Turn the clock back 1 year ago to July 2010. The Atlanta Thrashers just completed a trade with the Blackhawks which many consider a brilliant move by Dudley. However, Atlanta is considered a small market team and operates with a lower budget than most teams. Colby Armstrong and Clarke MacArthur were not resigned mostly due to economics when both players could come to an agreement with the Thrashers. Toronto was fortunate to acquire both players.
Dudley is no stranger to small budgets during his stay with Tampa and Florida. With Toronto, Dudley is now part of a management team that is not afraid to spend money on players. Although it may seem ironic that MacArthur would have signed for more money than what was offered last year, no one can say Clarke MacArthur did not deserve it. With Atlanta, Dudley had to make tough calls on who would stay or go. The depth with the Atlanta Thrashers allowed the team to let both players walk away and replace them from within. It was a hockey & business decision. Sometimes, business decisions take more precedence over hockey ones. Armstrong and MacArthur should feel safe as long as they can contribute to the team success.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Are The 2012 Leafs Playoff Bound?
Can the Maples Leafs make the playoffs this year after all the changes on the team?
If you believe the Leafs will make the playoffs then what team(s) will not?
- Washington has added goaltending depth that could see them go far next year. Playoff bound? YES
- Philadelphia got younger and added goaltending. This may be a year where the teams needs to fail in order to succeed. Chances are they will drop in the standings but should still make the playoffs. Playoff bound? YES
- Boston. Stanley Cup Champs. Will they have the desire to repeat or suffer the curse of the Stanley Cup and miss the playoffs? Boston is a young team and have managed to keep most of their players. I see no reason why they should not make the playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- Pittsburgh. With a healthy Crosby, Malkin and Stall the sky is the limit. Without Crosby and Malkin the team still made the playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- Tampa Bay. A surprise team for sure. Stamkos will be back. Losing Gagne and Bergenheim will hurt but were not considered core pieces. Tampa plays with good team defense and can win games on special teams. If Roloson can equal his performance from last season, Tampa Bay will do extremely well. The team is getting older and lacks depth but special teams is the saving grace. Playoffs? Maybe
- Montreal. Losing Wisniewski was offset by getting Markov back. Adding Cole will make up for the loss of Pouliot and Halpern. Losing Hamrlik will allow someone to compete for a spot from within. If Gomez could play to expectations and Eller improves from last season, the Canadiens will improve in the standings. If Price follows up his great season with a poor one, Montreal could be out of the playoffs. This is a contract year for Price. Playoffs? Maybe
- Buffalo. Adding Leino, Ehrhoff, Regehr to any team will make them better. Buffalo was already a young and exciting team. Connolly was lost to FA, but the Sabres can replace his production by committee. Boyes is low on the team depth chart because the team is stacked with talent. If Miller plays average, the Sabres will still make the playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- NY Rangers. Brad Richards will no doubt help this team overall. Parting ways with McCabe, Drury also makes the team better. Losing Gilroy will hurt. Callahan and Dubinsky will get resigned. Keeping Frolov and Prospal would add depth. Lundqvist will continue his spectacular play and keep the Rangers in the hunt. Playoffs? Maybe.
- Carolina. The team got older quickly with the additions of Kaberle and Ponikarovsky. Losing Cole was offset a little by adding Anthony Stewart. Tim Brent adds quality depth. Why are so many ex-Leafs on Carolina? Carolina will have a very hard time to compete for a playoff spot. Playoffs? NO
-New Jersey. Could this be the last season for Martin Brodeur? If not, this is a contract year and if he plans on playing next year he will need to have another outstanding year. Parise will get signed and only solidify the core group of players. This team was light out deadly when all was thought lost they made an unbelievable run for a playoff spot. The team will definitely make a strong case for playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- Toronto. Addressed the need for a center by adding two. Connolly and Lombardi (healthy) add much need depth to the center position. Liles and Frason add more offensive depth to the blueline. Resigning MacArthur guarantees the Leafs have good second line attack. Riemer is believed to be the real deal, and will provide dependable goaltending. Gustavsson could be the dark-horse and outplay Riemer for the starting position. With the improved play from the end of the season and the key additions to the rosters, the Leafs should be more competitive.
