You're correct. The Devils are absolutely disgraceful! What the hell ever happened to that once great team?
The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
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You're correct. The Devils are absolutely disgraceful! What the hell ever happened to that once great team?
Well in the modern NHL it seems that success later leads to failure.
There are many examples: Islanders were a powerhouse winning 4 straight Cups (and 5 straight appearances in the finals) but have been pretty much dead in the water since their good years. Oilers: to a large extent followed the same script - 5 Cups in less than a decade with slim pickings later (despite an appearance in the finals in 06). Tampa Bay, Carolina, Anaheim - and now Chicago - Cup wins followed by a dramatic fall in quality (although the Lightning, with the great Steve Yzerman as GM, are now on the road back).
A team that wins a Cup often becomes complacent. Due to $$$$$$ many players choose to leave or are forced to leave - and the ones that remain get older and team chemistry disappears.
In the case of Jersey, Brodeur has played a LOT of hockey and at 38 he's no kid anymore. Their once great defence has been decimated, The signing of Kovalchuk has been a big mistake: he's a great player but he's not a "New Jersey" player and he ate up too much cap space so that some nights NJ can't even put enough skaters on the ice. I suspect he was also very bad for team chemistry even though it's probably not his fault.
John MacLean didn't lose the room - for some reason he never had it.
The absence of Zach Parise is huge.
It was probably bound to happen but Jersey still deserves credit for being a really good team for many years. The only team that has been more consistent over the last two decades is the Wings...and there's NO shame to being second-best to the Wings!
Trouble is, the Wings are STILL an elite team but the party is over (at least for a while) for Jersey.
Not even the weather can stop a "Team"
TORONTO — A lot more optimism might surround the Toronto Maple Leafs this season if righting an NHL season were as easy as getting a snowbound bus back on the road.
While the 2010-11 Maple Leafs may be languishing near the bottom of the standings, vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin said the team knew exactly how to pull together when the blizzard that slammed parts of the Northeast United States with nearly two feet of snow and 100 kilometres per hour winds halted a team bus.
“One little incident with our press and media bus,” Poulin said. “Everyone got involved, it was very short, we had a lot of manpower.”
The incident came towards the end of what became a half-the-night haul to their suburban hotel from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, after Toronto beat the Devils 4-1 Sunday night.
“We left the building at 10 p.m.,” Poulin said. “We pulled into the hotel — which on a good day is probably 20ish minutes (away) — a little over five hours later.”
Toronto’s travel troubles began when police crews shut down the road the team bus needed to take.
“When I say in front of us, we were the first vehicle in the line, so we had police cars horizontal across the road, and we watched all the machinations as they tried to move cars and there were cars in ditches,” said Poulin, who was riding in the highway motor coach with players and coaches.
“The problem was a very steep ascent, not a long steep ascent, and cars simply couldn’t get up so they were going to make sure they had it cleared and sanded before they let anybody go on it. And it was from that point we were (stopped for) about four hours.”
Poulin said the players were in pretty good spirits during the wait.
“I think there was a lot of chattering going on,” he said. “It’s kind of funny in this day and age of headphones and cellphones, there was very little of that. For four hours, there was conversation.”
It also helped to have a full team of hockey players when the second bus got stuck trying to get off the highway to the team hotel.
“They had cleared the roads, but what they hadn’t been able to do, obviously, was clear any of the ramps,” Poulin said. “It literally took no time at all. I think everybody wished they had the options of the manpower we had.”
Devils forwards Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias were among those who could have used a hand on their way home. The carpooling buddies spent nearly eight hours stuck inside Elias’s car with only a package of peanuts to share when officials closed Route 280.
“The company was good but the situation was terrible,” Zajac, a Winnipeg native, told the Newark Star-Ledger on Monday. “It wouldn’t have happened in Winnipeg. A little snow doesn’t shut down the whole (province).”
Elias said not much happened during the long wait.
“We did nothing. We sat there frustrated. We listened to some music — 102.7 FM — and I dozed off a couple of times,” he said. “I had my car on the whole time. I wasn’t going green at that time.”
By late Monday, the roads were supposed to be cleared and Toronto expected to get to Newark Liberty Airport for an evening flight home.
As for the Leafs getting out of the on-ice rut that has the team 13th in the Eastern Conference, Poulin said there is still time and the win in New Jersey was a good first step.
“A singular week puts you in good stead, we have to have that good week,” he said. “A week to 10 days of good hockey all of a sudden puts you right in the mix. We played a pretty good game (Sunday) night. We played a pretty good road game . . . it wasn’t pretty but it was effective and we beat them.”
