2008/2009 Hockey Thread v2.0

[Enter Blue Guy]

I don't put too much stock in it for sure. The most attractive rumor that a lot of folks are running with now is Smyth to LA. At least the rumor pushers are doing a good job of trying to sell Smyth riding out the rest of his contract as a King, bringing much, MUCH needed leadership, maybe make a more educated stab at the playoffs next year.

For the sake drama, a potential Oil/Flames series with Smyth suiting up for Calgary would be insane.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy

[Reddaye]

Who could Calgary possibly move to fit Smyth into their cap though? Calgary is literally hugging the top of the cap, and Smyth's contract is pretty pricey. That would be awesome though if it happened. Calgary would be stacked up front depending on who they moved.

Also to go along with that last deal Burke mentioned, there's been some talk about a deal with Columbus. Pascal LeClaire coming our way (possibly with a pick) for a package of Leafs players. Just something to chew on.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

I wouldn't put too much stock into Burke saying he's not going to do much. Obviously he wants to seem reluctant to trade anybody so other GMs will put out that much better of an offer.

[Enter Blue Guy]

I wasn't seriously considering Smyth to Calgary, I was just saying really. I don't follow Calgary too much, but the only thing they are seriously looking at that I know of is a reliable back up. I heard the name Kevin Weekes brought up.

Speaking of the Devils, is it possible there is a market for Scott Clemmensen? He's free of a contract at the end of the season and there is one team that need his services as short term relief and it's Buffalo. I know the Devil's play a stifling system, but the guy deserves a shot to showcase somewhere, as part of at least a two goalie rotation. Or will he be stuck in NHL purgatory forever? I'm talking after this season of course.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy

[Reddaye]

I wasn't seriously considering Smyth to Calgary, I was just saying really. I don't follow Calgary too much, but the only thing they are seriously looking at that I know of is a reliable back up. I heard the name Kevin Weekes brought up.

Speaking of the Devils, is it possible there is a market for Scott Clemmensen? He's free of a contract at the end of the season and there is one team that need his services as short term relief and it's Buffalo. I know the Devil's play a stifling system, but the guy deserves a shot to showcase somewhere, as part of at least a two goalie rotation. Or will he be stuck in NHL purgatory forever? I'm talking after this season of course.

Weekes would be a good backup for Calgary. He's a reliable guy that's used to not playing a ton of games (while backing up Brodeur anyways).

I believe the Devils plan on hanging onto Clemmensen just in case Brodeur has any complications. With only two games this week (Tuesday, then Saturday), and only one before the deadline I don't expect you'll see Clemmensen go anywhere.

EDIT: It seems as though the Rangers just sent Mark Bell down to their AHL team in Hartford. I assume this means he's back on waivers. Poor bastard can't catch a break.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Drifter_2000

[Clawson]

TSN has Ottawa over Toronto in their Power Rankings. That has to be a joke right?

[Enter Blue Guy]

I hate to support the Sens on anything, but their natural W/L records are only 2 games apart and the Leafs shit goals like they've eaten rotten puck burritos for breakfast.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy

[Gabriel]

Just for fun, I'm going to send every Toronto Maple Leaf player to another team, based on where I think they would fit best.

Nikolai Antropov - Chicago... earlier this year were rumors that the Hawks were interested in Michael Nylander, but the rough and tumble style of the Western Conference might be too much for the fragile Swede. Antropov is a much bigger guy, who could fill out the role of second line center in Chicago quite nicely.

Jason Blake - Buffalo... with the loss of Vanek and Ryan Miller, the Sabres have seemingly come apart at the seems. Assuming Blake's productivity didn't drop, adding his veteran presence at the deadline could help spark the Sabres and save their playoff hopes.

Boyd Devereaux - Edmonton... inexpensive and experienced. With a young team unsure of how long Captain Ethan Moreau will be out, adding a few depth veterans would be a good idea.

Jeff Finger - Philadelphia... assuming they drop their total salary by making some moves at the deadline, Finger might be a good investment for a Flyers team that has spent the season having to outscore their opponents because of shoddy defensive zone play. Finger also is a very aggressive style d-man, and would fit nicely into the Philly system.

