Toronto Maple Leafs

[TK12555]

only 8 days until puck drop!

Anyone pumped yet?

[OceanMon]

I'm pumped!!!

How's Lupul looking these days?? And Phaneuf??

[TK12555]

I'm pumped!!!

How's Lupul looking these days?? And Phaneuf??

Dude,I haven't watched a ton of the preseason games, but Phaneuf seems to be a little more mobile than in the past, and Lupul seems to have increased chemistry with Kessel.

[Fighting_Emu]

So Colborne got cut. Not surprising. Should see him next year, or come up to the big leagues on occasion throughout 2011/12.

None of these names really surprise me, but some nice players heading to the farm.

Yeah that cupboard is as well stocked as Ive seen it in a long time...

[Nights]

Yeah that cupboard is as well stocked as Ive seen it in a long time...

I think we've been using that line for the past 2-3 years now...

It truly is a sight to behold. We actually do have a farm team of prospects that could actually help instead of guys like "Tlusty-Pogge" as we had as our two best prospects waaaayyyyy back... And are they even doing something now?

To hear that a player such as Kadri might not even make the team (it's his flash and dash ot Frattin's "safer" play) due to depth in front, and then that a guy like Colborne and Gardiner (who both looked reall good) are practically stuck in the AHL to fix the very minor kinks they have to be more ready... both of them are guys you'd likely see for sure on most NHL rosters this year.

Sure, we need to work on our top-end, since we have an overabundance of depth players, but at least we got that. Slowly but surely...

[TK12555]

Kadri's out 3-4 weeks. Leaves the spot right open for Matt Frattin

[dyzfunctioned]

Leafs have a great prospect system right now, particular Colborne, Gardiner, Blacker, McKegg (not a big Kadri fan)...

I don't mean to dredge up a horrible memory, but wouldn't Seguin fill that hole at #1C beautifully? Hahaha I apologize

But really, you're turning into a better Nashville - you have a billion #2C's - Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi, and in the future McKegg, Colborne, and Kadri all project to be solid great second liners... Maybe McKegg or Colborne can kick it up a notch and become a top liner.

[Fighting_Emu]

Leafs have a great prospect system right now, particular Colborne, Gardiner, Blacker, McKegg (not a big Kadri fan)...

I don't mean to dredge up a horrible memory, but wouldn't Seguin fill that hole at #1C beautifully? Hahaha I apologize

But really, you're turning into a better Nashville - you have a billion #2C's - Grabovski, Connolly, Lombardi, and in the future McKegg, Colborne, and Kadri all project to be solid great second liners... Maybe McKegg or Colborne can kick it up a notch and become a top liner.

Yeah he would obviously and these points definitely do not nullify that but:

A) Hes a shoot first sniper that might not mesh ideally with "the thrill".

B) Hes shown he has attitude issues and a sense of entitlement that might be problematic when he becomes the subject du jour in Torontos fish bowl media. Not sure he has shown the mental toughness it takes for players to survive there.

Dont get me wrong I certainly wouldnt be complaining if he were in a leafs jersey but all Im saying is that on paper he might not actually be the ideal candidate to center TOs surge back into greatness- lmao!

[Fighting_Emu]

OK even I can admit surge into greatness is too much. Shall we say...

Surge out of mediocrity!

[dyzfunctioned]

Yeah he would obviously and these points definitely do not nullify that but:

A) Hes a shoot first sniper that might not mesh ideally with "the thrill".

B) Hes shown he has attitude issues and a sense of entitlement that might be problematic when he becomes the subject du jour in Torontos fish bowl media. Not sure he has shown the mental toughness it takes for players to survive there.

Dont get me wrong I certainly wouldnt be complaining if he were in a leafs jersey but all Im saying is that on paper he might not actually be the ideal candidate to center TOs surge back into greatness- lmao!

A) Well if you had Seguin, you wouldn't have Kessel. So that doesn't really matter. Plus I think he's a pretty balanced player, not necessarily shoot first.

B) Hasn't Kessel too?

Haha. I'm not bringing any of this up to bring up hard feelings or anything, just discussing.

[Nights]

If we had Seguin, we'd have a small-ish 1st line C, might not have Colborne (I'm sure the Kaberle trade went the way it did because of how the Kessel trade went), a bevy of other options for center, as you said...

...but where would we have a top line winger?

See, it's a fickle thing - either we have our top line winger in Kessel or we have a top line center (who isn't necessarily big) in Seguin. It's a position where you win some, lose some.

With our current depth, I don't think any of them have the potential to be a top line W (Kadri if all goes well could, but they like him at C >_>) yet a few could, if all goes perfect, become that C (Kadri, McKegg, Colborne - who is also big and what we are missing since Sundin's departure). So really, that's why I'd rather have Kessel over Seguin just because we are much deeper at C then at the W, and we have the potential at C that we dno't have at W.

[STONE.]

Gardiner's gonna make it? Trade brewing?

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=377126

Some excerpts:

"The Leafs will keep eight defensemen, with Matt Lashoff likely the odd man out. Meanwhile, close tabs will be kept on both Keith Aulie and Jake Gardiner to ensure they can handle the load."


"Aside from the few decisions remaining, Toronto is keenly interested in adding another top forward.

The Leafs lack experience up front and are in the market for a player with some size and a track record of making an impact.

The Leafs are willing to sacrifice two younger guys to make this deal happen, but see nothing imminent and predict such a player won't spring free until at least November when teams have had a chance to assess their talent, or have stumbled out of the gate."

[Nights]

Gardiner seems to be making it exceptionally hard for the Leafs brass to do anything but give him a spot. The problem with that?

Liles, Phaneuf, Schenn, Komisarek, Aulie, Gunnarsson, Franson.

That's a lot of players back there who have all, somewhat, earned their ice and deserve it.

Only one of them is a pure mobile defenceman (Liles) and you could then add that Phaneuf is the only one who has a somewhat offensive skillset, perhaps Franson too (haven't seen him play). Schenn and Gunnarsson have solid offence, but only the kind that gets you in the zone and keeps the puck in, not creates plays on a semi-regular basis. This is a skillset Gardiner offers that we currently lack.

I'm hoping they can somehow get rid of Komisarek (right now he's just a very expensive 5-6 defenceman since Liles, Phaneuf, Schenn all surpass him and Aulie matches real well with Phaneuf), but if they can't, perhaps they won't have a choice but to move Gunnarsson (or even Aulie) out.

It's a good problem to have, since you can use this oppurtunity to help improve the team in other areas. But it's certainly not easy to make.

Kadri's injury, as unfortunate for him as it is, also allows Frattin an extended look on the roster. Lombardi might also get more of a look. After Kadri's rehab is over, November might be interesting.

[Nights]

So MacArthur was suspended 2 games for his hit... I don't get it.

Well, perhaps they just want to be sure that people know that this rule is taken seriously and you have to be careful out there, but still...

So this leaves space for a longer look at the 13th forward spot (who'd be 12th during the suspension) or allow a 7 defenceman on opening night thing (to see Gardiner in NHL action and make a better decision, perhaps?)

[TK12555]

So MacArthur was suspended 2 games for his hit... I don't get it.

Well, perhaps they just want to be sure that people know that this rule is taken seriously and you have to be careful out there, but still...

So this leaves space for a longer look at the 13th forward spot (who'd be 12th during the suspension) or allow a 7 defenceman on opening night thing (to see Gardiner in NHL action and make a better decision, perhaps?)

Well Lombardi is playing tonight, which means he'll likely play opening game. So maybe he plays 2nd line W for the first 2 games of the year.