Can the Leafs top their 61 shot effort against the Islanders?  My guess is that their goal is to win on the scoreboard versus shot total.

While no official line-up was posted; we know that Christian Hanson is up and in the line-up for John Mitchell and Jamal Mayers will slide into the 4th line center slot leaving Wallin in the press box once again.  Joey Macdonald will back up Gustavsson with Toskala out for 2 games or so.

Projected Lines vs. Lightning

Forwards
Ponikarovsky Stajan Kessel
Hanson Grabovski Hagman
Blake Primeau Stempniak
Kulemin Mayers Orr

Defense
Kaberle Gunnarson
Beauchemin White
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Gustavsson
Macdonald

LT

I didn’t see much from the Kessel debut, however I did see this:

Don’t know about his shoulder- but welcome back buddy- better keep that head up. From all accounts it sounds like the general consensus was that he by FAR the best forward on the ice for the Maple Leafs and that Matt Stajan shouldn’t be too comfortable with his place alongside Kessel.

Lebrun has as good an overnight review of the game as anyone else I have seen:

“The 22-year-old star winger was downright dynamite Tuesday night in his Maple Leafs debut, dazzling the home fans with his speed and skill and launching 10 shots on goal at the Tampa Bay net, more shots than Lightning stars Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis combined.”

Downright dynamite. I love it. In time a percentage of those will either end up in the net or result in assists for Kessel.

“The former Bruins star did everything but score on this night, launching 19 shots in total toward the net, seven blocked by Lightning players and two missing the net. The puck was following him around all night.

I’m stunned he looked this good after missing all of training camp, preseason and the opening month of the regular season, recovering from shoulder surgery and, oh, playing his first game with a new team and new linemates.

In just one game, you see what kind of dimension Kessel brings to a Leafs lineup essentially devoid of top-six, high-end offensive talent. Tampa’s blueliners were backing up in a hurry when Kessel wheeled out of his zone with the puck. He opens that much ice around him thanks to his sizzling speed.”

Kessel is the offensive threat that the Maple Leafs haven’t had since, well, since ummmm, Doug Gilmour maybe?????

The problem facing Kessel, Brian Burke and Ron Wilson is that there is only one Phil Kessel on the Leafs. This team is now 1-12. So despite what anyone is saying with respect to positive signs, things improving, they can’t hide from that record. They are 1-12. In terms of timing, the schedule is fairly favorable to the buds. They don’t play again until Friday when they travel to Carolina to take on Paul Maurices ever struggling team before taking on the Red Wings at the unfriendly ACC. The Burke’s bunch has 7 games to play before they hit the 20 game plateau, the time when GM’s take stock in what they have and what they need. Right now it is hard to fathom how Burke sees nothing but holes in his lineup. 1-12 speaks volumes and despite what some in the MSM are saying, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a long way to go should they wish to be playing meaningful games after the holidays, let alone be anywhere near a playoff spot.

I have to believe by the way, that barring injury, the Finger experiment is going to come to an end with the Leafs pretty soon. They can’t keep a guy making that much dough with the club and in the press box. It’s too much money to be blowing under the cap to not have him in the minors. If he is not good enough to play with this group as a top performer than he should be down on the farm.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia
Lebrun is here

The headline for tonights game is….the debut of Phil Kessel as a Maple Leaf.  Let’s trust that the medical staff took a cautious approach and Phil is in no danger of re-injuring his wing.  I for one will not be looking for #81 to net a hatrick tonight….I’ll be looking to see some speed and perhaps him getting a few chances to wipe the rust off.

Other than moving Tlusty down to make room for Kessel – no other line up changes.  Finger, Mayers and Rosehill get their reserved seats in the press box.

It is expected that Wilson will put his new #1 goalie back in cage…Gustavsson will get the start.

