Spezza on waivers?

[Magic Man]

If a centreman needs "protecting" from his wingers, he's not a very good centreman.

Maybe not. But, his competition is Nick Shore. He is also not very good at it. Spezza may benefit from the defensive strength of his wingers, but Shore needs someone to drag him around in an offensive sense. Being he is a black hole and that line already has Fred Gauthier on it, I'm hoping they might opt for the offensive flair of the NHL player instead of the good defensive positioning in his own end of the fringe player to bring the line as a whole to a competitive balance at both ends of the rink when iced.

May not seem important but depth matters.

 

[ChurchOfMatthews]

One of the worst defensive centres who's been on torrid decline over the past 5 years?

Sure, let's make him PK!

He should never have been signed in the first place with the intention of playing him in a 4th line role.

It was always a WTF move but hey, Dubas doesn't suffer traditional hockey roles like the rest of the world.

Exactly, I disliked him in his prime and I detest him even more in a Leafs jersey. The Spezza signing by Duba's was always a wtf moment for me.

 

[Bomber0104]

Maybe not. But, his competition is Nick Shore. He is also not very good at it. Spezza may benefit from the defensive strength of his wingers, but Shore needs someone to drag him around in an offensive sense. Being he is a black hole and that line already has Fred Gauthier on it, I'm hoping they might opt for the offensive flair of the NHL player instead of the good defensive positioning in his own end of the fringe player to bring the line as a whole to a competitive balance at both ends of the rink when iced.

May not seem important but depth matters.

Ah, so you're real hung up on Nick Shore's roster spot.

What happens when Hyman gets back in the next game or two, you think?

 

[hfman]

is to Spezza the great player once was he, or is it he now becomes the player not quite at once he was?

 

[Magic Man]

Ah, so you're real hung up on Nick Shore's roster spot.

What happens when Hyman gets back in the next game or two, you think?

I'm still thinking that this is all a ruse and Spezza is on the team. But, if not he's claimed on waivers and the following occurs.

Shore probably eats minutes in the press box. But, he's the first and only one in line for an injury replacement and Babcock is in love with him which puts Timashov's minutes in jeopardy. Shore is going to see the ice if he is here, when with one easy correct decision, we may not have to see his completely unimpressive play for awhile and no one is lost to the wire, all available for playoff hockey, no feathers ruffled.

 

[leaffaninvancouver]

I’d rather Spezza in the press box over Shore. Spezza isn’t close to what he was but he can still play higher in the lineup if someone gets hurt.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

That's one soft lineup !

We're close to adding Hyman back to the lineup and Dermott had missed most of the season. 2 of out top 3 most physical players last year.

Unless we plan on playing Montreal in the playoffs this team isn't really "soft".

Hits per game (rounded):

MTL: 21
TB: 19
Bos: 18
Tor: 15
Fla: 15
Buf: 15

Dermott and Hyman add about 1.5 hits per game to the lineup. If you want to match a Tampa or Boston physically, all you really have to do is swap Timashov or Shore for Agostino.

This lineup may be soft to the heavy hitters in the league (Washington, Vegas, etc.) but in out division we're an average team physically.

This team is built with speed and skill. We have more than anybody on that list. We need a coach that can use that as a weapon.

 

[Ciao]

Your 4th line doesn't have to score? Spezza and Gauthier combined can't win faceoffs and clear the zone? That's all there is to a 4th line shift?

Pretty much. That's why all their faceoffs are in the D zone and they play so few minutes. It's a task-specific assignment.

If they should happen to score, it's all gravy. The main thing is to clear the zone and move the puck down the ice. That's what the man wants.

 

[sparxx87]

I’m truly shocked Jason Spezza and the 40 year old 4th line centre experiment didn’t work out. Here I was thinking he was a perfect fit as a PK and defensive specialist.

Who woulda thought it’d end this way?

 

[sparxx87]

We're close to adding Hyman back to the lineup and Dermott had missed most of the season. 2 of out top 3 most physical players last year.

Unless we plan on playing Montreal in the playoffs this team isn't really "soft".

Hits per game (rounded):

MTL: 21
TB: 19
Bos: 18
Tor: 15
Fla: 15
Buf: 15

Dermott and Hyman add about 1.5 hits per game to the lineup. If you want to match a Tampa or Boston physically, all you really have to do is swap Timashov or Shore for Agostino.

This lineup may be soft to the heavy hitters in the league (Washington, Vegas, etc.) but in out division we're an average team physically.

This team is built with speed and skill. We have more than anybody on that list. We need a coach that can use that as a weapon.

You can’t be serious.

And hitting/body checking doesn’t equal toughness. You can be tough and not hit, just like you can be soft and still throw the body.

 

[thewave]

I’m truly shocked Jason Spezza and the 40 year old 4th line centre experiment didn’t work out. Here I was thinking he was a perfect fit as a PK and defensive specialist.

Who woulda thought it’d end this way?

