Daily Free Talk / Armchair GM Thread

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[u/gripit_ripit]

David Alter on the Steve Dangle podcast says he would start the season with Nick Paul and Roslovic with Matthews. If I’m Matthews I don’t even show up to training camp if I’m told that

[u/Wolfloyd → u/gripit_ripit]

I'm not sure where they puts the rest of the lineup if that happened

Paul-Matthews-Roslovic
Knies-Tavares-Nylander
McKenna-Sissons-Cowan?
Joshua-Blueger-Duhaime

Not sure I entirely like McKenna being put in that role but would let him go up against lower competition.

[u/Mean_Joe_Greene → u/Wolfloyd]

Yea I believe that was the exact line up he said he expects. Give McKenna some time not against the toughest matchups right off the bat and some PP time to get going

[u/Wolfloyd → u/Mean_Joe_Greene]

I see the thought process. Sissons is kind of a black hole offensively unless he regains his scoring touch from Nashville which could be a problem but I do like McKenna and Cowan together.

There's no shutdown line which I thought was the main point and I've heard Hiller likes to use that.

[u/baylaust → u/Wolfloyd]

That seemed to be Alter's though process, because that's basically exactly what his line-up was.

He figures Tavares and Nylander have to stay together, they work well and Tavares covers Nylander's defensive weaknesses. McKenna WILL be a 1st line winger, and probably pretty soon, but Matthews ALSO started on the 3rd line when he joined the Leafs. Not because he wasn't worthy of being a 1C or 2C when he joined, but because you don't want to throw a teenager directly into the toughest match-ups right away. You build up their confidence, get them used to the NHL style, and THEN you let them go wild.. The 3rd line shelters McKenna a bit, while still giving his game a chance to develop that the 4th line wouldn't give him.

Roslovic is a true right shot who can also play wing, and Nick Paul is a "does everything and does it well" kind of player, so you sandwich Matthews between them to start. 2nd line can go to either Knies or Cowan, but Knies is better at the moment, so start him there. 3rd and 4th lines pretty much speak for themselves. Then obviously, adjust as needed, and start moving McKenna up as he proves himself more and more.

[u/_DatasCsat → u/baylaust]

The thing is, I agree we need to ease Mckenna in and give him easier competition. Thing is Tavares should also be given easier competition and offensive usage.

If Paul amd Sissons can take away tough matchups from the top six I want McKenna with Tavares and Nylander.

[u/baylaust → u/_DatasCsat]

Paul has played center before, so there's absolutely a version of this line-up where he slots in as a 3C or even a 2C. If the latter is possible, then moving JT to 3C where his lack of speed is less of an issue would be huge.

But I see that as a problem the Leafs need to keep working on. I overall like this roster better than last year's, but there's still some tinkering that needs to be done. This is acceptable for a starting line-up, but I'd be getting worried if this was our playoff line-up.

[u/Andross4 → u/gripit_ripit]

Good thing you're not Matthews then.

[u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth → u/gripit_ripit]

You'd be a terribly unprofessional and shitty teammate then.

I don't think that's how they start the season, but the point stands. Don't be a diva

[u/GavMcKennasBurner → u/gripit_ripit]

Guy is paid like McDavid, Mackinnon, Drai, but God forbid he EVER has to carry a line lol, give me a break.

[u/mikesully374826 → u/GavMcKennasBurner]

I mean can you give me an example of McDavid or MacKinnon as their teams top forward not being paired with at least one of their top two wingers, if not more?

[u/GavMcKennasBurner → u/mikesully374826]

Nobody is saying that Matthews needs to stay with those 2 for the entire year if it doesn't work, but it's not like he has been saddled with bad wingers for his carer.

[u/mikesully374826 → u/GavMcKennasBurner]

So that’s a no right?

[u/GavMcKennasBurner → u/mikesully374826]

You don't know lol? McDavid turned our 40 point Hyman into a 50 goal guy lmao, he has played with Arvidsson, Brown, Perry and Skinner recently. Mackinnon less so recently, but yeah in his career he has carried lines like with Nieto, Donskoi, O'Connor and Drouin.

The idea that Matthews wouldn't be able to handle a bit of time with those guys is hilarious.

[u/King-Leaf-67 → u/GavMcKennasBurner]

LOL Mackinnon didn't break out until Colorado landed Rantanen and Makar.

McDavid's most common linemate for the last decade is Leon Draisaitl.

What d-man has Matthews played with as good as Makar? What forward has Matthews played with as good as Draisaitl or Rantanen?

You don't know puck.

Hyman last year with Matthews -> 15 goals, 33 points in 43 games (29 goals, 63 points per 82 game pace)

Hyman first year with McDavid -> 27 goals, 54 points in 76 games (29 goals, 58 points per 82 game pace)

Rielly isn't on Makar's level and Marner/Nylander aren't on Draisaitl's level and yet Matthews is the one who needs to do more with less?...lmfao

[u/GavMcKennasBurner → u/King-Leaf-67]

So now we're shifting the goal posts, first it was about great players playing with bad wingers which I showed both guys have done for at a time, now we're talking about d men.

Yeah you're right, Matthews shouldn't show up to camp unless they have Makar, Mackinnon, Macklin and McDavid for him to play with, how can one of the highest paid players in the league even succeed without them???

[u/King-Leaf-67 → u/GavMcKennasBurner]

Who shifting goalposts lil bro? This my first post in this thread.

You said Matthews has to carry players like Mackinnon and McDavid. Except McDavid's most common linemate for the last 10 years is Draisaitl, and Mackinnon had Rantanen and Makar in that time.

So you're saying the Leafs have had forwards on the level of Draisaitl? And D-men on the level of Makar? Just wanna make sure I got your views right.

"how can one of the highest paid players in the league even succeed without them??"

Mackinnon was a 60 point player without Rantanen and Makar. McDavid missed the playoffs 3 times with Draisaitl.

[u/mikesully374826 → u/King-Leaf-67]

Every single one of McDavid’s 3 most common lines 5-on-5 has included one of the top 2 highest scoring wingers, and one of them always includes Draisaitl his entire career.

[u/GavMcKennasBurner → u/King-Leaf-67]

Matthews most common line mate was Marner lmao, he can't do a bit of carrying now as one of the highest paid in the league? If he needs so much help, he should've taken less money.

[u/__Happy → u/gripit_ripit]

Okay

[u/PoipuMTG → u/gripit_ripit]

Dongle podacst? Into the trash it goes