I have honest sympathy for you Doc (and I think you're being VERY loyal to the Leafs when you say ONLY "7-8 years").
The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread
- Thread starter Doc Holliday
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I have honest sympathy for you Doc (and I think you're being VERY loyal to the Leafs when you say ONLY "7-8 years").
Burke undermining Leafs ownership?
(The Toronto Sun) Brian Burke's recent appearances with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly have raised more than a few eyebrows. Is Burke representing himself, his personal views, or the views of the ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Burke is a known hardliner on the NHL's side, a hawk on the owners' side. But it would be in the best interest of current Leafs ownership to be playing as soon as possible.
In other words, it is thought the Leafs' owners -- Larry Tanenbaum, George Cope of Bell and Nadir Mohammad -- would be closer to dove than hawk when it comes to settling the lockout. This labour split of sorts has some observers wondering what Burke's long-term future would be with his personal politics taking precedence over that of his team.
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/351913-burke-undermining-leafs-ownership
I must admit that when i heard the news last week that Burke had joined the talks, i was wondering WTF he was doing considering he's simply an employee of the team & not an owner. I also wondered if his three bosses had given him permission to do this. I haven't heard of any other GM doing this.
(The Toronto Sun) Brian Burke's recent appearances with Gary Bettman and Bill Daly have raised more than a few eyebrows. Is Burke representing himself, his personal views, or the views of the ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Burke is a known hardliner on the NHL's side, a hawk on the owners' side. But it would be in the best interest of current Leafs ownership to be playing as soon as possible.
In other words, it is thought the Leafs' owners -- Larry Tanenbaum, George Cope of Bell and Nadir Mohammad -- would be closer to dove than hawk when it comes to settling the lockout. This labour split of sorts has some observers wondering what Burke's long-term future would be with his personal politics taking precedence over that of his team.
http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/351913-burke-undermining-leafs-ownership
I must admit that when i heard the news last week that Burke had joined the talks, i was wondering WTF he was doing considering he's simply an employee of the team & not an owner. I also wondered if his three bosses had given him permission to do this. I haven't heard of any other GM doing this.
We are #1 (FINALLY!!!!!)
NEW YORK -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are the first NHL team worth $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
The Leafs, who have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, are worth $250 million more than the next most valuable franchise, the New York Rangers. The Montreal Canadiens are worth $575 million.
The Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million), Boston Bruins ($348 million) and Detroit Red Wings ($346 million) round up the top six, meaning the league's six original franchises are also its most valuable.
The Vancouver Canucks are the next Canadian team on the list, in seventh at $342 million. The Calgary Flames are in 12th at $245 million, the Edmonton Oilers are ranked 14th at $225 million, the Ottawa Senators 16th at $220 million and the Winnipeg Jets 20th at $200 million.
Least valuable of the 30 teams are the St. Louis Blues at $130 million and the Phoenix Coyotes at $134 million.
The Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are worth $276 million, 10th overall.
Forbes says the NHL's total revenues were $3.4 billion for the 2011-12 season.
With the players locked out by owners, the NHL already has cancelled 422 regular-season games.
NEW YORK -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are the first NHL team worth $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
The Leafs, who have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, are worth $250 million more than the next most valuable franchise, the New York Rangers. The Montreal Canadiens are worth $575 million.
The Chicago Blackhawks ($350 million), Boston Bruins ($348 million) and Detroit Red Wings ($346 million) round up the top six, meaning the league's six original franchises are also its most valuable.
The Vancouver Canucks are the next Canadian team on the list, in seventh at $342 million. The Calgary Flames are in 12th at $245 million, the Edmonton Oilers are ranked 14th at $225 million, the Ottawa Senators 16th at $220 million and the Winnipeg Jets 20th at $200 million.
Least valuable of the 30 teams are the St. Louis Blues at $130 million and the Phoenix Coyotes at $134 million.
The Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings are worth $276 million, 10th overall.
Forbes says the NHL's total revenues were $3.4 billion for the 2011-12 season.
With the players locked out by owners, the NHL already has cancelled 422 regular-season games.
NHL lockout could not have come at better time for Leafs GM Brian Burke
by Michael Traikos, National Post
Happy anniversary to Brian Burke, who was hired as the president and general manager Toronto Maple Leafs four years ago today.
