Leafs have the team to be first in the Atlantic. My two greatest concerns is a top 4 right handed defenseman and a 3rd line center. That appears to be the two weaknesses on this team. Goaltending seems to be fine and the offense, that is consistently strong, is the backbone of this team. The Willy question is the big one and needs to be addressed. Defense is average and not a lot of depth right now.
Leafs have the team to be first in the Atlantic. My two greatest concerns is a top 4 right handed defenseman and a 3rd line center. That appears to be the two weaknesses on this team. Goaltending seems to be fine and the offense, that is consistently strong, is the backbone of this team. The Willy question is the big one and needs to be addressed. Defense is average and not a lot of depth right now. - PrinceLH
Nylander and Jarnkrok for Connor Murphy, Taylor Raddysh, Ryan Donato and pick. 👀
Location: Whenever, wherever, ON Joined: 06.27.2013
Aug 9 @ 8:25 AM ET
well until Bo comes back
what a boring game 9 hits and no runs. - senstroll
It was. The worst part of it is that I think it goes to extras tied 0-0 if Chapman is playing 3rd and not Espinal. It was a great hit that gave Cleveland the win - but Chapman stops those more than half the time. Espinal might as well have been me for the chance he had at it.
Location: New Fan, Needs to watch Ballet, ON Joined: 02.22.2008
Aug 9 @ 8:33 AM ET
It was. The worst part of it is that I think it goes to extras tied 0-0 if Chapman is playing 3rd and not Espinal. It was a great hit that gave Cleveland the win - but Chapman stops those more than half the time. Espinal might as well have been me for the chance he had at it. - Monkeypunk
could be, but damn you would hope that giving up 1 run...would be enough
espinal has been very not great, you could at least always count on this above average D, but thats gone missing also
Location: “Give me Point, Cirelli and Paul all day against anybody.” Mr. Cooper , ON Joined: 07.06.2007
Aug 9 @ 9:02 AM ET
well until Bo comes back
what a boring game 9 hits and no runs. - senstroll
Jays are getting great pitching and very strong defence. If Vladdy starts hitting they’re going to be tough to beat. Unfortunately, that could be a big if the way he’s looked lately.
Location: Corn Pop was a bad dude, AB Joined: 06.29.2006
Aug 9 @ 9:08 AM ET
Jays are getting great pitching and very strong defence. If Vladdy starts hitting they’re going to be tough to beat. Unfortunately, that could be a big if the way he’s looked lately. - Canada Cup
Location: Whenever, wherever, ON Joined: 06.27.2013
Aug 9 @ 9:09 AM ET
could be, but damn you would hope that giving up 1 run...would be enough
espinal has been very not great, you could at least always count on this above average D, but thats gone missing also - senstroll
Doesn't matter which sport it is . . . confidence is king. And right now Espinal does not have it.
I don't think I've ever seen an OPS+ as poor as DeJong's after more than 20 ABs. DeJong is at -57 after 26 at bats. I remember when I hated Zimmer for doing nothing at all when he was doing more than DeJong is now!
On the plus side, I think - well, he can only get better from here!
Location: New Fan, Needs to watch Ballet, ON Joined: 02.22.2008
Aug 9 @ 9:24 AM ET
Doesn't matter which sport it is . . . confidence is king. And right now Espinal does not have it.
I don't think I've ever seen an OPS+ as poor as DeJong's after more than 20 ABs. DeJong is at -57 after 26 at bats. I remember when I hated Zimmer for doing nothing at all when he was doing more than DeJong is now!
On the plus side, I think - well, he can only get better from here!
But so far that . . . that has not been the case. - Monkeypunk
Belt started out pretty bad.
but im not going to get worked up about a last second fill in for Bo. who has not come out hitting well to start. the expectations with the Bat shoudnt have been that high for an ops+ 85 guy
Location: Whenever, wherever, ON Joined: 06.27.2013
Aug 9 @ 9:42 AM ET
Belt started out pretty bad.
but im not going to get worked up about a last second fill in for Bo. who has not come out hitting well to start. the expectations with the Bat shoudnt have been that high for an ops+ 85 guy - senstroll
While I'm going to claim I didn't have any expectations - whatever I did expect was better than 2 for 26 with 0 walks and 9 strike outs. His defense hasn't met expectations yet either - but let's be fair - it's new turf, new environment, new stresses and he has a whopping 7 games under his belt so far. His contract ends at the end of this year unless the Jays exercise the $12.5m team option on him, and this is not a player who is getting more than $1m as a utility guy if he doesn't do something soon so I'm sure that weighs on him, too.
