|
|
Post by Bob on Mar 25, 2006 13:08:56 GMT -5
Damien Cox has been all over the Leafs this year. He thinks they need more youth and team speed for next season.
One of the players he thinks they should look at is our very own Francois Bouillon. I am suprised he didn't mention Bulis as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Mar 25, 2006 13:33:57 GMT -5
I don't mind talking about this, Bob. There are some Leaf fans at work who would love to get into this one and I'll point them here Monday.
The general feeling is that both Quinn and Ferguson should be fired. I kind of lean towards that myself as far as Quinn is concerned. This guy is a great game coach whose time has simply come. He admitted a few games ago that the players don't do what he says and just go out there and play hockey. Well, you know what happens to coaches who admit that.
Ferguson was caught off guard with the new salary cap. However, even if the cap goes up next year, he still won't have a lot of room to move around in until he dumps some salaries. There have been some pretty ill-thought-out business moves WRT salaries. Kaberle is making well over $4 million a year, which has caused McCabe to ask slightly more than that. Ferguson turned him down and McCabe will be walking at the end of the season. In hindsight, Eddy Belfour has cost the Leafs $11 million and what has been their return? Bob MacKenzie really did a good job in pointing this out.
As for the players, here's who some of my Leaf buddies are saying might not be around next year. In addition to McCabe the Leafs will lose Belfour, O'Neil, Alison, Lindros, Belak, Richardson and quite possibly Domi as well.
They simply have to get younger and more talented. Their goaltending is very promising, but I also remember at one point the Leafs having four blue chip defensive prospects in their system as well. Only one, Colliaccavo (sp?), has made to the show.
But, Bob, I also remember back in the mid-90's when the Habs were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in many years. We had Leaf fans popping onto the board to let us know that, ".... your team will suck for many, many years, so you better get used to it ..." Then we'd never see them again. Just as well though. We didn't make the playoffs for a few years at that point.
The Leafs could be at this juncture now. Ferguson has a lot of rebuilding to do but he may not have the time left to do it.
Cheers.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2006 14:29:27 GMT -5
Funny thing is that Leafs management can do whatever it wants; the building will sell out every night, and that's all that matters to them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Mar 25, 2006 19:00:01 GMT -5
The Leafs are in the 38th year of a one year plan.
They are right on schedule. They have lots of veterans in decline and no young stars. The only people talking about the Leafs Stanley Cup chances work for the CBC.
Plus ca change.
|
|
|
|
Post by seventeen on Mar 25, 2006 21:05:05 GMT -5
They simply have to get younger and more talented. Their goaltending is very promising, but I also remember at one point the Leafs having four blue chip defensive prospects in their system as well. Only one, Colliaccavo (sp?), has made to the show. If they haven't been traded, like Gleason, then they're still in the minors. Trouble is Dis, that outside of their goaltending prospects, they really don't have much. On Hockey's future, after the goaltenders, their prospects are 24, 20, 22, 22 and 24 years of age. That's getting on for making the NHL in most cases. I think they have a bunch of Duncan Milroy types....prospects who probably won't make it. |
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Mar 25, 2006 22:31:05 GMT -5
Damien Cox has been all over the Leafs this year. He thinks they need more youth and team speed for next season. One of the players he thinks they should look at is our very own Francois Bouillon. I am suprised he didn't mention Bulis as well. Is Bouillion UFA next year? I don't think he is the answer to the leafs D men problems but he is a lot better than Belak & company. I like Cox but when he looks no farther than Montreal for players he is taking the easy way out. |
|
|
|
Post by franko on Mar 25, 2006 22:58:48 GMT -5
Ottawa sportscasters keep reminding us of former 67 toiling in the minors Brendan Bell . . . who gets yanked around and got less of a sniff than Cote did. Now would be the time to give him a chance . . . can he be worse on D than what they have?
otoh, it is great to be able to gloat (in a humble kind of way).