In the past, this date would be an excuse to look back upon all the mistakes that Burke has made in his tenure. But the NHL lockout has postponed the pitchforks and torches.
Had the season not been disrupted by a labour dispute, chances are the picture would not be rosy.
Yes, Toronto was in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings at this time last year, just four points out of first. By the end of the season, the Leafs were 13th in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of last-place Montreal.
Have they improved significantly since then?
This summer, the Leafs swapped underachieving defenceman Luke Schenn for underachieving forward James van Riemsdyk, but Burke did not address his goaltending problem nor his need for a No. 1 centre.
So this lockout really could not have come at a better time for Burke. The longer it goes, the more time he buys. Prospects such as Morgan Rielly, Tyler Biggs and Stuart Percy might be one step closer to being NHL-ready. And salary-cap dead weights such as Tim Connolly (US$4.75-million) and Matthew Lombardi (US$3.5-million) would come off the books.
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012...afs-gm-brian-burke-and-four-years-in-toronto/
I suppose there's a good side to the NHL players being locked out.
by Michael Traikos, National Post
Happy anniversary to Brian Burke, who was hired as the president and general manager Toronto Maple Leafs four years ago today.
In the past, this date would be an excuse to look back upon all the mistakes that Burke has made in his tenure. But the NHL lockout has postponed the pitchforks and torches.
Had the season not been disrupted by a labour dispute, chances are the picture would not be rosy.
Yes, Toronto was in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings at this time last year, just four points out of first. By the end of the season, the Leafs were 13th in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of last-place Montreal.
Have they improved significantly since then?
This summer, the Leafs swapped underachieving defenceman Luke Schenn for underachieving forward James van Riemsdyk, but Burke did not address his goaltending problem nor his need for a No. 1 centre.
So this lockout really could not have come at a better time for Burke. The longer it goes, the more time he buys. Prospects such as Morgan Rielly, Tyler Biggs and Stuart Percy might be one step closer to being NHL-ready. And salary-cap dead weights such as Tim Connolly (US$4.75-million) and Matthew Lombardi (US$3.5-million) would come off the books.
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012...afs-gm-brian-burke-and-four-years-in-toronto/
I suppose there's a good side to the NHL players being locked out.
November 29, 2012
1,461 Days of Burke
Four hard years.
Can't see how else Brian Burke would describe his days in Toronto since he stepped up to the podium on Nov. 29, 2008 and accepted the job as president and general manager of the Maple Leafs.
It feels like it's been more of a sentence than an appointment to a high-paying job.
Hopes were incredibly high that day at the Air Canada Centre. Just 17 months earlier, Burke had lifted the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks. He seemed the perfect fit.
And still may be, depending on your point of view.
Burke knows his reputation has taken a hit in these past four years. He has stuck his neck out time and time again, sometimes creating the issue and then sticking his neck out. The incredibly frustrating thing for him now is to have to sit by helplessly during the NHL lockout, unable to do anything to prove he's done many more right things during his tenure in Toronto than wrong ones.
To a large extent, he knew what he was getting into. His rationale for making the Phil Kessel trade was that if he didn't get things moving with the Leafs in three years, there would be calls for his neck. And he was right.
He has fought with Don Cherry, fought with Francois Allaire, fought with many members of the media. He has fired Ron Wilson, traded Tomas Kaberle, testified against the New Jersey Devils and stolen Jake Gardiner and Joffrey Lupul.
He organized a team that won silver for the U.S. at the 2010 Olympics. He has given his time and money to countless charitable contributions and struggled through some extremely difficult personal issues, including the death of his son Brendan in a car crash.
My goodness, a heck of a lot has happened in four years. A playoff berth hasn't, however, and that remains the dark shadow over Burke as he waits to see if he'll even get a chance to be the architect of a Leaf entry in next spring's post-season tournament.
After four years, this seems to be the essence of Burke's time in Toronto; what he has said has hurt him more than what he has actually done.
What he has done is rebuild from the ashes, construct a championship-quality farm team, build with youth, compile an impressive list of draft choices and played the salary cap game well, making sure the Leafs weren't entangled with any of those nasty, double-digit year contracts. While the Kessel deal haunts him, he has made more good deals than bad ones. He has compiled a blueline of the future with Gardiner, Stuart Percy, Morgan Rielly and Matt Finn and added two top 10 NHL scorers in Kessel and Lupul.
