Bleacher Report - Articles by Brandon Warnes

Ducks and Leafs Have Goalie Issues

Brandon Warnes — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:51:17 -0400

Its funny how Burke's previous team, Anaheim, and his current team, Toronto, both have their fair share of goaltending issues.

However one is more of an issue and the other is more of a gift, really.

Much was said of how Burke left his old team (cap issues etc.) but not much was said of what he left there. Anaheim has two solid NHL-capable goalies in Hiller and Giguere, and one of those two is most likely to be dealt at some point this season.

That's where the idea of it being a gift comes into play. Goalie surplus is always a good thing.

Say a team like Chicago came calling for a goalie, as Huet may not be the guy to carry that team. They would need to first address the Huet situation either through trade or waiving him.

Still a deal could be worked out that sees Chicago getting Hiller or Giguere and Anaheim might receive a few guys from Chicago (say Sharp, Versteeg, or Barker).

That would allow Chicago to get some cap room (Hiller is a free agent after this season) as well as getting a No. 1 goalie. Anaheim would be receiving a solid forward or defender from Chicago.

Either way, the door is open for Anaheim to make some moves and should improve the club after it is all said and done.

Now for Toronto and their goalie issues, which are more of a problem for Burke and his coaching staff. Surely Burke would like to have two goalies who are capable of being the No. 1 guy and trading one of them for some prospects.

But that's not going to happen for them.

Goalie problems are the norm for Toronto, at least post-lockout. Belfour, Raycroft, Pogge, Tellvquist, Aubin, Toskala, Joseph...the list goes on. Not having a go-to guy each night is all part of why this team hasn't made the playoffs four years in a row.

It's still a little early to be writing off Toskala as the No. 1 guy but he appears to be carrying the same play from last season. Even if he shows up, no one will want to take a chance on him through trades because of his injury history and poor play.

Gustavsson still hasn't been given enough of a chance as his groin injury has stopped him from playing. If he plays to his potential, Toronto won't want to trade their only goalie who can win games for them.

Throw in the fact Toronto has to use McDonald and Reimer while Toskala and Gustavsson rest their injuries, it's just more goalies who don't appear ready to take this team far.

All of which only has to make Burke even more angry and concerned. After trading first rounders for Kessel this season, having a proven goalie who's expendable because you have another capable NHL goalie could allow you to get a few picks back.

As this season progresses it will be interesting to see how both stories unfold.

Boy wouldn't it be something too if Pogge ends up playing Monday night against his old team after being dealt after last season?

Time Off Might Just Be What The Doctor Ordered For Toronto

Brandon Warnes — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:09:47 -0400

So far this season, things aren't working right in Toronto. While its only seven games in, and despite missing the playoffs four years in a row, they haven't stumbled this badly out of the gate.

The goalies have looked weak and defensive play has been poor. Adding to the issues has been a lack of offense. Last season Toronto got points from unusual places and they found themselves able to score goals each night.

After a busy preseason schedule that saw the team win most of their games, they haven't been able to carry that play over to the regular season. So maybe that little time off caught up to them.

Other than last Saturday's game against the Rangers, this team has looked awful in each contest. They couldn't hold the lead against Montreal opening night and haven't scored enough goals since to even have a lead.

Last game they looked different though, they seemed to get the message that coach Ron Wilson was trying to convey. They crashed the net and took several shots creating plenty of scoring chances. Joey MacDonald, while not making overly huge saves, made enough key saves to get the team some confidence.

After hitting the net hard with both shots and bodies, nothing came of it and they found themselves down a few goals about halfway through the game. Whatever confidence they had vanished as they weren't the same team after that. They stopped shooting and throwing the body around and it allowed for New York to pull away.

So currently Toronto is sitting at 0-6-1 to start the season and looking for answers. Can the offense carry over the play from the early parts of last game and can the defense hold off opponents long enough to get a lead. Most of all can the goalies play well enough to win/steal a few games in the process.

All of this certainly won't happen overnight, but with a week off since their last game they have time for improvement. Most importantly this could allow Toronto to have four healthy goalies able to play by Saturday. Three at the very least. Gustavsson has been out since playing against Ottawa with a groin injury and is most likely the first one to return to action. Toskala meanwhile is still nursing a knee injury and may need another few days to rest up.

All these days of practice might just be enough to turn this season around for Toronto. And everyone from the coach, to the general manager to the fans is hoping that will be the case.

Brian Burke Must Like What He Sees After Leafs Debut

Brandon Warnes — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:45:27 -0400

Much has been made of how Toronto is going to look and play this season, and we were given several glimpses as to what that future may be.

Brian Burke has said that his team will be tougher to play against, and teams will hate having to come to the Air Canada Centre in fear of getting roughed up. Last night in the season opener, part of that goal may have been reached.

Sure enough, the team already won't step down from a fight. There were two within the first eleven minutes of the contest. While fighting may not be an important part of hockey, its nice to see guys like Orr and Rosehill understand their roles on the team.

Komisarek was excited for this game as his old team met his new one, and he tossed his body around all night with both hits and blocked shots.

Toronto also appeared to be offensively tough, severely out-shooting Montreal 46-27. While the goals didn't add up as they might have liked, Toronto was in Montreal's end most of the night and looked sharp on several instances.

Burke has to enjoy those things. Not only is his team continuing the offense they showed last season but they appear ready for each challenge and seem to be tougher than they were a year ago.

Although Burke surely likes what he sees so far from his new club, not all was good from last night. Not only did they lose the contest, penalty killing was poor and their goaltending was pretty weak.

While Komisarek was excited to play his old team, it really got the best of him as he was in the box too many times. He managed to rack up 15 minutes in penalties, and on two of his penalties Toronto was scored on. Being physical and excited for games is great, but in the future he needs to tone it down to a degree so that his team isn't always down a man.

Poor penalty killing appears to have followed the team from last season, and so too it seems has poor goaltending. Aside from a few good saves late in the game, Toskala wasn't as sharp as he needed to be. While being in the box all night hurts, Toskala still needs to make those big saves to keep his team in the game.

Recap:

2 Things Burke Had To Like From Last Night

Overall Team Toughness: Great hits, fearless shot blocking, Orr and Rosehill showing they know their role on the team.

Offensively Sound: Had 46-27 advantage in shots, play was in Montreal's end most of the night, top two lines showed great chemistry, Stajan started season off with two goals.

2 Things Burke Had To Hate From Last Night

Poor penalty killing/defensive play: Komisarek with 15 minutes in penalties; cost team two goals, Beauchemin and Schenn looked lost on several plays, players pinched too far to make "big hits" leading to rushes.

Toskala Looked Shaky: Four goals on 27 shots, should have had two goals for sure, could have used more help though.

