Commander Clueless Posted September 25, 2014 Posted September 25, 2014 It's that time of year again. Time to go over the Stanley Cup parade route that was needlessly perfected decades ago.It's preseason time, baby!Time for the Cluelessfulness Review (trademark)!First off, those that have impressed thus far:1. James van Dreamsdyk- Good to see him come out of the gate flying. Well the first gate. The pre-actual gate gate. He went from a hot start to a hot shart last season, so him getting back on the right foot early is a good sign. To be fair, the entire team crapped in the proverbial bed at the end of the season, but that is when you need your best players most.2. Sam Carrick-I'm a big Carrick fan, so maybe I rate him a little highly after his hot start and play with the Marlies. Let's be clear: he's no more than a 4th liner at this point. But, he has been impressive in the pre-season and I really like his game. I think he'll be a staple on the bottom six of the big team in the not too distant future. Possibly even this year, as I'm hopeful he will make the team.3. Leo Komarov- Leo. Ah, Leo. How I missed this guy. Is $3 million for his services steep? Absolutely. But without him, the Leafs turned themselves from a hard hitting, finish your checks type of team into a bunch of fluffy bunnies. Happy to have him back.4. Daniel Winnik- Winnik has been as advertised and a bit more thus far. His penalty killing and defensive ability have really been showcased. He fills a minor role, but he looks to do it well.5. William Nylander (Will Ny The Hockey Guy)- Nylander has looked very raw and not NHL ready, but you can see the skill. Looks like maybe a bit of a project. His offensive instincts are there, and he's been surprisingly good at anticipation on the defensive side. Cautiously optimistic about this pick.Honourable Mention: Nazem Kadri. He's been good, but that's pretty much run of the mill for pre-season form Kadri.A few disappointments:1. Petri Kontiola- Finnish fans have pumped him up, but thus far "underwhelming" would be an understatement. You can see the talent exists, but he looks confused on the NA ice and his skating is just not there. 2. Henrik Tallinder- I like Tallinder, so the tryout was pretty cool. The Leafs really do need another steadying defensive presence capable of big minutes, but Tallinder thus far as underwhelmed. We'll see what the Leafs decide to do.3. David Booth- I didn't really expect much from the Boothinator going into the season, but outside of a shootout goal his play has been 4th line-ish at best.4. Stu Percy- I had high hopes for Stewie, but it looks like he's not ready yet. The IQ is impressive, but he lacks the footspeed to capitalize on it. Needs desperately to focus on skating.5. Petter Granberg- The Leafs had high hopes for the hulking Swede, but he has been visible in the bad sense of the term.HM: EA's NHL 15. But what did you expect?Season expectations are low this year, so now's the time to show us what you got Leafers. Fight for those jobs!Disclaimer: All opinions above have been confirmed as certifiably clueless, and should not be read by children under the age of 105.P.S. Did I mention the Leafs need defense?
pilldoc Posted September 25, 2014 Posted September 25, 2014 @Commander Clueless Well done....well done. LOL. Got a pretty good chuckle. Sadly you are spot on. At least you have a pretty good goalie to keep you around most games. Bernier was a flat out steal. Now if you could compliment him instead of putting the entire team on his shoulders, then you might be on to something. Again, thanks for the chuckle. PS How many of your fellow Leaf fans still think JVR is the savior? He will most certainly start hot again this year, but I say around January he should start going AWOL again. Carry on....
Podein25 Posted September 25, 2014 Posted September 25, 2014 @Commander Clueless Helluva report! Entertaining and informative.
yave1964 Posted September 25, 2014 Posted September 25, 2014 Very nice Clueless! with insightful if you keep this type of reporting up you are gonna have tochange your name.... Hey, are you signing up for the fantasy hockey league on here? I think you migh have a blast!
pilldoc Posted September 25, 2014 Posted September 25, 2014 @Commander Clueless agree with @yave1964. We need more players for the 2nd Fantasy League. You game. It is free! PM Vanflyer and HF if interested. You will have a blast.
