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Pucks
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Joined: 10/14/2006
Msg: 3926 | |
| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/20/2007 6:25:32 PM | ^^^^ that would be cool.
I dont see why TO would be upset about this. The area there can defintely support another NHL team there. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/20/2007 6:57:58 PM | New to the thread... I have to say, I miss hockey. Wake me up when September ends... that way the season will start. 
By the way, go teams other than the Flyers!  | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/20/2007 7:21:22 PM | On the Preds possibly moving, there's a number of issues at stake besides the Leafs Entertainment Co., and the Sabres also have territorial rights here as well being within 80 miles of Hamilton. Copps Coliseum isn't exactly a state of the art facility anymore either. If memory serves me correct, it was built in the late 70's...pretty old by today's standards. it would need a total overhaul for more private boxes (where the money really is at the Arena's these days.)
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Little Predators talk at NHL BOG meetings
""The league is not addressing any issues related to franchise relocation. Not to Hamilton or anywhere else. It wasn't discussed at the meeting and there are, at this point, no plans to do so any time soon.
According to one owner, three reasons were given for the league's position: one, the agreement between Predators' owner Craig Leipold and Balsillie is not yet complete; two, Balsillie has not yet submitted a completed application to become an owner to the league; and, three, the Predators have an existing lease with the city of Nashville..."""
http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists/bob_mckenzie/
the city of nashville is balking at the termination of the lease arrangement.
Also,
Nashville fighting to keep Predators
""NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Nashville Predators' fans are fighting back to hold onto their beloved team.
The threat of relocation has hung over the Predators since Craig Leipold announced May 24 he was selling to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie. The co-CEO of Blackberry makers Research in Motion Ltd. told NHL commissioner Gary Bettman he didn't intend to move the team but now is taking season-ticket deposits in Hamilton.
Nashville's best hope?
Sell more tickets - quickly - to keep whoever ends up owning the Predators from escaping because of poor attendance.
"Our Canadian friend thinks we can't sell 14,000 tickets ..," Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Friday. "I think he's underestimated us." ""
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=210932&hubname=nhl
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there's more to both stories if you use the two links...Then you have to deal with the hockey gods in Toronto...Big time payout waiting there for territorial issues for sure. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/20/2007 8:02:42 PM | i just finished reading a bunch of articles on my Leafs. I'm almost tempted to throw out my collection of leaf jerseys after reading a number of these stories. here's a sobering thought or two for Leaf Nation:
Only six other teams -- five of them relatively new to the NHL -- have not appeared in a Cup final since 1967. It may be the only thing the Leafs have in common with the San Jose Sharks, Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Phoenix Coyotes
Of the past 39 Cup titleists (one season was lost to a lockout), only one Cup winner finished below seventh overall in the NHL standings. Thirty of the 38 other champions -- or 79% of winners -- finished in the top four in the league. Over the past 39 seasons, the Leafs have finished in the top four all of once.
Over that same post-Original Six era, 35 of 39 Cup winners finished in the top six in the league. Since the NHL expanded to 21 teams and beyond, the Leafs have been a top-six team just four times, three of them coming in the recent Pat Quinn years.
Paul Maurice has missed the playoffs in 6 of his nine seasons coaching.
Ferguson Jr. is 0 for 2 in making the playoffs as a GM
and Andrew Raycroft has never won a playoff series in his 6 years as a pro.
There's more there if you care to read it...
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2007/06/12/4254358-sun.html | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/20/2007 10:36:16 PM | Yes sly
There is a lot of pain and shame being a leaf fan....
I personally blame Ballard and corporate boxes
There is a lot of pain and shame being a leaf fan....
I personally blame Ballard and corporate boxes
There is a lot of pain and shame being a leaf fan....
I personally blame Ballard and corporate boxes
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/20/2007 11:07:25 PM | here's some of the explanation behind it.:
""Meanwhile, the majority owner of the Maple Leafs recently completed a purchase of the New York Container Terminal on Staten Island, one of four marine containers it has bought for a total of $2.4 billion. Imagine that.