Leafs nation need not panic, and maybe they aren't. It was after all game one of the season, and some obvious kinks need to be worked out. While they did some things poorly, they did a lot of good things and it should make for an interesting season.

Defensive play and penalty killing should improve, as should goaltending as prized signing Jonas Gustavsson is waiting to steal the job from Toskala if need be. It appears Toskala doesn't have a short leash as his coach and general manager have shown their confidence in him. If his poor play continues though of course things will change.

One thing that will be interesting is to see where Kessel will fit in once he returns, because the top two lines certainly played like they deserve to be there. Other than that, the lineup should remain the same unless veterans fall out of favour; in which case Bozak, Hanson, Tlusty and Kulemin will deserve looks if their play elsewhere is great.

Hopefully returning players from injury are kept away because aside from maybe swapping Exelby for Finger, the team looks fine as it is and shouldn't be changed unless poor play disrupts that. (Finger may serve better with Marlies as cap relief would be better?)

In any case Burke has to like what he sees so far and has to like the problem of the surplus of players because it tells you what kind of team it is this year. Eventually it will be a much improved team compared to what we are used to and it should be an exciting season all around.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Let the Kessel Train Pass For Now.

Brandon Warnes — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:55:03 -0400

Brian Burke's first summer with his new team saw him bulk up his defense and add depth to his goaltending.

Sure, he didn't do too much to address the need for top six forwards, but he vastly improved the team in other areas.

However, addressing the need for scoring help didn't go unnoticed; Burke attempted to fix that issue early on.

In what would have surely shook up their division, Toronto and Boston seemed set on having Kessel with Toronto and Kaberle with Boston. An issue regarding picks nixed that deal and Kaberle's no movement clause kicked back and ended that speculation.

Recently, Burke re-acquired a second round pick that was first dealt to Montreal for Grabovski. This gave him his first, second, and third round picks in this years draft, which just so happens to be the compensation for signing a player through offer sheets.

Up until camp, Burke and Boston's General Manager seemed to be playing cat and mouse. Boston said they would match any offer placed on Kessel, and Burke said offer sheets were not the direction they had in mind. Burke though, has had several discussions and said he refused to blindside them when it came to trades etc,.

Talks of a deal being made got hotter as Kessel's agent was spotted at Leafs camp recently.

The Maple Leafs still appear to be at the top of the heap for his services, amongst the handful of teams interested. Rumors state talks broke off between Boston and Kessel, and he's said to have interest in playing in Toronto; so it remains to be seen what will happen.

Kessel is coming off a season where he missed a fair amount of action, but still managed to tally 36 goals. He is also in the mix for team USA, which just so happens to involve both Burke and Ron Wilson. Kessel is a Burke type player; a scorer with a bit of grit and heart in his game.

Since the offer sheets aren't the direction Burke says he is going, the next thing would be to make a trade with Boston for Kessel.

Its been reported that Toronto has offered Boston two first round picks (one this year and next) and a second rounder for Kessel. Ideally, with cap issues, Boston wouldn't want to take on salary so picks is what they would prefer.

Are those picks too steep a price to pay for a player like Kessel who can't seem to manage to play a full season?

Although he is still a young forward, it would still go against what Toronto originally intended to do with the rebuilding process. Burke seems focused on the playoffs now, and isn't too worried about the rebuild, especially if he is willing to part with those picks.

That price is a little steep for me, although Kessel would be a better player to trade for, unlike what Toronto has done in the past. With Kessel out until the end of November, I think Toronto should wait on acquiring him and see what the market is like then.

Think of Toronto teams in the past when trading picks or prospects for players. Sure it pans out for a bit, with Toronto making regular appearances in the playoffs before the lockout, but never going all the way.

Then you look to now, and they're struggling to produce a good club because the cupboard is bare. Trading away those high picks still leaves you with an empty cupboard and a solution for right now, not the future.

Wait until he is closer to returning and if the interest is still there, place an offer sheet on him when Boston may have more trouble shedding salary to take him back. At least, then it won't be two first rounders and a second.

Plus, with the additions Burke made earlier in the year (signing Bozak and Hanson), and with players looking to bounce back or prove themselves (Tlusty and Allison), there may be quite a few surprises out of camp.

If that's the case, then a quick fix may not be needed, and maybe smart patchworks at the trade deadline could help lead Toronto into the playoffs. If everything that needs to pan out for the team does (goaltending, defense, penalty killing, strong play during training camp etc.) this team should be headed in the right direction.

With about roughly 62 players preparing in camp now, no spots are guaranteed so competition will be fierce. The only spots that seem to be mapped out already are the top four defensive corps, with Kaberle and Komisarek being the top pair.

The second pair are Schenn and Beauchemin, and the other spots on defense as well as the other areas on the ice, are all fair game which should make for an interesting season.

With all the talent at camp and all the players looking to prove themselves, Kessel appears to be the odd man out.

2009: The Year of the Blue Jays?

Brandon Warnes — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:01:23 -0400

Is this the year the Blue Jays can finally win enough games to enter post-season play? The way the first few games have gone, it sure seems like it's possible.

Last season, pitching was their strong point, and the batters let the team down. However, this year it's almost reversed, as the rotation's success relies on young arms, and no matter what trouble they get into, the bats get them out of it.

Gone it seems, are the days where the Jays give up and don't try to win games when they're down. This season, they are getting timely hitting, especially from those who desperately needed to produce.

Wells, Rios, and Rolen have been hitting the ball well so far, and Hill, who seems to have bounced back from that injury he suffered last season, is red-hot as well.

Throw in two great young players who are racking up RBI in Lind and Snider, and you have a great lineup.

As usual, the Jays have a good core of bench players or utility guys who can be counted on when needed. Guys like Scutaro and Millar fit this description, and the Jays' success relies on the usual hitters and utility guys.

Pitching is the big question mark this season, except for Roy Halladay. He's been solid so far and already has two wins in his first two starts.

The rotation took a crippling blow when A.J. Burnett bolted for New York in the off-season and took another blow when Jesse Litsch went down with injury.

Now David Purcey, Scott Richmond, Ricky Romero, and Brian Tallet are going to need to produce some solid starts.

Richmond and Romero, being rookie starters, only raise more questions, and it will be interesting to see if they can be successful down the stretch.

At 7-3, the Jays lead the A.L. East and appear ready to go on a nice run. If the hitting continues and the rotation pans out, it could end up being a great year for the Jays.

However, they need two teams out of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays to fall. If that doesn't happen, it will be very difficult for them to even do better than fourth place overall, which is where they wound up last season.

Could Toronto Get a Taste of Sweden Again?

Brandon Warnes — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:20:05 -0400

No sorry, its not the return of Mats Sundin to Toronto. How about two twins from Vancouver?

If Henrik and Daniel Sedin don't renew their contracts at the end of the season and become free agents in the summer, it could be a reality.

