I've had the chance to see my defense struggle to begin with, and take its time to gel with the new teammates.
I'll be honest with you, the way we played in the first 4 or 5 games out of the gate, while I wasn't panicking, but was concerned about the defense overhaul and how it wasn't really clicking.
I've witness the team mesh in the last 4 or 5 games now, and the defense has really played solid. Here is my overall evaluation of the defense :
Mike Komisarek - Shaky to start the season, but is settling down. Has played very admirably lately. Leads the league in hits and block shots. Displaying toughness and is a solid leader. I wasn't a big fan of the signing, but I've really started to get warmed up to it now.
Francois Beauchemin - Again, very shaky to start the season. However, I've seen improvement in his play lately. He's playing a very solid two-way game for us from the start of the road trip. He's getting much more comfortable with his teammates, I presume. Still would like to see more production on the PP, but I'm not worried about that. Points will come, I'd rather he plays the solid two-way brand of hockey I'm seeing currently.
Luke Schenn - Tough sophomore year for him. Hasn't played well, maybe some confidence issues. The last game was a step in the right direction, and so was tonight's. I thought he played a solid, composed game. He'll get better as the season goes. I'm not worried about this guy at all.
Tomas Kaberle - It has to be a transition getting to learn your new teammates and their tendencies on the ice. Now that the team defense has improved, so has his point production. He's been a monster for us lately. 17 points already. I smell a 60 point campaign (knock on wood), and his production will only improve when Kessel returns. Keep it up Kabby !
Ian White - The heart and soul of the Leafs. The guy is defying expectations and becoming a ROCK on our defense. I wont even trade him for a 1st, let alone a 2nd rounder, because of the way he's played lately. I know a lot of people will say I'm exaggerating a bit, but looking at his improvements from the last 3 years, isn't it a safe bet to say that he CAN become a top pairing defenseman one day ?
Garnett XLB - All the tools to dominate physically, but no brain. Him and Schenn are a nice pairing, but that didn't really work out tonight. The first goal Montreal scored was a result of his turnover, but yes I know, it was Toskala's fault all the way. Still, he needs to limit turnovers.
Jeff Finger - Nothing to write home about. He's been given a chance to play, but hasn't impressed too much. I'd rather have him on the lineup than XLB, but we've played better recently with XLB in the lineup, so no sense in making any changes.
Now to the topic of the thread. If I'm Burke, I lock up Whitey right now to a long term deal. I know we signed him to a multi-year deal, but that was when JFJ was our GM. He becomes a free agent at the end of the '10 season. Why wait ? He's competed for a job the past 2 years when he really wasn't the problem, so why not reward him. I'd sign to a contract in the neighborhood of 4 years at 2.5 million. I think he definitely deserves that much, judging from the way he's played for us.
Also, If I'm Burke, I start contemplating about the future of Stempniak and Ponikarovsky right now. I've been a fan of Stempniak this year, not so much last year. This is his contract year and his play has drastically improved, which concerns me to a point, but definitely is a top 6 forward. More of a 2nd line guy, but a valuable piece to have. His skating and shot is very good, and he'll benefit from another presence on the PP (Kessel).
The thing is that if I'm Burke I at least start contemplating the future of his potential UFA's. I dont think this team needs a complete overhaul on our Forwards group to become competitive. We're built for a tough, rugged style. The defense is good enough to compete, IMO. The addition of Kessel will help. I believe we're one scoring C away from being a staple playoffs team.
Regarding, our UFA's, If I'm Burke, I bring back Ponikarovsky and Stempniak. I've always been a Poni fan. Scored 60 points last year, over 20 goals. Why would we want to lose this guy ? It's not like he's old. He's not a liability when on the ice. He's a good skater to boot, which doesn't take away form our team speed.
Regarding Stempniak, I believe teams should reward players for solid play. I hope Burke does a thorough home work on how Stempniak is character wise, in the locker room etc. If there is one thing that I hope doesn't happen, its that they get stuck to the point that he played well only because it was a contract year.
This is what I'll do if I'm Burke ...
