Nylander for Hamilton

Zaitsev, Johnsson and a 1st for Pietrangelo

Brown for Bennett

Get it done Dubas.
- Unholy_Goalie

Soooo:

Marleau Matthews Kapanen
Bennett Tavares Marner
Lindholm Kadri Moore
Engvall Gauthier Marchment
Ennis
Hyman

Rielly Pietrangelo
Gardiner Hamilton
Dermott Oz

That honestly looks pretty awful. Bottom 6 will get pwned, as they should, because they're so green, so Babs will barely play them. Bennett's now playing the wing, because he's worse than Kadri.

The top 6 now looks extremely average-to-good, instead of great, or "top 3 in the league".

The defense is much better, but still doesn't really scare anyone. It may be one of the better Ds in the league on paper, but that paper ain't worth what it used to be in the clutch-and-grab and trap days; I just see a headache trying to figure out the PP ice-time... so now we play two D on PP? Nobody does that unless they're a weak Habs team and now our forwards are fighting for ice-time...

Zaitsev, Ozhiganov and Hainsey deserve D (C at absolutely best). They've sucked.
- Unholy_Goalie

agree

Soooo:

Marleau Matthews Kapanen
Bennett Tavares Marner
Lindholm Kadri Moore
Engvall Gauthier Marchment
Ennis
Hyman

Rielly Pietrangelo
Gardiner Hamilton
Dermott Oz

.
- gravyface

I'm unsure why we need to trade for both Pieterangelo and Hamilton.

Soooo:

Marleau Matthews Kapanen
Bennett Tavares Marner
Lindholm Kadri Moore
Engvall Gauthier Marchment
Ennis
Hyman
- gravyface

With a healthy line-up...

Hyman / Tavares / Marner
Marleau / Matthews / Kapanen
Bennett / Kadri / Lindholm
Ennis / Gauthier / Moore

Another cheap, bottom six forward can be easily acquired at the deadline if absolutely need be. They're not hard to find.

Rielly Pietrangelo
Gardiner Hamilton
Dermott Oz

Hainsey in place of Ozhiganov. Ozhiganov gets sent down to the Marlies like Borgman last year.

That honestly looks pretty awful. Bottom 6 will get pwned, as they should, because they're so green, so Babs will barely play them. Bennett's now playing the wing, because he's worse than Kadri.

It's not awful at all, the defense is way stronger than before and the forward group is still capable of scoring plenty of goals, plus added a bit of grit with Bennett. The top-nine plays 18+ minutes each a night anyway so 6 minutes left over for the 4th line isn't the end of the world at all.

The top 6 now looks extremely average-to-good, instead of great, or "top 3 in the league".

Still good enough to score enough.

The defense is much better, but still doesn't really scare anyone. It may be one of the better Ds in the league on paper, but that paper ain't worth what it used to be in the clutch-and-grab and trap days; I just see a headache trying to figure out the PP ice-time... so now we play two D on PP? Nobody does that unless they're a weak Habs team and now our forwards are fighting for ice-time...

Defense is far better (which is the point). Like way, way, way better. Much bigger, much stronger, much smarter, more experienced, better at moving the puck, better at defending, everything across the board on the blueline improves.

Teams don't play multiple defensemen because most of them don't have the luxury of having guys good enough to do it. But between Rielly, Pietrangelo, Gardiner and Hamilton, they'd have four solid PP options. Gardiner is gone next year anyway so it's not really a long term problem.

Soooo:

Marleau Matthews Kapanen
Bennett Tavares Marner
Lindholm Kadri Moore
Engvall Gauthier Marchment
Ennis
Hyman

Rielly Pietrangelo
Gardiner Hamilton
Dermott Oz

That honestly looks pretty awful. Bottom 6 will get pwned, as they should, because they're so green, so Babs will barely play them. Bennett's now playing the wing, because he's worse than Kadri.

The top 6 now looks extremely average-to-good, instead of great, or "top 3 in the league".

The defense is much better, but still doesn't really scare anyone. It may be one of the better Ds in the league on paper, but that paper ain't worth what it used to be in the clutch-and-grab and trap days; I just see a headache trying to figure out the PP ice-time... so now we play two D on PP? Nobody does that unless they're a weak Habs team and now our forwards are fighting for ice-time...
- gravyface

disagree

I'm unsure why we need to trade for both Pieterangelo and Hamilton.
- Atomic Wedgie

Hedman, Stralman, McDonagh and Sergachev

vs.

Rielly, Pietrangelo, Hamilton and Gardiner

Not sure how Sparks got a C. Offence bailing him out time and again and had looked horrible since training camp. And Babs clearly doesnt like him as an option really from his comments.

As far as adding Hamilton goes, only question I have is WHY this guy keeps getting traded?! Might be better going after someone else. Get a feeling there’s an issue there with the guy.

Hedman, Stralman, McDonagh, Karlsson and Cernak

vs.

Rielly, Pietrangelo, Hamilton and Marincin
- Unholy_Goalie

Fixed.