Jonas Frogren - Anaheim... the Ducks are clearly looking to the future on the blueline. Pronger is most likely in his last season as a Duck, whether he gets moved now or at the draft. Niedermayer again isn't sure whether he's coming back or not. With so much uncertainty, Frogren could be a nice addition alongside Ryan Whitney. They may not be ready to be Top 2 defensemen on this team, but it would be a much better pairing than if Nidermayer and Pronger both leave this summer, and Anaheim has no one else to go to.

Mikhail Grabovski - Pittsburgh... play him with Evgeni Malkin. I'm not even sure I could sell this any more than that. Crosby with Kunitz and Malkin with Grabovski? Look out Eastern Conference.

Niklas Hagman - Los Angeles... the Kings are having an outstanding season, and look to be headed upwards in future years. That said, they're making a playoff push, and are relatively inexperienced from the blueline back. There's no need to go out and pick up a d-man or a goalie though, but adding another creative and skilled forward in Hagman might be a good solution. There are nights when the goaltending and defensive play steals them games, but if the Kings are to be successful this season, they'll need to have an offense capable of 4+ goals per game.

Curtis Joseph - stays... he should retire as a Leaf. There are better potential backups out there anyways. Any offer made for Joseph wouldn't be worth making a deal for anyways.

Tomas Kaberle - New Jersey... there's talk of the Devils acquiring Scott Niedermayer, but I think Kaberle would be a far better pickup. With his much discussed contract and abilities, he would definitely help bolster an already awesome Jersey team.

Pavel Kubina - New York Rangers... I know there's cap issues, but if they can move some bodies, I think Kubina would be a great pickup for the Rangers. Their defense is lacking right now, and he'd step into a situation where he'd be the top dog. This is as much for Tortorella as for Kubina though. Torts has publically expressed displeasure for having Sean Avery potentially being brought in, and I think Sather would be smart to try to appease him by bringing in a guy he's familiar with and likes. It also doesn't hurt that Kubs has a cup ring under Tortorella.

Nikolai Kulemin - Florida... I'm not sure why I think he'd be a good fit here, but under DeBoer as a Panther, I think he would have a lot of opportunities and experience a lot of growth as a player.

Brad May - Ottawa... Chris Neil could be on his way out, and May might be able to step in and fill part of what Neil brought to the Senators, at least for the remainder of this season.

Jamal Mayers - Chicago... adds more veteran presence to a very young team, and some extra toughness heading into what looks like a playoff berth.

John Mitchell - Calgary... if they can get him for minor leaguers or picks, Mitchell would be a good guy to add for depth heading into the post-season, especially with all of the injuries that have recently struck. He has a damn good shot that we don't see enough and battles hard along the boards. Add to that, the fact that he's defensively very capable and speedy, and Mitchell fits perfectly into a 3rd/4th line and PK role with the Calgary Flames.

Dominic Moore - Dallas... Brad Richards is out until almost the end of the season. Since he got injured, the Stars have spiraled into mediocrity after a long run that sent them up the standings. Moore could slide into a role as second line center for the remainder of the season, moving back to play a checking role once Richards returns in April. Strictly a rental deal, as Moore, if he is moved, is likely to test the market this summer to see if he can get top 6 money.

Alexei Ponikarovsky - St. Louis... there's rumors abound that Tkachuk is on his way out again, but if they move him, they'll likely fill his spot with a grinding winger, and Poni has really stepped up into a similar role this season. He's not near the player Keith is, but taking into account that he has so many years left, Ponikarovsky might be a good trade-off for this young team.

Luke Schenn - What Are You, Nuts? He's staying.

Jaime Sifers - Florida... might want to add a young d-man for depth down the stretch, just in case of injuries, or the rumored moving of Jay Bouwmeester.

Matt Stajan - Buffalo... again, a depth move by the Sabres to give the team a kick in the ass while Vanek is out. Stajan could really benefit from a change of scenery, and while Buffalo may not be a desired location for that purpose, the Sabres would offer him more growth than staying with Toronto through the coming years (if Brian Burke's doomsday prophecies come true).

Tim Stapleton - Stays. Stapleton is a guy who will benefit from Burke's grim expectations for the team in the next few seasons.

Lee Stempniak - Colorado... the Avs, despite being 15th in the conference, could conceivably still finish up in the top 8. The Western Conference is THAT tight. There is talk that they might be cleaning house a little, but they shouldn't give up entirely. Stemniak is a guy who might be able to break out if given a chance in a better environment.

