This is what I'd do assuming Vancouver doesn't win the cup
Schenn for JVR or Oshie (more likely JVR)
Conoly for Frolik (saw this proposal on the main, I think it's the only chance of ditching Conoly)
Lombardi and Blacker for Jones of Edmonton (flow)
Big ticket
Grabovski, Kulemin, Kadri and our 1st 2013 for Kessler and Hamhuis ( I wanna see what you think value wise. More/ less?)
Lupul-Kessler-Kessel
JVR- Colborne- Frattin/MacArthur/Ashton (Mac for a 1st at the TDL if Frattin/Ashton is producing)
Frolik-Bozak-Jones
Armstrong- Steckel- Brown
Why getting goaltending is more an issue then our defence.
If you accept that the leafs have a better defensive core than NYI, then
In terms of goaltending skill:
Evgeni Nabokov SV% .920
Jonas Gustavsson SV% .904
That means the leaf goalies allows 1 more goal ever other game.
That also means the leafs GA of 209 (28th) would be 174 (11th)
Meaning: Burke get the leafs a league average goalie.
Why getting goaltending is more an issue then our defence.
If you accept that the leafs have a better defensive core than NYI, then
In terms of goaltending skill:
Evgeni Nabokov SV% .920
Jonas Gustavsson SV% .904
That means the leaf goalies allows 1 more goal ever other game.
That also means the leafs GA of 209 (28th) would be 174 (11th)
Meaning: Burke get the leafs a league average goalie.
Some of those weak goals that Gus (mostly) and Reimer have given up this season have cost us at least 5 games and have put us behind at key times in games. Now, I have more faith in Reimer going forward (god knows why but I do). It's impossible to go into next year with the same goaltending if we want to succeed and make the playoffs. Burke has to go after an older experienced guy like Vokoun.
I wish you gave me this position at trade deadline...
Bye bye Grabo, MacArthur.
Realistically...I wouldn't sign anyone during the offseason, unless its Suter and Parise.
Try to see what I can do with Komisarek, Connolly, Armstrong, Lombardi...whether I can trade/dump them.
And...that's it. Let the young guys play.
This. And idk if Burke really wants to overpay for parise or suter when we already have high money guys. Need to play out lombardi and connolly or trade em off for salary and pick up one or two elite talents later. But for now let the kids play :j) and be patient
Why getting goaltending is more an issue then our defence.
If you accept that the leafs have a better defensive core than NYI, then
In terms of goaltending skill:
Evgeni Nabokov SV% .920
Jonas Gustavsson SV% .904
That means the leaf goalies allows 1 more goal ever other game.
That also means the leafs GA of 209 (28th) would be 174 (11th)
Meaning: Burke get the leafs a league average goalie.
He tried to be cute this summer and it blew up in his face.
This. And idk if Burke really wants to overpay for parise or suter when we already have high money guys. Need to play out lombardi and connolly or trade em off for salary and pick up one or two elite talents later. But for now let the kids play :j) and be patient
If Burke takes this approach for next season, he's done here.
Kick down Bettman's door and demand that the biggest NHL franchise get some "help" otherwise the team moves to Arizona. Short of that, I'm not too sure how much can be done in a short time to turn us into contenders.
If I were to go into the next season as GM, I would take a look at what the team did well and what they didn't.
1. Putting the goals in the net is not the problem (7th in goals per game), keeping them out is the issue. Everyone knows this. So you have to prioritize what happens with the team.
2. You determine a prospect timeline for each player in the system. With players graduating from junior and heading to the Marlies or sending them back for an overage year in the CHL.
3. Straighten out the cap situation and get a better direction.
4. Slowly bring in the rookies to play. Everyone saying "let the kids play" will have zero patience when they start struggling. Kadri's development has been long winded, but its getting there and its getting better.
5. Try and get players that are suitable for their lines. If Kulemin isn't playing like a 2nd line player, you have the luxury to....drumroll please....play him as a 3rd line player! You aren't going to find players like him. If you could have him contribute 10 goals on a 3rd line, he works the hardest on the team (outside of Brown beaut).
The trades that I make during this off-season is and buy-out:
Acquire one of... Halak or Elliott/Anders Lindbak
Trade Armstrong + to Dallas for a 6th round pick
Trade Komisarek + to New York Islanders for Marty Reasoner
Trade Connolly to Chicago for Frolik and send him to the minors/buyout
Lombardi stays a healthy scratch
Personal trades that I would try for, but wouldn't happen:
To Anaheim:
D Cody Franson
F Jerry D'Amigo
To Toronto:
D Luca Sbisa
To New Jersey:
D Jesse Blacker
F Tyler Bozak
To Toronto:
F Travis Zajac
To Philly:
D Luke Schenn
+
To Toronto:
F JVR
Lupul - Zajac - Kessel
JVR - Grabo - MacArthur
Kulemin - Reasoner/Steckl/UFA - Frattin
OPEN POSITION BATTLE - Steckl/Reasoner/UFA - Brown
Try to offload Lombo, possibly Connolly. See if Gleason could be had from Carolina. Make an attempt to sign an established NHL goalie. I dunno. Being a GM is hard and I don't envy Burke.
