Doug MacLean was on the fan’s morning show this am with Don Landry and Gord Stellick. Richie Rich was asked his opinion on Burke’s offseason his response was quite interesting:

MacLean said that Ken Holland, the Detroit Red Wings GM always says that you don’t invest to much money in non point generating defencemen. Brian Burke has brought in multiple non-point generating defenceman. Michael Komisarek signed on for $4.5m/year for 4 years and he has never put up more than 20 points in the NHL. Don’t shoot the messenger, I am just telling you what you have missed on the radio this am. Francois Beauchemin is a little bit better, having put up over 30 points, however, according to MacLean, he did so with some pretty other defencemen named Progner and Niedermayer, Beachemin’s $3.8m /year for 3 years is hefty again for a non point producing defencemen according to MacLean. The same comment was made about Garnet Exelby.

Maclean said that the Leafs (maybe not the fans) are really going to miss Pavel Kubina in that he was a point producing defencman. He also questioned Kaberle’s ability to produce points as the only guy on the team. He said that yes they are tougher, but the pressure on the defence to generate offense (not necessarily in terms of actual points) is going to be great. His point was that guys like Nik Lidstrom, which admittedly are one in a million generate about “200 points a game”. No he doesn’t get that many points, but goals are scored as a direct result of his plays.

This weakness on the blueline, according to MacLean will make it way more difficult for the limited offensively gifted forwards that the Leafs have. They haven’t really added any guns up front who can be counted on to score.

MacLean suggested that the biggest question mark for the Leafs will be in net. Toskala, he said is a number one goalie. Question is, can he play like one. Secondly, until Gustavsson actually plays some games, no one knows how good he will be. As goes the Leafs goaltending, according to MacLean, so to will go the Maple Leafs.

The Leafs, MacLean said may be in the hunt for the playoffs but certainly aren’t a shoe-in to make it. They have to pass a lot of teams including teams like the Senators who didn’t make the playoffs last season. A tall order he suggested.

Of greater interest was MacLean’s take on Nikolai Zherdev. Zherdev, is the reason MacLean got fired. At least, according to MacLean. The contract situation and the fallout from it got him canned. MacLean said that he should have known that Zherdev was going to be a handful when he asked him at the draft after he picked him at 18 years of age what car Zherdev drove and the response was “a Mercedes”. It was interesting that when MacLean told that story, there was silence after the “punch line”. Nikolai Zherdev, according to MacLean is one of the most talented kids he has ever seen. He is also one of the biggest enigmas. MacLean said that he tried literally everything to motivate Zherdev and instill a work ethic in him. He even signed Sergei Federov whom MacLean considers the greatest Russian born NHLer of all time. MacLean took lots of lumps for signing Sergei, but thought if only he could get through to Zherdev… One day Federov came to MacLean and pretty much gave up. Federov said that he couldn’t talk to Zherdev anymore, that Zherdev simply didn’t want to listen. Then MacLean out a real gem. He said that when he went to Zherdev’s place after he was gone, the landord of Zherdev’s place said that he was called to change the locks on Zherdev’s apartment 6 times in the one season he played there! The guys asked MacLean if perhaps Zherdev was guilty of poor judgement, MacLean just laughed and said “ohhhh the book I could write!”

MacLean talked about how the role of the media has made a GM’s job so much more difficult. He said that he has had some time to reflect on his life after being out of the game for a bit. He said that the pressures of the job are one thing, but that the intense media scrutiny on everything really makes it more difficult then in the past.

It was a good interview with MacLean. The problem is, it was the exact same interview MacLean gave only hours earlier with Bob Mccown. As I have said about Bill Watters, you can’t over-expose these guys. No talent is good enough to be on multiple times, especially in the off-season. If you listened to MacLean the other night, there was no reason to listen again today. As I flipped back and forth this am, I heard the same jokes, the same stories and analogies that he used with Mccown. It’s not a knock on MacLean. It’s just over exposure.

