What Will This Team Look Like in 2020?

[swint]

Despite their play as of late, the Leafs (for the first time in a long time) actually have some young players to look forward to in the near future. With core players like Phaneuf, Kessel, and Bozak rumoured to be on the block, along with the strong chance of picking in the top 5 of this year's draft, the Leafs have finally put themselves in decent position to become a good young team within the next couple of years.

What do you think (roughly) the opening night lineup will look like for the 2019-2020 season, given the above?

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[Eb]

Nylander

Hanifin

Bibeau

 

[SeenSchenn2]

Clarkson on the 4th line still I believe.

 

[Cor]

To hard to tell. We may have a clearer idea after the draft

 

[Grant]

most of our line up for that season likely isn't even in our organization at this time.

 

[Sip]

Blue and White.

 

[BigWilly]

I only expect Nylander, Rielly and whoever we draft this year to still be here..

A better question would be what will the team look like in 2 years.

 

[I am Canadian]

Rielly, Nylander, Percy and the rest I wish you good luck.

 

[Northern Dancer]

stamkos

 

[Kamiccolo]

stamkos

And Tavares, and Doughty because he wants attention and to be the savior.

 

[Schenn]

Impossible to know.

 

[FifthLine]

____ - Strome - ______
____ - Nylander - Brown
Leivo - ______ - ______
____ - Gauthier - Biggs

Rielly - ____
Percy - ____
_____ - _____

Bibeau

 

[PlietscherDassel]

I don't know but we will miss the playoffs by 13 points.

 

[MR4]

JVR-Centre Prospect from this year-Nylander
(Engvall/Leivo)-Kadri-(Brown/Johnson)
_____-Gauthier-Komarov
_____-Carrick-Clarkson

Rielly-Jones(Hopefully or someone like Sean Day-2016 draft)
Percy-Finn
____-Granberg

Bernier-Bibeau

 

[Ovate]

It depends a lot on what we get in trades for our current core.

?-?-Nylander
?-Kadri-?
Leivo-Holland-Brown
?-Gauthier-Clarkson
Rielly-?
Gardiner-?
Percy-Finn/Loov

If Finn or Loov develop well, they could conceivably be on the second pairing too. Otherwise, someone we haven't drafted yet can go there. Goalie development is so hard to predict, our starter in 5 years could be Bernier, Bibeau, Gibson, or some new prospect. 4th line LW should be an energy guy, like Komarov but younger. Could be drafted or a free agent.

Kessel is probably the only way we can get a #1C or #1D prospect. The other will come from our 2015 1st round pick (Strome, Marner or Werenski). Our pick next year should be very high too, and could be insurance. 2nd line should be big guys with skill, a checking line that's also dangerous. I'd love to see the Ritchie brothers flanking Kadri for that, but others might disagree with that. No plan on how to get a top line LW, besides hitting on one in the draft. Shouldn't be too hard in 4 years though, especially with all picks we can get via trade pieces. I'm against keeping JVR - even if he resigns in Free Agency, it will be for too much.

 

[Hurt]

We don't even know what our team will look like come September, much less 2020.

 

[Dingers]

Clarkson Free

 

[James Duthie]

Clarkson becomes a defense men.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Rebuilding

 

[officialmark*]

JVR-Centre Prospect from this year-Nylander
(Engvall/Leivo)-Kadri-(Brown/Johnson)
_____-Gauthier-Komarov
_____-Carrick-Clarkson

Rielly-Jones(Hopefully or someone like Sean Day-2016 draft)
Percy-Finn
____-Granberg

Bernier-Bibeau

So we tank 5 years only to have a worse roster than we have now?

 

[officialmark*]

In 5 years we better have an elite #1 C, D, and G. Rielly could be that D, but to actually win a cup we need a Jones/Trouba/Day to play with him. We need a C that has the potential to be a top 5 C in the league in a bad way.

 

[Teeder9]

 

[DD03]

What will the NHL look like in 2020?

 

[MajorityRules*]

JVR - Bozak - Kessel

 

[Apotheosis]

Ideally we have McDavid but we might be drafting Strome.

But down the line:

---- Strome/McDavid/Marner -----
Leivo-Nylander-----
-----Gauthier------

Not entirely sure about the 4th line. But I could see Connor Brown playing on the first line. Great prospect. Andreas Johnson is doing well in the Swedish league. Him on a checking third line with Gauthier is ideal. Drafting a defence man in the next draft (Day would be the best case scenario especially if we're going to be that bad) and a good winger prospect in the one after and we're good for the top 6 for the future. Rielly, Percy, Day (or whoever is best at defence at the pick we have in 2016) in the back. We can start fillling in the bottom six with fill in Marlies while the prospects develop and by 2018-2019 while the cap is hopefully more clear (Phaneuf and Kessel will obviously be gone by then), we can fill the spots with actual talent from free agency and start to contend.