Sure, it seems every time a big name free agent is on the market they almost always seem to be rumored to be going to Toronto. Sometimes they have good reasons behind that and sometimes its simply fans hopes and wishes.

This time around there is good reason to believe that this could happen. That reason comes with Toronto GM Brian Burke.

Burke first drafted the twins in 1999 after trading with teams to have both the 2nd and 3rd overall pick. He took Daniel and Henrik one after the other and this was one his moves that made him highly sought after.

Burke moved on from Vancouver to Anaheim after the lockout, and when things seemed to finish up in Anaheim near the end of 2008 he came to Toronto. Now with the twins seemingly headed to free agency, he has a chance to bring them to his team again and build a winner.

They're not overly skilled forwards but they are able to put up the points, both have managed to get 60+ points each of the past three seasons. They both appear to play a different kind of game from one another as well. Henrik is more a playmaker and Daniel is a goal scorer, both compliment each other nicely, and would be solid additions to Toronto's top line.

Its more a matter of what they deserve financially, Vancouver has negotiated around the $5-5.5 million mark but they may seek upwards of $6 or $7 million. With the cap surely to go down soon enough, teams are now realizing they can't overpay players or have long term deals. $6 million seems fair for both, but it will be interesting to see what happens come July 1st.

Another possibility for Toronto is Mattius Ohlund, who is set to become a free agent as well July 1 and could seek similar money. Burke and Nonis were said to be big on him and Burke may try to sign him to a deal as well.

What may stop them from coming may not only be money, they may not view Toronto as a contender. Although if given the right amount they could be persuaded easily.

Even if they don't come to Toronto but leave Vancouver, the Canucks could be in trouble. Guys like Luongo aren't going to want to stay around much longer if they can't keep their core intact.

One thing we can count on is Burke will be active this summer, he has roughly $17 million to shape his hockey club. He's not one to talk about his plans until he does them, but still, its getting exciting.

Survivor Toronto: Who Will Be the Sole Maple Leafs Survivor?

Brandon Warnes — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:15:55 -0500

Alright, so Survivor isn't coming to Toronto anytime soon. Nor will a player win money for being the only not being moved at the trade deadline on March 4. However the only player who appears to be untouchable is rookie Luke Schenn.

Burke is keeping his cards close to his chest at the moment but admits talks have heated up over the course of the week. He has said a few times now that everyone won't like the moves he makes but they are moves that he views are helpful to this club.

So who goes and who stays exactly? Well if this rebuilding process is really underway, surely Burke isn't considering trading some of the better young players they have right now like Grabovski and Kulemin.

What about some of the veterans who weren't moved last year? Well it turns out that those players are the best assests Toronto has at the moment if any deal is to be made.

Both Tomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina have said time and again that they have no plans of leaving this team but would be open to the idea. Kaberle has given his agent 10 teams he'd be willing to get moved to if deal was to happen, all are believed to be from the east.

Kubina now has said he has no intention of waiving his no trade clause but both players can get traded no matter what once summer rolls around if they miss the playoffs this year.

Likelihood:

Kaberle - 50/50, Burke has said that Kaberle is a good player he'd love to keep around. He would have to find a defender that plays his style anyways if he does get moved and Burke has to be blown away by any offers in order for it to be considered. Ideally a young player in the NHL, prospect and high draft pick.

Kubina - Not moving at the deadline, may get traded this summer. Little to no interest for Kubina and he appears to be willing to ride this season out with Toronto.

What happens once you have a career year, and what happens when you bounce back from a poor season? Well talks heat up about shipping you out of town while they can. Dominic Moore is on pace for a career year and Jason Blake has rebounded from a terrible season last year that saw him only score 15 goals.

Toronto currently is working out things with Moore and trying to resign him. While Moore is a good player, if he was anywhere else he would be a mediocre third/fourth line player with limited ice time and the value in return for a trade would not be great.

As for Jason Blake he still has a few years left on his deal and a lot of money to go with it. Despite him having a better season, no team will be willing to take on this aging winger.

Likelihood:

Moore - 50/50, wouldn't get much in return and may demand too much for Toronto to resign him. Although a possible trade and sign could occur where Burke would get what he could for Moore then resign him in July.

Blake - Not going anywhere, little interest for aging winger will a bad contract. Buyout in the summer could be possible but don't expect him to be traded by March.

What happens to guys who have worn out their welcome in Toronto? Well they too get shipped out of town, or are heavily pushed by fans and management who have seen enough. Players falling into this category are Nik Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Matt Stajan.

All of these guys are having respectable seasons but management and fans are starting to feel like its time for both sides to move on. Antropov is on pace for a career season and was regarded to be the only top six forward by then general manager Cliff Fletcher.

Burke now believes Antropov isn't worth re-signing and would rather trade him and not lose him for nothing.

Ponikarovsky has never really broken out into a great player, but has the potential to score 20 goals a season. Too often than not he does things one night and then goes quiet the next, and that quietness sometimes lasts awhile.

Stajan had always been said to be the future captain of this team because of his maturity and leadership. He too is having a career season and many people feel Toronto should trade him while his value is high.

Likelihood:

Antropov - 50/50, could get dealt at the deadline or could be lost to free agency in July. Asking price is said to be a first round pick and teams may not be willing to pay that.

Ponikarovsky - 50/50, teams could be looking to add a big body with scoring touch. Deal is attractive and has one year left for $2.1 million. If Antropov is too steep a risk, teams could call for Poni.

Stajan - Not likely, similar circumstances to Moore. He would be a third line guy on a good team, so return won't be great.

Last but not least is one of the more important positions on the team, goal-tending. Vesa Toskala seems to have fallen out of favour with Toronto and hasn't quite played like he did last year. Maybe a change of scenery would be good for Toskala and he's been playing a bit better as of late so stock could be on the rise.

Likeliness:

Toskala: Not going anywhere, no interest in him. Would leave a hole in their goal-tending which Toronto has paid too dearly for in the past. Holding on to him until Pogge develops or someone better becomes available.

The next few days leading up to the deadline will be interesting ones indeed. These players on this list could be moved or other players not on this list could be move. One thing is for sure, Toronto won't be standing pat come March 4.

Maple Leafs Dominate Canadiens, Win 5-2

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:22:47 -0500

Judging by the build-up for this game, you knew you were in for a treat. Kostitsyn vs. Grabovski was heavily discussed and both teams were looking to bounce back from tough losses.

Toronto set the tone early as they took a lot of shots compared to how they played in Buffalo a few nights before. It was a chippy affair, as both teams were trading hits early on.

Toronto had the 1-0 lead after the first period. Rookie Luke Schenn has been a great defensive player who has worked hard this season. It payed off as he was able to net his first NHL goal and give his team the early lead.