Fixed.
- AdamFrench

Nightmare scenario.

Not sure how Sparks got a C. Offence bailing him out time and again and had looked horrible since training camp. And Babs clearly doesnt like him as an option really from his comments.

As far as adding Hamilton goes, only question I have is WHY this guy keeps getting traded?! Might be better going after someone else. Get a feeling there’s an issue there with the guy.
- Roadrunner75

Not a real issue. Calgary may have traded him because he didn't go with the team to Vegas. Hurricanes may trade him because they need a scoring winger and have plenty of RHD already.

He's not Mike Ribeiro off the ice or anything.

Not sure how Sparks got a C. Offence bailing him out time and again and had looked horrible since training camp. And Babs clearly doesnt like him as an option really from his comments.

As far as adding Hamilton goes, only question I have is WHY this guy keeps getting traded?! Might be better going after someone else. Get a feeling there’s an issue there with the guy.
- Roadrunner75

cuz he the nerdy and intellectual type that goes to museums rather than strip clubs, and would rather have a book in his lap than someone named diamond

Hedman, Stralman, McDonagh, Sergachev

vs.

Rielly, Berg, Kostka, Richard Park

Fixed.

- Dongull_Trump

With a healthy line-up...

Hyman / Tavares / Marner
Marleau / Matthews / Kapanen
Bennett / Kadri / Lindholm
Ennis / Gauthier / Moore

Another cheap, bottom six forward can be easily acquired at the deadline if absolutely need be. They're not hard to find.



Hainsey in place of Ozhiganov. Ozhiganov gets sent down to the Marlies like Borgman last year.



It's not awful at all, the defense is way stronger than before and the forward group is still capable of scoring plenty of goals, plus added a bit of grit with Bennett. The top-nine plays 18+ minutes each a night anyway so 6 minutes left over for the 4th line isn't the end of the world at all.



Still good enough to score enough.



Defense is far better (which is the point). Like way, way, way better. Much bigger, much stronger, much smarter, more experienced, better at moving the puck, better at defended, everything across the board on the blueline improves.

Teams don't play multiple defensemen because most of them don't have the luxury of having guys good enough to do it. But between Rielly, Pietrangelo, Gardiner and Hamilton, they'd have four solid PP options. Gardiner is gone next year anyway so it's not really a long term problem.
- Unholy_Goalie

But they're not healthy right now, so we still need depth, which means we have to take on NHL contracts for NHL players; can't call up the kids when they're not ready.

Forgot about poor old Hainsey

Also, Nylander is signed, Pietrangelo is not.

disagree
- BestRapperAlive

Coo

I'm unsure why we need to trade for both Pieterangelo and Hamilton.
- Atomic Wedgie

I'm not sure why I even participate.

But they're not healthy right now, so we still need depth, which means we have to take on NHL contracts for NHL players; can't call up the kids when they're not ready.

Forgot about poor old Hainsey

Also, Nylander is signed, Pietrangelo is not.
- gravyface

They will be when it matters; the playoffs.

Nylander isn't what the Leafs need. Pietrangelo is. Hamilton is.

Also, Pietrangelo has 1 year left on his deal so he's not a pure rental. Plenty of reasons for him to re-sign and cap space once Marleau retires (whether it's this year or next). Hamilton is also signed and also no problem there because it's a couple years down the road and cap space should open up by then especially if they let Gardiner walk.

Coo
- gravyface

The top 6 without nylander, is exactly the same top 6 that is currently 3rd in the nhl in goals. you know, without nylander

The top 6 without nylander, is exactly the same top 6 that is currently 3rd in the nhl in goals. you know, without nylander
- BestRapperAlive

And people forget that both Hamilton and Pietrangelo are fully capable of 15 goals and 50 points so it's not like they don't also contribute offensively. That's still possibly another 20-30 goals (if not more if you consider goals generated from passes) coming from the blueline.

And people forget that both Hamilton and Pietrangelo are fully capable of 15 goals and 50 points so it's not like they don't also contribute offensively. That's still possibly another 20-30 goals (if not more if you consider goals generated from passes) coming from the blueline.
- Unholy_Goalie

Adding 2 top pairing Dmen for our 5th best forward

Anybody else in the HB pool?

And people forget that both Hamilton and Pietrangelo are fully capable of 15 goals and 50 points so it's not like they don't also contribute offensively. That's still possibly another 20-30 goals (if not more if you consider goals generated from passes) coming from the blueline.
- Unholy_Goalie

Or you could just shut the (frank) up and just watch the team and not argue about the same poop for 15 pages a day when nothing you say has any impact on anything that happens with the team. We get it, you want them to get a defencemen, everyone on the (frank)ing internet probably knows that by now, saying that poop for another thread doesn't (frank)ing make a difference. If that is literally all you come here to do then just stop (frank)ing coming here

I'm not sure why I even participate.
- gravyface

You love it!!!

Adding 2 top pairing Dmen for our 5th best forward
- BestRapperAlive

That just goes to show how good our offensive depth is.