James Tanner: The Coyotes Show Up, and That's About All They Do

Q is watching you.

Q is watching you.
- Newgod77

Joel Quenneville?

Sounds like Tocchet is doing everything wrong.

Can you articulate your game plan if you were coaching? Specifics would be great. What lines would you use? How would they be deployed? Would you try and match-up a specific defense pair against MacKinnon, which might explain Demers' minutes, or would you just roll your lines.

Maybe Tocchet will read it and listen to you. Never know.

DeNiro and Pacino are the same person.

Unless of course Nazem Kadri is my favorite NHL player and I've been secretly cheering for the Avs this whole time?

Well, you know, "It sucks to lose Nazem Kadri, but nevertheless this trade looks like a grandslam for Kyle Dubas and the Leafs."

https://editorinleaf.com/...eafs-blockbuster-trade-4/

Maybe someday I'll live in a world where my team's crappy GM doesn't fleeced by that Wunderkind Architect of Champions, Kyle Dubas.

I've already forgotten the list of Selke finalists. Was Kerfoot on there?

"Another great move from Kyle Dubas, who even his biggest detractors now must admit they were wrong about." !!!!!!@!!@

Sounds like Tocchet is doing everything wrong.

Can you articulate your game plan if you were coaching? Specifics would be great. What lines would you use? How would they be deployed? Would you try and match-up a specific defense pair against MacKinnon, which might explain Demers' minutes, or would you just roll your lines.

Maybe Tocchet will read it and listen to you. Never know.
- Kooleus

God you're annoying.

No, he's not Bill Meltzer but a recap of a game and projected lineups for the next one (with some quotes!) is boring 'J' school journalism and this is a blog on a website that hasn't been properly updated in years.

Keep it up James .. I was wrong about you .. but try not get yourself worked up by the haters (trolls) here in the comments .. it's not a good look.

God you're annoying.

No, he's not Bill Meltzer but a recap of a game and projected lineups for the next one (with some quotes!) is boring 'J' school journalism and this is a blog on a website that hasn't been properly updated in years.

Keep it up James .. I was wrong about you .. but try not get yourself worked up by the haters (trolls) here in the comments .. it's not a good look.
- farooge

I'm just trying to better understand a new perspective. I think Tocchet has adopted a pretty logical gameplan for the minimal talent that he has to work with. This roster is not a serious contender, but Tocchet is doing the best he can. The author obviously disagrees and rips on Tocchet all the time. So just curious what specific things could he do differently? Seems like a fair question.

I mean, the key is to build your top line as follows

Hall - Kuemper - Kessel
OEL - Kuemper
Kuemper

Fire Tocchet and replace him with Darcy K

Maybe someday I'll live in a world where my team's crappy GM doesn't fleeced by that Wunderkind Architect of Champions, Kyle Dubas.

I've already forgotten the list of Selke finalists. Was Kerfoot on there?

"Another great move from Kyle Dubas, who even his biggest detractors now must admit they were wrong about." !!!!!!@!!@
- FoppaForever

He was traded from Barrie and Kerfoot (and Rosen and some overrated draft picks .. but whatever)

Mike Russo thinks Kerfoot is pretty good (https://theathletic.com/1...ey-find-that-no-1-center/) and everyone thought/hoped Barrie would work out (and he filled a need!) + the Leafs were pretty pissed at Kadri if I remember correctly?

And he was writing for a Leafs site so maybe excuse the "grandslam" as expected given the audience? I would say the Leafs "won" the trade when it was made though

Well, you know, "It sucks to lose Nazem Kadri, but nevertheless this trade looks like a grandslam for Kyle Dubas and the Leafs."

https://editorinleaf.com/...eafs-blockbuster-trade-4/

Maybe someday I'll live in a world where my team's crappy GM doesn't fleeced by that Wunderkind Architect of Champions, Kyle Dubas.

I've already forgotten the list of Selke finalists. Was Kerfoot on there?

"Another great move from Kyle Dubas, who even his biggest detractors now must admit they were wrong about." !!!!!!@!!@
- FoppaForever

What, sports can be unpredictable? The hell you say!