Line Up

Forwards
Blake Stajan Kessel
Ponikarovsky Grabovski Kulemin
Hagman Mitchell Stempniak
Primeau Wallin Orr

Defense
Kaberle Komisarek
Beauchemin White
Exelby Schenn

Goalie
Gustavsson
Toskala

I’ll be in section 320 enjoying the game.  In addition to seeing Kessel’s return, it will be fun to watch a couple of first rounders….Hedman and Stamkos.

LT

A wise man once said, and I was reminded of this when talking about the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier today, follow the money….With that in mind, you can see why Gary Bettman has given Oren Koules final say on all things Lightning right now. Koules has the money.

What does this mean? Well, if Barrie wanted to keep Vincent Lecavalier and Koules was in favor of trading him……you know how to finish that sentence.

I am told by folks close to the scene that both Koules and Barrie are looking for investors right now, but that no one wants to invest when they know that if these two guys fail, Palace Sports and Entertainment will take the team from them and then sell it cheaper without having to carry either Koules or Barrie.

Follow the money folks, look for Tampa to be very active this weekend.

TSM

Erik Erlendsson has a good post on this right now here

Let me say right off the bat that I don’t buy it. However, Louise our Montreal Correspondent dug up this article en francais about the above subject. Let if be known that the rumor mill is in full force when it comes to Vinny. The common theme is that the nay saying Lightning ownership are going to have to move him this summer, prior to his NTC clause kicking in. The Habs have the most money to spend should they decide to spend to the cap. They are one of the few teams that could absorb Vinny’s 7.7m per year cap hit for the next 11 years. In any event, here is what the French scribe had to say… Louise hasn’t of yet provided me with a source so I can’t provide one just yet…

The general gist of the article is that Brian Burke has done some favors for the Lightning (taking some bad salaries off their hands) and therefore, Vincent Lecavalier is heading to Toronto.. In that my french is lousy, Louise has provided both the french copy and a translation of the article:

“Depuis son échange avorté avec Lawton en janvier, Gainey a constaté que les Maple Leafs de Toronto ont rendu de bien grands services au Lightning à la date limite des transactions. À une époque ou le budget du Lightning était tellement serré que Koules et Barrie limaient des coches sur les pièces de dix sous afin de fabriquer d’autres pièces de dix sous, Brian Burke s’est présenté à eux en sauveur.”

Since the failed trade(for Vincent) with Lightning GM Brian Lawton in January, Gainey has come to realize that the Toronto Maple Leafs have done a few favors for the Lightning before the trade deadline. With the Lightning owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie facing an extremely tight budget, Brian Burke presented himself as their savior.

“Il leur a fait la faveur d’acquérir le gardien Olaf Kolzig (qui était blessé jusqu’à la fin de la saison), le défenseur Jamie Heward (qui était aux prises avec une commotion cérébrale) et le vétéran défenseur des ligues mineures Andy Rogers (sérieusement blessé au dos) afin d’alléger leurs fins de mois.”

Burke did the Lightning the the favor of taking goalie Olaf Kolzig (injured till the end of the season), defensemen Jamie Heward (concussion) and veteran defensemen Andy Rogers (seriously injured back) in order to save the Lightning a fortune of money.

“Et Gainey sait parfaitement que Burke, un autre de ses bons amis, ne rend pas ce genre de service pour rien.”

And Gainey knows perfectly that Burke, who Gainey considers another good friend, is not the kind of person to do favors for nothing.

“À part Gainey, Burke figure parmi les très rares directeurs généraux qui ont suffisamment d’argent et de marge de manœuvre sur leur masse salariale pour acquérir le contrat de Lecavalier.”

Besides Gainey, Burke is among the veryfew GM’s who have sufficient money under the salary cap to acquire Lecavalier and Vinny’s accompanying contract.

“Voyez-vous le portrait ? Le repêchage aura lieu à Montréal en juin. Et dans un Centre Bell plein à craquer, les partisans du Canadien auront de très fortes chances d’apprendre que Vincent Lecavalier poursuivra sa carrière à Toronto.”

