Leafs making a PHYSICAL statement

27Leafs27

27Leafs27

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With the recent additions of Bertuzzi, Reaves and Domi the Leafs are admitting they were man handled by the Panthers and letting us fans know it won’t happen again next spring. I doubt if Sam Bennett would have taken liberties with Matthew Knies if he saw Reaves on the Leafs bench.
Hopefully this will free up the skill guys to do their thing without looking over their shoulder all the time.
Thoughts.?
Cheers
Dan.
 
Either you can agree or disagree with the signings but one thing is for sure there needs to be change! Things cannot go on the same and I like Treliving's approach. Time will tell but right now,I like his mindset .

Love the Bertuzzi signing
 
I think this is more just the reality of who they could get to sign with them. The fact they’re signing all these guys to one year deals is a sign they don’t have a direction for next year with the lack of cap space they have. They’re basically rolling the dice on next year and looking toward what they can do with a slightly more generous cap in 2024/25.

Glad to see Bunting and Hill gone though.

Cory
 
The writing was on the wall for Bunting. As for Holl, maybe getting out of TO will do him a world of good. When it came to their complete lack of standing up for each other I wanted to put my foot through the tv , I was that mad to see a young rookie get his bell rung and absolutely no one came to sort Bennett out.
I have been a Leafs fan all my life and for the first time I was actually ashamed of their lack of grit.
Dan.
 
bto3105 said:
Either you can agree or disagree with the signings but one thing is for sure there needs to be change! Things cannot go on the same and I like Treliving's approach. Time will tell but right now,I like his mindset .

Love the Bertuzzi signing
Click to expand...

Deano I’m all in on these signings. I don’t know Bertuzzi well, he is he a 5+ million kind of player?
Dan
 
Hasn’t it been the same issue for the last few years, no team toughness? The new GM is certainly making a statement with those signings.

I was hoping Chicago would bring Reaves in to protect Bedard.
 
MMarch said:
Hasn’t it been the same issue for the last few years, no team toughness? The new GM is certainly making a statement with those signings.

I was hoping Chicago would bring Reaves in to protect Bedard.
Click to expand...

Here’s hoping the Hawks have someone to look out for Conor, if not they need to address it. That kid is a joy to watch play, going to be a generational player.
Cheers
Dan.
 
WHAT about the goaltending AND defense?
Klingberg is NOT part of the solution!
Sounds like a HIT or MISS year for the TML.
 
You have to balance Reaves' toughness against the fact that he has been a truly terrible player the past several years and isn't likely to get better in his late 30s.
 
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27Leafs27 said:
With the recent additions of Bertuzzi, Reaves and Domi the Leafs are admitting they were man handled by the Panthers and letting us fans know it won’t happen again next spring. I doubt if Sam Bennett would have taken liberties with Matthew Knies if he saw Reaves on the Leafs bench.
Hopefully this will free up the skill guys to do their thing without looking over their shoulder all the time.
Thoughts.?
Cheers
Dan.
Click to expand...

Hes gonna have to look a little higher up then the bench, more towards the press box.
 
Leafs are the hot topic in this thread.....

Overall, I like what they did - though I suspect by January, they'll regret both the Kampf and Reaves contracts. Both are okay for your 4th line, both getting paid too much (with too much term) for that.

If Kampf ends up playing 3C (or higher) for the bulk of the contract... I'll take that back.

Reaves? I get the appeal of a nuclear deterrent on your roster..... but he's a liability if he's playing more than 5 minutes a night. Granted - the Leafs might be served well double shifting Matthews, Marner, & Nylander a bit - so if Reaves is only going out when the situation calls for it, maybe the liability factor isn't all that much.

I don't buy for a second that Sam Bennett plays any different now that Reaves is on the Leafs. When Bennett is asked to fight and he says "no thanks Ryan, I have a game to play" - what is Reaves going to do? Take a 5, a 10, and a game jumping him?

Klingberg is a good deal for a guy that can move the puck well.

Bertuzzi & Domi do add some jam to the lineup... but Bertuzzi's health is a question mark for me.

Muzzin to LTIR, and a Matt Murray buyout - and they're basically at the cap.

They've done a good job overall IMO, and improved the forward group.

