3 Biggest mistakes Leafs GM Brian Burke made this season

With the Toronto Maple Leafs sliding precariously down the standings and hope for a 2012 playoffs run all but vanquished, let's take a look at three moves (or lack of same) by General Manager Brian Burke that may have cost us the 2011-2012 NHL season.

No experienced goalie

A) Not trading for a vet goalie when it became clear that Monster was not good enough to be a #2 and Reimer wasn't recovered enough to be a #1- this was becoming clear in December and was more than evident by mid-February. Jonas G has had only two stretches in 3 years (10 games in his rookie season and mid-to-late-November 2011) where he appeared to be a NHL calibre goalie, yet he has never shown the consistency required to be a #1 goalie let alone a Stanley Cup playoffs standout netminder.

Burke's claim that Gustavsson "saved the season" when Reimer was injured rings true only if you believe barely adequate goaltending behind a powerful offence makes him a savior. He's a free agent at the end of the year and will likely return to Sweden.

Secretive signing...

B) Secretly signing Wilson to an extension and then letting him decide when to announce it, as if the players had no right to that info; wtf? A better idea may have been signing him when the Leafs had mathematically guaranteed a playoff spot, or waiting until after the season to assess the overall situation. Now MLSE will be on the hook for millions to Ron Wilson even if Randy Carlyle or Dallas Eakins is hired to helm the Buds for the 2012-2013 season.

Four year contract for oldest dude on the team?

C) Signing Liles to a multi-year dela at $4 mil plus per year. With five young defencemen on the Buds roster (Schenn, Gardiner, Gunnarsson, Franson and Phaneuf), why lock in the sixth guy for years at a huge price tag. Since when is a guy that just got traded for a 2^nd round pick worth $4mil per year??? I like Liles, however a four-year, $15.5 million contract extension for a guy turning 32 this year seems out of place. I really hope J-M proves me wrong on this one.

If Gustavsson goes on a hot streak and inspires Wilson and Liles to take the Maple Leafs deep into the post-season, I will retract my claim that these were mistakes; if not, there's always next year, where youth and hope springs eternal.

Crunch time for Maple Leafs' callups from Marlies

Burke unites "old gang" for 2012 NHL playoffs run

With Boyce and Kadri now joining Reimer, Aulie and Crabb on the Toronto Maple Leafs big league roster, the experiment with veterans is currently on the shelf, perhaps temporarily. Injuries to Colby Armstrong, Matt Lombardi, Philippe Dupuis, Mike Brown, Mike Komisarek and now Jean-Michael Liles have opened up the Buds' bench to the very same young players (okay, Boyce is 27 but he does play like it's now or never) who partook in a string of successes in the early months of 2011.

The coming weeks will allow Burke and Wilson to assess the progress of all these callups, decide which veterans can be moved to keep the team stocked with picks and prospects, and begin to prepare for someone like Boston or Philly in the very first round of the 2011-2012 NHL playoffs.

Note to Mr Burke: Ask Mikhail to sign for two years at $3.5 mil per or 3 years at 3.7 mil and then after the paperwork is signed an dry, move him to the first line where he belongs. Phil K is now one of the premier passers in the league, however neither Bozak nor Connolly have ever been goal scorers, so Grabovski is the natural partner for Lupul (also a good passer) and Kessel.

Peace to All,

Joe Trainor

Flyers at Leafs; Buds' lineup for tonight

The Toronto Maple Leafs play host to the Philadelphia Flyers at 7pm this evening, and it'll be Kessel versus Kessel and Schenn versus Schenn, as the younger brothers of Luke Schenn and Phil Kessel will both be suiting up for the Flyers. The Schenn brothers have already received the word from their mother: "No fighting!"

Here's the Toronto Maple Leafs full lineup for tonight, 20SEP11:

Forwards

This squad will feature the debut of our new #1 line, followed up by a lot of experimentation with the 2nd to 4th lines.

Lupul - Connolly - Kessel
MacArthur - Colborne - Mueller
Kadri - Boyce - Caputi
Scott - Zigomanis - Orr



Defence

As only Schenn and Franson are expected to make the big club, Finger and Komisarek are being showcased as trade bait (expensive worms...), while Gysbers and Blacker will be each out to prove they are ready for the Show, or close.

