Leafs Off-Season: A City With it's Head in the Clouds
Posted 12:58 PM ET | Comments 0
Bros,
Many Torontonians find themselves qualified to do the job of Brian Burke. Toronto and the surrounding GTA is infected by a plague of arm-chair GM's who believe themselves to be educated and well versed on the inner-workings of the National Hockey Leaue. I happen to be one of these "arm-chair GM's" yet wish to bring a more level headed perspective to the situation. My Hockey Buzz and Bleacher Report are flooded with Leafs blogs and postings about how Brian Burke should somehow acquire some of the top players in the NHL for next to nothing. Teams in the NHL do not wish to trade superstars (drafted in the first round) to teams for first round picks and mediocre 3rd liners. Nobody in the NHL WANTS Mike Komisarrek, EVERYONE in the NHL KNOWS Luke Schenn is playing like poop and that Nazim Kadri will never turn into the NHL superstar we so hoped he would be. Leaf fans seem to think that we can just dump our failures and some draft picks on another team for a superstar, but unfortunately success does not come so easy. So here you go, it would be hypocritical for me to criticize many of leafs nation on the Leafs off-season strategy without providing my own.
Lupul-Stastny- Kessel
Macarthur-Grabovski-David Jones
Kulemin-Kelly-Frattin
Ott-Steckel/Connoly-Brown
Dion-Kuba
Liles-Schenn
Gardiner-Franson
RE-SIGNINGS
Nikolai Kulemin
-One of the best 2 way forwards on the team, and one of the few Players with a positive plus minus on the team, it would be foolish to let such a talented player leave the organization. Re-sign and downsize his current contract and sign for 2 more years. He can put the puck in the net hes just gotta get his groove back. His poor play last year allows us to downsize his contract while still holding on to a potential 30 goal scorer.
Matt Frattin
-No question the kid gets resigned. 2 way contract for 3-4 years for approx 1.6. it will pay dividens in the future; he can skate, shoot, and hits hard.
Joey Crabb
-Works hard and is good in his own end, again one of the few positive plus minus players on the squad he is developing his offensive game and is a potential 20 goal third liner with a good two way game
Jay Rosehill (No Skill)
-released. Such a meat head, this guy drops the mitts and puts on a show which is great but constant minor penalties and next to no on-ice contribution the guy is of no use to the leafs. I agree the leafs need to get biger, stronger and play with more of an edge, but paying buckets like jay Rosehill is inexcuseable
Cody Franson
-The fact that this guy isnt a regular on the roster is attrocious. He is arguably the leafs best defensive defenseman, on a team with poor defensive play these are the players we need on the roster. Mike Komisarek -13 in 45 Games, Cody Franson 57 Games -1. Resign him to a 2 year deal
Scrivens
Resign and keep him in the AHL, hes really turning into something special. 3 Year deal
ACQUISITIONS
-Steve Ott
exactly the kind of player the leafs need to replace a guy like Colby Armstrong or Jay Rosehill. Plays Hard, fights, is a leader and contributes offensively with 39 points in 74 games.
Filip Kuba
-Strong defenseman that blocks shots and can make great passes. He is unbelieveable in his own end and could greatly help the leafs on the back end defensively. The Leafs need to block more shots to help out their goaltenders.
Chris Kelly
Great plus minus guy who can help on the penalty kill and pitch in in the bottom six
Paul Statsny
-Great player with history of playing with phil Kessel. Trade works well for avalanche as they are in need of depth at the wing position and to clear up cap space for the truck load of UFA's they need to resign.
Scott Clemmensen
-I know many of you are laughing, BUT=Picking up luongo is not what is bets for the leafs. we need a goaltender who will not impede the growth and progress of Reimer and Scrivens. Luongo has a big dirty mucky contract and is totally not worth it. He is an ubelieveable goaltender dont get me wrong, but i believe the leafs need to focus more on tooling our forwards than our goaltending. Clemmensen just put up great numbers last season playing in florida and is still only 34 years old. Reimer will be a great goalie one day and so will scrivens we have to develop them and let them grow. Clemmensen could give advice and mentor reimer for a few years before james is ready to take the reigns. In Reimer we Trust.
MIKE ZIGOMANIS
More attnetion needs to also be given to AHLer Mike Zigomanis, a player the leafs could really use on their roster. 2 way centre, penalty killer who blocks shots and can contribute offensively.
KADRI+COLBOURNE= Be patient, let them earn their roster spots.
