OT: LEAFS make huge moves, MLSE willing to spend after all?

[noob_please]

If anything finger will be dealt or even kaberle. If we deal kaberle we will get draft picks most likely and some young players. Which pretty much have no impact on the cap. I can see burke going for a top 6 forward this summer easily.

[YogiStewart]

does these trades still gives us the opportunity to sign a top fa in the offseason?

Short answer yes. If you really think about it, Dion's 6.5 mil per year is nullified by Blake's 5 mill and Stajan's 2 whatever he makes. Haman + Mayers + White + Vesa would more than cover JSG's contract so if anything, we gained cap room but lost depth. JSG is UFA after next season's end and Dion has another 4 years. Depending on whether or not we resign Jonas Gustavson, the immediate need is top-6 forward and complementary pieces to Kessel.

I definitely did not see this coming but you can see what Burke is trying to do. He is trying to replicate his Anaheim Ducks model and bring over staff and players which he is comfortable with while bringing in all-star quality players in their early-to-mid 20s to build around.

the anaheim model was: inherit a team and take the credit when they win a Cup. the only thing he's done is move this team towards cap problems, except he won't have to trade/give away young talent like he did in Anaheim.

and the short answer is: no. you sign any player with talent and he's $4-5 mil/year. they still need to fill out the rest of their roster. if the cap is around $54 mil next year, then they can barely get enough roster guys who make the league average. they basically need to have 2 lines of ok players and 2 lines of AHL players to make up their 4 forward lines.

[SharoneWright]

Highway robbery all around.

- Stajan - overrated and gone anyway - Unrestricted and Kessel inflated his numbers/next contract

- Dumped the worst contract on the team in Blake - replacing it with a starting goalie that expires a year sooner

- Toskala ain't got the stones and was hindering The Monster anyway

- Aulie is the first rounder we don't have this year

- Build your team with a few studs and grinders - got another young stud today in Phaneuf to go with Kessel and eventually the Monster...... Mission accomplished.

[Relentless88]

Our defense is just sick after this. Burke just needs to go out and get a scorer. With Stajan/Blake/Hagman gone, we need some scorers to fill the void. If only we can land a 40 goal threat.

[JB7]

I am actually interested in the Leafs again with the Phaneuf deal.

Next move for Leafs:

Kaberle, Ponikarovsky, Kulemin & filler (Wallin or Primeau) for Jordan Staal & Gonchar

- Pittsburgh is interested in Poni
- Pitt needs a defenseman for the present and near future (Gonchar is a FA this summer and he is 35), Pitts money is tied up in Crosby, Malkin, Staal & Fluery (Staal logical player to move)
- Kulemin played his best with Malkin in Russia
- Provides Malkin with new linemates (Kulemin & Poni)

For Toronto - Future #1 Center (Staal) & frees up money this summer (and lessens money spent on D, as Gonchar is a FA)

Leafs - Forwards
1) Sjostorm, Staal, Kessel
2) Stalberg, Bozak, Hanson
3) Mitchell, Grabovsky, Stempniak
4) Rosehill, Primeau, Orr
Future: Kadri, D'Amigo, Didomenico

Defense
1) Phaneuf, Schenn
2) Gunnarsson, Komisarek
3) Gonchar (next year Finger?), Beauchemin

Net
1) Giguere
2) Gustavsson

[Ong_dynasty]

I look at it as..
We are a team that lacks talent...just stock pile on talent first then worry about trading assets later.
I understand that a bit of Salary Cap may have been used, but I assume with a few Salary Cap magic, If a top FA is interested then we can still be able to get them.

Im not the most knowledgable Hockey fan, but I dont see what makes the deal so bad.!we gave up average assets for one a good asset with low value at the moment.

[ablatt]

The only talent the Leafs need to stockpile right now is a goalie.

They still don't have a PROVEN #1 goalie going forward.

Gustafsson has not shown that he is up to the task on a consistent basis. He still lets in at least one weak goal almost every game where he can't adjust his angle on a cross-ice pass. He often over reacts and is out of position.

Yes, having a stockpile of good D's will make his life easier, but in my experience, you cannot win consistently with WEAK goaltending.

