2011 NHL Offseason Thread (Draft, Trades, Free Agent Signings, etc...)

[Mod 8]

Hello everyone,

I am fed up with people going out of their way to instigate flame wars and cause problems in the sports threads. I have also posted numerous warnings regarding betting on MERB in the past. Joelcairo has now been banned for 1 month for his constant shit disturbing and I will not hesitate to give him some company if anyone else wishes to ignore these warnings.

If you have nothing worthwhile to contribute in these discussions, do not bother posting in them. Starting a war will get you banned.

Mod 8

 

[evillethings]

Zenon Konopka lands in Ottawa

Here's another guy I would've loved to see Montreal or Toronto sign.

Great guy for Face-offs AND Toughness/Fighting! Also great in the Hits column.

 

[evillethings]

Tomas Kaberle has signed a three-year, $12.75 million deal to play for the Carolina Hurricanes...

Love this signing by the Canes! That's an upgrade on Corvo whom the Canes shipped to Boston for a 4th Rd'er.

 

[gohabsgo]

Here's another guy I would've loved to see Montreal or Toronto sign.

Great guy for Face-offs AND Toughness/Fighting! Also great in the Hits column.

thought Windbag Burke wouldve signed him up to play on the Leafs first line withh Orr and Roseweed ...

 

[evillethings]

The Winnipeg Jets have avoided salary arbitration with forward Andrew Ladd, agreeing to a five-year, $22 million contract with their captain before the 5pm et deadline to file.

The deal will pay Ladd $4 million next season and $4.5 million in each of the following four seasons...

Gotta wonder if the Jets had to overpay due to playin outta Siberia-CAN or Leino + Florida Panthers drove up the value on 60pt players. Hope Ladd can continue to produce and develop over the life of this contract.

 

[evillethings]

thought Windbag Burke wouldve signed him up to play on the Leafs first line withh Orr and Roseweed ...

Nah, Burkie wasn't gonna do that after passing up on a bigger knuckle head in Carcillo.

Imagine Carcillo, Konopka, Orr as the Leafs 1st line... Phaneuf, Rose-bud on the blueline and maybe draft Jonathan Roy to play goal.

 

[lgna69xxx]

HAHA! Good stuff Evillethings :lol:

Burke has done a marvelous job this offseason especially considering the slim pickings in free agency. The Leafs went from No PMD (puck moving defenceman) and no "real" powerplay QB to now having 2 in John Michael Liles and Cody Franson (btw, Franson has a wicked shot), have added a huge upgrade at the 1st line centre position over Bozak, in Tim Connolly, and also added one Matthew Lombardi who if ready for training camp like he hopes to be (or anytime during the season really, as he was basically a salary dump by the Preds) is a lightning fast skilled forward. We went from Bozak/Grabo/Brent as our line 1-3 centres to Connolly/Grabo/Lombardi, quite a huge improvement, and "if" Lombardi cant go, we are perfectly fine with Bozie as the third line centre, a place he should excel.

Also Connolly is one of the best penalty kill specialists in the league, and Lombardi is strong as well. Burke has addressed both of the Leafs 2 huge weaknesses from last season, the PP and the PK, and also added 2 new coaches to specifically help on special teams. I have a feeling Burke is still not done. Cant wait for Oct 6 at the ACC!

Nah, Burkie wasn't gonna do that after passing up on a bigger knuckle head in Carcillo.

Imagine Carcillo, Konopka, Orr as the Leafs 1st line... Phaneuf, Rose-bud on the blueline and maybe draft Jonathan Roy to play goal.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Actually there is outrage in habland on another Hockey board, their calling for Gauthiers head for not signing him, and frankly, i dont blame habs fans.

thought Windbag Burke wouldve signed him up to play on the Leafs first line withh Orr and Roseweed ...

 

[evillethings]

The Leafs went from No PMD (puck moving defenceman) and no "real" powerplay QB to now having 2 in John Michael Liles and Cody Franson (btw, Franson has a wicked shot) ... I have a feeling Burke is still not done...

Still not lovin' Liles... Kaberle was consistent which is more than we can say for Johnny L. True Thomas never laid the body on anything other than a bed but Liles isn't exactly the physical Dman Burke usually signs/trades for.

