That's what bugs me about this format. No hockey fan should want top teams facing eachother in rounds 1 and 2. It hurts the selling of the sport/league and people truly don't get to see the best teams in the later rounds.

Gary Bettman and all the old foggies can't retire fast enough. This league needs new blood and fresh eyes to bring it into the modern era so it can even remotely be in the same revenue ballpark as their counterparts.

phew

good thing we don't need either of them

REJOICE

I've thought Kerfoot's play this season has actually been not too bad and he is a well liked player by the coaching staff, but I find it peculiar that since McMann has joined the lineup, he has been slotted in above Kerfoot. I'm probably looking into it too much, but I almost wonder if they are maybe looking at trading Kerfoot to clear capspace. Him and Holl are the most sensible targets to be moved, but Holl is heavily relied on and offers a lot to the team for 2 mil. With the amount of prospects that look ready to make an impact, I almost wonder if the Leafs walk away from March 3rd with only 1 new player.

Feel free to choose whoever you like best but this current bottom six is not getting it done:

Kerfoot Kampf Engvall
ZAR Holmberg Hunt

McMann in for ZAR / Hunt and Garland in over Kerfoot. Could be a very nice bottom 6 to roll with in the playoffs

Should have brought over that points chart we made from the last thread to highlight this best but yea if Dubas went out and brought in Parise and Bjugstand for the 3rd and 4th lines those are clear cut upgrades

As Parise for instance is making 750k and has 13 goals and 20 points

Meanwhile Kerfoots making 3.5mill and has 7 goals and 20 points

For me if Dubas should make one big move for top 6 LW then 2-3 smaller moves to improve the bottom 6

Guys like Bjugstand, Bonino, Acciari, Parise, or anyone else on a good deal (minus Bonino but u could probs do what Colorado did with Cogliano 50% ret for a 4th)

I dont see McMann in come playoff time. Hes looked good but not good enough to where I trust him in a 7 game series vs. Tampa better to go with guys who are clear upgrades

And just for some extended clarity:

Kerfoot - 1 point in his last 7 games. He has gone 21 straight games this season without a goal.

Engvall - 1 point in his last 7 games. Has had a stretch of 22 games where he had only 2 goals.

Kampf - Has 1 point in his last 8 games. Has 1 goal in his last 38 games.

ZAR - 1 goal in his last 23 games. Has 3 points in his last 29 games.

Hunt - 1 goal in his last 17 games (it went in off his fukcin skate). 2 goals in his last 29 games.


If we go into the post season again with not much change to the bottom six, that will be the definition of insanity and I will absolutely sign off with Dubas being fired. And I am a hard core Dubasite.

Enough is enough

X X X
Engvall Kampf X

Fill in whoever you like. I’m an very hesitant to even put in Holmberg who is a rookie, McMann who is a rookie on a playoff roster, and throw Knies into the picture too.

Our top 6 I will take up against any team in the league, but we currently have a bellow than average offensive bottom 6. This needs to change if they have any hope of beating TBL and BOS

Just my two cents

With Kerfoot playing on the 4th line recently, hard not to look at Keefe looking for a new shutdown line. Be that:
McMann Kampf Engvall or ZAR Kampf Engvall (which he has used before) One these combinations could be a decent 4th line. Although I’d still rather upgrade on both McMann and ZAR

Engvall Kampf X

I feel for the 4th line one of Bonino (with 50% ret) or Acciari fits best

Bonino basically replaces Kerfoot at less of a cap hit, blocks more shots and is better at faceoffs. If u cant a more physical presence to kind of replace ZAR while also provide the scoring Noel Acciari fits

Who is taking Kerfoot tho?

Unless he is being packed to make it money in money out type of deal sure, but I can’t see any team just taking him on.

Gonna have to show with numbers why your wrong

TBL

Nick Paul 16G 9A 25 points
Ross Colton 9G 9A 18 points
Corey Perry 6G 10A 16 points
Namestnikov 3G 6A 9 points
Maroon 2G 5A 7 points
Bellemare 2G 4A 6 points
Balcers 3G 2A 5 points

86 points


BOS

Coyle 10G 15A 25 points
Zacha 7G 22A 29 points
Foligno 6G 13A 19 points
Frederic 10G 8A 18 points
Nosek 3G 5A 8 points
Smith 2G 4A 6 points
AJ Greer 4G 4A 8 points

113 points

TML

Kerfoot 7 goals 13 assists 20 points
Engvall 9 goals 7 assists 16 points
Kampf 4 goals 11 assists 15 points
Holmberg 4 goals 7 assists 11 points
ZAR 4 goals 2 assist 6 points
Hunt 3 goals 0 assists 3 points
Nick Robertson (inj) 2 goals and 3 assists 5 points

76 points

And im being generous putting NR in there. If hes not next guys Simmonds with 1 assist.

Package him off for a top 6 wing then make smaller moves to shore up the bottom 6

Like 7 goals and 13 assist aint bad but not the kind of production we want for a guy making 3.5mill.

If Dubas plays his cards right send him one of the prospects and a 1st bring in a nice top 6 LW.

But as I said before I feel Dubas will make 1 big move and 2-3 smaller moves. Kerfoot will be part of the big move.

That’s probably the only way. I’d really like to see them try out, once everyone is healthy:

Bunting Matthews Nylander
Kerfoot Tavares Marner
McMann Holmberg Jarnkrok
ZAR Kampf Engvall

It would be nice to know if any of those bottom 6 combinations work. If so, less work needed. Move Kerfoot for said top 6 LW, hopefully package with pick/prospect and maybe get back a couple of fwds

Yep, and times a ticking as knowing Dubas an Late January/Early Feb move could once again happen as he likes to beat out the competition. As to who it could be 0 idea.

Saw something from Russo that stated Arizona believes they can get upwards of a second round pick (!!!) for Bjugstad. Sorry @aadoyle

I mean u got to pay for upgrades. Not my ideal pay for him but if other competitive teams are willing to pay we kind of have to explore

As mentioned Jarnkrok when he got traded went for a 2nd + 3rd + 7th. Feel Bjugstand probs gets traded for a 3rd and 5th but if it costs a 2nd and Acciari, Bonino, and Parise are gone kind of have to bite the bullet.



As the guys making 900k and has 11 goals 9 assists which beats out all our bottom 6 in terms of goal production. Like no joke hes tied with Kerfoot for points with Kerfoot having the way bigger cap hit lul

So for WPG it would cost a 2nd + 3rd




But the Leafs must pay a 1st 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Unlucky by Kampf stupid sticky board lul

But seriously its mind blowing every team has had a 5 on 3 pp but the Leafs

Leafs are the only team in the league this season to not have gotten a 2 man advantage on the powerplay... We are over half way through the season

Funny how that works

Were gonna get one game 82 watch

With 16 of 32 teams in the playoffs, there are no more mediocre teams making the playoffs.
What they should do though is:
1) Even though 4 games in Division and 3 in Conference, seed playoffs by Conference; so Round 1 has E1 vs E8, E2 vs E7, etc.
2) In round 2, re-seed the teams for the entire league: so that 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, etc.
3) reseed team in Semi's also.

This gives best chance that best 2 teams meet in finals.
This actually makes it more probably that both the East and West teams will have travel in the Playoffs, whereas current almost assures that West travels much more than East.

Just for symmetry, play 4 games with all teams in Division for a total of 84 game season.