National Post
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Leafs+pitch+media+unstuck/4030375/story.html#ixzz19MWWQAHV
TORONTO — A lot more optimism might surround the Toronto Maple Leafs this season if righting an NHL season were as easy as getting a snowbound bus back on the road.
While the 2010-11 Maple Leafs may be languishing near the bottom of the standings, vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin said the team knew exactly how to pull together when the blizzard that slammed parts of the Northeast United States with nearly two feet of snow and 100 kilometres per hour winds halted a team bus.
“One little incident with our press and media bus,” Poulin said. “Everyone got involved, it was very short, we had a lot of manpower.”
The incident came towards the end of what became a half-the-night haul to their suburban hotel from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, after Toronto beat the Devils 4-1 Sunday night.
“We left the building at 10 p.m.,” Poulin said. “We pulled into the hotel — which on a good day is probably 20ish minutes (away) — a little over five hours later.”
Toronto’s travel troubles began when police crews shut down the road the team bus needed to take.
“When I say in front of us, we were the first vehicle in the line, so we had police cars horizontal across the road, and we watched all the machinations as they tried to move cars and there were cars in ditches,” said Poulin, who was riding in the highway motor coach with players and coaches.
“The problem was a very steep ascent, not a long steep ascent, and cars simply couldn’t get up so they were going to make sure they had it cleared and sanded before they let anybody go on it. And it was from that point we were (stopped for) about four hours.”
Poulin said the players were in pretty good spirits during the wait.
“I think there was a lot of chattering going on,” he said. “It’s kind of funny in this day and age of headphones and cellphones, there was very little of that. For four hours, there was conversation.”
It also helped to have a full team of hockey players when the second bus got stuck trying to get off the highway to the team hotel.
“They had cleared the roads, but what they hadn’t been able to do, obviously, was clear any of the ramps,” Poulin said. “It literally took no time at all. I think everybody wished they had the options of the manpower we had.”
Devils forwards Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias were among those who could have used a hand on their way home. The carpooling buddies spent nearly eight hours stuck inside Elias’s car with only a package of peanuts to share when officials closed Route 280.
“The company was good but the situation was terrible,” Zajac, a Winnipeg native, told the Newark Star-Ledger on Monday. “It wouldn’t have happened in Winnipeg. A little snow doesn’t shut down the whole (province).”
Elias said not much happened during the long wait.
“We did nothing. We sat there frustrated. We listened to some music — 102.7 FM — and I dozed off a couple of times,” he said. “I had my car on the whole time. I wasn’t going green at that time.”
By late Monday, the roads were supposed to be cleared and Toronto expected to get to Newark Liberty Airport for an evening flight home.
As for the Leafs getting out of the on-ice rut that has the team 13th in the Eastern Conference, Poulin said there is still time and the win in New Jersey was a good first step.
“A singular week puts you in good stead, we have to have that good week,” he said. “A week to 10 days of good hockey all of a sudden puts you right in the mix. We played a pretty good game (Sunday) night. We played a pretty good road game . . . it wasn’t pretty but it was effective and we beat them.”
National Post
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Leafs+pitch+media+unstuck/4030375/story.html#ixzz19MWWQAHV
Lou Lam listened to ownership's insistence on getting Kovelchuk, thus the deal with the devil was made, thus with the salary cap, has crippled them, bottom line, not even a new coach will save them this season. How do they plan to sign Parise? He will command 5-6mil or more per season for 4-6 years. Can they really afford another long term deal?
The Phaneuf Pedigree Continues with little brother Dane
CALGARY — Just because the name's the same, don't expect Dane Phaneuf to be a carbon copy of his better known sibling.
"I'm a different player,'' said the 16-year-old brother of Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. "We're both offensive, but I'm not as physical because I'm not as big. Just similar in the offensive.''
The five-foot-10, 165-pounder is a defenceman with the Edmonton South Side Athletic Club BP Athletics, one of the 25 boys' teams competing at the 2010 Mac's triple-A midget hockey tournament, which began Sunday in Calgary.
While Dane is trying to make a name for himself, his brother provides a wealth of advice on how to become a better hockey player.
"Huge tips,'' said the younger Phaneuf, whose junior rights are owned by the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars. "Confidence and work hard; continue to improve on things I'm good at and work hard on things I'm not so strong at. Just keep my head up and keep working hard.
"I just have to go out and be myself and play how I can play.''
"He competes very hard,'' said Athletics' head coach Matt Bachewich. "He's played some rock-solid games as of late. He has a real desire to win and it's helping our team right now.''