Now Franson is a great acquisition for Toronto. Preds have a few Franson types (puck moving with big shot) but Cody is also into hitting ppl so that'll make crossing the Leafs blueline scarier for opposing forwards.

Agree with ya lgna69xxx, Burkie ain't done dealin' n signing! Still think he could gain something in signing a veteran goalie like Turco to mentor Reimer.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Alot of true PMD are not physical, Liles, Kabby, Erhoff, Markov and the list goes on and on.... So tell me ELT, you are pretty honest it seems and tell it the way you see it.

The Leafs now have a Centre for Kessel , if he can score 30 and 32 goals with Bozak, he should be better , by alot, with a healthy Connolly, and since Lupul got here last year he helped to make Phil a ppg player the last 30 or so games. So with that said, we now have 2 productive top six lines, a very strong third line that should consists of either Bozak or Lombardi at centre and Kadri and Armstrong on the wings, and a very effective energy line with Brown/Orr/and Bozak or another centre...

Defense looks even more fearsome than the end of last season and Reimer looks like he is the real deal.

Where do you see weakness as of today? (not counting Wilson which im sure you'd point out although i strongly disagree, i think he is a very very good coach) Just players and positions? Remember the Leafs had the 3rd best point total in the Eastern Conference the second half of the season last year and had they not had a horrible November, would of easily made the playoffs, also some teams so far have gotten better in the East, but so have the Leafs so that cancels itself out, since nobody got drastically better, and the debate whether Philly is the same, better, or even worse is a mystery for now, so let me know your HONEST thoughts.

The only thing i feel we still need is one more PK guy, if Lombardi doesnt recover for the begining of the season. And i am not looking at a top 2 or 3 finish, but i do honestly believe the Leafs as it stands today, can place anywhere from 6-8

Still not lovin' Liles... Kaberle was consistent which is more than we can say for Johnny L. True Thomas never laid the body on anything other than a bed but Liles isn't exactly the physical Dman Burke usually signs/trades for.

Now Franson is a great acquisition for Toronto. Preds have a few Franson types (puck moving with big shot) but Cody is also into hitting ppl so that'll make crossing the Leafs blueline scarier for opposing forwards.

Agree with ya lgna69xxx, Burkie ain't done dealin' n signing! Still think he could gain something in signing a veteran goalie like Turco to mentor Reimer.

 

[G1GBallday]

Hello everyone,

I am fed up with people going out of their way to instigate flame wars and cause problems in the sports threads. I have also posted numerous warnings regarding betting on MERB in the past. Joelcairo has now been banned for 1 month for his constant shit disturbing and I will not hesitate to give him some company if anyone else wishes to ignore these warnings.

If you have nothing worthwhile to contribute in these discussions, do not bother posting in them. Starting a war will get you banned.

Mod 8

With all due respect M8 if proposing a bet is part of your justifications for banning Joelcairo then it's the thread's author who should be banned as per the following quote of post #106 and not Joelcairo.

Not my fault ghg didnt have the cojones to publically accept the bet , you snooze, you lose. Wanna bet this year, i have no problem as long as you accept it and pay up like a man, no "pretending" a bet went thru when it actually didnt. Stuff like that doesnt fly in the "betting" world. So once again, your statements are as false as who your real team is.

 

[lgna69xxx]

MacArthur and Bozak re signed

The Toronto Maple Leafs locked up a pair of forwards on Tuesday, signing Clarke MacArthur and Tyler Bozak to two-year contracts.

MacArthur's deal is valued at a total of $6.5 million. Bozak will reportedly earn $1.95 million over the two seasons of his contract.

MacArthur broke out last season with 21 goals and 62 points for the Maple Leafs, nearly doubling his best regular-season point total.

The Thrashers turned down a $2.4-million ruling for MacArthur at the end of last season, which led to Toronto signing him as an unrestricted free agent.

During his five years in the NHL, the Lloydminster, Alberta native has spent time with the Buffalo Sabres and Atlanta Thrashers, accumulating 65 goals and 85 assists, while appearing in 290 career games.

