Don Cherry

The NHL is a diverse ecosystem of players and personalities. Built around speed, skill, violence and determination, the game of hockey is a distinct brand of sport that pulls together many different skills, assets and intangibles that make the game so entertaining. With such a plethora of people to protect the sanctity of our sport, Don Cherry’s emergence as a voice of authority on Coach’s Corner has become a constant cause of concern. Despite the growing list of doubters and dreadful delivery, Cherry remains one of hockey’s greatest sources of knowledge from behind his bodacious formal wear. So lets all laugh at the NHL, shall we?

Sour Grapes is a feature that will run weekly on Mondays , offering a summary of another crazy week around the NHL from the perspective of none other than Donald S. Cherry, distilled and interpreted into plain English so NHL fans everywhere can come to appreciate the wit and wisdom behind the ranting and raving of hockey’s greatest grizzled veteran. Watch the latest episode here.

In this week’s message to the masses, the Don took time before his classic Remembrance Day remarks to condemn the Toronto Maple Leafs’ use of star top line star Tim Connolly on the penalty kill earlier this season. Connolly missed the first eight games of the year with a shoulder injury and the team’s big off-season acquisition was once again forced out of the lineup after soaking a blocked shot on the penalty kill against the Bruins last Saturday.

This does not sit well with Cherry who was much more intelligent with his players while running the Bruins bench back in the day. Cherry would sooner see Mike Zigomanis of the (once 4-0) Toronto Maple Leafs man the penalty kill. While Cherry’s solution is worthy alternative, no amount of the “pride of Toronto” could give Zigomanis the zip necessary to cover the points, even if Frank D’angelo is firing pucks from the blue line.

It wouldn’t be a true Coach’s Corner without at least one Doug Gilmour reference. Gilmour was in the media again this week celebrating his selection into the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of this year’s inductees. As is tradition on Saturday nights in Canada, one mention of Gilmour on the CBC called for a montage of Cherry and Dougie kissing, a lot.

It was just another slow Saturday Night on Canada’s Broadcast Company. But did you notice the humour that almost arose out of Cherry (allegedly) kissing a woman?

“I didn’t know I kissed him that night,” Cherry let slip as the montage rolled. “That means that girl…(was my sloppy seconds) oh, never mind.” Yepp, I’d bet a beer against a bottle cap that Don Cherry almost made a “Sloppy Seconds” joke on national television, only a broadcast slugfest with Sean Avery himself could top that.

While Ron Maclean’s slight intervention saved the day from another potentially awkward talk between Gary Bettman and young impressionable daughters everywhere, it left Canadian hockey fans to wonder: If the CBC broadcasts south of the 49^th parallel and no one’s watching, do the televisions make a sound?

Following the mash-ups of Gilmour, Cherry passed it off to another one of hockey’s elder statesmen who has less trouble articulating himself. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Mark Howe had this to say about today’s NHL:

“The players police the game. There’s so much onus put on the officials right now. I don’t mind the fighting in the game; I know they’re trying to take a lot of it out. The game in the old days got rid of the pretenders. The guys that do the whacking and the hacking, the guys that do the chirping back, that stuff got eliminated years ago. If somebody was taking a shot at your best player, someone got rid of that thing right away.”

Taking a shot at your best player? The CBC must not broadcast in Buffalo.

“(Today) You can just take runs at people left and right, and they’re coming in at full speed and in the old days you eliminated that from the game.” Of course, it was Don Cherry’s beloved Bruins taking runs left, right and center on Saturday, but I digress.

After avoiding the antics of Saturday’s anarchy between the Bruins and Sabres, Cherry and his beloved handler had some high praise for Sheldon Souray and his big bounce-back in Dallas. Souray has totalled 13 points and a plus-9 through 16 games with the Stars this season and seems to be enjoying his extra-curricular time while in Dallas.

As a picture of Souray’s current girlfriend and buxom beauty Kelly Kelly sat onscreen during the close to Coach’s Corner, a grinning Cherry blurted out the line he had been waiting for all night. “If Dallas keeps going the way they are, they could win two cups.” Grapes’ excitement says it all, nothing sells hockey in Dallas like scantily clad women and as Ron Maclean so observantly pointed out “things are looking up in big D.”

Following tradition, it seemed appropriate Ron and Don would stand at attention to close Coach’s Corner only hours after Remembrance Day; however Saturday’s special salute will be a hard one to top.

For instant stats, links, news, notes and all the Canucks hockey you can handle, follow The Flying V on Twitter @FlyingVHockey or keep up to date with the Kevin Vanstone on Twitter @FlyingVLyf.

The Leafs have no doubt gotten off to a torrid start, but really have they met expectations thus far? The answer on the surface to any Leaf fan would be a definitive yes. However if you really look deeper at how this team has produced , the facts are quite startling and the results against Boston and Florida could soon become the norm.

Amongst people who know hockey well, special teams is key to any team doing well. Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin were brought in to fix these issues. Through 15 games Toronto is only killing slightly over seventy percent of their penalties and the power play has not looked superb either.

Look even further at the Leafs blue line, which Brian Burke insists is the strength of this hockey team. The Leafs rank dead last in goals against, and projected top four blue liner Cody Franson has not worked out so far. Add in the fact that Tim Connolly, who is supposed to be Phil Kessel’s partner in crime, has only played 6 games thus far, and it is easy to see that maybe this team hasn’t achieved as much as people think.

Overall the Leafs haven’t met any expectations thus far, seeing as they haven’t qualified for the playoffs. They haven’t improved in areas that playoff teams excel in and have been winning by narrow margins. The bounces can only go their way for so long, and until they sort out these problems they will not be meeting anybody’s expectations this year or anytime soon for that matter.

     Last season Leaf fans saw multiple players have roles on the third line, at some point. This year, it may just be the same. Luckily, the skill level of the players that may play on the third line this season has increased, substantially. However it’s all but set for opening night. Kadri – Bozak – Armstrong is the expected third line to start the year. However, multiple questions are going to arise throughout the season. The status of Matthew Lombardi is only one of them. After missing all but two games last season because of post-concussion syndrome, the speedy centre is going to have to fight to earn his position on this team, when he is deemed ready to go. The question of whether or not he will be as productive as he was earlier in his career, before his concussion issue, is yet to be answered.

     Another likely candidate at some point during the season is Matt Frattin. The Hobey Baker finalist from just one year ago will most likely start with the Marlies this season, barring any injuries between now and opening night. However, Matt has prototypical grit, and brings a scoring punch, which is exactly what Brian Burke likes in a player. Unfortunately for him, he’s in tough, with former 7^th overall pick Nazem Kadri looking better than ever at training camp. It is likely that the Leafs’ brass will decide that Matt Frattin is better off going down and playing top line minutes for the Marlies, while being taught by AHL head coach Dallas Eakins.

     With the fourth line, it’ll be interesting who gets the nod for centre. Darryl Boyce, and Phillipe Dupuis are in a dog fight, for this position. Both players served time in the National Hockey League last season, Boyce with the Leafs, Dupuis with the Colorado Avalanche. Both guys are tough, and gritty. Dupuis isn’t afraid to drop the gloves, and Boyce has had his nose taken off or broken about six hundred million and a half times.

     There is no question that Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn,and John Michael Liles are virtually set to play as many games as their bodies will let them this season. The interesting candidates are Keith Aulie, Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, Mike Komisarek, and blue chip prospect Jake Gardiner. Aulie seems like he’ll be a lock after his steady and solid play when paired with Captain Dion Phaneuf last season. However the only thing against him is that he is isn’t eligible for waivers. If Jake Gardiner impresses the Leafs’ brass so much that they believe they absolutely need him in the NHL this season, Aulie may get shafted. However, it is unlikely that Wilson decides to force Gardiner into the lineup, especially if it meant having to send down the Captain’s partner. On the right side, the Leafs have Phaneuf, Schenn, Komisarek, and Cody Franson. On the left, the Leafs have Liles, Aulie, and Gunnarsson. So assuming the top four consists of Phaneuf, Schenn, Aulie, and Liles… Gunnarsson, Komisarek, and BC native Cody Franson will likely be battling it out. Not just at camp, but throughout the entire season.

     The goalies are obviously set in stone, unless injuries occur of course. James Reimer is the obvious number one guy, with Jonas Gustavsson backing him up. Ben Scrivens and Jussi Rynnas are likely to share time with the Marlies, and will battle with each other for the number one role there.

     Despite all the battles, a positive for the Leafs and their fans, is that it seems as if we finally have NHL calibre depth. If injuries or transactions occur, there are definitely options out there that can help the team get better. And really, that is the difference between this year’s team and last. If injuries occurred to guys last year, we would see AHL calibre players come up for sure. This year, if and when we need some, we’ll have strong candidates for the job.

-Mitch Gleaves

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Staging rookie tournaments is simply a method for teams to analyze, in game action, its top minor league, collegiate or major junior talent, many of whom are years away from seriously contending for an NHL roster spot.  If a team rests some top prospects or starts a lower-on-the-depth-chart goaltender, the chances of winning the game decrease if the opposition ices its best players.  In Saturday’s opener, the Penguins dressed top prospect Eric Tangradi and one of their best goaltending prospects, Patrick Killeen but rested prized young blueliner Simon Despres.  On Sunday night and this afternoon, Despres and amateur tryout netminder Maxime Lagace played but Tangradi and Killeen rested.

