Which RD has the best chance to take the next step this season?

Which RD has the best chance to take the next step this season?


  • Total voters
    146

A1LeafNation

Obsession beats talent everytime!!
Oct 17, 2010
27,282
17,186
Assuming:
1. Zaitsev is a top 4 given his play overall over the last two years.
2. Hainsey and Carrick are bottom pair going into this year at this point in their career imo. 3. Holl Ozhiganov and Liljegren are callups at this point.

All this trade talk and upgrading our RD is actually a worse case scenario where no one steps up this year, but we can make that call at the deadline, not now.

So who has the best chance to take their game to the next level before the deadline?​
 

kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,200
21,497
Where is the "None of the Above" option?
 

kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,200
21,497
Makes sense. Done.
Thanks.

I have absolutely no basis for this, but I feel that there may be a trade for an older established top-4 type on an expiring contract. Someone that can hopefully push Hainsey down to the bottom pairing so he won't have to play as many ES minutes against top competition, and will be a bit less run down from the insane amount of PK duties.
 

Peiskos

Registered User
Jan 4, 2018
3,665
3,614
Out of that list I say Zaitsev because we already know he's capable of being a decent guy back there.

He's had a 4 G, 32 A, 36 point season for us already, if he can bounce back and you add just a 10 point improvement to that season you're looking at a 46 point season and that would be incredible, especially if Rielly and Gards both have 50+ points each again.
 

biotk

Registered User
Jan 3, 2017
7,091
5,520
Buffalo
I am not sure what this poll is asking:

"Hainsey becomes a top 4 for 82 games."

Does it mean "Hainsey remains a top 4 for 82 games" or are you implying that Hainsey was not a top 4 D last year?

Because, while people are free to not like it, Hainsey was easily a top 4 D last year. It seems like we are back to last summer where poster after poster after poster after poster put Hainsey on the bottom pairing or as a #7 when it was beyond obvious that Hainsey was brought in to play the shutdown minutes with Rielly.

Babcock hasn't soured on him. Hainsey played more than 26 minutes in game 5 against Boston. He played more than 8 minutes on the PK (out of 8:44). He played 2:39 of the last 3 minutes of that game (more often than not with either Polak or Zaitsev - instead of Rielly). By the end of the game he had played more than 26 minutes - and 4 minutes more than any other Leaf. Game 6 again - protecting the lead for the last half of the third period - Hainsey was out constantly and killed every second of the 4 minutes Toronto played on the PK. For game 7 he led all Leafs in ice time again.

Dellow's Athletic article "How Mike Babcock (and others) are sheltering defencemen while playing them against top opposition" showed that Hainsey's minutes were not only the toughest in the league but they were even tougher than statistics show. And he did that in his late 30s playing on his off side.

Expect the same thing next season.
 

A1LeafNation

Obsession beats talent everytime!!
Oct 17, 2010
27,282
17,186
I am not sure what this poll is asking:

"Hainsey becomes a top 4 for 82 games."

Does it mean "Hainsey remains a top 4 for 82 games" or are you implying that Hainsey was not a top 4 D last year?

Because, while people are free to not like it, Hainsey was easily a top 4 D last year. It seems like we are back to last summer where poster after poster after poster after poster put Hainsey on the bottom pairing or as a #7 when it was beyond obvious that Hainsey was brought in to play the shutdown minutes with Rielly.

Babcock hasn't soured on him. Hainsey played more than 26 minutes in game 5 against Boston. He played more than 8 minutes on the PK (out of 8:44). He played 2:39 of the last 3 minutes of that game (more often than not with either Polak or Zaitsev - instead of Rielly). By the end of the game he had played more than 26 minutes - and 4 minutes more than any other Leaf. Game 6 again - protecting the lead for the last half of the third period - Hainsey was out constantly and killed every second of the 4 minutes Toronto played on the PK. For game 7 he led all Leafs in ice time again.

Dellow's Athletic article "How Mike Babcock (and others) are sheltering defencemen while playing them against top opposition" showed that Hainsey's minutes were not only the toughest in the league but they were even tougher than statistics show. And he did that in his late 30s playing on his off side.

Expect the same thing next season.
Meant to say remains/becomes again..

He started out as a top 4 but didn't look like it for the back half even though Babcock kept running him out there.

I guess it was better to overplaying him than anyone else; as he is not in our long term plans, we can afford to get every last ounce of hockey in him as oppose to ruining the others.
 

LeafSteel

GO LEAFS GO!!!
Mar 5, 2014
5,614
8,288
Toronto
I’m hopeful Zaitsev rebounds and Holl gets a real chance to earn a bottom pairing chance.

Liljegren I think gets called up end of season and sticks with the Leafs.

Interesting times.
 
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thewave

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
39,875
9,713
I am not sure what this poll is asking:

"Hainsey becomes a top 4 for 82 games."

Does it mean "Hainsey remains a top 4 for 82 games" or are you implying that Hainsey was not a top 4 D last year?

Because, while people are free to not like it, Hainsey was easily a top 4 D last year. It seems like we are back to last summer where poster after poster after poster after poster put Hainsey on the bottom pairing or as a #7 when it was beyond obvious that Hainsey was brought in to play the shutdown minutes with Rielly.