Finger - Schenn
Franson - Komisarek
Gysbers - Blacker


Goaltending

James Reimer will play the full game in goal, highlighting the fact the Leafs have a bona fide #1 NHL goalie in Reimer, but have several questionable netminders battling for the backup position. If one of Gustavsson, Scrivens, Rynnas or Owuya doesn't come out of the gate strong, it may soon be time to give Marty Turco a call.

Message to Leafs' Burke: Richards, Upshall, Ward

I have a feeling Brad Richards is going to head back to Tampa to try for an encore Cup, which means Scottie Upshall and Joel Ward may be Brian Burke's free agent signings for the Maple Leafs. Look for Burkie to also swing a trade for one more forward, possibly someone overpaid with a year or two to go on their contract.

Komisarek and Gustavvsson for Semin, anyone?

MacArthur running out of time to sign with Maple Leafs

Kadri or Armstrong could take 2nd line winger spot

If any NHL player was aware of the perils of contract arbitration, you would think it would be Clarke MacArthur. Last year he filed for arbitration in Atlanta, and though the arbitrator ruled 2.4 million for Mac, the Thrashers walked away from the deal. Turned into a last-minute free agent, Clarke signed with the Leafs for $1.1 million.

Why would he want to go to arbitration this year, when it failed him so miserably last time?

Admittedly, after MacArthur's career season, the risk is now lessened. Even if the arbitrator awards a high number and Burkie walks away from it, other NHL teams will pony up significant dough for a 60+ point scorer. Still, Clarkie, you really clicked here so why not stay a few years?

If I were Brian Burke, this is what I would offer CM:

One year for $2.5 million

OR

Two years for $5.2 million

OR

Three years for 8.0 million



If I were MacArthur and Burke was offering more than that, I'd jump at the offer, but then again, I'm a Leafs fan. The "worst city in North American sports" is also the hockey capital of the world. The only other contenders are Moscow and Montreal, and Toronto wins hands down.

Leafs ink Optimus Reim to 3 year contract!!!

King James Reimer slated to be #1 for Toronto Maple Leafs

Contract reported at three years, $5.4 million

“We are extremely pleased to have come to terms on this new deal with James and his agent Ray Petkau,” said Leafs GM Brian Burke. “He earned the opportunity to play at the NHL level this past season and he made the most of it with his outstanding play. He really grabbed the net and never looked back. We are confident that his talent and strong work habits will be contributing factors to our team’s success next season.”

Reports indicate it is worth US$5.4-million, which would equal a $1.8-million annual cap hit. Reimer, 23, was due to be an restricted free agent on July 1. Toronto now has two goaltenders under contract for the 2011-12 season. Swede Jonas Gustavsson has one year remaining on a contract that will pay him $1.4-million. Veteran J-S Giguere is an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and is unlikely to be retained by the Leafs.

In addition, if Gustavsson is moved, recent Swedish signing Mark Owuya may already be a strong backup to Reimer, as he had the best save percentage in Sweden's elite league this year. At the very least, Owuya will battle Ben Scrivner and Jurki Rynnas for the #2 position on the big club, as Gustavsson is likely to be moved (he needs a new start elsewhere) at the first reasonable offer.

Though starting 2010-2011 in the AHL, Reimer was recalled four times from the Marlies last season and he made his NHL debut in the third period and stopped all four shots December 20 versus Atlanta. He registered his first NHL shutout with 27 saves on February 3 against Carolina. He managed a win in a season-high five consecutive road games from February 8 to March 3. His strong play in March earned him the NHL’s Rookie of the Month Award with a 9-4-1 record, one shutout, a 2.87 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. The goaltender fashioned a record of 11-3-4 when making 30 or more saves in a game this past season.

Internationally, Reimer was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia where he was unbeaten in four games. He compiled a record of 3-0-0 with a 2.04 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

Reimer is a former East Coast Hockey League playoffs MVP after appearing in eight playoff games for the Kelly Cup-winning South Carolina Stingrays in 2009. The 6-2, 220-pound native of Morweena, Manitoba was originally the Leafs’ third choice, 99th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and signed his first contract with the Maple Leafs on March 19, 2008.