Vesa Toskala - Buffalo... the Sabres would be smart to acquire a goaltender. Patrick Lalime, despite having done it before, won't be the guy to lead them through the playoffs. Ryan Miller may be back in time, but we all know the history of the High Ankle Sprain. Nobody has come back from that the same as before. Having two goalies at that kind of money might prove to be a problem next season, but if they don't want to throw away this season, Buffalo may have to take that on.

Mike Van Ryn - Colorado... Finger had a good year last season with the Avalanche, but ended up in Toronto for excessive amounts of cash. Van Ryn, if healthy, could provide the Avs with the same type of play they had last season from Finger.

Ian White - Boston... the Bruins have been linked to Pronger and Kaberle already... but what about Ian White? He's really stepped up his game this season, is very versatile, being able to play forward or defense, and provides an offensive and physical force day-in and out.

Note, I'm not saying they should move everybody... but if these guys move, that's where I want to see them go.

[Reddaye]

Nikolai Antropov - Chicago... earlier this year were rumors that the Hawks were interested in Michael Nylander, but the rough and tumble style of the Western Conference might be too much for the fragile Swede. Antropov is a much bigger guy, who could fill out the role of second line center in Chicago quite nicely.

Except that Antropov is from Kazakhstan.

Great list though.

[Gabriel]

Nikolai Antropov - Chicago... earlier this year were rumors that the Hawks were interested in Michael Nylander, but the rough and tumble style of the Western Conference might be too much for the fragile Swede. Antropov is a much bigger guy, who could fill out the role of second line center in Chicago quite nicely.

Except that Antropov is from Kazakhstan.

Great list though.

Nylander is a Swede, which is what I was referring to. I don't think he could handle the grind of Western Conference play anymore. He's too oft-injured to be a good investment. The Hawks though, might be willing to part with a first rounder in exchange for an opportunity to win this season. Antropov, I think, would benefit from getting used to the Western style of play.

[Reddaye]

Oh....duh.

I wonder if Washington could use someone along the lines of Kubina? They need someone who's more responsible in his own end, where Kubina is usually solid. He also brings an offensive punch to help their already awesome powerplay.

Obviously that won't happen though, which isn't entirely a bad thing for the Leafs. Kubina has been one of our more solid defensemen lately.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Montreal has games against Buffalo, Atlanta and Colorado coming up. Since they went and got Schneider they've been playing pretty well. Halak has been a monster, but really a ton of the shots we give up are from shitty angles so I'm not too concerned, although Komisarek hasn't been the same since Lucic broke him.

Montreal *should* extend their winning streak to 7 playing against 3 non playoff teams, Buffalo is the only team that should pose a real challenge, beat the Sabres and there's no reason they shouldn't beat the Thrashers or the Avalanche... but these are the Habs, who could beat Detroit 2-1 and then lose 6-3 to the Leafs.

I'd like to point out that since he stole the Calder from Ryder, Raycroft has gone on to ruin 2 NHL teams in only 4 years... Kudos.

[Toe]

Anytime I see a goalie give up a weak goal, I always say "Oh, he pulled a Raycroft!".

[Reddaye]

Speaking of goalies: Nick Backstrom has just signed a 4 year extension for 6 million dollars a year with the Minnesota Wild.

The reason I mention this is: FUCK LECLAIRE BURKE! If we could get a young guy like Josh Harding during Free Agency we'd have a really promising young net minder to build out from.

Also, Avery is now a New York Ranger. Surprise, surprise.

[Gabriel]

Speaking of goalies: Nick Backstrom has just signed a 4 year extension for 6 million dollars a year with the Minnesota Wild.

The reason I mention this is: FUCK LECLAIRE BURKE! If we could get a young guy like Josh Harding during Free Agency we'd have a really promising young net minder to build out from.

Also, Avery is now a New York Ranger. Surprise, surprise.

All of the teams looking for a goaltender need to start putting in serious offers. Backstrom's off the table, and that may not seem like such a huge deal, but there's only 2 or 3 other legitimate starters possibly available.

The problem with picking up goalies with potential, is that they're unproven, and could very likely falter massively. Look at the problems Carey Price is going through right now, and imagine how much worse it would have been for him on a shittier team like Burke is projecting the Leafs to be.

