May 11, 2009

LEAFS ON SHORT LIST TO SIGN SWEDISH GOALIE JONAS GUSTAVSSON

 

With the 2009 World Hockey Championship now over, the final push for NHL teams to sign Sweden's top young goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has begun. It has been reported that anywhere between 20 and 26 NHL clubs have contacted the young netminder's agent, Par Larsson, with interest in signing the 24 year old. However with Gustavsson backstopping team Sweden at the World Hockey Championship both he and his camp decided that no negotiations would continue until after the tournament was over.

 

The 6 foot, 3 inch tall Gustavsson is widely recognized as the best young goaltender in hockey that is not currently playing in the NHL. At this year's World Hockey Championship Gustavsson posted a 3-0-2 record in 6 games along with an impressive .914 SV% and 2.83 GAA. During his last season with Farjestads of the Swedish Elite League, Gustavsson played 42 games putting up an impressive .932 SV% and a miniscule 1.96 GAA. Gustavsson also played 13 playoff games for Farjestads where his already impressive numbers were even better with a .961 SV% and a 1.03 GAA.

 

It is highly speculated that now that the tournament is over the goaltender and his agent have already narrowed down his choices to roughly 4 NHL clubs, including Brian Burke's Toronto Maple Leafs. Along with the Leafs it appears that the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Thrashers are also still in the running for the highly touted netminder. Regardless of which team ends up signing Gustavsson, they will likely only be signing him to a 1 year contract since at 24 years of age he has only 1 year of entry level contract status left. Gustavsson's agent has expressed that they want him to sign with a team that will allow him to develop at the NHL level and not start him off in the AHL. Gustavsson's agent also would like to see him in a backup or shared starter role behind a veteran NHL level goaltender.

 

Would the Leafs fit that mould? The short answer is, yes. The Leafs are entering next season with one NHL level goaltender under contract, Vesa Toskala. Toskala is a veteran goaltender recovering from an injury that saw him miss the last month of the NHL season and would benefit from having a backup goaltender that could relieve him more frequently than Curtis Joseph did in the 2008-2009 season. The lack of a backup goaltender on the roster means that they would have an immediate opportunity available for Gustavsson to start at the NHL level while giving currently restricted free agent netminder Justin Pogge another year of seasoning in the AHL. Add to that the impending unrestricted free agent status of Vesa Toskala at the end of the 2009-2010 season and it certainly seems like a perfect fit for Gustavsson, who may be trading in his blue and gold Swedish jersey for a blue and white Maple Leaf one this coming season.

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

May 11, 2009

May 6, 2009

LEAFS TOP CHL PROSPECT CHRIS DiDOMENICO SUFFERS SEVERE INJURY

 

Any plans the Leafs had for their 2007 draft pick and top CHL prospect Chris DiDomenico my have to be revised after the Drummonville centre suffered a serious leg injury in the QMJHL playoffs Tuesday.

 

DiDomenico was enjoying an outstanding run in the QMJHL playoffs putting up 33 points in just 13 games. However, in the third game of the QMJHL Finals between Drummonville and Shawinigan DiDomenico crashed heavily into the end boards on an icing call. While there has been no official release from the team regarding his injury it is suspected to be a severe injury to his femur.

 

DiDomenico was drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then he has steadily increased his level of play and helped the Canadian World Junior team win gold in December. The Leafs signed DiDomenico to a 3 year entry-level contract on March 15th of this year confirming their belief that he was ready to take the next step, be it with either the Marlies or the Leafs.

 

Hopefully DiDomenico will make a full recovery from what looks to be a serious injury, but a summer full of recovery and rehab may set back his chances of making the Maple Leafs next season,

 

What is perhaps most disappointing is that DiDomenico had a great chance of competing for a Memorial Cup this year, most likely his last in the CHL. Playing in a Memorial Cup Championship would have certainly provided valued experience that DiDomenico could've brought with him to the Leafs in the years to come, however it would appear that it is no longer likely to happen.

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

May 6, 2009

 

 

April 4, 2009

LEAF COLLEGE SIGNINGS: BOZAK, HANSON AND MORE TO COME?