Despite the 0-fer, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, who specializes in mentoring the defencemen, was positive about what he saw from some of the young Penguins’ blueliners immediately after Sunday’s loss against the Maple Leafs.

“I just actually talked to all the ‘D’.  I’m pretty proud of what they did.  It’s not an easy task.  They want to make an impression in camp, to work hard and compete and that’s what they did in the full sixty [minutes] with 5 ‘D’,” referring to the quintet of defencemen who had to soldier on after Robert Bortuzzo left the game in the first period with an injury.  “There were some penalties that we had to kill.  They battled all the way through.  They were tired but they battled and competed and that’s all we ask.  Starting the game with six [defencemen] and ending the game with five, especially going down early with Bortz [Bortuzzo], they really did a good job.”

The five blueliners Nasreddine commended were QMJHL defenceman of the year Simon Despres, 2011 first round pick Joe Morrow, 2011 second round pick Scott Harrington, Alex Grant and Philip Samuelsson.

Nasreddine gave a wry smile when recalling a severe injury suffered by Grant in the first game of the 2010 Rookie Tournament.  “Last year we got used to it as it happened with [Alex] Grant … Sure, we didn’t like it but like I said, they want to make an impression, they want to play good, they want to play well and I think they all did a pretty good job tonight.”

Nasreddine said he tries to keep set defence pairings but knows he must quickly adapt to in-game changes.

“There’s a pattern you try to establish, so we try to stick with it so that everyone gets equal time but you’re going to get penalties, you’re going to get power plays, penalty kills so it often changes but in general they all get a lot of ice time so they had a good opportunity to show what they can do and I thought they did a good job.”

“I thought Morrow had a really strong game, he showed a lot of skill.  I think you could tell it was his second game and he was a lot more comfortable out there.  Harrington was solid and Grant and Samuelsson too.”

For his part, Samuelsson, a 2009 second round choice of Pittsburgh who played the last two seasons at Boston College, was unfazed by the losses.

“I think the games are moving pretty fast.  The ice has been pretty good.  I think we’re coming together as a team.  A couple of bounces here and there and we’re right back in it.  I think we had a good game today.  We just weren’t able to capitalize on our chances and unfortunately, we had some lapses on defence that they were able to capitalize on so if we tighten up in the D zone, and bury our chances, I think we should give Chicago a run for their money on Tuesday.”

He reflected on the difference between college hockey and the competitive nature of this quick tournament, playing with and against top prospects.

“It’s huge.  It’s good to see what the pace is at now and kind of know you have to ramp it up a level to keep up and to play at your game.  It’s been a great experience for me to be a part of this.  You always want to win games – it doesn’t matter if it’s a pick-up game in the summer or rookie camp here.  You’re always going to go your hardest and that’s what I have to do to be successful as a player.”

No matter where he ends up this season, Samuelsson is working as hard as he can to make a positive statement with Pittsburgh scouts and front office.

“Definitely, I want to make a good impression on the Penguins and hopefully, one day be able to crack that roster.  I don’t know if that’s going to be this year or a few years down the road but I’ll try my hardest at this camp and see where it goes from there.”

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Pittsburgh opened the game with a quick goal 13 seconds after the opening faceoff when centre Zach Sill who sat out the first game yesterday afternoon, dumped the puck in.  Linemate Brandon DeFazio found it near the net and rammed it into the goal past Toronto netminder Garret Sparks for the abrupt 1-0 lead.

It was classic Penguins’ hockey in the opening third of the first period as the Pens effectively maintained consistent offensive zone time through hard forechecking and their puck possession system.  Momentum started to swing when rugged Jamie Devane found Josh Leivo behind the Pittsburgh defence.  Leivo unleashed a hard wrist shot but Pittsburgh goaltender Maxime Lagace was able to blocker the puck away.

About one minute later, the Leafs raced 2-on-2 into the Pens’ zone.  As defenceman Joe Morrow fell down at the left of the net, his partner Philip Samuelsson had his pocket picked by McKegg who whipped the puck in front to Josh Nicholls whose goal tied the game at 7:47.  McKegg earned a second assist midway through the period when he fired a cross-crease laser to Mitchell Heard during a 4-on-3 power play.  Heard waited patiently, then fired the puck to the far corner behind Lagace to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.  Toronto was successful at controlling the tempo of the second half of the period and was successful at winning puck battles below the Pittsburgh goal line.

The second period was frustrating for the Pens but not for lack of effort.  They continued to establish a good forecheck and cycled the puck well, winning many battles in the corners but could not solve Sparks.  Toronto increased its lead to 3-1 when David Broll passed to Sam Carrick who cut across the crease from the left boards and flipped the puck by Lagace’s left pad.  Three minutes later, Pittsburgh had two good chances to score when Tom Kuhnhackl and Joe Morrow skated into the Leafs’ zone 2-on-1.  Kuhnhackl elected to shoot but Sparks kept the puck out.  Moments later, Paul Thompson got the puck alone in the slot but his backhand attempt was stopped.

Later Brian Gibbons was absolutely robbed on a toe save by Sparks when a tap-in attempt looked like a sure goal.  With two minutes left in the period, Morrow’s centre-point shot was deflected high by Sparks’ trapper.

The Leafs iced it in the third period when McKegg scored his third point and first goal of the night after receiving a stretch pass.  He sped by Pittsburgh defenceman Joe Morrow then deked Lagace and tucked a low backhand into the net to make it 4-1.  With about 2 1/2 minutes left, Tyler Brenner scored a gift goal when the puck skipped through Morrow’s legs at the Pens’ blue line.  Brenner scooped up the puck and slipped it under Lagace to complete the victory.

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Earlier in the contest, a Blackhawks’ prospect who ended up earning second star honours, looked like he might be the game’s hero. Left wing Brandon Saad, a native of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, assisted on Chicago’s first goal then with a burst of speed, powered to the net and flipped the puck in for the go-ahead goal that gave the Hawks a short-lived 2-1 lead.  This afternoon, he scored two goals, one on the power play but the Hawks fell 6-5 to Ottawa.

Hockey Independent talked to Saad when he appeared in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition and Game back in the winter at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. At the time, Saad was considered one of the top draft-eligible players, ranking #8 among all North American skaters in the NHL-Central Scounting Service rankings released in January.

Saad was enjoying a hot start in his initial OHL campaign, scoring 23 goals and 20 assists for the front-running Saginaw Spirit when he appeared in the invitation-only event in Toronto. Unfortunately, Saad suffered a nagging groin injury that hampered his production and his pre-draft stock fell considerably to the point where he was no longer considered first round material anymore.

As for his general impressions of the first Rookie Tournament game for the Blackhawks, Saad said, “I thought it was pretty good. It was high-tempo out there. Everyone’s trying to make the team. It was a good first game.”

While many are already concluding that Saad, 18, will return to Saginaw for his second year of major junior action, Saad is trying not to think about his ultimate destination this weekend.

Brandon Saad (43) grew up in Pittsburgh studying Jaromir Jagr's game. Saad, 18, has already scored 3 goals in 2 Rookie Tournament games this weekend in Oshawa.

“Everyone’s trying to make the team. It’s a tryout. We just come and work hard and learn from our experiences here with older guys and things like that.”

He noted the Chicago coaching staff have not written down set lineups for the final two games of this brief tournament meaning he did not know absolutely if he would suit up against the Senators this afternoon (he did) or the Penguins on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure, really. It’s going to be day-to-day with that. I’ll know further, obviously, in the [near] future.”

“I want to keep the consistency and work hard out there,” Saad continued, identifying areas of his game he wanted to improve. “Obviously we want to get two wins here, so I’ll do what I can to help the team win.”

Recently-repatriated former Penguins’ star Jaromir Jagr was Saad’s favourite player as a youth growing up near Pittsburgh and Saad tried to model his game after the Czech winger.

“It’s going to be exciting definitely,” Saad remarked, smiling at the thought of the long-time Penguin suiting up for arch-rival Philadelphia this autumn. “Hopefully, I’ll get to play against him. It’s definitely nice to get him back in the league.”

Saad had time to return to Gibsonia in the summer and got to rest “a little bit after the season, but after that you just get back to working at it. It’s a lot of hard work to get in game shape,” and he admitted that the groin injury “lingered a little bit. I worked on strengthening it – things like that over the summer so that definitely helped and I’m feeling back at 100%.”

Whether Saad beats heavy odds to earn a roster spot in Chicago or returns to Saginaw for a second season, he knows hard work and steady improvement will be expected at all times now that he is property of an NHL organization.

Not because Connolly is capable of vaulting the Leafs to new heights single-handedly—because he cannot—but his role as a stop-gap to centers Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne will play a pivotal role in the Leafs’ short-term success with Phil Kessel as its offensive leader.

