MHF - Hockey Thread

[Smitty-48]

Eagles tied 1-1 with the Condors in their AHL playoff series. Agozzino with the hat trick on Saturday.

They've got Martin Kaut playing in the A, didn't send him back to Europe.

That's a good sign. That's Dubas style.

Yeah as soon as we drafted him, he was immediately like, "Ya I'll be in the AHL next year. Europe? Fuck Europe."

Doobie may be a Hipster, but he's not Euro.

He likes to get them into the A as soon as possible.

Convert them to the North American ice as early in the process as he can.

[Smitty-48]

That's the thing about Sandin.

If he was flying around busting moves in Sweden, it wouldn't be that impressive.

But to go from the OHL straight to a top pairing in the AHL playoffs and be lighting it up against pros?

In one summer?

Who does that?

Dubas has hit a home run here, I'm quite sure already.

[StCapps]

That's the thing about Sandin.

If he was flying around busting moves in Sweden, it wouldn't be that impressive.

But to go from the OHL straight to a top pairing in the AHL playoffs and be lighting it up against pros?

In one summer?

Who does that?

Dubas has hit a home run here, I'm quite sure already.

Yeah that's some ridiculous progression right there, you don't see that every day.

[Smitty-48]

That's the thing about Sandin.

If he was flying around busting moves in Sweden, it wouldn't be that impressive.

But to go from the OHL straight to a top pairing in the AHL playoffs and be lighting it up against pros?

In one summer?

Who does that?

Dubas has hit a home run here, I'm quite sure already.

Yeah that's some ridiculous progression right there, you don't see that every day.

He wasn't this good in the OHL.

From the kid I watched last year to the kid I'm seeing now?

It's like he progressed three years in one summer.

His hockey sense, the hockey IQ, and the confidence, it's elite. Near NHL ready, right now.

Telling you, I've seen this before.

This is what happened with Duncan Kieth.

He got picked in the second round "too small, skating is meh"

By the next year he was near NHL ready.

Same reason. Hockey sense and confidence. That's what really makes you NHL ready.

They let the cake bake on Kieth, he spent two seasons in the A.

But you could already see the hockey sense, which is what makes him Duncan Kieth.

Sandin is the same. He's not big, he's not the smoothest skater, he can't really crush people.

But he has the vision and confidence of an elite star player, he plays just like Duncan Keith.

Liljegren is supposed to be the offensive defensemen. But no, it's Sandin.

He generates way more offensive and is way more effective than Liljegren.

Then in the defensive zone where Liljegren is weak, Sandin is strong there too.

He doesn't run people through the boards, but he engages them aggressively with skill.

He stick checks them, strips them of the puck, and then takes off going the other way.

He's not shy about hitting people, but he's clever about it.

He doesn't go for a huge hit, he pops them just enough to separate them from the puck.

Then again, he takes the puck, and he's gone, right back up the ice, controlled exit, controlled entry.

Usually resulting in a scoring chance. Usually him being the one with the chance.

Because he quarterbacks, has a sneaky dangerous shot, and he drives the net too.

[StCapps]

If he ends up anywhere near that Duncan Keith ceiling, that sure is a helluva 29th overall pick, Hail Dubeezus.

[Smitty-48]

If he ends up anywhere near that Duncan Keith ceiling, that sure is a helluva 29th overall pick, Hail Dubeezus.

I predict that Sandin will leap frog over Dermott to be the Rasmus Dahlin of the Leafs, not next year, but the year after that. When Muzzin goes, they'll bring up Sandin, and he will be an impact star right out of the gate.

They'll let the cake bake for an extra year, mostly for the gym time for him to get stronger, but I predict that Babcock will fall in love with him and have him in the top four very quickly after that.

[Smitty-48]

I think Rielly will have to switch to the right side tho.

He can play the right side, but he's not as good. He's gonna have to develop it.

Because I think the top four in a three years or so is probably gonna look like this;

Sandin - Rielly

Dermott- Liljregren

Dubeezus is not going to go out and spend assets to get another top dman, he's developing one internally.

[StCapps]

I think Rielly will have to switch to the right side tho.

He can play the right side, but he's not as good. He's gonna have to develop it.

Because I think the top four in a three years or so is probably gonna look like this;

Sandin - Rielly

Dermott- Liljregren

Dubeezus is not going to go out and spend assets to get another top dman, he's developing one internally.

Then what would you want back for Kadri if not an RHD? Leafs have got too many small wingers that you need to deal some of them anyway, you got the goalie, and the whole reason to trade Kadri is that he's not that valuable as a 3C. That doesn't exactly leave a lot of options.

[Smitty-48]

I think Rielly will have to switch to the right side tho.

He can play the right side, but he's not as good. He's gonna have to develop it.

Because I think the top four in a three years or so is probably gonna look like this;

Sandin - Rielly

Dermott- Liljregren

Dubeezus is not going to go out and spend assets to get another top dman, he's developing one internally.

Then what would you want back for Kadri if not an RHD?

I don't think Dubeezus thinks like that.

I think he will probably keep Kadri and just keep developing internally.

I don't think he thinks like he has to make big splashy blockbuster trades.

I think Dubeezus wants to be the smartest guy in the room who develops his own players who other teams wish they had.

[StCapps]

I think Rielly will have to switch to the right side tho.

He can play the right side, but he's not as good. He's gonna have to develop it.

Because I think the top four in a three years or so is probably gonna look like this;

Sandin - Rielly

Dermott- Liljregren

Dubeezus is not going to go out and spend assets to get another top dman, he's developing one internally.

Then what would you want back for Kadri if not an RHD?

I don't think Dubeezus thinks like that.

I think he will probably keep Kadri and just keep developing internally.

I don't think he thinks like he has to make big splashy blockbuster trades.

I think Dubeezus wants to be the smartest guy in the room who develops his own players who other teams wish they had.

So piss away the early window because he's too afraid to make a move, and wants to act like the smartest guy in the room? That's not terribly encouraging, if he wanted to do that, he shouldn't have signed Tavares. Why make a short term signing of an aging star for over $10 million, if your plan is all about the long term?