In the same vein, have you noticed that Mccown seems to be spending more time with his guests on PTS? Over the last couple of days he has been taking longer, fuller segments with guests and even running later than usual breaks. While he may be driving his producers nuts in doing so, the results, in my opinion anyway are significant. He did it again tonight with Dan Shulman in talking about the Blue Jays. Mccown maybe the only radio host who spends considerable amounts of time on the Jays and seems to think they are going somewhere(and I don’t mean Portland) He made it clear again tonight that he strongly believes that the Blue Jays are not only going to spend the Rios and Rolen money just saved but get to a payroll between $100-120m.

I have to admit, I am not a soccer aficionado, but the Champion League banter tonight on 640 was good stuff too. If only I understand who the hell they were talking about.

Have a good night.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Well friends, it’s that time of year again. Time for our GM to check his list and go shopping. Yes, it’s the proverbial Thursday after American Thanksgiving for NHL GM’s. For us Leaf fans it is also what has been one of the few days to get excited about. So I turn to you again, and ask, what are you expecting? I don’t necessarily mean in terms of players, but what is it you want Burke to do? What is the goal? How should we judge him? Unfortunately, from my perspective, Burke has misspoken again, by saying that he will spend to the cap. Why is this a mistake? For two reasons primarily, one, I don’t care how much he spends as long as he builds the team properly. Don’t go overpay just to spend to the cap. I have much for patience for smart contracts than I do for dumb ones. Secondly, cap space is worth GOLD. Why go out and blow it now? If everyone is only mostly right (as opposed to mostly dead) and the cap only goes down slightly next year as opposed to dramatically, isn’t it still better to have lots of room to maneuver? Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t so much like last year when the battle cry was wait till 2 years. I think we got our Burke day present early and this is now his team.

So, here is what I am thinking. I would like things to be a little more clear in net than they were last year. I for one never was a huge fan of Toskala. I said when JFJ traded for him that it was another desperate move by a desperate GM. So an upgrade in net would be nice for me. I am also a big believer in trading assets when they are at their peak and also never losing assets for nothing. For that reason I think it would be in Burke’s best interest to move both of Kaberle and Kubina. I think therefore his attention should be on a stud pointman and some good strong tough d as well. Upfront more jam is needed and few guys with some hands. I know I am not overly popular with this but I don’t know why you go spend 12m on the twins, but as I say too often there are smarter folks out there who think this is a no brainer.

It was suggested to me that with a few brush strokes it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Burke could sign the Sedin twins, Beauchemin and trade Kaberle for Kesse and than also have the Monster in place. Would you be elated with that? If not that, what is it you want? How should we judge Burke? What do we want from our team this year?

For my 2 cents, I am certain of one thing. If they are going to be tooth and nail to make the playoffs, I would rather they shit the bed all over again. I’d rather be dead in the water than be in no man’s land again. In that regard, I would rather see Burke, spend really smart, retain as much cap space as possible and let the kids play. If he thinks he can really turn this around smartly and not mortgage his ability to make the right moves down the road, than I can live with that too. I won’t be crushed if they make the playoffs. I will be pretty fucking pissed if they finish 3 points out of it though. I would like to see him get out from some contracts, move some guys who are otherwise not going to be resigned and get value for those guys who are at their peak in terms of value.

The emphasis should be on building the franchise. Creating the right atmosphere, and getting players who make everyone around them better. No one in the boat who isn’t rowing the same way. I don’t care about what comes out of Burke’s mouth nearly as much as what comes from his fax machine and PR department. Show me, Brian, don’t tell me. Talk is cheap. Don’t tell me you are going to be active. Be active. Don’t talk about John Tavares, go get John Tavares (figuratively speaking).

I am not the least bit surprised that he tendered an offer to Justin Pogge. Why the hell wouldn’t he? There is nothing to lose. I mean, let your new goalie guru take a shot at him and if he still can’t play you have lost some cash. No brainer.

