Whats next step for Leafs

[kbooks]

I expect an all quite on the leafs front until late Tuesday at least. It seems that Burke has shut everything down for the July 4th weekend.

1. Top of the list is a Kaberle deal. I expect some movement on this front this week. With the signing of Vetsteeg and Armstrong it has changed the need a bit. There is still room for a top 6 LW but a proven center would be on the list. Bozak, Grabovski, Kadri and Mitchell is okay but it could be improved.

2. Afinogenov signing. If this happens it means that perhaps Kaberle gets moved for a top 6 center, prospects and or picks. Afinogenov would have to come at less than $2.5m for perhaps 1 or 2 years to be a serious option.

3. Ryan Trade. I think this is still a pipe dream but if it is in the cards it would have to include Komisarik and Kaberle at least going the other way to deal with the cap issues.

4. Metropolit: If Metroplit is signed this could negatively impact on Mitchell. I expect that now that Mitchell has been signed the Metropolit interest is off the front burner. Metropolit would become the 4th line center with Brown and Orr if he was picked up.

Now we can always expect Burke to do something out of the ordinary and unexpected but this seems to be what is currently on the leafs agenda.

[Shoeless]

You know kbooks, ever since the Leafs signed that last high profile goalie prospect (whose name I can't remember), I have wondered about moving Gus to the Flyers for Carter. I am not throwing this out because I think it's a good idea for the Leafs - I have no earthly idea if makes any sense for either team at all but it has been on my mind and you have just provided me with the opportunity to throw it out there and see what you think.

[kbooks]

I have wondered about moving Gus to the Flyers for Carter

Leafs would love that as Giguere is really expendable. Leafs have at lease two goalie prospects that could move up to replace Giguere in Reimer and Rynas. Carter would be a lot to give up for a goalie past his best before date. Giguere is still a fine goalie but he has a $6m contract for one more year. That would be a stumbling block with Philly's cap problems.

Perhaps Giguere for Gagne would be closer as Gagnes contract is also 1 year at $5.25. Trouble is Philly wants to move Gagne to give them room to sign Powe, Carcillo and another goalie. Giguere would not facilitate that.

Nice try, but one can always hope. Burke has an amazing gift for making this kind of stuff work.

[Shoeless]

Sorry that would be Gus as in Gustavsson. Not Gus as in Giguere.

[JagrBomb]

as of right now, the guys the leafs WONT be trading are:

kessel: for obvious reasons
versteeg: we just got him
armstrong: we just got him
kulemin: we just re-signed him
phaneuf: captain
schenn: untouchable
kadri: untouchable
gustavvsoon: our goaltending future

i think everyone else is fair game.

[VintageVibe]

Gus for Carter can't happen, mostly for cap reasons. The Leafs are already out of room.

I might be wrong but nhlnumbers.com have the Leafs down for $6.7 million available in cap space (including the bonus cushion) ... lots of room left for a bonafide 1st line forward.

[VintageVibe]

as of right now, the guys the leafs WONT be trading are:
schenn: untouchable

Idn Praba... I think Schenn is in play for the right price. I'm sure Burke is kicking himself in the groin after passing on a deal that would've landed him Tavares for Schenn... just my two cents.

[Canuckk]

If Halak was worth Eller and Schultz, Giguere would be worth a used handkerchief and a crinkly $5 bill. Gustavsson slightly more. There is ZERO chance Philly would deal Carter for a goalie. Not happening.

[kbooks]

Sorry that would be Gus as in Gustavsson. Not Gus as in Giguere.

My mistake. Sorry. As stated cap problems would get in the way. Burke also has a strong loyalty to his players. He laid out a development plan for Gustavsson to develop his carrier over a couple of years with Allard as his coach. Burke is a man of his word and thus I think it would not be until the 2011 season that Burke would feel he has lived up to that commitment.

Aside from that leafs would love to have Carter and would be happy to work something out with Philly that worked around cap issues if Philly was interested in moving Carter. It currently appears that Philly has decided Carter is not available.

[JagrBomb]

my point is, schenn's value is too low to get full value for him, which is why he is untouchble. the tavares deal would have been along the lines of schenn + #7 overall (kadri)...so i dont think it would have been worth it at the time.

