Tomas Kaberle
Just some quick thoughts after the Maple Leafs' 4-3 overtime win over the Bruins:
Assist for Phil Kessel is his first point in 5 games against his old team
Bozak continues to progress
Carl Gunnarsson had another solid game with a goal and a +3 rating [more…]
Somewhat understandably, a great number of people will be upset with what ended up unfolding (or not unfolding) as Trade Deadline Day progressed, in particular with regard to Tomas Kaberle.
A new twist in the latest "will he or won't he" saga involving a star player for the Toronto Maple Leafs kickstarted a ravenous day of trade rumours, one which ended disappointingly for all those who dared to believe that a King's ransom was just around the corner.
However, things are never quite so simple as they first seem. And where some are seething with rage, others are basking in the glow of a new-found respect for the class displayed today, for all of us to see, by both the player and the general manager in the face of the onslaught which predictably ensued.
Final Deadline Trades:
Alexei Ponikarovsky to Pittsburgh for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula
Martin Skoula to New Jersey for a fifth round draft selection.
Lee Stempniak to PHX for 4th and 7th rounders.
Joey MacDonald to ANA for a 7th rounder in 2011.
Wrap-Up: That looks to be a wrap on Brian Burke's trade activity for the 2009-10 season. The Stempniak deal was obviously a form of loss-cutting on a pending UFA, but it's a bit painful to remember who we sacrificed to acquire him in November of 2008 in two albeit underachieving first rounders in Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. The Leafs will not draft until the third round this year, and Burke did not succeed in that sense, however he moved the only piece realistically capable of fetching a second rounder for a semi-established young asset with the potential to replace Poni at an immediately cheaper price in Luca Caputi. It looks as though no takers could be found on either Wayne Primeau or Garnet Exelby, who look sure to now enter the FA market July 1.
There seems to be details yet to unfurl surrounding the Tomas Kaberle situation this deadline, as once again Leafs fans were teased into believing a deal was pending (involving Hodgson, as it was reported, or possibly Alzner from Washington) only for what looked to be an imminent deal to be flatly denied by Brian Burke in the end. There are rumblings that Kaberle might have nixed a deal in similar fashion to the Jeff Carter situation at the '08 deadline.
From Garrett Bauman:
Good morning, die hards, and welcome to Hockey Christmas. And what better way to kick off the day than with more rumors! Here we go!
McKenzie: I won't be overly surprised if Ray Whitney doesn't get traded. If he does, I suspect it will be to L.A. but final call on that will be his. Anything possible today, but Tomas Kaberle has not submitted list of teams he would go to. If Leafs get good offer, they may take it to him. And Kaberle has expressed no desire to leave Toronto. He'll take his chances in the summer when NTC expires.
With the Olympics wrapping up (and in the process Canada securing the record for most gold medals, capped off by our Men's and Women's hockey teams), the focus among hockey fans now shifts to the NHL trade deadline.
While there are few untouchables on the Maple Leafs' roster, speculation is that only a handful of players are likely to be dealt between Monday and Wednesday. Here's a look at some of the speculation surrounding the most-talked about candidates to swap jerseys.
Random talking points on a variety of topics including Giguere's shutout streak, a refreshing new attitude, the Schenn/Phaneuf connection, pending UFAs and more.
While the attention isn't on the Leafs tonight, they will be looking to break the Senators longest winning streak in club history. Giguere is expected to get the nod tonight, and hopefully the Leafs can start off strong with great offensive pressure as they have in their previous two outings, but this time close it off with solid defensive coverage in the third period.
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(Be sure to check out Bauman's pre-game article to get yourself ready for tonight's match-up!)
Dion Phaneuf, as of right now, is not a Norris trophy candidate.
Phaneuf took the National Hockey League by storm in his rookie season, producing 20 goals as a 20-year-old defenseman. He then had a successful sophomore campaign, breaking the 50-point barrier. In his third year, he had a 10-point increase and produced 60 points, gaining him consideration for the Norris trophy at only 22 years old.
Not one player on the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2009-10 squad has had their name chanted in the Air Canada Center. It took Dion Phaneuf all of 6 minutes and 51 seconds.
When Travis Zajac had his face plastered into the boards, I just knew we had found our very own Chuck Norris. Then, Phaneuf dropped the gloves with Colin White and my man-crush officially began.
For the second time in four days the Maple Leafs will face off against the New Jersey Devils, this time at the ACC. In what seems to be the most nonsensical decision made in recent memory by NHL schedulers, come this Friday the Leafs and Devils will have faced off three times in one calendar week. What's up with that?
As you are all undoubtedly aware, the Leafs have a few new faces in the fold, and we are all eager to see what Phaneuf, Sjostrom, and Giguere bring to the table as members of the blue and white.
Note: I won't get into trade analysis here; that has already been covered in excellent fashion by the MLHS crew in prior posts.
In the wake of Sunday's blockbuster trades, one cannot help but wonder what's next for the Toronto Maple Leafs? Who's next to go? Who stays?
In any case, I think that it's pretty safe to say that this season is a write-off. We're not making any moves to make a run at the playoffs this season. So, let's look forward and take a look at what the Maple Leafs should look like next season. [more…]
On the heels of the Leafs' much-heralded acquisition of All-Star defenseman Dion Phaneuf, a significant question has arisen within Leafs Nation:
What impact does this trade have on the future of Tomas Kaberle?