Babcock hasn't soured on him. Hainsey played more than 26 minutes in game 5 against Boston. He played more than 8 minutes on the PK (out of 8:44). He played 2:39 of the last 3 minutes of that game (more often than not with either Polak or Zaitsev - instead of Rielly). By the end of the game he had played more than 26 minutes - and 4 minutes more than any other Leaf. Game 6 again - protecting the lead for the last half of the third period - Hainsey was out constantly and killed every second of the 4 minutes Toronto played on the PK. For game 7 he led all Leafs in ice time again.

Dellow's Athletic article "How Mike Babcock (and others) are sheltering defencemen while playing them against top opposition" showed that Hainsey's minutes were not only the toughest in the league but they were even tougher than statistics show. And he did that in his late 30s playing on his off side.

Expect the same thing next season.

Yeah and I will with a straight face say that we paid dearly for it in the end. Hainsey was completely burnt out and many of us mentioned it. I think he had a small injury but it was too much time for his body to ramp up and back speed.

Read the old posts.. hainsey burnt out, tired was common down the stretch.
 

biotk

Registered User
Jan 3, 2017
7,091
5,520
Buffalo
Yeah and I will with a straight face say that we paid dearly for it in the end. Hainsey was completely burnt out and many of us mentioned it. I think he had a small injury but it was too much time for his body to ramp up and back speed.

Read the old posts.. hainsey burnt out, tired was common down the stretch.

I certainly don't disagree with that. Several of those posts would have been mine.
 

kb

Registered User
Aug 28, 2009
15,200
21,497
Why do I feel that although there is zero chance he makes the team, Durzi will surprise and open some eyes.
 

biotk

Registered User
Jan 3, 2017
7,091
5,520
Buffalo
Meant to say remains/becomes again..

He started out as a top 4 but didn't look like it for the back half even though Babcock kept running him out there.

I guess it was better to overplaying him than anyone else; as he is not in our long term plans, we can afford to get every last ounce of hockey in him as oppose to ruining the others.

Thanks - then I guess I will go with that one. It seems like almost a guarantee that Hainsey will be used as a top 4 next year. While I expect Zaitsev to improve after his terrible year, I don't know about top 2 for him next year, in part because, as an athletic podcast many months ago made the comment, the Leafs don't really have a first pairing or 2nd pairing, what they play is two very sheltered D on the third pairing and 4 D (Rielly, Gardiner, Hainsey and Zaitsev) who play a unique role without really being designated as top pair or second pair. So for instance Gardiner and Zaitsev usually played the most ES minutes, but Rielly and Hainsey played the shutdown role facing the strongest competition.

Most teams have a top pairing that will play the most ES minutes, facing strong competition (but not matched as hard as Hainsey and Rielly were), and playing both the PP and PK. For the Leafs it is very rare for anyone to play both the PP and PK.
 

Nithoniniel

Registered User
Sep 7, 2012
20,913
16,749
Skövde, Sweden
I took this as a development question, so I went with Liljegren. There's a decent chance that he takes a big enough step to be a good #3RD for us. As for the others:

The hope with Zaitsev is that he bounces back and establishes himself as a top 4.
I don't think Hainsey should be in the top four. Removing him from that position was a boon for Rielly, despite the weak alternatives.
Carrick is my third choice. I think there's a chance that he can put together a few final pieces and become a decent top four option.
Holl is my second choice. There's a puck rushing bottom pairing guy in him. It's all about whether or not he can be that guy consistently and reliably for us.
Ozhiganov is not someone I have much hopes for, to be honest.
 

ottomaddox

Registered User
Oct 31, 2017
10,592
4,600
Toronto
I voted for Zaitsev. He's going to be crucial this season. I believe in Holl too, but it might take him a little longer. Perhaps the leafs' 7th D until Babs loses faith in someone.
 

IPS

Registered User
Sep 28, 2017
15,461
24,487
I took this as a development question, so I went with Liljegren. There's a decent chance that he takes a big enough step to be a good #3RD for us. As for the others:

The hope with Zaitsev is that he bounces back and establishes himself as a top 4.
I don't think Hainsey should be in the top four. Removing him from that position was a boon for Rielly, despite the weak alternatives.
Carrick is my third choice. I think there's a chance that he can put together a few final pieces and become a decent top four option.
Holl is my second choice. There's a puck rushing bottom pairing guy in him. It's all about whether or not he can be that guy consistently and reliably for us.
Ozhiganov is not someone I have much hopes for, to be honest.

As badly as I want Ozhiganov to jump out and be a mainstay on the D ala rookie Zaitsev, I just can't see it happening. Undrafted Russian defensemen in their mid 20's coming over to NA have historically been pretty bad, we just lucked out with Zaitsev.
 

Tall Morty

Visualize the action to actualize the vision
Apr 18, 2017
1,677
1,913
Voted Holl, but I will be pleasantly and extremely surprised if Ozhiganov plays well enough to make the team.
 
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Dog

Arf! Arf! Arf!
Feb 9, 2016
2,340
912
Wasteland
I went with Holl as think if giving the chance he will prove to be solid on bottom pair. Keep Dermott with Holl as 5th+6th defense pair.
 

Notsince67

Papi and the Lamplighters
Apr 27, 2018
15,854
11,052
I'm prepared for the worse for Zaitsev. I just don't see him working out (although I'm routing for him). Holl seems to be the guy who is best able to fill a gaping hole on the right side as far as controlled zone exits are concerned
 

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