Bleacher Report - Articles by Jordan Vertone

Dany Heatley Headed to Edmonton Oilers? Not So Fast!

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:12:31 -0400

It has just been reported that the Senators star winger, Dany Heatley has been traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid. However this report may have come out a bit to early, as it now looks like this is not the case!

The Oiler players involved in the trade apparently were notified that they were on their way out of Edmonton and on their way to Ottawa. It was not too long after that, when new reports had come out saying Dany Heatley has not approved the trade and has in fact rejected it.

Both the Oilers and Senators had come to agreements on the terms of the trade, however it seems that there was a major miscommunication between Heatley and both teams involved. Heatley never agreed to waive his no trade clause, therefore the trade is not going to happen.

Heatley who posted 39 goals and 33 assists for 72 points this past season with the Senators, asked for a trade from the team in early June. Bryan Murray however has not been able to find a team willing to give up some assets for his unhappy superstar.

It was thought earlier today that a deal between the Sens and Rangers involving Heatley was a done deal, but this too seems to be only speculation so far.

Don't count Glenn Sather and the Rangers out of the Heatley sweepstakes though, as they have just dumped the large contract of Scott Gomez on the Montreal Canadiens after a trade this evening.

The Gomez trade could definitely be a salary dump, as they may be expecting Heatley to be on his way to the Big Apple shortly. Now that Murray is getting some interest for Dany, I expect to see him on his way to a new city within the next couple of days as the Free Agent Frenzy gets under way.

Rangers fans can shed a sigh of relief, as Heatley is still up for grabs. However how much longer will he be on the block? Not much longer, so I expect the Rangers and Oilers will be working the phones all day tomorrow, whether it be working on a deal or trying to get Heatley to accept a trade to their organization.

The clock is ticking for teams looking to add the star forward to their roster next season.

Burke's Toronto Maple Leafs Look to Add Size and Toughness Come July 1

Jordan Vertone — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:48:07 -0400

There is no secret to Brian Burke's plan for his 2009-2010 Toronto Maple Leafs. Size, grit and toughness are at the top of the GM's list to add this off-season, and so far he has done just that.

The 2009 NHL Entry Draft went to plan for the Leafs, as they were able to add young talent to their prospect list that had the toughness and size they were looking for.

That includes first round pick Nazem Kadri, a 6'1 centre with a scoring touch, while also adding another large forward, the 6'0 American Kenny Ryan who has compared himself to the likes of Sean Avery. However its expected that none of the players from this years draft will be on the roster when the season starts this fall.

Burke was able to draft the type of players that he is looking for to be on the Leafs next year, but these kids are still young and will take a couple more years to develop. So expect the Leafs to get down to business Wednesday afternoon when the NHL Free Agent Frenzy gets under way.

The Leafs GM has stated that they will be hard at work as soon as July 1 is here, and will be taking some similar strides towards size and toughness that they showed in Montreal this weekend.

So which players could Burke be looking at, to help out the Maple Leafs next season? Well lets just take a look at some free agents the Leafs may go after on July 1:

The Sedin Twins

The Sedin twins look to be on their way out of Vancouver and the Maple Leafs are one of the teams interested in acquiring the Swedish duo. The Maple Leafs are expected to put a big offer on the table for the twins, and they would be a great fit for next years Maple Leafs.

Although they are expected to come at a large price, expected to be around 6 million a piece, they would help the team in both the scoring and physical departments. Daniel the 6'1 winger who is the more offensively talented twin, should hit the 30 goal and 60 point mark next year.

While Henrik the 6'2 centre who is more suitable for a physical game, would bring in a more defensive and tough player who also has great play making abilities.

Burke wheeled and dealt to draft the twins for the Vancouver Canucks back in the '99 season, and would love to be reunited with the pair again. I expect the Leafs will be largely involved in the Sedin Twin mix!

Todd Bertuzzi

Bertuzzi is a strong, tough and has found his game in his last two seasons. However injuries have started to become a problem for Todd, as he has had problems with concussions, as well as both back and knee problems.

Bertuzzi's season with the Flames last year was cut 11 games short as he was forced to under go knee surgery. But if Bertuzzi is ready to play he could fit in well with the Burke's Leafs.

Burke spent many seasons with Todd in Vancouver and knows how valuable he can be to a team. Bertuzzi's best years are definitely behind him, but he is still a solid player who can put up 20 goals and add grit, experience and size to a young team like the Leafs.

Not only can he still be valuable, but he should also come at a low price expected to be around 1.5 million a year.

Michael Cammalleri

Although Cammalleri is a small guy and not the big tough guy Burke is looking for this offseason, he is definitely on the Leafs radar. He is expected to come at a large price, however he has the potential to be a 40 goal scorer and would likely be the Leafs point leader next season.

The Leafs will be in touch with his agent this offseason, and should be one of the teams heavily involved in acquiring his service for the 2009 season. He is still only 27 and is one of the most offensively talented players on the free agent market this summer.

Toronto will have lost of competition for Michael, however expect them to make a large pitch for him, if the leafs are not successful in picking up the Sedin Twins!

These are just some of the players the Leafs could be after this off season, but Burke definitely has many other players on his list as well. The Sedin Twins, Bertuzzi and Cammallari may not be with the Leafs next year, but one thing is for certain, and that is expect a very new Leafs squad to start the season next fall.

Brian Burke is not keeping quiet about what type of players he wants, and is saying that the Leafs will be active in the free agent pool. The Leafs GM is a straight shooter and tells it like it is, so Leafs fans, get ready for an exciting and busy offseason!

Toronto Maple Leafs' After the Trade Deadline

Jordan Vertone — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:17:38 -0500

The Maple Leafs were the talk of the afternoon on NHL Trade Deadline specials around the country, as there was much speculation surrounding the team. As expected the Leafs decided to go the way of the seller, even though many fans would make the case that they are still in a position to squeak into the final playoff spot in the east.

The Morning first began with news that contract talks with Leafs Centre Dominic Moore had broken off, and that the Leafs had begun to shop around the league for offers. Along with Moore, Nik Antropov was a healthy scratch in last nights game against the New Jersey Devils and was expected to be on his way out of Toronto.

While many people waited on news of the departure of Moore and Antropov, the Leafs made a shocking waiver wire pickup that saw the former No.1 goaltender in Ottawa, Martin Gerber, put on a Leafs sweater. While many people were confused and shocked by the deal, it all made sense later on.

Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala was then placed on injured reserve and will be out for the remainder of the season, in order to get a head start on his hip/groin surgery as well as the expected four month recovery to follow.

While many Leaf fans were disappointed that Toskala, who had just found his groove, would be out, it may be better in the long run as he should definitely be ready for next season.

The Maple Leafs are expected to finish off the last 18 games of the season with a Joseph and Gerber tandem. This gives Gerber the opportunity to prove himself as a No. 1 in the league again and Cujo the chance to play more games in what looks to be a goodbye season for what should be a future Hall of Fame Career!

After much speculation about the Leafs making some deals to bring in some prospects and draft picks, no trades had been made with only around 10 minutes left till the deadline. Finally the Leafs had pulled the trigger on both Moore and Antropov in return for draft picks.

Moore was sent to Buffalo for a second rounder while Antropov was sent to the Rangers for what was also a second round pick along with future considerations.

Both Moore and Antropov had become fan favorites in Toronto this season as both players have put up 40 plus points, and Leafs fans will be sad to see them go. However a deal had to be done in order to get something in return before possibly losing them to free agency this summer.

Not only will they get two young second round prospects from these trades, but who knows maybe Antropov and of Moore could be back this off season after July 1.

There was one more last minute deal for Brian Burke and the Leafs, which saw another unusual move for the Leafs situation. However it was quickly seen as the Leafs allowing for Tampa to dump some salary on them for some young prospects and a draft pick.