 

Over the last week we have seen the Toronto Maple Leafs dive head first into the college free agent market with a great deal of success.  Leaf management, primarily Brian Burke and Joe Nieuwendyk, have been in pursuit of the top college free agents for most of the season as a way to restock the team prospect list without having to wait for the draft.  For a team like the Leafs who have comparatively bare cupboards when it comes to top notch prospects, raiding the US college ranks is a can’t lose endeavor.  These players are usually 23 years of age when they finish their senior years which means they still fall under the NHL’s entry level player contract status restricting them from making insane amounts of money.  If the player turns out to be a stud prospect then obviously the team finds itself in a great position and if they player proves not to be NHL caliber then the Leafs can either put him in the minors or trade him, in either case his money comes off the cap.

The first such free agent that the Leafs signed was 6’4” 228 lb forward Christian Hanson of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  In Hanson they have a player with the potential to be a solid second line player in the NHL who, if he reaches his max potential, could be comparable to a Rene Bourque of the Calgary Flames or Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks.  Hanson plays a two way game, with good speed and works hard in the corners.  A natural centre who is good on the draw, Hanson may find himself as a winger at the NHL level instead.  Hanson’s biggest question mark is how well he’ll be able to use his great size in the NHL, where the players are bigger, stronger and tougher than they are in the college ranks.  Will Hanson be able and willing to battle hard in the corners?  Will he be strong on the fore check? Will he be willing to go hard to the net and stay there on the power play?  If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then the Leafs will have found themselves a useful and productive young player for their rebuild.

 

The second NCAA snatch made by the Leafs was forward Tyler Bozak, who played with the University of Denver Pioneers for the last 2 seasons.  Bozak was widely considered the best player available in the college ranks and as a result he was heavily pursued by as many as 27 NHL clubs.  Bozak stands 6’1” tall and weighs 180 lbs, by no means a giant by NHL standards, however unlike Christian Hanson, Bozak’s game is not about using his size to be effective it is instead about using his speed, skill, hands and hockey sense.  Bozak has all the skills that make players effective in the post lockout NHL and if he can max out that potential he may well be comparable to Derek Roy of the Buffalo Sabers or Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils.  Bozak’s only real question will be how well will he adjust to the NHL game. Like any player coming out of College, Junior or Europe there is an adjustment period that a player needs to acclimatize to the different speed and style of play that the NHL offers.  If Bozak can make that adjustment quickly the Leafs may very well have snagged a player that will be a major part of their long term rebuilding plans.

 

So with these 2 signings are the Leafs finished with the college players and now preparing for the NHL Entry Draft this June?  No quite. The Leafs are still in the running along with about 20 other NHL clubs for the best college defenseman available, Matt Gilroy of the Boston University Terriers.  Gilroy’s college resume reads like a menu at a fine restaurant, everything looks good.  Gilroy is on the list of finalists for this year’s Hobey Baker award (given to college hockey’s most outstanding player) and will earn his third straight All-American honour as well.  Gilroy is a dynamic offensive defenseman who has steadily improved his defensive play throughout his college career.  Gilroy is the type of player that makes those around him better both through his play and through his leadership skills.  Should Gilroy reach his full potential at the NHL level he would be comparable to Dan Boyle of the San Jose Sharks or Jay Bouwmeester of the Florida Panthers.  So far the Leafs have been able to attract the best college free agents with promises of immediate opportunity, incentive laden contracts and the thrill of pulling on the most famous jersey in hockey.  If they can make the same appealing pitch to Gilroy, the Leafs may have found the perfect complement to outstanding rookie defenseman Luke Schenn to rebuild their back end going forward.

The most important thing to remember is that college players are real wild cards. The vast majority of them don’t make it in the NHL and to put undue pressure on them is unfair.  These players will be given every opportunity to make it with the Toronto Maple Leafs and if they do, that should be considered a real bonus for Leaf fans.  Conversely, if they don’t pan out, Leaf fans shouldn’t be angry or upset as these are players that cost the team nothing but money, something we all know the Leafs have in excess.

