338 replies to this topic

[BigWillieStyle]

He's obviously referring to the WAY heavier media coverage. Hope he enjoys the microscope.

More like the ant under the magnifying glass.

[cusimano_brothers]

From Toronto Star :

...
“It’s going to make for good competition in the end. Sometimes you go to teams and you just float your way through training camp knowing that you’ve got a spot. Now, a few guys are fighting for their lives and I feel like I’m one of them. So I’ve got to be on my game every day and work hard and let the chips fall where they may,” he said.
...

[Broken 16]

Not only that, but he is right Toronto is the #1 hockey market in the world.

From youth hockey upwards.

Right. I hope for his sake, he plays well. Because the backlash over there will be 10X what is was here. God help him.

[eva unit zero]

Lebda will be lucky to be in the regular rotation. As far as PP, he has a very good shot at being on the second pair, and would probably be the first spare if not, if he is in the top 6. If not, he won't get much PP time. And he won't get much ES time regardless; and NO time on the PK. Sounds like he might even get less time in Toronto than he got here, unless he manages to be a "coach's favorite" and get an unearned spot there too.

[Hockeytown0001]

If Lebda can't make the Leafs, I may laugh. Out loud.

[Crymson]

Can't say I disagree with him. Playing for the Leafs is the equivalent of playing for the Yankees. They're gonna eat him alive there.

He'll still be $2.9m richer, minus taxes.

Lebda will be lucky to be in the regular rotation. As far as PP, he has a very good shot at being on the second pair, and would probably be the first spare if not, if he is in the top 6.

Aye. Despite Toronto's absurd expenditure of cap space on defenseman, Lebda is really one of their only ones who can produce any sort of offense.

[titanium2]

Aye. Despite Toronto's absurd expenditure of cap space on defenseman, Lebda is really one of their only ones who can produce any sort of offense.

That's pretty bad as far as offense goes for Toronto's back end.

[MacK_Attack]

Aye. Despite Toronto's absurd expenditure of cap space on defenseman, Lebda is really one of their only ones who can produce any sort of offense.

Kaberle?

Gunnarsson is no slouch with the puck, either.

Oh, and Lebda will dress for the Leafs tonight against Ottawa.

Edited by MacK_Attack, 21 September 2010 - 10:35 AM.

[Crymson]

Kaberle?

Gunnarsson is no slouch with the puck, either.

Oh, and Lebda will dress for the Leafs tonight against Ottawa.

Go back and note that I said "one of the only..."; yes, Kaberle is one of them, and he's indeed pretty much the only one with any significant offensive ability. Sadly for the Leafs, Kaberle cannot play both point positions on both power play units. White was quality, but he's gone. Phaneuf is, I will admit, decent, and Beauchemin can handle some offensive responsibility as well. However, half of the Leafs` d-corps in any given game will probably be incapable of any offense; Schenn, Komisarek and Finger are offensively incompetent.

This is the stage at which I laugh uproariously at the fact that the Leafs have more money tied up in defenseman ($28m) than they are currently spending on forwards ($22.5m) and still do not have anywhere near the best defensive corps in the league. The $7.35m expended on goaltending is also fairly amusing.

Great job, Burkie.

Edited by Crymson, 21 September 2010 - 01:32 PM.

[MacK_Attack]

Go back and note that I said "one of the only..."; yes, Kaberle is one of them, and he's indeed pretty much the only one with any significant offensive ability. Sadly for the Leafs, Kaberle cannot play both point positions on both power play units. White was quality, but he's gone. Phaneuf is, I will admit, decent, and Beauchemin can handle some offensive responsibility as well. However, half of the Leafs` d-corps in any given game will probably be incapable of any offense; Schenn, Komisarek and Finger are offensively incompetent.

This is the stage at which I laugh uproariously at the fact that the Leafs have more money tied up in defenseman ($28m) than they are currently spending on forwards ($22.5m) and still do not have anywhere near the best defensive corps in the league. The $7.35m expended on goaltending is also fairly amusing.

Great job, Burkie.

Well....you really only need three or four defencemen for the power play. So Kaberle and Gunnarsson can move the puck and set things up and Phaneuf and Beauchemin can shoot. Of the six regular defencemen, Schenn & Komisarek are the only two who probably can't be counted on for some offense. Schenn did show some offensive ability later in the year, but certainly not to the level where you would expect it to continue.