Eugene Melnyk wants to win the Stanley Cup.
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan wants to focus on the acquisitions of low-risk assets with return profiles that are strongly correlated to inflation, making them ideal for paying inflation-indexed pensions.
This is a tale of two hockey towns -- one with living and breathing ownership, one with a storied hockey club owned by a storied pension fund.
Eugene Melnyk has a horse named Marchfield that may win the Queen's Plate on Sunday and a hockey team that just lost the Stanley Cup final and he happened to pay for the best football field in this city on the campus of St. Mike's. He is a sportsman, a player, this is his team, these are his decisions.
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan is the majority owner of the 18th-best team in the National Hockey League, two years running. While the Leafs were out of the playoffs, the Teachers were not, acquiring an airport in Birmingham, England; a water supply distribution company in Chile; and opening a branch office overseas to further search for investment opportunities. In business terms, that's a Gordie Howe hat trick....
LIFE'S NOT FAIR ...Meanwhile Muckler, more qualified than John Ferguson Jr. to be a general manager, more successful than Paul Maurice as a coach, is out of work. Life's not fair and here is proof. Ferguson, who has missed the playoffs in his only two seasons where he was fully in charge of the Leafs, remains day to day as general manager, until further notice. Maurice, who has missed the playoffs in six of his nine NHL seasons, will return to coach.
Muckler, with a hand full of Stanley Cup rings, is looking for a job.
The Teachers, meanwhile, are encouraged not by Friday night's draft but by the fact that BCE has undertaken a process to enhance shareholder value. With free agency coming, that has to mean something.
In the interim, Melnyk fired the general manager who didn't win the Cup. He got there, just didn't finish the job. Melnyk saw an Anaheim team beat up on his Senators, with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and Dustin Penner, all of whom were acquired by Murray when the latter was general manager of the Ducks.
Winning is Melnyk's only goal with the Senators...
The Teachers' goal is to sell their shares in the Leafs eventually for more than they paid for them. That is their only goal. They have no pulse, no opinion, no clue. The board of MLSEL is like a hung jury -- it can't make important decisions.
So the 18th-place Leafs, in an ever-competitive NHL, are falling further and further from contention without reacting in any conceivable way..."""
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Toronto/2007/06/19/4272726-sun.html
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The Raptors proved over the last year what a difference a year can make with the right guy pulling the trigger on a few deals over on the basketball side of Leaf Entertainment, to shake up and give a roster a whole new look and a whole new attitude..
.this Leaf team lacks heart and attitude and perseverance and discipline, and has for a couple of years now...hell if melnyk can gas the GM that got him to the Final, why the heck are we hanging onto a guy that keeps managing us to 18th...time to cut the cord before the draft...this club needs new direction | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 3:41:05 AM | | Awww poor Leafs. :( Well the Fall brings a new season for them. At this rate, only the Leafs haven't went to the Finals since the Canadiens won it in '93. Since them all 3 Western Canadian teams and Ottawa lost in 7 games (5 for the Senators). | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 4:56:36 AM | thats right...
i blame the ontario teachers
and mats sundin
and everyone that buys leaf mercandise...
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pray for us paul henderson...
thats right...
i blame the ontario teachers
and mats sundin
and everyone that buys leaf mercandise...
...
pray for us paul henderson...
thats right...
i blame the ontario teachers
and mats sundin
and everyone that buys leaf mercandise...
...
pray for us paul henderson... | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 5:17:02 AM |
this Leaf team lacks heart and attitude and perseverance and discipline, and has for a couple of years now...hell if melnyk can gas the GM that got him to the Final, why the heck are we hanging onto a guy that keeps managing us to 18th...time to cut the cord before the draft...this club needs new direction
I've been saying this for 2 years now.
Start at the top....Get Rid of Ferguson!
I've been a Leafs fan since I can remember,but,what we have is NOT a team anymore..
simply a corporation.I think most Leafs fans feel the same way.
