Date: March 18, 2010

Rink: ACC (Toronto)

Puck Drop: 7:30PM ET

Radio: AM 640

TV: TSN

Once again the Leafs are fairing quite well when it doesn’t matter….that’s what most of the critics will say.  While this may be true, the difference in my opinion is that it’s not a bunch of under performing veterens like in past years.  We’re seeing marked improvement and strong performances from young players that will likely be part of this squad for years to come.   At least we are seeing entertaining hockey.

Though Jonas Gustavsson has played extremely well of late, Ron Wilson will continue with the alternating games approach so expect to see JS Giguere between the pipes.  Fredik Sjostrom returns from injury and various reports indicate that it will be Wayne Primeau that takes a seat.  Garnet “trade me” Exelby got back into the line-up against the Sens and TSN Ice Chips has him playing again tonight.  Finger must have missed his press box seat. 

I know it’s the day after St. Patricks Day but….I wonder if we’ll see this tonight?

Forwards
Kulemin Bozak Kessel
Stalberg Grabovski Caputi
Mitchell Hanson Lundmark
Orr Wallin Sjostrom

Defence
Phaneuf Beauchemin
Kaberle Schenn
Exelby Gunnarson

Goalie
Giguere (start)
Gustavsson

Scratch: Finger, Primeau

Inured: Van Ryn (ofs), Komisarek (ofs)

LT

If you haven’t read the story on Sportsnet yet, the Leafs have made public their opening night line up.  While Komisarek is nursing a sore hamstring; he is expected to be ready for Thursday night.

Perhaps there is only one surprise considering the players that will be left out due to injury.  Mayers, Finger and Van Ryn will all start the season watching from the press box wearing ice packs.   Kulemin is the only player to lose a job and Tlusty the hopeful prospect from ’08-’09 that couldn’t crack the line-up.  Bozak doesn’t make it yet….but nobody will be surprised to see him play some games later in the season – Wilson will likely not hesitate to send messages if someone is not playing to his expectations. 

The surprise to some will be the inclusion of Jay Rosehill.  I like this move.  Rosehill held his own in the pre-season…In addition to his toughness, he showed that he could play two-way hockey.  He is versatile as well as he played most of his career as a defenceman.  I’d much rather have a guy like Rosehill on the 4^th line than Jamal Mayers.  We need some “youthful exuberance” in the line up and Rosehill along with Stalberg will supply just that.

Here is the line-up:

Forwards:

Blake-Stajan-Stalberg

Grabovski-Hagman-Ponikarovsky

Wallin-Stempniak-Mitchell

Rosehill-Primeau-Orr

Defence:

Beauchemin-Schenn

Kaberle-Komisarek

White -Exelby

In net:

Toskala

Gustavsson

NB: I’ve posted this as it appears on Sportsnet…these are the opening night lines but I doubt they reflect exact positions in all cases (e.g. Hagman and Stempniak as centremen?).

It will be very interesting to see what Wilson/Burke do when Kessel arrives.  If there are no injuries to the higher priced players when he is activated (with his $5.4M contract); Wilson and Burke will have some tough decisions to make if they want to carry the league max of 23.

We are only a couple of days away….cant wait to get the season started.  Let’s see if the media improves their game this season like Burke has likely done with the team.  We can only hope for a Wilson v. Berger round II.

LT

Hey quick post this evening folks. I am not a rumor monger, but the drum beats are loud again this evening that something is up in Maple Leaf land. Several reliable sources are telling me that Burke is very close to a deal that has nothing to do with Phil Kessel. I am hearing that a deal is close to being consummated that would see Burke dealing a defenceman for either a prospect or a draft pick. I have no clue which defenceman could be on the move, one “source” told me he thought it was Mike Van Ryn, however that would surprise me given his health record in the past. Why would a GM take on that salary and give either a pick or a prospect?

In any event, there seems to be a consensus of those close to Burke that indeed something is about to be done.

More later

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

So, time flies when you are having fun. Hard to believe it was a year ago that Bryan Mccabe was ummmm, taken from us in a deal for Mike Van Ryn. This was, in Blue Jays terms and with all due respect to Van Ryn, equivalent to letting Alex Rios go on waivers. Mccabe, once the sweetheart of the Maple Leafs and fans was let go for a guy with ummmm injury problems. Not quite getting nothing in return, but this was a cash dump of massive proportions and also giving a guy in desperate need of a new start tha chance to renew his career.

Mccabe: 2008-09 Florida Panthers NHL 69 15 24 39 41
Van Ryn: 2008-09 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 27 3 8 11 14

Fletcher was never going to get value for Mccabe, everyone knew he wanted to deal Mccabe. So it may not be entirely relevant what he got back, Van Ryn got off to a pretty good start before getting hurt again. One has to wonder what he could do if he stays healthy. One has to wonder what he has to do to stay healthy. By the sounds of things, Brian Burke and Ron Wilson have challenged all the Maple Leaf players to report in the best shape of their lives or risk playing for the Marlies if at all. This is his last year on his deal so, it’s put up, stay healthy or shut up time.

I wonder if Burke where here at this time last year if he would have dealt Mccabe. Something tells me he would have tried to make Wilson work with him. However, I thought the same thing about Pogge and his new goalie coach. Mccabe represented the last of the Maple Leaf problem children as described by Cliff as guys who had to move on. Not bad number by Mccabe however certianly not a return to what he once did. Are the days of ex-maple leafs performing better than when they were here finally behind us???

It is a different time for sure. There is more hope this year than last. Last year we were waiting on Burke. This year we are waiting to see if it was worth the wait.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight- thanks to Mike S.