The leafs took on the salary of injured Lightning Olaf Kolzig and Jamie Heward and in return got first round prospect in the 04 draft defenseman Andy Rogers who has still yet to make his NHL debut, but shows some promise. The Leafs also get a fourth round draft pick in the upcoming draft this summer.

Brian Burke definitely felt like he was in a position where he needed to be a seller, and while he didn't get the first round picks he wanted for both Moore and Antropov, I would still say it was a job well done to get the pair of second round picks.

After Jokinen was off the market the Leafs were hoping the value of the two forwards would increase but unfortunately they didn't, and decided to take the offers on the table.

It should be an interesting finish to the season for the Leafs, however after today the many Leaf fans still hoping for a playoff spot will be disappointed with the deadline deals. But for the Leaf fans who didn't think the playoffs were realistic, they should be pretty happy with the draft picks and prospects the Leafs picked up.

And hey, who dosent want to see Cujo win some games to finish off his legendary career in the Blue and White!

Final Breakdown

Waiver Wire

- Leafs claim G Martin Gerber off waivers from the Ottawa Senators

- Leafs claim D Eric Reitz off waivers from the New York Rangers

Trades

- To New York: Nik Antropov
To Toronto: Second round pick, conditional draft pick

- To Buffalo: Dominic Moore
To Toronto: Second round pick (Hurricanes former pick)

- To Toronto: Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers, fourth round pick
To Tampa Bay: Richard Petiot

Toronto Maple Leafs at the Trade Deadline: Toskala Placed on Injured Reserve

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:16:35 -0500

After the unexpected waiver pickup of Ottawa goaltender Martin Gerber by the Toronto Maple Leafs, GM Brian Burke has confirmed the goalie-situation for the rest of the season.

Toskala who has been in some pain caused by both groin and hip injuries, will sit the rest of the season out and has been placed on the injured reserve list.

Toskala has had a very inconsistent season this year, however he was very hot as of late down this stretch run for the Maple Leafs.

Unfortunately, his injuries are no longer small enough that he can just play through them to finish the season, as he was expected to do followed by offseason surgery.

Toskala will go under the knife as soon as possible to begin his rehab so he can be ready to go next season for the Leafs. He is expected to have the surgery sometime within the next month followed by four months of rehab.

After finding out the time frame of rehab, the Leafs decided to pull Toskala out for the year and get him a head start.

The Leafs are currently nine points out of the last and final playoff spot in the East in a very close race for the last couple of months.

However, the Leafs are getting a great goaltender in Gerber who was a star in Ottawa last season, but has definitely been a disappointment so far this year. The Leafs believe that they will still be a contender with Gerber and Curtis Joseph in the net for the last 18 games of the season.

Gerber once again gets an opportunity to show that he can play and be a No. 1 goalie in the league, and Joseph will get many opportunities to say goodbye to the NHL and the Leafs fans with Toskala now out. Gerber, however, is expected to get the majority of the starts for the remainder of the schedule.

Toronto Maple Leafs at the Trade Deadline: Leafs Grab Martin Gerber Off Waivers

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:24:01 -0500

Ottawa goaltender Martin Gerber has reportedly been picked up off waivers by Brain Burke's Toronto Maple Leafs. This comes as a surprise to Leafs Nation and now brings some questions up about the goaltending situation in Toronto.

After a very strong season last year, as the No. 1 goalie for the Senators putting up a 30-win season, he has definitely been a disappointment this season. After losing his No. 1 job this year to Alex Auld and Brian Elliot, he has only played in 14 games this year.

In those games he has four wins and a total of 10 losses, along with very disappointing numbers to go along with the below par record.

Toskala has been having an inconsistent year all season long as well, going from hot streaks to cold streaks. Toskala has been having problems with a groin injury lately and is expected to go under the knife this off season.

However, with the pick up of Gerber, this may mean Toskala is done for the season and going to get a head start on the healing process, to be fully ready for next season.

Gerber, however, is a great person in the locker room and has proved before the he can play and be a No. 1 goalie in the league. We are not quite sure how Gerber will fit into the Leafs' plans just yet, but we do know that the leafs have picked up a solid goalie and person.

The most likely possibility for the rest of this season, is that Toskala will be done to take the extra time to heal up, while Gerber and Joseph finish the last 18 games. If this is the case, it may not be a popular move with Leaf fans, as many still have hope for the playoffs but it may be for the best in the long run to go into next season with a healthy Toskala.

Toronto Maple Leafs at the Deadline: Talks Between Leafs and Moore Break-Off

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:00:37 -0500

Dominic Moore and the Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly broken off talks that would lock the 28-year-old fan favorite in Toronto for the next couple of years. After failing to reach a deal reportedly around $2.5 to $3 million for two years, the Leafs are now looking to ship Moore out of Toronto by the 3 PM deadline this afternoon.

This comes as no surprise today, as Moore was a healthy scratch on Tuesday vs the New Jersey Devils. Dominic Moore however was not the only healthy scratch last night, as the Leafs star winger Nik Antropov was also not dressed to play the Devils.

So a trade looks to be in the works that may involve both Moore and long time Leaf Nik Antropov.

Dominic Moore has been a very exciting player to watch this season and has quickly become a fan favorite in Toronto. Not only has Dominic become popular with the fans, but also with his coaches as he was given the title of assistant captain this season with the Leafs.

The 6'0", 194-pound centre is having a career year in numbers so far this season, putting up an impressive 49 points for the Leafs. Moore has scored 12 goals this season so far, and with his intensity and desire to win he could be an asset to any playoff contending team in both the stretch and playoff run.

Toronto fans will be sad to see Moore leave, but a trade must be done if the Leafs cannot lock him up before the 3 PM deadline. Moore is a great player who is still young and has room to improve his game even more.

Toronto would love to keep him around for their rebuilding process, however if they cant keep him for next season they must get something for him this afternoon.

Expect a deal involving Dominic Moore and possibly Nik Antropov by the deadline this afternoon. In return the Leafs are most likely looking for some extra draft picks or another young player in return.

Merry Christmas, Justin Pogge! And a Happy New Year?

Jordan Vertone — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:24:44 -0500

Justin Pogge and his family got an early, and perhaps their greatest and most exciting, gift of all last night, when Ron Wilson gave Pogge the nod to start Monday's Maple Leafs game against the Thrashers. It didn't come as a surprise to many after the injury to Vesa Toskala and the lack of confidence in a shaky Curtis Joseph so far this season.

Finally, four years after the Leafs drafted him 90th overall, Pogge got the chance to make the most of his hard work with his NHL debut. Fortunately for Pogge, Wilson was not the only one who wanted to give the 22-year-old an early gift. The Leafs played one of their strongest games of the season in front of a nervous but confident-looking Pogge.

The Leafs got off to a quick, 2-0 lead in the first and eventually took a three-to-zip lead before the Thrashers could beat Pogge with seconds remaining in the second period.

Not only did they once again put out a solid offensive effort with a total of six goals, but also played well defensively giving up only 21 shots on goal for a total of two goals, something the Leafs have not seen consistently this year in front of both Toskala and Joseph.

The strong performance from the Leafs players should not outshine the night of the Leafs rookie goaltender though, who also played very strong in his first ever NHL start. Although only tested 21 times, he was strong when he needed to be and came up with many big stops at key times for the Leafs.

He looked confident and played like it during a game where he was sure to be somewhat nervous. The play of Pogge may have also earned him another start for the Leafs if Toskala is not ready to go for the next game. But, it also may have gotten him a chance to stay with the team permanently!

Now the Leafs have another goaltending controversy for the second time this season. At first it was that Cujo may take the No. 1 spot away from Toskala. That was quickly dismissed.

But now, does Pogge replace Cujo as backup, and maybe even Toskala as the No. 1? I mean, seeing as how he gave us a solid win he should be given another chance to show that he should be up here, but who knows if he will even get that.