Playoffs? Are the Leafs are better than Rangers, Tampa Bay and Montreal? New Jersey will make the playoffs, they are a much better team than the standings show. If Brad Richards is everything he was advertised to be, then the Rangers will surge in the standings and leapfrog over Montreal but not ahead of Tampa Bay, Buffalo or Philadelphia. My belief is that the final playoff spot will be a battle between Montreal, Rangers and Toronto. Do you believe Toronto is a better team than Montreal and the Rangers? With the additions Toronto has made, they put themselves in a position to be better than both. The Rangers and Carolina had rookies who had outstanding seasons but most likely will not be able to repeat in the sophomore season. The Rangers added Richards but lost Drury. Brad Richards will not be the savior people are expecting and will suffer under the intense media scrutiny when his production does not exceed or meet expectations. Montreal did nothing to improve and they were not a bad team to begin with.
2010 Eastern Conference Standings - Final
EASTERN DIV
1 WASHINGTON SE
2 PITTSBURGH ATL
3 BOSTON NE
4 PHILADELPHIA ATL
5 BUFFALO NE
6 TAMPA BAY SE
7 NEW JERSEY ATL
8 TORONTO NE
9 MONTRÉAL NE
10 NY RANGERS ATL
11 WINNIPEG SE
12 CAROLINA SE
13 FLORIDA SE
14 NY ISLANDERS ATL
15 OTTAWA NE
If you believe the Leafs will make the playoffs then what team(s) will not?
Here is the 2010 Eastern Conference Regular Season Standings.
EASTERN DIV GP W L OT PTS
1 Z-WASHINGTON SE 82 48 23 11 107 IMPROVED
2 Y-PHILADELPHIA ATL 82 47 23 12 106 DECLINED
3 Y-BOSTON NE 82 46 25 11 103 SAME
4 X-PITTSBURGH ATL 82 49 25 8 106 IMPROVED++
5 X-TAMPA BAY SE 82 46 25 11 103 SAME
6 X-MONTRÉAL NE 82 44 30 8 96 SAME
7 X-BUFFALO NE 82 43 29 10 96 IMPROVED++
8 X-NY RANGERS ATL 82 44 33 5 93 IMPROVED+
9 CAROLINA SE 82 40 31 11 91 SAME
10 TORONTO NE 82 37 34 11 85 IMPROVED+
11 NEW JERSEY ATL 82 38 39 5 81 IMPROVED++
12 ATLANTA SE 82 34 36 12 80 SAME
13 OTTAWA NE 82 32 40 10 74 SAME
14 NY ISLANDERS ATL 82 30 39 13 73 SAME
15 FLORIDA SE 82 30 40 12 72 SAME
- Washington has added goaltending depth that could see them go far next year. Playoff bound? YES
- Philadelphia got younger and added goaltending. This may be a year where the teams needs to fail in order to succeed. Chances are they will drop in the standings but should still make the playoffs. Playoff bound? YES
- Boston. Stanley Cup Champs. Will they have the desire to repeat or suffer the curse of the Stanley Cup and miss the playoffs? Boston is a young team and have managed to keep most of their players. I see no reason why they should not make the playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- Pittsburgh. With a healthy Crosby, Malkin and Stall the sky is the limit. Without Crosby and Malkin the team still made the playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- Tampa Bay. A surprise team for sure. Stamkos will be back. Losing Gagne and Bergenheim will hurt but were not considered core pieces. Tampa plays with good team defense and can win games on special teams. If Roloson can equal his performance from last season, Tampa Bay will do extremely well. The team is getting older and lacks depth but special teams is the saving grace. Playoffs? Maybe
- Montreal. Losing Wisniewski was offset by getting Markov back. Adding Cole will make up for the loss of Pouliot and Halpern. Losing Hamrlik will allow someone to compete for a spot from within. If Gomez could play to expectations and Eller improves from last season, the Canadiens will improve in the standings. If Price follows up his great season with a poor one, Montreal could be out of the playoffs. This is a contract year for Price. Playoffs? Maybe
- Buffalo. Adding Leino, Ehrhoff, Regehr to any team will make them better. Buffalo was already a young and exciting team. Connolly was lost to FA, but the Sabres can replace his production by committee. Boyes is low on the team depth chart because the team is stacked with talent. If Miller plays average, the Sabres will still make the playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- NY Rangers. Brad Richards will no doubt help this team overall. Parting ways with McCabe, Drury also makes the team better. Losing Gilroy will hurt. Callahan and Dubinsky will get resigned. Keeping Frolov and Prospal would add depth. Lundqvist will continue his spectacular play and keep the Rangers in the hunt. Playoffs? Maybe.