- open phones with McCown from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host at 5:05 is James Deacon
- Bart Andrus, head coach of the Argos
- Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun on baseball
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star on basketball
- legal analyst Rob Becker

On 640 with Duff and Watters:

4-5 – Mike Van Ryn in studio
5:10 – Larry Brooks on Zherdev

TSM TAKE: Mccown is back! Not a minute too soon either. (with little offense to Jeff Blair who is a great fill in). I’ll take Deacon over Kelley any day too. Argos aint looking so hot and the coach is taking heat in the Canadian press for it. Brunt brings his usual opinions from the east cost- wonder if it is raining there like it is here. Elliott on all things Blue Jays, does anyone care these days? Not by the look of ticket sales. Raptors chat with Doug Smith, the schedule came out today, does anyone really look at those for discussion purposes? The Coyotes situation is a freaking nightmare of a mess. Becker should be telling us the same thing and more. Van Ryn is in studio. Question is, is he healthy and ready to play a full season. Larry Brooks, would look good on Hockey Night in Canada’s hotstove lounge, he is opinionated as you will hear tonigt when he talks Zherdev and the New York Rangers walking away from his arbitration award.

TSM

follow us on twitter @yyzsportsmedia

A happy early Wednesday am to all. Wild day Tuesday was. I am way behind on things so here is a rapid fire recap of the day.

First, as promised, we were able to find out who the brain was behind the brilliant hat question to Brian Burke yesterday. It was TSN’s Sheri Forde who asked the Hat Question of Brian Burke. We are told however that this wasn’t her gem, but rather the big wigs at TSN, Forde actually apologized to Burke in-advance of asking the moronic question!

Burke has been very busy and he, landed the Monster today. Here the Burkeisms for the day:

Monster Mash:

The Globe:

The sought-after 24-year-old Swede chose the Leafs over the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks because of a handful of factors. He was wowed by Burke’s determined approach and the hiring of goaltender coach François Allaire. The goalie also felt the Leafs offered him the best opportunity to grow as a player and he enjoyed his visit to Toronto, which took place in warm spring temperatures and before the city’s garbage collectors’ strike. “In the end, when I had time to digest all the information, I liked Toronto because it is a good young team with players on the way up, a good coach and a really good general manager,” Gustavsson said. “[Burke] made a few trips over to Sweden to talk to me and that showed me that the Leafs really wanted me.” …
Gustavsson remarked he likely will remain in Sweden to train, and next month he will skate with his former Farjestads teammates before arriving in Toronto in late August. Burke has his newcomer pegged as the backup and that’s okay with him.“Of course, this will be a new situation, it will be tough,” Gustavsson said. “I play hockey because I like to play. I’m coming over to improve myself and [eventually] be a No. 1. Whether that will happen in one month, one year or 10 years, I don’t know. “Now it’s up to me to make the best of the situation.”

Blair on Monster and Burke:

“So far it’s all just paper and good intentions but know this about the Toronto Maple Leafs: it would be a shock if they aren’t at least a more watchable team and vastly more interesting team in 2009-2010 now that they have landed Jonas Gustavsson in addition to their haul of free-agent defencemen. The point isn’t whether Gustavsson will be good enough to be a star in the NHL. Truth is, he might at most be a good backup. But my sense is that this was Brian Burke’s No. 1 goal this off-season: land Gustavsson, see what exactly the Maple Leafs have in him behind a reworked and likely more responsible defence (and whether he can stand up to the scrutiny that comes with playing for the Maple Leafs,) then figure out what to do for next year. And all it costs is money. No draft pick. Not even a useful third-line forward – which, as Burke will tell you, the Leafs unfortunately have in abundance.”

Kevin McGran, The Star:

“Landing the goalie is a coup for GM Brian Burke, who has already added Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek and Garnet Exelby to stabilize Toronto’s defence. “I want to thank Brian Burke and his staff for giving me the opportunity to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Gustavsson. “It is truly an honour and privilege and I feel very fortunate to wear the Blue and White sweater. Toronto is a great city, with tremendous fan support, and I am very excited about the future.”

Michael Traikos, National Post :

“Toronto has 10 NHL defenceman – Beauchemin, Exelby, Jeff Finger, Jonas Frogren, Tomas Kaberle, Komisarek, Luke Schenn, Anton Stralman, Mike Van Ryn and Ian White – so Burke is likely to try and trade someone who can prevent goals for someone who can score them. Kaberle has generated the most interest. But Burke has not been satisfied with the previous offers and expects the puck-moving rearguard to begin the season in Toronto. Still, he expects the team to add either a second- or third-line forward through trade or free agency. “We’re not done. We still have cap room,” said Burke, who added that he has received a serious trade offer regarding a defenceman not named Kaberle. “I’ll probably take a deep breath now and see how things shake out. They’re still some names of interest and there will be some trade possibilities … the next thing there will be to see if we can parlay a defenceman into a forward.” The goal, said Burke, is to create as much competition for positions as possible.

More Globe:

Burke relayed a story on why he went so diligently after Gustavsson. At the world championship in Switzerland two months ago, Gustavsson made a stop with the handle of his stick in a game against the United States. When Burke chided the goalie about being lucky with the stop: “He told me that he practised that all the time. I don’t know if he was pulling my leg or what.”

USA Today/Kevin Allen:

” With GM Brian Burke having more cards left to play, it’s too early to offer any projections on where the Toronto Maple Leafs fit into the Eastern Conference in 2009-10.
But after the Maple Leafs signed Francois Beauchemin Monday, here’s what we do know about the Maple Leafs.
1. With the acquisition of Mike Komisarek, Beauchemin, Colton Orr and Garnet Exelby, the Maple Leafs are going to be far more difficult to play against next season. Komisarek is a big strong defender who will use his size . Beauchemin plays with an edge, and Exelby, while sometimes playing a bit out of control, is still among the best open-ice hitters. Orr is 6-3, 225. All four of those guys will drop the gloves.
2. They won’t be last in the NHL in goals-against, as they were in 2008-09. They should be 50 goals better this season. Improving the defense is also where Burke started in Anaheim.
3. While it isn’t certain Burke will trade Tomas Kaberle, the acquisition of Beauchemin gives Toronto a surplus of defense. That makes it easier to move Kaberle for a scorer, as was talked about earlier when there was discussions with Boston about Phil Kessel.
The Maple Leafs have nine established defensemen under contract right now, with a projected top four presently of Kaberle, Komisarek, Beauchemin and Luke Schenn. Then you still have Ian White, Jeff Finger, Mike Van Ryn, Jonas Frogren and Exelby. White played almost 23 minutes per game last season and Finger played more than 20 minutes. Two of those defensemen probably will be dealt, with Kaberle capable of fetching the best price.
Based on what we have seen thus far, it seems easy to start leaning toward the idea the Maple Leafs can be significantly improved next season.”