I think Cujo still has some game left but definitely has not shown it so far this season. I don't think the Leafs will give up on Cujo just yet as he is still an asset to the young leafs roster. Hopefully he will be able to finish the rest of the season strong and reach the magical 450-win mark for his career. Even though his slow start is being brought up around the league, I still think his place on the team is safe right now.

Toskala is the goalie who I think is going to be on the move if the Leafs truly want Pogge to be in the NHL for the rest of the year. I mean, getting rid of Cujo to put Pogge on the team won't help because Toskala won't want to sit on the bench, and the Leafs don't want the youngster to be sitting many games on the bench when he could be playing much more down in the AHL and improving his game.

If Toskala is moved, he could be used to bring in many young players with great potential that could help the Leafs during this rebuilding phase and, possibly, help them get out of it faster. With Toskala out of the picture, this would be the opportunity to put Pogge in the reigns as the Leafs' No. 1, and with the best backup possible for him.

Best backup maybe not because of play, but as a mentor and showing Pogge the ropes as he enters the centre of the hockey universe will definitely be a great thing for Pogge. The Leafs and Cujo himself would enjoy it.

I think the best thing for the Leafs to do is to trade Toskala for some young talented players to help them continue to rebuild, and keep Pogge up as the No. 1. It's his time to shine, and he is ready for it.

Now you would have the tandem of Pogge, the goaltender of the future that may lead the Leafs to the "Holy Grail," and Joseph, one of the greatest goalies of all-time who can help mentor and lead Pogge and the rest of the young players in the Leafs dressing room!

If this is what Brian Burke has in his plans, I myself think it's the best thing for the Leafs and would not hurt too much to lose Toskala, but, in fact, help them greatly. Only good can come of this for the Leafs future as well as for Pogge. And, possibly, create a good relationship between Pogge and Cujo, the latter who perhaps may become the Leafs goaltending coach in the future!

Maple Leafs Facing Goaltending Controversy?

Jordan Vertone — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:53:24 -0500

Before the season started there were so many thoughts and speculations being made about this revamped and younger Maple Leafs Dressing Room.

However, there was one thing that everyone knew was going to possibly be the only bright side for the Leafs this entire season: the strong goaltending of Vesa Toskala. Unfortunately, almost a quarter of the way through the season, this has not been the case for Toskala and his Leafs.

Toskala has struggled so far, posting an unforgiving 2.24 GAA and a measly 8.78 SV percentage in 15 games this season. Last night's loss to the Vancouver Canucks was nothing new to Leaf fans as Vesa struggled once again.

He allowed four goals on only nine shots in a game that should have been tight the whole time. I can't say all the goals were Toskala's fault, as many of them came from brutal turnovers by the other Leafs on the ice. However, there's still no excuse for an outing of four goals against and only five saves.

Curtis Joseph entered the game halfway through the second period of play. This seemed to spark the Leafs players, as they did not allow a shot on goal for the rest of the period.

In fact, the first shot on Cujo did not come until there were 15 minutes left in the last period. The shot turned out to be a beauty of a glove save on a streaking-in Pavol Demitra. While Joseph faced only six shots the rest of the night, many of them were great scoring opportunities that he robbed from the Canucks.

After the game, Don Cherry came on for his 10-minute recap of the games that had already finished that night. The first thing that he had to get off his chest was the latest play from the Leafs' No. 1 goaltender, Vesa Toskala.

He believes that Toskala is starting to lose games for the Leafs instead of stealing them. The last point he made about the Leaf game was that Cujo should be the starting goalie in town, and if Wilson eventually makes the switch he guarantees they will start to win!

That may be a comment many Leaf fans would think is crazy. Why would you bench your "best player" for Joseph who is starting to lose his game at the age of 40?

But the fact is we're not going to win games if Toskala continues to play like he has lately. Joseph hasn't put out the strongest performances when given the chance, but also doesn't have the luxury of staying in game mode by playing every second or third night.

It may be too early to give up on Toskala, but if he does not improve and bench boss Ron Wilson turns to Cujo, I believe that we will see more wins coming out of Leafs Nation.

With Cujo playing on a daily basis I think we will see the Joseph we all knew and loved when he was in his prime with the Leafs. I still do not believe he has lost his game just yet. After last night's game, he proved to fans that he can still make key saves.

Dominic Moore Continues to Impress in Leafs Nation

Jordan Vertone — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:02:47 -0400

It has surely been a long road for 28-year-old Dominic Moore, who was drafted 95th overall by the New York Rangers back in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. However, it seems the gritty third line centre has finally found his game since joining his childhood hero Toronto Maple Leafs midseason last year.

Moore has been a part of three other NHL teams already—the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Minnesota Wild. The Wild was Moore's last team and they placed him on waivers, after which Cliff Fletcher and the Leafs did not hesitate to jump on him, despite his measly numbers of one goal and two assists for three points in 30 games.

However, a new team was just the thing Moore needed. Joining the struggling Leafs, he ended his slow start to the season with four goals and 10 assists in 38 games.

Since putting on the Leaf uniform Moore has been an exciting player to watch every time he steps onto the ice. He has truly developed into an impact player with the Maple Leafs. They are definitely depending on Moore to have a career year and finally prove that he belongs in the NHL as a full-time player—something he has yet to prove with his last three teams.

Although his strong finish to the 2007-2008 season with the Leafs was a delight to the organization, he came into the Leafs' training camp without a guaranteed spot on this young roster. While many expected that Moore would make the team but not be an impact player this year, he showed us in preseason that he was ready for the NHL full-time.

After a strong preseason, Dominic is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Toronto, which is always an honor as that's not an easy feat (just ask Nik Antropov). Now he is off to a great start to the season. He put up a goal and was a +2 in the opening game of the season against defending Stanley Cup Champions Detroit Red Wings. The game ended in a 3-2 win for the Leafs.

No matter how the team's season goes this year, Moore is definitely going to be a fun and exciting player for Leafs Nation to follow this year. Dominic Moore is surely going to be that player everyone knows he can be, and this is the year for him to do it.

Let's just hope that Moore will finally prove that he can be a player in the NHL and finally reach his potential that the Rangers saw in him back in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

The 08-09 Toronto Maple Leafs Season Preview

Jordan Vertone — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:20:43 -0400

The time has come to start the countdown to the opening night of the 08-09 NHL regular season. The preseason is already underway and we have already got a first look at the new faces in the Toronto Maple Leafs dressing room and front office. With that said, let's break down the new look Leafs.

New Faces:

FW Nicklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Ryan Hollweg

D Jeff Finger, Jonas Frogren, Mike van Ryn

G Curtis Joseph

Key Departures:

FW Mats Sundin, Kyle Wellwood, Darcy Tucker, John Pohl

D Bryan McCabe

G Andrew Raycroft

This offseason the Leafs sent a few recognizable faces packing and brought in some fresh faces to try and avoid being out of the playoff picture for the 4th year in a row. However, many of the moves made were for players with potential that may be reached in the future.

Forwards

Antropov--Grabovski--Ponikarovsky

Blake--Stajan--Steen

Hagman--Moore--Mayers

Kulemin--Hollweg--Tlusty

Other Noticeables: Bell, Devereaux, Williams, Newbury

Most of the forwards on this Leafs team would be fixtures on secondary scoring lines elsewhere in the league. They play very well and get an A for effort, but whether they have raw talent remains to be seen. Tlusty got a good feel for the NHL last season playing in 58 games, scoring 10 goals and 6 assists. He will be counted on to improve, as well as everyone else, and will most likely double his numbers this year.

Another young talent new to this team is Nikolai Kulemin. A forward most well known for being Evgeni Malkin's former linemate on Magnitorisk (in Russia), he scored 21 goals last year in the Russian league and should be ready for full time duty as well as increasing his numbers. Mikhail Grabovski is also looking to spike up his numbers, especially if he gets bumped up to the first line, as he is expected to be given every opportunity to excel inbetween Antropov and Ponikarovsky

Some of the returning veterans counted on to produce on scoring lines will be Nikolai Antropov, Jason Blake, and Alexi Ponakarovsky. Antropov had a career-high 56 points last year and GM Cliff Fletcher has previously stated that he is the main man up front for the blue and white this year. If the leafs expect any opportunity for the playoffs this year Antropov is going to need to put up another career year for the Leafs.

