Bye Bye Blogger...

Maple Stir-up has now been moved to maplestirup.com

Overhaul almost complete

After the Ponikarovsky trade to the Stanley Cup defending Pittsburgh Penguins, which I called many-a blog ago, the overhaul of the Maple Leafs has taken another step in the new (hopefully right) direction. I’m not trying to toot my own horn or anything. Anyone could have seen that trade coming for months. It’s just some people decided to put a lot of teams into the Poni sweepstakes that were far from true. I really believe Pitt was the front-runner from the get-go, with Montreal and Atlanta also dabbling.

When I spoke to a friend today, who is another rabid Leafs fan, we discussed how insane this whole overhaul has been. It’s like trades and players we’ve all discussed in the past are coming to fruition in a pretty abrupt fashion. The old Leafs squad from the days of Quinn and eventually JFJ, are simply over. We all knew that when JFJ was fired, and talks of Brian Burke started up, that the Leafs would be overhauled because of their knack for failure. Little did we know that it would actually happen. I know that sounds stupid: “We expected it, but it’s surprising.” But put simply, us Leafs fans have expected a lot from the biggest franchise in hockey history, and we’ve been let down time and time again. So it’s fun to finally see some good deals go down.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think 14 (or so) players from the roster exactly one year ago have moved on. Howard Berger from the FAN590 wrote a new piece about the overhaul, and the list he presented was pretty mind-blowing. I know every trade and tidbit of news surrounding the Leafs as it happens, but when you look at the giant list of all the players that have left town, it really puts it into perspective.
_______

The Leafs are the worst OT/Shootout team ever. This season has forced me to just assume the Buds will lose when the game hits the extra frame. I really can’t believe how terrible they are. Last night against Boston, who can’t score their way out of a paper bag, the blue & white couldn’t get anything by Tim Thomas in the extra minutes and shootout. Give credit to Thomas, he was good. But how sad is it to always have to give credit to other teams players for the Leafs inadequacy? Can’t we just have a chance to hype or praise our own players for a change? Upsetting.

__________

Luca Caputi looked alright last night. The scouting report on this guy seemed pretty accurate. He’s strong when going to the net, has decent hands and needs work on his skating. All of that was evident last night.

Caputi helped to set up the Tyler Bozak goal by using a big body approach and chipping a pass to Kulemin, who should see a lot ice-time for the remainder of the season. It was good work by Caputi, as he looked pretty focused and ready to go last night, so hopefully he can keep it up.

_____

I forgot to add Chris Peluso to the stats sheet yesterday. Peluso was drafted in the 7th round by the Pens in 2004 (#194 overall) and came over to the Buds for a 6th rounder. Here’s what he’s all about.




MSU

Quick rundown of Leafs deadline

Full blog coming later today. The Leafs are in action tonight against the Boston Bruins. The game will be nationally broadcast by TSN, followed by San Jose v. Montreal.

So here are some stats on the Leafs pickups from the past couple days. Keep in mind it is doubtful that Matt Jones will ever play a game with the Leafs as he is dealing with major injury issues from what I can gather.

The Leafs should pursue Kesler

You read that correctly. The Maple Leafs should definitely look in to acquiring Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks.

Though Kesler is currently property of the Canucks, his contract is set to expire in the summer. He will then become a restricted free agent who is eligible for arbitration. If the Canucks cannot afford to pay him the raise he deserves, then he should be far from untouchable after Vancouver finish up the season/playoffs. Obviously they can’t deal him prior to the deadline because Kesler will be an integral part of their playoff hopes. Ryan Kesler is built for the playoffs.

Many Canadians, including myself, were clearly pissed off with Kesler because of remarks he made during the Olympics about hating the Canadian team and how he thought his own teammate Roberto Luongo was fighting the puck. The point is, it works and it gets under everyone’s skin. He's a very smart player, something the Leafs could use more of (insert Grabovski comment here). Either way, Kesler was classy in defeat, giving congratulations to Luongo and the Canadians and ending any real controversy his earlier remarks may have sparked. He is truly a great player with a major competitiveness that’s at a level that only a handful of players in the league can bring to the table every night. He’s gritty, and definitely one of the best players in the NHL on both sides of the puck. Really, he’s the ideal player that the Leafs should get. Ron Wilson would be a great coach for Kesler, as we all should be aware of after the Olympic tourney.

The rest of the Maple Leafs brass are no strangers to #17 either. Brian Burke was the GM who drafted Kesler in 2003 in the first round (23rd overall). The speedy center is only 25 years old and would fit in to a Leafs team that is smack-dab in the middle of a rebuild. Since the Buds defense is completely blocked with high-end talent and in turn, barrels of cash, then acquiring good forwards is definitely a priority going forward.

I know that this all sounds like far-fetched wishful thinking, but a fan can dream right? Plus, it’s only speculation. I actually firmly believe that the Leafs have already looked in to what the Canucks plan to do with Kesler, and if they haven’t, then they should. I would imagine that Burke or Nonis have probably chatted with Mike Gillis about a trade offer, whether it’s regarding Kesler or not. The lines of communication are definitely open between these two teams. As Burke said earlier this year when the Phaneuf deal was pulled, he is far from finished.

Don’t get this confused with tampering either. Tampering is when a team actually makes a statement regarding another team’s player, or tries to contact the player directly. Checking to see if players are on the block from another GM is not tampering. Plus, I can speculate all I want. It’s not like anyone is going to take my first round picks. Although, if they did, my beer league team would surely suffer.

The blue & white are in action tonight for the first time since the Olympic break, which I can’t even write about. There’s no need for me to write even MORE material about the Olympic hockey tournament. I will say that the gold medal game was like something out of a movie. As Canadians, the Crosby goal will stay with us forever. I watched Sportscentre yesterday and Patrick O’Sullivan was asked about the game, to which he responded that it was a broken play and lucky goal for Crosby. Lay off the sour grapes Pat. Maybe if he worked on his plus-minus (WORST IN THE LEAGUE) instead of bitching, he would have been on Team USA. Canada rules hockey, so deal with it.

Wow, I just got side-tracked. Like I was saying, the Leafs are in action tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes at the ACC. The game goes at 7:00 est. Everyone enjoy!