Rob Longley, Toronto Sun:

““I’m going to try to steal as many games from Vesa Toskala as I can,” Gustavsson said Tuesday in a phone interview from Sweden. “I’m a goalie and I want to play.

“I know the best goalie gets the ice time and if I play good I’m going to get the chance. We will be good teammates and try to push ourselves, but my goal is to be the No. 1 goalie.”

LeBrun, ESPN:

“”As you know, there’s two jobs where the athletes audition every night: pitchers and goalies,” Burke said. “It’ll be up to those two to sort it out, although it is our anticipation that Vesa will play the bulk of the games.” The signing came a day after an equally big-ticket acquisition in blueliner Francois Beauchemin, who signed a three-year, $11.4 million deal. At 29, Beauchemin has a decade of hockey in front of him. But he’s not a kid, either, which makes you wonder where the Leafs are headed in their rebuilding process. If people had expected a long journey back to respectability buoyed by high draft picks — à la the Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington model — guess again. “We’re not doing a traditional model here. People should figure that out,” Burke said. “You look at the pre-cap rebuilding jobs, you look at Ottawa and you look at Pittsburgh, and basically the philosophy was, ‘Let’s finish dead last or next to dead last for 4-5 years and get top picks and we’ll turn it around.’ I don’t see any reason to repeat that here. I don’t think our fans here would be that patient. As long as they see a plan, I think they’ll be patient for a retooling, but not a demolition. “Stripping down to the chassis and rebuilding it is certainly not what ownership has asked me to do. We’re not rebuilding here, we’re retooling.”
“We’ve stacked up the blue line,” Burke said. “Even my harshest critic would have to admit that the blue line is in the top three or four in the NHL in terms of 1 through 6. We may not have that dominant No. 1 guy like some teams have, but 1 through 6, it’s a pretty good group.”

Brian Burke with Greg Brady on 640 Toronto:

“we are not done, logical next step would be to add a forward- time for organization take a break, I’m going fishing next week”
“enforcement of tampering is the problem”
“I went to Harvard Law School, I couldn’t negotiate the (ohlund) deal in 14 minutes”
“we have a sophisticated fan base, they know what is going on” (with respect to tampering)
“league would love to catch a team tampering, I know I worked there”
“I would be comfortable without a captain for this year, This is the Toronto Maple Leafs”

So. Head spinning yet. The Monster signing is a good sign. It’s the second time in a week where a top saught after free agent picked the home of David Miller’s garbage strike to play next year. We have heard for too long that no one wants to come here. Now the Raptors and the Leafs have been able to lure a couple of players (young and unproven maybe for the leafs in some cases) who easily could have gone elsewhere to come to the Big Stink. I really hope folks are patient with the Monster. It’s all going to be new for him.

Burke has to deal for help upfront and in my mind he has to deal Kaberle becuase he his an asset with lots of upside. Whom the other D he has an offer for is anyone guess. Burke told Brady that you view each proposal on it’s own merits. So even though he has depth at D, he wouldn’t turn down a deal for another just because of his depth. If you can improve and upgrade then you do. With that frame of mind, you deal from an area of strength when you can. Kaberle presents that opportunity.

I am troubled by what Burke told LeBrun about the re-tooling vs. rebuilding. Watters has said something very similar before. What bothers me is that Burke said that ownership and fans wouldn’t put up with a finish dead last philosophy. From the fans persepctive I think that is utter bullshit. We have suffered so long with mediocre finishes we would much rather have finished dead last and at least had a shot at a franchise player than the crap we have been shoveled. If it is true that the mandate to Burke was to retool and not rebuild than that really just sucks, and I have to wonder where the commitment really is. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with what he has done so far. I just had hoped these guys had learned that it was time to hire the right guy and do the right thing. Burke’s comments to Lebrun suggest otherwise.

Kids aren’t allowed hats in their first picture and the team doesn’t get a captain just because they don’t have one. I love that part of Burke. He truly respects the tradition of the Maple Leafs and what growing a franchise is all about. That is why he was hired in my mind anyway. He made it sound like it will be quiet for a little while, but here’s guessing his blackberry works fine on his fishing trip.

If that wasn’t enough, a US media outlet broke the Blue Jays are at least contemplating moving Roy Halladay. No shocker that JP goes to the southern media first on this one, it’s just his MO. In any event here is :

Doc Talk:

Blair:

“Know this: if the Blue Jays keep Halladay and let him walk after 2010, they’ll get two draft picks. So two players won’t get it done. They’ll want to get something approximating what the Cleveland Indians received from the Montreal Expos in return for Bartolo Colon: Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips (the Indians also had to pick up the prorated portion of Lee Stevens’ $4-million – all currency U.S. – contract). They’ll want cost-effective players with one or two years of major-league experience at the very most and a prospect ready for the majors.Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava was part of the Indians when they made that deal and was one of its architects because of his knowledge of the Expos’ minor-league system. “I’m not going to comment on this any further beyond today,” Ricciardi said. “We kept Roy away from free agency two times. The fact is he may want to explore free agency this time, knowing he can come back.” So if somebody is willing to pay the price, Halladay will be gone by the trade deadline. But the price remains what it was on Opening Day, and it won’t get any cheaper these next two weeks. Roy Halladay isn’t exactly being shopped around, but operators are standing by.”