And ,I think that's the biggest fear of the Leafs Corporation ,in the thoguht of a team coming to Hamilton.Not the possibility of a competitive team close by,but moreso,the possibility of losing seat sales to a Hamilton.
Yes,Hamilton would have to revamp Copps ,but the ticket prices,concession prices,parking prices would most likely be much lower than they are in TO,and fans WILL travel 45 miles to get those savings.
Most Leaf fans in my area (Niagara) will make the trek to Buffalo to see them play there.
Why?Cost. | |
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Pucks
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Joined: 10/14/2006
Msg: 3935 | |
| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 8:44:23 AM | Leafs fan here too. I have been almost ashamed at times the past couple years vowing for true blue. I mean they have been so inconsistent.
Ferguson has done little to impress me. Maurice while only coach one year has yet to do impress me either.
I'd say strick 3 and your out. If the leafs do not make the playoffs Feguson and Maurice should be removed.
I think Ferguson needs to get a real number 1 goalie.....Raycroft is not that.
I think Ferguson needs to get some help for Sundin......i feel sorry for Mats. the guy averages a point a game but gets squat for help. Aside from Tucker there really is no other offensive threat on the Leafs team.
Defence with Kaberle, McCabe, Kubina, Gil is fine if they can friggin stay healthy.
Come on Fergo makes some moves that actually help the team. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 10:44:15 AM | Ferguson blames it on injuries...figures. While i do admit, we had some pretty heavy injuries, I thought Paul Maurice was boasting early last season when they came out of the gate faster than expected that it was their conditioning from pre-season camp that would make the difference. If that were the case, then the Leafs wouldn't have finished dead last in the league in 3rd period goals against. Dead last!
5 million a year was way too much for Kubina, but not when we consider the foolish contract Ferguson gave McCabe, a constant whiner in the dressing room.
Giving McCabe a no-movement clause in his contract was foolish. If Kaberle wasn't feeding him on the point from the other side he'd have zilch on the power play. Plus he's actually a liability on defence when it comes time to actually play defence.
Only Washington, Boston and Philly had worst goals against in the East, so the defence and the goaltending just plain sucks. Of all the goalies that played over half their teams games, only three had a worse save percentage (.894) than Raycroft.
Wade Belak is our enforcer...Ya Ok...Nothing against him, because I do like him, but he can't even scrap Chris Neal, let alone McGratton.
Sundin, at 36, has to be looked at now much like Selanne this past year. A great guy to have on your club, but it was the Penner's the Getzlafs, and the Perry's, plus two studs back on defence that won the Cup, with Giggy Giguere being also a Stanley Cup calibre goalie which he proved not only this year, but also in the Ducks amazing run in 03.
I say ship McCabe to Long Island in a blockbuster multi-player swap for Ryan Smith...Give the Islanders three of our third liners plus McCabe to free up salary space to go after the Tampa defenceman Stuart.
Most of our forwards are thirdliners anyway, so it doesn't matter that much which 3, but Jeff O'Neil's played with his head up his @rse since coming to the leafs, and i have no idea how many more years we're going to give Antropov before we realize he's physically just another injury waiting to happen, plus he's a slow skater in this new era. We could throw in Travis Green, a bag of pucks and the rights to Carl Brewer, Robert Reichel and Mikeal Renberg. Garth Snow's not that swift a guy; He might bite on that one.
Blow up the team. Half the posters in here could manage this hockey club better than Ferguson does. He's trying to tweak his club just so they can get back to the Playoffs. That's a loser for a GM if I ever seen one. He should be tweaking his club to challenge for the East; then he would automatically make the playoffs. Honestly, how did this guy ever have the moxy to put the run to Quinn? Quinn gave us some of our best years after the great job Cliff Fletcher did turning our franchise around in the early 90's with Douggie Gilmour.