So, leaf fans, spill it…what do you want, and how do we judge BB?

TSM

Is the garbage back flow causing usually reliable writer Tim Wharnsby to hallucinate?:

“There is belief the Maple Leafs have been zeroing in on New York Rangers defenceman Wade Redden and forward Peter Schaefer of the Boston Bruins. Schaefer, 31, was buried in the minors by the Bruins last season because of salary cap concerns. He has one more year on his contract at $2.3-million (U.S.). Redden, 32, was signed to a six-year, $39-million unrestricted free-agent deal last summer, and the Rangers would not be averse to moving him.”

Yes there is belief in a lot of things out there, the question is how many of these beliefs are based on any sense of reality. So here is the question I have to ask you, let’s assume Burke is indeed looking at Redden, WHY?

Well, let’s start with the assumption that Burke isn’t an idiot. He does have cap room to use as a bargaining chip. You don’t however give that away. Cap room is worth more than gold these days. So what does Burke want back in return for taking on an albatross of a contract? The one thing he can demand is that the other team ingest one of Burke’s bad contracts…. HELLO JASON BLAKE. The other thing he can demand back is prospects and or draft picks.

If Burke peddles away Kubina and or Kaberle, he will need someone to eat minutes on a young blueline. Either of these guys can do that. Also, while I think Leaf nation is a defenceman killer, the fact that he trades for someone else’s bad contract make it easier to digest. Hypothetically, and I say again, hypothetically, let’s say Larry Brooks, I mean Glen Sather takes on one of our bad contracts and gives us a top ranked prospect and or a draft pick for taking Redden off the Rangers. Do you really care that Redden signed a fat contract a year ago? I know we will be paying the contract, and I know it sits on our books, but Burke does have options in dealing with that down the road too. All I am saying is that, in my mind anyway (and maybe the garbage is getting to me) there is a difference in paying the salary as opposed to being the one who offered it up in the first place.

So, I am going to give Tim the benefit of the doubt on this one. He isn’t our version of Bruce Garrioch. He doesn’t usually float rumours out of nowhere.

Howard meanwhile has a good blurb in his blog and a nice tribute to Norm Rumack too- here is Howard’s take on possible Leafs moving…
“IT WON’T SURPRISE ME IF: All of Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan and Mikhail Grabovski are traded by Burke this summer. Not to mention at least one of Tomas Kaberle or Pavel Kubina. This may seem excessive and it might suggest to some of you that I consider these players castoffs. Not true. The reason I believe Burke may peddle the abovementioned is three-fold: a) they have varying levels of marketability, but all can still play in the NHL, assuring the Leafs of return value; b) three of the five [Ponikarovsky, Stajan and Kaberle] badly need a change of address after wallowing in team mediocrity for half-a-decade, and c) Burke cannot affect real change by hanging on to the same nucleus of veteran players. If that requires him to make a sideways move or two – change for the sake of change – then it’s something he’ll have to strongly consider. The Leafs (and their followers) have traditionally over-valued players out of concern they may go elsewhere and burst into stardom. It’s the attitude that prevented John Ferguson, in 2006, from parting with Alex Steen in a deal that would have landed the Leafs Chris Pronger. How absurd does that sound today? Matt Stajan, similarly, is a good player and a quality person. But, he’ll never be more to the Leafs than he is right now… same with Ponikarovsky; same with Kaberle. A change of scenery may refresh the careers of these veterans to some extent (none, I can guarantee you, will begin to contend for individual trophies) and it may provide the Leafs with ingredients they do not currently possess. It will certainly begin to alter what has proven, without question, to be a losing hand. Grabovski is more of an isolated issue. Though he was too streaky to be a legitimate top-six forward last season, the Montreal castoff has undeniable talent and competitiveness. He is worthy of being retained as a building block for the franchise, pending his decision to seek arbitration as a method of landing a contract extension. Burke has limited patience for the arbitration process, beyond respecting its rightful place in the collective bargaining agreement. Once a player chooses that route, there is no back-pedaling – or, as Burke put it, “there will not be any settlements on the courthouse steps”. The sense I have is this: If Grabovski takes the Leafs to arbitration and wins, Burke will trade him. He won’t walk away from a ruling, which is also the Leafs’ right, but neither will he continue to look upon Grabovski as truly a part of the team.”