Robert McLeod:

“Halladay, speaking to reporters before last night’s game in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the Tampa Bay Rays, said his preference to remain a Blue Jay is not etched in stone. “I want to stay, but I think it’s a situation you have to evaluate,” Halladay, 32, told reporters. “I’m really not at that situation just yet. If something does come up, you weigh your options at that point. I hate to put the cart in front of the horse and start saying ‘Do I want to do that?’ I think you just evaluate the situations when they come.”
“My goals have always been the same,” Halladay said. “I love Toronto. I want to stay here, but I want to win as well. That’s becoming more and more of a goal for me. Obviously, my first choice would be to do it here.“Like I’ve said in the past, whether or not our organization and my goals line up, it’s never always going to be that way. Sometimes teams have to take steps back, and I understand that.”

Morgan Campbell, the Star:
“”My biggest decision would be, do I feel that this (team) is going to go in a direction where we have a chance to win, and quickly,” Halladay said before Tuesday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “If it’s good for the team and it’s good for me then you go from there, but at this point it’s too early to tell. It’s just an option we have and maybe we’ll look at it.”

Bruce Arthur, National Post:

“But now that general manager J.P. Ricciardi has opened the door to a trade Roy Halladay – opened it, put out a sign, taken out advertisements with his favourite billboards – everything has changed. This cuts to the core issues of the Toronto Blue Jays. Playtime is over. Up until now, the Jays have been burbling along, and this season’s early surge has given way to a slow-motion fade as injuries pile up and the water finds its level. Going into last night, Toronto was 43-41, fourth in the American League East. More importantly, perhaps, they were 4-11 against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, the three teams ahead of them in the world’s toughest division. And of Toronto’s remaining 79 games, 39 were against those teams. So this season is like all the others since the World Series days of 1993 – destined to die one day at a time, all the way into autumn. What’s different, though, is that the team’s lone untouchable is apparently not untouchable any more.”
In other words, step right up, folks, and play our game. Ricciardi, evidently, still enjoys courting the out-of-town media, which makes sense for a man who may soon be out of town. He deigned to speak to the locals, too, telling the Post’s Jeremy Sandler that the idea of trading Halladay makes sense, especially if the best pitcher in baseball is not a lock to sign a contract extension before his deal runs out after the 2010 season. “There has to be a means to an end,” Ricciardi said. “You don’t want guys dying on the vine.”
Of course, the main reason Halladay’s career has been dying on the vine, one masterpiece at a time, has been Ricciardi. In the eight years he has run this team, not one meaningful baseball game has been played – not once, in his years of brilliance, has Halladay been given the ball in a game he really had to win.”
Well, not a lot of people seem to give a damn about this team right now – Toronto ranks 26h in the majors in attendance, Halladay or no Halladay. If it’s time for him to go, then trading Halladay is the most significant move this franchise could make. And it will be made under a interim team president in Paul Beeston, by a general manager that is believed by some who know him to have one foot out of the door, even if his contract has another year to run. He has made good decisions and bad decisions over all these years. Well, this is the big one. And that’s why the Blue Jays, from the very top on down, need to decide if J.P. Ricciardi is the man to make that decision. If he’s talking about it, they probably already have. Either way, he – and his bosses, all the way up – sure as hell better get this one right.”

ESPN:

“Halladay has certainly piqued the Los Angeles Angels’ interest. “Tony has talked to a lot of clubs, and he’s talked to Toronto,” manager Mike Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, referring to Angels GM Tony Reagins. “Obviously, [Halladay] is a name that piques the interest of everyone in baseball.”

As I wrote a few days ago, the Jays need to do one of two things, either get him resigned now or move him. It’s that simple. Yes dealing him will be a hit at the gate, but no one is going anyway, so fewer no ones will go. There is a better shot that people will go if JP hits a homerun in this deal. I think Arthur in the post hit a homerun with his piece. We are at a deciding moment in the franchise. If they deal him and get a ton back it could salvage JP’s legacy here in Toronto. If he blows it……There is no room for error on this at all. This can’t be the trade of Clemens. Personally, I only want Roy to go, if he doesn’t want to sign an extension. Everyone seems to suggest that great things are coming for this team. It would suck if that were the case and he missed it by a year or two, it really wold.

Raptors Moves

Congrats are in order to Toronto Raptor Andrea Bargnani who has apparently signed a 5 year extension. Also sign and trade and three way deals seem to be all possibilities as Bryan Colangelo shapes up his roster for next season. Keep your eyes and ears tuned for the latest there.

For the time of year when it is supposed to be very quiet (see all the radio hosts and guests who are on vacation) it has been an amazing couple of days. Let’s hope it continues ALL summer so we have things to write about.

TSM

Funny how quickly we move on to the next thing. The 2008-2009 regular season is not even completed yet and already the media reports complete with speculation about the 2009-2010 squad are everywhere. Last night Howard Berger took a shot at analyzing Burke’s options, and to be fair did a good job. Tonight, it’s Darren Dreger’s turn. Here is a run down on both…The only sure thing about any of this, is that there will be a ton of speculation before next season’s team even shows up at training camp.

“The evidence and challenge lies in the numbers: Including Notre Dame collegian Chris Hanson – signed as a free agent earlier today – Burke has 17 players under contract for 2009-10… nine forwards; seven defensemen and one goalie. Only six are committed for 2010-11. The forwards signed through next year are Hanson, Jason Blake, Niklas Hagman, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Lee Stempniak, Matt Stajan, Kulemin, Mitchell, and Jamal Mayers. The defensemen are Pavel Kubina, Tomas Kaberle, Jeff Finger, Mike Van Ryn, Schenn, Jonas Frogren and Ian White. And, the goalie is Vesa Toskala”

This isn’t rocket science by any means, but this is the type of stuff Howard used to do back in the day when he did really good work for the Fan 590. These, my friends are the cards Burke has. So while Burke and Wilson take about change, as in overhaul, it is not going to be easy to make as any changes as are needed. Berger focuses his microscope on Stajan, Ponikarovsky, Mayers and Stempniak as forwards who could be on the move:

“Stajan is a reliable, every-game player and a terrific person and teammate, but he seemed to plateau early this season when he performed briefly at a point-per-game pace alongside Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov. He’s not likely to re-assume that offensive posture. The Leafs need a more aggressive presence in his spot and Burke could likely obtain a middle-round draft pick from any number of teams in a deal.”