To sum it up :
Re-sign: White, Stempy and Poni to extensions.
UFA: One impact UFA. Not a very strong class, but Patty Marleau will look good in Blue and White, if Kovalchuk re-signs.
Kadri can be promoted to the AHL to adjust to a comparatively better competition. Be patient with him, and promote him only if there is no doubt that he's ready.
What do you all think ? What would you do if you're Burke ?
I would definitely re-sign Poni, his pick value in a trade won't be as high as his worth.
Stempniak...I like his play, but I would rather move him than re-sign him.
I disagree that Finger > Exelby. They both kinda suck, but Exelby hits more and gets paid a tonne less.
As for Schenn. He is playing ok, but he is in a tough spot. D-Men need minutes to get comfortable. When Wilson is playing Stempniak on the point in a 5 on 5 at the end, you simply aren't part of the plan. Schenn should probably see time on the Marlie's and have Finger play with Exelby on the 3rd pairing. He would be better off playing 25 minutes for them (marlies), maybe getting some PP time with his PK time. Plus showcasing Finger can only help going forward.
That goal was not XLB's fault...yeah he gaffed it but Metro was covered soon afterwards..knew he had no where to go and then what happens? Toskalaugh happened.
Kaberle/Komisarek: Kaberle is playing his best hockey in years, and I think being paired with Komisarek has a lot to do with that. Kaberle doesn't have to worry much about the grunt work like clearing guys out of the slot. He's free to do what he does best...move the puck. Damn, he's a beautiful passer. Komisarek is huge and aggressive, hits anything that moves, and blocks more shots than anybody. This is a great pair.
Beauchemin/White: Ian White is just a good defenseman. Very underrated. Beauchemin is at his best when he's assertive, carrying the puck, pinching etc. White's mobility and hockey smarts allow Beauchemin to play his game. This is a solid, two-way pair, where both guys shoot and skate well, play physical and can move the puck.
Schenn/Exelby: Luke has been looking much better since the Vancouver game. He's been keeping it simple and doing his thing: Hitting. He's looked rock solid killing penalties over the last few nights. You can see his confidence returning. Exelby is a presence out there. He's delivered some huge hits, and opposing forwards know they have to keep their head up when he's on the ice. Remember how often Toskala got run over last year? Gustavsson won't have to worry about that. This is a good third pair.
The blueline is beginning to look like what we expected. Once the Monster takes over as our undisputed starter, our G/A should go way down.
If I'm Brian Burkie I feel stupid as hell to have traded away two 1st round picks knowing now that my team isn't as good as I thought they were.
I talk to them and tell them you better shape up and win some games or else we're screwed here and Im gonna look like a jackass.
I regret the Kessel trade, I regret the XLB trade (could have held on to Kubina and gotten something MUCH better, sure he can hit but this is HOCKEY not football)
I would also try and do a little shakeup via a trade, Stajan/Tlusty, etc all available.
Trade Kaberle at the trade deadline for SURE for some young talent/picks.
If the leafs still had their two 1st round picks, the future looks bright, now.. not so much.
I don't think Marleau wants to play for Wilson again.
I don't even think Marleau is required. It would be nice, though, but then one of Grabs and Stajan need to be shipped out. I don't Bozak would be the third liner either, and instead would have to either play on the wing or as #2 C.
I don't even think Marleau is required. It would be nice, though, but then one of Grabs and Stajan need to be shipped out. I don't Bozak would be the third liner either, and instead would have to either play on the wing or as #2 C.
I think Kadri is much more likely to be a winger than Bozak. Bozak is a good two-way player and his distribution skills would be a waste on the wing.
I don;t think the time is neccessarily now. But, Grabovski will have to either prove he can be a good winger, or else he'll likely be shipped out by the end of next season.
As for Stajan, I still think he is too inconsistent, but what remains to be seen is how he could perform if the Leafs had a true first line centre and the pressure to score was a little less. He has games like the one against Anaheim where he shows he can be a puck distributor with great vision and then the rest of the games are so-so. Last night, he could barely complete a pass. His bad games have to be way better and his good games have to happen more often. The problem for him is that he may not have a chance to prove that he can be the Leafs second line centre given his UFA status at the end of this season while Bozak and Grabovski are signed through next season.