It’s no secret that Tyler Bozak failed in his prolonged audition as a number-one centerman. Such an expectation was foolish from the onset but sadly neccessary due to the futility of the Leafs’ management in the past. To put it simply, general manager Brian Burke had little to work with and instead of developing his NCAA free agent acquisition on the third line, which would have been appropriate to his skill-set, Bozak was lauched into the fire as Kessel’s centerman and was expected to survive. Fast-forward a year and here we are, Bozak has moved down the depth chart and Connolly is the Leafs’ new number-one center—or at least a new project for Kessel.

Connolly, 30, is renowned for his puck handling abilities and even provides a two-way game—averaged 1:43 shorthanded ice-time last season. Unfortunately, he is also known for injuries post-lockout. His past two seasons have been his most durable, playing 73 and 68 games respectively. His injury concerns aside, Connolly has amassed 250 points in 302 games since the lockout, and it should be noted last season was his least productive with 42 points in 68 games. On the surface it may seem as though Connolly had an off-year, but that’s not the case. Connolly only averaged 16:54 of ice-time as the Sabres’ third-line center last season, as opposed to 18:37 TOI/G in the 2009-10 season. Moreover, Connolly averaged 3:43 of powerplay ice-time per game in the 2009-10 season, but only played an average of 2:49 on the powerplay last season. The difference? Connolly scored an impressive 27 powerplay points, which led the Sabres, with increased ice-time on the man-advantage, but regressed to only 19 powerplay points when his ice-time decreased. The moral of the story? Connolly, despite his defensive acumen, is better suited in a top-six role as a powerplay specialist. Considering the Leafs lack a) a centerman for Kessel, and b) efficiency on the powerplay, Connolly may well thrive with the Leafs considering he’ll be getting ample ice-time. Consider that Mikhail Grabovski averaged the most powerplay ice-time among Leafs centers last season with 3:08 PP TOI/G and scored 15 powerplay points. Connolly should average well over that amount with the first powerplay unit and be given every opportunity to produce.

The obvious concern, as previously mentioned, is Connolly’s health. It’s near impossible to predict whether Connolly can play a full season, or at least in the vicinity of 75 games, but rest assured he’ll produce near a point-per-game clip whether his injuries are behind him or not. For the sake of an offensive projection, let’s assume he does play 82 games next season. Quote me for a 70-point season from Connolly as the Leafs’ number-one center.

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While the need for a number-one center ultimately remains the Leafs’ target to solidify a berth in the post-season, the depth the club has added this off-season should not be overlooked. Tim Connolly may not be the number-one pivot the Leafs were looking for, but he does provide the top-six—and Phil Kessel—with a signifcant offensive upgrade compared to that of Tyler Bozak in the role last season. Not only did the acquisition move Bozak down the depth chart, but it placed he and the Leafs in a better position to succeed now that Bozak doesn’t have to worry about centering a star such as Kessel—which was far too much pressure for a player basically fresh off the NCAA ranks. That, and Bozak should now have Colby Armstrong on his wing for the forseeable future. The pair established great chemistry in the second-half of last season on the penalty-kill, often creating scoring opportunities and displaying sound positional play.

While there were several factors that led to the Leafs missing the playoffs once again last season, a lack of depth was certainly near the top of the list. Aside from the Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur line, there was absolutely zero consistency in the line combinations throughout the season. Head coach Ron Wilson continuously sifted through his limited options to establish a legitimate top-six unit, but to no avail. The lack of another top-six center ultimately led to the dismantling of any chemistry potentially established on the third or second-line—let’s be honest, the Grabovski-Kulemin-MacArthur line was the first-line—and it crippled the Leafs in the standings. There’s no denying the Leafs could use another star or two to aid its quest to respectability, but that is not the only route available to general manager Brian Burke. And this was evidenced with the Brad Richards sweepstakes. Burke missed out on the biggest unrestricted free agent available, and then immediately shifted his focus on Connolly, the second best center that was on the free agent market. He then traded spare parts for the services of Cody Franson and Matthew Lombardi, thus adding a considerable amount of depth to the roster. And make no mistake, Lombardi can be much more than simply a salary dump, and Burke knows this. Lombardi is capable of playing the left wing position, thus allowing Bozak to play center—led the Leafs with a 54.6 faceoff percentage—and adds something the Leafs lack, aside from the Grabovski line… a left-handed shooter. Not only does this give the third-line an advantage offensively, but Lombardi’s speed and two-way ability make him a great fit on the third-line with Bozak and Armstrong. Bozak is an accomplished face-off man, Lombardi is capable of scoring 40-50 points, and Armstrong adds a considerable amount of grit along with some offensive upside. If the line can establish chemistry in the early going of the season, the Leafs, unlike last season, can dress three scoring lines without having to worry about the opposition snuffing out its offense on a consistent basis. And with a top-nine unit, Kessel is much more likely to hit the 40-goal plateau—with or without Connolly—with less attention fixated on him from the opposition—and media.

Of course, all this hinges on Lombardi’s health heading into the 2011-12 season. If he truly expects to be ready for training camp, this will benefit the Leafs greatly, as the team will have an indication if he’s capable of sustaining the type of play that netted him a career-high 53 points two seasons ago. If not, Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin(natural right winger)—who will be competing for the third-line left-wing role regardless of Lombardi’s status—are also feasible options for the third-line—Kadri is a left-handed shooter; Frattin right-handed. Not only that, but if Connolly is uncapable of playing a large portion of games, the line juggling could once again commence on a regular basis. However, the additions of two roster players, and prospects near NHL-ready, should ensure some consistency in the face of injury this time around.

If the Leafs finally attain the playoffs next season, expect the offensive output of its top three lines to play a key role in the matter.

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In an interview with the National Post’s Michael Traikos, general manager Brian Burke said his team is going to sit back and let the players compete for spots at training camp. This is good news for the likes of Nazem Kadri, Matt Frattin and Joe Colborne. While there remains holes on the Leafs’ roster, Rick Dudley told the Star that patience will ultimately address the team’s needs.

“Come training camp, if one or two young players makes the team, they’re going to have to move people, and they are not going to be able to move the people they just signed,” Dudley said, in reference to the active teams only July 1. “They’re going to have to move assets on their roster. That’s a good thing (for the Leafs).”

Such a tactic speaks volumes of the Leafs’ confidence in its top-six unit heading into the 2011-12 season. Perhaps not in the long-term, but the Leafs are still developing and fans should not be disappointed if Burke doesn’t make a big splash this off-season—in fact, it’s unlikely he does. Obviously the Leafs have no interest in acquiring leftover top-six players that could add no more to the line-up than the current unit already does. What the Leafs require, aside from a number-one center, is some help on the bottom-six, both in the form of veteran presence and a defensive specialist. While there are a few options in the free agent market—Chris Drury and Mike Grier most notably—the Leafs seem to be looking elsewhere to address its needs. While it’s unlikely Burke opts to offer sheet any restricted free agent, it’s within the realm of possibility he keeps an eye on any players that may be released if an arbitration ruling is too pricey for a team. If the Leafs’ management staff deems the options available as lateral movement, rest assured that Toronto will enter the season with its current roster. And that shouldn’t scare anyone.

As mentioned above, the Leafs still lack a number-one center, but with the additions of Matthew Lombardi and Tim Connolly, there is a considerable upgrade up the middle. No longer will Phil Kessel play alongside a 35-point centerman in Tyler Bozak, and that is perhaps the best news this summer. If Connolly is indeed healthy, or at least play over 70 games, he will provide the Leafs with a skill-set the club hasn’t witnessed since Mats Sundin departed. And no, I am not suggesting Connolly is on par with Sundin, but he posseses great hands and vision to adequately compliment Kessel’s abilities. Aside from Mikhail Grabovski, the Leafs had one center capable of playing in the top-six last season. With Connolly and Lombardi—if healthy— the Leafs have three centers capable of producing on a scoring line. Not only does this provide the club with newfound depth, it gives head coach Ron Wilson options to work with—and thus ultimately determine his fate in Toronto. It’s entirely possible the Leafs roll three scoring lines next season and take advantage of its depth, rather than rely on one or two lines. To put it bluntly, the Leafs simply lack star power at this point, so adding depth in a top-nine format is perhaps the club’s best chance at finally attaining the post-season.

The defense has upgraded considerably since last season, with Mike Komisarek now the seventh defenseman on the depth chart. If he doesn’t get traded, it’s likely he sees limited time with the Leafs, as the club now has one of the most promising young defense corps in the National Hockey League. The addition of John Michael Liles and Cody Franson not only revamps the defense, but adds new dimensions to a crippling Leafs powerplay. And on the subject, Connolly’s presence on the powerplay shouldn’t be overlooked. He finished first on the Sabres in PP points in 2009-10, and tied for second last season—only played 68 games and had his least productive season since the lockout. If the Leafs’ additions to the lineup contribute as they should, the powerplay should dramatically improve upon its 22nd overall ranking last season.

If the Leafs are realistically expected to attain the post-season, though, its penalty kill is undoubtebly the key. The team finished 28th in the league on the PK last season, and suffered in the standings because of the fact. None of the Leafs’ acquisitions addressed this need, so unless Burke has another trick up his sleeve before the season starts, it’s likely the team is counting on its strong second-half performance to continue. Much of that also rests on the shoulders of James Reimer, who will be counted on to consistently perform at a level not witnessed since the lockout in the Leafs’ net. The fact that these question marks still cloud the Leafs is concerning, but fans must remember that the Leafs are still developing and are one the league’s youngest teams—Liles, at 30 years old, is the Leafs’ oldest player.