Well, thanks to Cliff’s errors the Leafs are now once again shy a 4th round draft pick. Funny how Stajan was once talked about as captain material. There are two issues Burke has to consider here. First, does the current management team think this guy is part of the solution. Do they think Stajan is going to be part of their team when it goes over the hump? If the answer is no, then they need to decide when this asset will be at it’s peak value, if that time has passed then they need to move on now. Otherwise they need to try to maximize it. The other question is, to the best of their ability can they realisticly think they can improve on what they are getting from Stajan? He is cheap, he is good in the room and he may still be coach-able. How easy will it be to find guys like that to fill Stajan’s spot? I don’t know the answer, but they better be able to answer it.

“Ponikarovsky is prime trading material at the moment. He’ll finish this season with a career best in goals [likely between 25 and 28] and Burke would be wise to strike while the iron’s hot. Pony has one year left before unrestricted free agency and may never be a better player than he is right now. He’s worth a second-round pick and a prospect from the right team.”

It’s hard to disagree with any of that rationale. Cliff blew it by not trading Vesa Toskala at his peak, Burke can’t do the same with others. The issue with Poni is, how do you replace those goals. The guy has come into his own of late and can the leafs afford to be without that production? Again, I don’t know the answer, but Burke had better before he deals him away.

“Though Mayers is a respected veteran and a good guy, the Leafs must replace his spot on the roster with a younger player. Burke can easily buy out the remaining year of his $1.4-million contract.”

I am not in the locker-room so I don’t know what Mayers has brought to the room. I for one, however don’t think we got that which was advertised when the deal was made to bring him. I have to believe Burke would have given him away at the deadline if he could have. I don’t see him being any easier to move with a whole year left on his contract. This reeks of buyout.

“Stempniak is a decent forward, but not worth a roster position on a restructuring team. He might be tradable, given that his cap hit [$1.882 million] is less than his salary [$3.5 million]. Otherwise, Burke has the flexibility to buy out his final year as well.”

This one worries me the most. It worries me because this was a gross miscalculation of talent on the part of talent. The Leafs can’t afford to make these types of mistakes going forward. I don’t know if this was all Cliff, his pro-scouts or Al Coates or anyone else. I hope Burke in part judges his team of scouts based on this trade. He needs to learn who on his pro scouting staff missed on this and why.

“The blueline presents a tougher challenge. You can be certain that Burke will trade Kubina if a rival team steps up to assume his $5 million contract [and cap hit] for next season. But, to me, that’s a big if. First, another GM has to determine that Kubina is worth $5 million… almost assuredly, from a club that considers itself a Cup contender, and a team that believes the addition of a mostly one-dimensional rearguard is worth the cash. Most importantly, the team must have cap room to work with, and choose to spend it on one player….Burke should not be seeking any sort of return here. If he can give away Kubina’s salary, he sheds mammoth cap space and opens up a valuable roster spot for next season. But, again, that won’t be easy.”

That is hard to imagine, giving Kubina away. While I may not be totally enamored by Kubina, I don’t see how they can just give him away either. I know the value of cap space but I would like to think (and maybe I am crazy) that Burke will find a way to get more then nothing for this asset. We got more then nothing for McCabe and McCabe’s value at the time was probably lower then Kubina’s will be this summer. Either way, I find it hard to imagine Kubina being at training camp next season.

“Kaberle is a better trade option, given that he still has two years left on his modest $4.25-million pact. That allows an opposing team to slot Kaberle into its budget for 2010-11. But, it’s also a prime reason in Burke’s mind to retain the Czech blueliner. He has to balance Kaberle’s easy contract; his skill-set, and his low-maintenance demeanor against the convenience of hanging on to a player that knows almost nothing about winning at the NHL level. When next season begins, it will be more than five calendar years since Kaberle last appeared in a playoff game. Barring the unforeseen, that interval will likely grow to seven years, as the Leafs aren’t expected to push into the top eight before 2011. At that point, Kaberle will be 33 and at the end of his contract. Therefore, striking a deal this summer – or next trade deadline, at the latest – is imperative for Burke.”

I know I am in the minority here, but I think he has to deal TK this summer. This is where Burke was to start the building in earnest. This isn’t a knock on Kaberle. It’s simply a matter of making sure you get the most for the assets you have.

“If Burke and Wilson are keen on moving Oreskovic into a full-time role, Ian White presents a good trade option. I know Burke has stated on several occasions that he likes the maturing defenseman, but Oreskovic could provide the Leafs some much-needed sandpaper on the back end [he first has to be re-signed as a restricted free agent]. White will make only $950,000 next season and has proven to rival teams that he can play regularly, if a bit too passively for the Leafs’ growing needs.”

This one is hard for to imagine, but I guess anything is possible. White makes little coin and certainly has done everything that has been asked of him. However, he is no different then any other asset Burke has. The same questions have to be answered and the same evaluations made with White along with any other player. I can’t see him getting much value back in a trade. If I were a betting man, White is back.

Darren Dreger looks a little more at who may be coming back the other way. Burke was on with Brady and Watters this afternoon, he gave his usual interview, he basically said that today, the day the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs is a day that everyone within the organization has to wear the badge of failure. He continued that his goal is to win a cup and that to do that you have to build properly and his short term goal is to make the playoffs next year. You could hear the exasperation in his voice when said that when he told reporters that his short term goal was to make the playoffs next season how quickly they started asking if that meant this “rebuilding” plan was off and to get ready for quick fixes all over again. He answered that you can build a franchise properly and still aim to the make the playoffs in the same fashion. I had really hoped Brady or Watters had asked Burke just how frustrating it is dealing with the media in this town. I clearly get the impression that it is the media who is a lot less impatient the the fans are. Maybe it’s the free playoff junkets or something….