Jason Blake went from 40 goals to 15 last season, but most fans didn't notice how much his 37 assists helped the team. However, Blake should still return to at least 20-30 goals and around 60-70 points in the coming year.

Ponikarovsky is now a fixture on the top two lines and scored 35 points in 66 games last year. Solid numbers, but not good enough for a 1st or even 2nd liner. He is one of the top forwards though, and he will be expected to have put up numbers that he has never put up before.

Alex Steen and Matt Stajan are going to take on higher-leverage roles this season with the departures of the older team leaders. They have made the jump from the young guns to the more experienced leaders in the dressing room. Both of them will be expected to excel as star players for the Leafs in the upcoming season.

There are many players on the Leafs who have been expected to have potential for the future, but this year the future looks to be now as these players are now the stars of their respective team.

Grade: C

Defense

Kaberle--Finger

Stralman--Kubina

Van Ryn--Frogren

Other Notables: Kronwall, White, Coliacovo, Schenn

The Leafs are crowded at defense this season with many new players being brought in during the offseason. Jeff Finger, the most notable of these players, looks to be a fixture on a top pairing. He can play solid shutdown defense, and while not that capable offensively, the Leafs do have Kaberle and Kubina for a reason. He should get better as the season progresses, much like last year.

Tomas Kaberle has had at least 50 points in each of the past 3 seasons, so repeating that effort shouldn't be difficult, while Pavel Kubina has got past early criticism to be a valuable offensive defenseman.

The rest of the Leafs' defensive core remains up in the air and it will be the story of training camp in the preseason. Many young and new faces are trying to make their mark in training camp to stand out above all the rest. Anton Stralman has been highly touted and should hold down a spot on the defense, but will recieve challenge from other defensemen such as Nicklas Kronwall, Ian White, Carlo Coliacovo, and perhaps even 18-year old Luke Schenn.

Kronwall played in the AHL for most of last year but has spent parts of his last 3 seasons with the Leafs. He remains a good defensive defenseman. Ian White has played 2 full seasons with the Leafs but is in danger of losing his job, despite 21 points in 81 games last year.

Coliacovo has had bad luck with injuries over the past few years and many has labelled him as injury-prone. He remains an enigma with enormous potential that he has failed to reach. As well, Luke Schenn plays a very complete game for an 18-year old, although he is not expected to make the team this year. He will probably spend another season in the WHL before making his Leafs debut. Even though the defense doesn't look that strong on paper, it is a big improvement defensively from last season.

Grade: B-

Goaltending:

Toskala

Joseph

Other Notable: Pogge

Vesa Toskala has been a stud goaltender as he has been one of the top players overall on the Leafs during his first year with the organization. If the leafs are going to make any noise this year, you can guarantee Vesa will be a big reason why. Backing him up is the legendary Curtis Joseph, who played well in Calgary during the stretch run last year. While losing a lot of leaders last year, bringing in Joseph will put him into a big leadership role with the younger players, even as a backup.

Justin Pogge had a good year in the AHL last season. However, he is not ready for the NHL just yet. He is expected to make the jump to the NHL either next season or the year after. The goaltending will need to be the focal point of the Leafs roster if they are expecting to be a playoff contender. On paper, the goaltending seems to be the strongest aspect of the team.

Grade: A-

Although the Leafs are not expected to do well this season, they are looking better towards the future to get the organization back on track. This season I believe many people will be surprised by the young look Leafs. However, do not set your sights on a playoff position this coming April.

Overall Grade: C

Prediction: 10th in East

Bombers, Lions Exchange Running Backs

Jordan Vertone — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:06:47 -0400

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions have pulled off a major deal, swapping Charles Roberts in exchange for Joe Smith (both veteran running backs) in a shocker on Tuesday afternoon.

Charles "Blink" Roberts has been having problems this season behind the Bombers' struggling offensive line. Roberts, who is usually first in yards gained, is now fifth with just 517 yards. He is also not getting as many carries as someone of his talent should be getting, as he ranks only fourth in attempts this year with 111.

These are very surprising numbers for Roberts as the CFL leader in yards gained 1,510 yards just a year ago. Since joining the league back in 2001 he has accumulated 9,987 career rushing yards, having spent his entire time in Winnipeg.

Joe Smith has also had problems this year, playing in only four games this season with a total of 236 rushing yards and three TDs on 55 attempts for the Lions in 2008. Back in 2007, Smith had broken the Lions' all-time season record with 1,510 yards on 281 carries.

With both running backs struggling behind their respective offences this year, it was looking like they needed a change of scenery. This deal just may work out for both teams as Winnipeg and B.C. will get the types of running backs they need in their back fields.

For Winnipeg fans, it is really going to be tough to deal with the loss of the all-time Bomber rushing leader, and one of the greatest ever running backs. However, this may be the right move for the team as Winnipeg needs the bigger and stronger running back to gain yards with a poor offensive line.

I guess we're just going to have to wait and find out.

As for B.C. fans, I believe they have more to be excited about, as Roberts is only 13 yards away from reaching 10,000 career rushing yards. He is arguably the best running back ever to play in the CFL.

I think that Roberts will fit in really well with the Lions. Look for him to start playing at his best behind a better team for the second half of the season.

Joe Sakic Returns to Avalanche for 20th Season

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:47:05 -0400

The longtime captain of the Colorado Avalanche, Joe Sakic, will be returning to the NHL for what looks to be the last season for the future Hall of Famer. The contract is a one-year deal worth a reported $6 million.

The announcement came earlier than expected as there were reports yesterday that Sakic would be announcing his future at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

After a long summer of speculation over Sakic's playing future, retirement was starting to look more likely than a return. However, the 39-year-old still believes that he has at least one more season in the tank for the Avs.

After an injury-plagued season last year which ended up with him playing in just 44 games, he is looking to stay healthy and have a full season in 2008-2009.

Sakic was really struggling with the decision to return, as he wasn't sure if he could stay healthy this year and be a threat in the league. But Sakic has decided that he still has the desire to play and compete in the NHL, and he believes he is conditioned, healthy, and strong enough to play.

Sakic, drafted by the Nordiques (now the Avalanche) back in 1987, will enter his 20th season, all of which have been played with the same organization. With 1,629 career points in 1,363 games, Sakic is eighth on the all-time scoring list.

He is one of only 11 players in history with 1,000 career assists and could surpass many greats with a high assist total in the upcoming season including Lemieux, Howe, and Yzerman.

Now with Sakic finally off the free agent list, let's hope Sundin will follow in his footsteps and come to a decision on his playing future sometime this week.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers Still Talking About the "Done Deal"?

Jordan Vertone — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:21:53 -0400

The McCabe situation in Toronto is expected to be resolved by the early days of September. The Leafs and Panthers have apparently come to an agreement on a trade that involves McCabe going to the Panthers, with younger defenceman Mike Van Ryn heading to the "Big Smoke."

The reason this "done deal" has not gone through yet is McCabe's contract will pay him a $2 million bonus on Sept. 1, and the Leafs have agreed to pay it before he becomes Panther property.

With this trade on a two-week hold, are the Leafs and Panthers still in talks about other possible situations?

The answer is yes.

Toronto is really looking at other possible situations to involve Jay Bouwmeester in the trade some how, while the Panthers are listening and seeing what talent they can get in return.

Perhaps they would like a young player with a lot of potential for this season and the future, like an Ian White, or maybe they're looking for a player that can step in and be a key part of the team in this season, like a Ponikarovsky.

The rumors that Jay Bouwmeester will be involved in the trade were quickly dismissed, but there is still a possibility that the Leafs and Panthers could find a deal that would be helpful to both teams.