With all that said, if the Leafs can improve its powerplay, get stability between the pipes, and get a decent amount of production up the middle, I’d be confident in predicting the team’s first playoff berth since the lockout. Although that’s a lot of ifs, the Leafs finally have the assets that can realistically address its needs.

And that’s not even considering what Nazem Kadri and Matt Frattin may bring to the table. It’s foolish to assume the Leafs can contend for the Stanley Cup, but with legitimate NHL prospects in the pipeline and youth anchoring its core, the Leafs are not far off from reaching that goal.

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Before discussing what Burke may do next in his blueprint, let’s first analyze the moves he’s done in the past 48 hours. While Burke may not have found the number-one center the Leafs so desperately covet, he managed to acquire a decent secondary option in Connolly. Injury concerns have clouded the 30-year-old’s career post-lockout, but his ability to produce has never been questioned—although last season was his least productive in the last six years with 42 points in 68 games. If healthy, and that’s a big if, it would certainly be within the realm of possibility for Connolly to produce in the 70 point range with Kessel as his linemate. Perhaps the most undervalued skill that he’ll add to the Leafs is his defensive acumen. While he’s no defensive stalwart, he could certainly play a defensive system and contribute on the penalty kill—averaged 1:43 of shorthanded ice-time per game.

The Leafs’ special teams also improved with the addition of Cody Franson today. The 23-year-old defenseman produced eight goals and 29 points in his sophomore campaign with the Nashville Predators last season. While he’s another large body on the blueline at 6’5 and 215 pounds, he’s not known to throw hits—only 81 last season. He did, however, contribute on the second powerplay unit and produce respectable point totals given he averaged roughly 15 minutes of ice-time per game. If Franson continues to develop, he could well establish himself as a top-four defenseman with regular shifts on the powerplay. And keep in mind that Nashville plays a defensive system and its top-pointer only managed a measly 50 points. With added ice-time and a new system, Franson could hit 40 points next season under the right circumstances.

The addition of Lombardi is simply a bonus. If he manages to get healthy and put his concussion problems behind him—and that is once again a big if—he could contribute as a secondary scorer. His speed is second to none, but his offensive potential probably doesn’t exceed anything within the 50 point range. Obviously, the addition of Lombardi was the price to pay for Franson, but whether he plays is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

So, with all that said, what’s next? Well, taking a glance at the Leafs’ defense corps, Burke could afford to relinquish one his defenseman to fill another need—or to unload a bad contract. And with bad contracts in mind, Mike Komisarek is the new kid on the trade block. If a team, like say, the New York Islanders, decide to take on his contract to get to the cap floor, the Leafs could once again take advantage of the situation. While it’s unlikely any trade Burke makes from now on will import any front-line talent to the roster, the Leafs still require some bottom-six forwards to add some grit and veteran leadership. But who knows with Burke? If he’s fixated on adding some truculence to the top-six, it’s not unfathomable that he shakes up the roster with a blockbuster trade, especially after losing out on the Brad Richards sweepstakes. Moreover, there’s some intriguing options in the free agent market to upgrade the bottom-six. The two most notable being Mike Grier and Chris Drury. Both players are capable of playing the penalty kill and providing a leadership role on a young team. If they could be had relatively cheap, I think they’d upgrade the the Leafs’ bottom-six considerably.

With Connolly and Grabovski occupying the Leafs’ center positions, is it possible Burke may be in the market for another star winger? You get the sense Burke is not yet content with the Leafs’ top-six, and with Connolly signed on for two years, perhaps that makes Grabovski expendable? All these questions will be answered in due time, but for now, Leafs Nation is buzzing with the excitement of what tomorrow brings.

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The 30-year-old offensive defenseman has one year remaining on his contract with a cap-hit of $4.2-million. While he is a one-dimensional player, it’s worth noting that he led the Colorado Avalance with 153 blocked shots—although that probably correlates with his 36 giveaways, the most among Avalanche defensemen. He finished the season with six goals, 46 points and 18 powerplay points—three ahead of Matt Duchene. Liles’ defensive statistics may be underwhelming, but make no mistake, he’s here to play on the first-powerplay unit, and considering he led all Avalanche in PP TOI with over 245 minutes, despite missing six games, he’ll fit right into the Leafs’ blueprint.

The question, however, is if Liles’ tenure with the Leafs will be shortlived. If prospects Jesse Blacker and Jake Gardiner continue to develop next season, Liles may be used as stop-gap until they’re ready for the NHL. Considering Liles only cost the Leafs the conditional second-round pick they acquired from the Bruins—for making the Stanley Cup Final—it’s an ideal scenario for Toronto looking ahead to the next off-season.

With a puck-moving defenseman off the checklist, the focus shifts on acquiring a number-one center—and to a lesser extent a bottom-six player. Will that happen tonight? We’re about to find out. But keep in mind that Dave Nonis has said the Leafs are now willing to unload one of its defensemen to acquire a number-one center.

If it doesn’t happen tonight, the Leafs will likely focus on Brad Richards on July 1.

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Whether Burke decides to import two first-round prospects to the Toronto Maple Leafs or package them, along with other assets, for that elusive number-one center is a win-win situation considering the team’s needs. But if the bombastic Leafs GM is true to his word, there’s a significant chance he actively pursues that number-one pivot his club so desperately requires. Burke made it clear that such a trade would not occur on the draft floor and it would have to be worked out in the days leading up to June 24. Well, considering he had said there’s “several lines in the water” regarding potential trades, it’s logical to assume this Friday would be a prime time to pull the trigger. Not only would this elevate the Leafs as a serious playoff contender in the Eastern Conference, but it would increase its allure for any potential unrestricted free agents on July 1—and the Leafs would still require a puck-moving defenseman and bottom-six forward.

While a trade could occur at any time in the off-season, Burke doesn’t have the luxury of gambling should a team move its trading chip to another club or pull any deals from the table. While there has been much speculation surrounding Brad Richards’ potential destination on July 1, Steve Simmonds is reporting the Leafs are not one of them. Now, take this report with a grain of salt, as it is the only one of its kind and is based solely from hearsay. Then again, Simmonds is a respected journalist among the Toronto Sports Media, so whether you believe the article is entirely up to you.

All this leads to the potential centers Burke may target on Friday in Minnesota. And one that has been linked to the Leafs in the rumour mill is the 25-year-old, Paul Stastny. The Colorado Avalanche were supposedly shopping the $6.6-million center at the trade deadline, but the team quickly denied the reports. Well, surprise, surprise, Stastny has re-entered the ol’ rumour mill and none other than Howard Berger has confirmed that, once again, the Avalache are willing to trade its number-one pivot to make room for the blossoming Matt Duchene.

If this is indeed accurate, one must naturally assume that Burke will engage in trade negotiations with the Avalache. Hockey forums are aflame with trade possibilities, and almost all of them include the Leafs’ top prospect, Nazem Kadri. Unfortunately, the Leafs would likely have to relinquish Kadri if they were to realistically acquire Stastny. While such a trade makes just about any Leafs fan uncomfortable, it actually makes sense when you consider that Stastny hasn’t even reached his prime and has already established himself as a 70-point player. While Kadri could reach that plateau and even contribute more to the ice, he is unproven. And the Leafs, under Burke’s current blueprint, require proven players to fast-track the Leafs to respectability. Considering the team’s lack of depth up the middle, Kadri may be the sacrificial lamb to finally acquire an elite centerman.

Normally, the idea of trading away Kadri on a team that is just now adding depth to the prospect cupboard would seem absurd. And perhaps it is. But considering the circumstances, acquiring a number-one center now, as opposed to years down the line when (and if) Kadri is ready, could elevate the Leafs to new heights. Not only would Phil Kessel have the number-one center to reach his goal-scoring potential, but the powerplay would improve and the addition of such a player would add new dimensions on offense, which as a result could give some breathing room for a defenseman such as, say, Dion Phaneuf—who’s dying for another 15+ goal season. Now, what else is included in a deal to land Stastny is up for debate (Gunnarsson and draft picks?) but it seems near impossible for Kadri not to be the focal point for the Avalanche.

If the Avalanche are indeed willing to part with Stastny, though, expect Burke to make a serious pitch for the number-one center.

Is it Friday yet?

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The problem, however, is that those options would not improve the Leafs up the middle, but rather on defense and bottom-six positions. And if Burke is set on acquiring a number-one center to finally ail the Leafs’ most glaring need, he will likely have to go the trade route or send an offer sheet to a restricted free agent—an unlikely scenario considering Burke’s stance on the tactic. While there are other centers available in free agency, the most prominent names include Michael Nylander, Tim Connolly, Jason Arnott, Michal Handzus and Brooks Laich. The most enticing center available, both in terms of offensive potential and age, would have to be Laich.