“Brian Burke says changes will be made in the off-season to ensure Toronto is a playoff contender a year from now. Acquiring a first line center is the Maple Leafs’ top priority, followed by adding toughness, more reliable defensemen and a backup goaltender capable of challenging Vesa Toskala.”

I think “ensure” is a dangerous word, but they that’s just semantics. Burke and Wilson have both been preaching patience, which I am ready to say I have a lot of right now. I only hope that Burke doesn’t blow his was on filling his wish list too early. It would be great if he could fill some of these needs this off-season. I really don’t see the need to go drastic on them right now. If the cap is going to drop after next season the ability to get someone phenomenal on the cheap is going to present itself.

“Sources say the Leafs will show interest in impending unrestricted free agents Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Mike Cammalleri, Marian Gaborik and Jay Bouwmeester.”

Sorry DD, but there is no news in saying the leafs will show interest. Rest assured Burke will call the agents of almost every major free agent to at least test the waters. Whether or not he gets involved in active “bidding” for their services is a completely different matter altogether. Again, I know I am not in the majority here, but i am not a huge fan of the Sedins and am also not a big fan of GM’s who reacquire players they have had on other teams.

“However, if any of those players are seeking six million or more, then the Leafs will seek alternative means to plug their holes.”

I know the economy is shit, but these GM’s do silly things on July 1, usually at the instruction of their owners. It says here, each gets big bucks from other teams and that is okay.

“Both Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina are expected to become trade bait again at the NHL entry draft and if the return includes a top line centre and a fifth or sixth defenceman in the package, a deal might get done.”

Now that is interesting. In terms of Kubina, it certainly is better then no return whatsoever. I know I said it above, but I really hope Burke finds a way to move both these guys.

“With the salary cap possibly falling from $56 million to as low as the high 40s by the 2010-11, long term, big money contracts will be avoided. Every team in the league knows Toronto has an abundance of cap space and is aware Burke anticipates his phone will ring when teams either pressured by the cap, or the economy are forced to make a move. If this is the case, the Maple Leafs will be ready and will happily trade for a top-line forward, an upgrade on their blueline, or a qualified goaltender.”

I much prefer the trade route to the free agent route personally. I can’t see the cap dropping below 50 million. That would be a huge drop and a big fat bitter pill for the players to swallow. However, provided Burke doesn’t do anything stupid contract wise this summer, the farther the cap drops the better off the Leafs are (despite what Richie MacLean says). Burke not only has cap space (and the more the better) he also has owners who are fully willing to spend it. That is a lethal weapon in the NHL these days.

“Yet, as eager as Burke is to make the playoffs next season, he says the rebuild will remain on track and while he will continue to add players, he will only do so as long as there is no risk of jeopardizing the teams long term success.”

Let’s hope that is right. As I said, the fans are a hell of a lot more patient then the press are that’s for sure. I have no urgency for Burke to fill every hole this summer. I don’t have any patience for getting it wrong though. In the cap world there is no margin for error. No stupid long term contracts that we will be saying a year from now, how they hell do me move that contract. That would be way worse then not making the playoffs next season.

You can read Dreger here and Berger here.

Wow what a pathetic day for sports in this city. Not a single interesting column in a local paper. Even Simmons’s column was a total bore. I did hear 2 pretty funny segments on sports radio today. The first was on the Fan, during their Outside the Lines show (better known as degenerate radio). The fellas were talking to some guy who is a head guru at an outfit called Don Bests. Bests is the leader in aggregating sports betting lines and sports injuries. WAKE UP! I know, it’s thrilling stuff. Wait, it was around 11am Toronto when they had this guy on, and he was in Vegas. It may have been the worst interview ever in sports radio history. The guy had no personality, he gave the most obvious, stupid, one word answers to every question…I don’t bet on sports, but I do find that show pretty entertaining…all the experts… seriously, the worst interview ever…

The next funny segment was on my new favorite sports radio station, AM550 Buffalo. Their hockey coverage is good, and I usually listen to them when Hogan and Roscoe are on. Anyways, as you may have heard the Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens yesterday afternoon. Naturally, this is big news in Buffalo as the Bills now have a premiere receiver on their team. Correct me if I am wrong but I think TO has more receiving touchdowns himself in the last 2 seasons then the entire Bills team combined (again, i could be wrong but I think only the Miami Dolphins who went 1-15 last year had less then the Bills.) The woman who was doing the news updates this morning lead every update with the Owens news and ended each update with “stay tuned to 550 for more news on the Owens signing”. Clearly, and understandably, Buffalo radio today wall Owens, all the time. However, the funny part was the host who was on from about 11-12 who was trying to oversell TO. Owens has a tad bit of a reputation as being a locker-room killer. He enters teams and leaves ala Tasmanian Devil. So when you take on a guy like TO you know you are risking chemistry for the gain of performance. TO sulks like hell when his team is winning and he isn’t the reason. That is the type of character you get when you sign him. He is, however and unbelievable receiver. So this guy on the radio was saying how TO got a kick to the ego after being cut buy the Cowboys and now has something to prove by coming to all places (his words, not mine) Buffalo. The host then went on to say that this was TO’s last shot at continuing to make the big bucks in the NFL, I believe he said something like “If Owens doesn’t have a HUGE year here, he is done.” Now, to me that is funny as hell. Owens does have to have a good year. Isn’t it more important for him to clean up his reputation then it is for him to have a HUGE year. I mean in order for a receiver to catch a ball for a touchdown, someone has to have thrown that ball…right? I have to think that the fact the Bills have been the 2nd worst team over the last years in the NFL at scoring receiving touchdowns says something about the guys throwing the ball as it does about the guys catching it. Am I nuts? Am I missing something? I would think, coming to the Bills gives a guy like TO lots of ammunition vis a vie excuses for a less then “HUGE” year performance wise. To hear this guy say it was funny as hell. Sorry if it doesn’t translate well.