The officials were not letting a lot go in this, rather than letting them play they called several penalties. It seemed like they called the wrong things and missed calls they should have made, but it didn't change the course of the game.

While this game was meant to be Kostitsyn vs. Grabovski it never ended up being like that. They both played different shifts and other players on each team were targeting these guys. Montreal would rather see Grabovski sit on his pants all night as that is all they focused on it seemed.

With Montreal something appears to be missing. They have lost too many games as of late and are losing to teams "they're supposed to be beating." Carey Price has looked shaky as of late and tonight was no different.

Jason Blake continued his fine play and scored two goals on Price, with one being sent to the top of the net glove side. Price seemed to have his mind elsewhere and was just not into the game at all. Losing focus of the puck and not positioning well to stop shots led to Toronto goals.

That was another story in this game too, the struggles of both team's goalies. While Price was poor, the same can not be said for Toskala who took the criticism from his general manager and coach to heart. Toskala made the saves he needed to and made some he had no business making, like a Chris Higgins breakaway shot.

Price showed similar signs to the way he played in last year's playoffs. His start was okay, but as time went on he just wasn't able to make the key stops and that is how this season has gone for him.

Maybe leaning on him too early wasn't a good move when they dealt Huet, but either way Montreal needs him to be solid if they have any hopes of doing anything this season.

Toronto looked like a great hockey team, something that hasn't been seen too much this year. Some nights they are good and the next they are downright awful.

Tonight, though, they got shots on net, forechecked well, and used their speed and made good passes to open up the game and get them a lead. If they could play like this on a nightly basis then they would be a really good team.

Stempniak and Jeff Finger scored for Toronto as well, and D'Agostini and Kostopoulos added makers for Montreal. Next game for Toronto goes Tuesday when they roll into Florida looking to make it two in a row. Montreal is set to start on a six game road trip looking to turn around their poor play as of late.

Tomas Kaberle: Should He Stay or Should He Go?

Brandon Warnes — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:33:27 -0500

Discussions about Kaberle have gone on ever since he started out in the league. Why doesn't he shoot enough and why is he such a good skater? Now people are talking about whether he should remain with the rebuilding Maple Leaf team or go elsewhere.

On one hand, Kaberle is a great player and a great part of any team. He can quarterback your power play, make a great first pass and carry the puck just as good as anybody. Also he has a reasonable contract that is affordable and attractive to many teams.

On the other, he hasn't been having as great a season as he is used to and many people feel he's worn out his welcome in Toronto. Many teams want him because of the reasons he should stick around in Toronto, which means they could get a good deal in return for him.

With the deadline coming, many teams are looking to add depth to their roster and improve in certain areas so they can make a run for the cup.

Would it be difficult to move Kaberle? Yes and no. Yes it would be difficult because he has a no trade clause and would have to okay any trade presented to him. Burke has also said numerous times that he won't ask Kaberle to waive it.

However, if the call was made and the right deal was in place, I'm positive Burke would ask him to waive his no trade clause and okay the move.

It wouldn't be hard to move him because so many teams seem interested in the kind of player he is and Kaberle ideally would have to pick at least 10 teams he'd want to go to if a deal was to be made.

So should Toronto keep Kaberle? Is he the future of the team and part of the plan going forward? Or should they cut ties with him and trade for future considerations? It'll be interesting to see what transpires come Mar. 4. Whether Kaberle stays or goes remains to be seen.

Maple Leafs-Penguins: Toronto Wins Tight One Against Pittsburgh

Brandon Warnes — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:20:47 -0500

On a night where former Toronto great Doug Gilmour was honored and embraced, Toronto seemed to gain an edge from the ceremony and played a similar style of hockey many were used to years ago.

They were aggressive, quick, hit hard, and managed to do something they don't do often; score the first goal of the game. Ian White slid home a loose puck to put the blue shirts up 1-0 over the Penguins.

In the second, Toronto continued to score going up 3-1 after getting goals from Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky. On a night where former captain Gilmour was being honored a rookie was making his case for future captain.

Luke Schenn is a dominant force and he showed that with his huge hit on Malkin. It was a chippy game throughout, but this hit was the turning point. Fans erupted in the stands and Pittsburgh players were not happy with Schenn. Tyler Kennedy stepped up and fought Schenn which saw Schenn get the nice takedown and a bunch of nice jabs along the way. Adding to this was a great assist later in the third on Matt Stajan's goal.

Toronto carried their 3-1 lead into the third, but Pittsburgh wasn't going away. Eventually it was tied at 4-4 after the teams exchanged a few goals. Normally Toronto would give in and not try to win a game where they were leading, but this club is different.

Toronto has a good mix of youth and leadership and in previous games, they kept playing until the end. Blake would be the hero of the night again netting his 17th goal of the season and fourth goal in his last four games. This gave Toronto a 5-4 lead which they would not lose to.

Pittsburgh scorers were Crosby, Malkin, Satan, and Kennedy. Garon got the call for Pittsburgh and made 21 saves in the loss. Toskala got the start for Toronto and made 22 saves for the win. Both goalies were not sharp, but it was Toskala who looked very out of place. He allowed too many soft goals, a few of which were slappers shot from far away.

Questions surround his performaces as of late and his cooperation with this team, and after tonight they will continue.

The ceremony itself was truly a great moment to see and hear. Highlights of Doug Gilmour's career in Toronto played on the screens and fans chanted "Douggieee" throughout his speech.

Toronto will look to make it three wins in a row when they host the Florida Panthers Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre.

Andrew Raycroft: The Comeback Kid

Brandon Warnes — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:20:36 -0500

Depending on who you talked to, Raycroft was a love 'em or hate 'em kind of guy. Playing in Toronto is a tough challenge, so your mistakes are magnified by 10. But has a change of scenery changed the way others view Raycroft?

Surely it seems that way, as he has gotten the start over Budaj on several occasions. He's accepted the challenge and performed well this season though posting .905 save percentage and a 2.71 Goals Against Average along with nine wins in fifteen games.

During the 2006-2007 season, he was supposed to be the Maple Leafs' No.1 goalie and despite posting an impressive 37 wins, he never met their expectations and Toronto failed to make the post-season.

Thinking about how he came to Toronto, people felt we gave up our future for him. Trading now Boston Bruins prospect Tuuka Rask for Andrew Raycroft was surely a head scratcher.

Since he was unable to get Toronto in the playoffs, then general manager John Ferguson Jr. traded draft picks to San Jose for Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. If Raycroft was not questioning his position on the team before, he sure was then.

He had his chances early on in the year, but never materialized as the No.1 goalie and Toskala seemed to thrive from this. Raycroft wanted back in, but Toskala played on his head to solidify his status as the new number one goalie.

They failed to make the playoffs again and at the end of 2007-2008 season, Raycroft was put on waivers as he only managed two wins in 19 games and had a lousy .876 save percentage and 3.92 Goals Against Average.

