Today is an important day. No, really it is. Today is an important day for both myself and little TSM. Today he and I share a right of passage. Tonight, little TSM will see his first Maple Leafs game LIVE. It is hard to believe how much time has flown since he and I watched our first game on television. He was 2 days old, the Leafs were playing the Habs, in Montreal. He had just come home from the hospital and before he went down for his part of the night, we sat on the couch as Travis Green scored his first of the year from Nik Antropov and Tom Fitzgerald. I have to admit, I don’t remember my first game at the old Maple Leafs Gardens. I remember going a lot as a kid. I actually can remember the smell of the old barn. I remember so many of the games that I saw there, but I can’t really remember my first game. So I hope that he will remember tomorrow night, his first experience at an NHL game, at a Maple Leafs game.

Don’t get me wrong, I have taken him to lots of sporting events. We used to go to lots of Plymouth Whalers games. Then it was the Barrie Colts. He’s been to a few Raptors games, one ARGO’s game and to a couple of Blue Jays games (both here and in Detroit) and yes to a Marlies game, a TFC match and even the Rogers Cup. This will be his first Maple Leafs game. I am not sure who is more excited, him or me.

So hopefully the boys show up. Hopefully the scalpers, I mean brokers are in full force. Hopefully the organ is loud. Hopefully he gets an autograph or three, or maybe catches a puck. Hopefully, he has fun and asks to go again.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

No, I am not drunk. Great games tonight. Funny how much a non-playoff team is involved in the current battle for the cup…

Consider:

Ron Wilson got fired for not being able to advance the San Jose Sharks to the promise land….Despite a new bench boss, the sharks are yelling FORE right about now. Joe Thornton, who was rumored to be relived Wilson was gone, isn’t talking to the press. Hmmmmm, maybe it was the players and not the coach. If Wilson was Joe T’s problem stop the Joe T to Toronto rumors right now.

Brian Burke’s old team turned it on just in time. Ducks v Red Wings will be fun. Everyone said he left them a mess. If the Ducks beat the Wings, we should be so lucky to have such a mess.

Mats Sundin in Vancouver, with a buddy. Word is that Sundin is back in fine form after missing a few games. Nothing a few days in Whistler won’t cure I am sure.

Nik Antropov finsihed the season strong and started the playoffs okay. He seemed to fizzle out before starting the game well tonight. He had a nice goal then took a penalty, allowing the Caps to tie up the game before going on to win. By the way kudos to Sean Avery who was awesome tonight. One of the best players on the ice (he played with big Nik).

Paul Maurice in Carolina, this is a shocker, to me at least. Maurice looked as if he didn’t know an X from an O while in Toronto has turned the Canes around big time. Down by a goal late, they not only tied it up but went on to victory.

I am sure i am missing others, but it certainly to see the Maple Leaf effect and ramifications on the playoffs. Meanwhile, Mr. Burke has been quiet. No changes as of yet and Monster signing either. Lots of talk and lots more to come.

TSM

“The whole team is really close here,” Antropov said in a phone interview. “That’s something we never really had in Toronto the past few years.”

I asked one of the Toronto Star headline writers to come up with that gem for me. I mean, mine of late have been about as thrilling as listening to Brady talk to a Marooned Bill Watters on the telephone every night. If only Chipper Jones left me a pair of tweezers I could pluck my eyebrows while listening!

In truth, I find Antropov’s comments interesting. The guy was here for what, 10 years? I have to think he was talking about his entire tenure as a leaf and not just this year. In the various articles with the quote he talks about the reason being player turnover and changes in coaches. That however is pretty normal in the NHL. While I don’t have the statistics to back it up, I would suspect that the Rangers have had as many changes as the Buds over the same 10 year span. What this does suggest to me is the character or lack there of, of the guys who have worn our jersey over the last 10 years. Yes, this is a continued theme with me. Much to my dismay (kidding) the team keeps winning. It is also winning in ways that it hasn’t in years, with heart. What does that say about the departed? That list has to include coaches, managers as well as players. I know I am repeating myself here but Ron Wilson has done so much with so little. There is way less talent on this team as compared with last years, yet the effort is so much better, the results measurable different too.

“Obviously, Burke held on to Grabovski, but I’m not convinced that means he’ll be back with the Maple Leafs next season. When weighing the future of the Potsdam, East Germany native, there are two areas for Burke to consider – above and below Grabovski’s shoulders. The latter region is extremely promising, as Grabovski has a superb set of wheels and is occasionally magical with the puck. The former area is more of an issue, as the Leafs’ No. 84 appears to be a bit of a head-case. Granted, there are language and cultural barriers that may be clouding a more precise image of Grabovski, but it seems as if he’ll present quite a challenge to Burke and coach Ron Wilson… if the Leafs choose to retain him.”

That from Howard Berger’s latest blog. We will see what Ron Wilson thinks of Grabovsky come this summer. I am not in the room so I have no clue what the guy is like. (My travel partner got us on the wrong train one day last week in Berlin and we ended up in Grabovsky’s home town of Potsdam, it was beautiful there by the way.) I for one and I may be the only one think it’s great that he went after Blake in practice. No, not just because it was Blake. I think a guy like him has to play with more fire, and get stronger. You have to show that in practices as well as in games. I would think his threat to go the KHL is fairly hollow but time will tell. As Damien says, if he walks at seasons end Grabovsky will be yet another asset that the buds lost for nothing…Would be nice to still have that 2nd rounder….