Toronto Maple Leafs trade idea

Washington needs toughness and depth, so Brian Burke should consider offering Gustavsson, Komisarek and one of Tyler Bozak and Colton Orr, for Alexander Semin. Now, it's true that Semin has only a one year deal at $6.7 million, however if we can get rid of some salary in the deal, it may make sense for both teams.

Who is best #1 center for Toronto Maple Leafs?

Brad Richards, Zach Parise or Paul Statsny???

As I do not believe that Stamkos can be pried away from Yzerman and Tampa, it seems the Buds' pursuit of a first-line center may boil down to pursuit of Brad Richards as a UFA, Zach Parise as a RFA, and Paul Stastny via trade.

Leaving aside the costs of acquisition, which will be steep for any of these guys, which of the 3 do you believe is the best fit for the Leafs over the next three to five years, and why?

Management goals for 2011-2012 Toronto Maple Leafs

Autumn of NHL season will be crucial months

Though it may require the Maple Leafs to sign NHL free agent Brad Richards plus another offensive threat, after so many years of being sent out to golfing pastures, it is no longer enough to just dream of and plan for making the playoffs. Teams that compete strenuously for Lord Stanley's Cup have loftier objectives, so here are my worthwhile targets for the management of the Toronto Maple Leafs to consider.

Objective One - Toronto Marlies win the AHL's Calder Cup

With all the draft picks and impressive young talent in the Leafs system, this is the year to give the Marlies three goalies and twenty two skaters even if it means not everyone dresses every night. The team was raped by the NHL club last season as injured guys and players shipped out by the Leafs were replaced by seven callups from the Marlies, decimating the playoff chances of the American Hockey League franchise. Winning a Calder Cup will provide several graduates to the Leafs each of the next few years, and many "assets" with winning resumes that Burke can package in trades for impact players.

So if some players have big seasons in the AHL and don't get called up, deal with it. Significant holes on the big club will have to be filled via trades before and at the deadline, for this is a year we add talent that's ready to win.


Objective Two - First in Northeast Division on January 1st, 2012

Some may doubt that the Leafs can compete successfully with Boston, Montreal and Buffalo, yet Toronto finished just eleven points back of Montreal and Buffalo, and competed on equal footing with all three clubs during the second half of last season.

The Leafs need to focus on each five game and eight game stretch and perhaps win days off by winning these "mini-seasons", for the first three months of the 2011-2012 NHL season are crucial. I'll accept first place in the division on New Year's Day, or 2nd place but within five points of the top.



Objective Three - Round Two of NHL playoffs

I don't want to hear any excuses about who the Leafs draw in the 2012 NHL playoffs. If we're the favoured team then I expect us to win, and if we're the underdogs, the fans have waited long enough they deserve to both hope for and experience a NHL playoff series win.


So there you have it, my 3 goals for Toronto Maple Leafs management. Build for the future, shoot for the top, drive to the net.

Go Leafs Go!!!

Leafs sign goalie / rapper Mark "Markindapark" Owuya

Markindapark joins colourful cats Optimus Reim, The Monster and Jiggy in Toronto nets

Swedish hockey player / rapper Mark Owuya's father is from Uganda and his mother is from Russia. Owuya is also known in Sweden for rapping on popular talent show Idol as "Mark In Da Park."

Please enjoy these photos and videos of new Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender signing Mark Owuya.



Mark Aloysius Opoya Owuya (born 18 July 1989) is a professional Swedish ice hockey goaltender, currently a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization of the National Hockey League, having been signed by Toronto on 28 April 2011.



Owuya began playing junior hockey with Djurgårdens IF in the 2005–06 season when he began playing with the U18 team. The following season Owuya played with both Djurgården's U18 and J20 team and also played most of the games with the Djurgården's J20 team in the 2007–08 season. While Stefan Ridderwall joined team Sweden for the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Owuya made his Elitserien debut on 3 January 2008, against Brynäs IF.






