Pre-Season Game #9: Leafs vs. Detroit

I have been a RW supporter up until recently. I have come to see that he does not share the same vision of how a team should be made up as BB does. Wilson has essentially weakened our already scoring ability. Sure our top line will score at a fine clip until they get hit by the injury bug which should not take too long based on their make-up. Watching Kessel of all people coming to Versteeg’s rescue last night against the Grand Rapids Griffins was the perfect example of what is wrong with putting Versteeg on the top line. There is no size, no real physicality and no fighting ability on that line. When trouble erupts only the defence will be capable of protecting anyone and that could mean only Komisarek if Kaberle is on the ice at the time! Is is going to take an injury to a key player to get this through RWs thick skull? Another issue I have is that it looks again like Wilson is going to bury Jay Rosehill in the minors. I hope he requests a trade and comes back to haunt the Leafs every time we play against him. It is a crime that John Mitchell is going to make the team ahead of Rosey or Caputi for that matter. Rosehill is the type of player we need to put on the ice after every goal we allow to turn the momentum in our favour. Mitchell, more often than not kills our momentum by overplaying with the puck, getting into trouble and then turning it over. Even the times he does manage to get into a shooting position with the puck he puts it over the net 9 times out of ten. He also is an arm hitter which is a waste of his size. Clearly we need to spread out the offense and put someone big and tough on the top line. As we have an abundance of defencemen I would propose trying Komisarek up to the top line to create space, protect Kessel and Bozak, work the boards and the front of the net. If it worked for Chicago and Byfuglien why not the Leafs and Komisarek. At least try it against tough teams like Boston, Detroit and Philly. Playing Kulemin with Versteeg on the second line would give us two legit scoring lines to contend with whether the centre is Grabbo or Kadri once he is ready. I have always thought that Grabbo would make a better third line centre anyway because he tends to make things happen by himself, he is defensively responsible and a shorthanded threat.

Would love to have Dubinsky here. He is only going to get better. Could become a top two centre with the Leafs as long as he is coachable.

@ Uncle Otis:
I would keep Rosie as the extra forward over Mitchell or Caputi. On nights we need extra toughness insert him into the line-up and occasionally switch him in for Brown or Orr if they need a rest in back to back situations. Better than letting Mitchell or Caputi sit around not developing with day to day play. I think Rosehill’s downfall last year was too many undisciplined penalties. I think if he can tone it down enough to stay out of trouble he can still be a force with his forechecking and how he finishes his checks. His ability and willingness to mix it up is matched only by Orr who is strictly a heavyweight. From what I have seen he seems to have pretty good speed and with Hanson in the middle they could produce the odd goal too. Any offense would be a bonus anyway.