Too Many People Are Undervaluing Leivo

[ynwa]

Leivo is OK, but for my money, based on last season's performance the most undervalued player on the roster is Motte, game after game he was consistent. Hard working with a fair skill set.

[ButterBean]

There are no holes in his game but he doesn’t excel at anything either. Skating is average and isn’t that physical for a guy his size. On a contending team he is not a top 6 player and we’ve yet to see if he can carve a role in the bottom 6. Hopefully he can add some offense to our bottom 6 but he will have to adjust to that role. Right now he’s no more than a 4th liner/fill-in player when we get injuries.

[Hairy Kneel]

I'd take Leivo over Eriksson  anyday.

[erkayloomeh]

I kind of agree with OP.  I was impressed with him. 

[kenhodgejr]

1 hour ago, ynwa said:

Leivo is OK, but for my money, based on last season's performance the most undervalued player on the roster is Motte, game after game he was consistent. Hard working with a fair skill set.

I agree, I also thought Motte must have been close to leading the team in break aways even though he missed most of them. If he can work on his break away deeks he might have a really good season ahead of him. 

[oldnews]

Love the Leivo acquisition - great, timely opportunistic move.  The Leafs could really use him back.

 

But I see him as the kind of bottom six you win with.

For me, I'd pencil him onto the '4th' line.

 

Leivo Beagle Motte

Great 4th line Very important to have that kind of depth.

And when they come in alongside the Roussel Sutter Virtanen (assuming that's a thing this year - give or take) - then that is two great shutdown bottom six lines - and they'll make life better not just for the top 6, but also each other.

Doesn't matter much to me if Leivo is a 3rd or 4th liner - or an adequate option to step up in the lineup when a player like him is needed.

Great versatility - great work ethic and energy -  another valuable two way depth player imo.

[VegasCanuck]

I think Leivo has good potential, but he's moving into his "show me" year. Can he realize his potential and become a solid middle six guy.

 

I'd say that we sign him to a one year, "Show Me" deal for somewhere between 1.25 - 1.5 million bridge.

 

[Mad Jon]

3 hours ago, samurai said:

i read through most of the comments on this topic and can say this is an example of sometimes where there are more dumb posts than smarts ones.  Probably started with the topic choice.  

Thank you for your astute and well thought out observations......GOD!!!!

[Googlie]

There's prolly an opening on the PK with Granny's departure (and possibly LE's as well) and training camp plus exhibition season will likely see auditions for that role.   But Leivo needs to reinvent himself to take advantage.  Centers are pretty well set with Beagle and Sutter (if still here), with Bo ready if either of these are themselves in the box.

I read somewhere that last season Sutter and Eriksson weren't scored on for something like 31 penalties (I think we killed 19 straight during that stretch), and Granny with  Beagle formed a formidable second pairing over the boards. Motte did well when called upon, as did Schaller in his limited game time.

 

So there definitely is an opening and I see Leivo and Schaller battling for that spot. (Does anyone know if Miller has a good PK resume?)

 

I'd like to see Jake audition for that role too - Green used him there in Utica when they overlapped in the AHL

 

But it is hard to see where Leivo fits.    Maybe platooning with Baertschi on Bo's line, and/or placeholding on the 3rd line until Roussel returns.. As many others have said, it is up to him to show what he can do and where he fits.

[Tomatoes11]

No undervaluing here. Too many people overvaluing crap like Baerschi, Leivo, Granlund, motte, leipsic, Prust, Dorsett, and Spooner already,

 

All overvalued by our fanbase. We simply didn’t and never needed them and should have kept our picks instead.

 

I highly doubt Leivo is being undervalued in any way shape or form here. Not at Benning land cdc at least.

Edited July 3, 2019 by Tomatoes11

[Tomatoes11]

4 hours ago, Alflives said:

Leivo will need to accept his NHL role is a bottom six energy guy.  If he doesn’t accept that role, he will not stay in the league.  Good player though, just kind of a tweener.  

This, and we have given away too many assets for these tweeners. I just hope to god Miller doesn’t end up being one because I am afraid that he might if he regresses enough. And we gave up a fricking 1st and 3rd for him!

Edited July 3, 2019 by Tomatoes11

[48MPHSlapShot]

^ Please nobody take the bait. We don't need the trolls to turn every thread in this section to turn into a debate about the GM. 

[I.Am.Ironman]

11 minutes ago, Tomatoes11 said:

No undervaluing here. Too many people overvaluing crap like Baerschi, Leivo, Granlund, motte, leipsic, Prust, Dorsett.

 

All overvalued by our fanbase. We simply didn’t and never needed them and should have kept our picks instead.

 

I highly doubt Leivo is being undervalued in any way shape or for here. Not at Benning land cdc at least.