MSU

Slovak Olympic hopes rest on Halak

If the Slovakian men’s hockey team has any shot at competing for a gold medal this weekend, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jiroslav Halak will be the focal point. With the semi-final games taking place today, USA will face Finland at 3EST and later at 9:30EST Canada will face Slovakia for a chance to compete for gold on home soil. For the Canadians the formula is simple, keep playing the way they’ve been playing in the past couple of games. Even in Canada’s not-so-great performances in the tourney, they’ve still dominated from whistle to whistle, but ran into trouble against hot goalies from the opposing side. Tonight will be no different. Canada should dominate the play and we’ll see how the Slovaks and their goalie can defend against the constant pressure.


If Halak can play like his USA counter-part Ryan Miller against the Canadians, the Slovaks will be competitive and have a chance at stunning the hosts. If Halak looks even slightly human, the Slovakian squad could be in for a long night.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not doubt the Slovaks talent. And as everyone should know right now, in a tournament of this magnitude, anyone can beat anyone on a given night. However, like I said in the post before the Russia/Canada game, the only time the Olympic hosts have had any trouble whatsoever is when a goalie from the other side has completely stood on his head. Miller and Hiller have been the ones to do it, resulting in a loss and a shootout scare for Canada. But that’s all over now. That part of the tournament went out the window when Canada made Russia look like fools on Wednesday night.

Canada’s defensive game should be as good as it’s been throughout the tourney. They really shouldn’t let in more than 3 goals. The question is whether they can put on an offensive clinic like they did on Wednesday and take the Slovaks out through skill and hard work in the offensive zone. If they can do that and manage to squeeze a few pucks by Halak tonight, then a gold medal game on home soil will come to fruition for Sunday. If Halak steals the show and manages to upset the Canadians tonight to advance his own squad to the championship, well… Gauthier can get out the cheque-book and Carey Price can start looking for a realtor.

My predictions for tonight:

Canada 5, Slovakia 3… I don’t think Halak has enough to stop Canada tonight. He could, but I highly doubt it. Canada should take this one and advance.

Finland 2, USA 1… USA have shown that they clearly rely on Ryan Miller and will only go as far as he can take them. For the Finns, another team adept at the defensive game, I think 2 goals can get the job done tonight.

MSU

The Russians are here

I’m almost too fidgety to even write this blog. The game tonight is scrambling my brain. The Sid/Ovie storyline is interesting but miniscule in the grand scheme of this tournament. Tonight is Russia vs Canada, on our home turf. Seriously, what else could we ask for? Canadian victory obviously. Pretty much everyone who has a brain will be watching this epic tonight, and I really do not expect it to disappoint. In fact, I think if the Russians let Canada grab momentum early, this game should go exactly as planned for the Canadian squad. Simply put, I’m picking Canada because I’m Canadian probably.. but I actually have more reasons than that alone.


1) Mike Babcock should be able to out-coach Bykov, despite Russia having home-ice

2) Russia in their defensive zone is completely laughable

3) Russia aren’t as good as everyone thinks they are

4) If Nabokov starts, Canada could rattle him early

5) It’s still early in the tourney and Canada has had more games, they SHOULD be ready to go

6) Canada has completely dominated and out-shot every opponent so far. The States and Switzerland were trouble, but only on magnificent goalie performances. I don’t know if Nabokov has the ability to do that tonight. Plus, maybe it’s now time that Canada gets a steal from Luongo.

I can’t wait for this. Everyone have a great night and enjoy the game. The other games will be fantastic too. Go Canada Go!



MSU

Take it easy already

Well now that the weeping and ugly hangover from the Canada/USA game has finally subsided, I guess it’s on to something new; the next game(s). You know, I actually heard bone-headed, shameful, so-called Canadians saying “Oh that’s it, Canada is done” or “Now how are they going to come back from this”. What are you insane? IT’S ONE GAME! Not to mention, that ONE GAME that resulted in ONE LOSS resulted in Canada being put in the god awful, hopeless, no-way-out position of… get ready for it… ONE EXTRA GAME! But one extra game you say? No way, there’s no way that Canada could ever survive this tournament with an extra game to play. How could they ever handle it? Their gas tanks will be on empty! How could they ever take on the Russians with a game against Germany on the previous night? It can’t be done. They’re finished. The one loss has completely killed them and with an extra game to play in order to qualify for the quarters, there’s surely no way in hell this team can win. It’s impossible. Sixty extra minutes, the Russians next, who knows what after that… my god, it’s over. The tournament is finished. Turn off your TV sets.


Alright, that’s my dumb attempt to be funny with sarcasm, back to reality now.

NHL players work out pretty much every day. They have nutritionists, trainers, personal doctors that are better than our doctors. When was the last time you were off work for 4 weeks after surgery on your broken finger? Uhhh… never. Now I won’t get in to any tasteless drabble about athletes being paid too much because it’s played out and redundant. But in all seriousness, for a player like Sid the Kid, Iginla, Nash, or any other of Canada’s all-star lineup, 20-25 minutes a game should be a cake walk, and that’s just the forwards. Everyone on this stacked roster play enormous minutes 3-4 times a week in the NHL and they travel all the time. The guys right now have been in Vancouver for a little while and aren’t going anywhere (hopefully) in the next six days. To think that Canada’s game against Germany is somehow going to cripple them to any degree is utterly foolish. If the squad cannot manage to pull through and win the next 4 games and they are stopped, then they lost to a better team (or goalie) on that particular night. But the loss to the USA isn’t going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and that’s for sure. In a game completely dominated by Canada from start to finish, the States are the guys who should be worried. Sure, they scraped out a win, but how bad is Ryan Miller’s back hurting after carrying an entire team on it? Can he actually do that for three more games? Maybe, but definitely not likely.

I’m really not trying to be biased at all and I don’t think I am. I would be extremely worried about Canada if they had gone into that game and were completely outplayed for 60 minutes, but they weren’t and a couple gaffs cost them the win. But how could anyone watch that game and not see that Canada should win 8 or 9 out of 10 times against our neighbors. Canada wins that game 9/10 times. The States managed to snag that one other game on Sunday, but don’t expect it to be the same should they meet again. It was purely an upset win and luckily it only means an extra tune up game for Canada against an underdog German squad. Is that really so bad?