Commander Clueless Posted September 25, 2014 Author Posted September 25, 2014 @Commander Clueless Well done....well done. LOL. Got a pretty good chuckle. Sadly you are spot on. At least you have a pretty good goalie to keep you around most games. Bernier was a flat out steal. Now if you could compliment him instead of putting the entire team on his shoulders, then you might be on to something. Again, thanks for the chuckle. PS How many of your fellow Leaf fans still think JVR is the savior? He will most certainly start hot again this year, but I say around January he should start going AWOL again. Carry on.... He's getting the "better than Kessel" treatment right now. Most people think he's evolving into a 75-85 point power forward of legendary status that will lead us to the playoffs single handedly. ...so, really, pretty reasonable assessments and expectations. But really, the guy put up a 30-30 season, so that's pretty friggin' sweet. And yet, when it came down to it, him (and the whole team) really did just mail it in at the end. It's tough to see. I think it's mostly a team problem, but JVR isn't exactly the picture of consistency. Kessel also being quite streaky makes it worse since the entire Leafs' offense runs through those two. If the Leafs are to succeed, he will need to be a big part of it. And that is a very big IF. I agree, the Leafs can't hang Bernier out to dry like that. I mean, he handled it well last year, but the second he gets hurt they tank worse than Dave Nonis' dignity after a Shanahan hiring. That can't happen, and even if he does stay healthy I don't think he can maintain that. There are rumblings of a "new and improved" defensive system to be deployed by Randy Carlyle, but I'll believe that when I see it. Let's just say I'm not optimistic. There's still a rather big hole on the D in the form of a partner for Phaneuf, made even bigger by the departure of Carl Gunnarsson. I really don't know how they will address that unless Nonis has a top pairing defenseman hidden somewhere very safe. @pilldoc @yave1964 I'd be down for that, but I have a confession to make: I've never participated in fantasy hockey before. Is there possibly a tutorial for newbies? Like say a weeklong seminar in Vegas?
pilldoc Posted September 25, 2014 Posted September 25, 2014 @pilldoc @yave1964 I'd be down for that, but I have a confession to make: I've never participated in fantasy hockey before. Is there possibly a tutorial for newbies? Like say a weeklong seminar in Vegas? No worries. I haven't done a fantasy league in years. You pick a roster of 16 players and then once a week you set a starting line-up. CBS sports does all the computing of points for ya. Simple as 1-2-3. Come on and join. it wil be a blast.
yave1964 Posted September 26, 2014 Posted September 26, 2014 @Commander Clueless And if you do fantasy, make certain to load up on your Leafs. Trust me. If you have by some strange twist of fate wind up with a Crosby or a Malkin i will give you a Broll or a Brendan Mikkelson just to make it easier for you to have your boys.....
jammer2 Posted September 26, 2014 Posted September 26, 2014 @Commander Clueless The idiot who runs the Leafs actually has the route picked out and planned...last year at least, I'm sure last years plan is still ok. http://www.torontosun.com/2013/07/15/new-maple-leafs-boss-has-parade-route-mapped-out
Commander Clueless Posted September 26, 2014 Author Posted September 26, 2014 @Commander CluelessAnd if you do fantasy, make certain to load up on your Leafs. Trust me. If you have by some strange twist of fate wind up with a Crosby or a Malkin i will give you a Broll or a Brendan Mikkelson just to make it easier for you to have your boys..... Throw in McLaren or Orr or no deal! Punches count as points right?
yave1964 Posted September 26, 2014 Posted September 26, 2014 Throw in McLaren or Orr or no deal! Punches count as points right?those two accumulate points just for being able to stand on their skates.....
Commander Clueless Posted September 30, 2014 Author Posted September 30, 2014 Well Sam Carrick got cut, unfortunately. Probably in favour of a good ol' knucklduster or two. Randy's gotta have his punch throwers I guess! They say he'll be one of the first call-ups, so that's good. Maybe he'll continue developing on offensive edge in the AHL. Robidas is still out, and now Franson looks to be out. The Leafs already pathetic-looking defense is looking even more pathetic-looking. Opening night may involve two rookies on top of the still raw Gardiner and Rielly, leaving Phaneuf and Polak as the only veteran defensemen until the injured return.
yave1964 Posted September 30, 2014 Posted September 30, 2014 You seem very high on Carrick. Based off the guys ahead of him on the depth chart, it isn't like he needs a lot to happen for him to get a spot o a lower line soon and see if he can earn more. Robidas and Booth injured. Sadly, this could have been predicted. I like them both, i think they will offer something by then end of the year, but injuries are a constant concern for these two brittle players. Hey, i saw you signed up for fantasy hockey, it is really pretty easy, and you learn more about players for other teams. My hockey IQ has went up (from moron to imbecile, lol) simply by keeping up with the kids that other teams other than the Wings have coming up. That, and wheni have a guy go down, trying to find replacements has helped me learn NHL teams second and third lines. It is a blast. Welcom aboard.
