Leafs acquire Dave Bolland

[vini_vidi_vici]

The Toronto Maple Leafs have dealt the 51st, 117th in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth rounder in the 2014 Draft to the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Dave Bolland.

Bolland has one year and $3.375 million left on a five-year contract that carries an identical cap hit.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=426705

[kavan]

Guess you beat me to it. How do we feel about this pick up? Wonder what he brings to us where he fits in.

[vini_vidi_vici]

Guess you beat me to it. How do we feel about this pick up? Wonder what he brings to us where he fits in.

I like the flexibility it provides regarding Bozie. Youre not forced to sign him, also Nonis is indicating he'll play a more prominent role in Toronto, so higher than 3rd line C.

I think Kadri/Bolland/McClement/???

Do you roll with Grabo? Sign Bozie? how about some Colbourne??

I like the options, im not too familiar with his game (5v5/PK/PP), sorry man, theres other forums that are Leafs centric you might find more opinions.

[kavan]

What forums is that.. This forum is great for Basketball news. Yea I would hate to see Bozak go but I guess we are left no choice. Grabo is taking a huge chunk wonder if he "re-structures" but again we arent in the NFL

[vini_vidi_vici]

What forums is that.. This forum is great for Basketball news. Yea I would hate to see Bozak go but I guess we are left no choice. Grabo is taking a huge chunk wonder if he "re-structures" but again we arent in the NFL

I dont think youll see Bozie signed unless they end up moving Grabo or Kadri (I think hes unlikely tho, and not advocating it either). Because of the Gauthier (good defensive center, big body, etc..) pick, along with this signing of Bolland.

Check your PMs.

[akakalakin]

Bolland is not a 1, and that's what is happening here though

[vini_vidi_vici]

Bolland is not a 1, and that's what is happening here though

I agree but I dont want Lecavalier (and its most likely he lands in MTL) and there isnt any top flight Cs around. Bolland buys time not extending Bozie, it allows a year or two for Gauthier to come to the third line, or Colbourne, see what you have in Kadri (top line, 2nd line, etc..).

It just gives them more options, which is the primary reason I like it.

[Ado05]

I think he's a 3C, that occasionally moves up to the 2C role with the Leafs.

The way I see it, the depth goes

????/Kadri/Bolland/McClement

Move Grabo to the wing, especially since he sucks at faceoffs.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Love Bolland. Perfect 3rd line guy. Personally I like Kadri, Grabbo, Bolland, McClement down the middle, considering our great depth on the wing.

Spend some money on defense now.

[YogiStewart]

meh on this move.
he's a 1 year rental. you give up 2 draft picks for a rental and don't address long-term concerns at centre?
if the leafs were looking to go deep in the playoffs, it is worth it.
but i'd rather use the 2 picks to grab some talent, considering that there are those (i.e. me) out there who think last year's success was a bit of a mirage.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Three picks with a slim margin of success. I'll take a solid checking line C in his prime with two cup wins for that package any day of the week.

We have enough high-end offensive talent. It's time to shore up the back 6 and the D and make the next jump into the top 4 on our conference.

[YogiStewart]

We have enough high-end offensive talent. It's time to shore up the back 6 and the D and make the next jump into the top 4 on our conference.

really?
name them, please.

[whysoserious]

Three picks with a slim margin of success. I'll take a solid checking line C in his prime with two cup wins for that package any day of the week.

We have enough high-end offensive talent. It's time to shore up the back 6 and the D and make the next jump into the top 4 on our conference.

You really believe our top 6 is good enough? We don't have a number 1 c and haven't had one since Sundin. In those years we put mediocre players around him on the wings or guys playing past their prime that would look solid but never great.

We need a top flight, true number 1 center and better wing players as well.

[YogiStewart]

Three picks with a slim margin of success. I'll take a solid checking line C in his prime with two cup wins for that package any day of the week.

We have enough high-end offensive talent. It's time to shore up the back 6 and the D and make the next jump into the top 4 on our conference.