I wonder if Howard read Adrian Dater’s work:

“This is why, if I were the owner of a last-place pro sports team, I would be involved in a mega-scandal involving thrown games: If I’m Stan Kroenke right now, my pregame message to the Avalanche the rest of the season would be: “This is a must-lose game tonight. Now go out there and tank it for the team!” Should the Avs tank it so they can get the first pick in June’s NHL draft? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes”

Oh the horror if a Toronto based scribe wrote such a thing. It gets better:

“But if I’m Kroenke, Francois Giguere or anybody else with a vested interest in the Avalanche, I’m praying for 12 straight losses down the stretch. There is a forward in the Ontario Hockey League named John Tavares who most experts say might be as good as Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby. Tavares led Canada to a World Junior Championship title and has 104 points in 56 games this season. Tavares could single-handedly turn the Avalanche back into a playoff team overnight and fill the moribund Pepsi Center again. But the Avs have to get him first. That’s why, if I’m Kroenke, I would think any Avalanche win down the stretch is really a loss. But, of course, you can’t say that”

I guess the press is just smarter out in the Rockies then they are here. At least AD knows what it means to “tank”!

Although neither interview are up on the their respective websites, Mccown’s interview with the commissioner of the new upstart football league last night and the Brady/Watters interview with the one of the league’s four head coaches, Dennis Green were both great listens. Unlike other failed upstart leagues, these guys seem to be doing it right. Among the unusual but apparently smart moves: only having 4 teams to start, each team will be based in one place, somewhere in Arizona, the teams will then fly to 2 of the cities where games will be hosted each week, the league will run in the fall on Thursday and Friday nights. The commissioner, Michael Huyghue said they have already have enough money to run 2 years. Michael Huyghue spent time with both the NFL and the NFLPA. All other league officials have spent considerable time with teams and or the league/union in the NFL. I for one will be watching with interest as this league heads for it’s first game. For more info you can check out their website here. If anyone at either the Fan or 640 are reading this if you get me the audio from the interviews I would be glad to post both on the site.

TSM

Wow- what a day yesterday. Amazing weather at Blue Mountain, had a great day skiing with the kids. While I was away, Mike S took on both Brady and Leaf/Tank Nation. All good stuff. Here are my thoughts, for what it’s worth:

1. Everyone predicted this years team would be mad. Some worse then others. The former GM and current coach predicted poor results standing wise.
2. Everyone and their mother, literally say that the only way for this team to improve is to do so “properly” through the draft. Most people say that the best way to do that is be in a position to draft a franchise player. In order to draft a franchise player, you likely have to draft in the top 2, certainly in the top 5. Yes, I know there are exceptions to these thoughts, however I think most would agree that if you want to build properly that is how you do it.
3. Most of the people I know who say they want the team to do poorly do so half heatedly and with tongue in cheek. I don’t think people want to see the team get embarrassed or look so bad as to make fools of either the uniform or the players. I have said all along that my preference would be to work hard every game and lose by a goal or two. I will say that one of the primary reasons I want them to shit the collective bed is to stop the idiots in the press from saying that the team can’t even lose properly. Have you heard a dumber comment then that of Mr. Watters lately (is it a rebuild or a renovation?”. Fans in this town get shit on by moronic members of the media no matter what happens. I think it is high time we say enough is enough. The fact that the team is winning is funny as hell. It also shows you just what a shitty job JFJ and PM did before. Ron Wilson is doing more with SO much less it is a joke. Look at the talent that was let go, that was not replaced and look at the results! Could you imagine where this team was if Toskala wasn’t such a civ this year? Finishing out of the playoffs is a given. Why not finish dead last or close to it. It really isn’t that complicated.

It’s certainly a sad day in Hockey/Mo Town today. Mrs. Hockey, Collen Howe has passed away. I was fortunate enough to meet both Mr. and Mrs. Hockey on several occasion while living in Detroit. I can tell you, without any hesitation that of the Howe’s Collen was definitely the brain’s of the outfit. In terms of what Gordie did, where he did it and for whom and how much was clearly up to Collen. Mrs. Hockey was 76. She and Gordie were married for 56 years. Here is a great summation of her contribution to the world of hockey (aside from giving birth to and raising her sons:

“Colleen Howe’s contributions to the sport of hockey are numerous. She founded the first Junior A hockey team, the Detroit Junior Red Wings, trademarked Mr. and Mrs. Hockey and orchestrated the return of Gordie Howe to professional hockey when he played with sons Mark and Marty with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association in 1973.
She also developed the first indoor ice hockey rink in Michigan, Gordie Howe Hockeyland in St. Clair Shores, and created the Howe Foundation in 1993. In March 2002, the Colleen J. Howe Arena opened in Sandusky. Colleen Howe was the first woman inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. She was also honored as Michigan’s Sportswoman of the Year in 1973.” Read more from the Detroit News here

Meanwhile, still in Detroit, former Detroit Piston coach Chuck Daily has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For those who aren’t well versed in their NBA history:
“The 78-year-old Daly coached the Pistons to NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. He also was the coach of the 1992 gold medal-winning US Olympic squad dubbed the “Dream Team.” He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.” that from the Globe and Mail.

How great is this crap form Larry Brooks?:

“If it’s impossible to know what the Rangers truly have surrendered for 18 regular-season games of Antropov, it’s nearly as difficult to know what Leafs GM Brian Burke sent Glen Sather’s way at Wednesday’s deadline, because Antropov has long been one of the NHL’s biggest mysteries, aside from his 6-foot-6 frame. Tomorrow afternoon should provide a clue about what the Rangers have when Antropov goes against Boston’s 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara at the Garden in one of those nationally televised games that have been habitual debacles for Broadway’s team.”

The guys is “one of the NHL biggest mysteries”, yet one game will provide a clue??? Huh??? He has been in the league what, 10 years and you are going to base your analysis on one game??? Give me a break.