Obviously it is time for Canada to pull up their socks and put away some teams, but that will come. Playing confident in front of Luongo tonight and (possibly) for the remainder of this tourney should lead to good things. I truly believe that. For people who don’t believe and think that the loss on Sunday was the be-all end-all, you’re simply reading in to it way too much.



MSU

TSN becoming untouchable

So far in the Olympic games, every game has been covered by a combination of Bob Mackenzie, Nick Kypreos, Panger, Millard and the usual James Duthie. The commentary duos have been a combo of Gord Miller, Peter Maher, and Chris Cuthbert on play by play, and Pierre McGuire, Ray Ferraro and John Garrett providing color. Well, if there's two things to take from this Olympics, it's this... 1) John Garrett reminds me of Al Strachan but a little less negative, and 2) Nick Kypreos is getting exposed by TSN's quality broadcasters.

Now let's not freak out. I was just like the rest of most Canadians when the hockey shift started from CBC, over to TSN. The torch has passed, TSN carries way more games and has taken the reins in regard to the NHL. Though they still don't really hold a stick to CBC's commentary of Jim Hughson and Bob Cole, two household names in Canada, they're starting to close the gap. They're in-game analysis is as good or better than CBC right now. Mackenzie is the main reason for TSN's good game analysis and league news, but it's really starting to show now that the Olympics are in full swing. Take, for example, Nick Kypreos... from Sportsnet. Funny I know, I shouldn't be picking on Sportsnet, it's too easy... Ever watch one of those commercials on Sportsnet when Kyp and Maclean pop up and say stuff about breaking trades and how exciting it is? Man that's hilarious. I can't remember Sportsnet ever breaking a real trade.. call me ignorant, but come on.

I'm not trying to pick on Sportsnet, I'm just stating the obvious. I still watch HockeyCentral at Noon because they talk about the Leafs a lot, so they're fine in my books. But I have to say wow, Nick Kypreos getting ripped up at the Olympics. He was in the middle of some speal in the first game and in the middle he started to trip up in his words a little and ended up wrecking the whole point. "Oh god, I'm not talking on Hockey Central right now, there's actually millions of people watching this" had to be what was running through his mind. Panger kind of did the same thing but persevered and came back better afterward. Kypreos on the other hand is getting ripped on national television by TSN's obviously superior staff.

Last night Kyp made some point about how the Finns weren't big enough to compete with the Swedes because despite they're physicality, they were too small considering Sweden's larger players like Kronwall, Ohlund, Franzen, etc. Then Mackenzie reeled off a good point about something or other, didn't really rip Kypreos or counter and destroy his point, though he has many times so far in this Olympics. So the third starts and then McGuire completely destroys Kyp's point and completely counters with the exact opposite. Right after that, he commends Mackenzie on how awesome his little tidbit was during the intermission. Pure hilarity.

___________________________________________

Tomas Kaberle has looked great in these Olympics eh? Same with Kessel. I think any Leafs fans checking out the games should be liking what they see. Tough to see the American team and think that Komisarek could be on that team. The USA has shown a grit and intensity in each game that has been spectacular. Quickness and physicality have been their bread and butter so far. Add Kommo to that mix and bodies would surely be flying. We'll hopefully see him in suiting up for the States in Russia 2014.

Enjoy the games over the weekend. Tomorrow is a triple header of the best hockey possible. Make yourself comfortable for almost 12 hours of craziness.

MSU

Pending Free Agents Create Quite the Jigsaw

With ten, count 'em, TEN free agents pending for the Maple Leafs this summer, it's easy to assume that the club could look very different taking to the ice next season. One could compare the situation to the arch-rival Canadiens last year, who underwent one of the most drastic off-season overhauls in recent memory. However, the caliber of NHL'ers who walked away from Montreal were the core of the team at the time. The Habs let go ties with Kovalev, Koivu, and Komisarek without blinking and quickly signed a boat-load of free agents to replace them and go forward. Cammy, Gionta and Gomez were brought in to bring the skill up front, while the back end was patched up with free agents Gill, Spacek and Mara. For the Buds, the scene looks a little different.

Players who wrap up their contracts with the blue & white after this season are as follows:

Restricted Free Agents: Nik Kulemin, Jonas Gustavsson

Unrestricted Free Agents: Garnet Exelby, Mike Van Ryn, John Mitchell, Rickard Wallin, Wayne Primeau, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Lee Stempniak, Joey MacDonald


Let's start with the RFA's:

Pretty simple formula for both Gustavsson and Kulemin... re-sign both. The Monster has only a year in the league at a manageable salary. For him to ask for a raise would be a major surprise and at the current going rate of 2.5 million, he should be extended for at least a year or two. For Kulemin, a raise could be in order but not anything substantial. Kuli's cap hit right now is about 1.5 million per season. I would expect him to be extended at about 1.8-1.9 million. He is an excellent defensive forward and it seems like Wilson is a pretty big fan of his. This could be a player that in two years turns out to be a real gem, and it would be a very nice tribute to Wilson for him to become a solid NHL'er exclusively under his coaching. Keep them both for at least another 2 years, it's a no-brainer.

Now, on to the UFA's :

Exelby - Will be shopped at the deadline for ANY type of return. Likely will not see free agency. If he does? Let him go. It sounds harsh, but he was only brought in because the trade took Kubina's 5 mill off the books.

Van Ryn - Finally, his salary will be off the books this summer. The once promising, but oft-injured d-man came over in the trade when Toronto fans ran Brian McCabe out of town a couple seasons ago. Van Ryn is an excellent play with pure hockey sense, but known by most Leafs fans as the guy who got put through the glass by Lucic in Boston. It's a shame that injuries ruined his career. Can anyone believe that the LEAFS gave up an ADDITIONAL PICK to Florida in that swap? Hopefully he gets healthy and another team gives him a chance and he can revive his career. I don't think Van Ryn will ever play another game in a Leafs uni.

Mitchell - Not sure if he's being shopped for a deadline deal. If so, expect a late round pick (5th or 6th round). If Mitchell gets to free agency in the summer, he could be re-signed but I wouldn't bank on it. JM only makes half a million dollars, so expect him to want a raise that he doesn't deserve. Personally, I'd let him walk. Too inconsistent.

