Connolly, Liles add vet presence to fast, young team
Here's a subjective view of the top 40 or so Toronto Maple Leafs and prospects:
* Updated again on July 3rd, 2011, after trade with Nashville Predators, with Leafs acquiring centre Matt Lombardi and defenceman Cody Franson. I can't understand why the Preds gave up on Franson, but let's have a look-see first before commenting much further. As Lebda had fallen to 8th on the Leafs D chart, below Lashoff, bringing in 23 year old Franson fits the Buds nicely. Regarding Slaney, he scored 24 points in 61 games last year, but in the ECHL... whereas Lombardi has a chance to help the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2011-2012 season.
UPDATED OCTOBER 2011 Maple Leafs depth chart - click here
The Leafs take on Lombardi's $3.5 mil for this year and next, again showing faith in Colborne and their other young forwards, especially considering Connolly and Lombardi both have had concussion issues. We drop Lebda's $2.9 mil for 2011-2012, and pick up Franson's reasonable 800k for one year remaining, so we've added $1.4 mil in salary yet have 2 NHLers versus one.
The Toronto Maple Leafs 2011-2012 training camp this September looks to be the most anticipated in years. The Buds will need to get out of the gate strong and be contending through January, if they want to assure themselves of not just being in the 2012 NHL playoffs, but being a factor and playing until at least deep in the second round.
UPDATED OCTOBER 2011 Maple Leafs depth chart - click here
Forwards
Kessel
Connolly
Lupul
Kulemin
Grabovski
Kadri
Armstrong
Lombardi
Rosehill
Orr
Bozak
Brown
Matt Frattin
Contenders:
Joey Crabb (unsigned)
Joe Colborne
Darryl Boyce (unsigned)
Clarke MacArthur (unsigned)
On the Farm:
Tyler Brenner
Greg McKegg
Jerry D'Amigo
Tyler Biggs
Bradley Ross
Josh Nicholls
Gregg Scott
Luca Caputi
Defence
Aulie / Phaneuf
Liles / Schenn
Gunnarsson / Komisarek
Franson
Lashoff
On the farm:
Simon Gysbers
Korbinian Holzer
Jake Gardiner
Jesse Blacker
Stuart Percy
Goalies
James Reimer
Jonas Gustavsson
3-way battle for 2 Marlies spots:
Jussi Rynas
Ben Scrivens
Mark Owuya
Wildcard in net: Garret Sparks
UPDATED Leafs depth chart: Top Fifty Toronto Maple Leafs Players
UPDATED OCTOBER 2011 Maple Leafs depth chart - click here
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