Calgary Herald
Read more: http://www.faceoff.com/Dane+Phaneuf+learned+from+older+brother/4029277/story.html#ixzz19MajfB2N
CALGARY — Just because the name's the same, don't expect Dane Phaneuf to be a carbon copy of his better known sibling.
"I'm a different player,'' said the 16-year-old brother of Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. "We're both offensive, but I'm not as physical because I'm not as big. Just similar in the offensive.''
The five-foot-10, 165-pounder is a defenceman with the Edmonton South Side Athletic Club BP Athletics, one of the 25 boys' teams competing at the 2010 Mac's triple-A midget hockey tournament, which began Sunday in Calgary.
While Dane is trying to make a name for himself, his brother provides a wealth of advice on how to become a better hockey player.
"Huge tips,'' said the younger Phaneuf, whose junior rights are owned by the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars. "Confidence and work hard; continue to improve on things I'm good at and work hard on things I'm not so strong at. Just keep my head up and keep working hard.
"I just have to go out and be myself and play how I can play.''
"He competes very hard,'' said Athletics' head coach Matt Bachewich. "He's played some rock-solid games as of late. He has a real desire to win and it's helping our team right now.''
Calgary Herald
Read more: http://www.faceoff.com/Dane+Phaneuf+learned+from+older+brother/4029277/story.html#ixzz19MajfB2N
I keep hearing the same excuse, that the blame for the Kovalchuk deal should be placed on the ownership. However, i've yet to hear a confirmation of this. Too many people have put Lou Lamoriello on a pedestal. However, he's the worse offender in the history of hockey when it comes to mismanaging a salary cap, something's he's constantly screwed up for the past few years every since its introduction. Why Lamoriello gets a free pass on this one, Lord knows why. I'll never forgive the prick for firing Claude Julien with only a few games left to go in an excellent season & putting his ugly face behind the team's bench, easily losing in the first round of the playoffs. If i remember correctly, he did the same thing to Robbie Ftorek just a few years earlier.
The difference may be that Dane actually looks in front of him when he's shooting & not constantly staring at the ice as he's about to let one go. Ever notice the majority of Dion's shots never touch the net? No wonder the Leafs have trouble finding someone to go in front of the net........i wouldn't dare go in front of the net knowing my defenceman (Phaneuf) has no idea where he's shooting the puck.
Just an observation. I still firmly believe the Leafs committed highway robbery when they obtained Phaneuf, Aulie & Sjostrom for a bunch of bums.
Leafs still stuck in Newark...will fly home Tuesday morning
After a 4 hour wait inside their plane, the Leafs' flight back to Toronto was cancelled & they've once again had to spend the night in Newark (poor guys!), of all the shitty places in North America. They'll be glad to be back home on Tuesday morning. Hopefully they won't be too rusty for their game against the Hurricanes.
After a 4 hour wait inside their plane, the Leafs' flight back to Toronto was cancelled & they've once again had to spend the night in Newark (poor guys!), of all the shitty places in North America. They'll be glad to be back home on Tuesday morning. Hopefully they won't be too rusty for their game against the Hurricanes.
Maple Leafs FINALLY arrive home in Toronto
After two unexpected nights in New Jersey, the Maple Leafs made it home.
Newark’s airport – backlogged due to a severe winter storm that slammed the Eastern seaboard – finally found a window to let the Leafs chartered plane take off. The flight, originally scheduled for Sunday night, was cancelled twice.
The Leafs took to the ice at the MasterCard Centre to stretch their legs in a pregame skate to prepare for Tuesday night’s game against Carolina. Jonas Gustavsson will start in net for the Leafs. Forward Joey Crabb was recalled from the AHL Marlies and will play in place of an ill Tim Brent.
Their legs needed stretching. The boys in Blue and White spent five hours on a bus on Sunday night following their 4-1 win over the Devils and four hours in a plane Monday night in two failed attempts to come home.
“It was a long couple of days for everybody,” said forward Clarke MacArthur. “This will be a good story one day, just not right now. It’s a good experience I guess, kind of a little team building. A Griswald vacation, I guess that’s what it was.”
The storm on Sunday shut down the airport, sending the Leafs to their hotel. But that bus trip, which should have taken 20 minutes, ended up much longer. First, one of the two Leaf buses got stuck in snow. It was the bus with the team trainers and team-affiliated media from Leafs TV and AM640. About a dozen players got out to push that bus.
“All the Western League guys got out there,” said MacArthur, one of the volunteers. “We got out and pushed our media van so hopefully they’ll cut us some slack now.”
That first delay was crucial because the highway to the hotel closed – due to an accident—just moments before the Leaf buses reached the reached the on-ramp. The Leafs spent four hours in that one spot, and almost five and a half hours in total simply getting to the hotel.