MacArthur was originally drafted by the Sabres in the third round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Bozak tweeted to his supporters on Tuesday, saying "Thanks for the congrats everyone. Glad to be back with the Leafs to play in front of the best fans in the world."

He netted 15 goals and 32 points last year in Toronto.

 

[evillethings]

... The Leafs now have a Centre for Kessel , if he can score 30 and 32 goals with Bozak, he should be better , by alot, with a healthy Connolly...

That's the key, with a healthy Tim "Glass" Connolly! Problem with Glass Connolly is the guy's in-and-out of the line-up so often it's prob tough to get a rhythm going thru the season. Not to mention, not sure Connolly is as shifty side-to-side as Marc Savard was ... so he might not be the passer Kessel needs to succeed.

... Where do you see weakness as of today? (not counting Wilson which im sure you'd point out although i strongly disagree, i think he is a very very good coach) Just players and positions? ...

Come on Igna69xxx! Wilson is the biggest barrier to the Leafs making the post-season. But for the sake of argument... let's pretend that Wilson isn't a "Keenan-mini-me" (read: lost his players on Day-1)... Leaf weaknesses are,

1) no veteran G to mentor Reimer or Monster
2) no veteran D to keep the blueliners in check... like a Sean O'Donnell-type
3) no true veteran presence up front... like a Mark Recchi, Langenbrunner, even Arnott would do... guys who've put in the time and won a Cup or two along the way and aren't completely full of themselves like retired oldies Chelios, Roenick, etc.

Veterans usually hold the team together + help younger guys mature... the glue... not goo.

 

[lgna69xxx]

I also was thinking maybe grab Langenbrunner or Arnott for the third line if Lombardi cant go. Defense, i think this is truly Phaneuf's time to shine, he is 26, seems like he has been in the NHL for 10 years already and he showed great maturity last year after his injury, time for the Captain to take the reigns and lead by example. I'm fine with Reimer and the Monster at this point since it is easy to find a veteran goalie if it becomes apparent one is needed, but i think Reimer with his poise, maturity, humbleness, faith and obvious talent makes him the real deal and we are good to go as long as the Monster can play well enough for 20-30 games when needed, if not Ben Scrivens is waiting his turn in the AHL and you dont go to Cornell University of the ECAC and be named goaltender of the year if your not an outstanding talent, btw, he went there because his hero went there, Mr. Ken Dryden. Again, if they need to find a back up, it wont be hard.

Lol, when Wilson wins coach of the year, i want an apology :lol: Just kidding but seriously, NONE of us know the relationship he has behind closed doors with his players, and he has NEVER lost any Leafs team like you have mentioned, not once. I am not sure what team you have been watching but the team has played their hearts out for the guy. Kessels comment last year about "maybe its not working out here" was the only thing questionable but then he quickly said he was talking about the line he was on, whether that was the truth or not, he went on to become a ppg player after that the rest of the season, it is called sucking it up, quit your crying and be a man, and he grew up alot those last 30 games.

That's the key, with a healthy Tim "Glass" Connolly! Problem with Glass Connolly is the guy's in-and-out of the line-up so often it's prob tough to get a rhythm going thru the season. Not to mention, not sure Connolly is as shifty side-to-side as Marc Savard was ... so he might not be the passer Kessel needs to succeed.



Come on Igna69xxx! Wilson is the biggest barrier to the Leafs making the post-season. But for the sake of argument... let's pretend that Wilson isn't a "Keenan-mini-me" (read: lost his players on Day-1)... Leaf weaknesses are,

1) no veteran G to mentor Reimer or Monster
2) no veteran D to keep the blueliners in check... like a Sean O'Donnell-type
3) no true veteran presence up front... like a Mark Recchi, Langenbrunner, even Arnott would do... guys who've put in the time and won a Cup or two along the way and aren't completely full of themselves like retired oldies Chelios, Roenick, etc.

Veterans usually hold the team together + help younger guys mature... the glue... not goo.

 

[evillethings]

...Defense, i think this is truly Phaneuf's time to shine, he is 26, seems like he has been in the NHL for 10 years already and he showed great maturity last year after his injury, time for the Captain to take the reigns and lead by example.

...