Can you picture this ? The draft is being held in Montreal in June. The Bell Center will be filled to capacity, and there is a good chance that Habs fans could learn in their own arena, that Lecavalier, whom Habs fans clearly covet will move on to play in Toronto!

Let wagging tongue wags! I would be stunned if Vinny ended up in Toronto. However Watters was talking along those lines the other day too. Would Burke take Vinny off the bolts hands to get to number 2? I know, you don’t “take Vincent Lecavalier” off one’s hands…He is a superstar… These are strange times in Tampa though…Wilbur said that the only way the Leafs make a deal for Tampa’s 1st round pick, the second overall, and not include their own first rounder, 7th overall would be if the Leafs took a bad contract off of Tampa’s hands…

All that is a long way from Vincent Lecavalier being a Maple Leaf. The one point that makes this interesting is that Burke doesn’t do favors for nothing. I know he got a 4th round pick back, but Tampa came out way ahead as they were in dire financial straits. Burke took serious cash off their hands… Burke not doing favors just for the sake of doing so, how true that may be. Most rumors have Vinny headed to Montreal…could you imagine him being dealt to Toronto at the Bell Centre????

TSM

“Check the accompanying sidebar, which combines the won-lost percentages for the current season of the 15 cities with both NHL and NBA teams. Yep, there is Team Tanenbaum, right down there in 15th place.” Dave Perkins…
“To be getting dressed in the Canadiens room is something I always wanted to see,” he said in French.” Vincent Lecavalier
“When I walked through those doors and saw the hundreds of people there for autographs and waiting for the players arrive — my hair was all over the place, and I really didn’t expect to have it,” he said Friday. “I don’t think anybody expected to have a welcome like that.” Vincent Lecavalier
“”For someone being born here, to play here, obviously people add a little bit of pressure,” said Lecavalier. “But I think a good pressure.” Vincent Lecavalier

Sure sounds like Vinny has Montreal on the mind, and no it doesn’t sound like it’s not his kind of town….

“Bettman and his bosses used a hammer to try to fix something that wasn’t necessarily broken in the first place — and what was really broken, they couldn’t acknowledge, let alone fix.” Stephen Brunt on the NHLPA declining to re-open the CBA

“The problem was — and the problem is — there is a wider disparity in NHL markets than in any other sport when it comes to how much people actually care about the product. Hockey is front of mind everywhere in Canada and in a handful of U.S. cities (now, for the first time in years, including Boston and Chicago). There people will pay large amounts of money for a seat, and produce big television audiences that are attractive to advertisers. it didn’t do a thing for the Phoenix Coyotes or Atlanta Thrashers or Nashville Predators or Florida Panthers. If anything, those clubs are in worse shape now than they were before the lockout, their decline accelerated by the credit crunch and ensuing recession, coupled with shaky ownership. If they’re still in business come 2011 — and who would like to bet their life on that right now? — the next labour war won’t cure what’s wrong with them, either.” Stephen Brunt

“Each and every player, NHL Players Association boss Paul Kelly said today, should expect a 13.5 per cent pay cut this season because of declining league revenues. The cut takes the form of escrow payments, monies withheld from players to make sure the union collectively does not make more than its share of the money the league takes in. the league’s revenue growth has dropped to about two per cent from 12 per cent a year ago..”The players aren’t happy about it,” said Kelly. “But they understand it.” Kelly admitted that in this case, the escrow will have the effect of being a salary rollback the same as that the players were forced to accept after the 2004-05 lockout.” Damien Cox-

Who would have guessed that the PA would elect to extend the deal that all the majority of pundits called a loser (not looser) for the players. Perhaps, just perhaps the players have gotten a tad bit smarter this time around….

The best quote of the day however was from PA slappy Glen Healy on the NHL suspension of those players who aren’t in Montreal for the All Star festivities:

” ”

Somewhere, Healy must be a caged dog. Just wait till he gets a few pops in him on St. Catherine tonight… Kelly may have the duct tape on his mouth for now…it won’t last, and when it ends, get ready for quotes like you can’t believe.