“If Antropov is aggressive enough to negate Chara, that should create open ice for linemates Brandon Dubinsky and Chris Drury, not to mention the defensemen who jump into the play with the glee of children jumping into a swimming pool on the first day of summer. That will be good news. For after nearly nine full seasons in Toronto, during which time he was a frequent linemate of Mats (Canucks Are Better) Sundin, Antropov has never been able to match the expectations he’s carried since joining the Maple Leafs as a 19-year-old in 1999.”

So you are basing a decision on 1 game against a big defenceman. Here I thought Toronto media and fans were unreasonable. Here in the GTA people thought Gerber would be an anchor to the bottom to the standins. In NY Brooks thinks one game is going to be a career defining episode.

“”I think he was in the background; Sundin was everything there,” Tortorella said following yesterday’s brisk practice. “Nik played kind of in the shadow, and when you do that, you may get lost a little bit. “We want him to be a big part of this team here. We’re going to give him the opportunity not to be in the shadow of anybody,” said Tortorella, who gave Antropov 16:58 of ice time against the Islanders on Thursday. “For us to get where we want to be, Nik has to be there every night for us. “That’s why we traded for him.”

Now, I get it, playing with Sundin hurt his career. Phew, for so long I wondered what the hell was wrong with Antropov… you can read Brooks here

Jason Kay (his son Noah to be exact) has a great idea for next years NHL trade deadline:
“My 14-year-old son Noah, who very much wanted to watch this year’s event (but who doesn’t own a BlackBerry and wasn’t allowed to skip classes), came up with a solution: hold the trade deadline on a Sunday and make it a more inclusive made-for-TV event. While not everyone is crazy about the idea of working on a Sunday, the idea has merit. Instantly, the prospective audience has deepened and widened from a demographics standpoint, making it a more appealing venture to the advertising and sponsorship community. Thousands more eyeballs would be glued to tubes, particularly in Canada, and website traffic would be bound to spike.”

I think that’s a great idea. Why not make it an event like that? Oh, I know. Bettman will come up with a reason as to why this isn’t good for the game. Just you watch. You can read the rest of Jason’s article here

This next bit comes with a a huge caveat. It is my understanding that even though the trade deadline has passed a player who has cleared waivers going from the NHL to the AHL can still be claimed off of recall-able waivers. In that situation the team putting in the claim would have to pay that player 1/2 of the salary remaining to the player. Also that player wouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs. So, if what I have been told is wrong, understand that my rant is based upon the fact that I thought the Leafs could claim a player on re-call waivers….

I think Brian Burke blew it when he didn’t convince the Tampa Bay lightning to recall Gary Roberts so the Leafs could have re-claimed him. I know Roberts didn’t play here a long time. However he was a good member of the team and an outstanding hockey player whose career shouldn’t end on the waiver wires. I don’t care if he didn’t play a game for the leafs, or even dressed as a leaf. It would have been nice for the leafs to claim him, and have him retire as a Toronto Maple Leaf. This kind of think happens int he NFL all the time and I think it would have been the right thing for Burke to do. I also think Roberts could have been a good guy to help influence and help teach the younger kids in the same way May does. That would have been added upside. I wouldn’t have been crushed if he came here only to retire, at least he would have retired a Leaf, on his own and not on a waiver wire. It would have been cool to see Burke do that for a former Maple Leaf like Gary Roberts.

Have a good Saturday night.. Buds vs. Edmonton. Should be interesting. Go Leafs Go – Make a run for the playoffs

What a day it was, Burke was busy, not as busy as I would have liked but busy nevertheless.

Here is a review of the deals (in case you didn’t know:

1. The Maple Leafs acquired a 2009 second round draft pick and a conditional draft pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Nik Antropov.

2. Toronto traded forward Dominic Moore to the Buffalo Sabres for Carolina’s second round draft pick in 2009.

3. Toronto obtained goaltender Olaf Kolzig, defencemen Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a fourth round draft pick in 2009 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenceman Richard Petiot.

4. The Maple Leafs claimed goaltender Martin Gerber off waivers from the Senators and defenceman Erik Reitz from the Rangers.

Here’s a tour of the reviews:

Damien:

“The Maple Leafs started the day with five picks in this summer’s draft, selections in the first, third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. They ended it with eight picks, adding two second rounders and a fourth, as well as an extra conditional selection acquired in the Nik Antropov deal with the Rangers. Nothing spectacular, but certainly necessary. Instead of having one pick in the top 60 selections, the Leafs should have three in the top 50. Instead of having two picks in the top 120, the Leafs now have five.That’s how the restocking of the prospect cupboard starts.”

Interesting that Damien has a positive spin on the Burke’s day…

“Dominic Moore, acquired after waivers last year by John Ferguson, re-signed by Cliff Fletcher and traded away Wednesday by Brian Burke, netted a second-round pick, a net gain for the Leaf organization.And what of Antropov, the 10th overall pick in 1998, moved to Manhattan for a second rounder? Well, the Leafs got a lot of years of service for the Kazakh. We watched him grow from a skinny, confused kid with little ability to speak English into a power forward with scoring ability, not to mention a gentleman and a father. Was he a bust? Well, he didn’t become a star, but look at the other players taken in ‘98. After Vinny Lecavalier went first, the order went David Legwand, Brad Stuart, Bryan Allen, Vitali Vishnevski, Rico Fata, Manny Malhotra, Mark Bell, Mike Rupp and then Antropov. Based on that group, Antropov was a very successful pick by the Leafs. At the end, he was traded because he wasn’t good enough for the dollars he’ll be looking for as a free agent to a team that’s at the very early stages of a long rebuilding period. And if he pans out for the Rangers and helps them win two playoff rounds this spring, the Leafs will get an additional fourth rounder.”