- Carolina. The team got older quickly with the additions of Kaberle and Ponikarovsky. Losing Cole was offset a little by adding Anthony Stewart. Tim Brent adds quality depth. Why are so many ex-Leafs on Carolina? Carolina will have a very hard time to compete for a playoff spot. Playoffs? NO
-New Jersey. Could this be the last season for Martin Brodeur? If not, this is a contract year and if he plans on playing next year he will need to have another outstanding year. Parise will get signed and only solidify the core group of players. This team was light out deadly when all was thought lost they made an unbelievable run for a playoff spot. The team will definitely make a strong case for playoffs. Playoffs? YES
- Toronto. Addressed the need for a center by adding two. Connolly and Lombardi (healthy) add much need depth to the center position. Liles and Frason add more offensive depth to the blueline. Resigning MacArthur guarantees the Leafs have good second line attack. Riemer is believed to be the real deal, and will provide dependable goaltending. Gustavsson could be the dark-horse and outplay Riemer for the starting position. With the improved play from the end of the season and the key additions to the rosters, the Leafs should be more competitive.
Playoffs? Are the Leafs are better than Rangers, Tampa Bay and Montreal? New Jersey will make the playoffs, they are a much better team than the standings show. If Brad Richards is everything he was advertised to be, then the Rangers will surge in the standings and leapfrog over Montreal but not ahead of Tampa Bay, Buffalo or Philadelphia. My belief is that the final playoff spot will be a battle between Montreal, Rangers and Toronto. Do you believe Toronto is a better team than Montreal and the Rangers? With the additions Toronto has made, they put themselves in a position to be better than both. The Rangers and Carolina had rookies who had outstanding seasons but most likely will not be able to repeat in the sophomore season. The Rangers added Richards but lost Drury. Brad Richards will not be the savior people are expecting and will suffer under the intense media scrutiny when his production does not exceed or meet expectations. Montreal did nothing to improve and they were not a bad team to begin with.
2010 Eastern Conference Standings - Final
EASTERN DIV
1 WASHINGTON SE
2 PITTSBURGH ATL
3 BOSTON NE
4 PHILADELPHIA ATL
5 BUFFALO NE
6 TAMPA BAY SE
7 NEW JERSEY ATL
8 TORONTO NE
9 MONTRÉAL NE
10 NY RANGERS ATL
11 WINNIPEG SE
12 CAROLINA SE
13 FLORIDA SE
14 NY ISLANDERS ATL
15 OTTAWA NE
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Leafs Can Roll All Four Lines
The Maple Leafs look very deep and could roll four lines.
Assumptions:
- MacArthur signs
- Schenn signs
- Lombardi is healthy
- Caputi earns a roster spot on 3rd line
- Kadri not demoted to AHL
- Colton Orr on IR / Scratched
FORWARDS (12)
Joffrey Lupul ($4,250,000) Tim Connolly ($4,750,000) Phil Kessel ($5,400,000)
- Connolly has the ability to feed Kessel and Lupul and also score himself. Good defensively, he will be counted on to make this line work. Only question is can he stay healthy.
Nikolai Kulemin ($2,350,000) Mikhail Grabovski ($2,900,000) Clarke MacArthur ($2,900,000)
- This trio just clicked and made life difficult for opponents. Grabovski needs to improve in faceoffs.
Luca Caputi ($525,000) Tyler Bozak ($975,000) Colby Armstrong ($3,000,000)
- If Caputi can manage to stick with Leafs, he can be a useful 3rd line winger molding his game like Armstrong. Bozak and Armstrong play extremely well together on the PK, so they would make an excellent combo. With Caputi, this line can add offense and counted on to shut down other top lines. Bozak has all the offensive tools, just needs to work on his defense.