We have a lamer for a GM, a middle of the road goalie, an overpriced set of defencemen, and a whole bunch of nobody's and also ran's up front. Kilger, Green, Battaglia and O'Neil? Umm...Ok...Kilger improved last year a bit, but my mother could have scored 30 goals the way Lindros set him up the year before before Lindros got hurt (again).
Keep Steen, Tucker, Stajan, Sundin, Ponyboy, Wellwood, Peca, Kaberle, Kubina and place the rest of the team on waivers without recall.
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 10:47:58 AM | Off-Season Game Plan: Maple Leafs
Scott Cullen
5/14/2007 5 56 PM
http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/columnists/scott_cullen/?ID=207701
""...Judging by the indications since the season finished, however, the Leafs appear that they will look a lot like the team that finished last season one point out of the playoffs, with a couple of additional signings representing the tweaking needed to overcome that small point deficit.
At least that's how it sounds when John Ferguson Jr. breaks down the season. "We had some real injuries to deal with, and unfortunately that did slow us up at different times of the year," general manager John Ferguson Jr. told the Canadian Press at season's end. "And I thought we overcame that pretty well. The players came in and did a very capable job even bordering on outstanding. But we were No. 1 in the league to man games lost to injury in what turned out to be the toughest division in the East and probably in the league to qualify."
Though Ferguson is well-renowned for keeping his cards close to the vest, that doesn't sound like a summer full of bold moves is forthcoming so long as Ferguson is calling the shots.
There is the possibility that Leafs management could axe the oft-criticized Ferguson and bring in a new general manager, who also might be more inclined to bring in sweeping changes. Considering how tenuous Ferguson's future with the franchise appears to be, one-year contract extensions notwithstanding, maybe that will be the more likely source of change in the organization.
Since the Leafs were oh-so-close to making the playoffs last season, they can easily convince themselves, if not all of their fans, that tweaking their existing core is all that is needed to get right back into the playoffs where anything can happen.
That kind of sales pitch has been going on for some years now, and any shift in direction will be a departure from the tradition that has resulted in a Cup drought that now exceeds 40 seasons.
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Returning Forwards
Player TSN.ca Rating Salary
Mats Sundin 81.01 $5.32M
Alexei Ponikarovsky 75.51 $1.58M
Kyle Wellwood 74.56 $950K
Darcy Tucker 72.70 $3.0M
Boyd Devereaux 69.30 $550K
Alexander Steen 68.14 $870K
Matt Stajan 66.48 $950K
Chad Kilger 65.97 $800K
John Pohl 63.11 $475K
Free Agent Forwards
Player TSN.ca Rating Class
Nik Antropov 74.09 UFA
Jeff O'Neill 70.54 UFA
Yanic Perreault 69.72 UFA
Bates Battaglia 65.68 UFA
Michael Peca 64.46 UFA
Travis Green 57.58 UFA
Top Prospects: Jiri Tlusty, Nikolai Kulemin, Jeremy Williams
The ongoing search for a complement to Mats Sundin continues. While Sundin did managed just one goal in the final 20 games of the season, he was still effective overall and it's an uphill battle when his wingers are Alexei Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov.
While Ponikarovsky is an improving two-way winger, he's not necessarily first-line material and Antropov is too inconsistent (not to mention too frequently injured) to be counted on for such a role.
Entering the summer, Toronto can hit the free agent market looking for one possible premier attraction to join Sundin on the first line.
Among the top scoring wingers available, Ryan Smyth, Dainius Zubrus, Brendan Shanahan, Ladislav Nagy, Paul Kariya and Todd Bertuzzi would all figure to generate varying degrees of interest.
Kyle Wellwood has the hands and instincts to be a point producer, though zero penalty minutes in 48 games indicates that a tad more aggressiveness would be helpful.
For all his critics, Darcy Tucker was a critical part of Toronto's power play last season. He's useful in a second-line role, and adds the kind of feistiness that Wellwood lacks.
Young forwards Alexander Steen and Matt Stajan aren't big scorers, but play well enough at both ends and have some untapped offensive upside. Rather than place unreasonable expectations upon them, the Leafs would be better off starting Steen and Stajan as the core of the third line entering the season. Should they emerge more offensively, then it's a good problem to have.