[kbooks]

Finger might not get sent down. They only have 7 guaranteed d-men going into camp, including Finger. Unless someone like Holzer or Blacker has a terrific camp and forces Burke's hand, I can't think of who replace Jeff in the top 7. He certainly can't be traded. Remember during the season last year, Burke stated he would only bury money if there was a better alternative. Fact is, Finger played well in his first season with the Leafs, poorly last year. And as of this moment, there is not an obvious upgrade to him in the system who makes less money. So Finger might very well find himself as the 7th d-man come opening day. On the other hand, they do need to find some space somewhere, and Finger's burial in the minors might be the simplest solution. Or trading Grabbo for a pick.

Finger is not a bad D. He is just over paid. His stats for the games he played last year stand up very well with the rest of the D. He also had a number of nagging injuries last year. He will do just fine as the leafs 6th D, when Kaberle is traded, behind Phaneuf, Schenn, Komisarik, Beauchamin and Gunnersson. He will not be sent down or bought out or traded.


Quote from Player reviews on the Maple Leafs Hotstove
http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2010/0...er/#more-10657

Finger averaged the highest points-per-60 of all Leafs defencemen last season at 1.06, and was the owner of the highest primary assistant average of 0.53 per 60, albeit with a half-season sample size. Still, it hints that Fletcher might not have been all wrong in identifying Finger has some understated two-way ability as a puck mover.

Finger also remained the Leafs’ best shot blocker by a country mile based on the averages, posting a 9.3 shots blocked per 60, a full 4 BkS/60 more than second-best Carl Gunnarsson and good enough for fourth in the league. This was even a marked improvement over his ’08-09 total of 6.2 BkS/60. Give Finger credit, he lays it all on the line when afforded the opportunity.

[slufoot]

Agreed on Finger. He is overpaid, but not significantly. Time will prove that the real albatross on the Leaf blueline is Komisarek's contract. $4.5M for an injury prone defenceman who can't make a first pass, takes horrible penalties, and can't fight his way out of a paper bag.

[Hardyvan123]

If Halak was worth Eller and Schultz, Giguere would be worth a used handkerchief and a crinkly $5 bill. Gustavsson slightly more. There is ZERO chance Philly would deal Carter for a goalie. Not happening.

I agree here, why would the Flyers trade a big scoring young center for a Goalie when there are so many goalies available on the open market.

Sounds more like another Leaf pipe dream to me.

Lets face the facts here, in TO, Burke has set this franchise back a couple of years in development, a playoff spot might be in order in 4 years if everything goes perfect but there are going to be long days ahead in TO, that's a simple fact.

The biggest problem in Toronto is that they have the worst set of centers in the league (by quite a margin) and this won't change until they sign a good free agent one and Kadri develops into the type of player he can be ( a top level top 6 guy with loads of character and leadership skills a 1A center type).

[StuperousFunker]

Lets face the facts here, in TO, Burke has set this franchise back a couple of years in development, a playoff spot might be in order in 4 years if everything goes perfect but there are going to be long days ahead in TO, that's a simple fact.

I wouldn't say it's that bleak, and I wouldn't necessarily agree that Burke has set the franchise back a couple of years. Yes, we're all aware of the picks he surrendered in the Kessel deal. Given the state of the franchise when he inherited it though, especially from a prospect standpoint, it's hard to say that the additions of young players like Phaneuf, Bozak, Gustafsson, Kessel, and Kadri have set the team back a couple of years.

The playoffs are closer than 4 years away. After the Phaneuf and Giguere deals, the team was on pace to make the playoffs, and that was without the additions of Versteeg, Armstrong and Kadri who will likely be on the big team this year. Even during that stretch, Kaberle was almost invisible, so if Burke parlays him into a roster player, I don't think his absence will be much of a detriment.

Yes, they needs some quality centremen. No, they're not 4 years away from the post season.

[93213]

How has Burke set the franchise back?

When he was hired the Leafs had no star players and one prospect - Schenn.

We still have Schenn and now we also have Kadri. We also now have, Kessel, Phaneuf & Giguerre. So if that's backwards I'm not sure what you consider forwards?