Mike Brown ($736,667) Matthew Lombardi ($3,500,000) Nazem Kadri ($1,720,000)
-Lombardi slotted on fourth line but could easily be on the 1st. Until we see him play, assume it will take time for Lombardi to find his game. Kadri is still learning the game but suited better on the wing for now.
DEFENSEMEN (7)
Dion Phaneuf ($6,500,000) John-Michael Liles ($4,200,000)
- This could be good and bad. Liles was questioned in the media for his weakness on defense, no one will question is offense. This pairing should be considered an experiment since both can be good on offense and equally porous on defense.
Luke Schenn ($3,933,333) Cody Franson ($800,000)
- Schenn had a breakthrough year after a horrible 2nd year. Franson is very quick on his feet for a big man and can lead the offensive rush knowing Schenn can take care of the other end. Franson, like Liles are not known for their defensive games.
Mike Komisarek ($4,500,000) Carl Gunnarsson ($1,325,000)
-Komisarek should be playing as the top 3rd or 4th defense but he has struggled with the Leafs so far. At the end of last season, his game started to vastly improve. For now, he will be top six getting limited ice time. Gunnarsson and Aulie were both given plenty of opportunity and showed they can handle the rigors of the NHL. Aulie, could take a step back in his second season and might get passed by Gunnarsson on the depth chart.
Keith Aulie ($733,333)
GOALTENDERS (2)
James Reimer ($1,800,000)
Jonas Gustavsson ($1,350,000)
- Reimer has proven himself in the ECHL, AHL and now the NHL. Can he live up to the high expectations in his second season? Gustavsson may be proven in Sweden, but has not proven himself in North America. With the Marlies, once he returned from injuries, he played extremely well before getting called up by the Leafs. Hopefully Gustavsson can learn from Reimer and not explode after letting in a goal.
BUYOUTS (1)
Darcy Tucker ($1,000,000)
Assumptions:
- MacArthur signs
- Schenn signs
- Lombardi is healthy
- Caputi earns a roster spot on 3rd line
- Kadri not demoted to AHL
- Colton Orr on IR / Scratched
FORWARDS (12)
Joffrey Lupul ($4,250,000) Tim Connolly ($4,750,000) Phil Kessel ($5,400,000)
- Connolly has the ability to feed Kessel and Lupul and also score himself. Good defensively, he will be counted on to make this line work. Only question is can he stay healthy.
Nikolai Kulemin ($2,350,000) Mikhail Grabovski ($2,900,000) Clarke MacArthur ($2,900,000)
- This trio just clicked and made life difficult for opponents. Grabovski needs to improve in faceoffs.
Luca Caputi ($525,000) Tyler Bozak ($975,000) Colby Armstrong ($3,000,000)
- If Caputi can manage to stick with Leafs, he can be a useful 3rd line winger molding his game like Armstrong. Bozak and Armstrong play extremely well together on the PK, so they would make an excellent combo. With Caputi, this line can add offense and counted on to shut down other top lines. Bozak has all the offensive tools, just needs to work on his defense.
Mike Brown ($736,667) Matthew Lombardi ($3,500,000) Nazem Kadri ($1,720,000)
-Lombardi slotted on fourth line but could easily be on the 1st. Until we see him play, assume it will take time for Lombardi to find his game. Kadri is still learning the game but suited better on the wing for now.
DEFENSEMEN (7)
Dion Phaneuf ($6,500,000) John-Michael Liles ($4,200,000)
- This could be good and bad. Liles was questioned in the media for his weakness on defense, no one will question is offense. This pairing should be considered an experiment since both can be good on offense and equally porous on defense.
Luke Schenn ($3,933,333) Cody Franson ($800,000)
- Schenn had a breakthrough year after a horrible 2nd year. Franson is very quick on his feet for a big man and can lead the offensive rush knowing Schenn can take care of the other end. Franson, like Liles are not known for their defensive games.
Mike Komisarek ($4,500,000) Carl Gunnarsson ($1,325,000)
-Komisarek should be playing as the top 3rd or 4th defense but he has struggled with the Leafs so far. At the end of last season, his game started to vastly improve. For now, he will be top six getting limited ice time. Gunnarsson and Aulie were both given plenty of opportunity and showed they can handle the rigors of the NHL. Aulie, could take a step back in his second season and might get passed by Gunnarsson on the depth chart.