That leaves blue collar workers Boyd Devereaux, John Pohl and Chad Kilger for primarily fourth line duty. All three chipped in offensively last season (combining to score 35 goals) which is a pretty good return for a modest financial investment.
When trying to round out the forward units, the Leafs could look at the likes of Petr Sykora, Taylor Pyatt, Scott Hartnell, Mike Comrie and Scott Walker as players capable of adding some goals, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that soon-to-be 41 year-old Gary Roberts could return.
If the Leafs could land a couple of forwards that can put the puck in the net, that's enough to open the season with some optimism.
Returning Defencemen
Player TSN.ca Rating Salary
Bryan McCabe 80.99 $7.15M
Tomas Kaberle 78.42 $4.25M
Pavel Kubina 73.41 $5M
Hal Gill 70.70 $2.08M
Wade Belak 58.10 $625K
Free Agent Defencemen
Player TSN.ca Rating Class
Carlo Colaiacovo 71.90 RFA
Ian White 71.31 RFA
Top Prospects: Staffan Kronwall, Anton Stralman, Dmitri Vorobiev
While the money allocated to Toronto's defence is a problem, because it limits the Leafs' options at other positions, the overall unit isn't all that bad. No team, not even Anaheim with Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer, has $17-million tied up in their top four defencemen, making Toronto's approach, at best, unconventional.
Bryan McCabe's errors are among the most glaring in the game, but he is, nevertheless, a plus player and his hammer from the point is a real weapon on the power play.
Tomas Kaberle doesn't offer much physically, but the rest of his game is superb, and his increased aggressiveness at the offensive end makes him even more effective.
Perhaps the most egregious salary on the Leafs' blueline belongs to Pavel Kubina. An early-season knee injury slowed his acclimation to the Maple Leafs last year, but Kubina actually played well from January on. Maybe not $5-million well, but he's still solid in the top four.
Hal Gill, while not seemingly a natural fit in the new NHL, did have a team-best plus-11 and was an integral part of the penalty killing unit.
Ian White and Carlo Colaiacovo are a couple of young defencemen with potential, though Colaiacovo has to prove he can stay healthy for any sustained length of time before he's ready to climb the depth chart.
White is undersized, but has the skills that should warrant more power play time in the future.
Wade Belak is the enforcer, and bounces back and forth between forward and defence, depending on where he best fits in the lineup on any given night.
Returning Goaltenders
Player TSN.ca Rating Salary
Andrew Raycroft 63.10 $2M
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Jean-Sebastien Aubin 43.03 UFA
Top Prospects: Justin Pogge
Andrew Raycroft may have set a team record with 37 wins, but there were only three goaltenders that played more than half of their teams' games that had save percentages worse than Raycroft's .894.
Since Jean-Sebastien Aubin is an unrestricted free agent, that leaves an opening for the Leafs to bring in another goaltender, potentially one that could push Raycroft if he doesn't perform better next year.
Barring a trade for a more established starter-calibre goaltender (and that option should be explored), Toronto could look at borderline starters like unrestricted free agents Mathieu Garon, Johan Holmqvist or Jocelyn Thibault. Otherwise, a restricted free agent like Philadelphia's Antero Niittymaki, for example, might be a worthy challenger for the position.
DRAFT
13th - Mikael Backlund, Angelo Esposito, Logan Couture, Colton Gillies
FREE AGENCY
The Maple Leafs have approximately $36-million committed to salaries for next season.
Needs: Three top nine forwards, backup goaltender
TRADE MARKET
Kubina, Steen, Stajan, Raycroft
http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/columnists/scott_cullen/?ID=207701
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Leafs may make front office move
6/19/2007 6 41 PM
The potential for change in the Toronto Maple Leafs front office remains a developing story.
Sources say the Leafs are strongly considering creating a new position of Director or President of Hockey Operations.