Grabovski, as was pointed out by the colour guy last night is showing great chemistry with Poni. I just wonder what that would look like with a centre like Bozak between the two of them.
Stempniak is starting to have that contract season we were all expecting in the preseason. The question is how they choose to use it. He might be the guy who gets them back a decent pick at the deadline. If they tried to re-sign him, it would probably require a raise and I just don't think we need another smallish second line winger on the books to go along with Hagman, Tlusty, etc. It's nice that he's showing us something, but I don't think that it means we should re-up him. We need to sell him while we can get something decent.
Poni is a player I've always liked, but also one I believed was not a true top 6 forward. I am starting to change my opinion. To me, he is one of the most competitive players on the team and kind of like White, he is just solid. You know what you're gonna get from him and he's solid in his own zone which is great. Plus 5 on this team is something that can't be ignored.
Kulemin is interesting. I really like his effort level and the fact that he hasn't just folded up given that he has not got a top 6 role. But, I still don't know how much he can help us longterm playing in that role. I think they definitely wil re-signn him and they should get him cheap give he is not producing. If he wants a big raise, or considers Russia, trade him. We have the players to replace him and the capspace is more valuable at this point.
Wallin looks like a keeper. He knows his role and while some may say that he does little. His positioning is impeccable. His effort level is very good. He is not soft. He skates well. With a better forward group, he'd stand out. I think they should look at a 2 year deal at 1.5 mil or so. But, maybe he can get more in Sweden. From what I have read though, he seems to have the ambition to play in this league.
Primeau is an okay stop-gap, but he'll have to be let go. Just doesn't have enough to offer right now. Mayers same.
Mitchell is gonna be here in the long term. I think he is having a mild sophomore slump so far. It comes in a contract year so he should be easily re-signable and he is a perfect bottom 6 player.
Blake is interesting. I like what he brings on certain nights. But, the capspace we could save with a buy out could be very useful. The team would save 2.666 mil over next 2 seasons. The roster spot is equally important though. He could be a cap casualty. The buyout probably depends on the team's ability to attract a top line forward in UFA. If they can do that, they might need Blake's capspace to re-sign a couple of RFAs.
I think Finger's demotion is inevitable. They might buy him out, but I see him as more of a demotion seeing as he is not playing NHL quality hockey. Either way, I don't see his salary on the books next season.
Unless Exelby takes a slight pay cut, he's not gonna be here. I don't mind him as a 6-7 guy, but 1-1.5 should be his salary range and no more.
Komisarek still needs to eliminate the mistakes out of his game, but his discipline is much better and Kaberle upping his level of play is helping him.
White-Beauchemin is a very good second pairing. Can't say enough about White. He has found his niche and plays confidently. His size is essentially a non-factor. He makes the plays you need him to make consistently. Beauchemin is finding himself and is very much like White. White can learn a lot from him.
Schenn is basically starting over. Last year he proved himself more worthy of icetime than a lot of the team's other defensemen. This year he has to do it again, but this time with a more capable group of players. This is a good way to work it. It forces him to earn the minutes but in a helathier environment than last year where he looked good because everyone else was terrible.
Grabovski
Oct 31 '09 TOR @ MTL - 61.9%
Oct 30 '09 TOR @ BUF - 90.9%
Oct 28 '09 TOR @ DAL - 38.9%
Oct 26 '09 TOR @ ANA - 57.1%
Oct 24 '09 TOR @ VAN - 56.2%
i dont see why you would want to resign ufas 12 games into the season...technically they should play even harder throughout the season if they do not have a contract, instead of providing them with the security now and running into the risk of them becoming comfortable and not playing as hard...if spempniak and poni continue to play well, they could be attractive at the deadline, all be it, a long shot. btw, I agree with your assessment of the defense.