Lol, when Wilson wins coach of the year, i want an apology :lol: Just kidding but seriously, NONE of us know the relationship he has behind closed doors with his players, and he has NEVER lost any Leafs team like you have mentioned, not once...

Phaneuf as the vet leader on D... hmmm, remember they shipped him outta Calgary because he was a bit of a shit disturber and wasn't haulin' ass so the vets like Iggy rode him outta town. So a real senior D, a sage old guy could help Dion and the rest of the blueliners mature and reach the next level of their games.

As for Wilson, there was that CBC NHL Player poll that was published last season that rated Ron Wilson the coach players didn't want to play for. That speaks volumes. ... Here... Googled, CBC... coach ... poll ... Wilson ... voila

Which coach would you least like to play for?
Ron Wilson: 24%
Torts 15%
Crawford 14%
Brent Sutter 10%
Keenan 9%

That's pretty public.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Dion was a kid in Calgary, i watch 95% of all Leafs games and trust me, he like Kessel grew up a lot last season in that run they had the second half, plus he is the hardest working guy on the team, that is a well known fact.

As far as a poll, alot of that is what other players see on tv, not behind the scenes, and also they only polled something like less than half of NHL players, no way all 24% ever played for the man, and leafs players came to his defense after the poll as well, btw Scotty Bowman was one of the most hated coaches to play for as well, before the Stanley Cup rings started coming. But really, i dont care if a player likes to play for him or loves to play for him, as long as they do their job and give 110% is all that matters, but i have a very good feeling the players we have now like the guy, and ALOT. It didnt stop free agents from coming in Beauchemin and Komiserak last year and Connolly this year. Brad Richards NEW coach is on that list btw

Seems nobody had a problem with Wilson when the Leafs came within a few points of the playoffs last year... if certain players are soft and cant handle some scrutiny when they are not giving the TEAM everything they have, then maybe they need to go play for a non Hockey market and bring a box of Kleenex with them. :lol:

BTW, seems ole Ronnie is in some pretty darn good company with that list eh? And dont forget Bowman like i mentioned as well :thumb:

Phaneuf as the vet leader on D... hmmm, remember they shipped him outta Calgary because he was a bit of a shit disturber and wasn't haulin' ass so the vets like Iggy rode him outta town. So a real senior D, a sage old guy could help Dion and the rest of the blueliners mature and reach the next level of their games.

As for Wilson, there was that CBC NHL Player poll that was published last season that rated Ron Wilson the coach players didn't want to play for. That speaks volumes. ... Here... Googled, CBC... coach ... poll ... Wilson ... voila



That's pretty public.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Old news...... btw, he was supporting the men and women who fight for yours and my freedom, and committed to it when they asked him to go before they new the exact date...care to talk real hockey or just be a S**T Disturber?

PS. Steve Simmons is the biggest joke of a reporter there ever was, and he has been that way for over 20 years Also the overwhelming support by Leafs fans for Burke about this article has been off the wall, making his approval rating soar to new heights, backfired on old Stevie with a captal B!

Where was Blowhard Burke on the most important day of the year? ...

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/01/burke-off-to-afghanistan

 

[Doc Holliday]

Here's another guy I would've loved to see Montreal or Toronto sign.

Great guy for Face-offs AND Toughness/Fighting! Also great in the Hits column.

I agree. He was exactly Burke's type of player & the Senators got him at a bargain. Great acquisition by Bryan Murray, who's yet to make a bad move during this off-season.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Tomas Kaberle has signed a three-year, $12.75 million deal to play for the Carolina Hurricanes.

I'm still very surprised that Boston didn't hold onto him, considering they gave Toronto two first-round picks & a second-rounder to obtain him.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs lock up Clarke Mac Arthur. A 2 year deal believed to be worth 6.5M.

If true, this is a great deal, and Burke does a great job again. Clarke wanted 3-4 years, Burke wanted 2 years max. Welcome back Clarke, keeping one of the NHL's best 2nd lines last year together is huge.

Considering all the craziness that occurred on July 1st, and the fact they got him at a bargain last season, the Leafs made a very good choice by signing Mac for two more years. If he would have went to arbitration, he likely would have got a lot more money. However, the downside of it is that he also might have wound up out of a job, like last season prior to signing with the Leafs.