The Hockey Thread

[The Sultan of Swank]

Being out in Niagara now, I've had to watch Habs games streaming online, which is kind of shitty... then again, until last night where they surprisingly not only won IN New Jersey, but looked pretty good doing it, there wasn't much reason to want to watch.

If Toronto gives up Kaberle for their 1st back, I dunno... I feel like it'd be a terrible trade. It would in effect make the already terrible Kessel trade even worse. Kaberle(A top 5 d man in the East), a 1st and a 2nd for Kessel... It would slowly be putting it into the ridiculous.

I mean... going into this season, Toronto had to be thinking, yes we've got a tougher team, and Komisarek did play great in Montreal and Beauchemin was great in Anaheim.... so a playoff spot was definitely something that seemed attainable. Giving up 2 first rounders for Kessel was just short sighted in my opinion. I know you gotta give if you want to recieve, but now Burkie sees that Toronto is possible to have a lottery spot, so now he's going to give up the best and most consistent player on the team to get the #2 or #3 pick back? Maybe I'm just not seeing something, but I hope for Toronto's sake they keep Kaberle.

[The Sultan of Swank]

I think it might be fair to say, that considering we got screwed and have played more games than any team, the back to back on wed/thurs could well possibly determine the course of the team.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Everything that's wrong with the Leafs explained in Darren Dreger's short profile of Stajan (emphasis mine):

Toronto's top-line centre will likely fit comfortably on most teams second or third lines and may fetch a decent prospect or draft picks in return.

[Toe]

The Leafs are such a depressing team. They started the season with some hope - an improved defence and a healthy goaltender. Then, they started with such a horrible streak. Of course, they rebounded and made sure all Leafs fans saw that they were close to a playoff spot. Now, they have just tanked. Over the last three or four seasons, I have tried to not miss a single game. Now, I am at a point where I would rather just read the article on TSN.

I am actually getting angry at this team. The main problems from last year were defence and goaltending. Now, it looks like the team cannot score worth shit and the defence is still pretty lame. Oh, and the goaltending has barely improved.

The Toronto Maple Leafs may be killing something that I used to enjoy - and they never made the playoffs in the last 3/4 years. I still watched and enjoyed it then.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Doomed to be a .500 team. After dismantling the Devils and Rangers on the weekend, Montreal shit the bed against 2 weak teams and could have put themselves right out of the playoffs. Having played the most games in the East and not being in the top 6... or even 8 for that matter.... yeah we're boned. But I'm sure this weekend they'll do something like beat Ottawa 7-1 and then rattle off a few more wins before dropping 5 before the break or some such shit.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Garnet Exelby and Jamal Mayers think they deserve more ice time then they're getting, so they'd like a trade.

Obvious question - if you're not good enough to play every day for the Leafs, what makes you think you'd get to play every day for a better team?

[Toe]

I think they are UFAs at the end of the year, so if they aren't traded they will be still be gone at the end of the season. Mayers and Exelby have both been marginal players, so it would not be a loss.

[Plubby]

Empee: Different systems work for different players, perhaps? Not everyone can work within the "Dances with Wolves on Ice whilst clucking like a chicken" system.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Exelby and Mayers have never been more than fringe NHLers anyhow though.

[Gabriel]

While that is true, both men will be attractive options for teams looking to add toughness and veteran depth heading into the post-season.

Burke should take advantage of this situation and dump their salaries while re-stocking draft picks. Doesn't matter what picks he can get. Just get something. Should also make room for 1 or 2 permanent call-ups from the Marlies that can help offensively.

[TGWL]

yeah we're boned. But I'm sure this weekend they'll do something like beat Ottawa 7-1 and then rattle off a few more wins before dropping 5 before the break or some such shit

That's exactly how the rangers are(beating Montreal and Tampa, than being awful for the next 4-5 games.) and a few other teams in the east are like that. Too inconsistant, and all it takes is a 5 game winning streak to roll past a few teams here. It's a very weak bottom 8-10 teams.

Burke should take advantage of this situation and dump their salaries while re-stocking draft picks. Doesn't matter what picks he can get. Just get something. Should also make room for 1 or 2 permanent call-ups from the Marlies that can help offensively.

That I agree with. Get some playing time for younger players who can learn and make a few mistakes without getting benched.

Edited January 29, 2010 by thisgamewelose

[SeanDMan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QmNuilDi7o

I've seen most of those, but Number 7 I hadn't seen. It's going to be hillariously tragic when he paralyzes himself doing some absurd off ice stunt.

[caucasianheat]

Garnet Exelby and Jamal Mayers think they deserve more ice time then they're getting, so they'd like a trade.