With Florida knowing that Bouwmeester will most likely not return to the team after season's end, they are looking into what they could get for him before the end of his contract.

While it is still far off that these two teams will come to an agreement on a different deal including some bigger names, it is still very possible. With a couple of weeks for the two teams to discuss other options, they may come across a deal that both will like.

If the Leafs and Panthers do not find a different deal, expect to see the McCabe-Van Ryn trade go through after Bryan's September bonus.

Mats Sundin Not to Make Decision Until Late August?

Jordan Vertone — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:54:23 -0400

Mats Sundin is taking all the time he needs to make his decision about his playing future. Speculation continues surrounding his situation as both Montreal and Vancouver have come out publicly saying the they expect him to sign with their clubs.

The Leafs have not come out publicly about Mats' situation, unless asked about, and they never directly told the media anything. So does this mean the Leafs don’t think they have a chance to resign their Captain?

The answer is NO!

The Leafs are still heavily involved with Mats Sundin and could be the main reason why Mats is taking so long. In fact, rumours are spreading that the Canadiens and Canucks are not even being considered by the big power forward, and that his only two options in his mind are The Leafs or retirement.

Well, we most likely won’t hear the answer from Mats about where and if he will play until what seems to be around late August, as he continues to think about all of his options with his family back in Sweden.

Leaf Nation lost hope maybe just a little to soon as Mats Sundin may show his loyalty to the Maple Leafs once again this summer. The Leafs were lost in all of the rumours within the Canucks and Canadiens organizations.

The Leafs stayed quiet, have not pressured him, and are giving him all the time that he wants and needs. Maybe Sundin likes how the Leafs have handled themselves in this situation, enough so to possibly return and help them to start with their promising rebuilding stage. However that would come at a cost of not winning a Stanley Cup which he so much deserves over his great career.

With the Rangers out of the mix due to their overall salary, only those three teams are left, and as the days count down to next season, the Sundin sweepstakes will only get more and more intense.

That leaves us only with these questions:

Will the Canucks bid to Sundin of $10 million, and the suggestion that he has the chance to be on the Swedish Olympic team in front of his team's city, be enough?
With Montreal being the biggest Stanley Cup contender, will they bring the power forward farther east and back into Quebec, where his Hall of Fame career all started?
Is Mats Sundin unable to leave the place where he is loved by all and spent most of his career with, to help them rebuild before he walks off into the sunset?
Will Mats Sundin and his family decide that it is time to retire and stay and possibly play in Sweden?

Hopefully we will find out sooner than later. Also (just in case, for my safety), if Sundin does not come back to the big TO, I am not to blame for any hopes and hearts I may have broken in Leafs Nation! So let’s just hope he returns shall we.

Reds, Ducks, and Alouettes, Oh My!: The 10 Wimpiest Team Names in Sports

Jordan Vertone — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:36:39 -0400

My last countdown article http://bleacherreport.com/articles/37991-top-10-nhl-masks-of-all-time made for a good conversation piece, so I have decided to make another fun list for everyone to discuss whether they hate or love it. The topic of choice this week is the "Top 10 Wimpiest Team Names in Sports."

10. Penguins (Pittsburgh—NHL)

Pittsburgh makes No. 10 on my list with their NHL team. From what I know about Penguins (which is not too much), they are not a mean nor fierce animal. In fact, I'd love to have a penguin for a pet—I think that would be pretty sweet.

The reason they're not closer to the top of the list is because the Penguins are able to withstand the harsh, cold winters down in the Antarctic, unlike other birds (penguins are a bird right? kind of?), like a duck who is not mighty.

Is that foreshadowing? Keep reading to find out.

9. Cardinals (Arizona, St. Louis—NFL, MLB)

No. 9 was formerly the Browns. However, while the name does sound wimpy, the Browns fans did give me some info that made me decide that it doesn't deserve the top ten. So I went with the name Cardinals.

What's up with this? There's a team named the Cardinals in both the MLB and NFL. Can't we think of other names for a team other than this wimpy bird? So I definitely think that Arizona and St. Louis deserve to make my team over Cleveland!

8. Reds (Cincinnati—MLB)

Well, I had to do some research on this team to find out what the heck a Red is. I thought it might be a bird to add to the bird family living within MLB. But I learned something today. It turns out they used to be called the Red Stockings. The fact that their name comes from a word like stockings get them into the eighth spot on my list.

Yes, the Red Sox got their name from the Red Stockings, but the Red Sox don't make my list, because Sox spelled with an "X" is pretty hardcore if you ask me.

7. Nuggets (Denver—NBA)

Nuggets. As in chicken nuggets or what? I honestly tried pretty hard (okay, not too hard) to find out the meaning of where the term comes from, and I found it was from the gold mines, golden nuggets, and such. Although it's referring to gold, and that's pretty awesome stuff, it will remain on my list.

So if there are any Nugget fans out there who want to defend their team, go right ahead! Until then, I'm just going to believe that Denver has one heck of a lot of McDonald's in their state, so much that they named their NBA franchise after them, since that's more funny then gold.

6. Jazz (Utah—NBA)

Named after a type of music that is known to be really laid back and not crazy makes me think that this basketball team must have a mellow attitude. I mean, if this was in New Orleans (which it once was), I probably wouldn't make fun of it as much because it makes sense. Although it would still be wimpy, it would still make sense!

However, it's wimpy and not really in a Jazz city, so it makes my list at No. 6.

5. Ducks (Anaheim—NHL)

I don't believe I have any reason to fear the animal known as the duck. They were once mighty and feared, but now that they're only the Ducks, it's quite laughable. They won the Stanley Cup as the Ducks—only the Ducks. So now I can make fun of all the other NHL teams for letting the Ducks beat them!

No, just kidding. They usually have a pretty good team, but they do play under a wimpy name.

4. Dolphins (Miami—NFL)

This one was a difficult one for me because I like Dolphins, and I know they are strong, smart, and can beat up on sharks. However, the name of Dolphin does not make you think those things. It makes you think of nice and gentle...which you don't want from an NFL team.

Last year they played like a stereotypical dolphin, as they were the worst team in the league. So that is why they make my list of wimpy names.

3. Orioles (Baltimore—MLB)

How can I have a list of wimpy names and not have at least two of the birds from the many in the MLB? So of all the teams named after birds in baseball, I picked the Oriole as the wimpiest. I gave them a chance—I looked up the birds and I found this one to be the most un-manly of them all.

So how about Baltimore relocates into the slow-pitch softball league? Only kidding. Sorry for picking on you Baltimore, but one of the birds had to take one for the team.

2. Alouettes (Montreal—CFL)

Now I know most of the Americans probably won't even know of this team. They are from the Canadian Football League and have one of the most sissy names I have heard of in sports and needed to be put on my list.

I love going to the Bomber games in Winnipeg and having everyone in the stadium cheer, "OHH I'd rather be a bomber than an (expletive) Alouette" in the tune of the famous Alouette children song. A terrible name that could've been No. 1, but I decided against it.

Now lets get on to the No. 1 PICK.

Congratulations!

1. Angels (Los Angeles of Anaheim—MLB)

Before I get into explaining my pick, I'm just going to say that I almost didn't use this one because the names of the cities take too long to write. I mean, do I have to explain why I chose this one to be my No. 1 selection?

Angels—it's a very wimpy name. Angels are messengers of the almighty God, but they do not have the power of the Lord. Although angels can be frightning and powerful in their own way it just sounds peaceful, nice, and all that it takes to become No. 1 on my list of the Wimpiest Names.

So there goes my hobby for the day because it took me all day. Hope you enjoyed it, and I can't wait to hear everyone disagree with all of my decisions! So leave comments and have fun reading it over again and again.

Honorable Mention:

Browns (Cleveland—NFL)

Originally on my top ten list, the Browns were replaced by a more sissy name with the Cardinals. The name Browns comes from coach Paul Brown, and although that's kinda cool, the name of their football team is still Browns, and that's quite lame.

