Don’t care. The leafs top six is far better than he is and he’s no bottom six guy.

Useless waste of poop for the leafs. Leaf fans only like him as much as they do because the leafs’ prospects suck absolute ass.
- Dozzer

via GIPHY

Jakob Vrana and Austin Watson are unsigned I think.

Not sure if these guys are dead or injured but Vrana played for Berube before, no?
- underhill14

Vrana is on a PTO with Washington.

Right now what are the lines? I've seen something like:

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Nylander - Tavares - Marner
McMann - Holmberg - Jarnkrok
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves

Or

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Jarnkrok - Holmberg - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves

In Option 1 line 2 is possibly going to be too soft (noting that in 76 minutes together over the past three years, they are -3 at 5v5).

Option 2 is an idea to spread the wealth and doesn't do too much more to help. McMann is a bigger body but he's not exactly a defensive stalwart.
Now what has Bobby McMann done to deserve being in the top-6? He was awarded a contract higher than one they seem willing to offer Robertson and scored 15 goals and 9 assists in 56 games. Robertson had 14 goals and 13 assists in 57 games.

I don't want to be misconstrued here - I am not advocating that Robertson is some elite hidden gem. He's better than his current value suggests, probably deserves as much of a shot up in the lineup as anyone else who is a natural left-winger on this team - but if the Leafs could magically find a 2LW who fits into our $1m of capspace available then I'm all for it. Can Alex Nylander do it?

Ultimately Nick Robertson is just 22 and isn't a failed prospect yet. Leaf fans love to throw out everyone who isn't a star in the first 2 years. Some guys, like Zack Hyman as an unfair comparison, take time to grow into their game.

If the argument is that Robertson is demanding to be given an opportunity he hasn't earned, I would say that's pretty fair. He hasn't earned anything and his impatience is immature and foolish and his agent should be doing everything he can to discourage it. But I'm simply looking at our current roster and asking who fills the void on 2LW as cheaply and offers upside if they can do it well.

The reason to give Robertson the opportunity is to "give them rope" so to speak.
- Monkeypunk

I don't understand this....he's already had his chance and proved he gets injured when he gets his chance.

What more do the Leafs need to know about this kid. He's small, oft injured and bad defensively.

Robertson and Lilyjegren in a package for a LW worth about $4M. Done.

Knies, Matthews, Domi/Nylander
LW, Tavares, Marner
Cowan, Domi/Nylander, Jarnkrok
Dewar, Kampf, Reaves/McMann/Holmberg

Rielly, Tanev
Beniot, McCabe
OEL, Hanktuah

Woll/Stolarz

Kent Johnson is a LW

I see a blockbuster forming….🤔

I don't understand this....he's already had his chance and proved he gets injured when he gets his chance.

What more do the Leafs need to know about this kid. He's small, oft injured and bad defensively.

Robertson and Lilyjegren in a package for a LW worth about $4M. Done.

Knies, Matthews, Domi/Nylander
LW, Tavares, Marner
Cowan, Domi/Nylander, Jarnkrok
Dewar, Kampf, Reaves/McMann/Holmberg

Rielly, Tanev
Beniot, McCabe
OEL, Hanktuah

Woll/Stolarz
- underhill14

Kuzmenko? Saad? Not a lot of guys fitting that bill.

Jakob Vrana and Austin Watson are unsigned I think.

Not sure if these guys are dead or injured but Vrana played for Berube before, no?
- underhill14

didn't Vrana sign a PTO with Washington?
isn't Watson a Reaves type player ?

Kent Johnson is a LW

I see a blockbuster forming….🤔
- mr.sir

Sure… LOLjegren, Nicky Bobby + For Kent Johnson

I’m in!

I don't understand this....he's already had his chance and proved he gets injured when he gets his chance.

What more do the Leafs need to know about this kid. He's small, oft injured and bad defensively.

Robertson and Lilyjegren in a package for a LW worth about $4M. Done.

Knies, Matthews, Domi/Nylander
LW, Tavares, Marner
Cowan, Domi/Nylander, Jarnkrok
Dewar, Kampf, Reaves/McMann/Holmberg

Rielly, Tanev
Beniot, McCabe
OEL, Hanktuah

Woll/Stolarz
- underhill14

So last year he played 56 games. He was not injured. He was benched because Keefe had different whipping boys at different times - but it was always the bottom-6 who were punished because Keefe wasn't going to go after his stars. The top guys on the team failed in their assignments more than they should have and were rarely called out for it - Nylander a couple of times - but Gregor, Kampf, Reaves, Robertson, Knies and Domi? They got their unfair share of criticism from the former coach.

If being injured all the time were a problem, you must be furious that we've kept Woll. He's 4 years older than Robertson and has played less than half the number of NHL games.

Now in those 56 games where he wasn't injured he scored at 5v5 on a pace that was 16th best in the league / 60 minutes of ice time. There's a smaller sample size in here - so you get some other guys who impressed in limited opportunities as well (Dorofeyev on Vegas, Carcone in Arizona, Chinakov in Columbus and Milano with Washington are all in a similar boat).

You don't usually get that much production out of that little ice time - and that's the reason why the players I just mentioned are all with their same teams again.

I don't know who we're getting as a LW for about $4m who is going to provide top-6 value that a team would want to trade for Robertson and Liljegren. No one comes mind for me as an obvious meaningful target.

