Results from Leafs Skill Competition

BUrke was saying that going forward he is building around Schenn, Grabovski and Mitchell in a interview I heard.

With increased ice time, Mitchell could be a great third line centre, second to grabovski and first ________.

I really think guys like Antropov, Poni, Stajan, Blake, Moore, Kubina, and Kaberle are going at the deadline or summer even if they go for less than what Burke wants….

Also, Kaberle needs to stay unless we get an insane offer because no team ever goes anywhere without a puck moving defenceman….everyone else on that list needs the boot though

Don’t worry about the centre depth … a good team is at least 4 to 5 deep at any forward position. That’s what creates competition. Not to mention the whole injury bug issue. Or line-juggling. It’s not like guys stay on the same line, in the same pecking order, for the entire season. This whole notion that the #2 guy has to be Stajan *OR* Grabovski is ridiculous.

(Jon, I’m not directing this at you. Your post made me think of the “one or the other” argument I’ve heard many make in reference to Stajan/Grabovski.)

Ice time isn’t standard … that is, nothing says that the guys on the 2 and 3 line won’t get similar minutes. On a lot of teams, the 1 and 2 lines have similar minutes. Check out ice time stats on NHL.com sometime, and you’ll see that after the top forward on the team, the next 5 forwards all have similar minutes per game.

There is nothing wrong with a centre lineup of [unnamed #1], Grabovski, Stajan, and Mitchell as your regular four pivots. None are entitled to their minutes, and will have to earn them every game. Chances are that if Stajan and Grabovski are the #2 and #3 guys next season, their average ice time per game, after 82 games, will be within a minute of each other, max.

Which all goes to say that having depth at the forward position, three lines deep, is no cause for concern at all. One needs look no further than the Penguins re-signing Staal to see this logic in play.

(This is the last one – was supposed to part of the last comment – oh well.)

@ Ken Breadner,
The reasons you say Kaberle shouldn’t be traded are the exact reasons why he should be traded. He will bring the most in return to the Leafs in a trade. That will help with the re-build. The fact that he’s underpaid right now means nothing to the Leafs. They have plenty of cap space and aren’t contending. By the time the Leafs are ready to be contenders, Kaberle will be 33 or 34 at least and on a new contract (likely not underpaid anymore). What would you rather have when the leafs are starting to contend, a 34 year old defenseman who is a liability in his own zone that is no longer underpaid, or a 22 year old player who is still on/just coming off entry level contract and is rounding into form??

KEN

I see what your saying but I dont think we would get anythting to what Stajan is worth thats why I say keep him. Most others have to go but Stajan doesnt get enough praise IMO for what he does….hes been there and done that for the leafs, plays consistant, cheap, and wants to play here. I still say keep him, plus hes still like mid 20′s age

I predicted in December that Stajan will be the future captain of this team. I still believe that.

Just finished watching the Skills competition on LeafsTV. LMAO @ Stajan who fell during the puck control relay!! It was a total “Yard sale” LOL!!! Also at Stempniak who missed the net badly during the hardest shot. Paul Hendrick said “Leave it to a guy from Buffalo to go wide right!” LOL!!!

Pony looked completely shocked at the fact that he won the survivor shootout.