The chatter is starting to pick up…. Eyes and ears open (except around the garbage dumps)

TSM

Tim is here

Howard is here

Dennis Beyak was co-hosting with Watters tonight as Brady was on the ice with the ex-NHLers and the charity players at the Baycrest charity event. Watters gets different hosts from time to time. Brady is an excellent foil for Watters and he carries the show while Watters fills in with his comments, opinions and innuendo. There success over the last 4 books as compared with “the franchise” Mccown is beyond admirable, it’s quite remarkable. Having said that, listening to Watters and Beyak tonight was vintage Watters. Beyak is good at what he does, but he doesn’t appear to have the depth or the range that Brady has. Instead of a real dialogue the conversation was an interview. There is no question that Wilbur THRIVES in those situations.

When Beyak says to Watters, “do you think there is going to be a lot of trade activity at the nhl draft, will that be the time for Burke to try to trade the likes of Tomas Kaberle or Pavel Kubina?” Watters becomes the former assistant GM of the Leafs and the talent that they try to sell. Watters surmising that indeed this will be the time for Burke to get busy and that he (Watters) believes Kaberle and the Leafs first round draft pick (#7) could be headed to Tampa for the #2 pick which currently belongs to Tampa is the type of commentary you want from Watters. He continued that the only way Burke keeps the #7 pick is if he is able or willing to take a bad contract back from Tampa(he mentioned Martis St. Louis). Watter’s did the same type of analysis with the New York Islanders picking at number 1. He then turned his attention to the Atlanta Trhashers, concluding that he would love to see the Leafs land Ilya Kovalchuk(he just isn’t sure if this is the right time). He did say that the Thrashers have to either extend Kovalchuk this summer or trade him. Whether you disagree with Watters on any of this is almost irrelevant. Unlike most if not all of us, he has been in the position of having discussions like this. He does have the personal experience to be able to rely upon to make these comments more credible. When he says that Vincent Lecavalier would have been a Maple Leaf but for Jay Feaster backstabbing his then boss and general manager Rick Dudley, there is credibility. Yes,we know there is bias, but there is substance behind it. To be honest, it was great listening to it and it is what got Watters to where he is today.

The problem is, there isn’t that much information to talk to Watters about on a regular basis to warrant the interview type format. Not a knock on Bill, rather the reality of the sports world in which he can talk intelligently about. So when he is on in the morning, lunch and afternoons we get more stories about the Duchess and his old war stories then we do the stuff that we actually care about. Clearly the folks at 640 feel the pressure to get every ounce of sweat out of every penny that they are paying Watters. There can be no other reason for him to be on the air 68 times a day. I realize I have made that point before, but they are shooting themselves in the proverbial foot. They have made major gains on Mccown (in relative terms). Maybe it doesn’t matter. It says here that they will never significantly close the gap until they start making better use of this asset. More isn’t better in this case. Less would be. Wilbur’s insight today was fantastic. It had be wanting for more. When I hear him at lunch he has me lunging for the flip button. It’s just too much.

On the point of radio, Mccown had a good night on PTS too. His roundtable with Brunt, Krike and Deacon was good. I think the Blue Jays talk was really good. The dialogue about whether or not the Jays could add some payroll down the stretch if they remain “competitive” was the first time in YEARS there has been interesting radio banter about the Jays that wasn’t negative. Their points that the Jays appeared to have stopped over-inflating the attendance numbers to ridiculous levels and that the question as to whether the decision to increase payroll would be left to a potential new president (they think one is coming in June or July) was really interesting too. The discussion as to whether Beeston would stay on in a chairman role was good in that it provided insight into the Jays organization that is clearly run much differently then other teams.

