The Official LEAFS NATION Hockey thread

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs trade for former #1 pick & former habs enforcer

The Toronto Maple Leafs hope they have plugged a hole at centre with the acquisition of Peter Holland from Anaheim on Saturday.

The former first-round pick -- one of the Ducks top young prospects -- is expected to play on one of Toronto's top lines on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

The Leafs got Holland, a 22-year-old from Caledon, Ont., along with minor leaguer Brad Staubitz for defenceman Jesse Blacker of the Marlies and a couple of draft picks -- a third round pick in 2014, which could become a second rounder if certain conditions are met, and the return of Anaheim's 2014 seventh round pick (which the Leafs had acquired in the David Steckel trade).

Blacker played five games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season collecting one goal and four penalty minutes. He was originally selected 58th overall by the Leafs in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Holland was originally Anaheim’s first choice, selected 15th overall in the 2009 entry draft. This season, the 6-2, 194-pound centre played four games for Anaheim scoring one goal and adding two penalty minutes. In 10 games with the AHL’s Norfork Admirals he registered a team leading nine points (five goals, four assists) along with 22 penalty minutes. In 29 career NHL games he has earned five goals, two assists and eight minutes in penalties.

Holland help fills a gap at centre with Nazem Kadri suspended and Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland injured.

Staubitz, 29, played six games for Norfolk this season and tallied 10 minutes in penalties. In 230 career NHL games with San Jose, Minnesota, Montreal and Anaheim, the 6-1, 207-pound native of Bright’s Grove, Ontario has registered 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) and 520 penalty minutes.

Blacker played five games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season collecting one goal and four penalty minutes. He was originally selected 58th overall by the Leafs in the 2009 Entry Draft.

Leafs acquire Holland & Staubitz

 

[lgna69xxx]

Friends saw him play in the AHL and say this guy has all the talent to be a top 6 centre, just needs to find the right fit in the NHL. HNIC just said pretty much the same thing and said the Leafs might of just hit a homerun with this deal.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Welcome Home Peter Holland

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/17/new-leafs-centre-holland-thrilled-to-join-hometown-team

 

[lgna69xxx]

Watch the Player, not the Spreadsheet: Advanced Stats and the Leafs

Shots on goal do not always tell the whole picture, it is the quality of those shots that does.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/11/20/toronto-maple-leafs-are-not-afraid-of-advanced-statistics/

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs sign Connor Brown

David Nonis, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Friday the hockey club has signed forward Connor Brown to a three-year entry level contract.

Brown, 19, was originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round, 156th overall, in the 2012 Entry Draft. The 5-11, 170-pound winger currently leads the Ontario Hockey League in scoring this season with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 23 games for the Erie Otters. Brown also ranks second in the OHL in powerplay goals (tie-8), third in assists (27), shorthanded goals (tie-2) and game-winning goals (tie-3), fourth in goals (tie-19) and sixth in plus/minus (tie +17).

The native of Etobicoke, Ontario was named the OHL’s Player of the Week after posting three goals and four assists for seven points in three games for the week ending October 13. The Erie team captain is also representing Team OHL against Team Russia in the 2013 Subway Super Series.

In 154 career games with Erie over three seasons (2011-12 to present), Brown has registered 72 goals, 96 assists and 168 points with 63 minutes in penalties.

Leafs sign Connor Brown

Great signing by the Leafs! :thumb:

 

[Doc Holliday]

 

[lgna69xxx]

It's a Beauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutiful Thing!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Toronto Maple Leafs once again top list of most valuable NHL franchise

Canadian teams dominated the top end of Forbes' annual list of the National Hockey League's most valuable franchises Monday with the Toronto Maple Leafs leading the pack for an eighth consecutive year.

For the first time since Forbes began tracking NHL team valuations in 1998, three of the league's five most valuable franchises are Canadian.

The Maple Leafs were deemed the most valuable at $1.15 billion, a 15% jump from last year, while the Montreal Canadiens ($775 million) and Vancouver Canucks ($700 million) were third and fourth, respectively, in the survey.

The Calgary Flames (11th, $420 million), Edmonton Oilers (14th, $400 million), Ottawa Senators (15th, $380 million) and Winnipeg Jets (16th, $340 million) were all ranked in the middle of the pack.

The New York Rangers ($850 million) were second on the list while the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks ($625 million) rounded out the top five.

The NHL's 30 teams are worth an average $413 million, a 46 percent rise over last year but still below the average values of franchises in the other major North American sports leagues.

Forbes has previously said teams in the National Football League are worth an average of $1.17 billion, followed by teams in Major League Baseball ($744 million) and the National Basketball Association ($509 million).