Raycroft went unclaimed and was ultimately a free agent where he was signed by Colorado. Their goalie was Theodore but he was not resigned and they took a chance on Raycroft as their backup to Budaj.

However, now it appears that Raycroft is their No.1 goalie, and makes no mistake as he continues playing like one. If he keeps this up he may find a permanent home in Colorado soon.

You just know he's dying to play his old team when Toronto heads to Denver on Thursday. It is sure to be an entertaining game and Raycroft should get his chance to prove to his old club that he's still got it.

Minnesota Runs 'Wild' On Toronto

Brandon Warnes — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:28:53 -0500

It started out as a feel good story, Mike Van Ryn returns from injury and youngster Justin Pogge is called up to showcase his stuff once again. Sadly, it turned into something you would see in a slasher flick by the end of the game.

Toronto just looked flat. Maybe it was the time off that got to them, but they looked very out of place. Early on they managed few shots and chances, and found themselves down 1-0 because of it. By the end of the night the score was 6-1 for Minnesota.

Maybe its the trade winds howling that is getting to Antropov as he was unable to find the net once again. He had his fair share of chances; 6 shots early in the game but he couldn't capitalize.

For Minnesota, their fast paced style of play seemed to be the right formula to beat Toronto. Many times they caught Toronto flat footed and were in alone on Pogge, or were in two on one situations. Bouchard was the spark for the team, using his speed and determination to net a pair of goals.

Once again it was Jason Blake finding the net for Toronto. This has been the story for the last month or so now as Blake has already matched his total from last year with fifteen goals so far this season.

As for the return for Van Ryn, maybe he should have waited until Colorado to come back. The whole defense looked shaky, aside from strong play from Luke Schenn. Too many turnovers and bad decisions on offense led to Minnesota goals.

Pogge was called up again to show how capable or incapable he is of playing at this level. Was it a fair assessment tonight? Not in the least, as many of the goals were not his fault. Sure, he looked slow to move on a few goals but if Toronto had not turned the puck over so often and if the defenders didn't leave him out to dry the score may have been a little less than it ended up.

Leaving Pogge in for all the goals may have hurt his stride but its all part of the learning process. Hopefully his next outing is much better for him.

All in all it was a bad effort on all fronts. Forwards didn't look sharp, nor did the defense. Clearly a shakeup is needed, although significant deals may be far away.

However what they may need is another spark from players returning from injury. In Colorado, they may just get that as Williams plans to return from his shoulder problems, and Finger may want to play his former team again. Toronto should be ready to go Thursday as they are set to face former Leafs Darcy Tucker and Andrew Raycroft.

Which Maple Leafs Make Good Trade Bait?

Brandon Warnes — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:16:53 -0500

With the trade deadline looming, and a nice break from the NHL with the upcoming All-Star weekend, it is time to take a look and see which players Toronto could trade that would get them nice returns.

Ideally, Burke is looking to move veterans for picks and prospects—but does he have the right tools for the job?

Tomas Kaberle:

He's a great offensive defender, with an affordable deal—making just over $4 million this season with three years left on his deal. It would be a great pickup for a team looking to add a great puck-handler.

He was supposed to be traded for Carter and a first rounder last year, could he still fetch a young NHLer and a first rounder this year too? Expect him to move regardless—he's the best selling point this team has.

Pavel Kubina:

He's a great offensive defender as well, who brings leadership and a cup ring with him. Has a good, hard shot and isn't afraid to mix it up. Kubina may be a player that could stick around, but teams may still find him to be a good pickup.

Look for him to remain with the team until the summer, when he may or may not be dealt.

Alexei Ponikarovsky:

He's a solid forward who may turn out to be a 20-goal scorer in his career. He uses his big body to find room and score goals. Another player Burke may potentially want to keep around, but a team looking to add a solid winger may take a look at him.

Has a good contract as well, making $2.1 million with another year left on his deal.

Nik Antropov:

He's another solid forward who has great scoring potential. Like Alexei, he uses his body to find room and score goals, and isn't afraid of playing under pressure. A potential UFA, he could be traded to a team looking to make a Stanley Cup run.

Expect one of these two to be traded by the deadline. Ponikarovsky looks like the ideal choice, but teams may take Antropov over him.

Jason Blake:

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Once a 40-goal scorer, with three other seasons of 20 or more, Blake stumbled last season and only managed 15 goals.

He is 35 years old with three years left on his deal, and is making $4 million and under after this season. Teams may not like the terms—but they may want him, as he has the potential to score 20 or more goals.

Expect him to stay put with the team this season, and depending on how things go, he could be bought out at season's end.

Vesa Toskala:

Another player who looks out of place this year is Vesa Toskala, who just isn't the same player he was last year. A bit of it may be not having Andrew Raycroft challenging him for the starting job.

He has looked good as of late, but generally he appears to have had enough in Toronto. Teams with goaltending woes may call Toronto at the deadline and they could fetch a nice return.

Expect something on the goaltending front to happen, as they plan to give Pogge more games time this season.

These are the key players who would fetch the most in return if they were traded and who seemingly don't quite fit into the youth approach of the Maple Leafs.

Toronto Hockey: What's Wrong In Leaf Land?

Brandon Warnes — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:18:41 -0500

Not much was to be expected this season in Toronto. The Maple Leafs have missed the playoffs for three years now and were without their longtime captain Mats Sundin. Many figured the Maple Leafs were a sure bet for the lottery at the end of the season. The team is in rebuilding mode but have done much better than they could have even imagined.

Still though, it's not hard to be a better team than the one that suited up last year. Additionally, the team is still struggling and something seems to be missing.

Forwards:

Scoring a lot more goals than many could have predicted. Without Sundin leading the way the team has scored 121 goals in total. Two players having breakout seasons are Matt Stajan and Dominic Moore. Aside from those two and Antropov and Ponikarovsky though, someone else needs to step up. A common thing for this team is to score goals later in the game when it may already be over.

Solution: Find that veteran presence needed to ensure that the team plays a full game. Possibly acquire a young forward with some upside.

Defense:

Luke Schenn has been a rock on the blue line, Van Ryn has been a nice addition and Jonas Frogren seems to be making fans everywhere he goes. Sadly, they have allowed 142 goals which doesn't exactly read "good job." Kubina and Kaberle have been making far too many errors for two veteran players. Injuries have taken their toll as well but the overall play on defense has been poor.

Solution: Trade Kaberle and or Kubina for prospects and picks, allow younger defense to play at high level. Clear cap space for signing other defenders or use it in other areas.