I trust that you know that not many picks were involved in the acquisition of those players. Dorsett was well worth the 3rd rounder we paid for him, Granlund was well worth Shinkaruk, Leivo is well worth Michael Carcone (wasn't he just traded again by TML?), Motte for Vanek rental may be worth it if he continues to develop into a good energy player, Leipsic for Philip Holm kind of a wash, Baertschi for a 2nd is still a good trade, Prust for Kassian certainly wasn't a great trade but Kass needed a new home and fresh start - tough circumstance all around.

[I.Am.Ironman]

5 minutes ago, 48MPHSlapShot said:

^ Please nobody take the bait. We don't need the trolls to turn every thread in this section to turn into a debate about the GM. 

whoops

[Tomatoes11]

3 minutes ago, I.Am.Ironman said:

I trust that you know that not many picks were involved in the acquisition of those players. Dorsett was well worth the 3rd rounder we paid for him, Granlund was well worth Shinkaruk, Leivo is well worth Michael Carcone (wasn't he just traded again by TML?), Motte for Vanek rental may be worth it if he continues to develop into a good energy player, Leipsic for Philip Holm kind of a wash, Baertschi for a 2nd is still a good trade, Prust for Kassian certainly wasn't a great trade but Kass needed a new home and fresh start - tough circumstance all around.

How is Dorsett worth the 3rd? The 3rd had a chance to help us towards a cup and Dorsett is long gone with no impact on our cup hopes zero. Not sure how anyone can argue that he was worth it. He is gone and we didn’t even sniff the playoffs once with him in the lineup. Definitely not worth the 3rd.

 

Granlund has been finally kicked to the curb, should have been sooner but definitely needed to happen so ....

 

Vanek should have gotten more than tomatoe juice.

 

Baertschi is an even worse version of the above Dorsett explaination. The 2nd might have been key to our future hopes. Baertschi, not all. How is that worth it? 

[samurai]

1 hour ago, Mad Jon said:

Thank you for your astute and well thought out observations......GOD!!!!

Your welcome, and I am not G-d.  It/he/she doesn't exist.  Anything else you want to know just ask me.  Congrats on your 66 posts.  I am sure over time you will get better at it.  

[Canuck Surfer]

9 hours ago, Alflives said:

Leivo is a solid bottom six winger and energy guy on a good team.  If he’s expected to be a top six guy, that team is not a winner.  

You are becoming a theologian in yer older years Alf? 

 

Good call on this comment.

[JamesB]

9 hours ago, Alflives said:

Leivo is a solid bottom six winger and energy guy on a good team.  If he’s expected to be a top six guy, that team is not a winner.  

 

9 hours ago, Greenman Wannabe said:

I view Lievo as a similar player to Chris Higgins. I think Lievo definitely has the ceiling of a 20 goal guy, in the right situation. I don't think it's unfair to ask 15 goals out of him from the 3rd line. I think if he can provide 15 goals, and maybe 20 assists, then he's good depth scoring, which will definitely help our team tremendously. 

He also seems responsible defensively and willing to lay out some hits which keeps him useful. 

I definitely don't see him being on par with Pearson at all. 

 

9 hours ago, Twilight Sparkle said:

No one was undervaluing Leivo

I think there has been more over-valuing of Leivo than undervaluing. Certainly there are some very optimistic assessments in this thread.

 

Leivo came to the Canucks because he was not good enough to play in the Toronto top 12 after Nylander signed.

 

He turned 26 in May, which means he should be pretty much at his peak performance level or very close to it. Some guys are late bloomers but, going by normal trajectories for forwards, there is no reason to expect significant improvement from here.

 

He has had favorable treatment in Vancouver. He played with EP quite a lot and his ozone start % was very high at 61.5% (i.e. had protected minutes). But when he was getting top 6 opportunities he was scoring at a 3rd line level.

 

He has decent skills and decent size and he plays a responsible game with and without the puck. But he has not developed a "separating skill". Although he scored a lot in junior and quite a lot in the AHL his scoring is not enough from him to be a top 6 forward in the NHL and his energy, physical play, and defensive play, while not bad, are good enough to make him really valuable in the bottom six. He was one of only a few regular forwards who had 0 PK minutes last year, so Travis Green apparently did not think he was strong defensively.

 

He is okay but he will have his work cut out for him to stay in the line-up for the Canucks. From what Benning has said, it seems that the top 6 are penciled in as EP, Boeser, Miller on one line and Horvat, Baertschi and Pearson as the other, although things could change.

 

Sutter, Beagle, Eriksson and Virtanen will be playing in the bottom six, And Roussel will play when he is healthy. That leaves a bunch of guys fighting for the other one or two spots: Motte, Gaudette, Goldy, Leivo, Schaller and any prospects who make a push in camp. 

 

Trades and injuries would affect things but right now I see Leivo as close to the bubble for the Canuck starting line-up out of camp. I think he will probably make the top 12, but it will be a close call.  

[TNucks1]

3 hours ago, 48MPHSlapShot said:

^ Please nobody take the bait. We don't need the trolls to turn every thread in this section to turn into a debate about the GM. 

its tomatoes, i dont think people still do.

[Angry Goose]

i quite like leivo