He was loaned out to Mälarhöjden/Bredängs IK during the 2007–08 winter, later was loaned out to Almtuna IS for the entire 2008–09 season. Owuya was also on loan during the 2009–10 season, first to Örebro HK and later Mora IK. In the 2010 pre-season, Owuya was moved up to Djurgården's senior team, to compete with goaltender Stefan Ridderwall to be the first choice in the goal.




Ultimately, Owuya played in 32 out of 55 games in the 2010–11 Elitserien season, with a 2.18 goals against average and league-best save percentage of .927. He also played in all of Djurgården's seven playoff games, with a 1.66 goals against average and .924.


























Peace!

Toronto Maple Leafs and Brad Richards, a potential 5-year deal

The Leafs need a bona fide #1 NHL centreman, and Brad requires a team that will keep him young and competitive for years to come. Maple leafs GM Brian Burke can certainly afford to sign Burke for 2011-2012, and here's a typical 5 year contract for a player of Richards' caliber:

NHL Season - Salary

2011-2012 - $9 mil
2012-2013 - $9 mil
2013-2014 - $8 mil
2014-2015 - $7 mil
2015-2016 - $7 mil


That's 40 million over 5 years, however the stipend is declining over time, allowing the Leafs to continue to be able to re-sign talent or acquire new players as the contract runs on.

What if Brian and Brad were to get really creative, and come up with a contract that would land Richards, plus allow the Buds to stay competitive over the full five years of the deal? Here's how that may look:

2011-2012 - $10 mil
2012-2013 - $10 mil
2013-2014 - $9 mil
2014-2015 - $6 mil
2015-2016 - $5 mil

It requires biting hard on the bullet for the next few seasons, then frees up some stretching room as Brad reaches his mid-30s and we may need more support up the middle, or elsewhere on the team to stay among the NHL's elite (I mean that).


Canada Day, please come soon!

Core Maple Leafs to keep and build upon

Dandy Dozen: 12 Toronto Maple leafs we need to stick around

While Brian Burke has stocked the Leafs' cupboard with plenty of draft picks and prospects, which players do we have that have already proven they can excel in the NHL?

It would seem these would form the core of the untouchables, together with the best prospects that have not yet earned or been given an opportunity to show what they can do at the highest level. If the Leafs want to win a Stanley Cup in the next three to five years, one goal should be for the Marlies to win it all in 2011-2012, and that will require bringing in more than "two or three" players to take the Buds over the hump.

This past regular season the Leafs decimated the Marlies and ruined their playoff hopes, by bringing up seven players as the top team opted for a full-fledged youth movement. If Frattin plays well in pre-season games he deserves a shot at the NHL, whereas Joe Colborne and the other youngsters must be pencilled in for the Marlies, with only a Herculean effort elevating them to the bigs.

Here are the core, proven NHLers:

# POS PLAYER GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW S S%

81 R PHIL KESSEL 82 32 32 64 -20 24 12 1 6 325 9.8

16 L CLARKE MACARTHUR 82 21 41 62 -3 37
6 0 3 154 13.6

84 C MIKHAIL GRABOVSKI 81 29 29 58 14 60
10 0 4 239 12.1

41 L NIKOLAI KULEMIN 82 30 27 57 7 26 5
1 5 173 17.3

19 R JOFFREY LUPUL 54 14 17 31 -11 33 4 0 2 129 10.9

3 D DION PHANEUF 66 8 22 30 -2 88 3 0 1 190 4.2

9 R COLBY ARMSTRONG 50 8 15 23 -1 38 0 0 0 69 11.6

2 D LUKE SCHENN 82 5 17 22 -7 34 0 0 0 128 3.9

36 D CARL GUNNARSSON 68 4 16 20 -2 14 1 0 1 69 5.8

43 C NAZEM KADRI 29 3 9 12 -3 8 0 0 0 51 5.9

59 D KEITH AULIE 40 2 0 2 -1 32 0 0 0 32 6.3




# GOALIE GPI GS MIN GAA W L OT SO SA GA SV% G A PIM

34 JAMES REIMER 37 35 2080 2.60 20 10 5 3 1134 90 .921 0 1 2


That's 12 players that are keepers, and if you want to include top prospects on the "untouchables" list, then start with Matt Lashoff, Joe Colborne, Jake Gardiner, Matt Frattin, Tyler Brenner, Jussi Rynas and Greg McKegg. Now we have 19 players that can be most of the team three to five years from now, however in this coming season it's likely 4 or 5 of them will play for the Marlies.



