My maple Leaf pipe dream
Posted 12:33 AM ET | Comments 2
This coming June is going to go a long way in telling us true Leaf fans what we are going to get under this new regime. The way that the Leafs are playing they have no shot at first or second in the June draft. Keep in mind that these scenarios take place if the standings were the same today as they would be at the end of the season. Also let me say that in no way do I think the Leafs will make a lot trades, simply a wish list and if I am overvaluing The Leaf players let me know. All values are deadline deal values or draft day values.
1. Trade Kaberle to Philly for Scott Hartnell and 2009 First round pick (24th). Hartnell could be a great Captain and is young enough to Lead this team when they get competitive.
2. Trade Ponikarovsky to The Wild for Derek Boogaard and 2009 fourth. Boogaard would give the Leafs a true heavy weight and give the wild some depth scoring. The wild are very thin up front.
3. Trade Antropov and White to Washington for Karl Alzner. There has been a lot of talk about the Caps trying to move Nylander, so Antropov would be a great fit beside number 8. White has versatility that would be a great asset for a team pushing through the playoffs. Alzner is a steep price, but for a team that could go a couple of rounds and compete it could be done. I would consider taking Nylander back if the Caps included a pick to dump the salary. (Possibly sending Washington a second in the deal for Nylander and their first.??)
4. Trade Van Ryn, Devereaux and the 24th pick in 2009 to Nashville for Rights to Colin Wilson, and 2009 second round pick. While giving up a first round selection for a rebuilding team is not common Wilson was a 7th overall pick 1 year ago, a very big forward with a lot of skill, and we recoup a pick by gaining the second rounder. Both Van Ryn and Devereaux would give the Preds some needed energy for the playoff push and they get a first round selection on what could be a deep draft.
5. Trade Moore to LA for a third in 2009. Depth for a playoff push.
Now onto Draft day we hold the 7th overall pick.
1. Trade Vesa Toskala and the 7th over all pick to Ottawa for the 4th overall pick and Mike Fisher. Gives Ottawa a solid tender now that Gerber is a UFA and allows the sens to dump the huge contract of Fisher 4.2 for 4 more years.
2. Take Brayden Schenn 4th overall.
3. Trade Matt Stajan, Jiri Tlusty to Colorado for 15th pick in 2009.
4. Take Zack Kassian 15th overall.
New Leafs Team
Hagman - Grabovski- Kulemin
B. Schenn - Fisher - Hartnell
Stepniak - Wilson - Williams
Boogard - Mitchell - Mayers
Schenn - Finger
Alzner - Kubina
Frogren- Stralman
Pogge
UFA to split duty (possibly Mathieu Garon, Gerber, or Antero Niittymaki)
A team with this many new faces would take a while to gel so we would get another long year followed by a top five pick in 2010.
How we get rid of Blake I have no idea. Any suggestions?
1. Trade Kaberle to Philly for Scott Hartnell and 2009 First round pick (24th). Hartnell could be a great Captain and is young enough to Lead this team when they get competitive.
2. Trade Ponikarovsky to The Wild for Derek Boogaard and 2009 fourth. Boogaard would give the Leafs a true heavy weight and give the wild some depth scoring. The wild are very thin up front.
3. Trade Antropov and White to Washington for Karl Alzner. There has been a lot of talk about the Caps trying to move Nylander, so Antropov would be a great fit beside number 8. White has versatility that would be a great asset for a team pushing through the playoffs. Alzner is a steep price, but for a team that could go a couple of rounds and compete it could be done. I would consider taking Nylander back if the Caps included a pick to dump the salary. (Possibly sending Washington a second in the deal for Nylander and their first.??)
4. Trade Van Ryn, Devereaux and the 24th pick in 2009 to Nashville for Rights to Colin Wilson, and 2009 second round pick. While giving up a first round selection for a rebuilding team is not common Wilson was a 7th overall pick 1 year ago, a very big forward with a lot of skill, and we recoup a pick by gaining the second rounder. Both Van Ryn and Devereaux would give the Preds some needed energy for the playoff push and they get a first round selection on what could be a deep draft.
5. Trade Moore to LA for a third in 2009. Depth for a playoff push.
Now onto Draft day we hold the 7th overall pick.
1. Trade Vesa Toskala and the 7th over all pick to Ottawa for the 4th overall pick and Mike Fisher. Gives Ottawa a solid tender now that Gerber is a UFA and allows the sens to dump the huge contract of Fisher 4.2 for 4 more years.
2. Take Brayden Schenn 4th overall.
3. Trade Matt Stajan, Jiri Tlusty to Colorado for 15th pick in 2009.
4. Take Zack Kassian 15th overall.
New Leafs Team
Hagman - Grabovski- Kulemin
B. Schenn - Fisher - Hartnell
Stepniak - Wilson - Williams
Boogard - Mitchell - Mayers
Schenn - Finger
Alzner - Kubina
Frogren- Stralman
Pogge
UFA to split duty (possibly Mathieu Garon, Gerber, or Antero Niittymaki)
A team with this many new faces would take a while to gel so we would get another long year followed by a top five pick in 2010.
How we get rid of Blake I have no idea. Any suggestions?
I'm all for the Maple Leafs taking in salary dumps, but I'm pretty sure we won't be taking in MASSIVE salary dumps like Fisher and Hartnell. They're getting paid a ridiculous amount of money, especilly Hartnell...money only stars should get. I love the idea of trying to pluck Alzner. If we're going to trade Kaberle IMO it would have to be a 1st and an up and coming young player in Philly that would be Giroux or JVR. And at 10th overall I would definitely not take Brayden Schenn. If anything I would try and grab him with our 2nd-1st round pick. At 4th overall I definitely go with either Matt Duchene or Magnus Svennson Paajarvi. I was pretty pro-Brayden Schenn but most scouts regard him as a future 2nd line centre, and we already have a few of those. We need 1st line players. I like the Kassian pick, he looks like he's gonna be a good player, I would even try and grab Ryan O'Reilly with a late 1st round pick, he sounds like a real character kid...and with that 2nd round pick from Nashville maybe Olivier Roy to give us some goaltender depth.
I really like what Hartnell brings to the table. While he is overpaid, the character and grit are qualities that are hard to find on players who have some skill to play the game. A bigger more team oriented Darcy Tucker. Fisher is only on a 4 year deal and could use a change of scenery. MSP, and Duchene have great potential as well. If Schenn is available later than I would take him there, I'm just not sure he'll make it that for down. I want to use him as a power winger. Alzner, Wilson are the two deals I'd really like to see get done. I think that Olli Roy is going to surprise some people. If we could grab Colin Wilson and he and Schenn could play together it would be a helluva combo