Line Combos: TOR needs to **** or get off the pot in regards to our defense

[Liminality]

The Pens had Crosby and Malkin......

Didn't say we had a Crosby or Malkin. We have Matthews, Tavares, Marner and Nylander up front. That's the main core the Leafs will build around.

 

[Sypher04]

Whether an acquired physical D man is on the bottom pairing or top 4, I think he's a necessity.
Of course a bottom pairing guy isn't going to cost the Leafs as much, in terms of money or
what assets they'd have to give up.

But yeah, a good physical, solid bottom 5 or 6 Dman would help a lot.

Leafs D got pushed around way too often in the Bruins series loss. It was all too evident
that the Leafs need an upgrade in defense, if they're ever going to go all the way. The
playoffs are very rough.

Top 4 is ideal really I suppose since Borgman is capable of the bottom pair role for us.

 

[al secord]

This is all true, but it is also 6 more years of Tavares contract hanging around your neck.

Thank God. What a beautiful necklace.

 

[Notsince67]

Also Borgman easily replaces Polak in terms of physical edge while being better in several other respects. He never should have come out of the lineup imo

Also Zaitsev has an underrated physical game

Borgman is a left and Polak is a right.
Left side will be: Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, (??Rosman/Borgman/??Marincin)
Right side is Zaitsev, Hainsey,(???Carrick/???Ozhiganov/...Holl???/…)
I am sure hoping Oz can move the puck and Zaitsev plays well

 

[Rehabguy]

Rielly, Gardiner, Zaitsev, Dermott, Hainsey, Carrick, Borgman, Rosen, Holl, Ozhiganov, even Marincin for a stint. That's 11 NHL capable defensemen. Some are no more than 5-6s but that's fine, it's still depth.

How did that depth do in the playoffs last year and the year before that?

 

[Rehabguy]

Thank God. What a beautiful necklace.

Just a word of warning about pearl necklaces. They are not always what they appear..... Err you know they can be fake or worse.

 

[Sypher04]

Borgman is a left and Polak is a right.
Left side will be: Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott, (??Rosman/Borgman/??Marincin)
Right side is Zaitsev, Hainsey,(???Carrick/???Ozhiganov/...Holl???/…)
I am sure hoping Oz can move the puck and Zaitsev plays well

Well, many players are capable of playing their offside, especially if an NHL job depends on it. That said, I'm intrigued somewhat by the idea still of:

Gardiner - Rielly
Dermott - Hainsey
Borgman - Zaitsev

 

[Notsince67]

This is all true, but it is also 6 more years of Tavares contract hanging around your neck.

Yeah....I also have a fridge full of food hanging around mine

 

[Liminality]

How did that depth do in the playoffs last year and the year before that?

Dermott, Hainsey, Borgman, Rosen, Holl and Ozhiganov were not with the Leafs in the Washington series and the right side was weak against the Boston series. Still got to 7 games and the Leafs have improved since then.

Nobody is saying the Leafs D is perfect but here's the thing, it doesn't need to be.

 

[al secord]

Just a word of warning about pearl necklaces. They are not always what they appear..... Err you know they can be fake or worse.

Giggity giggity?

 

[Rehabguy]

Giggity giggity?

goo?

 

[Notsince67]

Well, many players are capable of playing their offside, especially if an NHL job depends on it. That said, I'm intrigued somewhat by the idea still of:

Gardiner - Rielly
Dermott - Hainsey
Borgman - Zaitsev

Now that the top opposing dman pairings will split duties with 2 lines, it might work to pull back Gardiner from a bit of Matthews ice time and move him the tough offensive matchup duties. It could work

 

[Sypher04]

I never personally felt that Borgman deserved to be taken out of the lineup

 

[Buds17]

I never personally felt that Borgman deserved to be taken out of the lineup

Numbers game. Logjam at LD, and Dermott was able to take on more of a workload. I agree there's potential there with Borgman.

 

[Fogelhund]

Rielly, Gardiner, Zaitsev, Dermott, Hainsey, Carrick, Borgman, Rosen, Holl, Ozhiganov, even Marincin for a stint. That's 11 NHL capable defensemen. Some are no more than 5-6s but that's fine, it's still depth.

Sandin, Durzi, Rasanen, Liljegren, Lindgren, Nielsen.....

We will continue to draft, and we will continue to look to Europe, for hidden gems.

We will have guys like Sandin, Liljegren, Dermott as cost controlled assets for years. We will have a pipeline of other cost controlled guys for 5/6.

No elite names, but there are plenty of names there. Often some of the better D men come from later rounds, so we need to continue to draft and develop. We sure could use a Josh Manson, but he was a 6th round pick. Or a durable Tanev, who was undrafted, Brett Pesce was a third round pick.

Development of D is the key here. Some will work out, some won't... the more we have, the better our development system, the more we can plug in to fill holes.

 

[Fogelhund]

I never personally felt that Borgman deserved to be taken out of the lineup

Maybe not, but Dermott is a superior player... and Borgman wasn't going to displace Rielly, nor Gardiner.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I never personally felt that Borgman deserved to be taken out of the lineup

He had his ups and downs but I like what he brought to the table

 

[Sypher04]

Sandin, Durzi, Rasanen, Liljegren, Lindgren, Nielsen.....

We will continue to draft, and we will continue to look to Europe, for hidden gems.

We will have guys like Sandin, Liljegren, Dermott as cost controlled assets for years. We will have a pipeline of other cost controlled guys for 5/6.

No elite names, but there are plenty of names there. Often some of the better D men come from later rounds, so we need to continue to draft and develop. We sure could use a Josh Manson, but he was a 6th round pick. Or a durable Tanev, who was undrafted, Brett Pesce was a third round pick.

Development of D is the key here. Some will work out, some won't... the more we have, the better our development system, the more we can plug in to fill holes.

For sure, I was just focused on guys who could play in the NHL now if needed.

 

[Sypher04]

While I'm happy Dermott got in, I feel like Polak was the more obvious one to remove. I understand why he wasn't, but I would have preferred Borgman & Dermott both were in.

 

[Fogelhund]

While I'm happy Dermott got in, I feel like Polak was the more obvious one to remove. I understand why he wasn't, but I would have preferred Borgman & Dermott both were in.

Polak is a RHD

Borgman and Dermott are LHD.

 

[Ciao]

I would like to see the Leafs continue to do exactly what they're already doing -- which is drafting and developing young players at all positions including defence.

The Leafs might already have all the defencemen they will need within their own system. The "shit or get off the pot" crowd can go to Hell while the Leafs patiently develop their own defencemen.

That's a silly expression anyways. It implies that Leafs management can't make up their minds, when all the evidence suggests they have already made a decision to develop from within. It's not the decision that the OP and many others would like, but I think they have made a decision not to go to the used-defenceman store and pony up for someone else's defenceman. I'm good with that.

 

[Sypher04]

Polak is a RHD

Borgman and Dermott are LHD.

Yeah I'm aware. And Hainsey is a LHD playing as a RD. If the player is better I dont think their side should be a hang up.

 

[Bluelines]

What does "getting off the pot" look like for the Leafs? Fold the franchise?

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Start the year
Get our version of a McDonagh at the deadline when teams are desperate to position themself for the draft.

 

[Craig Button]

Just a word of warning about pearl necklaces. They are not always what they appear..... Err you know they can be fake or worse.

Okay I just googled and binged to triple check. We did indeed sign John Tavares and not Johan Tavarov.

You got me scared with your crazy talk about fake pearl necklaces.