here for league minimum and is only a stop-gap until Nylander comes back. If Ennis is still slotted on the top line a week after Nylanders return then ill start getting concerned.