The Kids Are Alright

It’s been suggested several times during the first quarter of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ emotionally exhaustive season, but it needs to be mentioned once again:

It’s time to bring up the kids. No more excuses. Just get ‘er done, Brian Burke.

In a tilt against the Lake Erie Monsters tonight, the Toronto Marlies spanked the opposition by a score of 7-1. While it’s encouraging to see the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate break past the .500 mark, fans of the Blue and White should be salivating at the performances from the prospects in particular.

Just take a look at the scoresheet:

Viktor Stalberg: 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots on goal, +2

Tyler Bozak: 3 A, +1

Christian Hanson: 3 G, 1 A, 7 SOG, +2

Jiri Tlusty: 3 A, +2

On the heels of  a disheartening loss against the Carolina Hurricanes, who can now say they’re less mediocre than the Leafs, frustration has officially boiled over in Leaf Nation. Fans are demanding that Burke infuse any sort of energy into the lineup so they don’t have to listen to James Duthy make witty remarks about how the Leafs are essentially handing over a potential superstar to the Boston Bruins at this year’s National Hockey League Entry Draft in Los Angeles.

Various media outlets are reporting that Burke intends on making changes, and if he’s true to his word, then that could mean demoting players on one-way contracts, which would make them subject to the waiver wire. Jason Blake is the most obvious target when taking a glance at the Leafs’ top-six, but who knows what Burke has planned.

The point is that Bozak, Stalberg, Tlusty and, most notably, Hanson should all be considered as call-ups before opting for a trade. If Burke plans to send players with one-way contracts to the minors, it’ll leave the door open for at least one or two of the youngsters to step in and showcase their skills in a pressured environment (which is not a bad thing).

Personally, considering Hanson leads all Marlies in points (17) and goals (8), I’d say it’s time to give the 23-year-old a shot on the Leafs’ top-six, if not temporarily. Hanson possesses both the offensive skill set and the defensive acumen to be an effective player at the NHL level, so if he could provide the Leafs with some energy, perhaps it’ll open the door for players like Stalberg, Bozak and Tlusty to come in and hopefully change the fortunes of this godforsaken team.

No more excuses. This team needs a shakeup and it’s obviously not going to come internally. Whether it’s by importing youth from the minors or through a trade, Burke has to experiment with a no-holds-barred attitude if he’s to purge the Leafs from this extended slump.

While executing these moves may cause complications with the salary cap, the panic button has officially been pressed and it’s time for Burke to bring up the youth by any means necessary. Even if Blake gets picked up through re-entry waivers, meaning the Leafs would have to pay $2.0 million dollars until the end of the 2011/12 season, Burke needs to rid the Leafs of its dead weight. Lee Stempniak and Matt Stajan are two other targets who may themselves on the Marlies’ roster sooner rather than later.

It’s unlikely anything is done, however, before tomorrow night’s tilt against the Washington Capitals, who were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens tonight with Ovechkin not recording a single point. But, once the Leafs get massacred on home-ice, Burke needs to get to work immediately.

It’s time for Burke to take a page out of Johnny’s book:

Burke = Johnny, Snakes = Leafs’ players

This is not a damn country club.

You stay classy, MLHS.

ronguillet@mapleleafshotstove.com

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  • kb

    @Gus,
    .
    Why would you not bring up the kids, especially if they had beaten out vets in the preseason? Another erroneous assuption I keep seeing is to keep them down so they can win a Calder Cup. So far, there is little evidence that they are an elite AHL team, so not sure how keeping them on a middling AHL team to scrape into the playoffs will really teach them anything.
    .
    And very few of the current players on the Leafs current roster would make your criteria for recall from the AHL “because they are ready to contribute to the NHL club on a consistent basis”. In those terms, 90% of the current roster fails. So why not see what the kids who played with so much of the prized qualities that BB liked in the preaseason?

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  • http://mckeenshockey.com Gus Katsaros

    @kb … who said they beat the veterans in preseason? Was that properly defined or just a consensus among fans/media.
    .
    I’ve never mentioned them winning a Calder, but it’s not an impossibility .. besides, the AHL is a developmental league, and scraping to make the playolffs builds character. Also, the Marlies went to the conference Finals as a middling team two seasons ago …
    .
    As for the current players criteria, they are NHL contracted players … I’m going to address this all in a post sometime early next week.