Primeau - At his current rate of 1.4 million he should be extended for a year or two. I doubt he'll be looking for much of a raise. Primeau is a solid two way forward who can forecheck, lay the body and pot the occasional tally. If the Buds let him go, they'll only try to sign another guy to fill his role. It's just as well to keep him because he plays his game very well.

Wallin - is a poor man's Wayne Primeau. Love him or hate him, Wallin plays the defensive game well. Only problem is, that's absolutely ALL THAT HE DOES. With Primeau you get a great defensive center with a major physical upside. With Wallin, you get a defensive center and that's all. There's no need to keep both. As Bozak and Hanson move down the depth chart at center (if the Leafs manage to grab a top line elite center, which should be a priority), Wallin should be pushed out and Primeau should keep his spot on the fourth line.

Ponikarovsky - Easily the most sought after Maple Leaf this season. Expect to see him in another jersey before the end of the season. Most likely headed to Pittsburgh, Montreal or Atlanta. I'd put Nashville and Chicago as long shots. The Penguins could definitely use his size and 25-30 goal output. He's a solid scoring winger and should bring in at least a second round pick, which is apparently the minimum asking price for #23. If he stays until the summer (very, very unlikely), expect him to want a raise. Poni will likely yield in the ball park of 4 million per season, around the same as his buddy Nik Antropov grabbed in free agency last summer. He'll be a good second line winger on any team going forward, Leafs included.

Stempniak - Probably won't have much of a return in the trade market going into March 3rd. If anything, maybe a 4th or 5th rounder coming back, but very doubtful. His cap hit of 2.5 mill is not really something any team is looking for. The only way Stempy stays in TO is with a pay cut, which is quite unlikely but not impossible. Expect him to walk in the summer.

MacDonald - Third in the goalie depth chart. Will continue to play for the Marlies and emergency call ups with the big club. Easily affordable. Likely staying around.

There's no question that the Leafs will look very different next year, especially with names like Kadri and Stefanovich in the prospect pool. The question is, what will Brian Burke add to the club to really get them over the top and in to Cup contention?

-MSU

Crazy couple of weeks coming up

Now that the Olympics are finally upon us, I guess it's time to do a little Olympic blog post. I actually thought of writing an assessment of the Leafs up to this point in the season, but with the blue & white sitting in the basement of the Eastern Conference, it doesn't seem all that interesting. The future is beginning to look very bright for the Maple Leafs but as for this season, the hole is dug much too deep. Instead I'll take a look at the Olympic tournament starting next week, which some Buds will be a part of.

No Leaf is part of the Canadian Olympic powerhouse. The only player to make a case for that type of honor is Dion Phaneuf, who in my own opinion, should be on the roster ahead of Drew Doughty. The LA Kings young star is an amazing talent for sure, but I really think Dion , along with Jay Bouwmeester should have been included on the roster over Seabrook, Keith, or double D. With possible games against Russia and other hockey powers like the States and Sweden looming in the next couple of weeks, it will be interesting to see if Canada's picks are exposed. I sure hope they're not.

The United States actually have a better team than most are giving credit for early on. With Leafs all-star sniper Phil Kessel and more elite talent from around the NHL, the USA could turn some heads in the next couple of weeks. Parise, Brown, Backes, Kane and many others can play at the highest level and succeed no doubt. Goaltending will be in the hands of Ryan Miller, who has cooled off recently but should still be able to carry the States through the tournament. Buds d-man Mike Komisarek was originally picked to represent our southern neighbors, but unfortunately season ending shoulder surgery ended his Olympic hopes.

Nik Kulemin has been added to the Russian squad, but will not likely see much ice. The obvious pick from the Buds was Tomas Kaberle, who will be an integral part of the Czechs bid for a medal. I would almost go as far as to say Kaberle is as good, if not better than most defensemen on the Canadian or Russian squad.

Right now I'm picking Canada to take down the gold, it's the thing to do. My prediction is Canada on top, with Russia in 2nd and the USA with the bronze. I really think that Canada could be better on the back end but at such a high level of talent, it's tough to take one guy over another. Up front, no team outside of Russia competes with Canada. The forward position is simply too deep for the Canadian club. When you have Toews, Marleau, Thornton, Heatley, Morrow and Richards populating your 3rd and 4th lines... well, that's depth.

First game for Canada is Tuesday at 4:30 Pacific. They'll be taking on Norway in the tourney opener. This is a weak team that will be routed by Canada, with only one current NHL player in Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Former NHL'er and current KHL'er Patrick Thoreson will also suit up for Norway. Prediction? 9-0 Canada

Another blog coming before the Leafs vs. Blues on Friday.
Follow MSU on twitter at twitter.com/maplestirup

-MSU

Kadri suiting up tonight?

TSN confirms it. Kadri in the lineup tonight, Sjooey and Hanson both out with the flu.
______

Looks like Nazem Kadri could be in the lineup tonight as an emergency recall, according to a source.
 ___

Leafs in action tonight

The Leafs are in action tonight after a weekend of tragedy. After an inspiring performance on Saturday night against Ottawa, the blue & white now try to turn their attention to the San Jose Sharks, who visit the ACC tonight. On Friday night, the Leafs and the rest of us were all given the very unfortunate news of Brendan Burke's passing. No words can really describe what it's like to lose a family member and this is a true tragedy. Brian Burke is a classy, stand-up guy who is a role model for anyone who watches the game and follows the managerial side of hockey. For him to have to go through this type of thing is truly one of the saddest things we've seen in the sports news in a while. We can only pass along our thoughts and prayers to Burke and his family and give him the privacy he deserves.

The Leafs coaches and players have all expressed deep sorrow in regard to the tragic situation, and will continue to play hard and try to win games for their Pres/GM. Tonight will see the San Jose Sharks in town for their only tangle with the Leafs this season. The Sharks sit in 1st place atop the Western Conference with a record of 38-11-9, the only team to hold less regulation losses than the Capitals. The Sharks 85 points are 36 better than the Leafs current point total. Despite looking like a complete blow-out on paper, this game still holds plenty of interesting tidbits for Leafs fans, as new-comer Giguere will get the start and still hasn't let in one goal as a member of the blue & white. Coach Wilson's former team will be the first test on this go-around for rookie call-up Viktor Stalberg, who gets another crack at the big club tonight. The Leafs have sent Jay Rosehill down to the minors, and have also (strangely) called up Andre Deveaux today. Not sure if Deveaux is in the lineup tonight but Jeff Finger will definitely sit for the 6th time in a row on the back end. The Buds could be sitting Mitchell or Wallin to make room for Stalberg on the second line, putting Deveaux on the fourth. If Wallin sits, Mitchell will likely move to center the third line.