“You get some cabin fever on the bus,” said MacArthur. “When you’re not moving, you’re just sitting in one spot.”
Then on Monday, the Leafs tried again. The airport opened at 6 p.m., and the Leafs spent four hours on a plane waiting to take off. Their first attempt was delayed when a de-icing truck caught fire. Their second attempt cancelled because the winds are too strong.
“All in all it was an eventful few days,” said forward Kris Versteeg. “It was supposed to be a day trip and only one guy brought a cell phone charger for BlackBerries, and that was (Colton) Orr. So after a while phones would die.
“It was a thing you never expect to happen on a day trip. No one had enough clothes. At least I brought my I-Pad and got to watch a few movies.”
Jonas Siegel, the AM640 Leafs reporter who travels with the team, chronicled on his blog how everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
After two unexpected nights in New Jersey, the Maple Leafs made it home.
Newark’s airport – backlogged due to a severe winter storm that slammed the Eastern seaboard – finally found a window to let the Leafs chartered plane take off. The flight, originally scheduled for Sunday night, was cancelled twice.
The Leafs took to the ice at the MasterCard Centre to stretch their legs in a pregame skate to prepare for Tuesday night’s game against Carolina. Jonas Gustavsson will start in net for the Leafs. Forward Joey Crabb was recalled from the AHL Marlies and will play in place of an ill Tim Brent.
Their legs needed stretching. The boys in Blue and White spent five hours on a bus on Sunday night following their 4-1 win over the Devils and four hours in a plane Monday night in two failed attempts to come home.
“It was a long couple of days for everybody,” said forward Clarke MacArthur. “This will be a good story one day, just not right now. It’s a good experience I guess, kind of a little team building. A Griswald vacation, I guess that’s what it was.”
The storm on Sunday shut down the airport, sending the Leafs to their hotel. But that bus trip, which should have taken 20 minutes, ended up much longer. First, one of the two Leaf buses got stuck in snow. It was the bus with the team trainers and team-affiliated media from Leafs TV and AM640. About a dozen players got out to push that bus.
“All the Western League guys got out there,” said MacArthur, one of the volunteers. “We got out and pushed our media van so hopefully they’ll cut us some slack now.”
That first delay was crucial because the highway to the hotel closed – due to an accident—just moments before the Leaf buses reached the reached the on-ramp. The Leafs spent four hours in that one spot, and almost five and a half hours in total simply getting to the hotel.
“You get some cabin fever on the bus,” said MacArthur. “When you’re not moving, you’re just sitting in one spot.”
Then on Monday, the Leafs tried again. The airport opened at 6 p.m., and the Leafs spent four hours on a plane waiting to take off. Their first attempt was delayed when a de-icing truck caught fire. Their second attempt cancelled because the winds are too strong.
“All in all it was an eventful few days,” said forward Kris Versteeg. “It was supposed to be a day trip and only one guy brought a cell phone charger for BlackBerries, and that was (Colton) Orr. So after a while phones would die.
“It was a thing you never expect to happen on a day trip. No one had enough clothes. At least I brought my I-Pad and got to watch a few movies.”
Jonas Siegel, the AM640 Leafs reporter who travels with the team, chronicled on his blog how everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
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Battle of Ontario Sat night
not much of a battle as the Leafs destroyed the senators 5-1, well, there was one "battle" or more like a beatdown as Colton Orr showed once again why he is pound for pound one of the top tough guys in the game today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v9cdxN_sX0
i give that cheap shot artist punk chris neil a little credit tho, after 3 or 4 punches to the jaw, he still didnt go down, kudos to him for that, if that was coming from a brian gionta or a daniel alfredsson, thats one thing, but he took those shots from Colton Orr, and thats just pretty darn impressive for him to even still be standing, let alone not being knocked the heck out and seeing tweety birds flying around his head in a stuper.
All in all a very good game by the Leafs, especially the D, and rookie James Reimer in goal, as well as offensive leaders Kessel, Bozak and newcomer Joey Crabb.
not much of a battle as the Leafs destroyed the senators 5-1, well, there was one "battle" or more like a beatdown as Colton Orr showed once again why he is pound for pound one of the top tough guys in the game today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v9cdxN_sX0
i give that cheap shot artist punk chris neil a little credit tho, after 3 or 4 punches to the jaw, he still didnt go down, kudos to him for that, if that was coming from a brian gionta or a daniel alfredsson, thats one thing, but he took those shots from Colton Orr, and thats just pretty darn impressive for him to even still be standing, let alone not being knocked the heck out and seeing tweety birds flying around his head in a stuper.