Laich, 27, had an underwhelming season, dropping from the 20-goal, 50-point plateau he established himself at the two previous seasons— it should be noted that all of the Washington Capitals’ top pointers suffered a drop in production with the implementation of a defensive strategy, rather than the run ‘n gun strategy they were previously (in)famous for. He did manage to rank second among Washington forwards in blocked shots (54), fifth in hits (113) and finished with a 51.3 faceoff percentage. While none of these statistics are particularly overwhelming, he is no doubt a valuable commodity as a secondary scorer. But therein lies the problem. The Leafs have an abundance of secondary scorers that cannot adequately fill the role as a first-line forward for a full season. Adding a center of Laich’s caliber would bolster the Leafs’ depth up the middle, but the lack of an elite centerman would, once again, cost the Leafs precious points in the standings. It is due to this fact that Burke will no doubt explore other avenues if he wishes to remedy his team’s biggest woe. Otherwise, the Leafs will continue to spin its tires in the post-Sundin era.

While there are a number of intriguing free agent forwards—Tomas Fleischmann, Ville Leino, Simon Gagne, Erik Cole, Radim Vrbata, Michael Ryder and Jussi Jokinen among the list— players of such caliber shouldn’t be viewed as a necessity for the Leafs. With the likes of Clarke MacArthur (assuming he re-signs), Nikolai Kulemin, Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri and potentially Matt Frattin on the Leafs’ forward ranks, Burke should focus on acquiring more crucial needs.

With all that said, if Richards decides to sign with another team on July 1—assuming it doesn’t take him weeks to decide—expect Burke to actively pursue a center through trade. Who that might be is anyone’s guess—Jeff Carter and Paul Stastny have been linked to the Leafs before. And if Burke is offered a deal to acquire a number-one center at the NHL Entry Draft on Friday, does he pull the trigger and avoid the risk of losing all his options? Only time will tell, but the next couple weeks will be defining for the Leafs and Burke.

Considering the circumstances, if I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Burke offering Richards a lucrative long-term deal. If the Leafs are that desperate to acquire a number-one center, it is logical to absorb a large amount of money towards the cap as opposed to relinquishing an already limited amount of internal assets.

Bring on the Draft.

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In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ general manager, Brian Burke, this off-season could well determine his fate in Toronto. With approximately $22-million in cap space (assuming the cap raises $4-million) and restricted free agents Luke Schenn, Clarke MacArthur, Tyler Bozak, Luca Caputi, Ben Scrivens, Jay Rosehill and Christian Hanson to re-sign, Burke should have at least $12-million (if not more) to play with in free agency. What his gameplan is to address the Leafs’ needs is anyone’s guess, but unless he pulls the trigger on a blockbuster deal at the Draft, it’s safe to assume he’ll be active when July 1 hits. It’s no secret that the Leafs’ biggest need is a centerman, and considering Brad Richards is by far the best option available, Burke will undoubtebly explore that avenue. But another pressing need for the Maple Leafs is an offensive defenseman to replace Tomas Kaberle. Leafs fans no doubt are hoping for Carl Gunnarson to fill that role, but he’s unlikely to blossom into an elite puck-moving defenseman anytime soon. And sure, if Dion Phaneuf’s second-half production is any indication (1 goal, 11 points, -8 in first 33 games; 7 goals, 19 points, +6 in last 33 games), he’ll help lessen the void and contribute on the powerplay with consistency. But the Leafs cannot rely on Gunnarson, Schenn or any other defensemen on the roster to adequately fill the role as the powerplay quarterback.

While options are limited in the free agent market for offensive defensemen, the most intriguing are Christian Ehrhoff, Joni Pitkanen, Kevin Bieksa (more of a stay-at-home defender despite two 40-plus point seasons), James Wisniewski, Andrei Markov and Ian White (I’d love to see him back in Blue and White). In terms of offensive talent, Ehrhoff probably tops the list, and because of the fact he’ll likely command at least $4-million. Should the Leafs make a serious pitch for Richards, there should be a sufficient amount of cap space left to sign a defenseman of Ehrhoff’s caliber. If Burke does manage to import both a centerman and offensive defenseman, thus filling the team’s two biggest needs, the powerplay should see a drastic improvement from last season (which ranked 23rd overall). With more firepower upfront—not to mention the inclusion of an elite playmaker— the Leafs would add new dimensions to its offense, and thus create more offensive opportunities for its defensemen, especially Phaneuf’s slapshot from the point.

This is all hypothetical, but for once, the Leafs have the cap space to match any offers teams will make to unrestricted free agents. If Burke wants to compete in the playoffs in the present instead of the future, and we all know that’s the case, then you can expect an aggressive approach this off-season to remedy his team’s needs. While many in Leafs Nation may wish to avoid such an approach and develop internal assets to fill the team’s needs instead, it’s just not feasible considering the current state of the Leafs. To realistically and succesfully execute that approach, the Leafs would have to rebuild the traditional way, and we know that’s not happening with Burke at the helm. And it is due to this fact that the off-season of 2011 may very well determine Burke’s future in Toronto. The pieces are beginning to connect, and Burke’s vision of the Leafs will come to fruition very soon. Whether that translates into success is currently unclear, but for the first time in a long time, Leafs fans have legitimate reason for optimism. And that’s something.

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Right now, the 2011 Canucks find themselves in a spot that the 1994 and 1982 Canucks never were: leading the Stanley Cup Final series entering a potential clinching game.  If Vancouver wins either tomorrow night in Boston or back at Rogers Arena on Wednesday, the Canucks’ forty-one year old dream will become reality and they will be able to parade the Cup in public places such as the appropriately named Stanley Park.

While a victory would be a first for the Canucks, it would not be the first time the city of Vancouver has won the Stanley Cup.  In fact, Vancouver has been waiting 96 years for its second Stanley Cup victory.  Of the 30 NHL teams in existence today, 19 play in cities that have been home to at least one Stanley Cup championship club and of those 19, Vancouver has waited the longest for a title victory.*  The Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) swept the original Ottawa Senators, champions of the National Hockey Association (NHA) in the best-of-five 1915 Final which featured the top Eastern club going head-to-head with the top Western club, a format that would be in place from 1914 to 1926.

A plaque at 88 Mutual Street in Toronto commemorates "Arena Gardens", later known as Mutual Street Arena, home rink of the city's first professional hockey club. Vancouver last played a Stanley Cup Final clinching game with the series lead when the Millionaires skated against the St. Patricks on the ice at Arena Gardens, March 25, 1922. (Click photo to embiggen).

Like this year’s Presidents’ Trophy winning Canucks, the Millionaires were a juggernaut, topping the PCHA with a 13-4 record and easily claimed the Cup in three games by scores of 6-2, 8-3 and 12-3.  It was truly a different era of hockey.  Frank Patrick, Vancouver’s player-manager, not only founded the PCHA with his brother Lester, but unveiled Canada’s first-ever artificial ice surfaces in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia at a time when many teams’ arenas were naturally frozen outdoor rinks.  Goalies were penalized for dropping to the ice to make a save.  The neutral zone and legal forward passes did not yet exist.  Also, Western rules (seven players per team) would alternate game by game with Eastern rules (six players per team) during the Final series.

Hockey’s first superstar, Fred “Cyclone” Taylor, was a member of the 1915 Millionaires and he rose to the occasion, scoring six goals in the series.  In nine seasons with Vancouver, Taylor would average well over one goal per game scoring 159 times in just 129 games and he was one of the first Hockey Hall of Fame inductees in 1945.

Vancouver would vie for another Stanley Cup title in 1918 against the Toronto Arenas, 1921 against the Sens, and 1922 against the Toronto St. Patricks (the former Arenas and the present-day Maple Leafs), but lost each series in the fifth and final game.  The ending of the 1922 Stanley Cup Final was particularly hard to take for Vancouver since they were in the same position as the 2011 Canucks: leading the series, one win away from claiming the trophy.

Fittingly, the Final, entirely played in Toronto’s Arena Gardens, started on St. Patrick’s Day but the visitors won Game 1 4-3 despite two goals from the stick of St. Patricks’ sniper Cecil “Babe” Dye, a three-sport star who also played baseball and football.  Dye helped Toronto even the series three nights later when he scored in overtime to give the St. Pats a 2-1 victory.  In Game 3, Vancouver posted a 3-0 shutout victory to take the series lead again and moved one win away from winning their second Stanley Cup. The next day’s Vancouver Sun noted “the opinion of the majority of spectators at tonight’s game was that the Westerners are the better team and will win the world’s championship.”

Several housing co-operatives and a public park now occupy the former site of Arena Gardens in Toronto. The rink that was the predecessor of Maple Leaf Gardens was demolished 22 years ago.

Of Hugh Lehman, Vancouver’s goaltender, the Sun wrote, “While the locals floundered helplessly and made a few brave efforts to stem the tide of defeat, their attempts to beat the reliable old “Eagle Eye” from the Pacific Coast were all fruitless.  Lehman was there with the goods, as usual, and they all looked alike to him, so simply did he turn the Irishmen’s shots aside.”