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

April 4, 2009

March 30, 2009

REBUILDING THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS WITH A NEW CAPTAIN

 

In the proud and storied history of the Toronto Maple Leafs the team jerseys have changed many times but the one constant was that one of those jerseys always had a letter “C” on it. The 2008-2009 NHL season has marked the first year that the Toronto Maple Leafs have not had a designated captain on their roster.

 

That decision not to name a captain for this season made sense for several reasons not the least of which was the uncertainty surrounding the status of their previous captain – Mats Sundin. Heading into this season the Leafs still had an offer tabled to the team’s all time leading scorer and captain for the last 10 years. As a result Leaf Management could not very well give his captaincy to another player while they waited for his decision. Even if one ignores that conundrum, there was also the plain and simple truth that heading into this season the team looked very different from the team that took to the ice for the last 5 years. There was a new coaching staff in place and very low expectations for a young team. While traditionalists disliked the fact that the team didn’t name a captain, in the end the move was the right one to make in a season that was written off as one with no expectations and where long time Leafs were expected to be shopped throughout the season.

 

That being said, with the 2008-2009 season nearing an end for the Toronto Maple Leafs and with more core players moving out at the deadline in Antropov and Moore it would be a good time to evaluate the players that have been here all season and evaluate who among them might be ready to pull on a jersey with that “C” next season. Granted, the team is expected to undergo even more overhaul this off season as Brian Burke tries to put his mark on this team, however even taking that into account one can make some informed guesses as to who might be captain material going forward.

 

Of the players that are currently on the roster the following have been alternate captains for the Leafs this season: Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina, Jamal Mayers and Brad May. Of that group Kaberle and Kubina are expected to be trade fodder this off season and Brad may is expected to retire. That leaves only Jamal Mayers as a likely returning player, however Brian Burke would surely be happy to move the rugged veteran, who has seen a sharp decline in his play this season, in exchange for a draft pick or young player if he could find a taker. In short, none of this year’s leadership group appears to be in the long term plans of the rebuilding Leafs which means that the next captain will likely be found amongst the team's younger players.

 

Now everyone and their brother would immediately jump on the Luke Schenn for captain bandwagon and there is good reason for that. From the moment he entered the league he has exceeded the expectations of management and fans alike (a rare thing in Toronto), all while playing the game the way Leaf fans love with a mix of skill and grit. The similarities to Leaf legend and fellow Saskatchewan native Wendel Clark, who wore the “C” for the Leafs between 1991 and 1994, are obvious. Schenn is always the first one to stand up for his teammates if he feels they are being taken advantage of physically and shows no quarter when deciding who he’ll stand up to. Factor in that he is only 19 years of age and it certainly shows a lot of leadership and a regard for his teammates that doesn’t go unnoticed on the bench and in the dressing room. If Schenn played for a team like Atlanta or Phoenix where the media pressure is nonexistent giving him the “C” for next season would be a no brainer, but thanks to a swollen media market filled with overzealous reporters that generally lack creativity and instead make names for themselves by tearing down people with actual talent, Toronto is not the best place to make a player like Schenn a captain at such a young age. The off-ice pressures that come with the “C” in this market can crush anyone and the Leafs need to make sure that they don’t hurt Schenn’s progress by putting that sort of pressure on him too soon.

 

So if not Schenn than who? Well of the remaining players on the Leaf team that are expected to be around for a while LRT thinks the following players have the best chance at wearing the “C” for the next couple of years until Schenn is ready to inherit it.

 

Our first candidate is Mississauga native Matt Stajan. While Stajan is not a flashy player or a captain that is going to drop his gloves in defense of a teammate, he is a player who genuinely appreciates being a Leaf and who puts the success of his team ahead of personal success. Add to that the fact that over the last 2 years whenever the media comes calling for post game interviews to explain why the team isn’t doing well Stajan is consistently the player who takes the heat in front of the cameras for the club and you may have a perfect candidate to keep the “C” warm for Schenn.