Speculated Lineup tonight:

Poni, Bozak, Kessel
Stempniak, Hanson, Mitchell(Stalberg)
Sjostrom, Wallin (Mitchell), Kulemin
Deveaux, Primeau, Orr

Beauch, Phaneuf
Kabby, Gunnarsson
Schenn, Exelby

Giggy (starter)
Gustavsson

The Leafs could really pull off a shocker tonight in this one. The game is on Sportsnet Ontario at 7ET.

-MSU

USA Today reports Kovalchuk to Jersey a done deal!

Cormier, Bergfors, Oduya and 1st rounder as per TSN!
Tedenby staying put.

Wow.. pretty wild trade


_________
Oduya, Bergfors, Tedenby and a 1st round pick going back possibly


________

Wow.. Kovalchuk to Jersey

Looks like a lot coming back. Is Parise completely untouchable? Is Kovalchuk the only player in the deal from Atlanta?

Guess we'll find out soon.

__

Bill Watters was right!

Note: Yesterday it was announced that Mike Komisarek will undergo season ending surgery on his shoulder and will miss the Olympics. Obviously this was the right thing to do, as the season is all but lost now anyway (playoff-wise) and it will ensure that Komo comes back better next year, instead of risking re-injury and further problems later in his career. It's unfortunate that he must miss the Olympics, as I'm sure everyone always dreams of what it must be like to rep your country on the biggest stage. Let's just hope that Komi has a great recovery and comes back strong next season.

Ok, on to Bill Watters!

When I flicked on Sportsnet the other day, I caught Watters in the middle of flipping his wig regarding the Ilya Kovalchuk situation. He was throwing out all kinds of things like "I don't want him on my team", "this guy just wants money and lacks honor". To which Nick Kypreos got all up in arms and freaked out talking about how great Kovy was and how he will get his cash one way or the other because he deserves it.

I thought "Watters is really getting on foolish here, he needs to really chill out." Of course I was wrong, because if anyone needs to chill out, it's Ilya Kovalchuk. Let's all look at this for what it is; Kovalchuk is insisting, well, demanding that he makes the absolute league maximum no matter what. He has reportedly turned down something like 100 mill stretched over ten years from Atlanta, and will likely look for the same type of godly treatment anywhere else. Now some people think if he's one of the premiere talents in the league, then he should make as much as possible. The only problem I see in all of this is that Ilya Kovalchuk thinks that he's bigger than the game of hockey. Hey Ilya, newsflash buddy, I can name ten players that are better than you without having to even think about it.

Doesn't this type of thing follow this guy as well? Anyone remember in the World Juniors when Russia were about to beat Canada, and Kovy skates in for the empty netter, then procedes to pump his fist DURING THE PLAY before burying the goal.

Watters was right. I don't want to see Kovalchuk anywhere near a Leafs uniform this year or any time in the near future. If he wants to take 200 million dollars and go play in the KHL, perfect. It might be a loss for the Atlanta Thrashers, but it's no huge loss for the league. The NHL has actual real premiere players in Ovie and Sid the Kid, both class acts. Kovalchuk should take a lesson from those guys and be a little more sensible about what he's trying to pull here. There's no doubt he is a great player with amazing goal scoring talent, but there are many players better than him in the league that don't act foolish and make ridiculous demands.

___________________________________

With the Super Bowl this weekend, I remembered this gem. Anyone else remember these awesome clips?





-MSU

Now that's a first day of work

Wow.. Someone pinch me, seriously. When was the last time you felt THAT excited during a Leafs game this season? I really don't think I have watched a better game played by the Buds all year. Too little, too late of course, but the "truculence" and energy that Brian Burke spoke of in the summer actually made an appearance en route to a 3-0 shutout of the Devils last night. Hopefully the attitude sticks around for a while.

Talk about getting used to your new surroundings. The three star selection last night was Giggy, Sjooey (?) and Dion. Way to make a good first impression eh?

Of course Dion was the center of attention going into last night, and rightfully so. He was, after all, the biggest part of the biggest trade in recent Leafs memory. However, despite Phaneuf's beauty performance, Giggy posted a huge donut and perhaps the performance of the night. Not to be forgotten was Freddie Sjostrom, who contributed with an assist when his shot rebounded to Nik Kulemin early in the game and the Russian youngster made no mistake on burying his 11th goal of the season.

Any hockey fan could see why the excitement and hype behind Phaneuf was through the roof after the weekend. His game was crystal clear and the physicality he was supposed to bring to the Nation took only a few minutes to surface. Dion plastered Zajac into the corner in the Leafs zone, then only minutes later took a vicious run at Jersey star Zach Parise and consequently had to feed Colin White the soup bones. The roof almost blew off the ACC as fans rained down chants of "DI-ON, DI-ON". It was a memorable moment in a season filled with "forget". And that's really what fans can take from this game and every game going forward, a bit of positivity related to change. It was weird to look around on the ice and not see Matty Stajan or Ian White buzzing around, but the old is out and the new is looking a hell of a lot better.

Now I know what everyone is thinking, "Come on man, it's only ONE game!" I couldn't agree more. Remember the season opener against Detroit last year? When the Leafs scraped out a vic and everyone thought they were going straight to Lord Stanley? Well that's what separates the die-hard from the casual fan. If you watch every game in and out, then you start to see through the BS eventually. The difference this time is that the Leafs actually looked like a team who worked hard, and had confidence to boot. They actually went out to the ice like a team who thought they were better than NJ and that they were entitled to win in their own barn. Instead of playing not to lose, the Buds played to win. The shakeup has worked it seems, and it's directly related to Phaneuf and the swagger he brings to this team. The question is will he keep it up and will Giguere be the solid force in net he looked like last night. Because in actual fact, that's all Giggy needs to do: play his game, make saves when needed, and give the Leafs a chance to win. The real pressure lies on Phaneuf, the new cornerstone of the franchise and he seems to be embracing it, the sign of a true leader.