All in all a very good game by the Leafs, especially the D, and rookie James Reimer in goal, as well as offensive leaders Kessel, Bozak and newcomer Joey Crabb.
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Add the Ottawa Senators to the list of the NHL's most disgraceful teams. Last night's effort was absolutely pathetic!!!
When will this team ever get a decent goalie? They traded away Antoine Vermette for Pascal Leclaire? I'm surprised Brian Murray still has a job.....what good has he ever done in Ottawa?
When will this team ever get a decent goalie? They traded away Antoine Vermette for Pascal Leclaire? I'm surprised Brian Murray still has a job.....what good has he ever done in Ottawa?
I agree 100% lg. After all, skilled hockey players are seldom good fighters (some notable exceptions: Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson) whereas goons are paid solely for their punching skills and can therefore usually hit harder.
Trade possibilities
by Damian Cox (The Toronto Star)
This cannot be argued. The Maple Leafs had few assets before Brian Burke took over. They have quite a few now.
Nothing, of course, that'll bring back that first round pick next June (Interesting how 2010 second overall Tyler Seguin has fewer points and fewer goals than undrafted Tyler Bozak). But tangible, solid pieces that other teams desire.
That's why he's getting offers on Kris Versteeg, a 24-year-old with a Stanley Cup ring. (worth noting Viktor Stalberg has six goals to Versteeg's 10, hasn't scored since Nov. 14 and is just back from his second concussion in two seasons). Just a guess, but I suspect it's the tightly packed Southeast Division teams that are most interested in Versteeg.
The youngster has just started to play well, including working the point on the Toronto power play. Do they really want to move him now?
Then there's Clarke MacArthur, 25, one of last summer's best unrestricted free agent signings by any team. All MacArthur's done is lead the team in scoring, shocking even the most optimistic members of the Leaf front office. The conundrum here is that MacArthur was only signed for one season ($1.1 million) and is a restricted FA next summer. Sign him now to a multi-year deal or swap him elsewhere before the deadline, figuring he's maxed out his value? Tough choice.
(Before you mock MacArthur for being the best scorer on a bad team, it's worth nothing he'd also be the leading scorer for Boston, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Phoenix and St. Louis.)
Francois Beauchemin has lots of detractors, but more than a dozen NHL clubs would love to slot him into their blueline rotation. He was added as an unrestricted free agent, costing the Leafs only money. Ditto for Finnish goaltending prospect Jussi Rynnas, who is having a very strong year in the AHL and is drawing interest from other clubs.
So what should be the target if one or more of these assets are to be moved?
Clearly, a centre. One under the age of 30, preferably 26 or younger, that can grow with the young group of players the Leafs have assembled. No easy task to get such a player, for sure. An ideal target would be 27-year-old pivot Stephen Weiss in Florida, not too expensive at $3.1 million per with two more years on his deal. If GM Dale Tallon decides to continue to do with the Panthers what he did in Chicago, players like Tomas Vokoun, Bryan McCabe and possibly Weiss could move. Putting Steven Reinprecht through waivers is an indication Florida might be interested in cutting payroll. Staying in the Southeast, Tampa has some good young forwards in Richard Panik, Carter Ashton and Brett Connolly, but they're not centres. Washington has Marcus Johansson, big David Steckel and Mathieu Perreault. Atlanta has Patrice Cormier and Daultan Leveille.
But these are all names and idle speculation. For the Leafs, however, it's clear a more experienced centre would help Kessel and allow Bozak to play as a third-line centre, which would make so much more sense.
But the point is that while detractors suggest the 28th place Leafs have nothing and that Burke's management has set the team back five years, that's nonsense. Right now, Versteeg and MacArthur would represent solid second tier scoring for a team with serious playoff aspirations. But they're also youngsters, part of the six-pack of Toronto players under the age of 26 with a chance to score 20 goals this season.
The next two months leading up to the Feb. 28th trade deadline could be fascinating for Leaf fans.
by Damian Cox (The Toronto Star)
This cannot be argued. The Maple Leafs had few assets before Brian Burke took over. They have quite a few now.
Nothing, of course, that'll bring back that first round pick next June (Interesting how 2010 second overall Tyler Seguin has fewer points and fewer goals than undrafted Tyler Bozak). But tangible, solid pieces that other teams desire.
That's why he's getting offers on Kris Versteeg, a 24-year-old with a Stanley Cup ring. (worth noting Viktor Stalberg has six goals to Versteeg's 10, hasn't scored since Nov. 14 and is just back from his second concussion in two seasons). Just a guess, but I suspect it's the tightly packed Southeast Division teams that are most interested in Versteeg.
The youngster has just started to play well, including working the point on the Toronto power play. Do they really want to move him now?
