Confirmed with Link: TOR signs LD Mikko Lehtonen

[93LEAFS]

Well... There is literally 8 Russian defencemen in the NHL right now and only 2 are undrafted. You dont have a good enough sample size.

Lyubushkin
Zaitsev

You are ignoring guys who came over and failed though by just looking at the ones still here. There are also the ones who came over and didn't live up to the hype. Ozhiganov, Medvedev, Yelesin (last years big KHL defender sent quickly to the AHL), Bogdan Kiselvich, Anton Belov etc. Very few of these mid-20 defenders signed from Europe seem to have much success crossing over. The best examples, I can think of our guys who grew up playing NA hockey such as Giordano or Rafalski, or guys you have to go back to when they were behind the Iron Curtain. I may have been a bit aggresive in my statement, but thinking signing this guy makes Dermott tradable would be extremely reckless and a gamble I don't agree with if thats the play. Lets wait until camp and see what we have. The people thinking it would be wise to trade Dermott to play this guy make me think of people who choose Mystery Box over the $50,000 dollar prize.

I don't know why any sane person would think signing an undrafted 26 year old one-year wonder would make some of the names I'm seeing like Rielly expendable or that he's already better than Barrie. Seems people really haven't paid attention to how mid-20 euro defenders with no NA experience tend to transfer over.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

In what world is Rielly a better defenseman than Parayko?

This world tells a different story than the world you are living in.

Assessing which NHL defencemen have the best transition game - Sportsnet.ca

Back your talk. So there it is for my perspective

 

[selltrade]

Replacement for burrie

Pavelie burrie

 

[93LEAFS]

Makes a lot of sense

Rielly-Holl
Muzzin-Lehtonen/Dermott
Lehtonen/Dermott - xxx
Marincin

xxx= Bogosian/Ceci/Braun/Gudas

Sandin/Liljegren get challenged to take the step from top pair to league wide MVP level in the A, and the team has two high end waiver exempt replacements.

I think we've reached the point with Liljegren and Sandin where we have to see what we have. Sink or swim.

 

[kb]

I think we've reached the point with Liljegren and Sandin where we have to see what we have. Sink or swim.

I think this signing sums up how comfortable they felt for next season.

 

[4thline]

I think we've reached the point with Liljegren and Sandin where we have to see what we have. Sink or swim.

We're talking about a U21 and U22 year. They're not going to be ruined with 50 games carrying a d-corp in the A and 30 with meaningful minutes in the N. Getting them to the A early was a benefit to their development, it doesn't make them older or turn them into time-bombs

 

[93LEAFS]

We're talking about a U21 and U22 year. They're not going to be ruined with 50 games carrying a d-corp in the A and 30 with meaningful minutes in the N. Getting them to the A early was a benefit to their development, it doesn't make them older or turn them into time-bombs

I don't think there is much left for Liljegren down there. I get why we were cautious this year when he was up this year, because we were trying to save our season. But, I believe from the start of next year, its time to give him a chance and see what we have. Nothing indicates to me that he shouldn't be getting a solid 16 minutes a game for the first couple weeks unless he really bombs camp. Both guys should have their name in pencil on the roster going into camp.

 

[Coachcorner]

Others are not only JELIOUS of us, but they SCARED of us after this mayne! (!) I mean mayne the streets is talkin hard after this one... we now have everybody. The offense is the leagues, (world's best) and now we have our top 5 even stronga. Harda. Mayne they are talking bout us hard and what really, I mean treally surprises me is the fact one man was saying this: "I want to be like the maple leafs." I want to be like that." That there can't even go more deep........ mayne we bout our money, and our personel. Hard.

 

[4thline]

I don't think there is much left for Liljegren down there. I get why we were cautious this year when he was up this year, because we were trying to save our season. But, I believe from the start of next year, its time to give him a chance and see what we have. Nothing indicates to me that he shouldn't be getting a solid 16 minutes a game for the first couple weeks unless he really bombs camp. Both guys should have their name in pencil on the roster going into camp.

I think they're both ready, but I think we may yet have better/equal full time options, and a huge drop off to the next wave. We're likely to need 25-35 games each from our 7 and 8, plus another handful from the 9-10.

60 games from Sandin and Liljgren + 15 from Marincin/Rosen >>>> 60 games from Marincin/Rosen + 15 from ?? Rubins and Lindgren??

30 games + likely some playoff action should have them breathing fire and ready to take the league by storm the year after.

 

[michi510]

Photo is from February 2019. Now they’re very likely teammates. Funny how the world works sometimes

 

[93LEAFS]

I think they're both ready, but I think we may yet have better/equal full time options, and a huge drop off to the next wave. We're likely to need 25-35 games each from our 7 and 8, plus another handful from the 9-10.

60 games from Sandin and Liljgren + 15 from Marincin/Rosen >>>> 60 games from Marincin/Rosen + 15 from ?? Rubins and Lindgren??

30 games + likely some playoff action should have them breathing fire and ready to take the league by storm the year after.

