Proposal: Toughness to the Leafs

[Deuce Awesome]

Five pages in and some reasonable proposals.

Im good with a first for Simmonds, also like the Brown for Kassian idea.

 

[Steeze]

Brown for Kassian or Maroon.
or
Brown and a 1st for Simmonds.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Crazy that it’s over 3 minutes long

Those were just the slew foots. There were longer ones with all his dirty plays.

 

[Machinehead]

Beleskey is nasty and has looked great for the Rangers. Effective NHL player who has scored at this level.

Not sure how the retention works across multiple trades, but he fits the bill to a tee.

 

[Menzinger]

In what universe is Kassian worth Brown?

 

[M2Beezy]

You're joking, right?

Works for both teams. So no

 

[Revelation]

Gemel Smohwait

 

[Revelation]

Ironically the Leafs are the one team that can roll with a 0 offense all bloodhound 4th line since their top 9 is so deep. Something Wagner-Smith-Matt Martin would have been a huge boon to that team whereas it would be too 4th liney to other ones

 

[KINGS17]

So the leafs as evidence by tonight's soft effort vs Boston need toughness to win in the playoffs + grit.

However, they don't need useless enforcers like Colton Orr or Thorburn types.

Someone like a Wayne Simmonds would be useful. Any other options out there?

Dustin Brown, but the term is probably too long for Toronto's liking. Kings would be wise to retain a bit of Brown's cap hit in a trade. The Kings could take one bad contract back in return as long as it expires this season, or season after next.

Of course the Kings would be looking for a 1st round pick and a good prospect in return.

Brown has had a bit of a renaissance since getting out from under Sutter's criticism. I like Sutter, but Brown and Sutter were like oil and water.

 

[Revelation]

Leafs are gonna feel it in a 7 game series where teams get worn down physically to the point where top pairing D look like #4s and 3rd liners suddenly look like top liners against a rattled overhit team. There's a reason Ovechkin and Kuznetsov had their best playoffs ever last year and that reason all the open ice they had while teams were cowering from #43. Maybe if Marchand gets hit a few extra times he suddenly ain't Marchand no more

 

[Swedish Gretzky]

The Leafs' problem isn't a lack of toughness in terms of lacking Orr or Tie Domi type players.

They're a finesse/skating/skilled team and they can have trouble playing against the trap and other systems that make it harder for them to make plays in the middle of the ice. You don't necessarily need to be very tough to beat the trap and other such systems, but you do need to be able to adjust and you need to make smart plays and to be willing to get more involved physically. They may need a good grinding winger or two or they may just need to get their better players to change their style of play when necessary.

This.

However, I suspect the organization has gone through a recent paradigm shift by relying more on pure skill rather than that physical type of play which I firmly believe is desperately needed when it matters.

It appears as though this is the avant garde hypothesis that the organization seems to want to test for now. Who knows maybe its crazy enough that it will work.?

 

[Newsworthy]

Ironically the Leafs are the one team that can roll with a 0 offense all bloodhound 4th line since their top 9 is so deep. Something Wagner-Smith-Matt Martin would have been a huge boon to that team whereas it would be too 4th liney to other ones

Yeah they could have gotten Chris Wagner for cheap. He's not too bad.

 

[north49er]

Would love to get Reaves from Vegas but not sure if they're looking to move him.

You already have a Zamboni.....

 

[DictatorTots427]

How's Brown + 2nd for Ferland? He's one player I would love to add

 

[mashedpotato]

How bout Toronto just beat every team by outscoring them?

 

[sansabri]

How's Brown + 2nd for Ferland? He's one player I would love to add

lol

 

[Matthews34]

I could have sworn the Leafs beat the same Bruins team last week 4-2. Andersen played well that game and didn't Saturday it's that simple. All goalies have bad games. I'm not sure why the panic.

 

[FalcorMulch]

The Leafs way of trying to fight back when getting pushed around is to just go the cheap and dirty route against other team's best players.

It took the Bruins 13 seconds into the 1st to crosscheck our leading scorer from behind into the boards. Cry me a f***ing river. Both teams went too far in that game.

 

[Hammettf2b]

The Leafs don't need new players for toughness. Take a look at what Detroit has done this year so far. Their players are playing tougher, sticking up for one another and overall playing with grit. Albeit it seemed like it took quite a few years for this group of guys to start playing like this, but it can be done. I'm not talking about players like Abdelkader or Witkowski either. Players like Larkin and Mantha are showing grit now as well.

 

[Get North]

Call up Richard Clune.

 

[snowkiddin]

Leafs need defense not toughness. If they want to waste a roster spot on a bum like Thorburn then more power to them but that’s not gonna happen.

 

[Got One Cup]

How about Bortuzzo? He’s oozing toughness for us. Could be had for cheap.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Clifford
LaDue
Eyssimont

For

Brown
Stotts

 

[sheed36]

Leafs need defense not toughness. If they want to waste a roster spot on a bum like Thorburn then more power to them but that’s not gonna happen.

How about combine the 2 and get a dman that also provides grit and toughness. Kill 2 birds with one stone.

 

[Sniper99]

Would love to get Reaves from Vegas but not sure if they're looking to move him.

if the knights were in sell mode probably. But they're not.