News Article: What does the future hold for Toronto Maple Leafs Defense?

[Thissiteisgarbage]

I watch a lot of the Marlies games and both Holl and Neilsen look like they could be a #5 or 6 kinda guys in the future.

 

[Drytoast]

he's also developed this bad habit of turning his back on the play when collapsing to the net, I've got no idea why he thinks there could be an advantage in doing this

his total lack of physicality is also disturbing, there have been more then a few times in the last 5 games where he could have separated the man from the puck with a simple shoulder but he just watches the guy float around the corner with the puck, he needs more coffee and red meat

He is a stick checker. Its a other part of his game i despise. Polak will pin you to the boards...gardiner will swat at ya with his stick...

 

[Drytoast]

I don't see it. Gardiner has the exact same amount of time remaining on his contract as OEL. Gardiner might command less (5-5.5M per) but OEL should get 7-8.5M...and at that point I think Arizona simply puts out the difference. Only difference would be OEL likely going to leave Arizona and Gardiner would be silly to agree to an extension in Arizona...

Its a hail mary prayer that arizona bites on the offer more for the draft pick and prospect.

Keeps their cap low

 

[WTFMAN99]

Its a hail mary prayer that arizona bites on the offer more for the draft pick and prospect.

Keeps their cap low

I think Arizona can look at what Shattenkirk got at the deadline and get that safely for OEL

Equiv would be

1st
2nd
Rasanen from us, likely more.

 

[Gallagbi]

He is a stick checker. Its a other part of his game i despise. Polak will pin you to the boards...gardiner will swat at ya with his stick...

He's certainly no Polak, you're right on that.

 

[IceColdBear]

I've been playing NHL 18, and I've happened upon the obvious move for our franchise: JVR + Adam Brooks for Chris Tanev

/thread

 

[Nithoniniel]

He is a stick checker. Its a other part of his game i despise. Polak will pin you to the boards...gardiner will swat at ya with his stick...

That's just two different tools to use, and neither is superior. Polak might pin the player to the board, but he's also not having his stick on the ice covering a passing lane. Gardiner is covering the passing lane, but won't separate the player from the puck in the same way.

Some of the best defensemen in history played stick on puck primarily.

 

[Joey Hoser]

He is a stick checker. Its a other part of his game i despise. Polak will pin you to the boards...gardiner will swat at ya with his stick...

Not to equate Gardiner to Lidstrom, but that's exactly how Lidstrom played.

If you despise how Lidstrom played, you probably need to re-evaluate how you look at the situation.

 

[Menzinger]

That's just two different tools to use, and neither is superior. Polak might pin the player to the board, but he's also not having his stick on the ice covering a passing lane. Gardiner is covering the passing lane, but won't separate the player from the puck in the same way.

Some of the best defensemen in history played stick on puck primarily.

Take Luke Schenn, he’s often make a bone crushing hit, but the player with the puck would often have long offloaded it to an open teammate and Schenn would be helpless to do anything else on the play.

Sometimes it’s better to use that flexibility of the stick on puck play instead.

 

[Drytoast]

That's just two different tools to use, and neither is superior. Polak might pin the player to the board, but he's also not having his stick on the ice covering a passing lane. Gardiner is covering the passing lane, but won't separate the player from the puck in the same way.

Some of the best defensemen in history played stick on puck primarily.

His stick checking and pass blocking are half assed and ineffective.

At least you know polaks man isnt going to score.

Incase this isnt evident i will be posting the inevitable gardiner gaffe incoming tonight.

The one that leads to or directly causes a goal against us

 

[Nithoniniel]

His stick checking and pass blocking are half assed and ineffective.

At least you know polaks man isnt going to score.

Incase this isnt evident i will be posting the inevitable gardiner gaffe incoming tonight.

The one that leads to or directly causes a goal against us

Never understood people who seem to want to see one of our own players struggle.

As for inevitable. Gardiner isn't even on the ice for a goal against per game on average, so even if every goal is a direct result of him alone, it's not inevitable. He leads our regular defense in GA/60 for that matter.

I get that you don't like him. We are all disappointed in his season so far. You're taking it so far that it's hard to take you seriously though.

 

[Drytoast]

Never understood people who seem to want to see one of our own players struggle.

As for inevitable. Gardiner isn't even on the ice for a goal against per game on average, so even if every goal is a direct result of him alone, it's not inevitable. He leads our regular defense in GA/60 for that matter.

I get that you don't like him. We are all disappointed in his season so far. You're taking it so far that it's hard to take you seriously though.

He's clearly regressed. Thinks "offense first" in our own zone. Makes bone headed decisions and for some idiotic reason we get mad at Polak or Zaitsev.

Gardiner needs to go. And these boards need to focus in on the player who's the problem. And not so much the one that makes the safe play by icing it. Or who takes penalties to prevent goals.

 

[Nithoniniel]

He's clearly regressed. Thinks "offense first" in our own zone.

There's no logic here. He's clearly regressed by... thinking offense more? And you arrive at that due to things that really have nothing to do with offense at all?

He's had a rough start to the game. He has that quite often. There's no way to be sure it's regression, or a slump, or just his regular slow start.

Makes bone headed decisions and for some idiotic reason we get mad at Polak or Zaitsev.