The fact he is so positive scares the hell out of me. Let’s see what the days ahead bring….

Hunter:

“Vesa Toskala is finished for the season. Toskala has been struggling though hip and groin problems and said he would have surgery to correct those issues next week. His spot between the pipes will be filled by former Ottawa Senator Martin Gerber, who the Leafs claimed on re-entry waivers. As expected today, the Leafs also traded Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore, two players who were headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. Antropov went to the Rangers for a second-round draft pick and another conditional draft pick. Moore went to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round draft pick.”

Just the facts maam!

Brunt:

“Brian Burke has a way with words, and in his current gig, that’s going to come in mighty handy. Yesterday afternoon, at the conclusion of his first signpost day as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was called upon to explain the absence of highlight-reel goals and home runs and one-punch knockouts. The trade deadline had come and gone, leaving the franchise minus a couple of useful pieces they declined to sign for what those players and their agents believed they were worth, Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore. The Leafs are now in possession of a marginal starting goaltender acquired on the waiver wire, Martin Gerber, to replace the now-shelved Vesa Toskala, and have four new drafts picks — two second round, one conditional, one fourth round — to partly fill the gaping hole left behind in that department by previous administrations. But there were no first-rounders acquired, though that was the original asking price for Antropov. There were no bright young prospects added who might some day be part of a contending Leafs team. There was no real blockbuster deal, through which a Tomas Kaberle might have brought something truly significant in return. It was more housekeeping than renovation, which for an understandably anxious fan base might not have been quite the Burkean miracle they had imagined.”

Don’t disagree with anything Brunt says there…

“To get better, the Maple Leafs will have to make far better use of the draft than they have in the recent past. They will have to patiently and skillfully develop those players. They will have to create a positive environment and create cap space so that they can attract free agents. And they will have to get lucky, because however adept Burke is at manoeuvring through the current collective agreement, however savvy he is in his dealings with his peers, at some point his team is going to have to stumble on a franchise player. Today, early in his honeymoon period, most fans are probably willing to take Burke at his word, and to cut him some slack, especially since he declines to make excuses. “If you hear me start complaining people should throw something heavy at me,” he said. “I work in one of the greatest cities in the world, I work for one of the greatest teams in the world and we’ll get this sorted out. I didn’t think it was going to be an easy or quick process and it’s not going to be.” But check in again in a couple of years, on another deadline day, in what will likely be a rather different NHL, with the Leafs’ building process advanced, the stakes higher, and the movie presumably well into its second or third act.”

This passage could have been written at any time during the last 9 months. Nothing new here folks, nothing at all.

Wharnsby:

“The Toronto Maple Leafs restocked their supply of draft picks, but also have left their roster bare to play out the remainder of this season.
Not only did the Leafs deal forwards Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore for a pair of second-round selections yesterday, they also shut down goaltender Vesa Toskala.”

And this is a bad thing? Plummet, maple leafs, plummet for god sake!

“Although such talk is taboo, the move enhances the Leafs’ chances of sliding into the bottom five in the league standings and being eligible for the draft lottery. With 18 games remaining, the Leafs are 23rd in the 30-club NHL, six points up on the 26th-place Colorado Avalanche.”

Now you are talking. That is more like it.

“As a fill-in for Toskala, the Leafs plucked Ottawa Senators goalie Martin Gerber off re-entry waivers. Gerber will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and he hasn’t played a NHL game since Jan. 8, when the Senators buried him in the minors. What made the Toskala decision intriguing was that Leafs general manager Brian Burke publicly scolded Toskala last month for poor work habits in practice. The harsh words prompted the Leafs goalie to inform his boss that he took it easy in practice because of his chronic hip problems. After the information session, Toskala, Wilson, Burke and the medical staff discussed their options. When surgery as soon as possible was agreed upon as the best course of action, Burke and his management team began searching for another goalie last week. “I have been talking with the team and I’m on the same page,” Toskala said. “We made a decision that is best for me.”

I am calling bullshit on this one. Watters and Brady have been saying for weeks that Toskala is bust. Then Burke attacks him. I don’t know why, but I am just not buying the chain of events as they are being laid out. This doesn’t smell right. To be honest, who cares.

“Both Moore and Antropov, who were kept out of the Leafs lineup on Tuesday, were moved because they are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Antropov was the first to be traded. He went to the Rangers for a second-round pick and a conditional pick. Moore went down the highway to the Buffalo Sabres, also for a second-round selection. These were moves expected to be made by Burke, who will now turn his attention to signing two or three U.S. College players, then the draft and possible trades there as well as the free-agency frenzy in July. “We intend to be aggressive on a lot of different fronts,” Burke said.”

Let’s hope so. I am not thrilled with what happened to day. I wanted more. Having said that it appears to be a start. Maybe more tearing down is needed before the rebuild starts…

Hornby:

“Brian Burke is committed to rebuilding the Maple Leafs, but other National Hockey League teams were just as determined not to let him do it with their best draft picks. Burke’s attempt to wrestle a first rounder for Nik Antropov and a high second rounder for checking centre Dominic Moore were only partially successful on a day when the Leafs also shut down goalie Vesa Toskala with hip/groin surgery and added goalie Martin Gerber and defenceman Eric Reitz on waivers. Antropov is taking his act to Broadway, dealt to the New York Rangers at today’s 3 p.m. deadline for a second rounder and a conditional pick, likely based on the Rangers making the playoffs. Toronto began the day with a first pick in the top 10 at the June draft and hoping to parlay Antropov into another, but had no second or fourth rounder. It turned out just one first-rounder changed hands as the anticipated slow day because of salary cap concerns came to pass.”