If it does end this way Dubas will once again cement his stupidity. Spezza is 1000x better than Shore. Shore is awful out there but we can pretend he does 4th line stuff great. Pretend.

 

[Ciao]

I’m truly shocked Jason Spezza and the 40 year old 4th line centre experiment didn’t work out. Here I was thinking he was a perfect fit as a PK and defensive specialist.

Who woulda thought it’d end this way?

Who is the 40 year old?

 

[thewave]

Who is the 40 year old?

34 year old Spezza

 

[jaric1862]

I think he gets traded to a team he wants to play for (instead of waivers). One thing that sucks with giving Spezza away is we no longer have a guy who can fill in at 3C if one of the top 3 centres go down. Yeah shore fills the 4th role better, but he can’t play up in the lineup like Spezza.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

You can’t be serious.

And hitting/body checking doesn’t equal toughness. You can be tough and not hit, just like you can be soft and still throw the body.

So what the hell to people want? lol

Define toughness for me in a way that "being tough" would effect the outcome of a hockey game in your favour other than physicality?

If you're talking about mental fortitude then sure they need to be mentally tough, but changing one or two guys doesn't change the whole team and we have to see what happens at playoff time to evaluate that.

If you're talking about being hard on the puck and not giving it up then yes we need to be more consistent.

If you're talking about getting in pointless scrums after the whistles or fighting guys for no reason after clean hits then I would disagree big time.

All of these things are trumped by skill, and if this team plays to their abilities they can beat anybody.

 

[thewave]

I think he gets traded to a team he wants to play for (instead of waivers). One thing that sucks with giving Spezza away is we no longer have a guy who can fill in at 3C if one of the top 3 centres go down. Yeah shore fills the 4th role better, but he can’t play up in the lineup like Spezza.

Shore can't even PK. He sucks and should be beached.

 

[jaric1862]

Shore can't even PK. He sucks and should be beached.

I meant 4th liner in a sense that he’s more defensive than Spezza, it’s just he really has no offensive ability at all.

 

[The Iceman]

Exactly, I disliked him in his prime and I detest him even more in a Leafs jersey. The Spezza signing by Duba's was always a wtf moment for me.

Not just good, 1st in the NHL in faceoff percentage last year, got us a 2nd point with an awesome shootout move, does not look out of place on PP2, only gets 9 mins a night.
Very useful if you ask me for minimum $$$ hit.

 

[rumman]

Can anyone seriously say he deserves to be in the lineup based on his play this year? The team thought he had another year left in him, he clearly doesn't, so they might dump him to free up a roster spot. Seems like a fair move to me.

he hasn't been the worse Leaf this season that's for sure.

 

[rumman]

Try to trade him, if you can't waive him

Seems like a decent dude but that's pro sports, just an unfortunate Set of circumstances if your a nice tenderhearted person, I'm not so I don't care

professional sports can be cruel to the aging player, time waits for no man...........

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

I am so confused with what's going on. I hear that he is being waived to make room for Hyman.
Dubas is all over the map. Wasn't he the one who wanted him in the first place? Why did they bother signing him then?
There have been so many changes to the roster this year, it will be months before we get some chemistry.
I don't get it.
Dubas statistic analysis and giving $ away is really wearing thin

Trying a bit too hard to shit on Dubas. Over a 700k signing to just provide an option for a 4th line?

 

[rumman]

Dubas is a wet noodle. He won't be fired but it's gonna be Shanny and Bab's making the personnel decisions.

when does that start happening??????

 

[Fogelhund]

You know the team has some very serious problems, when the Leafs forum devotes pages upon pages, to debating the merits of the demotion of the 13th/14th forward.

 

[sparxx87]

So what the hell to people want? lol

Define toughness for me in a way that "being tough" would effect the outcome of a hockey game in your favour other than physicality?

If you're talking about mental fortitude then sure they need to be mentally tough, but changing one or two guys doesn't change the whole team and we have to see what happens at playoff time to evaluate that.

If you're talking about being hard on the puck and not giving it up then yes we need to be more consistent.

If you're talking about getting in pointless scrums after the whistles or fighting guys for no reason after clean hits then I would disagree big time.

All of these things are trumped by skill, and if this team plays to their abilities they can beat anybody.

This exactly. You don’t ever have to throw a punch to play tough. It’s mental toughness above all else and that’s what I attribute to a willingness to do dirty work. High motor, high compete, want the puck, and be willing to block it with your bag to keep it out of the net.

They need more of it and Jason Spezza isn’t a solution. He’s a step slow and taken several penalties because of it. He doesn’t fit. Best of luck to him.

 

[Walshy7]

Exactly, I disliked him in his prime and I detest him even more in a Leafs jersey. The Spezza signing by Duba's was always a wtf moment for me.

it was cheap depth, you have incredibly high expectations of cheap depth. With our big boys taking up most of our cap expect way more signings exactly like spezza in the future