You really believe our top 6 is good enough? We don't have a number 1 c and haven't had one since Sundin. In those years we put mediocre players around him on the wings or guys playing past their prime that would look solid but never great.

We need a top flight, true number 1 center and better wing players as well.

the leafs have:
Kessel
Lupul (injury prone)
Grabovsky (horrible year statistically last year)
Kadri (sophmore year)
JVR (still an unknown)
that ain't a deep team.

[whysoserious]

I don't mind Kadri, JVR and Lupul as a second line of offense even if Lupul has good chemistry with Kessel.

And though I'm no fan of Kessel overall, he's a solid sniper for your first line, but we lack a true number one center and a better winger based on the guys we have. I would have traded Grabo before signing him, love his heart to take hits and keep going but he is not a top 6 forward, IMO.

Until this team starts getting talent, elite talent, having those Dave Bolland type guys are nice but they aren't playing their role while supporting Kane, Hossa, Toews, Sharp and all the other top end players in Chicago the same way in Toronto.

[YogiStewart]

Until this team starts getting talent, elite talent, having those Dave Bolland type guys are nice but they aren't playing their role while supporting Kane, Hossa, Toews, Sharp and all the other top end players in Chicago the same way in Toronto.

playoff scoring leaders AND their +/-

1 David Krejci BOS C 22 9 17 26 +13 14 1 0 2 1 56 16.1 22:15 26.6 45.2
2 Patrick Kane CHI R 23 9 10 19 +7 8 0 0 2 1 88 10.2 20:55 26.3 16.7
3 Milan Lucic BOS L 22 7 12 19 +12 14 0 0 0 0 42 16.7 20:56 24.9 52.9
4 Nathan Horton BOS R 22 7 12 19 +20 14 2 0 3 0 38 18.4 18:29 24.2 50.0
5 Bryan Bickell CHI L 23 9 8 17 +11 14 1 0 2 1 49 18.4 15:22 22.1 33.3
6 Patrick Sharp CHI L 23 10 6 16 +1 8 2 0 2 0 91 11.0 18:15 23.3 53.3
7 Marian Hossa CHI R 22 7 9 16 +8

if 3rd liners are so important, why aren't there any in the scoring lead? why do we see double digit +/- from 4 of the 7 leaders?
anyone can find solid scrubs to play on the 3rd line.

[whysoserious]

Until this team starts getting talent, elite talent, having those Dave Bolland type guys are nice but they aren't playing their role while supporting Kane, Hossa, Toews, Sharp and all the other top end players in Chicago the same way in Toronto.

playoff scoring leaders AND their +/-

1 David Krejci BOS C 22 9 17 26 +13 14 1 0 2 1 56 16.1 22:15 26.6 45.2
2 Patrick Kane CHI R 23 9 10 19 +7 8 0 0 2 1 88 10.2 20:55 26.3 16.7
3 Milan Lucic BOS L 22 7 12 19 +12 14 0 0 0 0 42 16.7 20:56 24.9 52.9
4 Nathan Horton BOS R 22 7 12 19 +20 14 2 0 3 0 38 18.4 18:29 24.2 50.0
5 Bryan Bickell CHI L 23 9 8 17 +11 14 1 0 2 1 49 18.4 15:22 22.1 33.3
6 Patrick Sharp CHI L 23 10 6 16 +1 8 2 0 2 0 91 11.0 18:15 23.3 53.3
7 Marian Hossa CHI R 22 7 9 16 +8

if 3rd liners are so important, why aren't there any in the scoring lead? why do we see double digit +/- from 4 of the 7 leaders?
anyone can find solid scrubs to play on the 3rd line.

I think i'm pretty much in agreement with you Yogi. The Dave Bollands are nice to haves but this team, over the years has spent too much money and effort on those guys thinking their top 6 was good enough when it clearly wasn't and hasn't been in forever. Even during the Sundin era one can argue that he played with lesser talent and carried them further.