Location: Supercharged engine powered by high octane butthurt Joined: 01.29.2013
Aug 9 @ 9:43 AM ET
I'm still surprised the Pens didn't finagle more retention in this deal. 13% retained leaves them paying a chonky 10m caphit on a player who is due to regress. If he puts up 100 points again, then he is worth every penny. If his presence is the X factor needed to win a cup, then it's worth every penny of 10m.
If he puts up 50 points and Pens fail to qualify or go deep, then that 10m caphit is going to feel very regrettable.
Good move by Dubas to clear out pylons for an elite d-man, but the long-term verdict is undecided.
Location: New Fan, Needs to watch Ballet, ON Joined: 02.22.2008
Aug 9 @ 10:25 AM ET
I'm still surprised the Pens didn't finagle more retention in this deal. 13% retained leaves them paying a chonky 10m caphit on a player who is due to regress. If he puts up 100 points again, then he is worth every penny. If his presence is the X factor needed to win a cup, then it's worth every penny of 10m.
If he puts up 50 points and Pens fail to qualify or go deep, then that 10m caphit is going to feel very regrettable.
Good move by Dubas to clear out pylons for an elite d-man, but the long-term verdict is undecided. - GalacticStone
its probably because of the amount of cap $ they sent out the door with the trade
Location: The Name Of The Game Is Hockey, ON Joined: 02.28.2011
Aug 9 @ 10:26 AM ET
I'm still surprised the Pens didn't finagle more retention in this deal. 13% retained leaves them paying a chonky 10m caphit on a player who is due to regress. If he puts up 100 points again, then he is worth every penny. If his presence is the X factor needed to win a cup, then it's worth every penny of 10m.
If he puts up 50 points and Pens fail to qualify or go deep, then that 10m caphit is going to feel very regrettable.
Good move by Dubas to clear out pylons for an elite d-man, but the long-term verdict is undecided. - GalacticStone
Especially when the Leafs go flying off the top ropes and drop the elbow on the Pens in the playoffs.
Location: Whenever, wherever, ON Joined: 06.27.2013
Aug 9 @ 10:30 AM ET
I'm still surprised the Pens didn't finagle more retention in this deal. 13% retained leaves them paying a chonky 10m caphit on a player who is due to regress. If he puts up 100 points again, then he is worth every penny. If his presence is the X factor needed to win a cup, then it's worth every penny of 10m.
If he puts up 50 points and Pens fail to qualify or go deep, then that 10m caphit is going to feel very regrettable.
Good move by Dubas to clear out pylons for an elite d-man, but the long-term verdict is undecided. - GalacticStone
The deal will be a boat anchor in 3 years most likely, but the next 2 is what the die roll is for anyway.
In just about every measure possible, Karlsson was superior to Letang last year - and Karlsson played for a terrible team with worse goaltending.
A lot of people keep saying how good it will make the Penguins powerplay, but the powerplay isn't Karlsson's primary production - this isn't Tyson Barrie. Just because he's poor defensively doesn't mean that with the puck at 5v5, he isn't one of the most elite offensive defensemen in recent history. If you go back to 2007-08 and look at 5v5 scoring among defensemen, this is your top-10 best production:
On that list, every one of those defensemen is on a playoff calibre team - except Karlsson, twice in 15-16 and 22-23.
I mean in terms of the powerplay, the only time San Jose was better than 23rd in the league during Karlsson's time there was the year he arrived when he only played 53 games - they were 6th in 18-19.
Even in Ottawa prior to the trade, their Powerplay quarterbacked by Karlsson was in the mid-20s in league effectiveness. In 2013-14, it was 14th; 11th in 2011-12 . . . basically that notion that's bandied about that Karlsson will improve a powerplay seems to be a myth.
But the idea that he will improve 5v5 play and produce when it's hardest to produce is statistically proven on multiple occasions in different environments.
The only way that Nylander gets traded is if a top pairing Dman and other players or picks come back. Hanifan, Pulock or the big right-handed D guy from St Louis would qualify. Brodie and someone else would be going with him so Pageau, Mangiponi and a winger from St Louis would be the second piece with either a pick, prospect or bottom six forward or bottom four Dman completing the deal. Money would be reasonably equal or Leafs might actually get some salary cap relief out of this?
Location: The Slovakian Jagr, QC Joined: 02.25.2007
Aug 9 @ 11:01 AM ET
The only way that Nylander gets traded is if a top pairing Dman and other players or picks come back. Hanifan, Pulock or the big right-handed D guy from St Louis would qualify. Brodie and someone else would be going with him so Pageau, Mangiponi and a winger from St Louis would be the second piece with either a pick, prospect or bottom six forward or bottom four Dman completing the deal. Money would be reasonably equal or Leafs might actually get some salary cap relief out of this? - crawfordg
If you're talking about Parayko, he hasn't looked great in the last two years.
9 hits and no runs.