  • daniel marois

    @ Gus

    People need to understand that you don’t quickly de-value your assets by sending them to the minors. You try everything you can by looking for trade partners. Look, this team has only been able to re-stock with picks by moving vets like Antropov and Moore. That’s it. Prior to that it was Hall Gill. That’s a long time. Burke was unable to gets picks for Kubina because no team was willing to do that except for Atlanta but they demanded the Leafs take Exelby if the Leafs wanted to get Kubina’s contract off their books. Same with McCabe. Florida demanded T.O. throw in a 4th-round pick if they wanted to get McCabe’s contract off their books.
    .
    So my point it is, it is imperative for Burke to re-coup picks (whether they are 2nd, 3rd or 4th round picks) by moving the exisiting vets on the roster. The Leafs missed the boat by not getting those returns for Sundin, Tucker McCabe and Kubina, they can’t let that happen with the current crop of UFAs.

  • ingy56

    @daniel marois
    Exactly, instead of being a seller, Burke’s one card is to become a buyer and take on some salary for next year or beyond in exchange for gaining back some picks, no matter what round they fall in. He has added to the scouting department so let’s see what they are made of. Burying your mistakes in the minors is what this organization has done in the past, time to use the developmental team for what it should be used for and although he may have to take some heat in the short term, so be it.

  • luke

    @ Gus – I’m curious as to what you suggest the Leafs should be doing, if not bringing the kids up.
    .
    Note: I agree with you. Why bring them up into this mess? Won’t they be better served in the AHL where they can hone their skills?

  • daniel marois

    @ ingy56

    Burke has to be very careful about taking salary because he does not want to price himself out of the free agent market next summer. You want to leave yourself with enough cap room if you are going to be able to sign one of the prized free agents, if they become available.
    .
    However, moving expiring contracts is the main goal. Taking back salary should only be considered if it is a high draft pick coming back. Not as high as a 4th round pick. Remember, they are only getting a 6th-round pick for Pogge in the 2011 draft.

  • kb

    @Gus
    .
    Are you telling me that most of these sad sacks tangibly beat out the kids based on their play in the preseason? I would love to know how they were being rated, because it was definitely on the wrong things needed for any team to be successful. Most of our vets lack traits that some of the kids seem to have in spades, and those traits are “hockey sense”, “on ice awareness”, and the much-maligned “character”. These are intangibles that can’t necessarily be measured by numbers.

    Sure they may have made mistakes (although I believe Bozak was on the ice for exactly 1 goal against in 5-on-5 for the whole preseason), but they also tried harder than any of the vets have, and I have to say that some were also much better positionally. Just look at how Beauchemin is being villified for bad pinches when in actual fact he should have a forward coming back hard to cover (and yes I realize he has made some awful pinches). Not many of the current forwards recognize that when a “D” pinches, someone has to rotate back to cover pick up the man coming through the middle to avoid odd man rushes. Very poor on-ice awareness by this current group – too many defensive lapses by our current group of forwards – I have never seen so many “skate-by’s” by supposedly backchecking forwards in all my life – it is like a disease with these guys.

  • http://mckeenshockey.com Gus Katsaros

    @kb
    Look for a post Monday for this….I’ve got a lot of games to warch this weekend.

  • http://mckeenshockey.com Gus Katsaros

    @luke

    That is true, but only part of the situation.

  • ingy56

    @daniel marois
    Agreed, but as far as high-priced help available next year, there really is only Marleau, Kovalchuk and Savard and all three could be off the market by July. After that, there isn’t a whole lot out there, mid-range help like maybe Tomas Plekanec or Rene Bourque. However, two years from now looks a little better with perhaps Joe Thornton or Martin St.Louis possibly available.

  • kb

    @Gus
    .
    Looking forward to your thoughts, as always.
    .
    One final point….why is it that Beauchemin looked so good throughout the preseason, yet once the regular season started – he suddenly appeared to be a defensive liability? Simple – he was playing with forwards who exhibited far more on ice awareness.

  • borjefan4ever

    some interesting opinions folks…
    but can we collectively PLEASE stopping using the ‘showcasing for a trade’ rationale.

    it is exactly this crap that resulted in the team not taking the WELL deserving kids directly out of camp.

    who in their right mind is going to give up a 2nd or 3rd round pick for any of Stajan, Blake or whomever the way the team is currently going?

    we were collectively fed a series of marketing lines by both Burke and Wilson during the offseason.