Like his counterpart at the Star, Lance offers no opinion.

Arthur:

“But you want a deal that epitomizes the new NHL? Try one of the day’s final trades, in which the Toronto Maple Leafs sent an undistinguished gentleman named Richard Petiot to cash-strapped Tampa Bay for the expiring contracts of Olaf Kolzig (torn biceps), Jamie Heyward (concussed), minor-leaguer Andy Rogers, and a fourth-round pick. Kolzig and Heyward are unlikely to play a game for the Leafs; Rogers, from all appearances, is an afterthought.So basically the Leafs are paying the salaries of Kolzig and Heyward until the summer – a total of about US$500,000 – to get a fourth-round pick, while the Lightning save some cash. Toronto can afford it; Tampa cannot. Welcome to the new NHL. “I think part of it is people are scared to death of the 2010-11 season,” Burke said. “The coming season, what the cap’s going to be, the cap will be based largely on this year’s revenues, and most of our revenues were in the tills before the bad news really hit. So I think it’s artificial in terms of what revenues will be in a year. But because the cap always follows 12 months of financial developments, my sense is that teams – and I know I am – are scared to death of 2010-11 in terms of committing money or locking up guys.
“This is where, if you go back to when guys were doing six, seven, 12-year, 15-year deals and patting themselves on the back for how smart they were, I think some teams are really going to regret going that far along.”

Not editorial on Burke or the Leafs per se, however very interesting to see how Burke used cap space and wealth to acquire a later draft pick.

Brophy:

“Toronto’s Brian Burke likely hoped to make a bigger splash than he did as he tries to resurrect the Maple Leafs, but with Antropov and Moore gone, and Martin Gerber tending the net down the stretch, perhaps the Leafs stand a better chance of getting a lottery pick. That, for the record, is a good thing especially if they get John Tavares or Victor Hedman.”

Here’s hoping…..

Kelley:

“One could even make a case that the winner is the one that comes up with the most innovative way to perhaps legally circumvent the rules of transaction, much the way Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is attempting to do in essentially buying a fourth-round draft pick for $500,000 by buying off injured and likely retiring players via a complicated transaction with the Tampa Bay Lightning.”

If it weren’t lega do you think the league would have passed it?

“Take Burke’s deal with Tampa Bay. Burke may have done something outside the spirit of the rules while working completely within them. He traded Richard Petiot to the Lightning for veteran goalie Olie Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andie Rogers and a fourth-round pick. Knowing full well that Petiot isn’t likely to ever be a player in the NHL, that Heward hasn’t made it (and likely never will) and that Rogers is also looking at the end of his career, he essentially delivered about a half million dollars in cap space to the Lightning in exchange for a fourth round pick. If this kind of transaction holds up, Burke will have won a battle he’s been losing for years, that being the ability to trade cap space from a team that has it to a team that doesn’t. This bears a whole lot of watching.”

A GM has to do what he can within the confines of the rules. That is a two way street. The bolts are tight on cash and need and break they can get. The leafs needed a pick and took some dead weight from the Bolts and turned it into a pick.

Berger:

“What seems like an emotional let-down today for fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs may ultimately be viewed as the perfect beginning to a long, complicated process. And, don’t fool yourself for even a second into thinking there are any short-cuts in the task of properly re-structuring the Maple Leafs, a franchise that only now – four years after the fact – is starting to be managed compatibly in the post-lockout NHL. Brian Burke was depicted by some as a media manipulator with his tempered comments of the past couple of weeks. He was merely lying in the weeds – managing expectations in the unseemly event he couldn’t re-shape the hockey club with a few bold strokes. In the end, however, Brian was typically shooting straight. He warned observers not to work themselves into a frothing mess over the Leafs’ trade deadline possibilities, suggesting as recently as Tuesday night that it was only the first step in his long-range plan.”

I think Howie is right (i know 2 blogs in a row). Lots of us were hoping for much more today and are disapointed with the little that he did. I guess in time we will see if it was enough.

“Whether or not that plan actually lifts the hockey club out of its perennial quagmire remains to be seen, and will obviously determine if Burke was, indeed, the best man for the job. But, on the day of his first trade deadline with the Leafs, Brian kept his word. He mentioned on numerous occasions that his primary goal in this initial step was to re-stock the franchise with draft picks that were lost in recent trades, and he did exactly that – acquiring two second-rounders, a fourth-rounder and a conditional selection. In bartering for those picks, he vowed not to take on wasteful salary – contracts of middling players that extend into the 2010-11 season, when the global economic crunch is likely to affect the league’s payroll cap. Again, Burke stuck to his guns. And, the players he moved – Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore – were widely rumored to be going elsewhere as they prepare to test unrestricted free agency this summer.”

Credibility is a good thing in this town. I still am not buying the Toskala thing one bit, but that is a discussion for another day. While all the pundits were yelling bullshit, that Burke is merely playing poker, the reality is he was being pretty straightforward. Not only that but his near f-bomb on the TSN deadline marathon was priceless.

“So, really, an outbreak of clinical depression should not be endemic among Leaf fans that chose to pay attention, and viewed the 2009 trade deadline for what it was – a table-setting exercise. Much more anticipation can be reserved for the warm months, when Burke will begin to replenish his draft stock, and will have more cap room to work with in free agency than most other big-market teams. It will enable him to sign a premium talent such as Richmond Hill native Mike Cammalleri – a bonafide 40-goal shooter that is young enough, at 27, to be a vital cog on a contending team three or four years down the road. It will allow Burke to try and deal for a top-end player with a contract that does extend beyond next season, now that he eschewed taking on fringe holdovers at the deadline. And, the process of fashioning the Leafs into a winning club will advance to the next level.”