Alarmingly for Vancouver in Game 4, the host St. Patricks turned the tables on the Millionaires, winning 6-0 to knot the series at 2-2 with Dye notching another pair of goals while Toronto netminder John Ross Roach became the first rookie to record a Stanley Cup shutout.  Three nights later, on March 28, 1922, Toronto romped once again, 5-1, to capture the Stanley Cup.  Dye punctuated his spectacular series by scoring four goals in the clinching game to give him nine in total, a record that still stands for a Cup Final series of any length.

By mid-decade, the PCHA folded and the Vancouver Millionaires faded into scrapbook memories.  Their star player of the 1922 Stanley Cup Final, Hall of Famer Jack Adams, who scored six goals in the series, joined the St. Patricks the following season before finishing his playing days with the 1927 Senators, the last Ottawa club to win the Cup.  Adams, of course, would go on to forge a famous career as the highly successful coach and manager of the Detroit Red Wings and the NHL’s coach of the year award bears his name.

Will Michael Ryder be Babe Dye or will Tim Thomas be John Ross Roach, stopping Vancouver on Monday and Wednesday, or will present-day Vancouver millionaires like Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler and Roberto Luongo prevail and have their names etched on the Cup as victors?  Could this be the week when their names are burnished for all-time in the city’s hockey history books 96 years after the Vancouver Millionaires hoisted the Stanley Cup?
______________________________________________

* It is duly noted that with the return of major league professional hockey to Winnipeg, a case could be made that Winnipeg has waited the longest time – 109 years - since the city’s last Stanley Cup championship.  The Winnipeg Victorias were winners in 1896, 1901 and 1902 but until the relocated Atlanta Thrashers receive full NHL Board of Governors approval on June 21, 2011 for an official move to Winnipeg, Vancouver will hold the distinction of “longest wait”.

Sources: NHL Official Guide & Record Book 2011, hockeydb.com, Vancouver Sun, Hockey Hall of Fame

The need for such an asset has been abundantly clear since Mats Sundin fled for a certain team that shall not be named. Many have auditioned for the role, and some even found limited success, but no player has been able to sustain any sort of consistency to solidify a legitimate first-line that meets the NHL standards to succeed. Since Burke took the helm as Leafs’ GM, he has imported many assets to instil faith in a franchise in dire need of it. And while Leafs fans remain patient to declare their team a legitimate contender, it’s fair to assess the Leafs as a respectable club on the verge of a better tomorrow. But in Burke’s limited time as GM, he has yet to remedy the team’s most glaring need… a number-one center.

If the speculation heading into the Leafs’ 2011 off-season proves accurate, then this summer could be a significant moment for Burke, the Leafs, and its fans. If Burke is to finally add a number-one center to the Leafs roster, then the likelihood of targeting unrestricred free agent Brad Richards is obviously high. But with the recent trade rumors surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers and Jeff Carter, perhaps there is another option for Burke to consider.

Ever since Tomas Kaberle denied a trade that would have sent him to the Flyers in exchange for Carter (and other assets), the 26-year-old center has been linked to the Leafs various times since. The idea of absorbing an 11-year contract doesn’t seem to bother many fans, and maybe it shouldn’t considering it is likely to lower his trade value, but there are other things to consider besides his contract. My personal opinion, after mulling over the possibility for a few days, is that the Leafs should stay away. I don’t doubt that Carter would be an impactful player for the Leafs, and he’d probably contribute many 30-40 goal seasons in his tenure, but—as often the case with trade rumors—the allure of blockbuster deals can sometimes create misconceptions. For one, Carter is similar to Phil Kessel in that he is a one-dimensional player. Although his defensive acumen is superior, he still ranked seventh among Flyer forwards in shorthanded ice-time, and has been criticized for an unwillingness to backcheck or enter the dirty areas. And while his goal-scoring ability would add some firepower upfront, it wouldn’t add any new dimensions offensively, as he’s a shoot-first type of player (led the Flyers with 335 shots; 89 more than the second-ranked Daniel Briere). I should mention again that I’m not insinuating Carter is overrated, as I think he’s a talented player, but if the Leafs are going to relinquish a considerable amount of assets (speculation is that Columbus is offering Jakub Voracek and the 8th overall pick) then the return must remedy the largest of needs. If Carter was an unrestricted free agent, I’d be on board for an attempt to sign him, but it just doesn’t make sense for Burke to offer an already limited amount of prospects and draft picks for a player of Carter’s type.

And it is due to the fact that the Leafs should be importing as much prospects and draft picks as possible that Brad Richards is a logical target. If The Fourth Period’s report is accurate, then Burke is already attempting to make a significant statement for next season. Not only is Richards an elite centerman, he’s accompanied with a Stanley Cup ring and is still in the prime of his career at 31 years old. Unlike Carter, he is not a goal-scorer (although he hit a career-high of 28 goals last season) and is known for his playmaking abilities. Not only would he add a new dimension to the Leafs’ offense, he’d be a considerable upgrade to any centerman the Leafs have paired with Kessel— who could realistically attain 40 goals with a centerman of Richards’ caliber—thus far.

Considering Richards is likely to test the free agent waters before commiting to any team prior to July 1, the Leafs will have to pay in the viscinity of $7.5 million dollars—likely a long-term deal—to acquire the coveted centerman. Whether that’s a logical deal for the Leafs is up for debate, but there’s no questioning the impact he’d deliver upfront.

The only other route, if the Leafs are to acquire a center, is to target restricted free agents, or players via trade. Both options would no doubt be costly in terms of prospects and draft picks if Burke is to acquire a quality player.

So the question is, unless the Leafs draft its own number-one centerman, would you rather absorb a significant amount of salary towards the cap, or relinquish future assets to acquire an elite center for the present?

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And that is due to several positive stories that have emerged since the all-star break. Despite the departures of Tomas Kaberle, Francois Beauchemin and Kris Versteeg, the Leafs have overcome adversity and remain in the playoff race despite the overwhelming odds against them. The pessimist would cite their inability to reach the playoffs despite the team’s annual surgence to inch closer to the big dance, but this season has been different. Assuming they fall a few points short of the playoffs, the mere fact that the youngest team in the National Hockey League was capable of recording one of the best records in the league after the all-star break is an accomplishment in itself, especially considering the criticism for a lack of quality prospects in the cupboard in recent years. Moreover, add the resurgence of Phaneuf in the second half, the surprising offensive potency despite a supposed lack of talent in the top-six, and the emergence of Luke Schenn as aurguably the team’s best defenseman at only 21 years old.

However, perhaps the most intriguing story has been the dominant goaltending of James Reimer, the 23-year old Catholic who outperformed a number of goaltenders, including the American Hockey League, to grab the reins as the Leafs’ starting goaltender. Perhaps the NHL’s most humble athlete, Reimer has posted an incredible 17-7-4 record, 2.51 goals-against-average, .924 save-percentage and three shutouts as a rookie netminder. He has not only been the focal point in the Leafs’ playoff run, but he has given hope to a franchise in dire need of a franchise goaltender. While it is still too early to determine whether Reimer is capable of maintaining his status as one the league’s top goaltenders, he has put general manager Brian Burke in a complicated position.

Considering the Leafs will have upwards of $15 million in cap-space before July 1 hits, Burke must decide whether he will retain Reimer as the starting goaltender, or target a free agent such as Ilya Bryzgalov, who will more than likely test free agent waters. If he does the latter, Reimer will be relegated to back-up duties and would play no more than what he has already in the final quarter of the season. Such an acquisition would likely mean the end of Reimer’s tenure in Toronto considering Bryzgalov will likely seek a long-term contract. Considering the list of free agent goaltenders is bare in 2012, unless Pekka Rinne opts out of Nashville, Burke would be taking a gamble no matter what he decides, should Reimer be a flash in the pan and falter next season.

But has Reimer really come out of nowhere? While he doesn’t have tons of experience in any league he has played throughout his career, he has consistently recorded solid stastictics. Consider that since his inception to professional hockey in 2005, Reimer has played in the WHL, ECHL, AHL and the NHL and has never recorded a save-percentage under .910 (in fact, in 44 career games in the AHL, Reimer has a .921 save-percentage). He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs when the South Carolina Stingrays captured the championship in the ECHL.

It’s difficult to determine whether Reimer is the Leafs’ goaltender of the future, but it’s a gamble well worth exploring considering what he has accomplished thus far. Maybe all he needed was a chance to shine.

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With nine games until the 2010-11 season comes to a close, Phaneuf’s first campaign as captain has had its ups and downs. He’s on pace to finish with around 30 points in 66 games, which is well below his career-high of 60 points in 2008. While his offensive game has regressed in the past couple of seasons, Phaneuf is still effective in the defensive end. He has recorded 157 hits, 100 blocked shots, 43 giveaways and 26 takeaways despite missing 16 games with a lacerated leg injury. In comparison, Phaneuf had 194 hits, 88 blocked shots, 51 giveaways and 52 takeaways in 82 games during the 2007-08 season. The decrease in takeaways coincides with the fact that his offensive numbers have decreased, thus joining the rush less frequently and instead committing to defence, as evidenced from the increase in blocked shots(88 to 100) in 25 fewer games.