If the Leafs are to go where Dion takes them, then they look to have a bright future with a young star who clearly needed a fresh start. It sounds cliche I know.

Brian Burke is much a different GM than Daryl Sutter. He comes off as a little more personable and sounds much more professional in regard to hockey operations and the media. Not to say Burkie is superior, though his recent cup success suggests he is indeed, but both Sutter's come off quite coldly and less animated than BB, or Wilson for that matter. Which begs the question if Dion was what everyone negatively made him out to be in Calgary. Was Phaneuf really a nuisance in the dressing room? Or is some of that attributed to Sutter? Some journalists have pegged Phaneuf as some sort of bad seed in regards to his off-ice persona, but how would they truly know? They don't. None of us do. As fans, the bottom line is that hockey is the game we all love and Dion Phaneuf plays it with an edge we can all admire. It will definitely be exciting to watch #3 in blue & white every time he's in the lineup.

-MSU

Leafers v2.0 tonight!

The blue & white take to the ice tonight against the recently lackluster New Jersey Devils. With new look Leafs Dion Phaneuf and JS Giguere inserted into the roster right away, many fans will be scrambling to check out this game tonight. It's only the second of 4 meetings this season, with the first game last Friday at Prudential Center. The first meeting was a 5-4 overtime win for the Devils after a gutsy third-period comeback from 4-2 by the Buds. Tonight will see the Leafs on home ice at the ACC, before heading back to the swamp on Friday.

The Devils have gone 3-6-1 in their last ten games, while the Leafs have actually been one point worse, sporting a motley 2-6-2 record. As the standings sit right now, Toronto are 27 points back of NJ, who sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 72 points and the Buffalo Sabres only one point behind.

Everybody seemed to be rushing to figure out what Toronto would do with all the forward vacancies created by Sunday's clearance sale. It looks as though Freddie Sjostrom will step right into the lineup, likely playing with Kulemin and Wallin. Christian Hanson has been called up from the Marlies to play center, likely between Mitchell and Stempniak. Mitchell's move to the wing should be interesting, but Hanson was a center in his college days and it looks like the Leafs want to give him a shot at being a big-bodied middle man. His last call up with the Leafs was highly unnoticeable and this will be a new test for him to see where he can fit in going forward. At least Jeff Finger isn't actually playing forward, and will sit tonight as Exelby continues to stay in the lineup and (hopefully) bulk up his very low trade stock.

Here's the potential lineup for tonight

Kessel - Bozak - Ponikarovsky
Mitchell - Hanson - Stempniak
Sjostrom - Wallin - Kulemin
Orr - Primeau - Rosehill

Phaneuf - Beauchemin
Kaberle - Gunnarson
Schenn - Exelby

Giguere - starting
Gustavsson

I'd expect these lines to be juggled, and a definite mix-up in the back end. I wouldn't be surprised to see Phaneuf play a few minutes with Kabby so we'll wait and see what happens.

Injuries:
For the Leafs, Mike Komisarek will remain out of the lineup due to his shoulder injury, along with Mikael Grabovski (knee) and (do I really have to say it?) Mike Van Ryn.


The Devils are missing Paul Martin (arm), who will also be out of the Olympics. Patrick Elias (concussion) and tough guy David Clarkson (leg) will also remain on injured reserve.

If you can't catch the game I'm sure the season premiere of Lost could be on your radar. For everyone else, enjoy the Devils and Leafs!

-MSU

Late Christmas in Leaf-land

Let me start this off by saying the Leafs did a good thing yesterday. Both trades made by TO were discussed all day by pretty much everyone in Canada. My mom even asked me about it last night. I believe TSN may have seen the most traffic on their website since the internet was even invented. It was like Christmas a month late yesterday when Leafs fans flicked on the TV or computer and had to look twice, maybe even three times to make sure they weren't losing their minds. Phaneuf to the Leafs? Come on... I'm dreaming right. I'm still not sure if any of this is even real but lets take a look at it.

Phaneuf, Sjostrom, and Aulie (AHL) for Hagman, Stajan, White, and Mayers

Obviously the main piece in this trade is Dion Phaneuf. The second biggest piece is Ian White in my own opinion, as I've seen this guy turn into a very solid d-man who can move the puck and settle the pace of the game when needed. White will definitely be missed, along with the rest of players leaving town. Matt Stajan has been with this team for a long time, he's scored great goals, has always been a classy guy and we should all wish him the best (I wouldn't mind seeing him re-sign with the Buds this summer). Hagman and Mayers have been with us for a shorter stint but they deserve a change in scenery and hopefully they can help out with the Flames in the exciting Northwest.

What people seem to forget about this trade is that the blue & white have acquired another elite NHL player, and you need elite skill like Dion's to win. This guy is only 24 and brings a physical edge to his game that very few in the game can bring. Not only that, Phaneuf craves the open ice hit and has been playing in the West for four years. The east is all new for #3 and that's a good thing. Translation: Ovie, Gomez, Malkin, or anyone else who wants to carry the puck through the zone better take note quick.

Phaneuf also holds a complete bomb from the point, giving the Leafs two weapons in him and Beauch, along with Kaberle to distribute. He has always scored goals in double digits and will be a welcome force both offensively and physically for the next few years.

Then we have Sjostrom. The scouting report on this guy is a great penalty killer, with a plus rating, who has hands of stone and can't put the puck in the net. While I welcome the penalty killing (as I'm sure we all do), we'll have to see how this guy shakes out and what he brings to the lineup. We always hear of these guys with no output as "defensive specialists". Unfortunately that can mean anything from Ian Laperriere (good) to Rickard Wallin (ummm... yeah).

Keith Aulie is a surprising piece to this trade, as I really don't know why Calgary would give him up after already letting go of Phaneuf. How Burke managed to pull this off is puzzling. Aulie is a good prospect, a 6'6 defenceman with an obvious physical up-side who plays the game with grit and has a World Junior Championship on his resume. I really don't know what Calgary were thinking with this deal. The Flames and Ducks both kind of looked foolish yesterday.