Here Howie heads offside. One, he predicted in his last blog that Burke could make up to 6 or 7 deals if he wanted to. So didn’t give me this if you paid attention crap. Also, folks, should Burke sign Cammalleri, remember this blog post for when Berger slams Burke for doing so.

“There was much deception from the Leafs – and from Toskala, himself – over the goalie’s suspected groin and hip problems this season. It’s never pleasant to be outright lied to – Ron Wilson, you’ll recall, assured that Toskala’s recent hip examination showed no structural damage – but the Leafs aren’t the only team to go down that path, and it’s understandable that teams would wish to protect their assets in any way possible.”

Hey come on Howard, it’s not a lie if you know the truth!!!

“Burke doesn’t yet seem like the “hot shot” he rhetorically called himself on the radio last month. The moves he made at the deadline lacked even a modicum of flair. But, showy maneuvering isn’t the recipe for a pseudo-expansion team with legitimate designs of advancement in today’s NHL. Large steps must be preceded by baby steps.”

Modicum, love it! I don’t necessarily disagree with this comment. I think the Tampa deal was creative though. Interesting to see Howie give a hat tip to Burke’s moves though.

All in all it was an interesting day. I think the tv networks looked like idiots being on at 8 am. The 8-9 hour was an hour of my life i will one day wish i can get back. To me, the big winner of the day was those of you who were on twitter, and twitter itself. It was pretty wild to see all the dialogue on it. For those of you who are curious as to what I am talking about, point your browser to http://search.twitter.com when you get there, enter #nhltrade into the search bar and you will see all those who were talking nhl trade deadline over the last several hours. I can tell you that the numbers were staggering. It just proves once again that NHL fans are the most tech savy of any sports fan out there.

Second place goes to the folks over at the globe and mail. There online live blog was good. I don’t think they talked to the room enough, but this was their first time. Coverage on the fan 590 was weak. Really weak. It started with Hogan and Toth who essentially started the day with nothing to talk about. They seemed almost annoyed to be there. The rest of the day was, well, just boring. I know the moves didn’t really start until later in the afternoon, but man, they didn’t seem to have an real planned programming. I only heard about an hour of Brady and Bill Hayes. In my opinion it paled in comparison to what the TV guys were doing. Then again, that isn’t a fair comparison.

So technology won the day for me. A buddy hooked me up with his slingbox so i could watch tv on my laptop. It was phenomenal. Add twitter to that and it was a fun day. Here’s hoping draft day and free agent day are more active. More thoughts and commentary tomorrow.

TSM

those articles can be read at all the daily sites.

so 1 deal so far. Talk is that Dominic Moore is offically on the table, that is talks are over with his agent. One of my pals is also telling me that the Chicago Blackhawks are the leaders in the hunt for Antropov.

Early impressions:

1. TSN and sportsnet started 2 hours too early.
2. Hogan and Toth bashing deadline day 2 minutes in to their show was a little odd
3. I find it really interesting that the new/tech type guys are front and centre on TSN whereas the old scribes Cox, Simmons and Farber are getting about 5 minutes per hour.
4. Marty McSorley has been great on Sportsnet.
5. Bill Watters either doesnt get or doesn’t take the free wardrobe money most on air folks get.
6. Pascal Leclaire learned of the deal to Ottawa on TSN.
7. I am using DL’s slingbox…pretty cool

follow me on twitter at @yyzsportsmedia.com

Here we go folks, the day we have been looking forward to since, ummmm, training camp. Here are some random thoughts:

1. If you want to listen to bad radio, get a listen to 640 Toronto’s Jonas Siegel chat with Greg Brady today. I know Jonas is 22, but man was he weak today. No, he wasn’t weak, he sssssssucked. His attempt to suggest that Burke should sign Moore becuase he is a good guy who really wants to play here was pathetic. Antropov a “top nhl player” was so homerlike it was sad. What, however made it unlistenable was that not only was he wrong, but he showed he had no spine. When Brady attacked Jonas on a point, he turtled, instantly. He didn’t try to disagree, he said “that’s a good poing Greg.” He said that a few times. Jonas, no one cares if you are right, if you pick a point, defend it. Don’t tell the guy you are talking to that he made a good point. Show some conviction. Stand up for yourself. If you say something, back it up, don’t back down so damn quickly. We don’t need another Toronto basher, Berger has that wrapped up. We don’t want another Fergie Oliver though either. Fair and balanced would be good.

2. No matter what is said before or after tomorrow’s deadline passes this is Burke day to blow. If all you can get for Antropov is a second pick, do it. Don’t let assets walk out the door when the season is over. If Moore wants more then you are willing to pay, don’t cave. There isn’t a single guy on the roster worth paying 1 penny more then market value for. Not one. Don’t go get a goalie. If Toskala is hurt, go with what you got. Cujo and Pogge will be fine the rest of the way. Will we win a ton of games? No. As season ticket holders and fans we understand that and hell, we want it. Not one less person will go to a game because either Pogge or Cujo is in net. Tomorrow should be about no reasonable offer being denied. Fairly or not, tomorrow is the first of a defining moment in the Burke era. If decent moves aren’t made, leaf fans are going tobe disappointed. That’s not because they are being impatient. Rather because there is a common belief out there that Burke should deal anyone he can for a reasonable prospect or draft pick. Come 2:59 pm tomorrow it’s time to stop the game of poker and start the rebuilding or building of this franchise. Let’s hope he has the smarts to do it.