The Dion Phaneuf deal was a steal, but Phaneuf has had an uneven run as captain. The team isn't the big, physical team many believed it would be. Nazem Kadri, Burke's first top pick in Toronto, has yet to make an imprint at the NHL level. Goaltending has been a constant concern. Wilson stayed too long as coach.
But what has hurt Burke the most has been the things he's said and promised, from vowing "truculence and belligerence" to vowing not to fire Wilson in mid-season, from calling James Reimer the "real deal" to, at least in the minds of many, guaranteeing the Leafs would be a playoff team by now.
It took the Kings nine years to build a Stanley Cup winner, so it's reasonable to say after four years the Leafs are on track to constructing a contending organization. But rather than examine where the club actually is, many focus on Burke's words, his penchant for hyperbole and overstatement to make a bold point, and those words have tripped him up time and time again.
Given what the man has gone through with his family, I'm amazed he's able to get up in the morning and function, let alone run the hockey team in this hockey-intense market. He's never asked any special consideration for that, and none has been given by most.
From October to January last season, the Leafs were in a strong playoff position. When they collapsed in February and ultimately missed the post-season, the blame was heaped on Burke, not the players. Fair enough. That comes with the job.
His future is now more complicated with new ownership having taken over. It's always a little trickier convincing the people who didn't hire you as opposed to those who did. What the Teachers Pension Fund loved about him may not be what Bell and Rogers are looking for in a hockey boss.
His future in Toronto is as cloudy four years after he arrived as the immediate future of the league itself. That said, it's also clear that when it all starts up again, he's got to win. Love him or hate him, no one would disagree on that.
http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/2012/11/1408-days-of-burke.html
I think Damian Cox has nailed it. I find it hard to disagree with him on anything he said in this article.
1,461 Days of Burke
Four hard years.
Can't see how else Brian Burke would describe his days in Toronto since he stepped up to the podium on Nov. 29, 2008 and accepted the job as president and general manager of the Maple Leafs.
It feels like it's been more of a sentence than an appointment to a high-paying job.
Hopes were incredibly high that day at the Air Canada Centre. Just 17 months earlier, Burke had lifted the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks. He seemed the perfect fit.
And still may be, depending on your point of view.
Burke knows his reputation has taken a hit in these past four years. He has stuck his neck out time and time again, sometimes creating the issue and then sticking his neck out. The incredibly frustrating thing for him now is to have to sit by helplessly during the NHL lockout, unable to do anything to prove he's done many more right things during his tenure in Toronto than wrong ones.
To a large extent, he knew what he was getting into. His rationale for making the Phil Kessel trade was that if he didn't get things moving with the Leafs in three years, there would be calls for his neck. And he was right.
He has fought with Don Cherry, fought with Francois Allaire, fought with many members of the media. He has fired Ron Wilson, traded Tomas Kaberle, testified against the New Jersey Devils and stolen Jake Gardiner and Joffrey Lupul.
He organized a team that won silver for the U.S. at the 2010 Olympics. He has given his time and money to countless charitable contributions and struggled through some extremely difficult personal issues, including the death of his son Brendan in a car crash.
My goodness, a heck of a lot has happened in four years. A playoff berth hasn't, however, and that remains the dark shadow over Burke as he waits to see if he'll even get a chance to be the architect of a Leaf entry in next spring's post-season tournament.
After four years, this seems to be the essence of Burke's time in Toronto; what he has said has hurt him more than what he has actually done.
What he has done is rebuild from the ashes, construct a championship-quality farm team, build with youth, compile an impressive list of draft choices and played the salary cap game well, making sure the Leafs weren't entangled with any of those nasty, double-digit year contracts. While the Kessel deal haunts him, he has made more good deals than bad ones. He has compiled a blueline of the future with Gardiner, Stuart Percy, Morgan Rielly and Matt Finn and added two top 10 NHL scorers in Kessel and Lupul.