I mean, the key is to build your top line as follows

Hall - Kuemper - Kessel
OEL - Kuemper
Kuemper

Fire Tocchet and replace him with Darcy K
- ChonDerry

No fair, you're using a game genie!

He was traded from Barrie and Kerfoot (and Rosen and some overrated draft picks .. but whatever)

Mike Russo thinks Kerfoot is pretty good (https://theathletic.com/1...ey-find-that-no-1-center/) and everyone thought/hoped Barrie would work out (and he filled a need!) + the Leafs were pretty pissed at Kadri if I remember correctly?

And he was writing for a Leafs site so maybe excuse the "grandslam" as expected given the audience? I would say the Leafs "won" the trade when it was made though
- farooge

Because he was writing for a Leafs site that gives him free reign on wildly over the top grandstanding? People who read Leafs sites don't want clear headed analysis?

OK, here he is writing for THIS site:

https://hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=100469

Just as a refresher, in the off season to which that article referred, Colorado acquired an entire second line - Burakovsky (for a 2nd and 3rd), Donskoi (UFA) and the kind of 2nd line center that teams like Montreal and, uh, Nashville have been trying to find for years - Kadri for a year of Tyson Barrie and Kerfoot. Not to mention Bellemare (UFA) to finish off one of the best 4th lines in the league and Nichushkin (UFA). This was reduced to:

"This is a tough question because none of the Central Division teams really did anything good."

and

"That leave Chicago and the Avalanche. The Avs traded two impact players for one, and there's no way to spin that into a good move. Retaining half of Barrie's salary is a gift the Leafs should thank him for daily. That means that the best offseason - by default - is had by the Blackhawks."

It's real cool that you've decided that Tanner's triumphalist pap is worth reading and, apparently, defending. It doesn't surprise me that you also look toward Russo as a source of hockey information.

Kerfoot is pretty good but he's not a Selke level forward as some crazy over the top Leafs fans speculated. Barrie is very good but was a bad fit for Toronto and their needs from day one and they were only getting one season of him for a cost controlled legit 2C. It was a very good trade for Joe Sakic and a very mediocre one for the Wonderboy and Leafs fanboys should have been able to figure that out from the beginning.

Darcy's SV % (apparently the most important stat du jour in Tanner world) is at .924 That ranks him 16th. He his behind both Colorado goaltenders in this stat.

Still the Conn Smythe favorite?

He was traded from Barrie and Kerfoot (and Rosen and some overrated draft picks .. but whatever)

Mike Russo thinks Kerfoot is pretty good (https://theathletic.com/1...ey-find-that-no-1-center/) and everyone thought/hoped Barrie would work out (and he filled a need!) + the Leafs were pretty pissed at Kadri if I remember correctly?

And he was writing for a Leafs site so maybe excuse the "grandslam" as expected given the audience? I would say the Leafs "won" the trade when it was made though
- farooge

Kadri kept taking needless poop penalties at super inopportune times in their playoff series' with the B's. Moving out to Colorado seems to have turned those penalties into goals.

Because he was writing for a Leafs site that gives him free reign on wildly over the top grandstanding? People who read Leafs sites don't want clear headed analysis?

OK, here he is writing for THIS site:

https://hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=100469

Just as a refresher, in the off season to which that article referred, Colorado acquired an entire second line - Burakovsky (for a 2nd and 3rd), Donskoi (UFA) and the kind of 2nd line center that teams like Montreal and, uh, Nashville have been trying to find for years - Kadri for a year of Tyson Barrie and Kerfoot. Not to mention Bellemare (UFA) to finish off one of the best 4th lines in the league and Nichushkin (UFA). This was reduced to:

"This is a tough question because none of the Central Division teams really did anything good."

and

"That leave Chicago and the Avalanche. The Avs traded two impact players for one, and there's no way to spin that into a good move. Retaining half of Barrie's salary is a gift the Leafs should thank him for daily. That means that the best offseason - by default - is had by the Blackhawks."

It's real cool that you've decided that Tanner's triumphalist pap is worth reading and, apparently, defending. It doesn't surprise me that you also look toward Russo as a source of hockey information.