 

Our next candidate is a player that didn’t even look like he would make the team this season, Ian White. When one looks at how White handled the early season disappointment of being the odd man out on the blue line they see everything you want in a captain. White handled that situation without complaining and instead with understanding and a renewed effort and willingness to do anything to make it back into the lineup, including playing as a forward for the first time in his pro hockey career. White is not the biggest player on the team by any stretch of the imagination, but he plays a physical game and doesn’t back down despite his smaller size. Like Stajan, White may be an excellent player to hold the “C” until Schenn is ready to take it.

 

Our last candidate for the “C” is first year Maple Leaf Nik Hagman. Unlike the other 2 LRT captain candidates, Hagman was not a part of the previous Leaf teams where the dressing room attitude was often brought into question. The Finnish forward has been impressive in his first season with the Leafs, playing a gritty and skilled game while helping to groom young forwards Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. Hagman is a player who never takes a shift off and plays hard at both ends of the rink without taking needless penalties. While Hagman is a European player and that still holds an outdated stigma when it comes to leadership in Toronto, he speaks excellent English and like the Swedish captain that proceeded him, leads by example on the ice. It is these qualities that would make Hagman an excellent candidate to wear the “C” until Schenn is ready for it.

 

While everyone will have an opinion when it comes to who should be the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and some will even say it doesn’t matter, when it comes to the future of this team and it’s growth as a young group, strong leadership and learning to be leaders will be a key factor. It is the opinion of LRT the team should make one of these candidates captain for at least the next 2 seasons to keep that added pressure off the shoulders of Luke Schenn. And hopefully whatever player gets the opportunity and responsibility of wearing the “C” for this storied franchise, he will be upfront when he receives it in saying he is only keeping it warm for Schenn.

 

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

March 30, 2009

March 24, 2009

CAN THE LEAFS REBUILD WITHOUT GETTING WORSE?

 

In the post lockout NHL there have already been several rebuilds that have taken place across the league, the most successful so far have been Pittsburgh, Washington and Chicago. While none of these teams have yet won a cup they all have one thing in common - they finished at or near the bottom of the league for at least 2 years, drafted exciting young players that quickly became superstars and then surrounded them with free agents. Each of those teams at their lowest points were just as dismal when it came to promising young talent on their rosters as the Leafs are now.

 

One need only take a quick look at the rosters of those 3 teams to see that the depth of young talent is astonishing. Pittsburgh has Crosby (1st overall), Malkin (2nd overall), Jordan Stall (2nd overall) and Fleury (1st overall); Washington has Ovechkin (1st overall), Backstrom (4th overall), Alzner (5th overall) and Green; Chicago has Toews (3rd overall), Kane (1st overall), Versteeg and Barker (3rd overall). In every one of these cases the team built through the draft and was able to do so by being bad enough to pick at or near the top of the draft consistently for a few years.

 

Conversely, teams like Los Angeles, St. Louis and Phoenix have also been in rebuilding modes since the lockout and while they have good young talent they are not as rich in top end players as the previous 3 teams. Why? Because unlike the other teams they haven't been consistently bad enough to get picks at or near the top of the draft. These teams have pushed for the playoffs and in some cases acquired players to try and squeeze into the playoffs. Sure LA has Kopitar, Brown and Doughty; St. Louis has Perron. Berglund, Erik Johnson and Oshie; Phoenix has Boedker, Tikhonov and Turris. While these players were mostly taken in the top half of the draft there is only a single 1st overall pick amongst them (STL - Johnson in 2006).

 

Notice the difference between the 2 groups? Sure there are lots of good players in the second group but compared to the first group they are clearly second tier. It is that sort of half rebuild scenario that the Leafs will want to try and avoid. Now before Ron Wilson and Brian Burke come after us with chainsaws accusing us of implying that the team should tank or not try to win, that's not what we're saying. However, we are simply pointing out that in most cases a complete tear down and a few years of suffering with an inferior on ice product pays off much more than trying to rebuild and chase a playoff spot at the same time. In order to do avoid the latter, the Leafs need to move out more talented older players like Kaberle, Kubina and Toskala in return for whatever mix of younger players and draft picks they can. After those players are gone they will have to take chances on younger players like Tlusty, Stralman and Pogge. Those young players will try just as hard to win as the older ones but unreached potential and lack of experience will result in fewer points and a higher pick in the next few drafts.