I'm not against acquiring the Dave Bollands, they play a role and are importnat, but like you said they are easy to find and can be had for cheap. We need elite talent in our top 6 forwards and at least one more elite level defensemen.

[YogiStewart]

Until this team starts getting talent, elite talent, having those Dave Bolland type guys are nice but they aren't playing their role while supporting Kane, Hossa, Toews, Sharp and all the other top end players in Chicago the same way in Toronto.

playoff scoring leaders AND their +/-

1 David Krejci BOS C 22 9 17 26 +13 14 1 0 2 1 56 16.1 22:15 26.6 45.2
2 Patrick Kane CHI R 23 9 10 19 +7 8 0 0 2 1 88 10.2 20:55 26.3 16.7
3 Milan Lucic BOS L 22 7 12 19 +12 14 0 0 0 0 42 16.7 20:56 24.9 52.9
4 Nathan Horton BOS R 22 7 12 19 +20 14 2 0 3 0 38 18.4 18:29 24.2 50.0
5 Bryan Bickell CHI L 23 9 8 17 +11 14 1 0 2 1 49 18.4 15:22 22.1 33.3
6 Patrick Sharp CHI L 23 10 6 16 +1 8 2 0 2 0 91 11.0 18:15 23.3 53.3
7 Marian Hossa CHI R 22 7 9 16 +8

if 3rd liners are so important, why aren't there any in the scoring lead? why do we see double digit +/- from 4 of the 7 leaders?
anyone can find solid scrubs to play on the 3rd line.

I think i'm pretty much in agreement with you Yogi. The Dave Bollands are nice to haves but this team, over the years has spent too much money and effort on those guys thinking their top 6 was good enough when it clearly wasn't and hasn't been in forever. Even during the Sundin era one can argue that he played with lesser talent and carried them further.

I'm not against acquiring the Dave Bolland, they play a role and are importnat, but like you said they are easy to find and can be had for cheap. We need elite talent in our top 6 forwards and at least one more elite level defensemen.

yeah i know you agree with me. others may not
that's why i'm against giving up the two picks for a one year rental.
conversely, look at the trade Wpg made with Chicago. yeah, yeah, don't call me a homer....but it is the exact same trade, except
a) winnipeg gets a younger player with upside
b) toronto's trade netted a player that was $1/year more
c) bolland is a UFA, whereas Frolik is a RFA.

while they aren't the same player by any means, Frolik versus Bolland is, in my mind, a better way to manage assets. 1 year rental versus a 3-6 year player for the same picks? give me the long-term player any day.
plus, Frolik's upside is as a 2nd line player. what's Bolland's upside? none. he's a 3rd line player that may be forced into second (or, worse, first) line activity.

[Brew666]

I hope it's not a rental and completely agree it would be a waste of picks if that was case. But I don't expect it to end up as a one year rental, he's a hometown boy and the Leafs are a team on the up. Well I hope Nonis/FO have better sense than giving up 3 picks for a one year rental.

As for trying Bolland on the 2nd line, I'm interested to see how it pans out. I know this team has a horrible habit of putting players in too big of a role but I think this is one case it could pan out. Wasn't he the 2nd line center for the Hawks in their 2010 cup win? Sharp was mostly on the wing if I recall correctly and Madden was the 3rd line center.

We still have space to go after Vinny and I hope that's the case. If we're going into next year w/ Kadri, Grabbo, Bolland and McClement as our centers, then it's very little improvement than what they had last year. I think I mentioned it in the offseason thread, acquiring a #1 center or #1 D via trade is next to impossible. No teams give up their building blocks and I think the only way of acquiring those assets is via trade or f.a signing.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Frolik's upside is as a 2nd liner... on the Jets.

I'm fine with the three picks for Bolland. We were one of the youngest teams in the league with plenty of good talent in the pipeline. We scored the 6th most goals in the league last year. Their top 6 forwards are pretty potent. Improving a disastrous D corps should be priority #1.