Good string of tweets from Jonas Siegel recapping the sheer amount of transformation that’s taken place in a short few months in Leafland:
Leafs summer so far: Fired coaching staff, GM, scouts; replaced AHL coaching staff; replaced NHL coaching staff…(1/3)
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) July 14, 2015
Leafs summer (cont'd): established sports science dept.; drafted 9 prospects; traded best player; added 11 (plus picks) via trade/FA. (2/3)
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) July 14, 2015
Leafs summer (cont'd): more front office staff added; hired ECHL coach; re-signed Kadri, Panik, Marincin, Beck, others (3/3)
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) July 14, 2015
Leafs will re-sign Bernier (via arbitration or before), could still hire GM, trade more core players. Busy 2nd summer for Shanahan-led team.
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) July 14, 2015
Tuesday Links:
- Luke Fox: Leafs only NHL team on Forbes’ most valuable (Sportsnet)
The world’s richest hockey team is worth $1.3 billion, according to Forbes, placing the Leafs 37th in global franchise worth — a spot they share with the Miami Dolphins. To show how wealthy major franchises have become, a $1.3 billion value would have ranked Toronto fifth overall in 2010.
I - James Tanner: The Toronto Maple Leafs Top 5 Prospects (The Hockey Writers)
Of note is Marner’s dedication to improving his craft, as he told Sportsnet on the day of the draft he had watched an entire season’s worth of Patrick Kane games in order to study the player he models himself after.
I - Greg Wyshynski: Can Johnny Oduya help bring Dallas Stars to Blackhawks’ level? (Puck Daddy)
Johnny Oduya signed a two-year deal with the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, joining a blueline that doesn’t have a Stanley Cup winner on it. But he also joins a Stars team that has Patrick Sharp and Antti Niemi on the roster, both of whom won a Stanley Cup with Oduya on the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks. (Sharp would win two more with Oduya, including one last month.)
I - Josh Cooper: Ryan Kesler signs six-year $41.25 million extension with Ducks (Puck Daddy)
The down side? The Ducks have Kesler through 2022 and Corey Perry ($8.625 million per-year) and Ryan Getzlaf ($8.25 million per-year) locked up through 2021. All three are 30. Unless all three have Teemu Selanne’s magical anti-aging powers, those will be some old dudes making big money.
I - Jimmy Hascup: Ducks will regret Ryan Kesler’s massive extension (USA Today)
Kesler is a very good player. He is not a sensational one. He recorded 20 goals and 47 points last season with the Ducks, a 1.38 points/60 ratio at five-on-five play that is 104th in the league. He had 13 points in 16 playoff games as well. Kesler has never been a consistent offensive threat, though, twice surpassing the 70-point mark and once scoring 41 goals in the 2010-11 season when he scored at an unsustainable 15.8% clip.