The Dion Phaneuf deal was a steal, but Phaneuf has had an uneven run as captain. The team isn't the big, physical team many believed it would be. Nazem Kadri, Burke's first top pick in Toronto, has yet to make an imprint at the NHL level. Goaltending has been a constant concern. Wilson stayed too long as coach.
But what has hurt Burke the most has been the things he's said and promised, from vowing "truculence and belligerence" to vowing not to fire Wilson in mid-season, from calling James Reimer the "real deal" to, at least in the minds of many, guaranteeing the Leafs would be a playoff team by now.
It took the Kings nine years to build a Stanley Cup winner, so it's reasonable to say after four years the Leafs are on track to constructing a contending organization. But rather than examine where the club actually is, many focus on Burke's words, his penchant for hyperbole and overstatement to make a bold point, and those words have tripped him up time and time again.
Given what the man has gone through with his family, I'm amazed he's able to get up in the morning and function, let alone run the hockey team in this hockey-intense market. He's never asked any special consideration for that, and none has been given by most.
From October to January last season, the Leafs were in a strong playoff position. When they collapsed in February and ultimately missed the post-season, the blame was heaped on Burke, not the players. Fair enough. That comes with the job.
His future is now more complicated with new ownership having taken over. It's always a little trickier convincing the people who didn't hire you as opposed to those who did. What the Teachers Pension Fund loved about him may not be what Bell and Rogers are looking for in a hockey boss.
His future in Toronto is as cloudy four years after he arrived as the immediate future of the league itself. That said, it's also clear that when it all starts up again, he's got to win. Love him or hate him, no one would disagree on that.
http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/2012/11/1408-days-of-burke.html
I think Damian Cox has nailed it. I find it hard to disagree with him on anything he said in this article.
This one's for you Iggy and Doc when he returns. Lol. Listen to the announcer during the actual race. Hahaha. [video=youtube;NG4mbDGAIqk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NG4mbDGAIqk#![/video]
Leafs have just traded Matthew Lombardi to Phoenix for a 4th-rounder in 2014.
To be honest, i had totally forgot he was still a member of the Leafs.
This is good news for forward Nazem Kadri, who's now expected to make the team & skate on the 3rd line, possibly with JVR & Leo Komarov.
To be honest, i had totally forgot he was still a member of the Leafs.
This is good news for forward Nazem Kadri, who's now expected to make the team & skate on the 3rd line, possibly with JVR & Leo Komarov.
Latest news:
Marlies top scorers Ryan Hamilton & Keith Aucoin were put on waivers yesterday. Aucoin has since been claimed by the N.Y. Islanders.
In other news:
Underachieving center Tim Connolly was put on waivers at noon today. If he clears waivers, word is that he'll be bought out by the team.
And finally:
Both Scott Gomez & Wade Redden have cleared waivers. It's expected they'll be bought out by their respective teams later today.
Marlies top scorers Ryan Hamilton & Keith Aucoin were put on waivers yesterday. Aucoin has since been claimed by the N.Y. Islanders.
In other news:
Underachieving center Tim Connolly was put on waivers at noon today. If he clears waivers, word is that he'll be bought out by the team.
And finally:
Both Scott Gomez & Wade Redden have cleared waivers. It's expected they'll be bought out by their respective teams later today.
Here is how it's expected the three lines will look like on Saturday night:
Lupul-Bozak-Kessel
McArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin
Kadri-Komarov-Van Riemsdyk
Don't be surprised if come Saturday, JVR takes McArthur's spot on the 2nd line.
On the fourth line, possibly:
Brown-Steckel-Orr
Between the pipes, i expect that Carlyle will go with Ben Scrivens, who's outplayed (by far) James Reimer during scrimages, and has been nothing short of fantastic with the Marlies.
Lupul-Bozak-Kessel
McArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin
Kadri-Komarov-Van Riemsdyk
Don't be surprised if come Saturday, JVR takes McArthur's spot on the 2nd line.
On the fourth line, possibly:
Brown-Steckel-Orr
Between the pipes, i expect that Carlyle will go with Ben Scrivens, who's outplayed (by far) James Reimer during scrimages, and has been nothing short of fantastic with the Marlies.
We Finally Have Our Own Darcy Tucker, Again!
Ladies and Gentleman, Meet Leo Komarov:
The Germans and Finns were squaring off that day, a pair of Maple Leaf draft picks on opposite sides.