And when you can't score, and you have to rely on a grinding forechecking style of play, you get totally demoralized when your goalie lets in a weak one. And then you stop playing, just like the Leafs have the past month.

[sanity]

They're still years away from competing so Gustafsson has some time. Either way you look at it JS is an upgrade over Toskala in the short term. The lack of offense is a bit concerning, but Burke doesn't seem through with his moves yet.

[J Dilla]

Looking at this deal 2 days after I'm still shaking my head. We gave up our offense in Stajan and Hagman, including Ian White who was productive for us this year. Putting all eggs into one basket. To top it off the leafs also trade Jason Blake. Whenever I watch leaf games, this guy tried to make a lot of stuff happen on the offensive end, even though he didn't live up to the hype. Burke effed this one up.

[YogiStewart]

Looking at this deal 2 days after I'm still shaking my head. We gave up our offense in Stajan and Hagman, including Ian White who was productive for us this year. Putting all eggs into one basket. To top it off the leafs also trade Jason Blake. Whenever I watch leaf games, this guy tried to make a lot of stuff happen on the offensive end, even though he didn't live up to the hype. Burke effed this one up.

Stajan will be a nobody. 3rd line player. so no loss there.
Hagmas had skills. can be a good 2nd line player if matched up with the right people.
Jason BLake may be a steal. you put him with the right people and i think the dude will have a great 2nd half of the season. but he was a pariah and a fat contract in TOronto so he had to go.

also, if this team does have an elite D corps (which was the thought before the season started. whoops!), then fans will be dropping like flies. anyone want to watch a 2-1 loss or 2-1 victory? there won't be any scoring or excitement from the Leafs. nothing. and fans want to see excitement and scoring.

[SwaggyB]

also, if this team does have an elite D corps (which was the thought before the season started. whoops!), then fans will be dropping like flies. anyone want to watch a 2-1 loss or 2-1 victory? there won't be any scoring or excitement from the Leafs. nothing. and fans want to see excitement and scoring.

Don't worry, Phaneuf can't play defense very well. He's too busy trying to throw a heavy hit, rarely connecting. He'll let the opposing teams score plenty of goals.. which one would assume would make fans drop like flies.. However, it is the leafs... so they'll be fine. They've sucked for a looooong time.. and still have a ton of fans.

[SDM]

The only talent the Leafs need to stockpile right now is a goalie.

They still don't have a PROVEN #1 goalie going forward.

Gustafsson has not shown that he is up to the task on a consistent basis. He still lets in at least one weak goal almost every game where he can't adjust his angle on a cross-ice pass. He often over reacts and is out of position.

Yes, having a stockpile of good D's will make his life easier, but in my experience, you cannot win consistently with WEAK goaltending.

And when you can't score, and you have to rely on a grinding forechecking style of play, you get totally demoralized when your goalie lets in a weak one. And then you stop playing, just like the Leafs have the past month.

If I were Gustafsson's agent, there would be no way I would let my player sign with the Leafs after they spent the whole year with no clear plan set out for him. A potentially good rookie season was wasted by Burke/Wilson and their bizarre sado-masochistic behaviour towards their players.

[righteous015]

Phaneuf is a beast.

[ablatt]

The only talent the Leafs need to stockpile right now is a goalie.

They still don't have a PROVEN #1 goalie going forward.

Gustafsson has not shown that he is up to the task on a consistent basis. He still lets in at least one weak goal almost every game where he can't adjust his angle on a cross-ice pass. He often over reacts and is out of position.

Yes, having a stockpile of good D's will make his life easier, but in my experience, you cannot win consistently with WEAK goaltending.

And when you can't score, and you have to rely on a grinding forechecking style of play, you get totally demoralized when your goalie lets in a weak one. And then you stop playing, just like the Leafs have the past month.

If I were Gustafsson's agent, there would be no way I would let my player sign with the Leafs after they spent the whole year with no clear plan set out for him. A potentially good rookie season was wasted by Burke/Wilson and their bizarre sado-masochistic behaviour towards their players.

It's true, they have been all over the map with Gustafsson. But it's a lot of pressure in T.O. and he didn't show that he could handle it. He also has some flaws in his technical approach as I've stated. I think they've now decided to bring him along more slowly and let him develop his skills with Giguere and Alaire.