When the topic shifted to hockey the quality eroded a bit. Mccown (really the least interesting of opinions of the bunch today) repeated for the 90th time his opinion that Burke is the smartest GM in hockey that he knows and therefore he couldn’t really mean that he wants John Tavares in the upcoming draft, rather this is a classic “bait and switch” to get something else done completely. It was an interesting argument on Monday or Tuesday. By this afternoon it had me reaching for my channel changer. It did get more interesting though when the discussion came to the second NHL team in Toronto. Say this for Mccown, he is the only fish in town who thinks this will happen and sooner then most people think AND for less money then the experts think. I politely disagree, but give credit where credit is due.

All in all a very good Friday drive home today. I hope everyone enjoys the weather we are supposed to be getting tomorrow and Go Caps Go!

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.

Nick Kyrepos and Gord Stellick were just on hockey central, each talking toronto maple leafs trade.  They were aksed pointed questions about Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina and the Leafs in general.  Here’s what you need to know:

1. Stellick believes at least one of Kaberle or Kubina will be gone.  Burke will get a good enough offer on one or the other, maybe both.

2. Kypreos think that by the deadline Burke will have good enough deals for both and that Burke will approach both of Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle to waive their respective NTC’s.

3. Stellick believes that it is a gurantee that Nik Antropov will be gone next year.

4. Kypreos believes that there are teams out there who are interested in Antropov andAlexei Ponikarovsky as a pair.

Maybe more to come later in the evening…Stay tuned tonight for a BIG TSM feature—Clear your calendar for tomorrow at 12:30pm

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…..

Tomas Kaberle submitted his list. Pavel Kubina has decided to pass. He will have to wait until the draft to get traded. Good thinking Pavel. You don’t REALLY want a say where you go….

This is from 640 Toronto

Get a load of this on Sundin’s return:

“No one knows how Sundin will be greeted Saturday. Concerned Toronto columnists have been writing about this for weeks, trying to shame the fans into cheering.”

Concerned Toronto columnists???? Has there ever been a bigger oxymoron? Shame the fans? Give me a break. They are trying to sell papers and pay per clicks

“No one knows Sundin on the Canucks better than Wellwood. He thinks the former Leaf will have a tough time dealing with things if his reception in the ACC doesn’t go well.

“If they boo him like crazy, that could really affect him,” Wellwood said. “But anything else and he’ll be fine.”

Well, there you go. The object is to win the game right Brian and Ron??? Then boo him like no player has ever been booed. If Kyle is right and a loud chorus of boos effects Sundin then we as Leafs fans owe it to the Blue and White and boo like crazy! Remember we don’t cheer for the player, we cheer for the jersey!

“Sundin played in Toronto for 13 years. He was captain but never quite made it to the Stanley Cup (the Leafs made it to the Eastern Conference final with Sundin in 1998-99).

He was Toronto’s best player, but never quite attracted the same media frenzy that Doug Gilmour or Wendel Clark garnered.

He was appreciated, but never quite loved or revered. He was great, but never idolized.”

That is 100% accurate. He never captured either the hearts nor the imagination of Leaf Nation. He lacked the personality to do that..

Read more from Vancouver here

Check this out from Kevin Allen over at USA today:

“Toronto Maple Leafs (seller): Although GM Brian Burke is looking to make over this team, he might not move as many players as fans will expect. Nik Antropov is the only lock to move. Dominic Moore will be moved, only if the Leafs can’t re-sign him. Burke will listen to offers for Tomas Kaberle, but he likes him, and he might keep him. He’s only 30, and he could still be crucial to the team’s future. The Maple Leafs would like to trade Vesa Toskala or Pavel Kubina, but they are almost untradeable because of their contracts. In order to trade those players, Burke would have to take back someone’s bad contract.”