Names like Scotty Bowman, John Muckler and Craig Patrick have been tossed around the media, although Bowman is believed to be the candidate of choice...
http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists/darren_dreger/
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Muckler headed to Maple Leafs?
6/18/2007 8:05:41 PM
....Although possible, its unlikely Muckler will get offered another managers post, but his wealth of knowledge and time invested in the game carries great value.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are believed to be quietly searching for a senior hockey presence. A veteran hockey man Leafs general manager John Ferguson, among others, will be able to lean on for guidance. The position remains just a concept, but already the names of highly decorated candidates such as Scotty Bowman have surfaced.
John Muckler's name will be on the Maple Leafs list and Muckler will have interest in investigating what this newly created position entails. However, a source close to the Maple Leafs says the team hasn't signed off on when, or if they will move forward with this plan.
http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists/darren_dreger/?ID=211210
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Leafs have tight summer budget
Ryan Smyth, Daniel Briere, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury are the cream of the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent crop and the Toronto Maple Leafs will make inquiries about each of them.
With less than $10-million to spend the Leafs will drive into the market with a priority list that includes a scoring winger to work alongside Mats Sundin, a two-way centre with names like Scott Hartnell, Gary Roberts and Keith Tkachuk being tossed around the boardroom, and an upgrade in goal, arguably Toronto's most pressing need.
The Maple Leafs' goal differential finished the regular season 19th overall, 27th overall if you isolate the third period, which speaks to blown leads and inconsistant netminding.
Manny Fernandez is of interest to the Maple Leafs, although Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough will temporarily resist in hopes of stirring the market.
Vesa Toskala would be an upgrade for the Maple Leafs, but he's unrestricted next summer and San Jose's asking price is believed to be too high.
However, the feeling is Toronto may face another season of disappointment if Andrew Rayroft isn't better, or he isn't replaced by someone who is.
The shopping list is long and the funds will be tight, so a combination of free agent spending and off-season trading will be necessary to cover the task.
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Top defensemen always draw a crowd.
Sheldon Souray, Scott Hannan, Brad Stuart and Kimmo Timonen are prime unrestricted free agent targets for a lot of NHL teams.
But, scratch below the surface and you'll find two prominent blueliners who despite their contract status might be considered available, to the right team.
Bryan McCabe still has four years remaining on a deal that averages $5.75 million per year. He also has a "no movement" clause which some suggest he would waive for one team, the New York Islanders.
If the Islanders can't re-sign Ryan Smyth or Jason Blake, they'll need to make a splash. The Maple Leafs won't initiate a discussion, but with 8 defensemen soon to be under contract they might listen.
Freeing up valuable cap space to enable the Leafs to be a contender for top free agent players is very appealing.
This is a distinct possibility.
Wade Redden's future in Ottawa is also in question.
Redden has another year remaining on his contract at $6.5 million before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Rumours of interest from the Edmonton Oilers won't go away.
Like McCabe, Redden holds the cards because of a no-trade, but Edmonton is close to home for him and he would most certainly consider a move to Alberta. It's unlikely Ottawa allows him to walk without compensation in 2008, which is why the next two weeks leading up to the draft may be very interesting.
http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_talent/columnists/darren_dreger/?ID=210396
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 11:54:29 AM | | Leafe resign Sundin...Can you say missed playoffs again! | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 2:46:28 PM |
Giving McCabe a no-movement clause in his contract was foolish. If Kaberle wasn't feeding him on the point from the other side he'd have zilch on the power play. Plus he's actually a liability on defence when it comes time to actually play defence.
Sly...you have no idea how much I agree with this!
There isn't a team out there that doesn't have McCabe's number,particularly on power plays.He's a one-trick pony..no finesse.
I really do hate McCabe.Worst contract they ever signed.
Raycroft's play last season was pitiful.I would have much rather seen Aubin in goal a few more times.
For a team that has so much money locked into their defense,they should be getting far better results from them. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 6:00:33 PM |
Most Leaf fans in my area (Niagara) will make the trek to Buffalo to see them play there.Why? Cost.
