Archive for the ‘News/Notes’ Category

I apologize for lack of any updates this weekend, as I was away from a computer most of the weekend. This, however, did not stop Brian Burke and company from making a few deals. Clarke MacArthur is a player they obviously targeted, and since they had no contract spots, made a deal to clear contracts. They sent AHL forwards Alex Berry and Stefano Giliati to Tampa Bay for defenseman Matt Lashoff. This allowed them to sign MacArthur to a 1 year, $1.1 mil dollar deal, which was a lot less than he was awarded in arbitration.

In MacArthur, the Leafs gain a young player who has a scoring touch, and a physical edge. Mac scored 17 and 16 goals in his two first full seasons as an NHL regular, and has seen some special teams time as well. Burke has said that Mac will get a shot at top six minutes, implying he could be the left winger on a second line with Kris Versteeg. There is no reason Clarke cannot achieve at least 20 goals, especially with more minutes and better line mates.

In Lashoff, the Leafs get yet another defender, but this makes their AHL blueline even better, which is never a bad thing. When he was drafted 22nd overall in 2005, he was thought of as a top two-way defender. In the years that have passed, his stock has dropped, but he’s still a decent prospect, and good AHL player. He is an offensive threat, plays physical, and will be a good addition to the Marlies lineup. Don’t feel bad at the loss of Berry and Giliati, with Nazem Kadri and Jerry D’Amigo set to step in, they will hardly be missed.

Also, Christian Hanson was re-signed as well. He accepted a 1 year, two-way, 650k deal. He will battle with John Mitchell for bottom six center duties. The hold up on him re-signing was reportedly due to a dispute between a one or two way deal.

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Was Clarke MacArthur the right player to use the last SPC on? Who would you have used the last SPC on? Comment below, or vote in the new poll in the sidebar.

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Our last poll asked “Who will be the next victim of Toronto trade rumours?”

We had 76 people place votes, and the results are:

Still Tomas Kaberle – 33%, 25 votes

Luke Schenn – 24%, 18 votes

Francois Beauchemin – 20%, 15 votes

Mikhail Grabovski – 18%, 14 votes

Jeff Finger 5%, 4 votes.

Thanks for voting, it seems everyone thinks Kaberle will continue to be the focus of rumours, with Luke Schenn being the next best trading chip to acquire that coveted forward.

It’s odd how similar a successful NHL team is to a 23 piece puzzle. When all the pieces fit together, they form the Stanley Cup. When they don’t fit, your left with spare pieces and a disfigured resemblance of a shiny, silver blob. The creating of a successful NHL team therefore requires a great mind who has the ability to mesh pieces together, and the forethought to exchange odd pieces for those that fit perfectly. The process often isn’t a quick one, taking years in order to find the perfect medley of pieces. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the situation is no different. A few short years ago, there was only puzzle pieces on a table, with no distinct image being formed. Now, after roughly two season under Brian Burke, the puzzle is beginning to take shape, but there are still pieces missing here and there. There are also some spare pieces on the side. Where exactly does each player fit in this puzzle? Who fills the holes in the puzzle? All this after the jump.

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As the deadline approached closer and closer last night, I began to feel very uneasy and nervous that the Leafs would hold on to Tomas Kaberle, their best trading chip. As the countdown changed to mere minutes, my worst fears were confirmed when multiple sources began to release information that no trade was imminent, and the longest serving Maple Leaf would remain such. There were a few reasons why this was the wrong move, and I intend to outline them as I discuss why not trading Tomas Kaberle was the wrong move. Read it all after the jump.

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