On the surface, it’s easy to cite Phaneuf’s offensive regression as evidence to his inability to return to form. However, is that really the case? As mentioned above, his blocked shots totals have increased sigificantly since his 60-point campaign. From 2008 to 2011 (and counting) he went from 88 to 86 (two less games; produced 49 points) to 100 (81 games) to the same amount this season but with nine games remaining (for a total of 66 games).

So are Phaneuf’s best days really behind him? Or is he a young defenseman building confidence while contributing at both ends of the ice? One cannot completely excuse his offensive regression, but if his play since the all-star break is any indication, Phaneuf is well on his way towards reaching the 50-point plateau once more. Since February 1, Phaneuf has produced 6 goals and 15 points in 24 games. If he could maitain that sort of consistency throughout the season, it’s within the realm of possibility that he scores 20 goals in the near future. Although it’s easy to forget, Phaneuf only turns 26 years old on April 10, so his prime is still a season or two away.

At this point, whether Phaneuf was the correct choice as team captain is irrelevant. He’s wearing the ‘C’ and no one can accuse him for lack of heart. He’s playing his best hockey during the most crucial point of the season for the Leafs. And as the team around him continues to improve, so will he. For a franchise that lacked considerable star power before general manager Brian Burke began molding his vision of a championship team, perhaps the Phaneuf era started a little too early for Toronto. Leafs fans wanted someone to turn the ship around and Phaneuf, despite dealing with his own struggles, was supposed to be our knight in shining armor. But as the Leafs continue to foster and import talent for the future, the weight of the world will lift from Phaneuf’s shoulders, and his confidence will only increase.

Expectations need to grounded, and ultimately time will unveil the result, but perhaps it’s not about the Leafs fixing Phaneuf, or Phaneuf fixing the Leafs. They’re fixing each other while paving a better tomorrow.

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Yes, “poor Kessel,” the one who was picked last at the All-Star Game and had 25-goal man Alexander Ovechkin snap a photo of him as he sat alone and made the best of an awkward situation.

Whether it’s what happened in Carolina, the hunt for a playoff spot or simply Kessel turning it on at the right time, much of the Leafs’ playoff hopes hinge on its 23-year-old sniper.

Kessel’s most productive hot streak came between December 28 and January 11, when he scored 4 goals and 11 points in 8 games. He currently has 15 points and 7 goals in his last 11 games (5 goals and 10 points in his last five games) and eight goals in his last eight games. Oh, and fun fact: Joffrey Lupul was acquired 10 games ago. Coincedence? I think not.

While this sort of play is not unfamiliar territority for the streaky sniper, it’s his willingness to drive to the net or even position himself close to the net (as seen on his goal against the Penguins last night) that is really impressive. This is no shot at Darryl Boyce or Joey Crabb, but Kessel is clearly benefitting from playing with suitable linemates in Tyler Bozak and Lupul. Bozak may not be the ideal center for Kessel, but no one can dispute the impact Lupul has had on the line. He’s getting in the dirty areas and opening space for his linemates with his size and puck control. While Lupul isn’t the biggest NHL player (6’1, 206 pounds) he can protect the puck well and it allows the line to cycle the puck more effectively and set-up plays instead of shooting from the perimeter.

With Bozak perhaps better suited as a third-line center, one must ponder how effective Kessel could become once he has a number-one center and enters his prime. It’s easy to forget, but at 23 years old, Kessel has plenty of time to erase the criticism that he’ll remain a streaky scorer for the remainder of his career.

But what centers might be available this summer? In the free agent market, Brad Richards is the only number-one center on the market and the only chance Burke has to land the 30-year old is to throw a considerable amount of money (same ballpark as his current $7.8 million cap-hit) and sign him to a lenghty term. Another option, according to Andy Strickland, is trading for 25-year old center, Paul Stastny. Any deal involving Stastny, however, would almost certainly send Nazem Kadri to the Avalanche. While Stastny could be a better fit than Richards in Toronto, relinquishing assets could prove problematic for Burke, so expect him to prioritize Richards at the top of the list—as the Leafs have plenty of cap space to spare.

While the Leafs’ drive for a playoff spot has been exciting, whether they make it or not shouldn’t deter from the fact that Kessel will never cost the Leafs success, only be a key contributor moving forward. If this is the sort of play we can expect Kessel to deliver in the clutch, then a number-one center should become even more of a priority moving forward. Not just to make the playoffs, but to thrive in them as well.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why the Kessel trade will never be horrific despite how the Bruins’ prospects pan out. Kessel is part of the culture change in Toronto and, at the very least, will be a contributor to any Stanley Cup the Leafs should win. He should always be remembered, at least for the time being, as a symbol of hope in Toronto.

ronguillet@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter @RonGuillet

He has once again cemented his stance to acquire players that will help the team immediately, rather than the future. His reluctance to stockpile draft picks might be concerning, but just how far are the Leafs from post-season berth? Well, any critic can point to numerous issues that have plagued the team’s chances, most notably the special teams, but the most pressing need has to be a first-line center to feed Phil Kessel the puck (not to mention add some size to the top-six unit).

Will Burke wait until the off-season to throw money at an unrestricted free agent, or will he attempt to remedy the Leafs’ woes via the trade route on February 28? If it’s the latter, it’s crucial Burke doesn’t trade any of Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur or Kris Versteeg for another second-line forward. If so, the same old song and dance will continue and the Leafs will spin their tires as one the NHL’s worst teams. Burke has an abundance of second-line forwards at his disposal and the only way to move forward at this point is to acquire a first-line center. Whether that’s available on February 28 is another question entirely and overpaying for a pending UFA, like Brad Richards, could prove costly.

With that in mind, just how many options are available for Burke? The current group of forwards has proven to be inconsistent, as expected from a core of secondary scorers. And it’s unlikely he’s willing to part with more draft picks, so the current roster will have to be dissected to upgrade one of the team’s most glaring weaknesses.

So which players might be on the hit-list come Febraury 28? Well, besides nearly the entire team, here’s my guess on the players that could lure a nice return:

Francois Beauchemin, 30, $3.8 million cap-hit: With only a year remaining on his contract, the veteran defenseman could be a valuable commidity for a team looking to add some depth for a playoff run. He isn’t worth a first-round draft pick, but Burke isn’t interested regardless so if Beauchemin is indeed on the way out, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s packaged with a forward.

Tomas Kaberle, 32, 4.25 million cap-hit: The story that just never dies. Like every other year, Kaberle and his ghastly no-trade clause will once again be in question. Will Kaberle decide he wants a shot at the Stanley Cup, or play out his contract like Mats Sundin? It’s anyone’s guess, but Kaberle could net a nice return if he decides to waive. If not, re-signing the rearguard is crucial.

Tyler Bozak, 24, $.875 thousand cap-hit: The playmaker is having a sophomore slump and is struggling to live up to the hype of last season’s impressive stint with the Leafs. His play has improved of late and he certainly has the potential to become a decent center in the NHL. Of all players, I have a feeling Bozak is likely on the way out.

Mikhail Grabovski, 26, $2.9 million cap-hit: Personally, I think the Leafs should retain Grabovski, as he is an excellent secondary scorer and is capable of both scoring goals and creating plays quite adequately. However, his recent hot-streak has GMs knocking on Burke’s door and it would be foolish for Burke not to listen. If a lopsided deal is offered, Grabovski could be dealt.

Clarke MacArthur, 25, $1.1 million cap-hit: The pending restricted free agent is due for a hefty raise this summer, displaying great chemistry with Grabovski. In fact, it may be in the Leafs’ best interest to keep the duo intact considering how effective they have been together. However, if a deal sweeps Burke off his feet, I fully expect him to pull the trigger. As he had said, there’s basically no untouchables on this team. Considering how the Leafs acquired MacArthur, maximizing his value could prove beneficial.

Kris Versteeg, 24, $3.083 million cap-hit: Now on pace for 60 points, Versteeg is delivering as advertised. However, he is another valuable commodity that Burke could package for a nice return. As I said, the Leafs currently possess too many second-line forwards, and they must sacrifice at least one (in a package deal) to upgrade the top line. It’s only a gut feeling, but Versteeg could be the odd-man out considering the attention he has been garnering from other general managers.

So, the options are there, but what exactly is available for Burke to upgrade the Leafs? Besides the obvious in Richards, Burke’s targets might be revealed as the trade deadline approaches.

Until then, Leafs fans can only hope its players don’t turn cold and decrease in trade value.

One thing is for certain… change is on the horizon.

You stay classy, MLHS.

ronguillet@gmail.com

I can’t help but cringe at Brian Burke’s reasoning for the call-up:

“I think in an ideal world, if we would have won a few of the last games, we probably would have given him a little bit longer but he has made the adjustments we’ve asked him to, he’s cut down his turnovers. He’s drawing penalties almost every night by getting hauled down. He’s been responsible and he’s been good offensively so he’s made a lot of the transformations that we needed him to make. In an ideal world, maybe another couple weeks, maybe three weeks, but it’s not an ideal world. We’re scuffling here.”