Kuzmenko? Saad? Not a lot of guys fitting that bill.
- AdamFrench

didn't Vrana sign a PTO with Washington?
isn't Watson a Reaves type player ?
- dmnted

Let's also not forget that Vrana is fighting his own battles here and had been for quite some time. Even if he has overcome those and found a path forward - which would be great - in some (I couldn't even guess if it's most or not) cases the physical damage done to your body from abuse has lasting effects that keep you from reaching your previous abilities. I think of the fall of Mike Richards as an example.

I wish him the best but I don't think a market like Toronto is where a recovering substance abuser hoping to rebuild some version of their previous success is going to flourish. I have concerns about my liver and I'm only an observer of this team.

- Marwood

Say that to his eyes

there is one player in the entire 2019 second round that has scored at a higher goals per game. Pinto who was taken as the first pick in rd 2.
- senstroll

Who gives a rats ass, they’re basically 30 picks apart.

Robertson is useless.

via GIPHY

- senstroll

Keep jerking off while thinking of him bud.

Who gives a rats ass, they’re basically 30 picks apart.

Robertson is useless.
- Dozzer

This

Keep jerking off while thinking of him bud.
- Dozzer

I'm doing so to Alison Brie if it makes you feel any better.

Right now what are the lines? I've seen something like:

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Nylander - Tavares - Marner
McMann - Holmberg - Jarnkrok
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves

Or

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Jarnkrok - Holmberg - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves

In Option 1 line 2 is possibly going to be too soft (noting that in 76 minutes together over the past three years, they are -3 at 5v5).

Option 2 is an idea to spread the wealth and doesn't do too much more to help. McMann is a bigger body but he's not exactly a defensive stalwart.
Now what has Bobby McMann done to deserve being in the top-6? He was awarded a contract higher than one they seem willing to offer Robertson and scored 15 goals and 9 assists in 56 games. Robertson had 14 goals and 13 assists in 57 games.

I don't want to be misconstrued here - I am not advocating that Robertson is some elite hidden gem. He's better than his current value suggests, probably deserves as much of a shot up in the lineup as anyone else who is a natural left-winger on this team - but if the Leafs could magically find a 2LW who fits into our $1m of capspace available then I'm all for it. Can Alex Nylander do it?

Ultimately Nick Robertson is just 22 and isn't a failed prospect yet. Leaf fans love to throw out everyone who isn't a star in the first 2 years. Some guys, like Zack Hyman as an unfair comparison, take time to grow into their game.

If the argument is that Robertson is demanding to be given an opportunity he hasn't earned, I would say that's pretty fair. He hasn't earned anything and his impatience is immature and foolish and his agent should be doing everything he can to discourage it. But I'm simply looking at our current roster and asking who fills the void on 2LW as cheaply and offers upside if they can do it well.

The reason to give Robertson the opportunity is to "give them rope" so to speak.
- Monkeypunk

I get what you’re saying but so long as the leafs have Nylander and Marner they don’t have a lineup position for Robertson.

I'm doing so to Alison Brie if it makes you feel any better.
- AdamFrench

Makes me feel better? Pretty obvious you’re after your own feelings.

Who gives a rats ass, they’re basically 40 picks apart.

Robertson is useless.
- Dozzer

Accidentally flagged this post - my bad!

Robertson's 27 pts in 56 games playing only 11:23 ATOI is actually pretty decent and definitely worth a long look.

He's 22 which means he's controllable for quite some time.

I want to see more.

Accidentally flagged this post - my bad!

Robertson's 27 pts in 56 games playing only 11:23 ATOI is actually pretty decent and definitely worth a long look.

He's 22 which means he's controllable for quite some time.

I want to see more.
- mjones242

He’s also a defensive liability

Points aren’t everything.

Keep jerking off while thinking of him bud.
- Dozzer

stay classy

Makes me feel better? Pretty obvious you’re after your own feelings.
- Dozzer

He’s also a defensive liability

Points aren’t everything.
- Dozzer

We can _see_ his defensive limitations, but overall his numbers were not atrocious. He was better defensively than Bertuzzi, Domi, Nylander and Reaves. He was relatively similar to Knies and Gregor. Obviously Bertuzzi and Nylander were facing better competition for most of the year - but if they were willing to elevate Bertuzzi into that top-6 role, Robertson wouldn't hurt. I don't think, for the record, that he'd be much of an improvement defensively - but he might actually contribute more offensively than Bertuzzi did.

Last year the Leafs at 5v5 had 5 players who were below even - Nylander, Dewar, Kampf, Gregor and Reaves. Robertson was +6.

Do I think you're wrong that our top-6 is already soft enough? No. I absolutely do not. In fact I think the ideal thing would be, with this current lineup, to try going three lines deep for offensive play putting Nylander and Robertson with Holmberg and seeing what we see. Jarnkrok being moved to support Kampf would actually make the checking line more effective.

Reaves can guard the pressbox and keep people away from the Popcorn.

I'm doing so to Alison Brie if it makes you feel any better.
- AdamFrench

is that a cheese?

is that a cheese?
- drexel

I'm doing so to Alison Brie if it makes you feel any better.
- AdamFrench

Who isn't dusting it off to her. Pfft..