Toronto Maple Leafs' depth is impressive, setting up trade possibilities

Let's look at more Leafs with the big club or in the system. I would say this group has the potential to contribute significantly in the next couple of years, however seasoning is required for most:

Darryl Boyce, F 26

Simon Gysbers, D 23

Ben Scrivens, G 24

Korbinian Holzer, D 23

Tim Brent, C 27

Bradley Ross, F 18

Joey Crabb, F 28

Josh Nicholls, F 19 on April 27

Tyler Bozak, F 25

Jerry D'Amigo, D 20

Gregg Scott, F 22


The thirty players named in the 3 lists above are the ones I deem most worth keeping at this point in time, indicating those not named should be considered for trade, for not being re-signed, or for being re-signed at a reasonable rate and then included in trades. It doesn't mean I don't think they are good players, many still with vast potential, just that they are not the pieces the Leafs need at this point in their progress from playoffs contender to Cup challenger.

Though Bozak wasn't able to perform as a first line centre, Brian Burke believes that's the fault of Leafs management, not Bozak. This indicates he may find a role as third or fourth line centre, plus perform in key faceoffs when required.

Komisarek is likely staying because his salary limits the teams he can be moved to, however Gustavsson still has value and truly needs a start elsewhere, possibly with a veteran, reasonably priced goalie coming back to us in return. I just think the pressure on Gustavsson would be too much in Toronto, as the Leafs have to treat October and November like it is already the playoffs.



To compete in Autumn, Leafs need to bring in five proven NHLers

Ideally we can get Brad Richards (is there a strong second choice right now?) plus another big scoring forward, two more proven NHL defencemen and a better backup for Reimer. That means bringing in five players, and Burke should be able to do this without affecting the core nineteen above, though he may have to move some of the next eleven, dipping into the thirty pool.

The goal should be three free agent signings, with the other two coming in via two trades, or perhaps one giant three-way bonanza deal, giving each team just what they need. Adding a bona fide centre, another scoring forward, a couple more strong defencemen and another goalie will make the Toronto Maple Leafs 2011-2012 training camp an exciting place to be, and the season that follows a truly memorable one for deeply deserving Leafs' fans.

Leafs fall 7 points out of 8th, 9 back of 6th

Toronto Maple Leafs have solid youth core

If there's any silver lining in tonight's 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, it may be that Toronto can hope for slumps by 3 different teams. The Buds are just nine points back of the 6th place tie (Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers), so if any of Buffalo, Montreal or New York hit the skids, Toronto or Carolina could sneak in.

The beauty of this run is that it has been fueled by young players such as James Reimer, Luke Schenn, Carl Gunnarson, Phil Kessel, and now Nazem Kadri is also up with the big team and contributing. The line of MacArthur, Kulemin and Grabovski has been superb all season and every effort should be made to re-sign Clarke this summer.

Eveb if Toronto were to win all seven of its remaining games, they'd need Buffalo to lose 4 of 7 or Montreal to lose 5 of 7, or New York to lose 4 of 6. Here's how they stand now, 10pm March 26th, 2011:


EASTERN DIV GP W L OT PTS

6 MONTREAL NE 75 40 28 7 87

7 NY RANGERS ATL 76 41 30 5 87

8 BUFFALO NE 75 38 28 9 85

9 CAROLINA SE 75 35 30 10 80

10 TORONTO NE 75 34 31 10 78


Second-youngest team in NHL, Leafs may soon be looking to 2011-2012

With just seven games to go, the Buds are not out of it mathematically, but if they lose to the Sabres next week, it will be over psychologically. Even if the run is over, it's been awesome and we now have a solid young core to build on. Bring in a Brad Richards, another winger or two and a 2nd goalie whose last name is not Gustavsson and you'll be looking at a 100 point season.



