Leafs off season plans = Top 6 Forward
Posted 3:55 PM ET | Comments 6
After watching the Maple Leafs all season long I realized that this team has zero finnish.
What I mean by this is the Leafs get tons of scoring chances per game but have alot of problems cashing in on them. Whether its missed opportunitys by hitting posts, missing the net, or just shooting the puck into the goalies crest the leafs seem to find away to not score when the game is on the line.
Going through the roster you have two players on this years leafs team that can score goals. Sundin and Antropov are the only players on this years team that have any kind of scoring touch around the net. This simply is not good enough when the rest of the team plays like 3rd and 4th liners.
The Leafs need another top 6 forward and last years pickup of Jason Blake was a glorified 3rd liner. I am not sure what the future holds for this franchise but flopping to get a draft pick is obviously never going to be in their cards.
If the Leafs would have split goaltending duties with Toskala and Raycroft that would have positioned the team very nicely for the Stamkos draft.
This is one of the reason why I do not see the Leafs dynamiting the team after this season. Why wouldn't they do it now if they were to do such a thing. If the Leafs were to finnish bottom 5 preferably bottom 2 the chances of getting Stamkos would have been great.
They can play the marlies all year next season to try and get Tavaras but in all honestly they may have been able to obtain both of them if they would have put an end to this late season push by giving the Razor some games.
What I mean by this is the Leafs get tons of scoring chances per game but have alot of problems cashing in on them. Whether its missed opportunitys by hitting posts, missing the net, or just shooting the puck into the goalies crest the leafs seem to find away to not score when the game is on the line.
Going through the roster you have two players on this years leafs team that can score goals. Sundin and Antropov are the only players on this years team that have any kind of scoring touch around the net. This simply is not good enough when the rest of the team plays like 3rd and 4th liners.
The Leafs need another top 6 forward and last years pickup of Jason Blake was a glorified 3rd liner. I am not sure what the future holds for this franchise but flopping to get a draft pick is obviously never going to be in their cards.
If the Leafs would have split goaltending duties with Toskala and Raycroft that would have positioned the team very nicely for the Stamkos draft.
This is one of the reason why I do not see the Leafs dynamiting the team after this season. Why wouldn't they do it now if they were to do such a thing. If the Leafs were to finnish bottom 5 preferably bottom 2 the chances of getting Stamkos would have been great.
They can play the marlies all year next season to try and get Tavaras but in all honestly they may have been able to obtain both of them if they would have put an end to this late season push by giving the Razor some games.
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03 Edmontons Prospects
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18 Burke overrated GM
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And how precisely do you think the Leafs will get a top six forward? You have virtually no assets to trade and top six forwards don't exactly grow on trees. Additionally, Toronto isn't becoming any more of an attractive place to play for UFA's.
actually I disagree. Toronto is becoming much more attractive to UFA's because they are taking a new direction upstairs and that has been the problem for years. With the addition of a top GM (Brian Burke) this place will be back in its hay day in no time... oh yah, as to your question about how do they plan on snagging a top 6 forward, well, trades and UFA's arent the only path... my moneys on an offer sheet to a top prospect/young gun, ie. Jeff Carter. nuff said.
Lets Face it Kasper Toronto is the meca of hockey. The only reason anyone would not want to play here was because of the past ownership. Playing in toronto is very lucrative for a player. The amount of sponsership in T.O is like no other. The leafs are going in a new direction with a new staff coming into town. There will be a buzz again to play for the oraganization. After the Leafs buy out a few contracts and make a few trades the cap space will be there. Toronto has one thing going for them if they wanted to pick up a player via trade. An abundace of Goaltending talent. With Pogge coming around and Toskala's value incresing every game if the leafs ever were in a position to move one of them that top 6 would be easily had.Hossa is up for grabs in the offseason and the leafs will have more then enough cap space to sign him if they wanted. Also Campbel will be up for grabs as well. I dont think the leafs need another puck moving D I am just saying if they wanted him he could be had. There have been rumblings that he wants to go back to the east because of personal reasons.Also the option of Offer sheets do exsist as well. Im sure that the flames will loose Langkow and I see him as a top 6 forward.Husleius is up for grabs as well as Morrison in Vancouver. There are many options for the leafs.
For a few years however, they do need to take the building approach. Build through the draft. I like the direction that the Leafs are starting to take. Just like the Raptors, the Leafs brass have realized that that is working for that team, why not try it with the Leafs. As long as the GM will have written autonomy, this team will be better than ever. Its not only the richest franchise, it will start to become a contending franchise if done right. I see a lot of indications that that is going to happen.
You can take Huselius if you want, he's terribly inconsistent and will prove to be overpaid...
Would you really want Hossa in a Leaf uniform? From a fan perspective thats an aweful risk.. no heart there in my oppinion. Cambell would be stellar if they unload/buyout Mccabe but is that really much of a step forward at roughly the same pricetag? With Kubina heating up the way he has I'm starting to think he may actually demand a good price to trade during June. (the clause in his contract allows his no trade to be vetoed for a set amount of time after missing the post season in his final year?? something to that degree anyhow. or do you keep him and hope this is the pavel of the Lightning days??!! tough on at 5mil.