Yes i have friends from back home there with seasons tickets for the Sabres. have been for decades.
"""Hamilton relocation won't bother Sabres
... locating a franchise in the Southern Ontario city some 110 kilometres west of Buffalo, potentially drawing from the Sabres fan base. Buffalo counts about 12 per cent of its season-ticket holders from Ontario's Niagara region...
...It's unclear whether the Sabres would have a case against - or receive compensation from - a team moving to Hamilton. The city is located just outside a 80-kilometre radius that, under an NHL bylaw, is considered the Sabres market."""
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=210833&hubname=nhl
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For a team that has so much money locked into their defense,they should be getting far better results from them.
Yep. They have the most expensive starting 4 defencemen in the league and finished 25th in Goals Against in a 30 team league, and as mentioned, last in 3rd period goals against...Hal Gill +11; Kubina +7; McCabe +3;Kaberle +3. Oh Tom Priesing...who?...Tom Priesing of Ottawa (unrestricted free agent by the way after one year in San Jose and one with the Sens)...80 games +40 last year...
and the leafs just inked a 3 year deal for Carloiacovo for 3.85 million...a concussion waiting to happen. Up and down with the Leafs for 5 seasons now, still has only played 73 games with a lifetime +6.
I guess ferguson must know what he's doing. He played just over half a season (48 games) this past year, after the Leafs gave him a one year contract last summer. The kid has tremendous upside if he can stay healthy long enough to play. Technically, he was a rookie last season:
"""The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a millionaire out of Carlo Colaiacovo, their oft-injured defenceman who has played a grand total of 73 NHL games.
The NHL team announced a US$3.85-million, three-year contract renewal with the 24-year-old blue-liner Thursday.
"He made some great strides, last year especially," said GM John Ferguson Jr., who apparently has a lot of money to spend. "He's got some real good upside...
...Colaiacovo, who grew up in Toronto, appeared in 48 games in 2006-07 and scored eight goals while assisting on nine and getting 22 penalty minutes. He was a plus-5 on the plus-minus scale. Among rookie NHL defencemen, he had the second-most goals and was sixth in points"""
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211501&hubname=nhl
I guess what Ferguson means when he says he made great strides was that it took 4 seasons to play 25 games, and finally just one season to play over half a season...ya, that's it...now i understand his optimism:
""""We look forward to having him as an integral part of our defence for the next three years."""
Yes. So do we all, and have for a number of years now. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/21/2007 10:40:15 PM | Fergie doenst make to much sense on the best of days...
it must have been a rough tough sport or last Tuesday...
corporate leafs how did it come to this ????
Fergie doenst make to much sense on the best of days...
it must have been a rough tough sport or last Tuesday...
corporate leafs how did it come to this ????
Fergie doenst make to much sense on the best of days...
it must have been a rough tough sport or last Tuesday...
corporate leafs how did it come to this ???? | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/22/2007 8:07:11 AM | | Ferguson is a joke for a General Manager. I hope the sign him for 10 more years. I love to laugh at leaf fans. | |
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Pucks
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Joined: 10/14/2006
Msg: 3943 | |
| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/22/2007 5:16:06 PM | Leafs acquire Toskola in trade today.
This is a pretty good move IMO as it adds some depth to the net position. Raycroft played way to much last year and was inconsistent at times so Fergie finally did something that appears to help this team.
Now lets get some help for Sundin. Lots of quality free agents out there and some are not that expensive. P. Sykora, S. Hartnell would be affordable pick ups.
Trade McCabe too . he makes too much damn money. The funds could be used elsewhere. While good on the powerplay he has cost the leafs several games with his slow skating and poor defensive skills.
