Line Combos: With Matthews+Nylander back, What does the roster look like?

[Plevna]

Leafs will get three very powerful line when Matthews and Nylander are back. Kadri and Kapanen can win games if some team can shadow first and second lines out. I'm jealous and curious also. Have to look some Leafs games.

 

[Albi34]

Does kap have experience on the left wing? Im torn between having him on matthews left wing or kadris right wing.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Tonights game lines
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri - Brown
Marleau - Matty - Kappy
Leivo - Lindy - Ennis

 

[glue]

Tonights game lines
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri - Brown
Marleau - Matty - Kappy
Leivo - Lindy - Ennis

Your prediction or you saw this somewhere?

 

[Flipwon]

Tonights game lines
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri - Brown
Marleau - Matty - Kappy
Leivo - Lindy - Ennis

Auston's going tonight so those lines are confirmed fake news. When he plays, he plays at 1

 

[kevsh]

It is confirmed that Goat won't dress so those lines seem to be the most likely Babcock would go with.

Edit: Referring to tonight's lines.

 

[Battle Lin]

obviously,

kapanen - matthews - nylander
hyman - tavares - marner
marleau - kadri - brown
leivo - lindholm - johnsson

dont see it any other way

 

[sxvnert]

kapanen - matthews - nylander
hyman - tavares - marner
marleau - kadri - brown
leivo - lindholm - johnsson

This 100%

 

[crump]

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri- Kapanen
Leivo - Lindholm - Brown

 

[Bodybr3ak]

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri- Kapanen
Leivo - Lindholm - Brown

That is the best forward group in the NHL, no question.

Winnipeg/Tampa come close but they lack the deadly third line like we have.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

Leivo - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Johnsson - Lindholm - Ennis (Brown)

lol, in what world is leivo 1st and johnsson 4th?

 

[jfc64]

Next step? You have 2-5 million in cap space right now and then some. And want to strengthen team for the playoffs. LW ace or experienced RD might be what's missing.

Zach Hyman - John Tavares - Mitchell Marner
Andreas Johnsson - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Kasperi Kapanen
Carl Grundström- Pär Lindholm - Josh Leivo
Tyler Ennis - Frédérik Gauthier - Connor Brown

Rielly - Kronwall?
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Hainsey

or trade for one of these: (out of playoffs projection)

Nyquist
Johansson
Boyle
Pääjärvi
Hagelin

Rutta
Edler

 

[jaric1862]

Next step? You have 2-5 million in cap space right now and then some. And want to strengthen team for the playoffs. LW ace or experienced RD might be what's missing.

Zach Hyman - John Tavares - Mitchell Marner
Andreas Johnsson - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Kasperi Kapanen
Carl Grundström- Pär Lindholm - Josh Leivo
Tyler Ennis - Frédérik Gauthier - Connor Brown

Rielly - Kronwall?
Gardiner - Zaitsev
Dermott - Hainsey

or trade for one of these: (out of playoffs projection)

Nyquist
Johansson
Boyle
Pääjärvi
Hagelin

Rutta
Edler

Hainsey is better than Kronwall at this point. I think we stay put at the deadline unless its a major upgrade on defence (someone like Faulk or Martinez).

 

[Anthrax442]

 

[PuckMagi]

I would do this:

Johnsson - Matthews - Marner
Leivo - Tavares - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Hyman - Lindholm - Brown

 

[Boutette]

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri- Kapanen
Leivo - Lindholm - Brown

That's probably what Babocock will do, probably within a couple games. 2 first lines, 1 second line, 1 3rd line.

 

[Community]

Kapanen - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - Johnsson
Leivo - Lindholm - Brown

OR

Marleau/Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander/Kapanen
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson/Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen/Nylander

The big improvements will be our 3rd line should be more offensive and our 2nd PP unit will likely be run by Nylander. In addition, it would be nice if Kadri got switched off his role (maybe with Marleau?) on the 1st PP and moved into a more prominent role on the 2nd unit. He doesn't get enough touches on the 1st unit and I think he would be better utilized on the 2nd one.

 

[connormcmuffin]

I'm excited to follow the Marlies closely again, to see who will be the replacement wingers to emerge in the following years. I suppose drafting wingers will be an option in the first two rounds again.

The fact Dubas built this team while basically keeping picks in every round, this is an achievement I've never seen a Leafs franchise accomplish, no real shortcuts and in a wonderful position to be flexible.

The emergence of Kapanen and perhaps AJ makes them great tradebait when the time comes to retool in the off season while keeping draft picks.

 

[Kurtz]

Poor bastard got his > and < messed up.

 

[Battle Lin]

either ennis or leivo sits...leivo looked slow tonight against minny but johnsson - lindholm - ennis is too small...leivo should get the nod for now

 

[Menzinger]

Kappy to LW, Marleau back with Kadri and the Goat on waivers.

 

[frizzer1]

Kapanen Matthews Nylander
Johnsson Tavares Marner
Marleau Kadri Leivo/Ennis
Leivo/Ennis Lindholm Hyman

2 lines that would be dominant..not a one line team.
Third line defensively sound with some pop
Fourth line just because you need one.

 

[wam_raven]

Kapanen Matthews Nylander
Johnsson Tavares Marner
Marleau Kadri Leivo/Ennis
Leivo/Ennis Lindholm Hyman

I like it a lot, but I just don't think Babcock is moving Hyman out of the top 6, sorry, his son is locked in place.

Hyman Matthews Nylander
Marleau Tavares Marner
Johnsson Kadri Kapanen
Ennis Lindholm Leivo

 

[Clark4Ever]

This is what I think Babs will try first:

Kapanen-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Lindholm-Leivo

 

[PhiladelphiaKessel]

Marleau - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Kadri- Kapanen
Leivo - Lindholm - Brown

Marleau should not be with Matthews against top lines. He has slowed down significantly