3. Always interested to see who wins the day from the media perspective. Please let me know who you are watching and why. If you read, hear or see something let me know. I will put it up on twitter the blog or anywhere else I can. If it’s a great day perhaps we can do an impromptu chat tomorrow night. You can post here or email me at torontosportsmedia at gmail dot com twitter is @yyzsportsmedia.com

4. Moore for a 2nd rounder and hopefully a 4th too. Antropov for a 2nd rounder and hopefully something else too. That seems to be the concrete rumours out there. Kaberle may or may not be injured. I still say deal him if you can. Mayers is likely to be dealt, try to get the same pick back we gave up for him.. I say it again, Brian, do as much housecleaning as you can….

Talk to you after a quick sleep.

“speculation about an Antropov and Stralman deal to Columbus for injured goalie Pascal Leclaire. The Blue Jackets netminder is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing ankle surgery.”

That from the good folks over at the Globe and Mail.

“The Leafs were involved in two bits of trade speculation yesterday — that they were haggling with the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets over possible moves. But Burke denied he’s talking to either club.”

Denial, you all will remember is more then a river in Egypt.

Leaf fans, would you make that deal? Keep this in mind:

“If the Leafs were to make such a move and keep starter Vesa Toskala, they would have $7.8-million tied up in their goalies next season. Leclaire has two more seasons after this one at $3.8-million each. Toskala has one more season left at $4-million.”

Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated puts together some deals that he thinks make some sense from both sides. Here are Maple Leaf ones from his article:

“Toronto sends Tomas Kaberle to Florida for Keaton Ellerby, Shawn Matthias, a 2009 first-rounder and second-rounder
In public, Brian Burke says he doesn’t want to deal Kaberle, a reliable puck-mover signed at a fair price for two more years, unless his doors are blown off. In private, I’m guessing Burke realizes that Kaberle’s part of the transition, not the long-term solution. A mid-level first-rounder and Ellerby (10th overall, 2007) would expedite Toronto’s rebuild. Ellerby has filled out nicely since he was drafted, adding 30 pounds to a now 6-4, 205 frame. He has the look of a solid, top-four blueliner.
Word out of Florida is that they’re not inclined to take salary back — they recently laid off some front office staff — but any team appreciates good value. At $4.25 million, Kaberle is a relative bargain. And by dressing up the roster with Kaberle, the Panthers accomplish two goals: they set themselves up for a legitimate run at the playoffs and make themselves a more appealing long-term option for Jay Bouwmeester. Make that three: if Bouwmeester is deemed unsignable prior to the draft, his rights can be dealt, and Kaberle is in place as insurance.”

“Toronto sends Nik Antropov to Chicago for a first-rounder
The Hawks need immediate help with Patrick Sharp on the sidelines — and depth down the middle when he returns — but they can’t afford to take on significant salary or give up pieces of the current puzzle. Antropov is big, he can be physical, and he can play anywhere up front, giving Chicago valuable depth for their first playoff run since 2002 . . . and all he’ll cost is a pick.”

Read the rest of Allan’s deals here

Quote of the day:

“It’s hard because the only thing you get from the fans is you’re an idiot.” Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules

Ya think that may because you given no evidence to the contrary?

The Hat Talks Burke:

I include this cause I just love saying, from tomorrow’s paper:

“LIFE OF BRIAN: It’s hard not to get mesmerized when Leaf GM Brian Burke is in a voluble mood – as he was the other day on a conference call with reporters, when he outlined a whole lot of specifics about what he had in mind for his Toronto squad going forward. Burke was equally candid about big-picture broader issues, relating to the deadline; the upcoming free agent season; and just about any topic that didn’t involve specific individual players under contract to other teams, which of course, would constitute tampering.
So Burke cannot say if that all the cap space that he’s hoarding at the moment will be offered to the Sedin twins, or Mike Cammalleri, if any or all hit the open market this summer; or if the window to deal Tomas Kaberle, when it opens this summer, will be used to make a move on Pronger, for whom he’s traded for twice in his career and would be a logical place to start the chemistry change that he wants so badly in the organization, even if the thirty-something Pronger is not of an age to help the long-term rebuilding of the team. When asked about preliminary contract talks with player agents, Burke said the primary man on that front is assistant GM Jeff Jackson. However, Jackson relays information to Burke and their collective view is that agents have yet to factor in the changing economic times into their demands for new contracts. “I don’t sense that they would concede the economic conditions, looking ahead, might have changed as much as we feel they have,” said Burke, who said he too is personally experiencing the effects of the recession, with two houses for sale in California. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sell those homes, even what I paid for them, for three years. That’s a stark economic reality for us. Not complaining, just to me, I don’t need to speculate on whether the economy’s off, there’s first-hand evidence of it in our family. That’s going to come home to roost. Whether it has yet or not (with agents), I don’t sense that it has. ”Meaning that agents who are using salary comparables from the last few years to establish market value for their clients in today’s changing economic climate may be in for a surprise? “I wish them well in their quest,” said Burke. Burke went on to say that as a seller, it helps his cause that the playoff races are so close “There’s good bunching; I think that’s good for our business,” said Burke. And even if it hurts his own cause, trying to get value for the players he has on offer, Burke would not retreat from his claim that GMs, more often than not, get it wrong at the deadline.“Any mathematician will tell you that we’re all crazy,” said Burke. “Collective pronoun again. We’re all nuts – because there are 30 teams and there is one parade. After the first round, there are only eight teams playing. So after the first round, you get 22 teams on the sidelines. The math is horrible. “The notion that you’re going to add to your team and hope you win a round, the math defies that. But the human element is, first off, there’s that optimism we all share, that belief we’re missing that one piece. Second, your team expects it. Your players are looking to you to add weapons for this last part of the race. “So we all get sucked in.” And while some GMs do make decisions that help them win in the short term, Burke contends: “There are five or six of us that made poor ones that same day. It’s an awful day, it’s an exciting day, it’s a day full of magic, and a day full of very poor decision making.”