Speaking of funny, I took the family to see the Raptors play the Jazz today. It was actually a pretty entertaining game. There was a decent crowd on hand and most were very into it. The funny part was that the game was billed as Nickelodeon Family Fun Day. There were posters and promos with Dora the Explorer, Diego and Sponge Bob EVERYWHERE. Early in the second quarter we took the kids to get something to eat so we wouldn’t miss the halftime festivities with all their favorite characters. Well, halftime arrives and out wobbled (literally) Sponge Bob and a character whose name I don’t know. They were on the court for maybe 2 minutes while three fans did a dress up contest after spinning around on a baseball bat for 1 minute. A funny bit, I agree, but after the 2 minutes ended, the court emptied, characters and all. To quote little TSM “That’s it?? This isn’t family fun day, that sucked!” Remember folks he is 6! What a farce that was! Anyways, the game was fun, the Raptors choked at the end, and the loudest ovation came at the buzzer as the Raptors scored a final, meaningless basket which took them over 100 points, earning each fan a free piece of Pizza Pizza. Seriously, you would have thought we each had won the 649 52 million jackpot. The place went NUTS….

Interesting bit in Brady’s blog over the weekend:

” I didn’t know until Friday afternoon that there was a Davis Cup tie going on in our city this weekend. How is THIS event not televised anywhere? What an embarrassment, seriously. Doesn’t this tell you how far tennis has fallen? I can’t think of a single other nation on the planet which doesn’t televise the Davis Cup for its home nation viewers. Tennis Canada has to take some blame for not getting the word out on this tournament. They should be calling and PLEADING with shows like ours and all the ones at 590 (yes, even the boring ones) to get Frank Dancevic, or Danny Nestor, or Martin Laurendeau, the team captain on with us so we can promote the product and move some tickets.”

I happen to be a tennis fan and I had no clue it was going on this weekend either. I played hockey this am at York Canlan arena and a ton of people were heading over to the Tennis stadium, but I had no clue it was going on. The reason this surprises me is that the Roger’s Cup is, in my opinion the best live sporting event in the city all year. Everything from the facilty, to the stadium to the event itself is just fantastic. Clearly there is a place for Tennis in this city and I agree that the folks who organized this event blew it. I remember going to the old MLG to watch tennis every year and having a great time. I have no clue why this wasn’t heavily promoted, but it should have been. I would rather have listened to one of the tennis guys yapping this past week as opposed to the owner of the Argos (again) , a member of the Toronto Rock (again) or even, gasp, Dreger and Morrison every night.

“Seriously, Tennis Canada owes tennis fans more. I am going to aim to find out why coverage for this tie — yes, I know it’s not in the World Group — was so pitiful. Good on Damien Cox for heading out and writing about this. Seriously, Cox is the finest writer we have in the city, and his ability to be so versatile is a big reason why.”

Damien has always been a tennis fan. He and Brunt do a good job covering these types of events. I will be interested in seeing if Damien does the right thing and calls Brady after this type of post as he did after Brady (rightfully) blasted Cox’s headline writer several months ago….

Meanwhile, over in Leaf land, I think they are going to start running defence tryouts in the GTA. No one wants anyone to get injured but, man could this not have happened a little earlier? (that was a joke folks!). I feel badly for Van Ryn. It should be interesting to see how Wilson puts out a lineup every night. If I was one of the healthy guys left I would go kiss Sorono’s bat or something for extra good luck.

More in the am…

As promised, the first of several stories appeared today about the value of cap space as we edge towards 2010-2011. Damien Cox wrote about it in today’s Star. Instead of moving through his album, we can move right to the end to begin:

“The Leafs, you see, could stand to take on a veteran player with an oversized contract if the other team was willing to throw in a second- or third-round pick in the deal. In effect, then, the Leafs trade their cap room for a future draft pick. Everybody wins.That’s the ammunition Burke has, and he plans to use it. The trick, however, will be doing so in such a way as to not improve the club with veterans to such a degree that a top-five draft pick next June disappears in the process.”

What a strange situation indeed. The suggestion is that the Leafs should take veteran players from another team on 2 conditions, one that the veteran player comes with a draft pick(s) and secondly that the player has to suck; or suck enough as to not improve the team. So this poses a few questions. First, whom are the leafs trading in exchange for the pick(s) and bad (enough) player? Assume for a second that the Leafs aren’t going to trade Luke Schenn. Who will these other teams be willing to take back? Before you say Jason Blake, in a we take your “crap” you take our “crap” deal, remember that the teams Cox wants to trade with want to save money, not take it on. So, who can Burke trade, because when you take on a veteran and a draft pick(s), you usually send picks or future considerations the other way. This time the Leafs can’t send picks the other way, that doesn’t accomplish what Cox is suggesting. So, with the help from the stats over at nhlnumbers.com, here is a look at who Burke can dangle and their cap hit:

Lee Stempniak cap hit of 1.882 contract ends after 09-10 season
Alexei Ponikarovsky cap hit of 2.105 contract ends after 09-10 season
Nik Antropov, cap hit of 2.050 contract ends after this season. If the Leafs do this they better get a lot back for trading an expiring contract
Jamal Mayers, cap hit of 1.333 contract ends after the 09-10 season
Dominic Moore, cap hit of .900 contract ends after this season. See Antropov
Niklas Hagman, cap hit of 3.000 contract ends after 2011-2012 and NTC this year will make it hard to move him this year
Ryan Hollweg, cap hit of .485 contract ends after this season. See Antropov (except don’t expect a lot back)
Pavel Kubina, cap hit of 5.00 contract ends after 09-10 will make it hard to move him for these reasons
Tomas Kaberle, cap hit of 4.250 contract expires after 10-11 but has a ntc
jeff Finger, cap hit of 3.50 contract ends in 11-12 not likely
Mike Van Ryn cap hit of 2.900 contract ends 09-10
Jonas Frogren cap hit of 1.065 contract ends 09-10
Vesa Toskala cap hit of 4.000 contact ends after 09/10

I left all players under 25 out as their salaries are fairly low and their age making their trade probability fairly low. The Leafs also have Mark Bell with the Marlies to move. The harder thing is how do you trade for high priced talent that isn’t going to improve your team? That just isn’t going to be easy to do. Also when you take these bad guys back how long a contract are you willing to take back? I wouldn’t want a contract back that goes beyond 2010-2011.