The West will shake out further in a few hours, however it remains one of the closest playoff races in NHL history, with 4th place and 10th place separated by just 8 points:

4 PHOENIX PAC 76 41 24 11 93
5 LOS ANGELES PAC 75 43 26 6 92
6 NASHVILLE CEN 75 40 25 10 90
7 CHICAGO CEN 73 40 25 8 88
8 ANAHEIM PAC 74 41 28 5 87

9 DALLAS PAC 73 38 25 10 86
10 CALGARY NW 76 37 28 11 85

Maple Leafs call up defenceman Matt Lashoff for playoff run

AHL Marlies' Lashoff a key defender in team's success

According to an article written by Lance Hornsby and posted to the Toronto Sun website at 2.08pm this aft March 14, 2011:

The Maple Leafs are adding some blueline insurance as their playoff run hits the critical stage.

Defenceman Matt Lashoff, a key performer for the Marlies in their second-half success, was expected to clear recallable waivers at noon Tuesday, in time for the back-to-back road games in Carolina and Florida. Since trading Tomas Kaberle, and before him, Francois Beauchemin, the Leafs had been relying on Brett Lebda and Mike Komisarek as their fifth and sixth defencemen. But they don’t want to be caught short-handed on the road as the games pile up and injuries become more of a risk.

Lashoff could stay the balance of the Leafs’ 13 games, as he represents the second of their four American Hockey League call-ups, permissable while the Marlies are active. But even if claimed before Tuesday, the New York state native can’t be utilized by another club this season as the NHL trade deadline has passed.

Lashoff was acquired from Tampa Bay last summer in a trade for minor leaguers Alex Berry and Stefano Giliati. He had some NHL experience with Boston and Tampa, so it was thought he might crack the Leafs at camp. But the former first rounder of the Bruins from 2005 has put in a season of tutoring under coach Dallas Eakins and has been getting good marks of late.

The 6-foot-2 Lashoff had 28 points in a team-high 69 games and was a plus four, as well as leading the Marlies with 137 penalty minutes.


Toronto Maple Leafs' Matt Lashoff related links:

NHL waiver rules after trade deadline, Mark Lashoff callup

Matt Lashoff wikipedia info page

Matt Lashoff statistics on Hockey DataBase - HockeyDB.com

NY Rangers lose to Sabres, Carolina wins as race gets tighter

NHL East Conference 7th and 8th Place both up for grabs

With the New York Rangers dropping 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres tonight, and Carolina winning 2-1 over Florida Panthers, here's how the NHL East playoff race is shaping up:

NHL Eastern Conference, standings as of March 1st, 2011

EASTERN DIV GP W L OT PTS

7. NY RANGERS ATL 65 33 28 4 70

8. CAROLINA SE SE 64 30 25 9 69

9. BUFFALO NE 62 30 25 7 67

10. TORONTO NE 63 27 27 9 63

11. ATLANTA SE 64 26 27 11 63

The Toronto Maple Leafs are now 6 points out of 8th, 7 points back of 7th. With Montreal defeating Atlanta 3-1, the Canadiens have likely made the playoffs, and Atlanta faces an uphill battle as the worst-positioned of the five teams above that are battling for the final two playoff spots in the NHL East Conference.

The Leafs face Penguins Wednesday, followed by Philadelphia and Chicago. It would be very helpful if they can get three points out of these three games, and the deuce may need to come tomorrow night.

Go Buds!

"King James" Reimer shuts down Isles 2-1 to keep Leafs in playoff hunt

Kessel pots game winner as Maple Leafs stay hot

Young "King James" Reimer was outstanding again tonight in another goaltender duel, this time with the New York Islanders Montoya. Phil Kessel proved to be the knight in shining armor, scoring the game winner in the third period on a wicked wrist shot after carrying the puck 2/3 of the ice.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are now 7-2-2 in their last 11 with hot scorers and a strong and steady goalie. At post time Leafs are 6 points back of carolina, as they've just ended the 3rd period tied with the Rangers 3-3, thus earning at least a point.

Go Rangers!