A few folks have asked me to post it, so here is the satellite hot stove from CBC tonight

tonight they talked about fighting, and the move to “ban it”, the CBA- Vinny, Al “he is being offered all over the league- at least 5 teams are in on it, TB wants Markov” Montreal number one on Vinny’s list..MB TB has a total lack of credibility if they trade him… NYI playing in KC…trade today…

watch it here

Elliotte Friedman’s blog on the Vinny situation is as good a read as I have seen. The only thing missing from it is an accurate read on how dire things are in Tampa Bay. Elliott’s analysis of the current financial implications and the realities of a trade of this magnitude are bang on.

“So, how many teams are really in this race?

Montreal, for sure. Vancouver definitely could be. It has cap room and prospects. Toronto has cap room, but no prospects. It fits Edmonton’s profile, since the Oilers threw bags of cash at Jaromir Jagr and Marian Hossa. I also wonder about a Colorado, a Dallas, or an LA.”

Take the Leafs out of the picture. It’s not happening. Could you imagine Vinny in Vancouver with Sundin??? Almost happened in TO!

“Lecavalier is a great talent, and a durable one, too. Only twice in his nine seasons has he played less than 80 games – 68 in 2000-01 and 76 in 2001-02. Those two things are extremely attractive to any GM interested in anyone with a long-term deal. But you know what’s become even more important to these GMs? Flexibility.”

Damn straight. Look at the ducks current cap situation, ummmm, who made that mess again ?

“Other execs are wondering what Chicago is going to do with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook – tough choices despite Nikolai Khabibulin’s $7 million per season clearing this summer. Even Detroit, the model franchise when it comes to drafting, developing and getting players to take hometown discounts, has team-altering decisions to make. Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler (restricted) are all up, and Zetterberg is testing the Red Wings’ limits. (They gave Hossa a one-year deal equal to Nicklas Lidstrom’s $7.45 million, and a 10-year, $75 million offer to Zetterberg has apparently been rejected.) The Lightning themselves are in this situation because of the Stanley Cup gifts awarded to three players, Lecavalier being one.”

Folks- this is why it is good to be a Maple Leaf fan right now. Keep your heads up. If Burke plays this right he is going to be able to have a buffet of choices for top players fairly soon. Be patient. Wait until the cap goes down, then watch teams squirm to get under the cap! This is going to be interesting as hell.

“Then, there is the economic collapse. Teams are under the impression that, at best, the cap will stay the same next season, before decreasing in 2010-11. From Oct. 1, 2007, until the financial lunacy began in mid-September, 37 NHL players signed contracts of at least five years in length. That’s an average of three per month. Since then, there have been three in total .”

That’s right. How would you like to the Isles with a goalie tied up for 13/15 more years who has suffered long term injuries of late. The goal is to build properly. Our building is full every night. MLSE is patient enough to get this built properly.

“Managers exhibiting buyer’s remorse are recognizing a painful reality – that if you want to trade one of these contracts, you’re going to have to make the kind of deal that is difficult to explain to your fans. What they’re hearing from potential partners is some variation of this: “If you want me to help you take this contract off your books, well then you’re going to have to take my brutal contract. Oh, you don’t want to do that? Well, you’re going to have to take something else I don’t want – like a middling prospect or a later-round draft pick. You’re not getting anything of value from me for an asset you’re desperately trying to get rid of.”

Keep an eye on guys like Jason Blake and even, gulp Sean Avery…..These are guys who’s contracts get moved in order to accommodate other moves.

The focus in the trade market has changed drastically.:

“As much as Senators fans are making Jason Spezza the scapegoat, how happy would they be if Bryan Murray traded him for a mid-level prospect and a draft pick that wouldn’t be in the first round? A couple of different executives said unless Murray is willing to take on an ugly contract in return – and he probably isn’t – he may not get much more for his best centre. If you believe the whispers, that’s why number 19 remains in the nation’s capital. A harsh reality for the Senators and their fans. But, if you think trading Spezza is going to bring in the players who will start an immediate turnaround, you’re mistaken.”