North Stars (Minnesota—NHL)

This wimpy team name almost made my list as the replacement for the Browns, but I decided to give them a break. It doesn't sound wimpier than Cardinals, and when they got a new NHL team, they changed their team name to the Wild (which is a pretty awesome name).

Terry Murray, Los Angeles Kings Reach Agreement

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:11:50 -0400

The Los Angeles Kings are to hold a press conference today to welcome their 22nd Head Coach in franchise history. The successor to Marc Crawford is expected to be Flyers Assistant Coach Terry Murray. Murray is no stranger to the head coaching position. He has coached in 737 games with three different teams.

Murray's last season as head coach was back in 2000-2001 season with the Florida Panthers before being fired that offseason. He has a 360-288-89 regular-season record and a 46-43 postseason record as a head coach with Philadelphia, Washington and Florida.

The Kings certainly went for experience with the signing of their new coach as Murray will turn 58 this Sunday

He started his coaching career back in 1983 with the Capitals as an assistant. After a couple of seasons down in the AHL as the head coach, he was asked to come up to coach in the Big League. The Capitals made the playoffs in the next two seasons under Murray, but didn't advance past the second round in either year and Murray was fired midway through the next season.

Murray then went on to coach Philadelphia for three seasons. In just three years, he was able to get his team to the conference finals, the conference semifinals, and the Stanley Cup finals. Despite the success, Murray was given the boot after his Flyers were swept out the Stanley Cup Finals by the Detroit Red Wings.

The Florida Panthers asked Murray to take on the GM position, and in his second season with the Panthers they asked him to take over coaching duties. He had two full seasons with Florida and made the playoffs in the second year, but lost out in only the first round.

Murray went back to the Flyers and has been working there as assistant coach since the 2003 season. The Kings are hoping his much needed experience will help their team of young players develop and reach their potential to pull out a very rare playoff appearance.

Dan Uggla...Ugly In MLB All-Star Classic

Jordan Vertone — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:56:54 -0400

It was a dream come true for Dan Uggla and his father, on Tuesday when he made his first appearance at Yankee Stadium, which just so happened to be an All-Star Game. What was a dream soon became a nightmare for the Marlins Second baseman who recorded 3 errors an MLB All-Star Record.

Two of Uggla's errors both came in the bottom of the tenth inning one after the other. With both runners now on second and third, the NL team intentionally walked the next batter to set up a force play at home plate. The next two batters grounded out and reached base on Fielder's Choice plays.

Then Home Run Derby Champ Morneau was up to bat. He grounded a slow rolling ball to short-stop Miguel Tejada, who made a spectacular running, diving, mid-air throw to the first baseman just in time to keep the game alive and save Uggla rear. Fielding was not the only thing Uggla struggled with against the AL team, as he went on to have an 0-4 night at the plate including three strike outs. He had many opportunities to make up for his mistakes at the plate with runners in scoring position but failed to do so many times.

Uggla's mistakes in Tuesday’s all-star game however was not the biggest story of the night, as this game was the longest game in all-star history. It was truly a great match up that went 15 innings. The night started off, with a collection of Hall of Fame greats taking the field at their respected position.

Yogi Berra former catcher of the New York Yankees got the loudest cheer of all, who threw out the opening pitch, along with other Yankees pitchers. Every single player on both rosters were used in the marathon. In fact the clock was ticking for Bud Selig to come down and call the game a tie.

With Kazmir on a low pitch count, due to the fact he pitched 104 balls two days before with his own team in Tampa. Terry Francona was pacing back in fourth in his dugout, knowing that he may have to call it quits and getting the loudest boo out of any Red Sox player.

But after one inning of Kazmir, the AL team came through with Justin Morneau, getting a lead off hit and eventually making it to third with only one out. The stage was set for Rangers shortstop Micheal Young. Young smacked the ball to the outfield just and I mean just far enough for a sac fly as Morneau came flying home and sliding underneath catcher Brian McCann's tag to end the game at around 1:40 am local time.

This was truly a great way to say goodbye to historical Yankee Stadium, with one of the greatest all-star games in the history of MLB. With the ratings of the All-Star game dropping every year, this was exactly what the league needed to get fans watching again. Other Notes: The American Leagues unbeaten streak stretches to 12 games and JD Drew was awarded with the games MVP, going 2-4 including a 2 run shot to right field which tied the game in the 7th inning.

Top 10 NHL Masks of All-Time

Jordan Vertone — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:05:12 -0400

With the NHL off-season still far from being over, and all the fans getting impatient, I thought I would write a fun article to give everyone something to read. I have decided to countdown the NHL's Top Ten greatest goalie masks in its history. So lets get right to it!

10. Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim Ducks)

Number ten was a really tough choice for me, as it was the last mask I had to pick from my list of many. I decided to go with Ilya's because it was a great mask with a prefect theme. It included the great beaches of California, cartoon Character Daffy Duck and pretty much just looked cool!

Link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0707/gallery.nhl.goalie.masks/content.6.html

9. Andrew Raycroft (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Raycroft actually made a top ten list for something positive! His helmet in Toronto was a very interesting one, I must say. Every time the camera man would go to it and then leave it, you would be like, "No who cares about the game, I want to see the rest of his helmet!". Raycrofts helmet was like a trip through the Leafs history, as it sported the old Maple Leaf Gardens and many Leaf greats.

Link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0707/gallery.nhl.goalie.masks/content.3.html

8. Jose Theodore (Heritage Classic Outdoor Game-Montreal)

Theodore had two masks that I had to choose from. Either this outdoor classic toque on his helmet, or his stylish one he wore in Colorado. But I had to go with this one as it will always be remembered at the first outdoor NHL game of all time. He put the toque on over his helmet for his mom who had always told him to wear a toque when he would go outside to play hockey on the pond with his friends.

Link:http://i.cnn.net/si/2003/hockey/nhl/11/22/bc.hkn.oilers.canadiens.ap/p1_theodore_all.jpg

7. Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche)

How can you have an NHL top goalie list without the greatest goaltender of all time on it? Patrick's mask had the Rockie mountains as well as a snow monster -- it was a pretty slick mask. However, do you know how hard it is to find a picture close up on his mask? Well, too hard for me.

Link:http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/3629/roy_pic/roy6.jpg

6. Stephane Fiset (Quebec Nordiques)

Fiset had a really simple yet cool design and theme. Fiset took the saying "That goalie is a wall" and made it into his own helmet. As he was playing "way up in Canada", he made his mask a wall of ice blocks! Awesome and funny helmet.

Link:http://www.geocities.com/garitor/images/fiset.jpg

5. Rick Dipietro (New York Islanders)

Ricks mask with the islanders is a tribute to the American soldiers, with pictures of the soldiers raising up the American flag. It's a really neat mask that is a great tribute to all the men and woman fighting over seas for us.

Link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0707/gallery.nhl.goalie.masks/content.2.html

4. Patrick Lalime (Ottawa Senators)

Lalime was not usually a fan favorite in Ottawa, but his helmet was pretty cool. He had his famous eyes that he always has on his helmet. Over top of the eyes was a senator helmet and then the rest just had really awesome designs. The icing on the cake for the mask was the golden bars for the cage.

Links:http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/50883857.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1939847EC77F5F8D1CED9F29F3679CDF0E8A40A659CEC4C8CB6

http://www.saljbarry.com/hockey/autographs/cards/2002-2003/vintage/lalime.jpg

in case the first one does not work for you, which has been the case for some people i added a second link.

3. Eddie Belfour (Dallas Stars)

Eddie the Eagle always had a nice helmet with the same theme for every team he played for. His mask always had two eagles on each side of the helmet. This helmet is one of the things he was known for and it became a classic that could not be kept off my list.

