How to improve the leafs
Posted 11:48 PM ET | Comments 0
How to improve the leafs? the team is in disarray but not because they are in terrible shape. This is a young team, that has a core and some prospects, but more is needed. Burke has been good and bad, but i rather like him much better talent evaluator than Ferguson. Team Needs.
1 - Goaltending,
The way I see it this is a team that has chips but is continually handling it wrong. This are my 3 fixes.
A) Luongo, a great goalie and mentor, has his problem in big games but he did bring us a gold medal. Could help lead a shaken team as well. Drawback, that huge contract, not a god thing at all.
B) Harding, wants to prove himself as a good starter, but the question remains, is he kiprusoff or toskala. Only time will tell. Woluld be 1A with potential to be full number 1.
C) Vokoun - 2-3 year contract, gives you a 1A goalie, and a good one to help mentor Reimer or Scrivens.
D) Steve Mason & Scrivens - I like Scrivens but not sure if he will be ready with Reimer, so trade for mason for nothing more than a second rounder or no deal. Mason still has potential but needs to rediscover his game somewhere else. He is a risk but thats why I want to trade little for him. Let him battle with Reimer, Scrivens and Rynnas. Now this wouldn't be an ideal scenario but if the first three options don't work, this is to be explored. Best Scenario, Maosn rediscovers his games becomes starter, no harm, worst case he needs to play in minors where Rynnas willget bulk load of starts anyway.
2. Toughness
We need to get tougher, we need more cheaper Armstrongs and potenitally Jarret Stoll. If cheaply try Penner, Zenopka, Stoll, Moen, there is toughness out there get it.
3. Youth, Play Frattin and Kadri, no more tiptoeing, if your not playing him trade him, enough is enough now. He needs a chance. Plus D'Amigo, Mueller and Ross should be given long looks for next year.
4. Center - Why low because there is options, maybe Connolly rediscovers his offense and becomes it, Bozak somehow shows more potential than a second liner, Kessel moved to his old position from youth, there are options. Or make a trade, try for Jordan Staal, Ryan Getzlav, someone else? Won't be cheap but Burke is one of the few GMs that could pull it off. But its not easy even for him. If this area doean't improve we will never be more than a 7th place team.
5. Draft - This part is easy try to trade up to number 1, pry it away take yakupov or take Galchenyuk, a young center that has great potential to be a number 1 center.
Last fix is internal, lose Komisarek, change the assistant captains. Lupul is one assistant captain, is Luongo is here he is another. Kessel, Kulemin, Stoll, Moen are all posible ideas as well. But we need to help Phaneuf with his flaws and make this leadership a whole. Thanks for reading, it will not be easy but we pieces in oplace, time will tell if e can add or the pieces will slowly fall out of place.
1 - Goaltending,
The way I see it this is a team that has chips but is continually handling it wrong. This are my 3 fixes.
A) Luongo, a great goalie and mentor, has his problem in big games but he did bring us a gold medal. Could help lead a shaken team as well. Drawback, that huge contract, not a god thing at all.
B) Harding, wants to prove himself as a good starter, but the question remains, is he kiprusoff or toskala. Only time will tell. Woluld be 1A with potential to be full number 1.
C) Vokoun - 2-3 year contract, gives you a 1A goalie, and a good one to help mentor Reimer or Scrivens.
D) Steve Mason & Scrivens - I like Scrivens but not sure if he will be ready with Reimer, so trade for mason for nothing more than a second rounder or no deal. Mason still has potential but needs to rediscover his game somewhere else. He is a risk but thats why I want to trade little for him. Let him battle with Reimer, Scrivens and Rynnas. Now this wouldn't be an ideal scenario but if the first three options don't work, this is to be explored. Best Scenario, Maosn rediscovers his games becomes starter, no harm, worst case he needs to play in minors where Rynnas willget bulk load of starts anyway.
2. Toughness
We need to get tougher, we need more cheaper Armstrongs and potenitally Jarret Stoll. If cheaply try Penner, Zenopka, Stoll, Moen, there is toughness out there get it.
3. Youth, Play Frattin and Kadri, no more tiptoeing, if your not playing him trade him, enough is enough now. He needs a chance. Plus D'Amigo, Mueller and Ross should be given long looks for next year.
4. Center - Why low because there is options, maybe Connolly rediscovers his offense and becomes it, Bozak somehow shows more potential than a second liner, Kessel moved to his old position from youth, there are options. Or make a trade, try for Jordan Staal, Ryan Getzlav, someone else? Won't be cheap but Burke is one of the few GMs that could pull it off. But its not easy even for him. If this area doean't improve we will never be more than a 7th place team.
5. Draft - This part is easy try to trade up to number 1, pry it away take yakupov or take Galchenyuk, a young center that has great potential to be a number 1 center.
Last fix is internal, lose Komisarek, change the assistant captains. Lupul is one assistant captain, is Luongo is here he is another. Kessel, Kulemin, Stoll, Moen are all posible ideas as well. But we need to help Phaneuf with his flaws and make this leadership a whole. Thanks for reading, it will not be easy but we pieces in oplace, time will tell if e can add or the pieces will slowly fall out of place.