That has both seeing real NHL time in only the last year of their ELC's. I think next year is the year to give them minutes, especially Liljegren on the right-side. Outside of the fear of having an all-rookie bottom pairing, it seems time to give both legitimate NHL spots. There isn't much left for them in the AHL at this point. Both are AHL level all-stars. Its time to see what we have and give them a legitimate NHL spot, there isn't much more for them to do at that level. At this point we just have to give them some room for error and test them out for the first 15 to 20 games. If they fail that test send them back, but if they don't then there ready. I get why we couldn't do that with Keefe this year because we were (or are) chasing a playoff spot from behind. I don't really see the point in not giving them those 15 to 20 games to start unless they truly come into camp unprepared.

 

[rent free]

Photo is from February 2019. Now they’re very likely teammates. Funny how the world works sometimes

View attachment 344977

who's that in the middle on the left

 

[Zub]

Others are not only JELIOUS of us, but they SCARED of us after this mayne! (!) I mean mayne the streets is talkin hard after this one... we now have everybody. The offense is the leagues, (world's best) and now we have our top 5 even stronga. Harda. Mayne they are talking bout us hard and what really, I mean treally surprises me is the fact one man was saying this: "I want to be like the maple leafs." I want to be like that." That there can't even go more deep........ mayne we bout our money, and our personel. Hard.

Idk why but i read this in a black dudes voice in my head

 

[4thline]

That has both seeing real NHL time in only the last year of their ELC's.

Worked fine for the likes of Theodore/Sanheim/Andersson/De Angelo/Bear.

While I think it's possible that they could outright steal a spot and be too good to cut, planning for it is putting the player before the team, because of the depth reasons I laid out. It leaves us paper thin.

I think it's also quite possible that if they're injury call ups mid season that they make it impossible to send them down.

 

[Zub]

Just based on comments from Dubas, none of Sandin or Lilly are guaranteed spots, so everyone putting Sandin in the lineup for sure might want to step back. Another thing I take away from the comments he isn't trading any of the young defencemen.

From the little that i've seen from Sandin i can say that he has very high potential.

 

[Kiwi]

Photo is from February 2019. Now they’re very likely teammates. Funny how the world works sometimes

View attachment 344977

I'm sorry, I look at that picture and hockey just jumps out of my mind for some reason are there hockey players somewhere?

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Who do you see him playing over?

Dermott

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Before everyone jumps to the trade Dermot attitude. Nothing about this guy indicates he's above an AHL player.

How can you say that? He was the best Dman in the KHL last year...

 

[Zub]

How can you say that? He was the best Dman in the KHL last year...

Exactly, i think he's just pessimistic af about it, like too much. The guy has potential to bee good in the NHL. Nothing says that he's just a AHL'er. This coming from a fan of him.

 

[Big Empty]

Kudos for not being one to change your opinion on a player solely because of where they signed

I actually don’t even hate the Leafs. I’d rather see you guys succeed then a random team like Nashville with no real hockey history.

 

[Leaf4Life79]

Exactly, i think he's just pessimistic af about it, like too much. The guy has potential to bee good in the NHL. Nothing says that he's just a AHL'er. This coming from a fan of him.

And honestly, I don't blame him for doing so, but this kid is good!

Now could you imagine if some how Big Buff wanted to play here and we signed him to a low contract, omg! we would be set on the blue line!

 

[stickty111]

From the little that i've seen from Sandin i can say that he has very high potential.

I agree.

 

[stickty111]

I actually don’t even hate the Leafs. I’d rather see you guys succeed then a random team like Nashville with no real hockey history.

Thanks for the kind words. I will admit some fans I don't like from the Habs, but every team has those.

 

[93LEAFS]

Worked fine for the likes of Theodore/Sanheim/Andersson/De Angelo/Bear.

While I think it's possible that they could outright steal a spot and be too good to cut, planning for it is putting the player before the team, because of the depth reasons I laid out. It leaves us paper thin.

I think it's also quite possible that if they're injury call ups mid season that they make it impossible to send them down.

I'm not a fan of the idea of planning to yo-yoing guys for two seasons. If they look ready, they deserve a 15 or so game shot to see if they can stick. Which is what Sanheim got, before being sent back down, and then was called up for good. Andersson, outside of a one-game taste on two separate occasions once, he was called up, he was called up for good. Both Theordore and DeAngelo are guys who didn't live up to expectations with the teams that drafted them, with other teams reaping the reward for actually playing them (although Anaheim got screwed by expansion, and DeAngelo is a headcase).

It's not putting the player before the team. It's part of having a viable developmental strategy. Both guys have earned a clear trial run, and yes, we should have the depth to back them up. But, they should be first in line for that shot. See how we never yo-yo'd Willy between levels, and haven't done it so far with Dermott.

How can you say that? He was the best Dman in the KHL last year...

It may have been a bit extreme, but you thinking he is better than Dermott is reaching. Have you seen the long list of hyped KHL d-men who came here around the same age who were either in the AHL or back to the KHL within a year? Belov, Ozhiganov, Medvedev, Kiselvich, etc.

 

[Big Empty]

Thanks for the kind words. I will admit some fans I don't like from the Habs, but every team has those.

No problem. I’ve never understood the current animosity because we haven’t played serious games versus each other in forever. I hope the Habs can get a bit more competitive soon so we have a healthy rivalry haha.