Kerfoot is pretty good but he's not a Selke level forward as some crazy over the top Leafs fans speculated. Barrie is very good but was a bad fit for Toronto and their needs from day one and they were only getting one season of him for a cost controlled legit 2C. It was a very good trade for Joe Sakic and a very mediocre one for the Wonderboy and Leafs fanboys should have been able to figure that out from the beginning.
- FoppaForever

You know, they say "opinions are like ..." and-also maybe the opinion of the people who write the checks @ the Athletic carry a little more weight with most of us than some rando from the comments section on a poorly designed website (that needs pageviews .. which Mr Tanner seems to be providing).

I like his style and think it's hilarious it bothers some of you so much. Why on earth do we need another 'J school' trained facts regurgitator? Melatonin can help you get to sleep.

maybe the Habs and Coyotes can play each other for a participation trophy

maybe the Habs and Coyotes can play each other for a participation trophy
- 2Real

maybe the Habs and Coyotes can play each other for a participation trophy
- 2Real

That would make the non-playoff Leafs jealous. I like it.

I am shocked that an intelligent, educated, man of the world such as yourself has never read All The Pretty Horses

I'm just trying to better understand a new perspective. I think Tocchet has adopted a pretty logical gameplan for the minimal talent that he has to work with. This roster is not a serious contender, but Tocchet is doing the best he can. The author obviously disagrees and rips on Tocchet all the time. So just curious what specific things could he do differently? Seems like a fair question.
- Kooleus

we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, arizona might not have the talent of tampa bay but they have decent players. their previous gm made trades to get them impact players like kessel and hall, meanwhile they have guys like schmaltz, hayton, stepan, keller on the roster as well. that's a decent top 6 that should be able to score if they ran a better offensive system. they also had strome as well but tocchet chose to not use him at all and i think it's safe to say that strome is at minimum a top 6 player, especially on a roster that's supposed to be devoid of talent.

you can argue that guys like kessel, keller and hall aren't great defensive players but if that's the case then this super defensive system they use would be the wrong way to go and that falls directly on tocchet.

the fact is that tocchet has had elite goaltending for 3 years now and can't make the playoffs. they made it this year due to a pandemic lol. his gm went out and got him impact players on offense and he's done absolutely nothing with them.

when you get outshot in every game there is an issue and it's not just with the players. the coach is stuck with using a system that hasn't work for years which continually sees them get owned in possession time night in and night out and he is unwilling/unable to change.

we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, arizona might not have the talent of tampa bay but they have decent players. their previous gm made trades to get them impact players like kessel and hall, meanwhile they have guys like schmaltz, hayton, stepan, keller on the roster as well. that's a decent top 6 that should be able to score if they ran a better offensive system. they also had strome as well but tocchet chose to not use him at all and i think it's safe to say that strome is at minimum a top 6 player, especially on a roster that's supposed to be devoid of talent.

you can argue that guys like kessel, keller and hall aren't great defensive players but if that's the case then this super defensive system they use would be the wrong way to go and that falls directly on tocchet.

the fact is that tocchet has had elite goaltending for 3 years now and can't make the playoffs. they made it this year due to a pandemic lol. his gm went out and got him impact players on offense and he's done absolutely nothing with them.

when you get outshot in every game there is an issue and it's not just with the players. the coach is stuck with using a system that hasn't work for years which continually sees them get owned in possession time night in and night out and he is unwilling/unable to change.
- danktrees

Your definition of a decent top 6 is very different than mine. Stepan is washed up. So is Kessel. He does nothing 5-on-5. Hayton hasn't done anything to show he belongs on this stage. Recall the game awhile ago when he got scored on in 2 of his first 3 shifts. Keller shows no consistency. Schmaltz is an overpaid middle 6 guy. Playing an offensive system with this garbage is not the way to go. But thanks for your perspective. Still don't know what the author wants Tocchet to do...

Remember that one time Tanner said he’s happy that’s Arizona gets the Avs in the first round instead of Vegas because they are the “easier” opponent 😆

maybe the Habs and Coyotes can play each other for a participation trophy
- 2Real

Oh....oh....oh......can the Hawks challenge for that too!!!!!??????

I miss when Chayka was a genius.