Ceci staying will be on first pairing with Rielly

I honestly hope not.

Wouldn't Muzzin be a better partner for him? Ceci has a strong pass but fails in most other regards as a defender. Muzzin has a strong defensive acumen that could insulate Ceci somewhat without risking him being as bad as he's been known to be alongside Harpur or running a weak pairing of Dermott-Ceci? I can't see anyone in that organization passing on running Rielly-Barrie for 25+ a night.

Also, why add Ferland to this mix? Nevermind that he's not going to take that cheap of a deal, but the one area the Leafs can quit adding at is forwards. Hyman's out for a bit sure, but it doesn't warrant a 5-year commitment to a player when that money could be used elsewheres

Ceci is staying but I think they will lighten his load. Muzzin plays top lines and Rielly hits big minutes. I could see Ceci (damn that sounds horrible) playing bottom pair and getting some time with both Rielly and muzzin here and there. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to move him around a bit and see where he looks most comfortable.

Agreed. Initially I had Ceci paried with Muz, however, I decided to move on from Ceci in this fantasy of mine for more sandpaper up front. Dermott is not an ideal 2nd paring RHD, but has shown he can handle it, especially with Muz to lean on. Barrie and Reilly is going to be a hell of a pairing IMHO. As much as I'd like Ferland to sign here, I think Dubas breaks out in hives anytime a Leaf player throws a hit....

For me this lineup (without Ferland signing) is much too small. Their defense is definitely suffering if they commit more to the forward group, however, I was interested in seeing how it would look with a Ferland type forward. It doesn't look all that bad, even in long term. It is going to be tough to improve defense for sure beyond this year, but that forward group looks insane!

And I do not believe Ferland actually signs with the Leafs, however, I have a feeling he isn't going to get (nor should he) much more than 3.5.

I think Muzz needs to be with Barrie. Barrie likes to jump up soo does Rielly, I don't feel like watching 3 on 0's lol. Rielly-Ceci may work as a pair. Ceci will have to get down to basics, use his skating/size to limit space and be 1st on the puck on dump ins and above all keep it simple aka give it to Rielly lol

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did the Leafs lose their series against Boston because Kadri brought too much sandpaper at an inappropriate moment or because they literally shat the bed and quit playing hockey in game 6 while on home ice? It's ignorant to think that Dubas doesn't value physicality in any regard, but the man is onto something. At the end of the day, more hits directly means you don't have the puck as often as the opponent. You're literally chasing the game. Hits hardly lead to turnovers, and even fewer result in goals. You can't win a hockey game unless you outscore your opponent, and the notion that you need a strong, bully of a team to win can't die soon enough.

If the Leafs' obvious strength is the skill throughout their top-9 forwards, the best way to capitalize on that is to ensure that your back end can transition the puck north as smoothly and quickly as possible. Ceci has a strong first pass and is absolute dog ass at defending. If he can consistently break the puck out to a streaking Matthews, Marner, Nylander, or Kapanen, does it even matter if he can't defend as well as the average defender?