Alex Tran
Quick links for your Monday blues:
Joffrey Lupul continues to receive much deserved recognition for his standout campaign. He has earned the nod to serve [more…]
Here's a crazy statistic courtesy of CBC Sports. From the beginning of the season through only December 24th (the Maple Leafs had played their 35th game of the season the night before), 457 man-games had been lost to concussions; players had been suspended 77 games, forfeiting nearly $1.3 million in wages.
But what does it mean to have a concussion? How do we get them? Here's your guide to a basic understanding.
An update on the Maple Leafs of tomorrow:
Who's Hot:
- After being passed over by the Maple Leafs coaching staff to begin the year, Nazem Kadri has made it his mission to claw his way back to the NHL. He had a superb month of November with 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 12 games played. Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins has been working closely with the youngster to help him simplify his game and cut down on the mental mistakes he was prone to making last year. With that said, the team has been careful about not keeping Kadri on too tight a leash offensively. He should be ready for a return to the NHL early in the new year. [more…]
The Toronto Maple Leafs have called up top prospect Joe Colborne and he is expected to make his season debut tonight against the Washington Capitals. The "Paperboy" (as nicknamed by his teammates - because he looks twelve and always delivers) had gotten off to a torrid start in the AHL with 19 points in 12 games played before sitting out a handful of games to injury. He is expected to skate alongside Joey Crabb, with whom he demonstrated plenty of chemistry while on the Marlies' top line, and David Steckel. The trio should be able to generate a strong cycle game down low.
Per NHL. com, "Last 10: Washington 3-6-1; Toronto 4-5-1
This is the first meeting of the season. The Capitals won three of four against the Maple Leafs last season, but three of the four contests went to a shootout. Two teams going in the wrong direction after great starts meet up for a Hockey Night in Canada clash.
Quick thoughts on a couple youngsters:
Who's Hot:
- Joe Colborne has been different player this season. After getting a brief taste of NHL calibre action, he has integrated that knowledge and experience into a more well-rounded and flat out dominant offensive game. He's taking the rush hard to the net, he's displaying impressive puck protection ability down low and quicker instincts in tight. He has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points through 4 games with the Marlies thus far.
- Stuart Percy hasn't missed a beat since dominating at last year's Memorial Cup tournament. The young blueliner has garnered glowing reviews for his maturity and poise. Thus far, he's demonstrated an improved offensive game marked primarily by increased confidence to be more aggressive, particularly on the Majors' top powerplay unit. He boasts a robust 7 points and +12 rating through the first 9 games played. [more…]
The Toronto Maple Leafs announce that they have acquired centre David Steckel from the New Jersey Devils in [more…]
Despite a lineup heavily laden with inexperienced youth, the Maple Leafs responded in a big way in the second half of a home and home against the Flyers. Solid performances from the like of Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin, Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner propelled the young team to a 4-2 victory. Some quick thoughts on individual players after the jump.
Mike Komisarek - He continues to make positive progress in his game with the hopes of regaining his form from 2-3 years ago. The positional play was solid, he did a good job playing the angles along the boards and was effective in winning pucks out of the corners. Offensively, he's still treating the puck a little bit like a grenade on his stick, making several rushed decisions that either resulted in a turnover or put his defensive partner in a tough position. The physical tone isn't quite up to the level it was, but at least he's cut down on defensive miscues. [more…]
As you may be aware, the Maple Leafs' regular season tickets officially went on sale this morning. Unsurprisingly, the sales went fast and furious. So [more…]
(PHOTO: Toronto Star)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced their roster for the upcoming rookie tournament running from September 10th through September 13th. The tournament [more…]
Earlier this month, Gus projected Nikolai Kulemin as Toronto's top scorer for the upcoming season in his 2011-2012 Maple Leaf player projections. Now it's time for me to share my projections, but I'll be taking a bit of a different approach. In an effort to make this as systematic as possible, I'm going to use a makeshift formula that I've created myself to take into account a few determining factors.
I'm going to start by placing value on a player's last three years of production, with the more recent years worth more than the earlier years. Year 1 will make up 20% of the total, Year 2 will make up 30% of the total and Year 3 (the most recent year) will make up 50% of the total. This helps take into account a player's improvement while also buffering for the possibility of overvaluing a career season. [more…]
As mentioned earlier, I had the privilege of chatting with Maple Leafs' Director of Amateur Scouting, Dave Morrison this morning to glean some his insight [more…]
Good morning folks. Maple Leafs scouting director Dave Morrison has set aside some time today for me for a quick Q&A for the Maple Leafs [more…]
