Posted on February - 02 - 2009 at 10:14 pm By: torontosportsmedia
Toronto Maple Leafs: Who Shall Remain?
Let's Make a Deal
Our good pal Nealio on the east coast posed the following:
The Challenge:
Name 5 players who you would keep after the deadline not named Schenn or Grabovski with a 5 words or less explanation why. Please add your list…here is mine and then Nealio’s
1. Hagman- No Trade Clause 
2. May- Luke Schenn’s mentor
3. Finger- Steady D Man
4. Stralman- Young, Cheap & has potential
5. Nikolai Kulemin – Young Cheap & has upside
Nealio:
Stajan: Hasn’t peaked yet, leadership qualities
White: Smart, effective, workhorse, young, best-moustache
Moore: Best bang for your buck
May: Toughest ‘vet’ we have left
Finger: Toughest stay home D man
To me, Stajan, White and Moore are all assets who are at their peak in terms of value. If you can get good value back, you deal them….It’s not, you know, personal….
I like that Finger made both lists. He’s got some unrealized offensive potential too. Another of the late-blooming American D Man college-type.
I hear he’s not a bad fisherman either. What’s not to like?
White might make a good trade-chip, that moustache has at least 5 or 6 playoff goals in it.
-SL
Scott, that’s all fine and good…..but, you didn’t put in your list..
here goes:
Finger: nuff said
Kubina: that contract has better trade value next year
Hagman: he can score, looks angry for a blonde
Moore: he smells like Selke
Toskala: Pogge is number 1, just not yet.
Stajan – Still young, good price, production
Van Ryan – Just stay healthy
Finger – like the hits
Moore – has the heart
Antropov – when he comes back in the summer
and apparently I’m too drunk for 5 words. It’s only Monday.
how about a list of 5 players we are stuck with
Blake – contract makes him untradeable
Finger – same as Blake
Toskala – no real value
Kubina -same as Blake
Kaberle – won’t trade him until draft
1. Captain Jason Blake
Regardless of how high his fist pumping value is right now, I doubt any team is going to want to risk having to deal with “adjustment” or “confidence building” periods. On top of which his salary is just a couple million to high. This is one player it won’t hurt to keep around for a solid 20+ goals for the next three seasons.
2. Grabbo
If anyone tried to move him, he’d shank them with a pinapple knife. Plus we got a deal on him and he’s 5th in rookie scoring.
3. Ian White
I hated White last year, blamed him for everything I couldn’t pin on Woznewski. But I think he’s buying into the Wilson Burke system and picked up his game. Although he could probably be moved, I’d just hate to see that happen.
4. Moore
Any player that can help Jason Blake get a puck in a net must be a miracle worker.
5. Kabs
Broken Hand = Bad for Business
Stralman – potential Kaberle replacement. Despite size.
Van Ryn – brings something intangible to this team
Mitchell – I like this kid’s potential.
Williams – essential rebuilding cog
White – tremendous value
Hagman – NTC + awesome
Moore – Selke and captain potential
Kaberle – Bigger asset on draft day
Kulemin – Lots of unrealized potential there
Tlusty – Same reason as Kulemin
great list. I’d like to keep Finger as well, but rules are rules, so there’s five.
Problem with the leafs as we have been reminded with the inductions this year, is that intagible, character. So who to keep, to build that culture
Van Ryn
Moore
Finger
May
White (pains me to say that as I hate the porn stache)