Goaltending:

Toskala hasn't been the number one goalie many were used to seeing and Joseph hasn't looked like a reliable back-up so far this season. The problem with Toskala may lie with Raycroft, last year Raycroft was there and both were trying to be the number one guy. This year, Raycroft is gone and Joseph comes in already aware of the role he has on the team. Throw in friends being traded from the team and perhaps Toskala doesn't find Toronto too cozy anymore. In any case his game needs to pick up, whether he knows it or not. As for Joseph his time in the NHL appears to be over, allow him to be part of the organization in another form.

Solution: Call up Pogge and allow Joseph to retire. A young goalie looking to prove himself may be the kick Toskala needs. Or get rid of Toskala all together as the return for him later in the season could be good.

Coaching:

Nothing seems to be too bad here, Ron Wilson appears to be fitting into his role quite nicely. However he seems to be unsure of what the problem with his team is. He seems to blame the older players but doesn't give the younger guys enough chances in key situations.

Solution: Keep him around for sure, but tell him to be harder on the veterans and give younger players more ice time.

General Manager:

It's hard to really judge Brian Burke at this point as he has yet to do anything really worthwhile to this team. Cliff Fletcher built the team we have now and most of his moves have been good. He rid the team of older overpaid guys and brought in guys like Grabovski and Hagman. He had deals in place for Sundin (Higgins, first and second round picks) and Kaberle (Carter and first round pick) but both refused to waive their no trade clauses. Even his move before he handed the team over to Burke, which saw them give up Steen and Coliacovo for Stempniak seemed alright at the time and has been the real big deal for them this season.

Burke recently acquired Brad May as his first move, but what message does this convey? He is older and won't do much more for the team aside from adding some leadership and toughness. Burke is sure to do something more soon but he should be stocking up on prospects and picks and avoid the older players completely. His trading pieces appear to be Kaberle, Kubina and Antropov, all of which would get a great return if the time came. Stajan too could get a decent return, especially since his stock won't rise much more than the point it is this season.

Solution: Start testing the waters, look to see what picks and prospects teams would part with for the Leafs better players. Avoid older and overpaid players entirely.

Overall the Maple Leafs are not in rough shape, teams like the Senators are in a much worse spot at the moment. Things aren't perfect in Toronto though, as a few key areas need to be addressed. It will be interesting to see what transpires in the rest of the season and more importantly what happens at the deadline.

J.P. Ricciardi Insane? Toronto Blue Jays GM Expects To Stand Pat In Offseason

Brandon Warnes — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:57:05 -0400

He has an ego as big as his nose and as wide as his forehead. Sadly, his reputation and credentials as a GM aren't as big.

Let's face it, JP Ricciardi has been a mediocre GM at best often making foolish deals or deals he later regrets. Since he joined as GM the Jays best achievement to date has to be finishing second in the American League East ahead of the Red Sox. Other than that it's been a disappointing tenure for Ricciardi and the Jays often barely winning 82 games.

One of his "strange" deals may have been the signing of Frank Thomas to a two-year deal. Thomas was struggling in his second season with the Jays so Ricciardi planned to limit Thomas' at bats so an option could not be picked up on his deal that would have paid him 10 million.

Sure avoiding that deal may have been an alright move, but the signing in the first place is questionable as he could have signed someone else or put the money to good use. Letting go of Carlos Delgado and many other great players only adds to the list of bad moves done by Ricciardi.

He has also tarnished his reputation as a GM by making fun of players or calling them out, offending both the player, agent, and GM. This year he called out Adam Dunn saying, "He's not a guy who likes to play baseball, or enjoys what he does." This makes players not want to come to Toronto and makes it harder to trade with the other GMs in the league.

Now with the season drawing to a close, some insight was given as to what Jays fans should expect to see next season.

"We'd like to upgrade DH, but if Snider takes over in left or Lind becomes DH, or vice versa, we might not have to go that route," Ricciardi said. "We'd like to upgrade at short but if we had to go with Scutaro or McDonald we'd be happy with that."

My only concern is that there is probably a more worthy DH available via free agency or trade. Same with shortstop, McDonald is get defensivley and Scutaro has been great in all areas this season but McDonald hits light and Scutaro isn't always consistent.

If Hill returns next season it leaves the middle infield a mess as both McDonald and Scutaro may want spots and Inglett and Hill need somewhere to play as well.

Ricciardi hasn't been too happy with free agency for a little while so he's cautious about doing anything this year. He notes that some guys have had better years in the past and now they are struggling, so he wants to step back and see them play another year.

Two notable free agents are lefty CC Sabathia and Angels Slugger Mark Teixeira. With Burnett, Zaun, and the prior departure of Frank Thomas, they have about $15 million to spend this off-season.

Ricciardi is aware of what the club needs, a shortstop, a power-hitting DH/first basemen and some help behind the plate. Snider has only played two games in the majors and has upside but he would be better off starting in left field.

If Burnett leaves they don't have anyone on the team currently who can be a solid No. 2 starter and Ricciardi would be crazy to believe they do. Marcum, Mcgowan, and Litsch have all struggled this season and never quite found their stride.

Whatever the case Ricciardi needs to spend some of that money on whatever area he finds urgent at the time. If he fails to spend any money in the off-season he is crazy, and there's no way this team can improve.

Most Jays' fans are calling for his head after the season is over, but there's one bright spot Ricciardi could look forward to if he stays and chooses to stand pat in the off-season. His reputation as a GM may finally be able to match up to the size of his nose and forehead, just not for the best reasons.

Nik Antropov : From Bust to "In Nik We Trust?"

Brandon Warnes — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:19:55 -0400

Nik Antropov, the former whipping boy of the Maple Leafs should soon be getting the praise he deserves.

The 2007-2008 season was a breakout one for Nik Antropov, even if it was a disappointing one for the Maple Leafs. The 6'-6", 250 pound forward from Kazakhstan notched 26 goals and 30 assists, accumulating 56 points, and was a +10 last season. He showed what potential he had while showing his ability to put the puck in the back of the net.

Antropov was selected 10th overall in the first round by the Maple Leafs in 1998. He was expected to be a big time player and possibly a strong cornerstone in their franchise. However, injuries had slowed down his career and caused him to miss a lot of games. In eight seasons with the Leafs he has played in 446 games and has 104 goals, 141 assists for 245 points.

Last season, he played in 72 games and while he was still injured he wasn't out for too long. He still played a physical game and seemed more mobile last season compared to previous ones.

Not to mention, he was suspended for three games on a questionable call, so if he hadn't had missed those games those numbers may be a bit better.

Still a 26 goal season where 18 was his career high, is a great sign and even his highest point total was 33 and he passed that mark as well. If you look at the past three years for Nik, you see improvement and with all the injuries he's had that's a great thing for the Maple Leafs.

With Mats Sundin pretty much done in Toronto and quite possibly the NHL, that leaves Antropov as the No. 1 center on the Leafs. The only way the Leafs will have a chance at the postseason is if Antropov's continues to improve his numbers or at least continue to have a few 25-goal seasons.