Read the rest of Eric Duhatschek’s column here

Word is that Buzz Hargrove has replaced Eric Lindros as the NHLPA’s new obudsman. Great news. Great news as long as you are looking for a labour war!

8 shopping days left and there seems to be a consensus building that this NHL trade deadline day for the Toronto Maple Leafs is going to be a yawner. A great many of the pundits are saying not to expect much beyond the swapping of Nik Antropov who, it is a foregone conclusion will be traded. At one point, many of these experts were prognosticating that anything that wasn’t nailed down would be dealt. That tune has been dramatically altered. Of course, as given as a Vernon Wells injury, TSM has some questions for you:

1. How would it sit with you if all Burke was able to do between now and deadline day was trade Nik Antropov? Assume Burke got as much as you could want for Antropov (realistic? maybe not. But who cares..in case your answer was predicated on the return for Antropov – assume the best)

2. Would your overall impression of Burke change if that is all he were able to do?

The reasons we are hearing for the lack of moves by the Leafs are many. Of course, what would any conversation be without mention of the economy? Teams are being overly cash conscious these days and therefore the ability to move bodies for picks will be limited. Another reason which has the same response is the cap. Teams don’t have the room to take on additional bodies without throwing one or two overboard at the same time. Of course there is the easy response of why would anyone trade for ____________________ fill in the name of your favorite Maple Leaf player here.

The last point raises another question. In talking to a friend the other night as the Renney news was starting to bubble, it was suggested that Burke can’t trade certain guys due to price the Leafs paid for acquiring that player. I had suggested that Jamal Mayers has played ok in the last couple of weeks, I think he has scored a few goals here and there and maybe he is a character guy that someone may want to add at the deadline. My buddy suggested that it would be hard for the Leafs to trade Mayers because he won’t get them a 3rd rounder back (which is what they gave up for him), it would more likely be a 5th or later. To me, that is irrelevant. With the exception of Brad May, what the Leafs gave up for any player is totally irrelevant. Those weren’t this administrations moves. So If Burke can only get a 5th for a guy like Mayers, then the price paid to acquire Mayers shouldn’t be one of the factors in deciding whether or not to pull the trigger. If the Leafs think Grabovsky is going to go back to the CCCP and they therefore want to trade him so as to get something before he leaves, should they only do so if they can get a first or 2nd rounder (or player equivalent)? I say not. With respec to to Burke acquisitions, in this case so far May, but going forward, I have a lot more respect for a general manager who admits a mistake and moves a player for less then he paid for that player, then for one who holds on out of sheer stubbornness or ego. Therefore, if Burke feels the best he can get for Lee Stempniak is a 4th rounder and he feels that Stempniak isn’t part of the solution, then Burke should trade Stempniak irrespective of what his predecessors paid for him. What do you think?

I think that the fact that these news outlets are starting to throw cold water on the potential of an exciting day for leaf fans comes from the top. I don’t think this is a bad thing, but I think a survey of the marketplace has left the man in power with the conclusion that he just isn’t going to be able to do anything of note come March 4th. For Leaf fans that is a scary thing. The economy has show no signs of getting better. Rather it seems to get worse every day. When the draft takes place in June, teams will have just started to get a handle on what their renewals look like for 2009-2010. So while the cap remain the same, teams willingness to take on water and spend to the limit will likely be reduced. That should word to the Leafs advantage right? The leafs have cash and lots of cap space. Here is where Burke will either earn his keep or follow in the footsteps of JFJ and other failures. You see, if the 2010/2011 cap drops by the rumored 5m, then you don’t want to be up against it next year nor obligated to anywhere near it for the year after. People always say the Leafs can take bad salaries back. No they can’t. At least not when there are long term implications in doing so.

I heard someone talking about Pavel Kubina today. If you are not willing to take Kubina now, why would you take him at the draft? The argument for now is apparent. He is a top 6 defenceman who can eat a lot of minutes, play some power play etc. But his cap number for next year is 5m. So if a team isn’t willing to take him now with the 5million next year why would they do it at the draft? Teams focus on the short term. They say less then 2.5 million in cash owed this season, the 5m cap hit next season is another issue. If they are stuck on the 5m issue now, why would they bite next year? It’s not like player salaries are going to grow so astronomically this July 1 that 5m is going to suddenly be a steal. Once that window on Kubina closes it is gone. Burke, who seems to be a man of his word has said he will never ask a guy to waive his no trade clause. So 1 year from now, the Leafs could be in the same place with Kubina, an asset who would be movable but for a no trade clause that GM doesn’t feel he has the rights to ask the player to waive.

If all Burke is able to do at this years draft is use his own picks, that is, he is unable to acquire others, would that change your evaluation of him?

What Burke is left with, should he be unsuccessful at this years deadline and the days leading up to the draft, is realizing that he has but a few picks at this years draft and the ability to buy out any contracts he doesn’t want. After that he can sign a few US college players, sign a few more mid range free agents and then cross your fingers and hope. Hope that the few young guys he has show some improvement, that he can move more assets at this time next year and that he didn’t take on too much salary to ties his hands later on.

It says here, Burke has to be good in the next 8 days, good and very, very lucky. The next 3-5 years of the franchise hang in the balance…..