Kadri’s 14 points in as many games is impressive, but it’s hardly enough to warrant fast-tracking his development. Let’s not forget that Kadri stumbled out of the gate in his AHL debut and professional scouts even remarked how he looked “like any other AHL player.” In fact, he even got benched during the third period of his first game with the Toronto Marlies for poor defensive decisions. With each passing game he has improved, however, and he has since displayed the offensive flair that got him drafted seventh overall. And with the Leafs’ free-fall in the Eastern Conference standings, perhaps it was inevitable for Kadri to have his turn on the big club.

My personal opinion is that this is nothing more than stop-gap and if the Leafs’ offensive woes are truly as devastating as their slump suggests, then chaos will unfold before long. Whether that means a trade or simply riding out the rest of the 2010-11 season, the end fate is inevitable.

The desperation move from Burke was at least handled appropriately, though, as the expectations set for Kadri have not been blown out of proportion. Still, with the attention now fixated on the 20-year-old forward, he’ll be expected to produce at much higher clip than his pre-season production.

Should Kadri falter and prove that he needs more AHL seasoning, it’s crucial the Leafs do not let him stay dead in the water and instead send him back to the Marlies immediately.

All that said, it’s hard to imagine a rebuilding team opting for a desperation move such as this. The only thing holding the Leafs from the post-season is themselves.

Kadri, please prove me wrong.

ronguillet@gmail.com

With only two games in the past seven days, the team earned all four available points downing their Northeast Division rivals—the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators.

In this week’s installment of the Bruins Week That Was, I will look back on those two games and give my thoughts on the top three goings-on in the Bruins world.

This Week’s Games:

10/28/10 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

10/30/10 vs. Ottawa Senators

Tim Thomas is the first Bruins goalie to start the season 6-0-0 since Tiny Thompson did the same in '37-'38.

Tim Thomas: The Continued Resurgence of the Tank

I know last week I discussed the return of Tim Thomas and his stellar performance so far this season. After two more starts this week though, “the tank” left me with no other option than to talk about him again.

Posting up a 0.00 GAA and 1.000 save percentage on 49 shots combined versus the Leafs and Sens this week, Thomas improved his record to 6-0-0. The hot net-minder is the first Bruin to start a season 6-0-0 since Tiny Thompson did the same in the 1937–1938 season.

Coming up next week, the Bruins will face off against the familiar Buffalo Sabres in a playoff rematch. One would expect Tuukka Rask to get the go here. Come Friday, the club will clash with the Washington Capitals for the third time in 10 games before heading home to face the St. Louis Blues Saturday night to end the week.

Expect Thomas to get at least another two starts this week, as he is almost a guarantee to go against Washington given the performances he’s had against them so far this year.

Tyler Seguin has two goals in his last two games.

Tyler Seguin: The Start of it All

Thursday night saw the young center’s first match-up against his media-built rival Phil Kessel and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With one goal and two assists through his first six games in the Spoked-B there were (for some ridiculous reason) talks of sending Seguin back to his junior team in Plymouth. Well, after he potted his second goal of the year about midway through the second period versus the Leafs, all rumors of a return to juniors were gone as a chant of “Thank you, Kessel!” rang throughout TD Garden.

After the game, head coach Claude Julian confirmed that the 18-year-old would don the black and gold throughout as the rest of the season. Then, not being one to disappoint, Seguin reaffirmed the club’s decision to keep him up with his third goal of the year, coming in the second period of Saturday night’s game versus the Ottawa Senators.

Defense: Moving, Blocking, and Stopping the Puck

After losing up-start defenseman Johnny Boychuk to injury last week, there were many doubts surrounding the Bruin’s D corps coming into this pair of games and beyond.

Nearly all of those doubts were erased, as over the course of two games the Bruins tallied a remarkable 40 blocked shots. Also of note is the B’s defensemen finally triggering offensive production, as four of the six goals scored this week were assisted by a Bruins defenseman.

It seems as though Bruins play-by-play guy Jack Edwards’s favorite phrase this season is, “Defensive to offensive transition,” and this week it was finally something the Bruins seemed to have. There is an example of said transition in the clip below as Dennis Seidenberg sends a great breakout pass to Mark Recchi, who feeds to Seguin in stride as he scores his third goal of the season.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Three Stars Of The Week:

Tim Thomas – 0.00 GAA, 1.000 save percentage, 49 saves, 2-0-0 record

Dennis Seidenberg – 2 assists, 12 blocked shots

Tyler Seguin – 2 goals

What’s Next: The Bruins will face their Northeast Division foes the Buffalo Sabres in a playoff rematch from last season on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. EST in Buffalo.

Thanks to Alison Foley for Thomas Photo

Do you remember as a kid, watching wrestling when all of the storylines would finally culminate into one big melting pot of greatness known as WrestleMania? If so, then tonight’s game is your hockey edition of WrestleMania, or as many here in Boston like to call it, “KesselMania”.

Kessel vs Seguin, Kessel vs Thomas, Kessel vs Chara, well, how about the Toronto Maple Leafs vs the Boston Bruins! Last season these two teams met six times in what proved to be a spark of life back into this Original Six rivalry as the Bruins took the season series going 4-1-1.

Tonight the two teams will meet for the first time this season, the Maple Leafs sit near the top of the conference and are off to a hot start. Expect a big physical game with flashes of offense from the likes of Phil Kessel and Nathan Horton.

Projected Lines:

Boston Bruins

Milan Lucic – David Krejci – Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron – Patrice Bergeron – Blake Wheeler
Mark Recchi – Tyler Seguin – Michael Ryder
Brad Marchand – Gregory Campbell – Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara – Andrew Ference
Mark Stuart – Dennis Seidenberg
Matt Hunwick – Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Toronto Maple Leafs

Nikolai Kulemin – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Clarke MacArthur – Mikhail Grabovski – Luca Caputi
Kris Versteeg – Tim Brent – Mike Brown
Colton Orr – John Mitchell – Fredrik Sjostrom

Tomas Kaberle – Luke Schenn
Francois Beauchemin – Dion Phaneuf
Brett Lebda – Mike Komisarek

Jonas Gustavsson
Jean-Sebastian Giguere

Who To Watch For:

Phil Kessel – First off, that’s right I didn’t choose a Bruin for who to watch for today (gasp!). With a string unimpressive (and embarrassing) performances vs his former club last season (0-1-1 and a minus-5 in) Kessel is certainly looking to stick it to the B’s tonight.

Bruins Game Notes:

- Once again Nathan Horton shows up on my preview, scoring in all six games he’s played in as a Bruin (5-4-9) Horton looks to extend his scoring streak to a career record seven straight games tonight at TD Garden.

- Tim Thomas faces off against one of his favorite foes this evening, with incredible success through his career vs the Leafs (14-4-3 with a 2.98 GAA and a .909 save percentage) expect Thomas to have another great performance tonight.

- Young defenseman Adam McQuaid will make his season debut tonight against the Maple Leafs, filling the shoes of upstart D-Man Johnny Boychuk.

The Puck Drops at 7:00PMEST on NESN(TV) and 98.5 The Sports Hub(Radio)

Bruins Video Of The Day:

2010-2011 Boston Bruins Garden HDX Opening Video

(Thanks to wooingscotsman on Youtube for the video!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Look…a thoroughly rotten start last season cost this team any shot at a post-season berth. They’ve turned it around…at least early…and the fact that they’ve returned to pretty much the level most hockey people thought they’d be at is not an indication that these will be the “same old Leafs”.

The final 3 or 4 playoff spots in the East will again be up for grabs this season…and there’s no reason to believe the Maple Leafs won’t be in that mix. They’re not going to win the Stanley Cup…but to hope for a playoff berth is not a stretch for Maple Leafs fans. Sure they’re showing signs of a lack of scoring depth…and offensive punch from the blueline…and the power play has yet to show any improvement from last season’s worst in the league status…but it doesn’t make them any potentially poorer than say Montreal….Atlanta….Carolina….the New York Rangers…Ottawa or any of the other teams I figure will battle for post-season action.

Who knows….they may even beat my beloved Canadiens to do it.

And speaking of the Habs….at least for now Carey Price is being given the respect he’s earned as their number one goalie. In fact…this club is nowhere near their 4-2-1 record if Price doesn’t come up with some monster performances in goal…even in at least one of the team’s losses.

And the news gets better with the report that number one defenceman Andrei Markov could be back in the lineup by the end of this week. That would make the Habs power play automatically better…and take some of the pressure off rookie blueliner P.K.Subban. Although why the Habs would be expecting a rookie to quarterback the power play…and take up some of Markov’s minutes is beyond me. Talent-wise Subban is the real deal…but he’s not ready to carry that load yet. Soon…but not yet.

To be honest…I don’t even see him as a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate. Not because he isn’t as talented as some of the other candidates…but because his situation is different in that especially with the return of Markov…Subban isn’t likely to get the power play time…as well as the game-to-game ice time that guys like Hall…Paajarvi and Eberle could get.

I don’t include Seguin on this list because I honestly believe that being with Boston…a team that is chock full of veterans and will contend for the Eastern Conference crown…I believe…Seguin also won’t get the kind of ice time he’d need to remain high-profile enough to stay up with the Edmonton troika. All three Oilers rookies are averaging more ice time per game than Seguin.

I have no trouble reminding people that it is still very early in the season…and things like injuries and slumps could change things drastically.