Leaf fans who had ridiculed Antropov and called for him to be traded in the past will need to rely on this guy and support him this season, because Nik is going to be the one carrying this team to the postseason.

It remains to be seen if Sundin leaving will have an impact on Antropovs' play, we'll have to wait and see if he can produce on his own and put up big numbers.

It's been a long ride for Antropov's and his career with the Leafs is quite a tale. He's no longer the big bust he was made out to be, he's now the guy to trust in Toronto.

WWE Feels Like It Is Missing Something

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:16:36 -0400

I've been enjoying the WWE for years now and have constantly tuned into Raw and Smackdown each week. The last couple of months have felt strange to me and I can't really understand why.

Raw has tons of potential with top tier guys all over the place, but it feels like a mess right now.

We have guys like JBL main-eventing and always challenging CM Punk for the title, and that should not be happening. At the draft, Raw got some good guys and I was very pleased with how they did but WWE writers aren't writing convincing matches or rivalries, I find and many guys are left without matches most nights.

Smackdown is pretty much the same way—just look at the Scramble match taking place at Unforgiven. Shelton Benjamin, MVP, The Brian Kendrick? These guys have a lot of upside, but they should not be main-eventing right now, not this early. Let them develop into solid mid-card performers instead of rushing things.

HHH is the champ on Smackdown, and he is in a dull feud with The Great Khali. Khali can't wrestle if his life depended on it—HHH needs something better out of Smackdown and it just isn't happening.

Two feuds that have gone well, though, as of late are Jericho vs. HBK and Undertaker vs. Edge. In Jericho and Edge, you get two young heels who are very gifted, and in HBK and Undertaker you get two great legends and future hall of famers. Aside from those two rivalries, though, the rest of those shows end up feeling dull to me.

Maybe once Orton and Cena come back to Raw and Edge comes back on TV, things will change. A solution could be merging Smackdown and Raw back together while still doing two shows like they did when Smackdown was first starting out. Or maybe blow up ECW and spread out the wrestlers to add more depth to the roster.

Whatever the case, I can't help but feeling this empty feeling when watching both Smackdown and Raw. While certain spots are entertaining and thought-provoking, it just feels like Raw and Smackdown are missing something.

Jays defeat the Yankees : Yankees closer to missing post-season

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:15:35 -0400

The Blue Jays played their second last game at Yankee Stadium today and managed to come back despite being down 6-2. Jose Bautista contributed by driving in two and getting his first hit as a Jay since being picked up from the Pirates a few days ago.

John Parrish got the start for the Jays and didn't look sharp like he had in his previous outings. He threw two wild pitches in the first and after each runner advance they were driven home and the Yankees were out on top 2-0.

Wells came to the plate and with a runner on base hit his 5th home run in seven games to tie up the game. With the Yankees already leading 4-2 in the Yankees got back to back homers in the 5th inning to lead 6-2.

Rasner got the start for the Yankees and aside from the home-run from Wells was doing well up until the seventh inning where he managed to load the bases after Bautista got an RBI single. Jays rookie Travis Snider had his shot to do something with the bases loaded but he ended up striking out. Jays managed to still add two in the inning and were with in one.

With a similar situation like the seventh inning, in the eighth the Jays had men on base and Bautista drove in another run. Jays added one more for good measure and turned to B.J. Ryan to close it out.

After walking the first two men he faced, B.J. Ryan now had to face Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez hit the ball hard to third but Baustista managed to snag the ball, touch third base and throw to first to get a double play.

"I hit it hard, and he made an unbelievable play," said Rodriguez, marveling at Bautista's grab. "I don't know how he made that play, and to be able to get two outs just leaves me speechless."

"I realized that I had it in the glove," Bautista said. "I didn't even feel like we had a chance to turn it. I ran to third—make sure we kept those runners as far from scoring as possible—and I gave it a shot at first. I just happened to barely get him."

The Jays will look to remain the spoiler in their final game at Yankee Stadium tomorrow afternoon and take two from the Yankees this series. One more loss and the Yankees playoff hopes will soon be over as well, they haven't missed the post-season since 94.

A.J. Burnett : One of the few bright spots of this season

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:48:55 -0400

A.J. Burnett, what a difference a year makes.

Burnett had signed on with the Jays getting some big years and big money. He has two years left on his contract as option years if he decides to return, but it didn't start out rosey for Burnett in Toronto.

Injuries in both 2006 and 2007 caused Burnett to start fewer games. Also in both 2006 and 2007 he had very similar years netting 10 and eight wins each season respectively. Those numbers compared to other No. 2 starters were not too impressive.

Enter 2008 and what a season Burnett has had. He currently has 16 wins and nine losses, 193 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.48 and is on pace for 19 wins, 12 losses and 232 strikeouts. While the Jays appeared to be having ups and downs throughout the season Burnett has been very consistent each start.

At training camp many fans were worried that he would be worse than last year after injuring his curve ball finger. That wasn't the case as he has blown through the competition causing several to swing and miss and his curve ball has been top notch.

Aside from Halladay, Burnett has been the best starter for the Jays this season. Where it's gets interesting is the contract with Burnett. He does have two years left but those are option years and he can opt out after this year if he decides to.

Burnett can easily command big money on any team he signs with because of his dominance this season. If he walks out, the Jays will have some possible big name pitchers to pick from that will be free agents. One possible free agent starter is lefty C.C Sabathia, he would command big money but would be a great addition to the staff.

Burnett could opt out though and still entertain offers from the Jays and maybe work on a new deal with good length and money.

If he doesn't return the Jays need to trade or sign somebody, they don't have anyone that can fill his spot on the Jays on their current roster. Despite the Jays having another lackluster year, watching A.J. Burnett pitch and rack up the K's has been very enjoyable.

Toronto Blue Jays Look To Play the Spoiler

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:27:50 -0400

Although the season hasn't finished officially, the Blue Jays' playoff hopes are over, as they sit too far back in both the division and wild card.

The division had been a long shot for a while now, but the Jays still had a chance at the wild card. However, with the Jays trading away DH/LF Matt Stairs, it appears that management has given up on them.

While Stairs hasn't had as good a year as he did last year, he remained a fan favourite and now has a chance to make the postseason with the Phillies.

The Blue Jays needed teams ahead of them to lose games in a row while they won series after series, but neither has happened the way they would have liked. They needed to go 25-9 in their remaining games, but they have already lost about five of those nine affordable losses, and Boston and Tampa don't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

The best thing they can do now is to get some momentum and carry over to next year and hope for a good Spring Training. So, while teams are adding bits and pieces to a potential World Series run, the Jays are playing the role of spoiler and are looking ahead to next season.