|
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Mar 25, 2006 23:03:28 GMT -5
Ottawa sportscasters keep reminding us of former 67 toiling in the minors Brendan Bell . . . who gets yanked around and got less of a sniff than Cote did. Now would be the time to give him a chance . . . can he be worse on D than what they have? otoh, it is great to be able to gloat (in a humble kind of way). They were about to bring him up for the March 7 game against the Habs. The story in Toronto is that Ferguson overruled Quinn & sent Bell down & brought up Ondross instead. |
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Mar 26, 2006 0:17:17 GMT -5
They simply have to get younger and more talented. Their goaltending is very promising, but I also remember at one point the Leafs having four blue chip defensive prospects in their system as well. Only one, Colliaccavo (sp?), has made to the show. If they haven't been traded, like Gleason, then they're still in the minors. Trouble is Dis, that outside of their goaltending prospects, they really don't have much. On Hockey's future, after the goaltenders, their prospects are 24, 20, 22, 22 and 24 years of age. That's getting on for making the NHL in most cases. I think they have a bunch of Duncan Milroy types....prospects who probably won't make it. I think, too, Mur, is that Ferguson got reemed with the new cap. As soon as the figure was announce it was like he ran out of money almost immediately. He's going to free up some cap room this year. But, when you trade your #3 or #4 defenceman for a player no one has really heard of before, then you can free up all the money you want. You'll still have to spend it wisely. The Leafs are in immediate trouble right now. They're in 12th and falling. Next year I don't know what they'll look like, but it might suffice to say there will be a major overhaul coming. It'll start with Quinn and possibly Ferguson as well. Been there, done that ... got Gainey and Carbonneau now. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by cigarviper on Mar 26, 2006 1:02:58 GMT -5
I'm not so sure Quinn is the problem as much as JFjr. A rookie GM in a hot market like TO is not a recipe for success. although I don't see Quinn as a coach that would handle rookies very well. He leans heavily on veterans. It's obvious Sundin has no one to play with and that has to be priority number one if they're going to keep him, and I think they should. As far as attracting vets goes, TO is as bad if not worse than MTL for players being under the microscope daily. One thing's for sure, UFAs have 29 other teams bidding for their services this summer as well. JFjr has painted himself into a pickle.
|
|
|
|
Post by jimmyjazz on Mar 26, 2006 19:02:21 GMT -5
The problem (well for leaf fans at least) I think is that JFjr is in fact the owner's man. From what I've read he seems to be the one they want to be in place.
I think the leafs are about where we were 10 years ago... Not only have they drafted really badly, but they kept trading all their picks for rental players come playoff time, each year seemed to be the same thing over and over again... It was going to bite them up the arse one day or another, and now I think they're in a bad position for a pretty long time.
They remind me of the Cubs... they haven't won a thing for almost a century(!), but still Wrigley is filled almost every game... what do they owners care, they're making profit even when offering a lousy team/product to their fans.
Really true, that's a new reality they have to deal with too. Their only advantage will be when the cap Will be a lot higher than it is now, because they'll probably offer more money than other teams... Really true also that it must have a worst reputation than MTL for pressure.
Well, too bad for their true fans, they deserve better.
But the organization is entirely responsible for being in the position they're in now. Just glad there's one more team that's practically eliminated from the playoff race, that's all that counts.
|
|
|
|
Post by cigarviper on Mar 26, 2006 22:54:46 GMT -5
I must say Jimmy, that avatar is truly disturbing. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)
|
|
|
|
Post by cigarviper on Mar 27, 2006 1:43:30 GMT -5
Might they make a run at Sutter this summer? That would be interesting for the division anyway.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Mar 27, 2006 7:46:35 GMT -5
They simply have to get younger and more talented. Their goaltending is very promising, but I also remember at one point the Leafs having four blue chip defensive prospects in their system as well. Only one, Colliaccavo (sp?), has made to the show. If they haven't been traded, like Gleason, then they're still in the minors. It is strange how the Leafs treat their defense prospects. They had Nathan Dempsey. He tolled in the minors for 10 years. Everyone here thought the guy could play in the NHL. Everyone here wanted Toronto to let him out of his contract. They did and he signed with Chicago (now LA) and proved he could play. They had Rick Jackman. Although Jackman was thought of as a head case (due to his alcoholism), he was a high draft pick (Dallas). He had all the tools and in the AHL was a dominant force. Toronto didn't want him and on Pittsburgh he has shown he can play. I believe the prospects you are talking about are Coliacovo, Bell, Harrison, and Pilar. This should be the basis