Line Combos: This team won't be weaklings.

[Wafflewhipper]

I think this line-up will be tough to play against. Babcock has a better defensive team already than we have seen in years. They will tack up maybe more points than we like possibly.

Am i the only one thinking this because there wasn't a thread yet about it. Thoughts! NOTE* tough meaning puck possession and scoring. Some are misinterpreting my context

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[Rufio65*]

Our forwards are laughably soft. Who up front is tough to play against??

The only player on this team that can physically impose his will is Dion Phaneuf. People can hate on Phaneuf all they want, but he is the only guy on this roster that is truly tough to play against. This roster is very soft.

 

[Purity*]

Our forwards are laughably soft. Who up front is tough to play against??

The only player on this team that can physically impose his will is Dion Phaneuf. People can hate on Phaneuf all they want, but he is the only guy on this roster that is truly tough to play against. This roster is very soft.

You're forgetting Polak. As erratic as he can be defensively he's definitely a real bruiser out on the ice.

 

[MacerV]

You're forgetting Polak. As erratic as he can be defensively he's definitely a real bruiser out on the ice.

Dudes a truck. 230+ lbs and only 6 feet tall. If he wants you to move, you gonna move.

 

[hamzarocks]

kadri can be physical when he wants too as well, he has layed out some big hits in the past

 

[Donald McRonald]

Yeah Babcock might have a good system, hopefully the boys buy into it right away.
But yeah, this team is gonna get mauled, big time.

"There's gonna be pain."

 

[Liminality]

Our forwards are laughably soft. Who up front is tough to play against??

The only player on this team that can physically impose his will is Dion Phaneuf. People can hate on Phaneuf all they want, but he is the only guy on this roster that is truly tough to play against. This roster is very soft.

For once I actually agree with you. Phaneuf and maybe Polak are the only people who could impose their force onto other players. Is that a really bad thing though? The rest of the players like Kadri, Komarov and Winnik are annoyingly deceptive against the other team. They'll agitate the other team with their speed, stick checking and constant pressure.

Which style is more effective? It's debatable.

We need skilled gritty forwards who'll pay the price, we'll see how Babcock influences them and see if he can change some players ways. Think Marner would be perfect for their style up front. On the back end there's still promise with Rielly but who knows how others will develop.


Saying that, I'm not expecting anything substantial from the team this year.

 

[ConnorTO]

well there goes the tank

 

[JohnnyO]

Our forwards are laughably soft. Who up front is tough to play against??

The only player on this team that can physically impose his will is Dion Phaneuf. People can hate on Phaneuf all they want, but he is the only guy on this roster that is truly tough to play against. This roster is very soft.

Komarov.

 

[hotpaws]

Komo-Winnick

and i thought with our recent draft that we wanted to go the small-skilled-soft route ?

Marner/Bracco along with Nylander and maybe Brown among other smurfs doesn't scream a tough prospect pool .

 

[Jacquestrapless]

I think this line-up will be tough to play against. Babcock has a better defensive team already than we have seen in years. They will tack up maybe more points than we like possibly.

Am i the only one thinking this because there wasn't a thread yet about it. Thoughts!

Some posters are up in arms regarding the interpretation of tough. We will most likely play a grittier game, going into corners, making/taking checks to make plays and giving 100% every night. We won't intimidate anyone though and I am interested to see how Babcock negates intimidation tactics from other teams, as coaching a rebuilding team is somewhat uncharted territory for him.

 

[crump]

Bit of a mixed bag..

Up front...

Komarov, Spaling and Winnik will be diligent checkers and defensively responsible.
Kadri will lay out some hits and is not afraid of the rough areas.
JVR and Mathias, Beck while not known for using their huge frames to knock people out of the rink, will at least be hard to knock off the puck.
If Carrick makes the team will bring grit and determination.

By all accounts, Parenteau, Arcabelo, Bozak, Lupul (glass), Holland are ranging from average to soft as butter.

On D Phaneuf, Polak, Robidas (even at his age) won't shy away from a hit, Rielly is looking bigger this year and may add more physicality into his game.. Marincin, while big, plays small, Gardiner is either excellent at playing angles to check or soft as butter according to people on this board.

Players can buy into systems and with Babcock it's the system that makes a team tough to play against. It depends on how these guys buy into his plan.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Some posters are up in arms regarding the interpretation of tough. We will most likely play a grittier game, going into corners, making/taking checks to make plays and giving 100% every night. We won't intimidate anyone though and I am interested to see how Babcock negates intimidation tactics from other teams, as coaching a rebuilding team is somewhat uncharted territory for him.

Yeah i should qualify the interpretation i had in mind for tough meant speed and possession. I really don't see this team having trouble scoring goals either to go along with the better possession game that seems possible.

Tough in this context means not fighting tough.