    1) accountability – only seems to be happening with regard to teacher’s union profit

    2) roster management – has been non-existent

    3) opportunity – play Stalberg with total stiffs – then watch him get injuired – he returns a bit gun shy (very understandable), doesn’t play particularly well – sent down

    4) what the hell are they doing with Schenn? Wilson’s not a board registered phyciatrist so perhaps he should cease the mind games

    5) and oh yeah… he who plays well plays
    Blake? oh – he’s been great – and a real leader too – first line minutes and ppl time ??? RW what are you thinking
    Beauchemin was brutal for the first 7-8 games in particular – don’t think he had a game under 18-20 minutes
    Stajan – plays like its the women’s olymipics… where’s the testosterone?
    Stempniak – well Wilson keeps on telling everyone how he’s the best player… (until Kessel)… I guess I don’t possess his keen eye for talent

    Long and short.

    Blake – one way waiver – don’t bring him up – he won’t report – suspend (no CAP hit after this year) – who the hell is gonig to claim this guy at 2M anyway?
    Stajan – give him a few months off to figure out if he wants to be a hockey player and to get hair implants
    Stempniak is NOT going to make the Olymipic team – so forget the experiment

    Please insert the FRATS and Rosehill in the line-up. What is waiting going to provide – oh yeah – I forgot another loss.

  • daniel marois

    @ Gus

    Would you not say that the kids should only come up if injuries arise or Burke trades some vets off the roster? I think it is becoming apparent that sending Kadri down was the best thing for him as he will get a chance to play in the WJC and try to win a Memorial Cup. Playing for a losing team in Toronto, even playing with Kessel, was still not going to be good for him.
    .
    As for the Marlies, don’t rush them, especially the college kids. I would consider bringing up Hamilton as he was playing some games with the Leafs last season. But not Hanson, Bozak or Stalberg. Let them play a few more games down there. Let Burke concentrate on making trades for now instead of demotions and call-ups. I am really hoping for a blow out loss tonight so Burke will be left fuming and get going on making some of these vets accountable for their poor play.

  • kb

    @daniel marois
    .
    My point too. I wasn’t saying to rush them up – I was saying that keeping them in the minors all year for the sole purpose of “development” and to make a run at a Calder Cup is ridiculous. Everyone is saying not to bring them up into this circus, which has merit – although you have to think about this……if they can handle coming into this circus atmosphere, they probably have the qualities we are looking to move forward to next year and beyond. Plus, had the most deserving players played from the outset of the season, this would not have evolved into the circus it has become simply because we would have a better team and a better record.
    .
    I’m fairly certain if you would have polled most Leaf fans before the season began, they would have had much more patience to accept us finishing low IF we were playing some or all of the kids. Playing the kids doesn’t seem to have hurt a lot of teams this year (and since the lockout, actualy), so why is the last place team in the NHL so dead set against it?

  • TKO

    Sorry but some of the posters on this sight need to get their heads out of their asses… No decisions made would appease some of you and you are so hypocritical its embarrassing.
    1)How can you put Burkes head on a platter already. Did you really expect this team to be a contender this year… If your claims of a rebuild are true, then brace yourselves because its a long road.. Yes we don’t have a first rounder next year at this point but the draft is a long way away and we have Kessell as compensation… Let Burke do what he has to do.
    2) People are calling for the kids to come up and develope and then you turn around and want Kulemin, Grabo and Schenn sent to the minors for development(these kids are only in there 2nd year) this is the development you’ve been yearning for…give your friggin head a shake.. You have no patience to let these kids develop… Its sadly comical.

  • CarltontheBear

    @kb
    “So far, there is little evidence that they are an elite AHL team”

    Is that not all the more reason to not bring them up to the NHL?

  • kb

    @Carlton
    .
    But the unfortunate part is that they may actually be better than the Leafs right now, which isn’t saying much.

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  • BlueBuds

    “…the panic button has officially been pressed and it’s time for Burke to bring up the youth by any means necessary.” Wrong! Fans and media are slamming that button, not Leafs management. When will we stop trying to rush things?

  • BLUEandWHITE

    It is ridiculous to suggest to buy out Blake and pay 2 mil each year until WHAT 2011/2012 for letting him play for another team… Did we not learn from the Tucker buyout. Why bother trying to fix something for this year and have to pay for it for years to come when we hope to be more competative and will need that extra buyout and waiver money to spend on players that will help the team. OK a mkistake was made on Blake .. move on.. if you think you are fixing it by buying him out, you are not even sure the guys he is replaced with are that much better… Even if the they are better it wont help the Leafs get over the top this year….Crazy Crazy thought ..you are sounding like BB.

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