TRADE
Colby Armstrong
Lombardi
Gunarsson
Bozak
Komisarek
Many Torontonians find themselves qualified to do the job of Brian Burke. Toronto and the surrounding GTA is infected by a plague of arm-chair GM's who believe themselves to be educated and well versed on the inner-workings of the National Hockey Leaue. I happen to be one of these "arm-chair GM's" yet wish to bring a more level headed perspective to the situation. My Hockey Buzz and Bleacher Report are flooded with Leafs blogs and postings about how Brian Burke should somehow acquire some of the top players in the NHL for next to nothing. Teams in the NHL do not wish to trade superstars (drafted in the first round) to teams for first round picks and mediocre 3rd liners. Nobody in the NHL WANTS Mike Komisarrek, EVERYONE in the NHL KNOWS Luke Schenn is playing like poop and that Nazim Kadri will never turn into the NHL superstar we so hoped he would be. Leaf fans seem to think that we can just dump our failures and some draft picks on another team for a superstar, but unfortunately success does not come so easy. So here you go, it would be hypocritical for me to criticize many of leafs nation on the Leafs off-season strategy without providing my own.
Lupul-Stastny- Kessel
Macarthur-Grabovski-David Jones
Kulemin-Kelly-Frattin
Ott-Steckel/Connoly-Brown
Dion-Kuba
Liles-Schenn
Gardiner-Franson
RE-SIGNINGS
Nikolai Kulemin
-One of the best 2 way forwards on the team, and one of the few Players with a positive plus minus on the team, it would be foolish to let such a talented player leave the organization. Re-sign and downsize his current contract and sign for 2 more years. He can put the puck in the net hes just gotta get his groove back. His poor play last year allows us to downsize his contract while still holding on to a potential 30 goal scorer.
Matt Frattin
-No question the kid gets resigned. 2 way contract for 3-4 years for approx 1.6. it will pay dividens in the future; he can skate, shoot, and hits hard.
Joey Crabb
-Works hard and is good in his own end, again one of the few positive plus minus players on the squad he is developing his offensive game and is a potential 20 goal third liner with a good two way game
Jay Rosehill (No Skill)
-released. Such a meat head, this guy drops the mitts and puts on a show which is great but constant minor penalties and next to no on-ice contribution the guy is of no use to the leafs. I agree the leafs need to get biger, stronger and play with more of an edge, but paying buckets like jay Rosehill is inexcuseable
Cody Franson
-The fact that this guy isnt a regular on the roster is attrocious. He is arguably the leafs best defensive defenseman, on a team with poor defensive play these are the players we need on the roster. Mike Komisarek -13 in 45 Games, Cody Franson 57 Games -1. Resign him to a 2 year deal
Scrivens
Resign and keep him in the AHL, hes really turning into something special. 3 Year deal
ACQUISITIONS
-Steve Ott
exactly the kind of player the leafs need to replace a guy like Colby Armstrong or Jay Rosehill. Plays Hard, fights, is a leader and contributes offensively with 39 points in 74 games.
Filip Kuba
-Strong defenseman that blocks shots and can make great passes. He is unbelieveable in his own end and could greatly help the leafs on the back end defensively. The Leafs need to block more shots to help out their goaltenders.
Chris Kelly
Great plus minus guy who can help on the penalty kill and pitch in in the bottom six
Paul Statsny
-Great player with history of playing with phil Kessel. Trade works well for avalanche as they are in need of depth at the wing position and to clear up cap space for the truck load of UFA's they need to resign.
Scott Clemmensen
-I know many of you are laughing, BUT=Picking up luongo is not what is bets for the leafs. we need a goaltender who will not impede the growth and progress of Reimer and Scrivens. Luongo has a big dirty mucky contract and is totally not worth it. He is an ubelieveable goaltender dont get me wrong, but i believe the leafs need to focus more on tooling our forwards than our goaltending. Clemmensen just put up great numbers last season playing in florida and is still only 34 years old. Reimer will be a great goalie one day and so will scrivens we have to develop them and let them grow. Clemmensen could give advice and mentor reimer for a few years before james is ready to take the reigns. In Reimer we Trust.
MIKE ZIGOMANIS
More attnetion needs to also be given to AHLer Mike Zigomanis, a player the leafs could really use on their roster. 2 way centre, penalty killer who blocks shots and can contribute offensively.
KADRI+COLBOURNE= Be patient, let them earn their roster spots.
TRADE
Colby Armstrong
Lombardi
Gunarsson
Bozak
Komisarek