Maple Leafs/Rangers Preview

@ Julie Sucks:

I just read what’s being reported. It’s pretty easy to make your own conclusions. Elliote Friedman reported on the self-imposed caps for both Anaheim and Dallas. Pretty legit. source if you ask me.

@ Julie Sucks:

Again, you’re missing that the real value in the deal is that they are shedding Ribeiro’s salary. If they keep everyone, they have 31 million committed to just 9 forwards. Assuming that CBC is right about Hicks and the teams’s cap, that leaves 2.25 million (after all the defensemn, and Lehtonen are resigned), to find a puck moving defensemen, a backup goalie, and 3 forwards to fill out the roster. How will that team be any better than this year?

I don’t understand how Neal, who puts up 5 more points than Grabovski last year (and what he’s paced for this year) is an elite, all-world all-star (despite playing with brad richards and loui eriksson – a huge jump from what grabo has to work with), and Grabo is a worthless floater. Do we ever set ourselves up for disappointment. We think all these other teams have solid gold to offer us. When Burke does acquire solid talent, and we realize that they are actually human, we’re gonna get out the shovel and start burying them.

@ Andrew R:

And I really don’t think Burke is in as big of a hurry as you seem to think he is. He signed for what, 5 or 6 years? This is only year two. If he can add a couple solid wingers this summer, and replace Kaberle, he’s made.

This summer:
Kaberle = solid winger
Beauchemin + Grabovski + pick = solid winger
-sign Paul Martin

Next summer:
-sign Joe Thornton or offer-sheet Steven Stamkos

Rebuild done.

I don’t know where you guys are getting any of this Schenn stuff from. The only comments about Schenn have been made by some of the most moronic hockey writers in Toronto, who basically make up stories for money. Burke said he would hesitate to trade Schenn for 10 first round picks (an exagerration, of course, but still), and all negotiations with Tavares stopped and ended with Schenn (for the record, Tavares >>>>> Neal, Ryan, etc…). Schenn is going nowhere.