Now with a POLL! Is the Ron Wilson death watch on? (Possible player revolt?)

shabbs wrote:

Kovalfie wrote:Looking at the Leaf's UFAs next year, it looks like Toronto will have plenty of cap room and can add two-three top tier forwards to their developing young core. If I were Burke I think I'd put all my eggs in one basket and try to lure Kovalchuk out of Atlanta. It's obvious the Thrashers are trying to keep Ilya there surrounding him with Russian 'comrades' much like the Caps did in Washington with Ovechkin, but something tells me a person as skilled as Kovalchuk will flourish more in the spotlight. Savard would be a good plan B as would someone like Marleau, but if Burke wants to make a difference he better sign the marquee UFA to save face.

They'll also need to sign/acquire a #1 goalie. Toskala and MacDonald are both UFA's and I'm sure won't be around. Gustavsson's an RFA and unless he takes over the #1 spot... they'll need someone else to.

They need to sign 4 forwards, 2 defencemen and 2 goalies with just under $20M.

SpezDispenser wrote:http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Andy-Strickland/Players-Revolt-In-TorontoPerron-Off-PP/5/23663

Players revolting in TO against Wilson? I wouldn't be surprised. If I was Hagman I'd ask for a trade, ditto Stajan and if anyone would take me, I'd ask if I was Blake as well.

asq2 wrote:Strickland's right, the players have been revolting.

Oh boy, what an awful situation though. First Ottawa two seasons ago, then Montreal last season, now Toronto.

The NE has seen a lot of trainwrecks recently.

And, going by current patterns, the Leafs should be 1st place in the East this season:

2005-2006: Ottawa wins NE, 1st place in East
2006-2007: Buffalo wins NE, 1st place in East
2007-2008: Montreal wins NE, 1st place in East
2008-2009: Boston wins NE, 1st place in East

shabbs wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Andy-Strickland/Players-Revolt-In-TorontoPerron-Off-PP/5/23663

Players revolting in TO against Wilson? I wouldn't be surprised. If I was Hagman I'd ask for a trade, ditto Stajan and if anyone would take me, I'd ask if I was Blake as well.

Holy crap... normally anything HBuzz would be laughed at but Strickland is pretty well connected and doesn't BS. This could get very bad.

asq2 wrote:That's not so bad. He wouldn't even have to move.

RobbyJ wrote:

shabbs wrote:

Kovalfie wrote:Looking at the Leaf's UFAs next year, it looks like Toronto will have plenty of cap room and can add two-three top tier forwards to their developing young core. If I were Burke I think I'd put all my eggs in one basket and try to lure Kovalchuk out of Atlanta. It's obvious the Thrashers are trying to keep Ilya there surrounding him with Russian 'comrades' much like the Caps did in Washington with Ovechkin, but something tells me a person as skilled as Kovalchuk will flourish more in the spotlight. Savard would be a good plan B as would someone like Marleau, but if Burke wants to make a difference he better sign the marquee UFA to save face.

They'll also need to sign/acquire a #1 goalie. Toskala and MacDonald are both UFA's and I'm sure won't be around. Gustavsson's an RFA and unless he takes over the #1 spot... they'll need someone else to.

They need to sign 4 forwards, 2 defencemen and 2 goalies with just under $20M.

That 20M is closer to 14.5M due to the fact there should be no bonus cushions next year.

I will assume Kadri makes the team, therefore it is 3 or 4 forwards, 2 defensemen and 2 goalies with 13M (not including a cushion for injuries).

wprager wrote:
Boy, the Marlies will be in tough next year with half a lineup of rookies.

SpezDispenser wrote:

wprager wrote:
Boy, the Marlies will be in tough next year with half a lineup of rookies.

Or they'll be amazing with a full lineup of Jason Blakes.

Brian Burke's franchise rebuilding plan:

step 1) Spout off at
the draft about moving up to select john tavares, fail miserably by
refusing to trade young pylon luke schenn for a clear cut franchise
player.

step 2) Trade a talented defenceman to the thrashers for a pylon only because he will occasionally chuck some knuckles.

step
3) Sign a big pylon just because he can deliver a decent hit, slap the
A on his #8 jersey and expect him to be a star, demonstrating your
clear bias towards american players.

step 4) Sign a defenceman
from your former team who made you look good once in a trade in the
hopes he'll still make you look good. When he also shats the bed, due
to not having a hall of famer to help pad his stats, keep pretending to
still believe in him also.

step 5) Create undue hype around two
undrafted college players you signed, despite them both being passed
over by the thousands of NHL scouts who check all corners of the world
and yet somehow missed these two gems in their backyard.

step 6)
Stick with the undrafted route, and sign unproven swedish goaltender
whose enormous size may well be the only reason he has good stats, and
was being pursued by most other teams as a backup/minor league option.
Again, be sure to create hype. Follow up by trading former goalie of
the future to ducks for bag of pucks.

step 7) In a coup de gras
that will be remembered for ages, trade the next two years' first round
picks, a second round pick, and indirectly a third, in order to obtain
one player who's point totals have only reached the 60 point mark, and
who has had a WHOPPING 36 goal season. Proceed to sign him to a 5 and a
half million dollar, 5 year contract at the height of your supposed
rebuild. Since these three picks will almost surely be top ten picks in
the draft order, Boston will reap great rewards, and Leaf fans will
watch those players mature on another team as Phil Kessel remains an
above average talent with too big a salary for what he contributes.

Enjoy the glory of Burke,
Leaf Nation.

0-6 and counting.

shabbs wrote:Seen some rumblings about bringing Shanny to Toronto to provide some leadership and direction. Not a bad idea, but they don't exactly have a lot of cap space to throw at him.