Which brings me to the second trade of the day, JS Giguere (6 mil cap) for Jason Blake (4mil cap) and Vesa Toskala (4mil cap). Another mind-bender for all of us Leafs fans. Sure, Burke took back a goalie for a six million cap hit but atleast his save percentage is over .900 and his goals against doesn't float up into the 4's. Keep in mind that with Franky Allaire the goalie coach, Giggy won a cup and Conn Smythe in two different years. This one could turn out to be a milestone trade. For Burke to wipe Blake and Toskala's grossly inflated contracts from the books is enough to warrant a deal like this any day of the week. Again, what were the Ducks thinking?

Toskala never really amounted to anything and turned out to be an enormous let-down. Blake on the other hand, had a pretty good season last year but never lived up to the hype coming off a 40 goal campaign with NYI before signing with the Buds. That said, Blake was clearly the hardest worker on the entire team and really comes off as a team guy. He's fast and can definitely handle the physical game for a smaller player. I think he would have done a lot better production-wise if the Leafs had any decent forwards to play with, but they didn't and Blakey couldn't really get anything going on a team riddled with mediocrity. He's a class act for sure and I hope he finds success with the Ducks in the remaining years of his contract. He will surely benefit from the offensive skill of the Anaheim forwards and will fit in nicely with other vets like Selanne and Koivu.

The new Flames will take to the ice tonight, at home against the Flyers. I'm not sure who's in or out for this game. I'm guessing Staj, Hagman and White should definitely be in the lineup with Mayers on the bubble. Calgary is, after all, a full team of Mayers type players. The new look Leafs will be in action tomorrow night against the Devils. I'm sure Phaneuf will be in the lineup, but not sure whether Giggy will start. I would throw him in there right away, if not Thursday. I can't wait to see Phaneuf with a blue & white jersey, as I'm sure most Leafs fans feel the same.

-msu
razzler67@gmail.com

Rumor: Ponikarovsky to MTL?

Just speaking to a source who says a deal to the Habs is a real possibility. I'm not sure, as I've had Pittsburgh as the front-runner for #23 but the source is a pretty good one and I'd give this rumor about a B-

I was told that the deal would likely just be 1-for-1 Poni for a prospect straight up. Right now it seems like the top teams to be in the Poni sweepstakes outside of MTL are Pitts, Dallas, and oddly, Nashville. These are obviously just rumors but it'll be interesting to see where this thing goes in the next few weeks.

Going through the motions

It's the end of January and us Maple Leafs fans have no choice but to feel the doomed feeling associated with falling from playoff contention. A bit earlier than usual I know. As hockey fans, we all know that the league takes a few months to shake down and work out the kinks. Upsets are a little less common, and top-tier teams are less likely to drop a game to low seeded clubs at this point in the 82 game sched. The playoff hunt in both conferences is still very tight, but bottom-feeder teams are being weeded out of the hunt more and more every day.

It's hard to admit, but the Leafs are the lowest of low in the league right now with the most losses (combining regulation AND overtime). The Blue & White are currently only 5 points above the Canes, with three more games played at this point. The lowest point total right now is courtesy of Edmonton with only 38 points, but again, Toronto has three more games played. The Leafs have a record of 17-27-10, that's twenty more losses than wins. At the current pace the Leafs are set to achieve an embarrassing record and the slide looks to have zero intention of relenting.

When the Buds hosted the surging and promising LA Kings last night, it seemed like both teams were dancing to a familiar tune and the Leafs just accepted the loss as they were supposed to. The game wasn't overly terrible, it wasn't a blow-out, but the truculence and 'we're not going to take it' attitude that the Buds are supposed to display night in and night out were non-existent. It seems as though the point in the season has come (and quite early) where the team will simply go through the motions for the remainder of the season and most news regarding the Leafs will have zero to do with anything on ice. Most discussion regarding our precious team will likely involve the trade deadline, free agency, and dare I say it: next season.

The disappointment surrounding the early season debacle that has been the Toronto Maple Leafs is overwhelming for a life-time fan like myself. It's something that we've all become accustomed to in the past few years but that doesn't make it any easier.

GM Brian Burke has a busy few weeks ahead, and it will be very interesting to watch what happens. It's no news to anyone that Burke has stated his plan to take on salary from other teams in order to acquire draft picks and/or prospects. It's a very real possibility that a player like Peter Mueller could cross Burke's radar, so it doesn't have to strictly be draft picks that are coming to Toronto.

Darren Dreger has listed Poni and Stajan in his top ten players to be dealt before the deadline. Makes sense, but what sort of return are we all expecting? Personally I'd expect a decent prospect for each and a possible mid-round pick. Nik Hagman has been seen as a great asset, which indeed he is, but I wouldn't just deal this guy for the sake of doing it. At a great price, good term, and great production this year I expect Burkie would definitely would have to be blown away in order to deal the Finn.

I'm still interested in what Burke will do with restricted free agents White and Mitchell. As I've written before, I expect White's future is directly related to what happens with Kaberle. With Mitchell it's a little different. To me he seems very inconsistent so I can see how Burke would face the "to deal him or not to deal him" dilemma. My guess is if Mitchell stays, he could see Marlies time next year and maybe that's not something he wants to deal with. Either way, it should be an interesting few weeks coming up to say the least.

Despite the Leafs season, it's a great time to be a hockey fan with the Olympics only weeks away and all the trade talk around the league. It's going to be fun to see how it all shakes out.

-maplestirup
razzler67@gmail.com

Leafs in OT: Bad luck or no skill at all?

With only 9.8 seconds remaining in overtime last night, a Marty St. Louis' howitzer put the Leafs record in the extra frames at 1-10. When the game actually ends in OT, the blue & white have failed to even muster up one victory all season, falling to 0-8.

Ian White says it's ridiculous, he's right. Ron Wilson says the team needs to be more discipline, he's right. The overtime winner last night came on a Bolts powerplay, courtesy of too many men on the ice. However, 1-10 surely couldn't be blamed solely on discipline. Maybe it was the rotten ice conditions in Tampa last night? What were the Leafs eating for a pre-game meal? Anyone care to take a guess why this almost unspeakable record is actually, against all proper logic, becoming worse?

It's evident that the overtime period is a reflection of team skill. And quite frankly, outside of 81, the Buddies fail to show any elite scoring potential. Tell us something we don't know right?