Chris Jericho the Best Under-Used Guy On Raw

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:40:39 -0400

I've been a long time fan of the WWE, watching my first match when I was about seven or eight years old and at that time Raw was known as Raw Is War. Those really were the days and high points of the WWE in my mind—and one wrestler in that era stood out to me.

That wrestler was Chris Jericho, and when he first came on WWE TV and interrupted The Rock, I was taken aback. Sure, there were other guys that could work the mic just as well—Stone Cold and The Rock himself could lay down some smack talk—but Jericho had great energy and could insult the best of them.

Chris Jericho is easily the most talented and entertaining superstar on Raw, and since the attitude days he's been treated unfairly. After winning and becoming the first Undisputed Champion his World Title dreams were never met again since. After that he had some good feuds going with HHH and had good matches, but WWE seemed happier handing out titles to newcomers like John Cena and Randy Orton.

He was fired about two years ago in the storyline because he failed to beat Cena at Summerslam and Eric Bischoff had laid out rules that whoever lost the match would be fired. He was hoping to get Cena off his case, but Jericho ended up losing and getting fired. Really he wanted to take time off and try his hand at acting and getting his band going again.

Earlier this year advertisements were being shown on Raw, Save_US etc., and many were left wondering who was coming. More clues were shown, and some had guessed who it would be, but to my surprise it was Jericho returning to the WWE.

His first act was fighting Orton and taking the World Title from him, but he didn't manage to beat him. Then he won intercontinental titles and had little feuds here and there and I was worried that he was heading down that road again.

However, his feud with HBK has shown just how evil he can be and how great of a heel he can be. So not only can Jericho be funny and a babyface, but he can be a heel—and a damn good one. If WWE doesn't give this guy the title once the feud is over, or at least title matches, they are seriously overlooking him.

Seeing JBL and Kane in the main event is just silly—Jericho needs to be in main events and title matches. Chris Jericho would be a great champion, whether he's a heel or babyface, and with Orton out of action (Raw's next best heel in my book), now's the time to give a heel the belt again.

Mats Sundin, Thanks for the Memories!

Brandon Warnes — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:26:31 -0400

Mats, as a big Leaf fan I have to thank you for all the years you've given the organization. We never got you that Stanley Cup, but we've been home to the accomplishments that you've made in your career—500 goals, climbing the Leafs' all-time points list, etc. You've done a lot in Toronto.

You have managed to do all these things with mediocre linemates. Playing on lines with Jonas Hoglund and Alexei Ponikarovsky, you have still managed to put up great numbers each season.

Nothing is mediocre about your numbers, or your ability to come back from injuries earlier than expected. You don't seem to slow down either when coming back from injuries. You always knew where the team stood and what you needed to do to help us out and win games.

There's been a lot of talk this summer about where you're going and if you're playing again at all (it's all you read these days).

The Leafs seem to have moved on from all of this. And although trading you at the deadline and getting good pieces back may have been better for the team, I think you have deserved the right to walk away from the team on your own terms.

You may not be a guaranteed Hall of Famer because you don't have cup rings and your numbers are lower than other potential Hall of Famers. Still, you will always be one of the best Leafs ever to wear the jersey for years to come.

If you do play again and decide to play elsewhere it will be tough to see you in another jersey. However, it is still easy for me and maybe other Leaf fans to thank you for all you have done in Toronto. Mats, thanks for the memories!

Toronto Maple Leafs : Outlook On The 2008/2009 Season

Brandon Warnes — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:20:41 -0400

Toronto Maple Leafs, "when oh when will they ever win a cup again?"

Better yet, "When are the Leafs going to make the playoffs again?"

Well fans, no need to worry. There is a tiny glimmer of hope—and that hope is for the upcoming season. The Leafs will make the playoffs next year.

A few Leafs (some more loved than others) have left the team and gone elsewhere.

Fan favourite, Darcy Tucker, has gone to the Avalanche along with former Leaf whipping boy, Andrew Raycroft, and Kyle Wellwood has signed on with Vancouver.

The big dilema is that of Mats Sundin. It may be too little, too late for Sundin and since being asked to get traded last year at the deadline Sundin may have had enough in Toronto.

Sure he will be missed—Sundin is a Leaf legend and he's played with some good and some mediocre players over the years while maintaining a steady amount of points, despite who they were. He's battled through injuries and always came back sooner than later, but Sundin seems to want to go to greener pastures, someone who has a chance at the Cup this year and the Leafs certainly won't be that team.

However, the Leafs have a strong chance of making the playoffs and ending the drought that started the season after the lockout. John Ferguson Jr. and Maurice are gone and Fletcher and Wilson are in.

Depsite being "temporary" Fletcher has done well to rid the team of its older underperforming players and get a youth movement going. Wilson will be coming into Toronto with a defensive mindset and good track record—he will be laying out a nice blueprint for this team for years to come.

New, old faces in Toronto are Jeff Finger, Niklas Hagman and Curtis Joseph. McCabe is on his way out and that makes room for other defensemen on the team (don't expect Schenn to make the big team this year).

Players already on the team will be expected to carry the offensive load for the team in Sundins absence. Antropov will need to have a similar or better year to that of the season he had last year. Blake should bounce back into a 25-goal, 60-65 point guy after his cancer scare has passed.

If Sundin did decide to come back the team would be much better than they were last year in many categories, if he doesn't the team is still in a good shape and will end up surprising critics and fans alike. I'm putting money on a 7th/8th place finish in the East but a first round exit in the playoffs.

With the exception to McCabe this will be the lineup the Leafs will have going into the 2008/2009 season:

Steen - Antropov - Blake
Kulemin - Grabovski - Tlusty
Poni - Stajan - Hagman
Mayers - Moore - Devereaux

Extras - Newbury, Williams, Bell

Kaberle - Kubina
Cola - McCabe
Finger - Stralman

Extras - White, Kronwall

Toskala
Joseph

Toronto has solid defense even with McCabe heading out of town. Sure they may not have the best top two pairing in the league but they have a decent top two pairing and a handful of guys wanting to prove their worth. Toskala needs to have a similar year as he did last year and he has a reliable back-up now with Cujo (Curtis Joseph) set to give Toskala some guidance and pick up a few wins when counted on.

The big question mark may be their offense, but their offense has a ton of potential. Antropov needs to put up similar numbers like he did previously and young forwards Alex Steen and Matt Stajan will be counted on more and will need to step up. Jason Blake needs to find his form again and put up respectable numbers. Newcomers Grabovski and Kulemin along with Tlusty who is in his second year with the Leafs, provide even more potential and youth to this Leaf team.

If Toskala doesn't play like he did last year and the forwards can't find their stride then the Leafs won't have a shot at making the postseason this year.

Solid first two lines with great potential and two great checking lines. The Leafs are on the right track to ending one streak and will be able to answer one question after this season is over as the playoffs look very possible.

That magical Cup run is going to have to wait a few more seasons though.