(Kaberle is much better IMO)
Go leafs Go. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/22/2007 8:33:03 PM | My rangers got the steal of the draft.... In the opinion of the boys on TSN..... Alexei Cherepanov... He was suppose to go in the top 2 places but dropped since the NHL doesn't have a transfer agreement and any team will pay to get him into the NHL.... They said he is the most NHL ready player in the draft.... He's already broken Pavel Bure's rookie record at the under 20 championships..... I am in hockey heaven tonight.......
For all draft coverage-
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211579&hubname= | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/22/2007 10:48:38 PM | First off Sly "you talk too much ..........way too much"
Second I am heartsick about the Sens Stanley Cup Final crash
It has taken me almost two weeks to get over the pitiful 5 game mismatch
and I'm still asking myself "what the **** happened ?"
Too long a lay off ? ,Calls weighted in Ducks favour ? ,No guts ? I don't know.........
I do know this The Sens are better with Redden and Alfi does want it as bad as me
and whats done is done and we can do nothing until next year
So lets move on Leaf fans ,,even with a goalie you still SUCK
and Ryan Smyth wants a cup guess who he thinks he can get it with ???
I also have to retract the shit I said about the Ducks line of Getslaf Perry and Penner
they are better than I thought ...oh well live and learn eh ?
anyway the draft means nothing for at least two years but Russians are still are crap shoot so
any team picking them should tighten up their butt cheeks and hope for the best.......
til Sept ...GOSENSGO | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/23/2007 1:14:34 AM | hey if you don't like it, don't read it lyric lover..
2nd, you got nothing to be heartsick about. they had their most successful season yet and they're still a model organization...even if they are the Sens from ottawa...myself, i don''t think the layoff helped them one bit, and it gave them too long to come down emotionally from their two wins over arch rival Sabres and Devils...they were flat and by the time they realized it, they were down two games going home.
Pretty tuff Duck team to have to try and beat 4 out of 5 instead of 4 out of 7. Had the breaks gone their way on the 5 on 3's in the first game, or if they could have still caught a break late in the second game with it tied at zero's, it would have been a longer series. But they did get outplayed this year, but they were the best from the East, and they made it to the Final which isn't easy to do. they learned some hard lessons in the final, but they'll be back.
They learned lots in the final. They'll get another shot. Enjoy your summer and be proud of your team.
====
Yes good move Leafs getting Toskala..this year's draft is quite weak and giving up two picks is next to nothing. Next year's draft is predicted to be a bit stronger, so still they got him for next to nothing really. | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/25/2007 11:11:22 PM | It's amazing that this thread has been in existence since 2005. I still remember the lockout like it was yesterday. It was surely a huge pain of the butt.
I love hockey and have been a hockey and Canucks fan since 1996. Canucks are my home team as I live there. Today (right now it's Monday, June 25, 2007, 11:08PM PDT) is the one-year anniversary of the Luongo trade. It was probably the biggest trade involving the Canucks since the Bure-Jovanovski deal that involved others.
Calling all Canuck fans to post in here to stop all the arguments! GO CANUCKS GO!!!
P.S.: Linden has to return for at least one more season! | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/26/2007 12:03:12 AM | Hey...
wheres Ladybugg? I swear this has gotta be the longest running forum yet! I remember when it just started....
goes to show how many of us love this sport, especially if you are a real fan... esp. if your team is.. the
RED WINGS!!!!!
lol hope youre still around ladybugg to see just how long your threads lasted! | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/26/2007 11:06:53 AM | Oh, you a Detroit fan? They won't win another Cup anytie soon  Damn Wings... it reminds me of my friend's coworker, a Wings fan. We'd argue and diss each other's team sometimes.
Anyway, I take you're, or used to be, a DBZ fan, well, same here 
Ladybugg must've caught a deadly lovebug or that her pc's full of bugs, who knows? | |
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| Hockey anyone?
Posted: 6/26/2007 11:10:02 AM | yeah well look how well the Wings did in what was sposed to be a rebuilding year...
Datsyuk/Zetterberg will be a duo to recon with in the future...
and yeah I still am a DBZ fan, right down to the back tat...
wheres that ladybugg? Still "Oiled" up? | |
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