Then there's Clarke MacArthur, 25, one of last summer's best unrestricted free agent signings by any team. All MacArthur's done is lead the team in scoring, shocking even the most optimistic members of the Leaf front office. The conundrum here is that MacArthur was only signed for one season ($1.1 million) and is a restricted FA next summer. Sign him now to a multi-year deal or swap him elsewhere before the deadline, figuring he's maxed out his value? Tough choice.
(Before you mock MacArthur for being the best scorer on a bad team, it's worth nothing he'd also be the leading scorer for Boston, Edmonton, Florida, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Phoenix and St. Louis.)
Francois Beauchemin has lots of detractors, but more than a dozen NHL clubs would love to slot him into their blueline rotation. He was added as an unrestricted free agent, costing the Leafs only money. Ditto for Finnish goaltending prospect Jussi Rynnas, who is having a very strong year in the AHL and is drawing interest from other clubs.
So what should be the target if one or more of these assets are to be moved?
Clearly, a centre. One under the age of 30, preferably 26 or younger, that can grow with the young group of players the Leafs have assembled. No easy task to get such a player, for sure. An ideal target would be 27-year-old pivot Stephen Weiss in Florida, not too expensive at $3.1 million per with two more years on his deal. If GM Dale Tallon decides to continue to do with the Panthers what he did in Chicago, players like Tomas Vokoun, Bryan McCabe and possibly Weiss could move. Putting Steven Reinprecht through waivers is an indication Florida might be interested in cutting payroll. Staying in the Southeast, Tampa has some good young forwards in Richard Panik, Carter Ashton and Brett Connolly, but they're not centres. Washington has Marcus Johansson, big David Steckel and Mathieu Perreault. Atlanta has Patrice Cormier and Daultan Leveille.
But these are all names and idle speculation. For the Leafs, however, it's clear a more experienced centre would help Kessel and allow Bozak to play as a third-line centre, which would make so much more sense.
But the point is that while detractors suggest the 28th place Leafs have nothing and that Burke's management has set the team back five years, that's nonsense. Right now, Versteeg and MacArthur would represent solid second tier scoring for a team with serious playoff aspirations. But they're also youngsters, part of the six-pack of Toronto players under the age of 26 with a chance to score 20 goals this season.
The next two months leading up to the Feb. 28th trade deadline could be fascinating for Leaf fans.
DO NOT trade Versteeg! not unless a Brad Richards comes back, and that isnt happening, so dont mess with Kris, he has tremendous upside at his age.... as far as Clarke MacCarthur, i would try to sign him to a 2 yr deal at 2mil per and see if he takes it. if not, then think about trading him, in 2 years the kids down on the farm will be ready to step in and fill his role if in fact this is just a aberration. if he is the real deal, and given the playing time like he has been given this year, i would sign him. He is a smart player on the ice, skilled and great hands, i am sure Burke is getting alot of teams asking about him, but not sure trading him is the answer, of course, UNLESS something of great value comes back our way.
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As the Doc sees it.....
I say don't make any trades involving younger players. They're the future & the future for the Leafs is in 1-2 years. From what i've seen this season, one of the main reasons why the Leafs lose games are because of numerous blatant giveaways & mental errors mostly committed by their veteran players, like Beauchemin & Komisarek. Some may want to add Kaberle's name to that mix, but he's been the Leafs' best defenceman consistently all season long & it's likely he'll be gone by the start of next season. I might also want to trade Grabovski since i think he's peaked as a player & we're currently seeing the best of him. His value will never be any greater than it is now.
Of course, i'll hang on to all of these players if the offers are not good ones. And what the heck......i'd trade Nazem Kadri if LA would send them back Brayden Schenn.
Blame Burkie for the Leafs winding up with Kadri instead of Brayden Schenn. When their starting goalie got hurt a couple of seasons ago, they decided to sign Martin Gerber for the final 10 games instead of going with back-up Curtis Joseph. Gerber played great for the Leafs in nearly every game they had remaining & the Leafs wound up getting a lower pick because of it. Dumb move, Burkie!
But i'd like to add that most of Burkie's moves were good ones: signing Colton Orr to a $1 million contract was a bargain. Same thing with Clark MacArthur & the young free agents he signed along the way. Okay, Komisarek was a mistake, but i admittedly liked the move at the time. Same thing with Beauchemin, who's struggled more often than not, yet he's still getting nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game. Burke maybe should have signed a lower priced free agent & with the money saved up, extend Kaberle's contract.