Obvious question - if you're not good enough to play every day for the Leafs, what makes you think you'd get to play every day for a better team?

Eh. A team like Montreal with suspect toughness would be wise to scoop a player like Mayers. He's not a heavyweight but will fight and has some upside in the faceoff circle and on PK as well. Any team potentially matching up with Philly in the playoffs could show interest as Mayers has proven he can handle Carcillo et al. Detroit was after him at last year's deadline IIRC as well.

Exelby I don't see moving as I can't see him being an upgrade for anyone's bottom pair in the league. No clue why they even took him on when they had Jonas Frogren to play the same minutes and do the same thing for considerably less.

Watching a hasty rebuild deconstruct and abort itself is pretty odd stuff.

[Toe]

Garnet Exelby and Jamal Mayers think they deserve more ice time then they're getting, so they'd like a trade.

Obvious question - if you're not good enough to play every day for the Leafs, what makes you think you'd get to play every day for a better team?

Eh. A team like Montreal with suspect toughness would be wise to scoop a player like Mayers. He's not a heavyweight but will fight and has some upside in the faceoff circle and on PK as well. Any team potentially matching up with Philly in the playoffs could show interest as Mayers has proven he can handle Carcillo et al. Detroit was after him at last year's deadline IIRC as well.

Exelby I don't see moving as I can't see him being an upgrade for anyone's bottom pair in the league. No clue why they even took him on when they had Jonas Frogren to play the same minutes and do the same thing for considerably less.

Watching a hasty rebuild deconstruct and abort itself is pretty odd stuff.

I think Burke just liked him over Frogren because Exelby is Canadian. Also, Toronto probably had to take on someone in the Kubina trade.

[Gabriel]

Watching the Leafs game tonight, and talking with my dad about the deadline and how our Flames are doing, I had a bit of an idea.

The Flames were talked about as a frontrunner for Ilya Kovalchuk, but the price was supposed to be a top roster player and a draft pick... and if Kovy isn't coming back next year, it's a pretty steep price. BUT, here's what I was thinking... Olli Jokinen, who's contract is also up at season's end, and Dion Phaneuf out to Atlanta for say Ilya Kovalchuk and Colby Armstrong.

Armstrong is exactly the type of player that works well under a Sutter system, and Kovalchuk provides the goal scorer we so desperately need. Jokinen isn't producing and can be replaced by Mikael Backlund if need be. That's not to say he can't produce though, because in the Eastern Conference with Florida, he was a beast. Phaneuf has some term on his deal and has become expendable, with Aaron Johnson, Staffan Kronwall and Adam Pardy alternating in and out of the 6th spot, but playing better hockey than that. If need be, throw in a draft pick or two.

I don't mind getting Kovalchuk for just a rental period, but I think we need a piece that we can add for next year too, and Colby Armstrong is a perfect fit.

Also, I was thinking since the Leafs might be looking to take advantage of teams who need to dump salary... send one or both Jokinen and Phaneuf there, in exchange for a combination of guys like Niklas Hagman, John Mitchell and Matty Stajan.

[Toe]

I would be all for the Leafs picking up Jokinen and maybe a pick from Calgary, if it meant a guy like Hagman got to go to a competitive team and the Leafs got more salary cap space going into next season.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Cammelleri, Done. Season, Done.

Barring some miracle, the Habs will not make the second season, and they've likely lost Cammy for the balance of the season...

Toronto to announce Giguere in about 45 min. I wonder who they'll be giving up though... I can't imagine much.

Halak is probably going to be shipped soon as well.... Now if only we could shed the Gomez contract too...

I wish you could trade parts of someone's salary(is that possible?) cause if someone wanted to pick up 3 million or so off the Gomez contract for the next few years... I could live with that. At 4.5 - 5 mil, he's still over payed, but in his last 20 games he has something like 21 points. So... it's not terrible.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Yes because what the Leafs need most is a goalie. This is depressing, and I haven't been a Leafs fan since the Nordiques were around.

[Toe]

If the Leafs are taking a $6 million dollar salary, they HAVE to be getting something else as well. Also, Giguere is an upgrade on Toskala.

Also, it sounds like the Leafs MAY be announcing more then one deal today.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Phaneuf a Leaf. Wow. When Burke was talking about getting bigger and more talented at the start of the year.... well there it is. No idea who or what went the other way, but Toronto doesn't really have anything besides Kessel and Kaberle worth giving, so yeah, Toronto takes on the salary, but that's a great trade for Toronto.

EDIT: Pronger and Phaneuf in the East... Everyone less that 5'11 is dead.

Edited January 31, 2010 by The Sultan of Swank