for the Maple Leaf defensive future. And IMO these four defensemen are on par with our defensive prospects (Komi, Emelin, Cote, ?). Toronto's problems lie in their forward corps. After Sundin they are all of the same ilk. Either long shots with injury problems (Lindros, Allison, O'Neill) or grinders/pluggers (Tucker, Kilger, Poni, Antropov) who have to overachieve to make up for the lack of scoring talent on the team. It scares me that Toronto will dismantle their team. In a cap world, if Toronto has cap room a UFA will go there before Montreal. Montreal will leave this season thinking how close they were (if Theo was a bit better, if we had one more sniper, if we had one more defenseman), so the team will be about 90% the same team next year. But Toronto can get rid of Allison, Lindros, Belfour, O'Neill, Belak, Richardson and go and spend that money (11.8 million) on 4 - bona-fide 3 million dollar players or 3 - 4 million dollar players. They will be able to build this team back up rather quickly IMO. |
|
|
|
Post by jkr on Mar 27, 2006 9:55:47 GMT -5
They simply have to get younger and more talented. Their goaltending is very promising, but I also remember at one point the Leafs having four blue chip defensive prospects in their system as well. Only one, Colliaccavo (sp?), has made to the show. If they haven't been traded, like Gleason, then they're still in the minors. It is strange how the Leafs treat their defense prospects. They had Nathan Dempsey. He tolled in the minors for 10 years. Everyone here thought the guy could play in the NHL. Everyone here wanted Toronto to let him out of his contract. They did and he signed with Chicago (now LA) and proved he could play. They had Rick Jackman. Although Jackman was thought of as a head case (due to his alcoholism), he was a high draft pick (Dallas). He had all the tools and in the AHL was a dominant force. Toronto didn't want him and on Pittsburgh he has shown he can play. I believe the prospects you are talking about are Coliacovo, Bell, Harrison, and Pilar. This should be the basis for the Maple Leaf defensive future. And IMO these four defensemen are on par with our defensive prospects (Komi, Emelin, Cote, ?). Toronto's problems lie in their forward corps. After Sundin they are all of the same ilk. Either long shots with injury problems (Lindros, Allison, O'Neill) or grinders/pluggers (Tucker, Kilger, Poni, Antropov) who have to overachieve to make up for the lack of scoring talent on the team. It scares me that Toronto will dismantle their team. In a cap world, if Toronto has cap room a UFA will go there before Montreal. Montreal will leave this season thinking how close they were (if Theo was a bit better, if we had one more sniper, if we had one more defenseman), so the team will be about 90% the same team next year. But Toronto can get rid of Allison, Lindros, Belfour, O'Neill, Belak, Richardson and go and spend that money (11.8 million) on 4 - bona-fide 3 million dollar players or 3 - 4 million dollar players. They will be able to build this team back up rather quickly IMO. Just a note about a couple of guys. Pilar has non - hockey related health problems ( heart I think) & is a real question mark. Jackman was recently traded to Florida. I don't know enough about him to comment but Pittsburgh is lousy on the back end & still got rid of him. But you are right about the leafs. I can't remember who they got for him - was it Berehowsky? I am not too worried about the leafs & their potential cap room. Boston had a lot of space this year & things just didn't work for them. It all depends on who is spending the money. Just look at Ferguson and the Belfour blunder. |
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Mar 27, 2006 16:42:55 GMT -5
I believe the prospects you are talking about are Coliacovo, Bell, Harrison, and Pilar. This should be the basis for the Maple Leaf defensive future. And IMO these four defensemen are on par with our defensive prospects (Komi, Emelin, Cote, ?). I would say Kronwall should also be included in this group but part of the problem is that the Leafs will need to rely on these guys next year, whereas the Habs can let most of their guys develop for another year or so. In my mind, Komi is no longer a prospect but Emelin, Cote and O'Byrne are but Cote needs to be re-signed. At this point, I am happy with O'Byrne and Emelin as our top two prospects on D. However, I would like to see some significant depth added in the system. |
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Mar 28, 2006 11:17:20 GMT -5
Bill Watters says the problem is at the top. Larry Tannenbaum and Richard Peddie. Micro-managers of the highest order, more interested in using the Leafs' brand to build condos. JFJ is their sycophant GM.
Using dirty pool salary tactics between Roberts and Nieuwendyk didn't help. As well as losing Mogilny. Don't tell me Toronto wouldn't be higher in the standings with those three still there. I watched Florida vs. Boston on Monday night...and Roberts and Nieuwendyk were flying. Older yes...but better than most of the Leafs.
Watters is a big Quinn supporter who says you can only coach who you're given and perform as well as the atmosphere that surrounds your team allows.
I mean, if he wants to balance his lines, he has to put Mats Sundin with two rookies, for cripes sakes. Even Domi was on the 1st line for a while. No wonder they live on the PP.