"I remember all the other teammates on the national team were coming into the room after the first period and going 'Who the [expletive] is that guy?' and I just sat there and laughed," remembered Korbinian Holzer, then a member of the German national squad.
Meet Leo Komarov. Among the newest Leafs to join the roster this winter, the 25-year-old is certain to be a nuisance for opposing East foes and likely to emerge as a fan favourite in Toronto.
"He's a pain in the ass," smirked Carl Gunnarsson, who has competed against Komarov internationally, most recently at the 2011 World Championships. "He never stops working, he keeps going."
The five-foot-ten winger of Estonian descent (he grew up in Finland) is a pest in the simplest terms, the very sort of tick known to drive an opposing team wild with a constant battery of rough and tumble hockey. "This is a player who's in your face all night," said Holzer. "He knows which buttons he has to push to get you pissed off and get you going and get you off your game."
A 2006 selection, Komarov won the KHL championship as a part-time captain with Moscow Dynamo last year, intent on finally taking a crack at his NHL dream this past fall. The lockout quickly erased those plans. While he suited up in 14 games with the Marlies - totaling six goals and nine points - Komarov returned to Moscow in November (on loan) before re-joining the Leafs at training camp earlier this week.
"If I don't make it at least I tried," said Komarov of making it to the NHL.
Not an imposing or physically intimidating presence by any means, Komarov skates with pronounced exertion and hits with full intensity. "Those checks he finishes they hurt," said Holzer. "He's getting in there; he's throwing his full weight in there. He's nasty to play against. When the referee's not looking, he uses his stick a little bit to his advantage. He knows how to do it."
Frustrate, that is. Even amongst teammates.
Holzer recalled one instance at practice with the Marlies. Special teams were in the works, Komarov parked stubbornly in front of the net with the power-play unit. "I almost wanted to slash him in the face so bad because he had his [expletive] elbows up and he tried to slewfoot me all the time," Holzer smiled, remembering the incident. "It gets you off your game and you get pissed off at him. He makes it so good that even in practice you're getting rattled."
"We were going up against each other the other day," Gunnarsson added on the subject. "We're buddies, but he's like 'Screw you Gunnar'. I know it's just to get a laugh, but at the same time he's going hard and I like that. He likes to battle."
Fueling his efforts is an unwillingness to engage, chirp or even acknowledge conflict. "…he just walks away and that gets you more rattled and then this is the time when you take a stupid penalty most of the time," Holzer noted.
Komarov can sprinkle in some offence too - charging to the front of the net is his preferred route of attack - but it's the agitation role that earns him points with teammates. "You see that guy just pisses off the other team so much that they get off their game and your bench just loves that," Holzer said.
Lacking a certain edge to their roster under Randy Carlyle, the Leafs could benefit from the unique blend of skills that Komarov will bring to the table. While he's perhaps best suited to an energy role - with penalty killing duties - he's versatile enough to step up on a scoring line if the need arises - say with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. His raw, competitive game is sure to draw favour with Carlyle.
"He's just a pain in the ass," Gunnarsson repeated once more. "You need one of those guys on the team."
Ladies and Gentleman, Meet Leo Komarov:
The Germans and Finns were squaring off that day, a pair of Maple Leaf draft picks on opposite sides.
"I remember all the other teammates on the national team were coming into the room after the first period and going 'Who the [expletive] is that guy?' and I just sat there and laughed," remembered Korbinian Holzer, then a member of the German national squad.
Meet Leo Komarov. Among the newest Leafs to join the roster this winter, the 25-year-old is certain to be a nuisance for opposing East foes and likely to emerge as a fan favourite in Toronto.
"He's a pain in the ass," smirked Carl Gunnarsson, who has competed against Komarov internationally, most recently at the 2011 World Championships. "He never stops working, he keeps going."
The five-foot-ten winger of Estonian descent (he grew up in Finland) is a pest in the simplest terms, the very sort of tick known to drive an opposing team wild with a constant battery of rough and tumble hockey. "This is a player who's in your face all night," said Holzer. "He knows which buttons he has to push to get you pissed off and get you going and get you off your game."
