[Fox] Based on camp groups, a (very) early Maple Leafs lineup might look something like this:
Based on camp groups, a (very) early Maple Leafs lineup might look something like this:
Bertuzzi – Matthews – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Lafferty
Järnkrok – Nylander – Domi
Gregor – Kämpf – ReavesRielly – Brodie
McCabe – Klingberg
Giordano – LiljegrenSamsonov
Woll— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) September 20, 2023
by CTHT07
33 Comments
I’ll never understand the obsession with keeping Matthews and Marner together. Why does a Hart/Selke calibre C need better wingers than the guy making half as much just making the switch from wing?
Laff on the second line???
This is strictly preseason stuff right?
Hi Sam. Are you lost?
I think if Knies proves himself to be a genuine top 6 talent then this split is definitely a good look. I’d want to switch Domi and Laf, though. If Knies can’t help drive offence as much I would think it would be better to keep Nylander in the top 6.
Matthews and Nylander should play together to a degree
I think this top 6 would be fun:
Bertuzzi – Matthews – Tavares
Knies – Nylander – Marner
Idk what you do at 3rd C in that case though.
Gio – Lilly was bad
Don’t love this..
This is just based on the groups. The splits are just as much for competition as they are for looking at chemistry. They seem sure that Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Bertuzzi and Knies can make up 5 of 6 players on 2 lines. Nylander can easily go back up.
Traditionally they’d have Matthews in one group and Tavares in the other. But for the purpose of player evaluation, having Nylander as the C can tell you a lot about guys like Robertson. I see Tavares as better defensively and more of a cycler/slower guy. So you’d get more chances to see what Robertson can do offensively playing with a faster person. And more chances to see if he can play well defensively since he may be relied on that more on a line with Nylander vs one with Tavares. Robertson probably won’t make the team but if he does it will be because he beats out Lafferty and Jarnkrok for a top 9 role so it makes sense to see what he can do on a line where he won’t be sheltered
Robertson gets completely lost in these, hope he steals a spot and snipes goals all year long
I know this is mostly speculation but I don’t love line 2. I think Lafferty could be an effective “third guy” in the top six if he’s playing with two established high end players, but that’s asking a lot from Knies as a rookie. I think a playmaker would be stronger on that wing but I’m not sure we have another one.
Lafferty a placeholder for Patrick Kane I see.
You want to check out free agency do ya Willy?
It’s not great when 2/4 centers are weak defensively.
Hot take, but I actually want to see Jarnkrok and Lafferty switch.
Willy and Lafferty are the team’s 2 fastest forwards. One thing our offense has lacked is an effective rush.
Just a reminder that these lines are NOT set in stone and things change on the fly. Let’s not overreact to lines shown for the first time in pre-preseason.
That second line going to get eaten alive defensively.
Give auston knies and bertuzzi.
Play Tavares and marner together with just about anyone.
Play Nylander with domi and Jarnkrok.
lol no shot
Liljegren getting screwed already. Give the top 2 months of top 4 playing time. Go from there. He isn’t going to sink the team, especially early in the season when Torontos forwards typically light it up.
Imo this is one of the weaker rosters in the past few years
That second line is puke.
With willy taking his own line, matty needs to take his own with marner being available for JT.
Something like:
Bert-Matthews-Jarnkrok
Mitch-JT-Knies
Domi-Willy-lafferty (ideally someone else)
Wtf? That’s an ugly second line
I look forward to Keefe spending the entire season figuring out his line combos again
What an incredible line-up this year! The three first lines are crazy.
If the purpose of converting Nylander to C is to put him on the 3rd line I’m not in favour of this.
I probably overrate our bottom six every preseason but that is a juicy looking third line that could feast on easier matchups behind the Matthews and JT lines. Lafferty is the only one who looks out of place, and perhaps that’s the de facto third line.
Honestly Swap Marner and Domi and ride Jarnkrok – Nylander – Marner as our second line.
I think Knies – Tavares – Domi as our third line would be absolute perfection.
I don’t hate Lafferty playing more than 4th line minutes, but I’d try to do something more like this:
Jarnkrok – Matthews – Marner
Knies – Tavares – Bertuzzi
Domi – Nylander – Lafferty
McMann/Gregor – Kampf – Reaves
Underwhelming.
Holy hell everyone settle down lol it’s a preseason lineup.
Willy should never sniff the top 6 for us ever again
Nylander will play center ice for a total of half a period before we all remember the guy doesn’t play defensive hockey
That is a really good looking lineup