Saturday Chat: Will Knees or Abruzzo play on the Leafs fourth line?

For a week now, Elliotte Friedman has been sharing news, rumors and opinions about what the Toronto Maple Leafs can do in the trade deadline this coming Monday. That’s not surprising, it’s what all hockey insiders do.

What makes Friedman unique is a bit of an opinion – he has yet to say he heard that is what Toronto will actually do – that no other insider has said as far as I know. Usually, when Friedman says something he makes clear is his idea or his opinion, instead of everything he has heard, I take it with a grain of salt. He is a top insider, but not exactly the best analyst.

Anyway, I want to talk about it because he said it almost every chance he gets. He said it in his last 32 thoughts article on Wednesday, on the 32 thoughts podcast yesterday, and I’m pretty sure I saw tweets from him saying it on the radio. Here is the gist of what he says from the article:

6. Toronto also sees fourth line changes. They were committed to getting Simmonds on 1,000 games and, as a longtime Spezza fan, I would love to see him get the 10 points he needs for 1,000. But they quietly looked to strengthen this trio. They talked to Vancouver about Tyler Motte. As per Irfaan Gaffar, Tampa Bay was also on Motte. Prospects Nick Abruzzese and Matthew Knies are opportunities after their NCAA seasons are over.

The basis of the idea is that the fourth line of leafs we all loved at the beginning of the year was a problem. Spezza and Simmonds are not getting any younger, and they have fallen. We’ve seen Keefe try to scratch one or two of them, they do not play much with equal power, and he has experimented with guys like Clifford, Engvall, Robertson, and even guys like Kase or Kerfoot during his more wild experimental. Phases.

Now you might be thinking … it’s the fourth line, who cares? To be fair, they are the players who play the least of the others on the team. It would be more prudent to spend your fortune to raise the middle six forwards, or the second pair on defense, or a goalkeeper who can stop the good puck better than Mrazek or Campbell in recent months.

Which looked very logical! Until last week, when we saw some whole banana trade weakening.

• Ben Chiarot – a second pair of defenders – was traded for a first round pick, a decent prospect, and a 4th round pick.
• Calle Jarnkrok – averaging six forwards – was traded for a second, a third and a seventh round.
• Brandon Hagel – an average six forward with a shot percentage spike – was traded for TWO first-round picks and two young NHL players.

And at this point, all we hear about other players being rumored to be exchanging is that the team is asking just as much. Many insiders have said that the Leafs have talked to Seattle about Giordano, but also said that Seattle wants at least a first back. Hampus Lindholm? A first and more. Even a no name guy makes league min like Jacob Middleton at San Jose did a trade ask from a second in a prospect / player.

And those are all for you Rent.

Meanwhile, every insider has reported that the Leafs are at least telling other teams that they do not want to give up their first-round pick, or any of their top prospects. So when you make the bunker craftsmen for guys who are not stars or on longer dealerships, the other teams ask the moon for their trading fees, and the fact that the leafs are not willing to give up so much … well what are they to to do?

In the 32 thought podcast, Friedman said he thinks the Leafs are trying to get one or two defenders, and a depth forward for the 4th. Because that’s all that the leafs can really get with the assets they are willing to trade.

Which brings us back to Friedman’s often expressed opinion of late that the Leafs have the option to sign either Matthew Knies or Nick Abruzzese when their NCAA seasons are over, and they may be able to help bring some life to the fourth line to spray.

But okay, should they?

Both are NCAA players, which is a fair level under the NHL in terms of quality. They also played at the Olympics, and did well for Team USA. Nick Abruzzese may have signed at all, as he is already 22 years old (turned 23 on June), started his NCAA career late and finished his third season with Harvard. There he did not really have much to prove.

Matthew Knies, on the other hand, is still only 19 years old, but he is a taller draft pick, much bigger at 6’3 “and 205 lbs, and plays that kind of hard, forechecking, power forward- Style that works very well on a fourth line – in theory, anyway.

If Abruzzese signs an ELC and becomes a pro after finishing his NCAA season, I would not be surprised. If the Leafs tried him right on their fourth line in the NHL, I would quite surprised. And if the Leafs sign Matthew Knies after just one NCAA season at an ELC and throw him straight to the fourth line as a 19-year-old, I’ll be even more surprised.