I love the situation they're in....but I feel for the knowledgeable long-suffering Leafs fans who deserve a lot better.
|
|
|
|
Post by Doc Holliday on Mar 28, 2006 12:46:00 GMT -5
Leafs are entering HABS territory now. Be it that they'll be caught between the urgency of develloping prospects and the need to win all night in a city, fanbase and media pool that wants a competitive team NOW.
Apparently they have a good bit of cap space available and they'll most certainly use a lot of it to upgrade their atrocious defense. I think Toronto will remain an interesting destination for free agents and since they'll most likely have the room to accomodate a few big contracts, I think the Leafs will remain somewhat competitive.
|
|
|
|
Post by BadCompany on Mar 28, 2006 12:47:07 GMT -5
I said before the deadline, that the Leafs could do a quick and serious rebuild, rather quickly. Unfortunately… Okay, heresay coming up. Reader discretion is advised. I wouldn't mind losing to the Leafs. There. I said it. Why, you ask? Because it will give them hope. It will feed their fantasies, lure them into the dangerous land of "just maybe." We want that. We want them to think they still have a chance. Not only will it be all that much sweeter when they miss out anyways, but it will also mean they'll hold onto their core come this deadline day, and won't do a proper rebuild, as they should. Let's face it, if they are completely out of it, they can do a serious and quick rebuild by dealing Belfour, Sundin (yes, Sundin), Allison, McCabe and even Domi. They could probably get, oh, two more first round picks, a couple of seconds, and probably two or three young players if they held a total fire sale. Within two years, they'd be a team on the rise. We don't want that. We want them to hold onto everybody, and then lose them for nothing. Lose-lose, all around. There. I've said it. Let's lose to the Leafs. Genius is always mis-understood in its own time!  Anyways, here is what I wrote to a friend before the deadline, and which was echoed (sentiment anyways) by Pierre McGuire, just a couple of days ago: Frankly speaking, I would love to be the GM of the Leafs right about now. Ferguson is in the perfect position to rebuild the team the way HE wants. He can get rid of just about everybody, pick up a whack of young players and prospects, clear out about a billion dollars worth of cap room, and totally redo his team. It’s the ultimate fantasy GM dream. Sundin for top prospect, 1st and 2nd. (Radulov, 1st, 2nd) McCabe for top prospect, and a 1st. (Kesler, 1st) Belfour for 2nd tier prospect and a 2nd. (MA Bernier, 2nd) Tucker for a 2nd tier prospect and a 2nd. (Paul Statsny and 2nd) Allison for a 3rd. (Calgary) Domi for a 3rd. (Detroit) O’Neill for a 3rd. (Carolina) Klee for a 5th. (Detroit) Total: * Two top prospects * Two 2nd tier prospects * Two 1st round picks * Three 2nd round picks * Two 3rd round picks * One 5th round pick Alas, they didn’t, and now the value of all those guys is virtually nil… Too bad, so sad… ;D |
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 20, 2006 14:11:43 GMT -5
If the Leafs are really serious about rebuilding, they need to get rid of Ferguson Jr. and look outside hockey for disaster relief.
I believe the former FEMA head is available. As "W" said, "You're doin a heck of a job, Brownie!"
|
|
|
|
Post by roke on Jun 20, 2006 16:19:38 GMT -5
If I were Toronto I'd want to invest in a time machine to go back in time and deal McCabe at the deadline. If Witt can garner a first... well... Ferguson Jr. fell asleep at the swtich there.
|
|
|
|
Post by HabSolute on Jun 21, 2006 7:32:09 GMT -5
If I were Toronto I'd want to invest in a time machine to go back in time and deal McCabe at the deadline. If Witt can garner a first... well... Ferguson Jr. fell asleep at the swtich there. I don't think he fell asleep, I think he's never been awake to begin with.... Give me ONE successful move he did since the hired him ? Resigning Belfour ? Resigning Domi ? O'Neal ? Lindros ? Alison ? Losing Roberts Etc Etc Etc the list goes on and on |
|
|
|
Post by HFTO on Jun 21, 2006 17:22:20 GMT -5
Don't mean to be an ass ........but who cares about the Leafs were on the way past and ain't looking back.
GO Habs
HFTO
|
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 21, 2006 20:52:14 GMT -5
I feel bad for the Leafs cap problems the same way I feel bad for the Iraqi's when they have no electricity after bombing their own power plants.
|
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 22, 2006 20:46:30 GMT -5
Trade with Toronto?