Keith Aulie ($733,333)
GOALTENDERS (2)
James Reimer ($1,800,000)
Jonas Gustavsson ($1,350,000)
- Reimer has proven himself in the ECHL, AHL and now the NHL. Can he live up to the high expectations in his second season? Gustavsson may be proven in Sweden, but has not proven himself in North America. With the Marlies, once he returned from injuries, he played extremely well before getting called up by the Leafs. Hopefully Gustavsson can learn from Reimer and not explode after letting in a goal.
BUYOUTS (1)
Darcy Tucker ($1,000,000)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Gilmour, Nieuwendyk and Belfour called to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
It was a long wait for Gilmour and Belfour but today they got word they will be inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Leaf Nation is hoping Pat Burns will get his turn soon.
Brooks Laich Signs With Washington
What is a player worth? If you consider the maximum NHL roster size is 23 and the salary cap is $64 million, on average each player would be worth $2.78 mil. If you consider the minimum NHL roster size of 20 and cap, then on average each player would be worth $3.2 mil. The average of both figures is $2.99 mil per roster player. Many would consider Laich an above player for his team since he is a well rounded depth hockey player with offensive upside.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Scott Gomez Toronto Bound?
Montreal recently signed Andrei Markov to a contract with a cap hit of $5.75 mil per season for three years. The cap payroll currently sits above $49 million leaving approximately 15 million to spend for Montreal. Montreal still has six UFA and six RFA to sign with some high notable players on that list including James Wisniewski, Josh Gorges, Roman Hamrlik, , Brent Sopel and Benoit Pouliot. Josh Gorges could easily be in the $4.5 - $5.5 million range and this could go to arbitration. James Wisniewski was in the $3.25 and will be looking for a raise in the $4 - 4.5 million range. Assuming these two players take up $10 million leaving only $5 million to sign 10 players, something has to give.
You don't have to look very far to see what pieces can be removed from the roster for cap relief and still not disturb the core of the team. Scott Gomez has a target on his back with a commanding $+7 million and declining salary. Toronto is in the fortunate position to absorb the cap hit for two more years.
You don't have to look very far to see what pieces can be removed from the roster for cap relief and still not disturb the core of the team. Scott Gomez has a target on his back with a commanding $+7 million and declining salary. Toronto is in the fortunate position to absorb the cap hit for two more years.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Leafs Acquire John-Michael Liles
Tomas Kaberle was traded to Boston for prospect Joe Colborne, 1st round draft pick (30th overall), and Boston's 2nd round pick in 2012. Burke has managed to turn the conditional pick into John Michael Liles.
Trade now breaks down to this:
Toronto Acquired:
Boston Acquired:
Colorado Acquired:
John-Michael Liles is on the last year of his contract and was battling a concussion, he will be looking to perform well in a contract year. Despite the shortened season, Liles put up good numbers for an offensive defenseman with 76-6-40. JML adds more than offense to the back-end for the Leafs, he could be a big boon to the Leafs by adding the offensive presence on the back end and his quick puck moving skills. His speed will allow the team to utilize their speed and skill. The passing skill on the blueline jumped up exponentially. The power play will improve greatly now that JML can quarterback.
Trade now breaks down to this:
Toronto Acquired:
- Joe Colborne (2008 1st round, 16th overall)
- 2011 1st round pick, 30th overall
- John-Michael Liles (2000 159th overall)
Boston Acquired:
- Tomas Kaberle (1996 204th overall)
Colorado Acquired:
- Boston 2012 2nd round pick
John-Michael Liles is on the last year of his contract and was battling a concussion, he will be looking to perform well in a contract year. Despite the shortened season, Liles put up good numbers for an offensive defenseman with 76-6-40. JML adds more than offense to the back-end for the Leafs, he could be a big boon to the Leafs by adding the offensive presence on the back end and his quick puck moving skills. His speed will allow the team to utilize their speed and skill. The passing skill on the blueline jumped up exponentially. The power play will improve greatly now that JML can quarterback.
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