Of course - if they deal Nylander then the forward group gets worse (unless they have a really good replacement).
 
30ranfordfan said:
Leafs are the hot topic in this thread.....

Overall, I like what they did - though I suspect by January, they'll regret both the Kampf and Reaves contracts. Both are okay for your 4th line, both getting paid too much (with too much term) for that.

If Kampf ends up playing 3C (or higher) for the bulk of the contract... I'll take that back.

Reaves? I get the appeal of a nuclear deterrent on your roster..... but he's a liability if he's playing more than 5 minutes a night. Granted - the Leafs might be served well double shifting Matthews, Marner, & Nylander a bit - so if Reaves is only going out when the situation calls for it, maybe the liability factor isn't all that much.

I don't buy for a second that Sam Bennett plays any different now that Reaves is on the Leafs. When Bennett is asked to fight and he says "no thanks Ryan, I have a game to play" - what is Reaves going to do? Take a 5, a 10, and a game jumping him?

Klingberg is a good deal for a guy that can move the puck well.

Bertuzzi & Domi do add some jam to the lineup... but Bertuzzi's health is a question mark for me.

Muzzin to LTIR, and a Matt Murray buyout - and they're basically at the cap.

They've done a good job overall IMO, and improved the forward group.

Of course - if they deal Nylander then the forward group gets worse (unless they have a really good replacement).
Click to expand...

I’m saying if Bennett keeps manhandling our smaller players maybe Reaves does the same to one of theirs. Then Bennett has to rethink his strategy. You don,t need to take a penalty to send a message. I’m using Bennettstrictly as an example, it applies to anyone taking liberties.
Dan.
 
27Leafs27 said:
I’m saying if Bennett keeps manhandling our smaller players maybe Reaves does the same to one of theirs. Then Bennett has to rethink his strategy. You don,t need to take a penalty to send a message. I’m using Bennettstrictly as an example, it applies to anyone taking liberties.
Dan.
Click to expand...

I get he's an example, and this would apply to anyone.

I think for a lot of years (decades) the notion that the enforcer (or whatever you want to call him) was effective - it was very much true. Maybe he goes after the guy taking liberties (or scares the other players into not doing it). Maybe he does the same.

I think it's REALLY tough to work in today's NHL though. It's easy for Bennett (or whomever) to just skate away from Reaves. Yes - he could go out and do the same.... but aside from his physicality, he's not a great player.

Still using the Panthers as an easy example.... Sam Bennett works playing against Austin Matthews. If you put Reaves out on the ice against Barkov for an extended period of time - I think that's a trade the Panthers will take. It's going to lead to more scoring chances (for FLA) and Reaves is going to be very likely to take penalties.

Bertuzzi & Domi though - those guys are good players, and get dirty. Bertuzzi on a line with Mathews IMO does make him "tougher to play against" (the line is tougher) and he's exactly the kind of guy that can dish out similar stuff to Bennett, without being a liability.

I've been a big fan of some enforcers over the years, but I think the days of the "pure" enforcer are almost over.
 
Bertuzzi & Domi though - those guys are good players, and get dirty. Bertuzzi on a line with Mathews IMO does make him "tougher to play against" (the line is tougher) and he's exactly the kind of guy that can dish out similar stuff to Bennett, without being a liability.

I've been a big fan of some enforcers over the years, but I think the days of the "pure" enforcer are almost over.[/QUOTE]


I agree with these remarks 100%.
Dan.
 
27Leafs27 said:
Huh?
Dan.
Click to expand...

I presume they meant that the Leafs are in a salary cap constraint that will prevent them from re-upping Nylander? Were any of the Reaves, Bertuzzi, or Domi signings more than one year? i didnt pay close enough attention. :P I am aware that Nylander has only 2023-24 left on current contract. :)
 
BrownBullhead said:
I presume they meant that the Leafs are in a salary cap constraint that will prevent them from re-upping Nylander? Were any of the Reaves, Bertuzzi, or Domi signings more than one year? i didnt pay close enough attention. :P I am aware that Nylander has only 2023-24 left on current contract. :)
Click to expand...

I think Domi and Bertuzzi are 1 year deals, Reaves I believe has a 3 year deal.
Dan.
 

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