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Confirmed with Link: The @MapleLeafs have signed defenceman Teemu Kivihalme to a one-year entry level contract.

francis246

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Nov 16, 2007
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CantLoseWithMatthews said:
handedness is arguably the least important trait in a player, and it's somehow the biggest area people want to focus on. Well, that and how he's apparently super undersized at 6' 185 pounds. When you get a surplus of similar players, you can move one or two of them to fill an area of weakness. The perfect player isn't going to fall into Dubas' lap for free, so I hope he's willing to take what he can get and make it work
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I have to disagree. When it comes to playing defense, if you are on your backhand the entire time it is way harder. Also getting the puck out of the zone is harder. It makes a huge difference for defenseman. It’s harder for the dman to play the puck or push the opposing player into the boards.

It’s not about finding the perfect player, it’s about prioritizing. I think most of the fan base would actually be okay with overpaying for a QUALITY RHD. Dubas and co just need to pay the premium and get one. We haven’t had a solid RHD since Cody Franson lol.

If I was Dubas id be looking to move Nylander for one. Subban is available apparently, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the cost would be
 

oooooooooohCanada

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Jan 14, 2017
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Watching this video he seems to be bigger than his 6' 180lbs listing. Maybe it's just me but he seems to be taller. Or maybe his stick is just really long.

 

Prominence

Ryan Tverberg Fan
Jul 22, 2011
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francis246 said:
I have to disagree. When it comes to playing defense, if you are on your backhand the entire time it is way harder. Also getting the puck out of the zone is harder. It makes a huge difference for defenseman. It’s harder for the dman to play the puck or push the opposing player into the boards.

It’s not about finding the perfect player, it’s about prioritizing. I think most of the fan base would actually be okay with overpaying for a QUALITY RHD. Dubas and co just need to pay the premium and get one. We haven’t had a solid RHD since Cody Franson lol.

If I was Dubas id be looking to move Nylander for one. Subban is available apparently, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the cost would be
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Stralman is better. Franson was sheltered. You are right about handiness. It matters especially at the analytics level where shots for decreases by 10%. It is why babcock does not play rielly with muzzin.
 
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Face Of Bear

Face Of Bear

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Jul 30, 2012
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Seems like someone who can fill the role Rosen/Marincin did this year. Marlies anchor D that can handle a call up.
 
nuck

nuck

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Aug 18, 2005
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kb said:
KK (Leafs) and KK (Marlies) both say hi.
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Kaskisuo hasn't been in Finland in 7 years and he is quite a bit older. I thought maybe Kivihalme had intersected with Kaski but he was basically an American player until the last two years with Karpat. Kapanen is close in age but he was playing at a higher level since 12-13. At least the Leafs are "Fin friendly" so maybe that score them points.
 
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kb

kb

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nuck said:
Kaskisuo hasn't been in Finland in 7 years and he is quite a bit older. I thought maybe Kivihalme had intersected with Kaski but he was basically an American player until the last two years with Karpat. Kapanen is close in age but he was playing at a higher level since 12-13. At least the Leafs are "Fin friendly" so maybe that score them points.
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Yeah, that's what I meant....Finn friendly. Having said that, Kivihalme was born and raised in the US, and only left 2 seasons ago. He probably considers himself American.
 
Mess

Mess

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Feb 27, 2002
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Matthews34 said:
So instead of signing the big Liiga offensive star RHD we sign another small LHD??? I don't understand this at all.
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The strategy with all these "free wallet" previously undrafted players is always the same, its like tossing spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks and occasionally a team gets lucky.

Leafs are hoping they get another Zaitsev here but right now he might be just another Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman late bloomers.

The fact he played 3 years in the NCAA playing NA hockey might give him a leg up, although he didn't get drafted nor draw any interest back then.
 
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teddygmr

Registered User
Jul 7, 2006
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Mess said:
The strategy with all these "free wallet" previously undrafted players is always the same, its like tossing spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks and occasionally a team gets lucky.

Leafs are hoping they get another Zaitsev here but right now he might be just another Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman late bloomers.

The fact he played 3 years in the NCAA playing NA hockey might give him a leg up, although he didn't get drafted nor draw any interest back then.
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actually he DID get drafted, by Nashville in 5th round in 2013. In his first season at Colorado College he played with Jacob Slavin (who is a year older and moved to the NHL the next season). Colorado College 2014-15 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com
 
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Mess

Mess

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teddygmr said:
actually he DID get drafted, by Nashville in 5th round in 2013. In his first season at Colorado College he played with Jacob Slavin (who is a year older and moved to the NHL the next season). Colorado College 2014-15 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com
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I stand corrected, never really heard/followed of this guy prior to Leafs signing. Having never shown up at any WJC or U-18 tournament his exposure would be very limited.

He's taken kind of an odd road being of Finnish decent, but born in the States, going through US high school, then the USHL then NCAA College, but playing for Finland internationally and then playing in Finland up until now. That's kind of backwards to what happens in most cases where Finnish born kids, coming to NA early to chase a NHL dream and then returning home.

Being born in US you would think after NCAA completed he would be chasing his hockey dream in North America. Wonder if his parents return to Finland and that is why he decided to follow them overseas, and having duel citizenship it allowed him to play for either US or Finland internationally.
 
KDOTO

KDOTO

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Feb 17, 2018
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TDOTO
francis246 said:
I have to disagree. When it comes to playing defense, if you are on your backhand the entire time it is way harder. Also getting the puck out of the zone is harder. It makes a huge difference for defenseman. It’s harder for the dman to play the puck or push the opposing player into the boards.

It’s not about finding the perfect player, it’s about prioritizing. I think most of the fan base would actually be okay with overpaying for a QUALITY RHD. Dubas and co just need to pay the premium and get one. We haven’t had a solid RHD since Cody Franson lol.

If I was Dubas id be looking to move Nylander for one. Subban is available apparently, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the cost would be
Click to expand...
I don't think he means it that way. I think he is saying when evaluating talent, handedness is low on the totem pole of what your looking at.

If you look at past draft, would u think rielly moves up or down if he was an rd. Would seth Jones be less coveted if he was left d. Werenski, povo move up if they were rd. I don't think their handedness change much on how teams looked at them in my opinion. If they are in trade talks or if they are ufa then yeah it would be looked at more by teams. But at the end of the day talent is talent and you collect as much as you can and deal with it later.

So yeah I think he means teams don't go hunting for handedness when they evaluate talents and which prospects to sign. Like i said Trades for NHL players and signing ufa yeah that's different.
 
Fogelhund

Fogelhund

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Sep 15, 2007
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Downside of this signing - He doesn't make the Leafs, and plays for and helps the Marlies for a year or two, not really costing us any cap.
Upside of this signing - he's a top 4 defender, like the Finnish league fans think he can be in the NHL, giving us a cost controlled asset, and flexibility to make moves.
 
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lifelonghockeyfan

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Dec 18, 2015
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MyBudJT said:
We are actually weak at LD depth for the Marlies next season. After Sandin, who do we have? Borgman and Rosen could very well both be in the NHL next season.

At RHD, we have: Liljegren, Hollowell, Duszak, Rasanan*, etc.
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I wonder if the Leafs think Guelph's Gordeev is an AHLer/NHLer. Plus is Greenway going to sign.
 
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