Getting Giggy from Anaheim was a good deal, but mostly because he was able to get rid of underachieving Jason Blake's contract. But considering Giggy is getting about $7 million per season, i'm not sold on the benefits of the trade although they did get rid of the cancer named Toskala in the process. The trade with Calgary was a stroke of genius, but was it successful mostly because of Darryl Sutter's stupidity? And finally, i wasn't happy with the Grabovski extension until these past couple of months. However, i've changed my mind about this & Grabo's now one of the team's best players.
The Kessel deal? I was all for it when he made it. However, like Burkie, i never expected the Leafs to struggle with wins as much as they have over the past couple of seasons. I say it's still even, but if the Leafs wind up 27th and lower in the standings this season, i must admit that Boston likely will have won the trade. However, once Burke finally finds a top-notch center to play with Kessel, my impressions of the trade might be reversed.
And last but not least......once Burkie either disposes of his buddy Wilson or finds him a coaching assistant that knows what to do with the awful penalty-killing units, i'll be skeptical. The bottom line is that this is a very young team. What a young team needs his a young coach with fresh ideas who's able to communicate with the younger players. Wilson's problem is that his communication skills are poor & the players are not getting the message & willing to play like he wants them to. It's likely not Wilson's fault that he's old school. A veteran team would play great with an old coach like Wilson. But this is the youngest team in the NHL we're talking about & the future is tomorrow, not at the present time. I look at Pittsburgh & their 40-year old coach Dan Byelsma & i'm jealous!
What i'd do? Find a young coach that deals will with young players. Surround him with quality assistants.....not former player types like the ageless Keith Acton, former goon Tiim Hunter & former marginal defenceman Rob Zettler. Get this young team quality assistants.....heck, if Doug Jarvis ever becomes available, hire him for the power play. If not, get Guy Carbonneau. He'd be a great assistant. I'd even take a chance and name him as my head coach. Who else i might consider hiring? Kirk Muller. He has a great rapport with younger players & he's always been a proven leader. I might give Dallas Eakins a nod, but only as an assistant coach for now. Getting used to the pressure of being a Maple Leafs coach. Why i'd prefer Muller or Carbonneau over him? Because Montreal is as much a pressure-cooker as Toronto is & they'd know what to expect & how to deal with it. If i promote Eakins, i'd likely approach Doug Gilmour & ask him to take over the Marlies.
Burke is doing the right thing by waiting the season out before replacing his coach with a younger guy. There's currently not anyone much better around & the season is already lost. It'll take a miracle for the Leafs to overcome the current deficit and make the playoffs. Changing coaches now won't help matters much. Wait until the season is over to fire Wilson or give him another job in the organization, and then start recruiting your next coach for the next few months.
Go Leafs Go!
I say don't make any trades involving younger players. They're the future & the future for the Leafs is in 1-2 years. From what i've seen this season, one of the main reasons why the Leafs lose games are because of numerous blatant giveaways & mental errors mostly committed by their veteran players, like Beauchemin & Komisarek. Some may want to add Kaberle's name to that mix, but he's been the Leafs' best defenceman consistently all season long & it's likely he'll be gone by the start of next season. I might also want to trade Grabovski since i think he's peaked as a player & we're currently seeing the best of him. His value will never be any greater than it is now.
Of course, i'll hang on to all of these players if the offers are not good ones. And what the heck......i'd trade Nazem Kadri if LA would send them back Brayden Schenn.
Blame Burkie for the Leafs winding up with Kadri instead of Brayden Schenn. When their starting goalie got hurt a couple of seasons ago, they decided to sign Martin Gerber for the final 10 games instead of going with back-up Curtis Joseph. Gerber played great for the Leafs in nearly every game they had remaining & the Leafs wound up getting a lower pick because of it. Dumb move, Burkie!
But i'd like to add that most of Burkie's moves were good ones: signing Colton Orr to a $1 million contract was a bargain. Same thing with Clark MacArthur & the young free agents he signed along the way. Okay, Komisarek was a mistake, but i admittedly liked the move at the time. Same thing with Beauchemin, who's struggled more often than not, yet he's still getting nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game. Burke maybe should have signed a lower priced free agent & with the money saved up, extend Kaberle's contract.
Getting Giggy from Anaheim was a good deal, but mostly because he was able to get rid of underachieving Jason Blake's contract. But considering Giggy is getting about $7 million per season, i'm not sold on the benefits of the trade although they did get rid of the cancer named Toskala in the process. The trade with Calgary was a stroke of genius, but was it successful mostly because of Darryl Sutter's stupidity? And finally, i wasn't happy with the Grabovski extension until these past couple of months. However, i've changed my mind about this & Grabo's now one of the team's best players.