 

[Shwaguy*]

As long as young guys like Rielly, Gards, Kadri and any rookies who may make the team and develop well (I.e Rielly top pairing Dman or #1, Gards #2 or #3 Dman, Kadri #1B Centre 60-65 points+ Great 2 way game, Brown/Percy forcing their way into a top 6/top 4 role, Assuming Nylander does stay in the AHL. etc.) All the while flipping our 1 year rentals for picks still and our prospects develop with a boom here or there. I'm happy regardless of where we finish in the standings, all that is more important than a high draft pick unless we can land a top 3 pick. Who knows, maybe the Hockey Gods bless us and we win a top 3 pick from the Lotto?

I think with Babcock and having a new system that ought to be effective it's not outside the realm of possibility for 3 or 4 of those things to happen.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Would be nice to see a break out year for Gardiner, Rielly, Dion (resurgence), Kadri, JVR, and Holland. We miss the playoffs barely due to trouble scoring, but the team and city is buzzing about the future.

Draft lottery comes and we land a top 3 pick. We take Chychrun and rebuild complete.


JVR-Marner-Brown
Kapenen - Nylander - Bracco
Leipsic - Kadri - Komarov
Beck - Gauthier - Panik



Rielly - Chychrun
Dermott - Dion
Percy - Polak

Bernier

Killer top 6 with an actual good 3rd line that will annoy other teams and draw lots of penalties while producing offense and defense.

Deep D core.

In a few years offer sheet McDavid max salary x 7 years. Shift Marner or Nylander to W, trade off some pieces for cap space and get picks back to replace them. As those guys leave (Non core guys like Bracco or Leipsic etc) later picks will be coming up and replacing them.

We lose 4 mid to late firsts for McDavid, and have the best top 6 in the NHL and a top 10 D.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

Would be nice to see a break out year for Gardiner, Rielly, Dion (resurgence), Kadri, JVR, and Holland. We miss the playoffs barely due to trouble scoring, but the team and city is buzzing about the future.

Draft lottery comes and we land a top 3 pick. We take Chychrun and rebuild complete.


JVR-Marner-Brown
Kapenen - Nylander - Bracco
Leipsic - Kadri - Komarov
Beck - Gauthier - Panik



Rielly - Chychrun
Dermott - Dion
Percy - Polak

Bernier

Killer top 6 with an actual good 3rd line that will annoy other teams and draw lots of penalties while producing offense and defense.

Deep D core.

In a few years offer sheet McDavid max salary x 7 years. Shift Marner or Nylander to W, trade off some pieces for cap space and get picks back to replace them. As those guys leave (Non core guys like Bracco or Leipsic etc) later picks will be coming up and replacing them.

We lose 4 mid to late firsts for McDavid, and have the best top 6 in the NHL and a top 10 D.

I love it

Not only is that forward group insanely deep and talented, but we ALSO have great middle-6 guys in Johnson (I think he'll be top-6 candidate), Timashov, Korostelev, Soshkintov + more in the next drafts.

And Oh, I think you're missing Alexander Nylander... the guy we're going to draft with the Pens 1st rounder next year

But I don't like the fact Dion is in there. Even though Bozak had a terrible effect on Dion (there's a thread on the Leafs board on it), he has been declining. I would think Gardiner (his advanced stats are incredible, 1st pairing even right now while being Stralman-level underrated) makes it instead of Phaneuf. And I have to say that Polak will be out by the time it's all done.

Rielly - Chychurn
Dermott - Gardiner
Percy - Lindgren/Finn/????

Edit: HOW DID I FORGET HARRINGTON. Harrington needs to be in there. Marincin NEEDS to be in there. Oh gawd, we're lacking elite talent in D, but we sure are STACKED with 2nd pairing potential D members in Gardiner, Dermott, Marincin, Percy, Harrington.

It's more like:
Rielly - Chychurn
Gardiner - Marincin
Dermott - Percy/Harrington
Extra: Lindgren, Finn, etc

Notice how there's not a single RHD in that group other than Lindgren lol

Also, this lineup would be WAY too expensive to keep if they all play like they're expected. But it'd be nice to have this group while they are young together win something in the playoffs.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

Hopefully they're bad but work hard?

 

[LeafingTheWay]

Hopefully they're bad but work hard?

Yeah. They'll be hard working, great possession players, etc. BUT they'll have no one to finish or even create repetitive good scoring chances.

That way when Marner, Nylander, Kapannen, Brown, Bracco etc all join the group in the future, the current Leafs system will have great finishers and elite talent to actually create great scoring chances. If the system works possession wise, then Marner and co should have ample opportunity to create chances again and again each game.

 

[senor martinez]

Our forwards are laughably soft. Who up front is tough to play against??

The only player on this team that can physically impose his will is Dion Phaneuf. People can hate on Phaneuf all they want, but he is the only guy on this roster that is truly tough to play against. This roster is very soft.