Kaberle/Komisarek: Kaberle is playing his best hockey in years, and I think being paired with Komisarek has a lot to do with that. Kaberle doesn't have to worry much about the grunt work like clearing guys out of the slot. He's free to do what he does best...move the puck. Damn, he's a beautiful passer. Komisarek is huge and aggressive, hits anything that moves, and blocks more shots than anybody. This is a great pair.
this is exactly on point; i don;t know why people have not been emphasizing this as much as it deserves to be
komisarek gives kaberele a lot of freedom and is always watching his back.
this is exactly on point; i don;t know why people have not been emphasizing this as much as it deserves to be
komisarek gives kaberele a lot of freedom and is always watching his back.
and the opposite as well. Kaberle's control of the pace of the game when he has the puck takes the pressure of Komi to have to handle the puck which is not his forte.
Must say this is one of the best and most objective threads going on the leafs current situation. Agree for th most part on players especially the defence. Stemp got his current deal in a UFA year and stunk it up for 2 years for the most part, he is playing very well right now but dont trust that to offer a contract, definite trade bait at deadline IMO. If he is that good sign in the summer if available, otherwise his spot goes to a rookie next season.
Grabovski
Oct 31 '09 TOR @ MTL - 61.9%
Oct 30 '09 TOR @ BUF - 90.9%
Oct 28 '09 TOR @ DAL - 38.9%
Oct 26 '09 TOR @ ANA - 57.1%
Oct 24 '09 TOR @ VAN - 56.2%
Hopefully this continues.
Good thing Primeau was on the ice friday for the 4 on 3 then.
Grabovski
Oct 31 '09 TOR @ MTL - 61.9%
Oct 30 '09 TOR @ BUF - 90.9%
Oct 28 '09 TOR @ DAL - 38.9%
Oct 26 '09 TOR @ ANA - 57.1%
Oct 24 '09 TOR @ VAN - 56.2%
Hopefully this continues.
grabs won some big ones last night as well. i agree, hopefully it continues. a very important and often underrated aspect of the game.
Other than the record, Burke has to be pretty happy.
His #1 d-man, who he decided to keep despite a lot of pressure, leads all d-men in points, is first in the league in assists & 11th in points.
Hagman is on pace for 41 goals. Grabovski is on pace for 21G/48A. Ian White is proving that he's a ****ing ninja. Lee Stempniak on pace for 27G.
Gustavsson proving that he's at least a #2 now, and likely the goalie of the future.
The defensive core settling down, and despite the losses, this team has out-worked their opponents for the past 6 games.
Leafs best player is coming back on Tuesday. No-one has scored 36 goals in a year on this team since (I believe) Wendel Clark potted 46 in 93-94. Now we have a guy that did it last year at 21. You don't think that's going to give this team a shot in the arm?
This team has been playing very well, keeping it close, and the addition of the team's best difference maker is good enough to buy us the 6 points we are away from a playoff spot. Probably more.
Leafs best player is coming back on Tuesday. No-one has scored 36 goals in a year on this team since (I believe) Wendel Clark potted 46 in 93-94. Now we have a guy that did it last year at 21. You don't think that's going to give this team a shot in the arm?
wow. how soon we forget. Sundin sends a big hello.
Re-sign White, Stempniak to reasonable contracts. Neither is worth more then 1-1.3 mill/year. Reasonable term as well, 3 years.
Do not resign Stajan or Poni, there are young guys who are better and cheaper then both of them ready for the NHL.
Waive Jason Blake, Vesa Toskala.
Re-sign White, Stempniak to reasonable contracts. Neither is worth more then 1-1.3 mill/year. Reasonable term as well, 3 years.
Do not resign Stajan or Poni, there are young guys who are better and cheaper then both of them ready for the NHL.
Waive Jason Blake, Vesa Toskala.
Stempniak is making 2.5 mil now. He's not taking a millionn dollar pay cut to stay here especially if he has a good year. If he doesn't have a good year, then why would we re-sign him?
i don;t know why people have not been emphasizing this as much as it deserves to be