To say that Leafs fans wish to cheer for something meaningful in the post-season is an understatement. But to qualify for the playoffs is one thing, and compete for the Stanley Cup is something else. Just ask Calgary Flames fans, they've seen their team lose every year in the post-season for the past five years. Canucks fans are equally as frustrated as they've seen their Stanley Cup hopes fly out the window, usually within two rounds. Mind you, these teams could mount some sort of miracle once they're in the post-season tournament in the spring. But to pick mid-season Stanley Cup favorites this year usually yields names like Chicago, Washington and San Jose. Of course your top three picks might be different, but I'll use these for now.

Brian Burke's goal is to win a Stanley Cup. He wants a contender. He wants a team that's at the top of the heap. So to look at these three elite clubs I've listed, they all hold a common bond. Which is superstar scoring spread somewhere throughout the roster. What does this have to do with the Leafs overtime susceptibility? Well..

It's overtime, four-on-four, and we'll say (hypothetically) that the Leafs decide to go with Tyler Bozak and Kessel, along with Beauch and Kaberle on the back end. Not to shabby eh? Then the second string could look a bit like Poni and Stajan, with White and perhaps Luke Schenn.

Okay, so that's taken care of for now.

Now, let's look at the Blackhawks. You might say “Why the Blackhawks? That's setting the bar a bit too high.” Which is a sound point. But when Toronto is the hockey mecca, how can the bar be set too high? When you see a trillion people walking around with Leafs jerseys on (I own two, myself), and tickets at the ACC going for completely outlandish prices, why would Stanley Cup contention seem too much to ask? It takes time, so we can all leave that alone for a while.

So the Blackhawks need to come up with four players to match our mighty tandem. They could come out with Kane and Toews, with Keith and Seabrook. In case you didn't notice, that's four Olympians. Keep in mind, they still have Hossa, Sharp, Campbell, and Barker waiting on the bench. See where I'm coming from?

These teams can mix and match all kinds of skill. Boyle, Heatley, Marleau and Thornton anyone? Green, Ovie, Semin and Backstrom? Nothing but pure elite talent. Upon looking at these clubs and what they can throw on the ice in the extra frame shows precisely why the Leafs record is so dismal in the extra period and shootout. It's really not that mind-boggling, and it definitely has nothing to do with luck.

The Maple Leafs are in action against the Panthers tomorrow night before returning home for the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Let's all hope that overtime doesn't show its ugly mug.

Changes imminent, but unpredictable

Despite the bogus rumors of Ilya Kovalchuk suiting up in Blue & White, I'm sure everyone in Leafs Nation is anticipating some changes coming in the next few months and off-season. The torch is almost entirely passed along to Burkie, and acquisitions made by JFJ and Cliff Fletcher will be weeded out soon enough. Expect to see Stempniak, Stajan, Poni, and Mitchell among others to be speculated trade bait in March. Even then, whoever isn't dealt at the trade deadline will be a complete toss up for re-signing in the off-season. Where does Burke stand on Ponikarovsky right now? I really want to know if he's going to hold on to him or let him go for a possible draft pick, if not walking in the summer. GM's do this kind of thing. Why in hell did Bob Gainey let Mark Streit, Sheldon Souray, and Mike Komisarek walk away to other teams for nothing in return? We don't know. Which is why we're sitting here at the computer and these guys run real NHL franchises. Sometimes I look at a move by a GM and I have to say "Yeah I don't get that one. Must have had something to do with something fans know nothing about on the managerial side".

Sometimes I don't want him to deal Ponikarovsky. This season, when he scores goals like the one against Montreal, when the Habs fans were echoing down songs of "Goodbye" and he tied it to force overtime. Well, that was insane and made me say "Yeah Burke should keep this guy and throw him on the third line when we get better players". This is a common Leaf fans dilemma. I guess it applies to other teams but come on, this is the Leafs and we're all too familiar with dilemma's by now, since we're a widely known post-lockout disaster.

Either way, it's time for Burke to figure out to do with these guys and get it done. I'd hate to see Matt Stajan or Ponikarovsky go to unrestricted free agency and Burke let them go, when they had about 60 points each and a draft pick written all over them. I know he'll wait until the trade deadline to pull the deal on these guys, if he indeed intends to do that. But, the suspense is killing me and this season is all but over. So let's reset again and figure out what's going to happen this time the Buds fail to qualify for the post-season (outside a sheer miracle).

Losing team or not, I've still grown an attachment to all Leaf players so anyone who gets dealt I'll miss. I've watched Stajan, Stempniak, and Ponikarovsky score some pretty great goals for the Blue & White, so obviously every Leaf fan has some attachment to these players if they're true fans. But I'm a realist and I'm aware that anything coming back that will benefit this hockey club is worth it. It's the hurdle that a lot of fans have to hop when moves are made by the GM, and that's perfectly alright.

The Kaberle situation is so beat to death now that I won't even get into it. I've pretty much accepted that this will be sorted out in the summer when there's that 6 week window to deal him if the Maple Leafs are eliminated from playoff contention. If not, and Burke actually decides, against all speculation, against all odds, to hold on to #15, well... we've got a log jam.

Komisarek, Kaberle, Beauchemin, Schenn, White... in case you didn't count, that's 5 players... that's 5 top-four defensemen. Luke Schenn left out of the top 4? Give me a break. Beauchemin? This guy eats up 25 minutes a game. Mike Komisarek has seen his ice time come to just under 20 minutes, but #5 defensemen? Not in a million years after signing for top dollars this past summer. And the bottom line is, if Kaberle doesn't go, then it looks like it has to be Ian White. Sucks, eh? A player who's grown on us big time and scores clutch goals, who has shown so much improvement. A player we've watched enter the league and turn out to be a real Leaf draft pick turned great NHL player, after paying dues in the AHL. So who do you want? Remember, White can stay, but that means we're going to see Tomas Kaberle in another jersey within the next year. So you can see how possible a Kaberle trade has to be, despite Burke's put-down of the notion only a week ago.

Oh look, I've stumbled into the Kaberle situation. Guess my brain is all scrambled thinking about the game tonight. Leafs/Bolts on national broadcast followed by Flames/Hawks. Break out the popcorn tonight! Oh yeah, and Caps/Pens! Perfect time to stay in from the snowstorm and not shovel. I'll wait until tomorrow morning when it's hard as a rock and I break four plastic shovels.