A 2006 selection, Komarov won the KHL championship as a part-time captain with Moscow Dynamo last year, intent on finally taking a crack at his NHL dream this past fall. The lockout quickly erased those plans. While he suited up in 14 games with the Marlies - totaling six goals and nine points - Komarov returned to Moscow in November (on loan) before re-joining the Leafs at training camp earlier this week.
"If I don't make it at least I tried," said Komarov of making it to the NHL.
Not an imposing or physically intimidating presence by any means, Komarov skates with pronounced exertion and hits with full intensity. "Those checks he finishes they hurt," said Holzer. "He's getting in there; he's throwing his full weight in there. He's nasty to play against. When the referee's not looking, he uses his stick a little bit to his advantage. He knows how to do it."
Frustrate, that is. Even amongst teammates.
Holzer recalled one instance at practice with the Marlies. Special teams were in the works, Komarov parked stubbornly in front of the net with the power-play unit. "I almost wanted to slash him in the face so bad because he had his [expletive] elbows up and he tried to slewfoot me all the time," Holzer smiled, remembering the incident. "It gets you off your game and you get pissed off at him. He makes it so good that even in practice you're getting rattled."
"We were going up against each other the other day," Gunnarsson added on the subject. "We're buddies, but he's like 'Screw you Gunnar'. I know it's just to get a laugh, but at the same time he's going hard and I like that. He likes to battle."
Fueling his efforts is an unwillingness to engage, chirp or even acknowledge conflict. "…he just walks away and that gets you more rattled and then this is the time when you take a stupid penalty most of the time," Holzer noted.
Komarov can sprinkle in some offence too - charging to the front of the net is his preferred route of attack - but it's the agitation role that earns him points with teammates. "You see that guy just pisses off the other team so much that they get off their game and your bench just loves that," Holzer said.
Lacking a certain edge to their roster under Randy Carlyle, the Leafs could benefit from the unique blend of skills that Komarov will bring to the table. While he's perhaps best suited to an energy role - with penalty killing duties - he's versatile enough to step up on a scoring line if the need arises - say with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. His raw, competitive game is sure to draw favour with Carlyle.
"He's just a pain in the ass," Gunnarsson repeated once more. "You need one of those guys on the team."
You're quite correct. I totally forgot about him. From all indications during Thursday's scrimmage, he's slated to be on the 4th line. Since i'm not much of a David Steckel fan, i hope he takes his spot on that line.
Nothing personal against Steckel, who's a very decent face-off guy. But he's too damn slow! I even heard that he lost a race against the Zamboni during one of last season's practices!
Yea I agree, Steckel is actually a great faceoff guy but slower than a turtle. I like what Nonis has done the last 2 days getting rid of Lombardi and Connolly and sending the team a message that the vets are not gonna hold back the young guys anymore if they deserve to play.
I'd say it's more Carlyle than Nonis. I have a feeling Connolly will be back with the team if they trade one of their current centers or one of them falls to injury.
It looks like Colton Orr has made the team. Either he or Steckel will play on the 4th line come Saturday. It also appears that Jake Gardiner might be in the lineup for the opener. He's currently practicing with the team.
I'm also hoping that Morgan Reilly is sent back to his junior team. I don't want the Leafs to lose one year of his eligibilty by playing him in a 48-game season. I personally think Mtl is making a big mistake by keeping Alex Galechnyuk with the big team. Gallager is probably only with the team for a few games in case Plekanek can't play Saturday.
As for P.K. Subban, the jury is out on when he'll re-sign. I doubt they'll trade him unless they get an offer they can't refuse.
And finally, Mike Komisarek should count his blessings that he has a no-movement clause in his contract. Considering he'll have another year to go after this season ends, they're better off keeping him on the roster (instead of buying him out right now) until the summer & then use one of their two amnesty cards in order to give him his walking papers without having him count on the cap.
I just heard that the Leafs sent down Morgan Reilly back to his junior team.
What surprised me is that they also sent down Matt Frattin back to the Marlies. I'm stunned!
Jake Gardiner is indeed practicing with the team as i'm writing this, but word around the press gallery is that he might be put on injured reserve to start the season, which means that defencemen Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka will start the season with the big team.
It is the consensus around the press gallery that Ben Scrivens will get the nod tomorrow night in Mtl since James Reimer has been very rusty during scrimmages.