How about giving our #1 pick this year to Toronto for their #1 pick next year?
They could end up in the cellar and we could end up with Esposito.
|
|
|
|
Post by Skilly on Jun 23, 2006 9:50:15 GMT -5
we could end up with Esposito. He is another Eric Lindros, when it comes to whining over which team he has to play for. I don't like his attitude and you mark my words he will not go quietly to a sub-par team. It was a nice trick he and his family pulled on Saint John last year in the QMJHL draft. Very Lindrosesque. |
|
|
|
Post by HabSolute on Jun 23, 2006 9:56:27 GMT -5
It was a nice trick he and his family pulled on Saint John last year in the QMJHL draft. Very Lindrosesque. What happened ? |
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Jun 23, 2006 22:09:31 GMT -5
It was a nice trick he and his family pulled on Saint John last year in the QMJHL draft. Very Lindrosesque. What happened ? Here's one report from the score.ca www.thescore.ca/blog.asp?name=juniorhockey/2005/10/index.html===================================================== There is another Esposito - no relation to the pair from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - who is making quite a splash currently with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. 16 year-old Angelo Esposito - the Remparts first round pick this year - is tearing up the league (kind of like Sidney Crosby did as a 16 year old) with 9 goals and 10 assists in 8 games so far this season. Despite his hot start, Esposito- who is 6-foot-1 and weights 174 pounds- has some enemies in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He told teams in the "Q" not to draft him. The Montreal native said he was going to go the U.S. college route. So the team with the first pick - the expansion St. John Sea Dogs - along with 9 other teams passed him by. With the 11th pick the Quebec Remparts - owned and coached by Patrick Roy - decided to take the highly touted Esposito. The Remparts were able to work out a package to Esposito's liking and he's playing in the "Q" much to the anger of the Sea Dogs. "As an organization, we've moved on, but if the league is smart, this must be addressed," Sea Dogs genearl manager Tipp LeBlanc said to Canada East news services. "We're talking about a kid that was projected to be first overall who out and out lied. I think it (side deal with Quebec) was done before." The Saint John GM declined to comment when asked if he thought the Remparts' offer included extra perks. "I don't know what Patrick did for them," LeBlanc said to Canada East news services. "That's their business now, not mine. We're not going to start buying cars and stuff like that. "We could have offered him the Tajmahal and he still wouldn't have come to Saint John. It's almost like the New York Yankees and George Steinbrenner." "It was one of the biggest decisions of my life," Esposito said. "I had no intention of going to play in the Q before the draft." "It happens sometimes," Esposito added. "You rethink things and change your mind." Esposito told Canada East news services several factors led him to the Remparts. For one, he'll continue his high school education through the aid of private tutors at the Quebec Colisee, the Remparts' home rink. He also said the team also offered to pay for his entire college education. Esposito played last season as a 15-year-old with Minnesota-based Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school (the same place Sid the Kid played). In 68 games he scored 31 goals and 66 points. Esposito is eligible for the NHL draft in 2007. Scouts compare him to Vincent Lecavalier. He has great speed, vision and scoring touch. ==================================================== |
|
|
|
Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 24, 2006 12:39:50 GMT -5
we could end up with Esposito. He is another Eric Lindros, when it comes to whining over which team he has to play for. I don't like his attitude and you mark my words he will not go quietly to a sub-par team. It was a nice trick he and his family pulled on Saint John last year in the QMJHL draft. Very Lindrosesque. I'm certainly not a Bonnie Lindros fan, but Eric was a big strong powerful skilled player. He didn't rise to the level of Orr, Gretzky or Lemieux that some predicted when he was drafted, but he had some good years and wasn't a bad player. I didn't blame an 18 year old for wanting to pick the city he would play and live in, and although I didn't know Esposito's draft history, I'm not sure that I would want to go to St. John's as a sixteen year old either. Nice place, but not my "choice". Sidney Crosby took the high road, agreeing to go to Rimouski. If I was in his shoes I would have preferred Montreal or Moncton or University of Maine, but that wouold be MY CHOICE. I cut the kids some slack when they're toiling for minimum wage while the team sells out. Crosby is paid a lot less in Pittsburg than his 100 points and drawing card status is worth. I would gladly risk my draft choice on Espo, all 6'1" of him and still growing. |
|