Link: http://mattgunn.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/belfour.jpg

2. Felix Potvin(Los Angeles Kings/Toronto Maple Leafs)

I could not decide which helmet of Potvins looked better, his LA one or his Toronto one, so I said "What the heck! I'll put in both!". It was one of NHL's most classic helmets. Potvins helmet represented cartoon character, "Felix the Cat", on it which was his nickname. In case you haven't figured out why his nickname is that, take a look at his first name!

Link:http://www.freewebs.com/felixpotvin/fcat.jpg

1. Curtis Joseph (wherever he played!)

Curtis Joseph gets my vote for greatest mask of all time. It might be a little biased since he is my favorite goalie, but he does have one hell of a mask. Perfect theme and looks good in many colors, as we know from the many teams he has played for. His helmet represents a rabid dog from the Stephen King book "Cujo". Cujo is also Joseph's nickname. Any player coming down on Cujo had to be intimidated from that mask. Truly a classic!

Picture: Look at image above

Honorable Mention:

-Gerry Cheevers/Shields: Cheevers wore a face mask, with stitches drawn on it. When shields came to the league years later, and played for Cheevers old team the Bruins, he drew a replica of his face mask on his new goalie mask.

- Jacques Plante: Plante is considered one of the most important innovators in hockey. Most notably, Plante was the first NHL goaltender to wear a goalie mask in regulation play on a regular basis. With the assistance of other experts, he developed and tested many versions of the goalie mask, including the forerunner of today's mask/helmet combination.

- Johan Hedberg: He began his career in the IHL with The Manitoba Moose, and throughout his entire career has had a moose on his helmet to represent where it all began for him.

-Dwayne Roloson (Edmonton):Really busy helmet that sported an oil rig, Oilers symbol, gears and a bunch of other cool images. Color was baby blue and had a gold face cage.

This concludes my list of great NHL goalie masks! I hope everyone enjoyed it, and tell me what you think about my list, whether it be negative or positive. Believe me, I took a very long time to decide this list, because there has been so many wonderful NHL masks throughout the years.

Toronto Maple Leafs' NHL Off-Season Report Card

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:55:40 -0400

This offseason, through July 9, the Leafs have drafted eight rookies, signed four unrestricted free agents, and bought out two contracts among other moves. Grades will be given to each individual move, as well as each collection of moves.

Let's take a look at some of the offseason transactions the Leafs have made:

Draft Day - Overall Rating: A

Fifth overall: Luke Schenn, D, Kelowna Rockets, WHL

Schenn is a physical defenseman who is not afraid to get dirty along the boards—or with his fists. Over 189 WHL contests with the Kelowna Rockets, the rear guard posted 325 PIM, as well as adding 68 points (12-56).

Offense is not his forte, but he is known for shutting down opposing offenses on his own end. The Maple Leafs pulled off a last-second trade for the No. 5 pick to secure Schenn.

Rating: A+

60th overall: Jimmy Hayes, RW, USHL

Hayes, who is a cousin of Keith Tkachuk, is projected to be a power forward like Tkachuk—and up until last season, was considered a surefire first-rounder. He will play for Boston College next season and develop in the NCAA. He should become a star for the Leafs one day.

Rating: B+

Leafs' Own UFA's/RFA's - Overall Rating: C+

Kyle Wellwood

Despite posting 108 points over 189 games with the leafs over four seasons, this RFA was Waived, then picked up by the Vancouver Canucks. He was only 25 and still had a load of potential waiting to be uncovered.

Rating: D

Matt Stajan

Over 314 games in the NHL—all with Toronto—the 24-year-old has scored 56 goals and 71 assists from the third and fourth lines. This scoring asset could jump to the top two lines this year with the coming absence of Mats Sundin, and is also a candidate to wear the "C" for the blue and white next year.

He was an RFA and was re-signed to a two year, $3.5 million deal.

Rating: A

John Pohl

Over two seasons, this 29-year-old UFA had 33 points over 82 games. However, this depth player was not re-signed, and signed with HC Lugano of the Swiss League. He was a non-factor in many games, at many times a healthy scratch.

Rating: C

Mats Sundin

The heart and soul of the Leafs' organization is taking time to decide his future, but it seems likely the 37-year-old will not be back in blue and white.

Sundin has 1,321 NHL career points, over 1,000 of them in a Leafs uniform. Sundin could be a huge mentor to the young Leafs if he returns—but would also carry a cap hit.

Rating: B- (Either way, signed or not)

Buyouts - Overall Rating: A

Darcy Tucker

Tucker was a gritty forward, but he had a decrease in production after signing a three-year, $9 million extension. Although his production was not overly bad nor his contract overly expensive, it was time for a change. Letting him go seems to be the right thing to do.

Rating: B+

Andrew Raycroft

Raycroft spent two seasons for the Leafs, one as a starter and the other as a backup. He received a lot of criticism in both of the years he played with the Leafs. He was bought before the last year of his contract. This was done to make room to bring in Curtis Joseph as a veteran backup to Vesa Toskala.

Rating: A+

Free Agent Frenzy - Overall Rating: A-

Jeff Finger

Through 94 NHL games, this shutdown guy has a reputation for stopping the opposition's best offensive players. With a lot of offensive defensemen on the roster, Finger will be a welcome addition as a young, shut-down D-man—though at a hefty price, of $14 million over four seasons.

Rating: B+

Niklas Hagman

Hagman, 28 years old, was very consistent last year for the Dallas Stars, scoring 27 goals, and is affordable at $12 million over four years. This signing will hopefully help the Leafs out over many years to come. An overlooked free agent, Hagman has improved his scoring total over his past three seasons.

Rating: A-

Curtis Joseph

Joseph is a veteran of many years of NHL experience who will bring quality backup goaltending to the team for only $700,000. Joseph will act as a leader and mentor to this young, rebuilding team. If goalies were allowed to wear C's, Joseph would be your man.

Rating: A

Jonas Frogren

Frogren has spent his career playing defense in Sweden. He has been signed to a deal—but the deal as written has currently been rejected by the NHL.

However, the deal is expected to get done. Frogren will be a great addition as a stay-at-home defenseman—although he lacks offense.

Rating: B

Trades: Overall Rating: C+

Jamal Mayers

Coming from St. Louis in exchange for a third-round draft pick, Mayers has never scored over 27 points in a single season. But he has grit, and will give the Leafs' checking unit a solid shut-down forward. He replaces the grit lost when Darcy Tucker was bought out.

Rating: B-

Mikhail Grabovski

Acquired from Montreal in exchange for a future second-round pick, and fifth-round draft pick Greg Pateryn. Grabovski played in 24 NHL games, collecting nine points.

Although they had to give up two draft picks, the Leafs should get some good production from Grabovski this coming season.

Rating: C

Overall Total Rating: B+

The Toronto Maple Leafs' offseason moves haven't been as good as some hoped because they didn't sign a top-flight free agent.

However, for what the Leafs organization was planning to do, I believe their offseason has them pushed off in the right direction. Cliff Fletcher has decided to rebuild and has received some young building blocks in order to do so.

From Dollars to Rubles: Ray Emery Off to Russia

Jordan Vertone — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:59:48 -0400

Ray Emery is reportedly off to join Jaromir Jagr in Russia in the new Continental Hockey League. Atlant Mytishchi has agreed to terms with the controversial goaltender, paying him two million dollars over the next season.

Emery, who was a big contributor to the Ottawa Senators Stanley Cup Finalist run two years ago, has not been give much interest in the NHL free agent market this off season. The risk of taking on a character like Emery has shown to be too great for any team in the NHL.

Russia will be a great opportunity for Emery who will get a lot of chances to play there and possibly get himself back on the NHL GM's Maps. If he goes there and has an excellent season and cause no problems, I definitely believe that he will be back in the NHL next year or at least a couple years down the road.

Emery struggled last year as he began the 2007-08 season recovering from a wrist injury. In 31 games for the Sens, he posted a 12-13-4 record with a 3.13 GAA and a low save percentage of .890. He spent most of the season on the bench backing up Senators goalie Martin Gerber, who took over Emery's number 1 spot last year.