I don’t doubt for one second that Burke would like to use his cap space to his advantage. Doing it in a smart effective way is not going to be easy. Also, would the media give Burke a pass for trading for “crap”??? Believe it when I see it.

Cox’s article can be found here

Ohhhhh the outrage! The Lunacy! How is it possible that Montreal’s Tom Kostopoulos get’s three games, where is the system where we can easily predict what in suspension terms a violation may cause a player???

Give me a break.

“And you have the NHL justice system, always an ever-changing dynamic, requiring new levels of imagination from those who mete out hockey justice and from those trying to understand that justice.”

Damien, get real. Read a section other then the sports section, at least when you are going to talk about “justice systems”.

“This is always the way its been with NHL suspensions. Completely scattershot, no minimums or maximums, just make it up as you go along. Right out of one’s imagination.”

Hello, have you ever looked at the “real justice system”?

Take a look at a post I ran way back in the early days when very few were reading this site:

“Mark Bell, Dany Heatley… American Justice?
August 21, 2008 · 4 Comments

Kudos to Mark Bell today for repaying his debt to society. It gives time to reflect on two of the most recent episodes of hockey bad boys Mark Bell and Dany Heatley. I am not sure there is a clearer example of justice being blind.

To recall, On September 29, 2003, Dany Heatley killed his fellow teammate Dan Snyder when his Ferrari 360 Modena struck a wall along Atlanta’s Lenox Road. Both players were ejected from the car, which was split in half by the force of the impact. Snyder suffered a fractured skull and internal brain injuries due to the rapid acceleration/deceleration incident. He lapsed into a coma following emergency surgery, and died six days later on October 5 as a result of his injuries complicated by a subsequently-acquired infection.

Heatley was charged with vehicular homicide(also called murder) as a result of the crash. He pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide(murder), driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain a lane, and speeding. He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to give 150 speeches on the dangers of speeding for his crime. If memory serves me correctly, this was not the first time that Heatley wrapped his car around a pole for going too fast.

Conversely, During the 2006 Labour Day weekend, Mark Bell was arrested in the San Jose area for alleged hit and run and driving under the influence. Both are felony offences. His arraignment was set for January 3, 2007. Bell pleaded no contest to drunk driving causing injury and hit-and-run on August 14, 2007. Although Bell was supposed to serve time for his actions, his sentence was reduced to 11 weeks of community service. So instead of spending time in the clink, Bell busted his butt for eight hours a day, five days a week for 11 weeks in Santa Clara County working on the side of highways, picking up garbage, cutting grass and pulling weeds.

Doesn’t seem quite fair to me. Heatly, an alleged repeat offender KILLED someone. Sorry, not just SOMEONE, one of his best friends and teammate. His sentence never included jail time, he got off with having to give 150 speeches. Ummmmm hello???? He KILLED someone. I don’t buy the argument that he has to carry the grief of KILLING his best friend and teammate so that is punishment alone. What Bell did pales in comparison to what Heatly did. I am not trying to lessen either the actions or effects of what Bell did. Drinking and driving, hitting someone and then fleying the scene is brutal. It seems to me however, that at least Bell was dealt with appropriately. Where is justice?

I know the family of Snyder begged for leniency for Heatly. They are true heroes having to deal with the death of their son. The family of Keith Magnuson also pled for leniancy in the sentenicng of Rob Ramage when Ramage, allegedly under the influence totaled his car killing his friend Keith Magnuson . Ramage, sentenced in Canada is going to jail for four years (pending appeal).

So let’s review, Bell, hits someone(who miraculously avoids death), while drinking and driving and and flees the scene. He pleads out, gets sentenced to jail and serves his time doing 11 weeks, over 440 hours on the CA highways with other criminals. Ramage, allegedly KILLED someone, while allegedly under the influence, and has been sentenced to 4 years in jail. Then there is Heatley, who Killed someone, while under the influence of alcohol (albeit within the legal limit) and he has to give 150 speeches????? Even if each speech lasted 2 hours apiece, it doesn’t equate to what Bell just did, that would only be 300 hours!

So, irrespective to what we think of him on the ice, we should salute Mark Bell, for repaying his debt to society. Here is hoping he has learned his lesson and will continue to be a valuable member of our society.”

Where is the justice in that. The reality is there is no such thing as a predictable justice system. Life just doesn’t work like that, at least on this side of the pond. In other parts of the world they deal with criminal acts in a much different more predictable fashion. Yet when one of us has to go through their system be cry and moan at the severity of the system. Do you all recall the kid from North America who was going to get whipped for shoplifting. The outrage, our governments got involved trying to help this guy out. Hey, where was the call that the system was predictable. Folks over there know what happens if they try to shoplift. Here criminals know the system better then the cops and judges do.

Every case takes on it’s own life. Each has it’s own perspective. Is that fair?? No, it’s not fair. Should we be all up in arms about it??? Nobody seems to be doing much yelling. Dan Synder was effectively murdered. His killer got nothing. Mark Bell severely injured someone and got a heftier sentence. Where were you on that one Damien????

This is sports, sometime we all need to be reminded of that before we go off the deep end crying about injustices. Besides, if we all knew what every offense was going to result in, what would these guys write about?