doktordave

"You heard it someplace, not here."

Pre-July 1 Thoughts for the Leafs.

Looking back, Evgeny Artyukhin, Raffi Torres, and Cheechoo are still out there, If any of these guys get an offer, it is going to be a cheap one. The bulk of pundits think Torres may get an offer once the Kaberle situation is clarified. The other two seem to be on nobody's radar as of Aug 1. Savard has the best chance of going someplace like Calgary, if he goes anyplace at all.


1. Jim Vandemeer is on waivers and earns less than $2.5 million. Could be a great replacement for Jeff Finger if traded or buried in the minors. Tough as nails, smart with the puck, but perhaps not the fastest on his feet. Same age, tougher, cheaper.

2. Marc Savard - No thanks to a guy with a history of concussions and a 7 year contract.
If he's healthy - Bruins have no real reason to trade him. So I'm betting he's not that healthy.

3. Jonathan Cheecho - come July 1, if he's a UFA, then maybe I might offer him a try-out. But no-way I pick him up on waivers or offer a contract until I see him in camp, in shape and motivated.

4. Just a crazy hunch, but Joikenen on Burke's shopping list? (He's 6'3" tall - who knew?) It would be a shocker. More realistic targets? Armstrong, Boogaard, Evgeny Artyukhin, Raffi Torres, Andy Sutton and surprise, surprise...Alexei Ponikarovsky