NHL Free Agent Frenzy: Who's Left On The Market?

Jordan Vertone — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:52:00 -0400

With the first week of the NHL's Free agency over, and all of the bigger names off the market with exceptions to players like Sundin (Montreal,Vancouver or Toronto bound), Sakic (Retirement or Avalanche bound) and Selanne (Retirement or Duck bound) who have not completely made up their minds about their playing future.

So that brings us to the question of " who's left", well the answer is there are still quite a few players out on the market that could help a team make a run to the post season.

Brendan Shanahan, RW – The veteran right winger would bring great leadership to any team he goes to. Even though he is getting older and may not have much left in the tank, Shanahan at the age of 39, will leave it all on the ice. Shanahan is probably the best player left in the NHL free agency.

Possible Suitors: Toronto Maple Leafs- With a young team going into next year a guy like Shanahan could help the young guys develop and be a leader in the dressing room. Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils

Pavol Demitra, RW-With three 30 goal seasons, demitra is up there with shanahan in being one of the best guys left. Demitra is able to create plays on his own and would help any team in need of a winger for their top centerman.

Possible Suitors:- Vancouver Canucks- This is where Demitra has been rumored to go, so well have to wait and see. Calgary Flames- Looking for a winger, possible to play with Iginla.

Jason Williams, RW –Thirteen goals and 36 points in 43 games for Chicago last season before being sidelined by a hernia. Two 20-goal seasons to his credit and he turns 28 in August. He's flashed 30-goal potential, but has been very injury prone over his career. He is still young and shows great potential.

Possible Suitors: Calgary Flames-rumour is they are looking for another winger with some speed. Toronto Maple Leafs- Young guy who has great potential and could help the leafs for years to come.Los Angels Kings-??

Ladislav Nagy, C – He's only 28 and might be the most skilled forward available, and could possibly help a team for years to come if he can live up to his potential.

Possible Suitors: Russian League-They have been taking many of our players up to this point... why stop now.

Chris Gratton, C –He is a big gritty centerman, who could help a team that really needs to become more physical.

Possible Suitors:-Vancouver Canucks-They could use a tough gritty forward like gratton.

Marek Malik, D –This big physical defenceman is most likely the best d-man on the market that is left. If you still need help on the back end, Malik is your man. Plus he is a fan favorite in shootouts...if you know what I'm talking about.

Possible Suitors:New Jersey Devils-The devils are still looking to improve their backend. Calagary Flames-Looking for a puck moving defenceman, well malik isnt the best but definatly is the best overall, of the defenceman left

Stephane Yelle, C –Great leader who will help you get into the playoffs, and lead you in the playoffs. Older player who definitely still has some good stuff left in him.

Possible Suitors: Tampa Bay Lightning- not that realistic, but hey they have continuously been grabbing players off the market. Los Angeles Kings-with a young team, yelle could step in as a leader of the team. Columbus Blue Jackets- ??

Ray Emery, G –Has shown great potential over his career. But then again over a very controversial career. Last year he really was not the goalie that he was the year before, and was a distraction off the ice. Will someone take a risk on him? Only time will tell.

Possible Suitors: Any team willing to take a big gamble

Sources: http://www.thehockeynews.com/, www.nhl.com, http://www.thefourthperiod.com/

Joe Nieuwendyk Joins Toronto Maple Leafs' Front Office

Jordan Vertone — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:34:19 -0400

Well its official, one day after rumors surfaced, Nieuwendyk and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to terms on Tuesday. Nieuwendyk will work in the Leafs' front office as the special assistant to GM Cliff Fletcher.

“Joe is an extremely intelligent individual, who has experienced success throughout his entire hockey career,” said Fletcher. “We will value his contributions on all hockey decisions and he will be a great asset to our organization".

In 1,257 NHL games, Nieuwendyk collected 564 goals and 562 assists for 1,126 points. He ranks 19th in all-time NHL goals and 51st in all-time NHL points. During his career, the four-time NHL All-Star has played in 158 playoff games in which he recorded 116 points on 66 goals and 50 assists.

A three time Stanley Cup Champion, Joe Nieuwendyk has won numerous awards over his NHL career including the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 1988, the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership and contributions to the community in 1995, and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1999 as the Stanley Cup playoffs most valuable player.

Fletcher and Nieuwendyk are no strangers, as Fletcher was the GM of the Flames back in 1988 when he drafted Nieuwendyk. The Leafs are hoping Joe will bring his leadership and winning reputation along with him to the Leafs' organization.

Maple Leafs: Cliff Fletcher, Joe Nieuwendyk to Discuss Management Position

Jordan Vertone — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:06:40 -0400

Former Maple Leaf Joe Nieuwendyk is expected to meet with Leaf GM Cliff Fletcher this week to discuss joining the club's management group.

Fletcher tried to lure in the three-time Stanley Cup winner to the big T.O from Florida before but was unsuccessful due to the contract Nieuwendyk was under as an advisor. That deal officially ended on June 30, and Nieuwendyk was free to walk away.

The native of Oshawa, Ontario was drafted in 1985 by the Flames—whose GM at the time happened to be Fletcher. Nieuwendyk was a big part in the first and only Stanley Cup won by the Flames organization

The Leafs are hoping Nieuwendyk's experiance and winning reputation will follow him to Toronto and turn a rebuilding Maple Leaf franchise around.

NHL's Return to Winnipeg... Doubtful

Jordan Vertone — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:40:02 -0400

In Winnipeg, the hopes that the NHL returns are in everyone's hearts. Even the non- believers carry a little bit of hope with them, but will the city keep faith much longer?

Let's take a trip back to the 1995-96 NHL season, the last year in Jets history! The salaries of the top five players that year are as follows:

   1   Wayne Gretzky, STL              $6,545,363
   2   Mark Messier, NYR                    $6,000,000
   3   Keith Tkachuk, WPG                 $6,000,000
   4   Mario Lemieux, PIT               $4,571,429
   5   Pavel Bure, VAN                       $4,500,000

Three of the top five are in the Hall of Fame today and the other two may one day find themselves there as well.

Wayne Gretzky, ("The Great One") the best player to ever grace the ice, was making money that today would just barely get you one of the top stars playing in the NHL today.

Next, we will look at Mario Lemieux making a salary of 4.5 million dollars, which is just more than a player today like Cory Sarich who is making just under 4 million this year.

With the NHL players values increasingly going up and the salary cap continuing to rise every year, how would a team be able to survive in a smaller market like Winnipeg?

Some people will argue that Winnipeg would still be better than a place down south; however, in the southern states people are making more money than people up here.

So how much better would Winnipeg be? Not much better when it comes to the money!

Don't get me wrong, I am from Winnipeg and would love to have an NHL team. I think it would be better than the southern states when it comes to atmosphere, and Winnipeg would back up their team 100% when it comes to spirit. But the thing that would become a problem like back in 1996, how deep will the people dig into their pockets.

Well, hopefully one day we will be able to find out!

Breaking News: Flames Ink Bertuzzi

Jordan Vertone — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:48:00 -0400

A day after the Calgary Flames lost veteran forward Owen Nolan to the Minnesota Wild, General Manager Darryl Sutter announced the signing of free agent forward Todd Bertuzzi to a contract worth 1.95 million over the next season.

Bertuzzi, a native of Sudbury, ON, has played 793 games over the course of his 12 seasons in the NHL with Vancouver, Florida, Detroit, and Anaheim.

A big and powerful forward who has the ability to play on either side of the ice, he has a chance to play on the same line with captain Jarome Iginla.

Originally drafted by the NY Islanders in the first round, 23rd overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Bertuzzi has been chosen twice to play in the NHL All-Star Game (2003 and 2004) and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 2003.

He has twice represented Canada at the World Championships (1998 and 2000) and at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.