Don't think I've ever seen anybody blame Polak for what happens with Gardiner.

And these boards need to focus in on the player who's the problem.

No, these boards do not need more scapegoating players as soon as they have a slump, and they don't need to stare themselves even more blind at the few most noticeable plays rather than the overall, and they don't need to ignore that Polak is also playing bad just because Gardiner is.

 

[Drytoast]

Don't think I've ever seen anybody blame Polak for what happens with Gardiner.

Oh no?

Gardiner is responsible for 2 of the 4 goals last game and all anyone could complain about was Polak's icings...

 

[Nithoniniel]

Oh no?

Gardiner is responsible for 2 of the 4 goals last game and all anyone could complain about was Polak's icings...

That's quite the alternative reality thing you got going. Gardiner got absolutely trashed for his performance.

 

[Gallagbi]

Oh no?

Gardiner is responsible for 2 of the 4 goals last game and all anyone could complain about was Polak's icings...

Go read the GDT and PGT again.

 

[Drytoast]

That's quite the alternative reality thing you got going. Gardiner got absolutely trashed for his performance.

What's the thread title of the PDT right now? All because Polak partially screen a shot from the point. Was Polak at fault? Sure! He tried to back up out of the way and didn't move far enough.

But when I point out that Gardiner costs us multiple goals...ever see a GDT with him in the title?

I'm not making shit up. Polak's play >>> Gardiners in our back end which is what we need right now and the cherry picking on the few Polak mistakes is ridiculous while at the same time glossing over our weakest defender.

(who actually played well tonight)

 

[Gallagbi]

What's the thread title of the PDT right now? All because Polak partially screen a shot from the point. Was Polak at fault? Sure! He tried to back up out of the way and didn't move far enough.

But when I point out that Gardiner costs us multiple goals...ever see a GDT with him in the title?

I'm not making **** up. Polak's play >>> Gardiners in our back end which is what we need right now and the cherry picking on the few Polak mistakes is ridiculous while at the same time glossing over our weakest defender.

(who actually played well tonight)

Polak's a defensive d-man who struggles to defend. That's a really dangerous situation for him.

 

[Nithoniniel]

What's the thread title of the PDT right now? All because Polak partially screen a shot from the point. Was Polak at fault? Sure! He tried to back up out of the way and didn't move far enough.

But when I point out that Gardiner costs us multiple goals...ever see a GDT with him in the title?

So basically you are pissed because while both of them have got a lot of criticism, Polak get mentioned in a thread name? Right.

I'm not making **** up. Polak's play >>> Gardiners in our back end which is what we need right now and the cherry picking on the few Polak mistakes is ridiculous while at the same time glossing over our weakest defender.

(who actually played well tonight)

Polak was so good tonight that Babcock decided to bench him for long stretches. I'm sorry, but this whole quote is a ridiculous take. Gardiner has been bad for a top four defenseman this season. But Polak has been playing sheltered minutes on the third pairing whenever Babcock even want to play him, and he's struggled even so.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

What's the thread title of the PDT right now? All because Polak partially screen a shot from the point. Was Polak at fault? Sure! He tried to back up out of the way and didn't move far enough.

But when I point out that Gardiner costs us multiple goals...ever see a GDT with him in the title?

I'm not making **** up. Polak's play >>> Gardiners in our back end which is what we need right now and the cherry picking on the few Polak mistakes is ridiculous while at the same time glossing over our weakest defender.

(who actually played well tonight)

He took the penalty that led to the 6 on 5 that led to the goal as well. He's a bloody liability. Gardiner can be a moron but at least he can skate and has a modicum of skill and offensive instincts.

 

[Drytoast]

Polak's a defensive d-man who struggles to defend. That's a really dangerous situation for him.

He really doesn't do what you just said he does.

 

[Drytoast]

He took the penalty that led to the 6 on 5 that led to the goal as well. He's a bloody liability. Gardiner can be a moron but at least he can skate and has a modicum of skill and offensive instincts.

Gardiner causes 3 times the GOALS or turnovers that Polak does from taking penalties.

True story.

 

[Drytoast]

So basically you are pissed because while both of them have got a lot of criticism, Polak get mentioned in a thread name? Right.

It irks me that people around here don't really know what they are watching.

Polak was so good tonight that Babcock decided to bench him for long stretches. I'm sorry, but this whole quote is a ridiculous take. Gardiner has been bad for a top four defenseman this season. But Polak has been playing sheltered minutes on the third pairing whenever Babcock even want to play him, and he's struggled even so.

Polak was put out in the final minutes of the game in Calgary. Nice try. He accidently screen a shot from the point tonight...and Gardiner played an uncharacteristically good game. (sad that even the commentators made note that it's unchracteristic of him to get phisical along the boards...)

 

[A1LeafNation]

We are stacked on LD for a playoff run with depth if there are injury call ups needed:
Rielly
Gardiner
Hainsey
Borgman
Dermott
Marincin

We are missing that one RD that will push these guys down a spot:
Zaitsev
______
Carrick
Polak
Liljegren
Rosen

Hopefully we get a guy like Green for the playoff run.

 

[A1LeafNation]

Gardiner causes 3 times the GOALS or turnovers that Polak does from taking penalties.

True story.

Hard to turn over the puck when you never have it.

True story.