 

And please Burke and company, do not feed Leaf fans the company rhetoric about needing to put a winning team on the ice to justify ticket prices, keep it honest like you have thus far. Take a poll of Leaf fans, even those "fans" that are actually corporations that have tickets. We are confident that you will find that the vast majority of them would be willing to put up with a few more years of suffering in exchange for a team with a brighter future. And if MLSE is really so concerned about keeping the building full, how about getting on board with the up front and honest approach of Fletcher and Burke and cutting into their over 100 million dollar yearly profits to lower ticket prices for the next 3 years as a thank you for "being patient during the rebuild"? Of course that's a whole other can of worms.

 

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

March 24, 2009

March 23, 2009

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS A POSSIBLE TARGET FOR REBUILDING LEAFS?

 

Often lost amongst the excitement of the "Free Agent Frenzy" is the large number of restricted free agents that enter the NHL marketplace every summer. More often than not this is due to the steep price that must be paid in compensation when signing these players to offer sheets. Couple that with the inevitability that the player's original team has the right to match the offer if they so choose and that is why, for the most part, Restricted Free Agents or "RFAs" usually end up resigning with their current clubs.

 

However, one need not look any further than Toronto's own new GM Brian Burke to see that the signing of RFAs to offer sheets is not unheard of. In Burke's case, he was the "victim" of having one of his young players signed to an offer sheet while he was the GM of the Anaheim Ducks when then Edmonton GM, Kevin Lowe signed Dustin Penner to a hefty contract. In that case Burke was unable or unwilling to match the offer as his club was already pressed up against the salary cap and matching that offer would've resulted in the need to move out one of the veteran players from his Stanley Cup winning line up. As a result the Oiliers came away with Penner who at the time was thought of as a future star, while Burke received a first, second and third round pick in compensation. Afterwards Lowe and Burke feuded through the media about whether or not the move was ethical, but in the end Edmonton came out the loser in this signing due to Penner's lack of production.

 

This year's crop of RFAs is headlined by Boston centres Phil Kessel (age 21) and David Krejci (age 23) as well as Chicago defenseman Cam Barker (age 23) and Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen (age 25). Other notable RFAs include San Jose's Marcel Goc (age 25) and Ryane Clowe (age 26), Edmonton's Rob Schremp (age 22), Florida's David Booth (age 24), Buffalo's Drew Stafford (age 23) as well as Toronto's own Mikhail Grabovski (age 25).

 

The most interesting of the RFA situations for the Leafs may be the 2 Boston centres. Boston will have roughly 12-14 million dollars in cap space at the end of this season, depending on what the cap is set at for next season. However they will have 7 unrestricted free agents (UFAs) as of July 1 in addition to 4 RFAs. Which means in essence they will have 11 roster spots to fill with between 12 and 14 Million dollars, With both goaltenders Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas entering UFA status as of July 1st, one would think that the Bruins will want to resign Thomas who has put up great numbers this season and that will eat up at least 4 million of that cap money. They will likely use already signed rookie goaltender Tuukka Rask as a back up to fill the other goaltender spot. But anyway you crunch the numbers it is highly unlikely that they will be able to sign both Kessel and Krejci to the big dollar contracts that their agents will likely demand. As a result, the Leafs may want to look into pursuing a trade for one of the 2 centres as they are sorely lacking at the centre position and either of these young centres would look great as part of the rebuilding process.

 

Why not just sign either of them to an offer sheet you say? Well for a club like the Leafs that may not be an option. The price of signing RFAs to large contracts is steep from a rebuilding standpoint. LRT has assembled a list of what the compensation would be for various levels of RFAs below.