I also think we should be tougher. This team will not be tough to play against. We do have Winnik Komarov, Polak, Kadri (is a dirty player in many ways though small). That's just not enough. We are not tough to play against right now. Phaneuf can play tough game too, but this is just not enough clearly. Many other teams have so many BIGGER players and tougher too.

Remember when we had McLaren, Mike Brown and Orr in the 4th line all of them at the same time. That was like two years ago. It's not that far away. Back then.... we made the playoffs and kicked some serious butt. Those rear ends were shaking like something back then. I was really excited and ready. So was we. We almost beat the boston bruins in seven games, in the playoffs. Beside that... we haven't even made into the playoffs during these 11 long years. Long years. That team was really special. And TOUGH and rough with those white puffs.

 

[Quarter]

Remember when we had McLaren, Mike Brown and Orr in the 4th line all of them at the same time. That was like two years ago. It's not that far away. Back then.... we made the playoffs and kicked some serious butt. Those rear ends were shaking like something back then. I was really excited and ready. So was we. We almost beat the boston bruins in seven games, in the playoffs. Beside that... we haven't even made into the playoffs during these 11 long years. Long years. That team was really special. And TOUGH and rough with those white puffs.

It's unbelievable that some people still parrot that useless fourth line as the reason for making the playoffs while completely ignoring the real reason was the 48 game schedule.

 

[JohnnyO]

I also think we should be tougher. This team will not be tough to play against. We do have Winnik Komarov, Polak, Kadri (is a dirty player in many ways though small). That's just not enough. We are not tough to play against right now. Phaneuf can play tough game too, but this is just not enough clearly. Many other teams have so many BIGGER players and tougher too.

Remember when we had McLaren, Mike Brown and Orr in the 4th line all of them at the same time. That was like two years ago. It's not that far away. Back then.... we made the playoffs and kicked some serious butt. Those rear ends were shaking like something back then. I was really excited and ready. So was we. We almost beat the boston bruins in seven games, in the playoffs. Beside that... we haven't even made into the playoffs during these 11 long years. Long years. That team was really special. And TOUGH and rough with those white puffs.

Mike Brown never played a playoff game for the Leafs, Orr and McLaren combined for 8 playoff games with 0 points, and I doubt either of them played over 4-5 minutes per game in the regular season let alone the playoffs.Don't get me wrong I'm a big fan of fighting and I think those guy's probably have a tonne of character but they're also kind of pointless in this day and age.
Edit: Orr actually looks like he averaged around 6:29 that year reg and post season, and McLaren had 7:46 of ice time in his one playoff game, still pretty inconsequential though.

 

[Szymonmf]

So what do people think the lines will look like this year if there are no more additions or subtractions (though I hope Bozak is shipped of to Timbuktu)
I hope we look something like this

JvR-Kadri-Panik
Lupul-Bozak-Pareanteau
Matthias-Holland-Komarov
Beck-Spaling-Winnik/Arcobello

After bozak gets traded, Holland and spalling get promotions while arcobello gets slid back in the middle and carrick is called up as the 13th forward. I know some people would want to see winnik on a higher line but with the amount (or lack thereof) of skill, all four lines should see high minutes thanks to the disappearance of the fourth line goons.

obvious D looking like

Gardiner-Phaneuf
Reilly-Polak
Marincin-Hunwick/Robidas

 

[Pookie]

I think this line-up will be tough to play against. Babcock has a better defensive team already than we have seen in years. They will tack up maybe more points than we like possibly.

Am i the only one thinking this because there wasn't a thread yet about it. Thoughts!

Tough? Ummm no. Not this bunch.

We are modelled after the Red Wings. Think 2-1 games. Think facewashes while the brass talks to the press about team toughness.

Sad but media has convinced a number of folks that the game is played without grit and fighting. They are wrong but that's the direction we are going

 

[X66]

Maybe they can be tough to play against with the way possess the play. I.E always working, which means you better be working.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

Tough? Ummm no. Not this bunch.

We are modelled after the Red Wings. Think 2-1 games. Think facewashes while the brass talks to the press about team toughness.

Sad but media has convinced a number of folks that the game is played without grit and fighting. They are wrong but that's the direction we are going

Chicago and Tampa don't have the sole fighting guys if that's what you're trying to mention. They have skilled-tough guys (Boyle, Seabrook, Shaw, etc) Toronto has Leipsic as their agitator (Shaw/Gallagher-like player with similar skill-level), Kadri as another agitator but ridiculously skilled, Gauthier who has a scary size.

Of course these lineups aren't going to come into fruition at the same time. Players like B.Boyle, Prust, Pouliot, etc that are great possession players/positive impact players/tough guys will always be around and be additions to the team.

IMO, Nylander should play wing even though he's 6'0 185 pounds, he isn't as strong defensively as one would want. But that might change in the near future. Marner, Kadri, Gauthier as our top-3 Cs. And then we can have at least one skilled tough guy in our lineup.