Hell, Vesa Toskala is nowhere near as bad as he's made out to be. He just got a raw deal, getting his opportunity to be a number one guy on a team that's supposed to fail.

Ron Wilson has stated that the goaltender needs to be a proven and solid guy, because they're encouraging offensive play, and a lot of the young guys are supposed to make mistakes. You need a proven performer so that you know every mistake won't end up in the net.

Josh Harding, or any other young goalie, is not the answer. If Burke can get a solid number one, and then a young and possible future starter, that would be ideal.

I was hoping someone else would claim Avery before the Rangers got the opportunity. I would have laughed.

[Toe]

My post was eaten by the evil message board...

Miro Satan, Brenden Morrison and Gary Roberts are all on waivers along with a bunch of other players.

[Gabriel]

Bob McKenzie is saying that Phoenix is looking at being a seller by acquiring either Manny Fernandez or Martin Biron.

The kicker is, they would only do so, if they already had a deal lined up to move whichever goalie out right away.

If it's Biron, it will be so that Philly can clear up some cap space.

If it's Fernandez, I fully expect a guy like Jokinen to be heading the other way.

Either one of those goalies though, might be a good option for Buffalo, which would likely give Phoenix an additional 1st or 2nd round pick this year and a prospect.

[Reddaye]

Gabe I understand what you're saying, and agree for the most part. I'd like to see us bring in a promising young guy, even if he just splits time with Toskala that we can develop along with the rest of the team as it grows and matures. I'm not saying we throw him right into the starting job during his first year, that seems to be a big part of Price's current problem. We let him go maybe 50/50 with Toskala and try and give him time to grow and mature along with the team.

He's 24 years old, so he's got some time to go before reaching the maturation point of a goalie. Carefully coach him and grow him, and you might have something very good on your hands in three years time when we're starting to become seriously competitive.

Obviously it's just some musing on my part. I'm just playing armchair GM.

Supposedly the deal Columbus have offered Burke is Pascal LeClaire, a pick (possibly 1st) for Antropov and Stralman. No idea how true it is obviously.

Miro Satan, Brenden Morrison and Gary Roberts are all on waivers along with a bunch of other players.

Looks like Pittsburgh are looking to make a deal. Vancouver must be making a pretty good sized one too considering the good amount of free cap space they have.

Curious. Very curious.

[Gabriel]

As far as I'm aware, the Penguins are trying to find a winger to play with Malkin and give them two dangerous scoring lines, like they had last season.

*Cough* Grabovski... unlikely to go, but Shero has a habit of overpaying for things, and I'm pretty sure Brian Burke, if the offer was made, would have no problem taking advantage of him.

If the offer is Leclaire and a 1st (or even 2nd) for Antropov and Stralman... I think you have to take it.

The asking price for Nik was a 1st round pick, and that's there. Stralman is a promising young defenseman, but there are others like him.

Pascal Leclaire is a bonafide number one guy in the NHL. The only reason he's expendable is because he got hurt and Steve Mason has completely wow'd everyone.

So, Burke gets what he wanted for Antropov, or close to it if it's a second round pick... and in exchange for adding a completely expendable guy who's somewhere between the minors and NHL ready, he gets a legitimate number one. Makes sense to me.

As for adding a younger goalie to grow with the team, I'd suggest trying to move Toskala in the off-season to a team in need of a goalie, in exchange for a youngster.

[Reddaye]

I agree, it's a good deal. The only question mark is LeClaire's injury problems. Even when he played here for the Mooseheads he struggled at times with injuries from what I've heard. At 26 years of age he's still young, has talent, and would probably be Columbus' number one if Steve Mason hadn't emerged.

Stralman is, like you said, easily replaceable. It seems the most common rumor is the pick is a first rounder, but nothing is confirmed so I wouldn't be shocked if it was a second.

The talks with Moore have supposedly started up again. It'll be interesting to see if he's benched tonight against the Devils.

Marian Gaborik is officially on the block right now. Wild are asking for a Kaberle like price for him: 1st rounder, prospect, and a roster player. A fair price if the guy could stay healthy for more than four games. There's also the fact that he's a UFA at season's end, and would likely be asking well north of six million a year (his current deal is six) for a new contract. Risky business.