Leafs offseason discussion

[Homer Jay]

MacArthur signed just a little bit before the arbitration deadline at 5pm. Believed to be 2 years, $6.5M. Good term, good money, good deal. Happy to have him back and that's a very good price ($3.25M a season).

Not bad at all. Love how Burkie is keeping everything short term for a couple of years until this team is really ready to compete. I would like to see this team use its cap space to absorb contracts rather than going into the way overinflated FA market. You never know Columbus could be looking to dump Nash in a couple of years... or whatever.

[Relentless88]

I think the Leafs have also re-signed Bozak.

John Shannon: Leafs two players that could have gone to arb. were both able to get deals done MacArthur and Bozak are both signed.

[Relentless88]

What is Bozak's role on this team next season? Will he centre the 3rd line?

[bryant08]

Yeah, he most likely will with Lombardi's situation. I'm satisfied with Bozak in that role. No information on terms though yet.

[bryant08]

Originally a few twitter dudes were saying he's getting a total of $1.9M for 2 years, which obviously makes no sense. A few guys now saying it's $3.25M over the 2 years or just over $1.6M a season. I'm kinda meh on $1.6M, but can't complain since you'd hope he'd fair better with less pressure on him. If he can win draws, play a solid two way game and contribute with 15 goals I'm fine with that.

[Relentless88]

Originally a few twitter dudes were saying he's getting a total of $1.9M for 2 years, which obviously makes no sense. A few guys now saying it's $3.25M over the 2 years or just over $1.6M a season. I'm kinda meh on $1.6M, but can't complain since you'd hope he'd fair better with less pressure on him. If he can win draws, play a solid two way game and contribute with 15 goals I'm fine with that.

Yeah, pretty reasonable. I have to admit though after the 2010 season I thought Bozak would become a special player. Maybe it was just a 2nd year slump.

Lupul/Connolly/Kessel
MacArthur/Grabovski/Kulemin
Kadri/Bozak/Armstrong

3rd line might be too small with Kadri/Bozak. Burke probably wants size on the 3rd line. And if Lombardi is healthy...what happens to Bozak?

[bryant08]

As per Dreger, Bozak's deal is 2 years, $3M total ($1.5M a season). Yeah I'm a bit concerned about the fit of that third line too, although it seems like the most likely scenario come the end of training camp. I'm not going to get ahead of myself in thinking Lombardi will be ready any time soon, so I think that's something you worry about later. With Connolly/Lombardi as potential injury hazards, it's not bad having someone you can throw on the top line without disrupting the rest of your lineup. But who's going to be on the Leafs 4th line this year? Jay Rosehill got a 1 year deal which was really surprising IMO, Colton Orr could be and Mike Brown's a lock. Who even plays center on that line? Disappointed we missed out on Konopka tbh.

[Ducksplatt]

I think Bozak is fine on the third line. It will be less pressure for him. Of course, when Connolly misses his usual 20 games to injury, he can step into the first line. The FO must see something in this guy to keep him around - and it is not too expensive.

While I am here, I was reading a blog posting on HockeBuzz talking about Possible Trading Partners For A Defenseman For the Blue Jackets. I think you will all enjoy who was #1 on the list:

Mike Komisarek - would be the perfect piece to add to the mix. At 6'4", 243 pound, this blue liner doesn't take a ton of penalties, blocks shots and can throw his weight around a little. The problem is his contract. He has a limited no trade clause plus he is scheduled to be paid $5.5 million this coming season and $3.5 million the next two after that. The Maple Leafs would have to take back some salary for this to work. I don't know if Sammy Pahlsson's $2.65 million is enough especially since it's the final year of the contract. Kristian Huselius and his $4.75 million would help but again he is in the final year of his contract and don't know if he's a player that Brian Burke would be excited to get.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eric-Smi ... s/96/36928

Did he really say perfect?

[Next Coming]

Bozak and Kadri on the 3rd line will be good for each other. 2 young kids trying to figure things out. How many people wrote off MacArthur last year?

2 year term. I think he can regain his 2010 form.

[Relentless88]

Stamkos update via ESPN.

UPDATE: The longer negotiations for an elite player go on, the more elaborate trade rumors will become. That's the truth.

Case in point: The St. Petersburg Times makes mention of wild Twitter talk in regards to a potential Toronto Maple Leafs' deal for Steven Stamkos' rights as part of a three-team arrangement that would send Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Utter baloney, the Times concludes.

We continue to expect to see Stamkos in a Lightning uniform next season.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/features/rumors

[KingstonRaptors]

Stamkos update via ESPN.