Can one or two of them do it though? Both at the same time seem to be asking a lot, as neither has any NHL experience yet. But one along with two vets in Clifford, Simmonds or Spezza? Maybe this could work. They could possibly add more skill and speed than they got from the three so far.

Bunting – Matthews – Marner

Kerfoot – Tavares – Nylander

Mikheyev – Fight – Cheese

Knees – Engvall – Simmonds / Clifford

The fourth line would be big, fast and physical. Probably a lot of fun too. Swap and Abruzzese for one use along with Spezza and one of the others, and you have a line with more skill and offensive potential.

I’m not a scout, so I do not really know if that would be something that actually works well, much less if the leafs would seriously consider it or not. I hang on to Dubas at least trying to get a more established depth going forward for the fourth line – but maybe the asking price for that too is too stupid for him to stomach.

PROSPECT PORN

Hey, talking about the prospects of the Leafs in the NCAA, they had two of them in the playoffs at their respective conferences last night.

First, Ryan Tverberg at UConn excited to continue the regular season conference winners in the Northeast for the Hockey East conference finals tomorrow night against Massachusetts. Tverberg scored the insurance goal in the third period of this beauty game:

It was Tverberg’s team that scored the 14th goal and 32nd point of the season. If UConn wins tomorrow, I believe they’ll guarantee a spot in the NCAA Division 1 Tournament.

Later in the evening, the aforementioned Nick Abruzzese played for Harvard in their 5-3 victory over Clarkson. He had two primary assists and two goals, including the equalizer in the third period, and was on the ice late in the game during the empty net. His goals were great, but this assist on the winner of the game was wonderful.

Abruzzese has 32 points and 26 games for Harvard. Quinnipiac will play tomorrow evening for the ECAC Conference Finals.

Speaking of Matthew Knies, he and Mike Koster of Minnesota will play tomorrow night in the Big 10 Conference Finals against the star-powered Michigan Wolverines. Even if they do not win, they are guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division 1 tournament because of how well they finished in the regular season.

LEAF LINKS

With the trade deadline close, Maple Leafs focus on the 4th line | by Katya, expands more on the Friedman rumor.

This is the easy thing to do to sort out Kyle Dubas. But it should be eliminated. Some value has to come from the fourth line, and right now there is not much about a parking space for the second unit Power Play Extras. The hard part is trying to get the defense, the goalkeeper, the split for a top-six striker, who’s still there, even if we’re just used to it. And the harder part is deciding, perhaps with his own work on the line, if the leafs can be fixed at all by deadline dealers

Report: Mark Giordano wants to play in Toronto | by Katya, expand more on THIS rumor.

As a rental price Giordano could hit the right price point, and the right skillset over Hampus Lindholm.

Lindholm’s current year results are not significantly different from the Muzzin’s. So to pay big for him, you have to hard believe this is all the team he is on, and the decade he has on Giordano makes him worth more. I’m not convinced. To pay big for Giordano, you have to hard believe that his defense is worth the worse for the rest of his game. I’m not entirely convinced either.

We will, as always, see where this goes.

Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Preview: Forward, Defense, and Goalie Options – MLHS Podcast Episode 40 | by Kevin Papetti and Anthony Petrielli

Friedman: Maple Leafs got calls for Engvall and Mikheyev, Dermott probably traded | more picks over Friedman Rumors about the Leafs not already covered above, by TLN.

Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Preview: Kyle Dubas is on the Watch | from Sportsnet

Matthews of the Leafs looks back from “long week” on the lineup | by TSN

ANER HOCKEY NEWS

The legend of Phil Kessel’s poker game Casino Nights in Pittsburgh: ‘The nice guy at the table’ | by The Athletic.

Kessel has been playing in the World Series of Poker every year since 2012. He has not many well-known passions in life, but among them are hockey, golf and poker.

And won. He has won some modest totals in the WSOP, over $ 20,000 in his additional career.

Edmonton will host the 2022 World Juniors in August | by Cam Lewis in the Daily Faceoff

Potentially Brutal News for the Florida Panthers. They were a top team all year, and the top scorer team. Aaron Ekblad was a big part of it because he had a great year, and they are rumored to be one of the two landing spots for Claude Freaking Giroux. But last night, Ekblad appeared to have suffered a nasty and freak knee injury. It would be terrible luck for Ekblad, who has a history of terrible health happiness.

Why is it that trolls are always trolled in penalty boxes?

Have a nice Saturday everyone!