What surprised me is that they also sent down Matt Frattin back to the Marlies. I'm stunned!
Jake Gardiner is indeed practicing with the team as i'm writing this, but word around the press gallery is that he might be put on injured reserve to start the season, which means that defencemen Mark Fraser and Mike Kostka will start the season with the big team.
It is the consensus around the press gallery that Ben Scrivens will get the nod tomorrow night in Mtl since James Reimer has been very rusty during scrimmages.
Leafs have sent down Connolly, Frattin, Hamilton & Mottau to the Marlies.
Among the players making the team are Kadri, Orr, Fraser, Kostka & Holzer. My guess is that one of them (likely Fraser or Kostka) will be sent down once Jake Gardiner is 100% ready to return to the lineup. I can't see the Leafs going with 8 defencemen.
Among the players making the team are Kadri, Orr, Fraser, Kostka & Holzer. My guess is that one of them (likely Fraser or Kostka) will be sent down once Jake Gardiner is 100% ready to return to the lineup. I can't see the Leafs going with 8 defencemen.
Just got a call from one of my Leafs insiders from Toronto.
He sounded out of breath when he called & told me i'll never believe what he's about to tell me:
That former Leafs GM & President Brian Burke was fired because he supposedly got Hazel Mae pregnant last spring. I said "What?? This is ridiculous! I don't believe it for a minute!"
However, she did appear to have gained quite a bit of weight throughout the summer while appearing on Sportsnet & some of the Blue Jays telecasts. So who knows....
I googled the rumour & found out that it's a rumour that's been going around the internet for a while.
It was strongly rumoured last year during the hockey season that Brian Burke's marriage to Jennifer Burke was on the rocks, so who knows. Considering he didn't mention Jennifer once during his recent press conferences & interviews, preferring to mention his children, Larry Tannenbaum & Dale Lastman, among others.....i wouldn't be surprised if the fact he's no longer with his 2nd wife might be true. But that Hazel Mae rumour??? Hard to believe. However, this is the Toronto Maple Leafs we're talking about, and considering i've been a Leaf fan since the Harold Ballard days, i've learned that anything is possible in Leafs Nation.
Considering that Al Iafrate was traded away to Washington after it was discovered that then star-forward Gary Leeman was screwing Iafrate's wife, then nothing surprises me anymore. There were also rumours circulating a decade ago that Shayne Corson (then with the Leafs) was screwing Alexander Mogilny's wife, which led to Mogilny leaving the team one night in Vancouver & flying to Toronto in order to be with his wife. Soon after, Corson was put on the injury list for the rest of the season with what was described at the time as having an 'anxiety disorder'.
Ah, you just gotta love them Leafs!!
He sounded out of breath when he called & told me i'll never believe what he's about to tell me:
That former Leafs GM & President Brian Burke was fired because he supposedly got Hazel Mae pregnant last spring. I said "What?? This is ridiculous! I don't believe it for a minute!"
However, she did appear to have gained quite a bit of weight throughout the summer while appearing on Sportsnet & some of the Blue Jays telecasts. So who knows....
I googled the rumour & found out that it's a rumour that's been going around the internet for a while.
It was strongly rumoured last year during the hockey season that Brian Burke's marriage to Jennifer Burke was on the rocks, so who knows. Considering he didn't mention Jennifer once during his recent press conferences & interviews, preferring to mention his children, Larry Tannenbaum & Dale Lastman, among others.....i wouldn't be surprised if the fact he's no longer with his 2nd wife might be true. But that Hazel Mae rumour??? Hard to believe. However, this is the Toronto Maple Leafs we're talking about, and considering i've been a Leaf fan since the Harold Ballard days, i've learned that anything is possible in Leafs Nation.
Considering that Al Iafrate was traded away to Washington after it was discovered that then star-forward Gary Leeman was screwing Iafrate's wife, then nothing surprises me anymore. There were also rumours circulating a decade ago that Shayne Corson (then with the Leafs) was screwing Alexander Mogilny's wife, which led to Mogilny leaving the team one night in Vancouver & flying to Toronto in order to be with his wife. Soon after, Corson was put on the injury list for the rest of the season with what was described at the time as having an 'anxiety disorder'.
Ah, you just gotta love them Leafs!!
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