The Kessel deal? I was all for it when he made it. However, like Burkie, i never expected the Leafs to struggle with wins as much as they have over the past couple of seasons. I say it's still even, but if the Leafs wind up 27th and lower in the standings this season, i must admit that Boston likely will have won the trade. However, once Burke finally finds a top-notch center to play with Kessel, my impressions of the trade might be reversed.
And last but not least......once Burkie either disposes of his buddy Wilson or finds him a coaching assistant that knows what to do with the awful penalty-killing units, i'll be skeptical. The bottom line is that this is a very young team. What a young team needs his a young coach with fresh ideas who's able to communicate with the younger players. Wilson's problem is that his communication skills are poor & the players are not getting the message & willing to play like he wants them to. It's likely not Wilson's fault that he's old school. A veteran team would play great with an old coach like Wilson. But this is the youngest team in the NHL we're talking about & the future is tomorrow, not at the present time. I look at Pittsburgh & their 40-year old coach Dan Byelsma & i'm jealous!
What i'd do? Find a young coach that deals will with young players. Surround him with quality assistants.....not former player types like the ageless Keith Acton, former goon Tiim Hunter & former marginal defenceman Rob Zettler. Get this young team quality assistants.....heck, if Doug Jarvis ever becomes available, hire him for the power play. If not, get Guy Carbonneau. He'd be a great assistant. I'd even take a chance and name him as my head coach. Who else i might consider hiring? Kirk Muller. He has a great rapport with younger players & he's always been a proven leader. I might give Dallas Eakins a nod, but only as an assistant coach for now. Getting used to the pressure of being a Maple Leafs coach. Why i'd prefer Muller or Carbonneau over him? Because Montreal is as much a pressure-cooker as Toronto is & they'd know what to expect & how to deal with it. If i promote Eakins, i'd likely approach Doug Gilmour & ask him to take over the Marlies.
Burke is doing the right thing by waiting the season out before replacing his coach with a younger guy. There's currently not anyone much better around & the season is already lost. It'll take a miracle for the Leafs to overcome the current deficit and make the playoffs. Changing coaches now won't help matters much. Wait until the season is over to fire Wilson or give him another job in the organization, and then start recruiting your next coach for the next few months.
Go Leafs Go!
wow, smart first post in here..... lol...
Leafs played a solid game tonight, showing they can contend with some of the best in the NHL.... rookie James Reimer played well again, and deserves another start on thursday. Kessel played a strong game but just cant buy a goal against his former team, i think he had 8 shots on net, and some nice plays to get a few of those all by himself, man i would LOVE to see the numbers he could put up with a big top centreman. keep plugging away boys, still 40 plus games, it is still possible... until then and even after, Leafs Nation will bleed blue and white, aint no stinking bandwagon in me.
Leafs played a solid game tonight, showing they can contend with some of the best in the NHL.... rookie James Reimer played well again, and deserves another start on thursday. Kessel played a strong game but just cant buy a goal against his former team, i think he had 8 shots on net, and some nice plays to get a few of those all by himself, man i would LOVE to see the numbers he could put up with a big top centreman. keep plugging away boys, still 40 plus games, it is still possible... until then and even after, Leafs Nation will bleed blue and white, aint no stinking bandwagon in me.
I agree on all counts. Kessel played one of his best games tonight....just ask Dennis Seidenberg....Reimer is the real deal & i see him with the Leafs next season, replacing the ancient & injury-prone Giggy. The turning point of the game tonight occurred because of a blatant coaching error. Wilson, with the last line change, decided to put the fourth line (the Colton Orr line) against the Savard line. Orr couldn't get the puck out of his zone...twice!....and Savard boomed one through Reimer. Puck was slightly deflected by Beauchemin. However, the fourth line had no business being on the ice against the Savard line. Way to go, Mr. Wilson!
The Leafs keep frustrating me 3 games out of 4. They will miss the playoffs. The only good thing about all of this is that Ron Wilson & his 3 incompetent assistants will hopefully be fired after ANOTHER dissmal season where their PK is among the league's worse & the PP isn't faring that much better. Poor special teams are ALWAYS a killer & will only bring about failure. This is where Ron Wilson has failed the most in his 3 seasons with the Leafs.
I can't wait for this season to be over & i'm looking forward to next season. Let's just hope that Burkie doesn't screw it up & make a boneheaded trade just to salvage the season.
The future in Toronto looks bright.....and i doubt it includes Ron Wilson & his three stooges!
Still a die-hard Leafs fan.....but a realistic & honest one.
Go Leafs Go!
Still a die-hard Leafs fan.....but a realistic & honest one.
Go Leafs Go!
Nice to see one of them here!! Nice post Doc.
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