Leafs tops again

 

[gohabsgo]

Leafs ruining Morgan Reilly ?

young defenceman Morgan Rielly could benefit from time with Team Canada at the world juniors.

he’s not to blame for the nasty slump in which the Maple Leafs now find themselves after a strong start to the season. Not even close. You’d list a dozen Leafs and their shortcomings before his name even came up.

it was another night of surrendering more than 40 shots, of taking dumb penalties, of roster holes and ill-fitting units, of creating inadequate offence, of David Clarkson doing very little to assert himself as the prominent Leaf he was supposed to be,

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/12/03/san_jose_sharks_take_down_struggling_leafs_cox.html

A healthy scratch again tonight! Morgan Reilly will only be the latest addition to a long list of young players whose development has been ruined by the Leaf organization.

 

[gohabsgo]

Which goalie do struggling Leafs trade?

The longer the Maple Leafs struggle, the more it becomes clear: they’ve got to sacrifice their depth in goal in a trade to improve their blue-line.

http://metronews.ca/voices/the-hock...need-to-trade-a-goalie-but-reimer-or-bernier/

I doubt if the Leafs would get much of a return, since both their 'tenders have been mediocre this season.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs finally call-up John Michael Liles

Either this means Morgan Rieilly will be loaned to the Canadian junior team for the upcoming world championships, or Randy Carlyle finally came out of his trance and realized that the likes of Paul Ranger and Mark Frasier belong in the minors.

Ranger's 4-year absence from the NHL has showed throughout the season, and Frasier has been slow and mistake-prone throughout the season. Many believe he hasn't recovered from his knee injury. Personally, i believe that he looked good last season since he was in top-shape by the time the shortened season started, having played with the Marlies for several months until the NHL regular season finally resumed. Or maybe it's a bit of both.

On the other hand, the other defencemen haven't been the same either, all the way from Gunnerson to Franson. The only bright spot on defence has been the play of captain Dioin Phaneuf, who's been magnificient this season and regularly plays 25-28 minutes a game. Jake Gardiner has picked up his game and appears to have gained the confidence of coach Randy Carlyle.

If they do send Morgan Rieilly to the juniors, it'll be a great move both for the kid and the organization.

It's great to see JML back with the big club!!! :thumb:

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs played their best game of the season tonight, outshooting the Los Angeles Kings. However, they went up against a brickwall named Steve Jones & lost 3-1.

And meanwhile........

The Randy Carlyle love affair with the inept Paul Ranger continues...............

 

[lgna69xxx]

Doc,

The Leafs played very well i agree, but against the Leagues best teams you cant make too many mistakes and the 2 or 3 they did make, LA took advantage of. Teams like LA, Chicago, Pitt and St Louis are so good that one or two mistakes and it is game over. Teams like detroit, montreal and tampa for example, mistakes can be overcome on a regular basis, as they are weaker teams and small/soft as well. LA and many teams in the West are big teams and/or super skilled in all areas.

GLG!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Paul Ranger sucks so much that he might not even be able to crack the habs defence!

 

[joelcairo]

Leafs played their best game of the season tonight, outshooting the Los Angeles Kings. However, they went up against a brickwall named Steve Jones & lost 3-1.

So they played "their best game of the season" and they LOST 3-1.

You know Doctor, MAYBE we can draw some very interesting conclusions from that.

 

[joelcairo]

Teams like detroit, montreal and tampa for example, mistakes can be overcome on a regular basis, as they are weaker teams and small/soft as well.

That would be an EXCELLENT point, except for one tiny little flaw: All 3 teams are doing considerably better than the Leafs.

 

[joelcairo]

Paul Ranger sucks so much that he might not even be able to crack the habs defence!

Now Doc, that IS an excellent point. I commend you on your analysis - bravo!

 

[Doc Holliday]

Leafs lose again, this time to the St-Louis Blues by a score of 6-3. The game wasn't even close. Believe it or not, but the Leafs goaltending was great, and if wasn't for the great goaltending the score would have been even higher.

And once again......

The strange love affair that Randy Carlyle has with the inept Paul Ranger continues..........

(At times i'm left wondering if JML didn't have an affair with Carlyle's wife or daughter)

 

[joelcairo]

Leafs lose again, this time to the St-Louis Blues by a score of 6-3. The game wasn't even close. Believe it or not, but the Leafs goaltending was great, and if wasn't for the great goaltending the score would have been even higher.

Leafs lost again, quite correct. They have lost 3 in a row and 8 of their last 10.

It's also a fact that goaltending has saved them on many occasions this season and has certainly been the most successful (if that's the right word!) part of the team.

However, I don't think you can say the goaltending in the St. Louis game was "great", considering that Reimer was pulled and had an .800 save percentage. Bernier did better but his percentage (.900), while superior to Reimer's, was not "great" in comparison to the high percentages most tenders are achieving this season.

 

[TigerWould]

Wow WTF is wrong with the Leafs again this season! History repeats...good start then down the gutter and out of the playoffs. When will this all end? Will they EVER be a powerhouse or are they snakebites for life? They seem to have a good group of players and above average goalies but defence is awful. When Phaneuf is your go to guy, you know you're not very good.