murraycraven Posted September 30, 2014 Posted September 30, 2014 1. James van Dreamsdyk- Good to see him come out of the gate flying. Well the first gate. The pre-actual gate gate. He went from a hot start to a hot shart last season, so him getting back on the right foot early is a good sign. To be fair, the entire team crapped in the proverbial bed at the end of the season, but that is when you need your best players most. JvR is like a downhill Super G skier - starts out of the gate hot only to fall flat towards the bottom of the hill. I would still take him over that stiff Schenn though! LOL
Commander Clueless Posted October 2, 2014 Author Posted October 2, 2014 @murraycraven It's true. But the same could have been said of the entire team, to be fair to JVR. Guy does need to find some consistency. That's not a trade I would ever undo from the Leafs' perspective, but Schenn is still a useful player. He could truly be an excellent shutdown guy if he got a bit more agility. Turning like a battleship doesn't quite cut it anymore.
ihabs1993 Posted October 4, 2014 Posted October 4, 2014 @Commander CluelessLooks like Kessel is hurting at the moment. Not sure if it's anything serious, but can the Leafs survive without him?
Commander Clueless Posted October 6, 2014 Author Posted October 6, 2014 @ihabs1993 The Leafs' offense is, historically, pretty putrid without The Phil. It would take a major stepping up from Kadri and the young guard, and/or a huge bounceback from Joffrey Lupul. Fortunately, rumour has it that it's very minor, and it's speculated Kessel will be able to play in short order.
ihabs1993 Posted October 6, 2014 Posted October 6, 2014 @ihabs1993 The Leafs' offense is, historically, pretty putrid without The Phil. It would take a major stepping up from Kadri and the young guard, and/or a huge bounceback from Joffrey Lupul. Fortunately, rumour has it that it's very minor, and it's speculated Kessel will be able to play in short order.I thought it was minor. I had read that he was in the best shape of his life coming into camp, which would be a disaster for Toronto. It would be like if Pacioretty went down for a long stretch for the Habs.
J0e Th0rnton Posted October 6, 2014 Posted October 6, 2014 It's that time of year again. Time to go over the Stanley Cup parade route that was needlessly perfected decades ago.It's preseason time, baby!Time for the Cluelessfulness Review (trademark)!First off, those that have impressed thus far:1. James van Dreamsdyk- Good to see him come out of the gate flying. Well the first gate. The pre-actual gate gate. He went from a hot start to a hot shart last season, so him getting back on the right foot early is a good sign. To be fair, the entire team crapped in the proverbial bed at the end of the season, but that is when you need your best players most.2. Sam Carrick-I'm a big Carrick fan, so maybe I rate him a little highly after his hot start and play with the Marlies. Let's be clear: he's no more than a 4th liner at this point. But, he has been impressive in the pre-season and I really like his game. I think he'll be a staple on the bottom six of the big team in the not too distant future. Possibly even this year, as I'm hopeful he will make the team.3. Leo Komarov- Leo. Ah, Leo. How I missed this guy. Is $3 million for his services steep? Absolutely. But without him, the Leafs turned themselves from a hard hitting, finish your checks type of team into a bunch of fluffy bunnies. Happy to have him back.4. Daniel Winnik- Winnik has been as advertised and a bit more thus far. His penalty killing and defensive ability have really been showcased. He fills a minor role, but he looks to do it well.5. William Nylander (Will Ny The Hockey Guy)- Nylander has looked very raw and not NHL ready, but you can see the skill. Looks like maybe a bit of a project. His offensive instincts are there, and he's been surprisingly good at anticipation on the defensive side. Cautiously optimistic about this pick.Honourable Mention: Nazem Kadri. He's been good, but that's pretty much run of the mill for pre-season form Kadri.A few disappointments:1. Petri Kontiola- Finnish fans have pumped him up, but thus far "underwhelming" would be an understatement. You can see the talent exists, but he looks confused on the NA ice and his skating is just not there.2. Henrik Tallinder- I like Tallinder, so the tryout was pretty cool. The Leafs really do need another steadying defensive presence capable of big minutes, but Tallinder thus far as underwhelmed. We'll see what the Leafs decide to do.3. David Booth- I didn't really expect much from the