There's no major help via free agency coming - this is the weakest FA pool I remember in a very long time.
Any help this team gets is going to be internally, or via shrewd trading - although you have to wonder what value a lot of our guys have, playing on a team that is going on missing the playoffs again
Depending on the remaining salary cap, Sign either Parise, Penner or if there's no space left, I assume one of Schenn, Kulemin, Colborne, Kadri, Ashton or Frattin will still be a Leaf after the trade for the #1 Centre. If It's Schenn (doubtful), trade for JVR.
If their is one team in the league that needs Connolly it is us! Sure he isn't worth his cap hit and can be frustrating as heck to watch but their is only 1 year left on his deal. If he had a cap hit of only say 1 million every team in the league would have the guy on their roster because he is an NHL quality player.
It is great to say that Burke could create cap room by just shipping him out but to spend it where? Parise/Suter aren't coming here. The people who want to get rid of Connolly but bring in Pancakes Penner just make me shake my head! Signing someone like Stoll would probably be a better fit for a year but he is sure to want 2 but probably more like 3 years on the term which won't work with breaking in guys like Kadri/Colborne at some point next season or the season after.
Trades don't start happening till January and their will be players up to that point that go on the LTIR which will create cap room for us. His salary won't be any issue next season because their isn't anywhere better to spend it.
A comparison of why we should keep Connolly is Tampa this year payed Kubina a cap hit of 3.85 million per year. At this point in his career Kubina is a bottom pairing dman who probably doesn't deserve even 2 million. But his real value came in that their is so few sellers at the trade deadline and Tampa ate up most of his cap hit and got a 2nd and 4th rounder for him. It is a good thing Tampa didn't just give him away now isn't.
Last edited by Ricky Bobby: 03-08-2012 at 03:12 AM.
A comparison of why we should keep Connolly is Tampa this year payed Kubina a cap hit of 3.85 million per year. At this point in his career Kubina is a bottom pairing dman who probably doesn't deserve even 2 million. But his real value came in that their is so few sellers at the trade deadline and Tampa ate up most of his cap hit and got a 2nd and 4th rounder for him. It is a good thing Tampa didn't just give him away now isn't.
Burke will find another excuse not to sell off the impending UFA's just like this season.
I'll add to the castigation of the spelling error in the thread title with this...
.. and now i'll contribute with this pontification:
It takes a few stages to create a contender in my eyes. First step (completed) is getting rid of your garbage and dead weight. 2. (on track) Accumulate young talent 3. Put a temporary team on the ice that will slowly one by one will be replaced by players that actually have a future in the club. 4. Profit.
Armstrong, Lombardy, Connolly, Komo and other plugs are all they are in this team: victims of the situation. I believe we would be way farther along in the process had Bettman not completely ruin the trade and FA market of the NHL.
This off-season we should be focusing on obtaining non-wimpy top six forwards in Stastny and Brown.
With our bottom six we should look to fill those spots internally. Maybe go after Ott or keep Armstrong but primarily leave a few spots open so some prospects can make the next step
Trade for Stastny with a package of Kadri, Lombo/Connolly, and something else.
Get Dustin Brown from the Kings for something based on Macarthur, picks/defensemen.
Obviously those trades need a bit of work. One of Franson, Gunnar, or Schenn would probably have to go the other way, along with some picks/prospects.
I'd also go after Suter as hard as I could just like every other GM.
And one final point: draft Galchenyuk, and if not him then Girgensons.
My theory is that players who make $3M - $4.5M kill your cap, signing middle of the road free agents like Armstrong, Connolly and the Gaustads of the world do not give you enough to justify the cap that they eat up. Spend your money on high end talent and leave the 3rd and 4th line to young players and cheap gritty players under $1M, like Brown and Crabb.
I am not a big fan of the "Be A GM" game, but Im bored at the moment and this is what I would contemplate doing with the team;
I would have moved Macarthur at the deadline for a 1st round pick to begin with.
Then in the offseason Parise would be my number one target after I dump both of; Connolly and Lombardi even if it means having to move prospects or later picks with them.
Looking at that forward core, some interesting pieces that would fit well into that roster and our future system that Carlyle will be putting in place are: Parise, Hudler, Gaustad, Chris Mason, Travis Moen and Jordin Tootoo.
What we have to face is the fact that we more than likely will not be able to address our Number One Centre need this offseason. Nor will we realistically be landing Parise due to the inflated contract he will be signing. With that said;
This is a deep team, providing solid two way play and grit on each and every line. Not offensively dynamic, but as we've seen in the past this Leafs team can provide offense as a group. Once we lose contracts like Lombadri, Connolly, Armstrong, Steckle, Lupul (Re-sign) and Komisarek the Leafs will then have cap to work with to target the likes of Getzlaf, Ribiero, Travis Zajac and Jordan Staal. There is absolutely no need to hit the panic button to aquire one this coming offseason.
As for the defensive core, there realistically isnt much I would do with it considering we'll be having a new system in place and feel as if we have the right pieces to succeed.
Goaltending is going to be a completely different story. Harding should be a main target, and Chris Mason should be viewed as a viable and steady option to be placed along side Reimer. The Leafs should just allow Gustavsson to walk.