 

Contract Per Year	Compensation Due
$863,156 or less	None
$863,156 - $1,307,812	3rd Round Pick
$1,307,812 - $2,615,625	2nd Round Pick
$2,615,623 - $3,923,437	1st and 3rd Round Pick
$3,923,437 - $5,231,249	1st, 2nd and 3rd Round Pick
$5,231,249 - $6,539,062	Two 1st, One 2nd and One 3rd Rounder
$6,539,062 or more	Four 1st Round Picks

*Source - NHLSCAP.COM

 

As you can see, when RFAs are signed to big dollar contacts like those which a Krejci or Kessel would demand the price is far too steep for a rebuilding club which needs to hang onto the majority of it's draft picks. However, if the Leafs could find a good young RFA player to sign to a lower end contract from a club that is unable or unwilling to match the offer, a second or third round pick may be worth it.

 

In the end, the next 2 seasons should prove a real indicator of just how RFAs are looked at by NHL GMs as the Salary Cap is on pace to shrink significantly and many teams will be caught unprepared with many hard choices to be made regarding their rosters.

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

March 23, 2009

March 22, 2009

LEAFS SIGN PROSPECT CHRIS DiDOMENICO TO ENTRY LEVEL CONTRACT

 

On March 15th the Leafs quietly signed their 2007 6th round draft pick Chris DiDomenico to an entry level NHL contract. While usually the signing of a 6th round pick from 2 years ago wouldn't be big news, in this case the improved play of DiDomenico makes this a significant signing.

 

While centreman Chris DiDomenico isn't going to turn any heads with his underwhelming size, he has all the other attributes that make him an intriguing wild card in the Leaf rebuild. DiDomenico brings speed, soft hands and a competitive nature that reminds LTR a bit of Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay) or Derek Roy (Buffalo). Now we aren't saying that DiDomenico is going to be the equal of either of those players but his style of play and size makes for an interesting comparison.

 

DiDomenico is generously listed at 6'0" and 165 lbs however a real world height and weight is likely more in the 5'10" 150lb range. But in the post lockout era of the NHL we have seen the importance of size diminish, at least amongst skilled players and DiDomenico fits that bill. In 52 games in the QMJHL this season DiDomenico totaled 61 points (19 goals and 42 assists). Those numbers are down from his totals in previous years in the Q. However, it should be noted that he played in far fewer games due to his time with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship and he also split this season between 2 teams (Saint John and Drummonville).

 

DiDomenico played on the top line along side 2009 projected #1 draft pick John Tavares at the 2009 World Juniors and did not look out of place there. With the regular season now complete in the QMJHL, Leaf fans may see DiDomenico play in a game or 2 with the Leafs towards the end of the season, at least if his junior team is eliminated from the playoffs before the end of the NHL regular season. Failing that, he may join the Marlies for a post season run there. In either case, DiDomenico will be a prospect to watch at Leaf camp next season.

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

March 22 , 2009

March 15, 2009

RATING BURKE'S FIRST DEADLINE DAY

 

At a press conference following his first trade deadline as Maple Leafs GM, Brian Burke let the media know that he was happy with the results but wasn't "doing cartwheels" as a result of the moves he made.

 

Burke managed to acquire a 2009 2nd round draft pick for each of his impending unrestricted free agent forwards Nik Antropov (age 29) and Dominic Moore (age 28). Burke had attempted to resign both players before the trade deadline but was unable to agree on a salary cap number that worked in either case. In the end, Burke turned 2 impending UFAs into two 2nd round draft picks in this year's draft (widely considered the deepest since the 2004 draft). While it's not the home run that a 1st round pick would have been it's a solid stand up triple.

 

Burke also made a last minute deal acquiring injured and presumed retiring goalie Olaf Kolzig, minor league defensemen Jamie Heward and Andy Rogers as well as a 2009 4th round draft pick for minor league defensemen Richard Petiot. In essence, Burke took on the salaries of these players in exchange for a 4th round pick, The Leafs only take on salary until the end of this season, after which Kolzig and Heward come off the books.

 

While the trade raised some eyebrows from both other General Managers and the NHL front office for being right on the line as far as what is an acceptable trade under the NHL salary cap rules, the trade was approved. In our opinion this trade shows a willingness by the organization to spend money on something other than veteran players at the tail end of their career and gets high marks for creativity.

 

Article by

Owen Wooding

Mar 15, 2008