Trading Johnsson a matter of timing
An intriguing idea. I agree Johnsson is vulnerable to a trade, and a decent goalie is the priority. I think the Leafs would like for Johnsson to get his season going, though, to get the right value for him.
Good question, but I’m not sure it makes a difference. I found some online data from Stats Sports Consulting that analyzed 1,138 shootouts featuring 7,977 shots. The data suggests the team that shoots first wins 49.5 per cent of the time. So the shootout really is the crapshoot players say it is.
I think the choice of riding things out is the right one. Muzzin will be back soon enough. I think you’ll like what you see in Sandin while Rielly’s out. I remember those trades. The Kurvers trade was the height of lunacy.
If he missed entirely, he’d be allowed go back and get it. But he moved the puck forward, however infinitesimally, so that counted as a shot.
Read more on Kevin McGran’s Breakaway Blog at thestar.com and send your hockey questions to askkevinmcgran@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and punctuation. With news that Alexandar Georgiev is potentially available from the New York Rangers for the right forward, if you were Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, is Georgiev the answer to shore up our backup goaltending situation? We are flush at the forward position, particularly at left wing, with the emergence of Pierre Engvall and Ilya Mikheyev. Can you see giving up Andreas Johnsson straight up getting this deal done? With Johnsson’s recent return, it’s hard to see where he fits on this team long term, now that we’ve seen what both Mikheyev and Engvall can provide. They both will also likely be under club control for longer and at lower price points. — Peter
Just finished watching the Leafs and Flames game. Why the hell do coaches who have home-ice advantage (choice to go first or last) elect to shoot first in the shootout? I can’t for the life of me figure this one out. Wouldn’t you always want the luxury of going last? One will counter: Don’t put the pressure on the goalie. But what about the pressure on the player? And it’s not like going first has been working for the Leafs lately. Shake it up! — Justin P.
With the Leafs’ two best D men out, it brought back memories of some of the horrendous trades of the past — ones I think that Kyle Dubas is too smart (and too tight against the salary cap) to make. Remember Randy Carlyle for Dave Burrows? Or the first-round draft choice that became Scott Niedermayer for Tom Kurvers? I know the cap hits don’t quite match, but who knows if we might have seen William Nylander for Drew Doughty or, gulp, P.K. Subban? Not that the Leafs appear to have much choice, but I think the best thing is to ride it out until Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin are back and hope that young Rasmus Sandin is as good as projected. — Allan H.
I’m sure you saw Brad Marchand’s epic whiff on his shootout attempt in the FlyersBruins game Monday … My question is: What if he hadn’t touched it at all? Whether missing the puck deliberately or intentionally, would he be allowed to circle back and pick up the puck and continue if he misses it completely? — Marty D.