Not sure you can write off their blueline as not being one of the better ones without them having played a game yet. I think they should be pretty good on the back-end. $7.35 million in goaltending is no big deal because $6 million of it is Giguere's expiring contract. Sure beats Toskala.

[Crymson]

Well....you really only need three or four defencemen for the power play. So Kaberle and Gunnarsson can move the puck and set things up and Phaneuf and Beauchemin can shoot. Of the six regular defencemen, Schenn & Komisarek are the only two who probably can't be counted on for some offense. Schenn did show some offensive ability later in the year, but certainly not to the level where you would expect it to continue.

Not sure you can write off their blueline as not being one of the better ones without them having played a game yet. I think they should be pretty good on the back-end. $7.35 million in goaltending is no big deal because $6 million of it is Giguere's expiring contract. Sure beats Toskala.

With the blueline you're listing, Lebda's $1.45m is being wasted.

[MacK_Attack]

With the blueline you're listing, Lebda's $1.45m is being wasted.

He's the number 7 defenseman based on depth, but he'll get to play because injuries are unavoidable. And when Lebda plays, he'll be on the 2nd powerplay unit, likely.

$1.45 million really isn't a big deal anymore...it's well under the league average salary.

Edited by MacK_Attack, 21 September 2010 - 03:04 PM.

[redwingfan19]

lebda wearing # 23, looks like the same old lebda to me, nice fight at the end of the 1st

2-0 sens

[darkmanx]

3-0 Sens.. Leafs 0/8 on the power play and have 3 chances on a 5 on 3 power play.

[MacK_Attack]

3-0 Sens.. Leafs 0/8 on the power play and have 3 chances on a 5 on 3 power play.

Meh. Minor league lineup. All but 3, maybe 4 or 5 forwards will be with the Marlies.

Edited by MacK_Attack, 21 September 2010 - 08:31 PM.

[Doc Holliday]

Meh. Minor league lineup. All but 3, maybe 4 or 5 forwards will be with the Marlies.

Makes sense to put all of your scrubs with your captain to all share a merciless beat-down on the first ever game of the season for your fans who for the past year and a half have been told about how things are going to change in the Leafs franchise.

Word, yo.

[MacK_Attack]

Makes sense to put all of your scrubs with your captain to all share a merciless beat-down on the first ever game of the season for your fans who for the past year and a half have been told about how things are going to change in the Leafs franchise.

Word, yo.

They have the training camp roster split up into three teams. They're just rotating the first five games, since they play five days in a row.

[Doc Holliday]

They have the training camp roster split up into three teams. They're just rotating the first five games, since they play five days in a row.

All I'm saying is it seems stupid for the first game to put your captain with a bunch of nobodies (and Brett Lebda). At least put something respectable out there. I think Leafs fans deserve that much, at least.

[MacK_Attack]

All I'm saying is it seems stupid for the first game to put your captain with a bunch of nobodies (and Brett Lebda). At least put something respectable out there. I think Leafs fans deserve that much, at least.

There seems to be a concentrated effort to ice really bad squads for the first week of exhibition games. All three squads are weak because they're filled with AHL/ECHL/CHL players.

Don't know if it was because they went with the big guns right off the bat last year and the team won a bunch of games and they got too high, but they seem like they are just throwing the first five games away. I don't really care if they do or don't, exhibition games are so bloody meaningless.

I don't know what exactly the strategy is, but I've heard it's because they "want to see what they have" in the system.

[Broken 16]

He's the number 7 defenseman based on depth, but he'll get to play because injuries are unavoidable. And when Lebda plays, he'll be on the 2nd powerplay unit, likely.

$1.45 million really isn't a big deal anymore...it's well under the league average salary.

It is for a player that isn't even top 6 on the depth chart. Seems pretty obvious to me that every 500k counts in the salary cap era.

That being said... I think that Lebda has enough offensive instinct and plenty of speed. In a different system, he could really blossom when given the chance. Which would make him a bargain. His speed is pretty sick.

Edited by Broken 16, 21 September 2010 - 09:10 PM.