Alec Brownscombe
-The Leafs have to compensate for their lack of roster depth and the fact that Chiarelli is reticent to trade within the division by offering up a substantial package.
-As reported there are variations on the deal-including two #1s plus. Names have also been bandied about - White, Poni, Tlusty, Stalberg, Kulemin.
-There is not an overwhelming consensus within the organization that this is a good move - Nonis is notorious for holding onto picks and believes in building through the draft.
-Burke believes he can replenish the picks, to a certain extent, through trade
I read an article in the Toronto Star the other day, in which Damien Cox suggests that the Maple Leafs weren't as soft of a club as many believe last season, due mostly to the fact that the Leafs were tied for 13th in the NHL regarding fighting misconducts, and were 15th overall when it came to penalty minutes. The point was to demonstrate that the club was average in terms of team toughness, not the soft club many of us and Brian Burke believe.
Earlier today I was able to catch up with the Leafs at their new practise facility, a day before training camps officially open. I had just arrived and pulled into a parking spot and just as I was about to step out of my car, a beast of a Cadillac Escalade pulled into the spot right beside me. I had noticed the New York plates as it drove in, and was quite pleased to see new Leaf Mike Komisarek step out. It was my first time meeting the former Hab in person and it didn't take long to figure out why he was so popular and well liked amongst his peers and fans in Montreal. He was more than willing to sign any autograph demands from his new fans, and was quite easy going. Any questions regarding his relationship with Grabovski, and if there were any ill feelings between the two can be put to rest. During skating drills and the scrimmage that followed, Grabs and Komi were often laughing it up and joking around with each other with playful jabs and hooks. If there is any animosity between the two, it was far from evident. It was a pleasure watching Komi having a good time with his new team and cleary getting comfortable and fitting in with the group.
[more…]
Jonas Gustavsson's unofficial debut performance is bound to generate some buzz after the Monster stopped 35 of 36 shots in backing the Maple Leafs' prospects to a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins' youngsters in the opening game of the rookie tournament inside the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium this evening.
Amid speculation that Brian Burke is positioning himself to extend an offer sheet - perhaps to long-rumoured target, 22-year-old winger Phil Kessel - after swapping picks to recover the Leafs' 2010 second round pick in a deal that would seemingly make little sense otherwise, there is another possibility to consider in regards to trade negotiations.
[more…]
Earlier this week, I was able to catch up with a few Leafs at Lakeshore Lions Arena. I've gone a few times already this August, and the closer we get to the opening of camp, more and more players are showing up. Notable attendants have included Finger, Tlusty, Bozak, Hamilton, both Mitchells, Schenn, The Monster, Toskala, Mayers, Poni, Stajan and Oreskovic. More than likely, some players were missing due to Olympic camp tryouts and practices.
Via the NHL's Twitter:
Looking to create a great blog roll for the new NHL Fans site. Email me suggestions and nominations (and reasoning) to [more…]
As a reminder/lesson as to what the prospect grades indicate: the number represents a player's traditional realistic potential ability on a scale of 1-10 with ten being "generational talent" and one being "borderline minor league player." The letter (A-F) represents the prospect's realistic chances of achieving their number-rated potential, with A being "all but guaranteed to reach potential" and F being "possess very little potential." In the Leafs' ranks, Nazem Kadri tops out the rankings (with Schenn now considered graduated) as an 8.0C, meaning he's a "first line forward" that "may reach potential, but could drop two ratings." Jonas Gustavsson is ranked second in the Leaf ranks as a 7.5B, meaning he's half way between a "journeyman No. 1 goaltender" and flat out "No. 1 goaltender," with the realistic probability of reaching his traditional potential "likely" with the possibility of dropping one rating. Ranked third is Mikhail Stefanovich at 7.5C, which essentially means he's somewhere in between first and second line potential, with the possibility that he could drop as far as two ratings.
"Burke loves the guy...very low maintenance. It's obvious this is not going to be a slow rebuild. Burke is too competitive. He believes his chances to make the playoffs are very good and wants to win now. Rumblings are that Kabs was very overvalued. He's talented but not a game changer like Pronger, etc. Teams believed he would be a nice asset but not the franchise type guy who would put a club over the top... plus he had a bad year last season. The best deal Burke was offered was a touted prospect (Jakub Voracek) plus maybe a second round pick.
To clarify when and where this publication will be available: It will be available in Indigo Chapters stores across Canada as of September 8th. It [more…]
UPDATE:
Some changes in information:
- Hits newsstands September 8th, available at all Indigo Chapters stores in Canada as well as wherever magazines are sold in the greater Toronto area, including Walmart, grocery stores, drug stores, newsstands, etc. Apparently the the only magazine outlet in the GTA it isn’t available at is the Toronto airport.
- Should you wish to PREORDER, the SHIPPING FEE has been dropped from $11 to $5.00. Everyone who has already preordered will be credited the $6 difference.
- Pre-ordering not only guarantees you a copy but will get you one a week in advance as preorders are shipped August 25th with a 2-5 day waiting period for arrival.
- My apologies for the mistakes in my original information.
Debunking growing speculation that I've been kicking my feet up on the beaches of Cancun and ignoring all of you for the last month, myself alongside publishing company Maple Street Press are very pleased to introduce the inaugural Maple Leafs Annual. Before we get into the thick of it, I'd like to first of all thank MSP for offering me the opportunity to edit, and contribute to, this project. Although at times taxing, to see this Annual come together has been an extremely satisfying and mostly fun endeavour. I was put in the unique position of being able to unite the prominent and growing voices of the Leafs' blog-o-sphere into a consolidated project, and for that I'm very thankful. The final product is one that I think all of Leafs Nation can be proud of.
[more…]