UPDATE: The longer negotiations for an elite player go on, the more elaborate trade rumors will become. That's the truth.

Case in point: The St. Petersburg Times makes mention of wild Twitter talk in regards to a potential Toronto Maple Leafs' deal for Steven Stamkos' rights as part of a three-team arrangement that would send Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Utter baloney, the Times concludes.

We continue to expect to see Stamkos in a Lightning uniform next season.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/features/rumors

[Homer Jay]

Stamkos update via ESPN.

UPDATE: The longer negotiations for an elite player go on, the more elaborate trade rumors will become. That's the truth.

Case in point: The St. Petersburg Times makes mention of wild Twitter talk in regards to a potential Toronto Maple Leafs' deal for Steven Stamkos' rights as part of a three-team arrangement that would send Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Utter baloney, the Times concludes.

We continue to expect to see Stamkos in a Lightning uniform next season.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/features/rumors

Wow what could we offer that would be equivilent to Stamkos and Malkin.... we got no talent other than Kessel and Schenn... maybe we take a bad contract? I know TB would love to dump Ryan Malone.

[bryant08]

Leafs sign Phillipe Dupuis. No idea who he is. Langebrunner and Arnott both sign in St. Louis for $2.5M a piece. Two great leaders to add to your forward group.

[rarefind]

Dupuis is just 25, and played last year for the Avalanche. Don't expect much, 4th line center. Was a pretty good player in junior but then disappeared into the AHL/ECHL for a few seasons. Played an offensive game when he was younger and wasn't horrible playing in the Colorado system but best case he adds some finesse aside a speedy Mike Brown on the fourth line or plays on the Marlies.

[rarefind]

Dupuis is just 25, and played last year for the Avalanche. Don't expect much, 4th line center. Was a pretty good player in junior but then disappeared into the AHL/ECHL for a few seasons. Played an offensive game when he was younger and wasn't horrible playing in the Colorado system but best case he adds some finesse aside a speedy Mike Brown on the fourth line or plays on the Marlies.

[Next Coming]

At Leafs Camp our 2011 4th Rd Pick Tom Nillson apparently destroyed our 2010 2nd Rd Pick Brad Ross and apparently they got into it.

Tom Nillson is a 6'1 180 Defensemen who apparently does everything solid but is a huge open ice hitter. He's apparently been compared to Niklas Kronwall.

We got some tough, tough young guys in our camp. Nillson, Broll, Ross, Biggs just to name a few.

[bryant08]

I think it was Paul Hendrick who tweeted that Nilsson was the most hated player at that camp, but apparently that huge hit on Ross was a clean one.

Guys like Gardiner/Blacker/Biggs/Colborne/Kadri get me excited about the team's future. Really need those guys to pan out.

[Relentless88]

ESPN did a ranking of the teams based on their off season. They used GVT which is goals versus threshold. Number 1 on the list was Washington, while the Leafs were number 2 with a 21.1 change in GVT. Here's an explanation of GVT; http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/article ... icleid=233

The article is insider, but here's what he said about the Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have also given their fans something to cheer about, having made some positive moves to improve offensively (to an even greater extent than Washington), shedding overpaid and underachieving players like Brett Lebda and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere to make room for John-Michael Liles and Cody Franson on the blue line, and Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi up front. If James Reimer is the real deal, the Maple Leafs could be a surprise and long overdue postseason participant.

Here's the complete rankings.

Team Change in GVT
Washington 29.8
Toronto 21.1
Florida 16.3
N.Y. Rangers 14.8
Edmonton 12.7
Buffalo 11.3
Columbus 10.1
N.Y. Islanders 8.1
Carolina 7.4
Detroit 6.8
St. Louis 3.9
Los Angeles 3.7
Ottawa 3.5
Chicago 2.2
Colorado 1.3
Anaheim 0.9
New Jersey 0.0
Pittsburgh -0.9
Dallas -2.4
Boston -3.3
Winnipeg -4.2
Calgary -6.4
San Jose -6.8
Minnesota -10.6
Tampa Bay -13.0
Nashville -13.4
Vancouver -13.9
Montreal -25.5
Philadelphia -25.9
Phoenix -27.6

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/insider/ ... id=6746095

[bryant08]

No Stamkos trade/offer sheet in the works:

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/20 ... -Stamkos/1

[Relentless88]

No Stamkos trade/offer sheet in the works:

http://www.capebretonpost.com/Sports/20 ... -Stamkos/1

Damn.