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?

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.

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!!!

Brad Richards; How to structure a Leafs contract

Leafs need to think beyond just making the playoffs

I'll soon be posting my goals for the 2011-2012 Toronto Maple Leafs season, and to achieve them, the Leafs will need to bring in Brad Richards plus a high scoring forward, or an up an coming offensive centre and another two offensive threats. The Buds have to think about a Big Nine up front, and a Big Six in front of Reimer, if and when they want to be taken seriously as a Stanley Cup contender.

Although it is likely that Richards will sign with New York Rangers, there's no reason why Brian Burke and his Toronto Maple Leafs should not make an offer that makes sense to the Buds.

Leafs cannot afford a full no-trade clause in a Brad Richards contract

Part A - Intangibles

Brad Richards would become a clear offensive leader on a goal-starved Leafs team, however the significant age differential between Richards and the youthful core means that a pure no-trade deal wouldn't work for Toronto. One scenario would have a no-trade clause in the first year, an 8-team clause (8 teams he'd be willing to be traded to) for year two, and a 16-team clause for year three. Beyond that, no guarantees.

Part B - Financial

It's crucial that an extended Leafs contract not impact the Leafs negatively a few years down the line, so here are suggestions for contract offers to Richards, that could also make sense for the Maple Leafs.

One year deal - $9.5 mil


Two year deal - $17 mil

Year 1 - $9.5 mil, Year 2 - $7.5 mil



Three year deal - $22.5 mil

Year 1 - $9.5 mil, Year 2 - $7 mil, Year 3 - $6 mil


Four year deal - $28 mil

Year 1 - $9.5 mil, Year 2 - $7.5 mil, Year 3 - $6 mil, Year 4 - 5 mil


Five year deal - $35 mil

Year 1 - $10.5 mil, Year 2 - $9.5 mil, Year 3 - $6 mil, Year 4 - 5 mil, Year 5 - 4 mil

Considering that it's likely a three to five year deal will be required to ink Richards, it is worth reflecting on the fact that 22 to 35 mil would go a long ways towards the Leafs being able to sign other free agents and keep all or most of the most promising talent in the system.

I wouldn't be surprised if Burke only offered Richards a one to three year deal, with Brad picking the term. This way the full cap hit will be only $9.5 to 22.5 mil; a 3 year deal would create significant room in the 2014-2015 season, when Burke could then try and resign Richards (who will be 33 by then) if it was working out perfectly, or use the money to re-sign younger players if that was deemed wiser.

It may all be moot if Richards has no intention of considering Toronto, however the PEI connections of current and former leafs, plus the team's dominant fan base there, means that Toronto should be in the game, unless it gets prohibitively expensive and constrictive (eg severe no-trade clauses).

3 Top 2011 NHL Free Agents that can help Leafs win the Stanley Cup within two years

Maple Leafs may look at Richards, Leino, Upshall ... and Bryzgalov

Brad Richards - He'll be 31 on May 2nd yet Richards remains at the top of his game, one of the world's premier centres. Burke wants to win now and Richards has two to three more years as a number one centre and a few more after that as 2nd line centre and a role payer, so a four or five year deal for 30 or 35 mil is not out of the question.


Ville Leino - Playoff hero for Philly last Spring when he scored 21 points in 19 playoff games, his 49 points so far this year come with some impressive kickers, such as Plus 14 (47th in league), and 15.5% shooting percentage (56th in league), with his 32 assists putting him 61st in the NHL. The Flyers will likely go 8 or 9 mil for three years if they can afford it, so the Leafs or another bidder may have to go 10 mil for 3 years of 15 mil for 4. This would put him in the range of Kulemin, Grabovski and MacArthur, and just under Kessel, so he could be a good signing.


Scottie Upshall - His 20 goals rank him 75th in the NHL right now, and as a physical 27 year old, fits the Leafs style. Could be crucial to get someone like Scottie if MacArthur decides to bolt, though it seems likely he will stay.



Brian Burke can afford to sign all three, which would make the 2011-2012 training camp the most exciting in a decade.



Goaltending - The Leafs need to sign Giguere or another proven NHL goalie to be a backup / challenger to Reimer, then trade Gustavsson to a team that will give him a fair, fresh chance, possibly getting a goalie who has worn out his welcome in another town in return. With Reimer being a young number one and there being no clear number two, we need to go into camp with at least three proven NHL goaltenders, unless Burke manages to also sign free agent goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

Bryzgalov and Reimer...

Leafs news: King James wins game, blanks Wild

Buds keep pace with Canes, Buffalo

Rookie goalie James "Optimus Reim" Reimer rewarded his parents' seven-hour drive from Manitoba with a shutout victory in Minnesota. Joffrey Lupul, Mikhail Grabovski and yes Carl Gunnarsson all picked top corners for their picturesque goals.

Grabovski played a solid game but it's truly puzzling that he was Number One Star, as Reimer stopped three breakaways and another 6 or 7 wide open chances among his 29 saves. In any case, we got the victory and Lupul scoring 99 seconds into the game may help him continue to gain confidence as he returns to full speed.

Go Leafs Go!

Young, deep Leafs pound Bruins 5-2 to stay in Cup hunt

Kadri scores first, Crabb picks up 3 points in key win

The Toronto Maple Leafs got goals from five different youngsters including Nazem Kadri's first NHL marker, as the Buds dropped the Boston Bruins 5 to 2 and kept their Stanley Cup dreams alive.

As a way to illustrate the depth of this young, fast Leafs team, here are the ages of tonight's 5 goalscorers:

Schenn 21

Kadri 20

Crabb 27

Brown 25

Aulie 21


Here's the scoresheet:

1st Period

09:44 TOR Luke Schenn (4) Wrist Shot - Assists: J. Crabb (9)

11:46 BOS Adam McQuaid (2) Tip-In - Assists: none

12:26 TOR Nazem Kadri (1) Snap Shot - Assists: J. Crabb (10) & C. Gunnarsson (11)

2nd Period

07:49 TOR Joey Crabb (3) Snap Shot - Assists: D. Boyce (8) & N. Kadri (7)

08:18 TOR Mike Brown (3) Snap Shot - Assists: T. Brent (12) & B. Lebda (3)

17:23 TOR Keith Aulie (2) Wrist Shot - Assists: T. Bozak (15) & P. Kessel (26)

3rd Period

19:40 BOS Daniel Paille (3) Snap Shot - Assists: S. Thornton (9) & G. Campbell (13)

GOALIE STATS

GoalieTotalSv%TOI

BOS › 30 - T. Thomas18 - 22.000 48:18BOS › 40 - T. Rask6 - 7.000 11:42

TOR › 34 - J. Reimer35 - 37.000 59:51

SHOTS ON GOAL

1st 2nd 3rd Tot

BOS › 11 15 11 37
TOR › 9 12 8 29


Go Leafs Go!!!

Younger, Faster, Stronger Leafs showing lots of promise

Since the NHL All-Star break, the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the hottest teams in the league, with a 7-2-2 record after tonight's 2-1 win over the Islanders.

The New York Rangers just beat Carolina in a shootout, so the Buds are now six points out, with plenty of time if they can keep playing well.