Boothinator going into the season, but outside of a shootout goal his play has been 4th line-ish at best.4. Stu Percy- I had high hopes for Stewie, but it looks like he's not ready yet. The IQ is impressive, but he lacks the footspeed to capitalize on it. Needs desperately to focus on skating.5. Petter Granberg- The Leafs had high hopes for the hulking Swede, but he has been visible in the bad sense of the term.HM: EA's NHL 15. But what did you expect?Season expectations are low this year, so now's the time to show us what you got Leafers. Fight for those jobs!Disclaimer: All opinions above have been confirmed as certifiably clueless, and should not be read by children under the age of 105.P.S. Did I mention the Leafs need defense?If he ain't got the Skating by age 21, he likely never will. He could improve his skating a tiny bit at most. But you do not need great Skating to be effective. Couture, Thornton and avelski are all low footspeed skaters, but with the right mental tools, it goes a long way
Commander Clueless Posted October 7, 2014 Author Posted October 7, 2014 I thought it was minor. I had read that he was in the best shape of his life coming into camp, which would be a disaster for Toronto. It would be like if Pacioretty went down for a long stretch for the Habs. Similar scenario, but worse because your team can at least compensate for lack of scoring by playing well defensively. The Leafs? Not so much. Without Phil, our scoring is terrible. Without scoring, we lose. A lot. If he ain't got the Skating by age 21, he likely never will. He could improve his skating a tiny bit at most. But you do not need great Skating to be effective. Couture, Thornton and avelski are all low footspeed skaters, but with the right mental tools, it goes a long way Well you may be right, although we have seen focus with a skating trainer do wonders for some players. Colton Orr is a great recent example, as training with the Leafs' skating coach increased his footspeed to actual above acceptable level NHL quality. At least for a time. He still can't actually play hockey, but the energy game is much better when you can actually skate. I'm not expecting Percy to become a speed demon, as his game will always rely on IQ. However, you can see he anticipates plays but is just too slow to capitalize at times. He doesn't need to go crazy, just refine his technique to become more effective. To Percy's credit, since writing this review he has upped his game and impressed Leaf brass. He may be a key injury call-up this season. Granberg was the other one who was considered to be almost NHL ready, but so far Viktor Loov and Korbinian Holzer have surpassed him handily. Loov in particular has impressed, and the Leafs are apparently now in a battle with his Swedish club to keep him in the AHL rather then send him back to Sweden, so they have him on the readily available reserve list.
Commander Clueless Posted October 8, 2014 Author Posted October 8, 2014 So it looks like the results from pre-season are in. Stuart Percy looks to be starting tonight on the bottom pairing after an injury to Cody Franson. Rumour has it he will be paired up with Roman Polak in a shutdown role. Good luck to him, as despite calling out his lack of speed, I'm really pulling for the kid. He has the awareness and the smarts to be a very effective NHL defenseman, IMO. Pre-season standout Brandon Kozun will be debuting on the 2nd line with Kadri and Lupul. Kozun is 24 and has been buried in the AHL for a long while as part of the LA Kings, so nice to see him get a shot in the NHL. He's 5'8'' but has been playing fierce.
jammer2 Posted October 9, 2014 Posted October 9, 2014 and it's speculated Kessel will be able to play in short order. Short order? Is that a nickname for Kessel's significant other? No wonder he only skated 10 times during the summer, to much damn leisure time spent with Ms (or Mr.) short order!!
Commander Clueless Posted October 9, 2014 Author Posted October 9, 2014 Short order? Is that a nickname for Kessel's significant other? No wonder he only skated 10 times during the summer, to much damn leisure time spent with Ms (or Mr.) short order!! Not unless Kessel is cheating. The name of his significant other is Tyler Bozak. True, but after tonight the Leafs are in prime position for the 1st overall pick. Missing the playoffs is likely.
Commander Clueless Posted October 9, 2014 Author Posted October 9, 2014 I'm not just eating crow about Stuart Percy, I'm eating a crowstorm. He looked like easily the Leafs best player last night, from what I saw.
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