This is the reality of life in a cap world. In the NBA they talk of trading salary slots. The NHL is moving towards that. For those who love trades and banter, it’s boring as hell.

“Considering some pretty smart hockey people are now saying they knew about the captain’s availability a week ago, chances are the Lightning know all this already. They might as well roll up the sidewalks outside the rink if they screw up this one. Maybe they can’t afford to keep him. But they can’t afford to trade him for what’s being made available, either.”

I am not so sure on this one. If things are as bad as I am hearing (and who the hell am I?) then I cant imagine how bad things really are.

Under 50 days to go until the deadline…. Buckle up!

Michael Farber has another great article today. This time (anyone surprised) the topic is Vincent Lecavalier. Farber understands why the Bolts want to deal him ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$) and why the Habs both want him and should try to trade for him (A Cup) but, he thinks Vinny should balk (not that he really has any say to be honest). The reason should raise some eyebrows:

“The passion for the team, and the attention lavished on the players, has spilled over the boundaries of all common sense. You would be walking into smack into this merry maelstrom. A fishbowl existence would await. (They do have fishbowls in zoos, don’t they?)
You don’t need this. You have your Stanley Cup. You have your life in Tampa. You have your community, which has benefited from the money you have donated to a children’s hospital. And you don’t have the need to come “home” because, even though most people don’t know this about you, you are a worldly guy with an open spirit (as they say in French). You even enjoyed playing in Kazan of the Russian Superleague during the lockout, although some of the charter flights on those Yak 42s were a little dicey.”

Hmmmm. This really causes a pause. One part of me wants to scream sacrilege! As a player in any sport, shouldn’t any player dream of playing in a town where the coverage has “spilled over the boundaries of all common sense”? I mean, isn’t that we expect of professional athletes. How many times have we said “________________ wants to play in ______________ because he is from there”? In baseball, players say they dream of playing for the Yankees, Red Sox or __________________ all the time. Hell, AJ Burnett, this past off-season said he would love to play in a baseball crazy city like Chicago and play for the Cubs. Where did he sign? With the Yankees. I haven’t even mentioned the financial implications of heading to Montreal. I don’t know what his endorsements are like in Tampa (if any) but i would be willing they would increase in Canada, especially in Montreal. Can you imagine his value in Montreal??? That is not to suggest that this should be a motivating factor. I am willing to bet that his agent has a pretty good idea though.

Bryan McCabe, who’s life had to be pretty hellish here last year said that the one thing he misses is a full building to play in front of every night. That was even true when he got booed. So in Florida he can go to the mall, the beach, the movies and be left alone. It is nice. It sounds to me that most guys would prefer to get bugged and play in a hotbed then the opposite. Maybe that isn’t Vinny. One former Maple Leaf I know, loved playing the game, within some limits. It was a job. When he left the rink he didn’t do anything related to the game. He didn’t follow any developments in the off-season etc. He showed up for practices, games and events. He was an employee. Today he scouts. Again, a job. So I guess it all depends on what motivates the individual. I would be really surprised if Vinny wasn’t more like McCabe and the majority of guys. You want to play in a city where people eat, sleep and dream about the team and the sport.

You can read more from Farber here….

OK Leaf fans, for some reason we are being inundated with stories that Vincent Lecavalier may be available. I would love to hear Glen Healy on the Bolts trading a guy who has signed an extension with a no trade clause that doesn’t kick in until after the season before the season ends. So, you, Leaf Fan are Brian Burke. Your team is devoid of a superstar forward:

1. Would you make a play to get him
2. If so, who would you offer up (jason blake submissions will be deleted)

Remember Leaf Fans, a few short years ago Vinny was ours. All that stopped the deal was the president of the Bolts not joining the league call to confirm it. In that deal the buds were sending Tomas Kaberle, wingers Nik Antropov and Jonas Hoglund and either Brad Boyesor a first-round draft pick in 2002. We still have the first two guys