I’m thinking 3-4 guys are gone. That is a lot for one deadline. I am surprised at the salary comment on Kubina. He has one year left at 5m. This is the first I have read that his salary is going to make trading him a problem. With Toskala, I would think it is his play that is making him almost untradeable.

One has to wonder whom is feeding Bob Mccown his scoops? This hasn’t been a goof hockey season for the Bobcat whom used to have a very good track record. Consider if you will:

1. Bob pretty much guranteeing the sale of the predators to Jim Balsille. Bob said that his sources told him Mr. Blackberry would be announced as the majority owner of the club shortly…
2. Bob said Sundin to the New York Rangers was a done deal. He joked with Kypreos about not knowing what was for dinner the next night didn’t mean he didn’t know whether or not he was going to it….
3. Bob stated as fact that NHL has held talks as to how a dispersal draft would work if the Coyotes and/or Predators fold in the summer. Multiple NHL execs have publically disputed that calling it totally false.
4. Bob stated as fact that Nik Antropov turned down a contract extension from Brian Burke and that is why Burke soured on him. Now, as Mike S. pointed out Darren Dreger buried that story today on Leafs Lunch. Also TSM has it on very good authority that all of burke, nonis, antropov, and meehan are personally deny it.

Something funny is going on when a guy as good as Mccown is, is as off as he has been lately. One has to wonder who exactly is whispering these things in his ear. At this pace, Mccown is going to become not credible ala the boy who cried wolf. Rest assured if one of his guys had started to develop this bad a track record he would either drop him or let him have it relentlessly. Me thinks the Bobcat needs new sources…

Brian Burke will be on with the guys at hockeycentral/fan590 at 12:05 this afternoon. Burke is certainly making the rounds these days. It is just amazing how incredibly naive some of those who follow this team either are, or think we the fans are. I mean Burke says he wants to hold on to Kaberle and everyone (ok, almost everyone0 believes him? What is he supposed to say? “We are hoping someone offers us something huge, like 10 draft picks for him???? The headline in the Star this am is a joke. “Kaberle good bet to stay: GM” Come on folks, what do you need a refresher course???? This is sales 101. You tell people what you want to keep so that you create a market for those assets:

“For Kaberle, don’t listen too closely to what Burke is saying publicly. He’s trying to set a market. But the approach the Leafs will take is that they will decide what they must get in a deal – let’s say a first round pick and a top prospect – and then only listen to offers that hit that standard. Otherwise, Kaberle stays, at least until next February when his value might be even higher. ”

That’s right Damien. If the Flyers (and I am not saying they would ever), were to offer up what they did last year for Kaberle he is gone (assuming they are on Kaberle’s list of teams he would accept a deal to).

“With Kubina, you get the best deal you can knowing you can always trade him in the summer when his no-trade evaporates. San Jose wanted him last winter and his value hasn’t dropped, but if Burke has to wait until the draft to move the big blueliner, he’ll wait.

With Antropov, the Leafs will take the best offer. Antropov’s going, and the value on his services will be set by the number of teams Burke can get interested in the tall Kazakh.

Finally, Moore is the trickiest scenario of all. Teams are going to want him, and he’s having a very strong season.

But do the Leafs? They plucked him off the waiver wire last winter, and if they could get a second rounder or the kind of young player with size and toughness that Burke wants, chances are they make the move.

What’s a bit unclear is whether the Leafs intend on signing him if he isn’t moved before the deadline.

But the approach on all four players – Kaberle, Kubina, Antropov and Moore – is very different.

You have to believe that at the very least, two of the four are headed out of town. ”

Not rocket science folks. Listen carefully to what Burke says, he is a straight shooter and a big time salesmen. Word is that right after he dumped on Antropov his phone rang several times with rival GM’s looking for a sweetheart deal. Around 2 weeks to go….

you can read Cox’s blog here