Isn't this how the Leafs played for most of their recent history?

What do you mean? Tactics wise in terms of their D-zone coverage, transitions and in-zone offense?

Wouldn't this make more sense if Leafs were actually 9 deep in NHL dmen?

I really don't see how the Leafs are better when worse NHLers (Dahlstrom/Hollowell) are playing over better NHLers like Ritchie, Kampf, Mikheyev, etc.

Well you would obviously look to trade those guys and bring in better players to play Left back, centre back and right back. This is just the best lineup with the current set of Leafs players. As for Hollowell, he would fit this type of system like a hand in a glove. I could see him play in the NHL in a system like this. Dahlström could obviously be upgraded, but he would be a nice defensive security blanket for those two full backs.

With defensive forwards and offensive D already in the game, I feel like most plays already consist of 5 man units. Is this really a giant revolution in the game itself or just a change of labels?

I agree with that to a certain extent but this is the next level and much more advanced. As a defenseman it is so hard to see the speed coming from down low when you already are trying to contain the two forwards. Those wingbacks will have a much different role from the traditional wingers and the center back's role is also different from the current C's role. Wings backs will always have support defensively so they can jump the play at all time without worrying about defense. I just really love this idea.

i love it. thanks for sharing the articles. super neat idea, would certainly love to see a team take this leap. dubas & co's forward thinking could lead the leafs to being that team, and i would be all for it.

naturally, i have some minor contingencies with the lines & we'd need to trade/sign based on the structure - you can't have a valuable player in ritchie buried while dahlstrom is playing nhl games...
but i love the idea. super neat.

also defensive dmen tend to get paid less so you could totally fill up the leafs roster with like a bunch of them and then have matthews, marner, JT, and styles run the show up top.

Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it!
Obviously guys like Ritchie would be moved on for other assets in this type of idea to upgrade Dahlström. I don't think we will see it this year, but I was just showing how it could look like with the Leafs current crop of players. But yeah, how cool wouldn't it be? Absolutely love this.

I made some minor tweaks and added Ho-Sang and Gustafsson from FA. I think both these type of players would thrive in such a system.

One of the biggest problems I have with the 3D-2F on the breakout is you're expecting a lot of skating for those outside defenders. You're asking the weak side defensemen to skate out from below the dots (or lower) and support the attack off the rush. And if there's a sudden turnover off the rush, you expect them to skate back to cover the weak side. Not only does that require speed but endurance to continue to do the whole game. Imagine a playoff game that goes 2 or 3 overtimes.

Lots of teams play that way with the weak side defender joining the rush when the puck is on the strong side. The speed coming from down low is much harder for the opposition defense to identify and deal with. Take the PP drop break out for example. It makes it really hard for the opponents to follow and usually they are caught standing still and you can have an easy zone entry. The same sort of theory applies here. You have to see it as a traditional winger with a lower starting point. This enables the wing back to come from deep with more speed which is much harder to contain for the defense. As for the potential of a turnover, instead of having a center up high kind of in no mans land, the centre back will have a lower starting position to cover for the weak side defender should something happen. This whole philosophy is built on players with good skating and of course endurance. Not every single team is equipped with guys capable of playing this way but it can be done. It doesn't really matter what system you play, guys will be extremely fatigued playing 2 or 3 overtime periods in the playoffs anyways. These guys are ELITE athletes and will obviously be prepared to have an engine that can last a full 60 minutes or longer if need be.

All of it in the light of how bad they were for so long.