Posts Tagged ‘Maple Leafs’

Mike Augello: THE SWEATT ERA ENDS & THE KABERLE VIGIL CONTINUES

18, Jul 2010

For fans who had grandiose dreams of Billy Sweatt being an integral part of future Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Championship teams, you will have to let go of those thoughts. According to Dave Fuller’s recent column in the Toronto Sun (http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/2010/07/16/14742746.html ), the Leafs have already moved on:

We heard Billy Sweatt was lightning quick and now he’s gon…

Mike Augello: LEAFS MAKE MINOR TREMORS, FANS WAITING FOR EARTHQUAKE

16, Jul 2010

The Leafs announced the signing of three players yesterday. Mike Zigomanis, a former Buffalo Sabres draftee, who has had NHL stints with Pittsburgh and Carolina before playing with the Marlies briefly last season, 27 year old career minor leaguer Joey Crabb, who has spent most of his career in the Atlanta Thrashers organization and defenseman Danny Richmond, who played with Peoria and Rockford la…

Mike Augello: LEAFS SIGN GERMAN FORWARD MUELLER

14, Jul 2010

From NHL.com:

The Toronto Maple Leafs agreed Wednesday to a two-year entry level contract with German forward Marcel Mueller.

Mueller, 22, appeared in 53 games with the Cologne Sharks of the German Elite League (DEL) in 2009-10, registering the team-lead in game-winning goals (6), power-play goals (8), assists (32) and penalty minutes (122), while finishing second in goals (24), shorthanded…

Andy Strickland: Maltby, Bickell Closing in on Extensions

13, Jul 2010

Detroit has a 1 year offer on the table that would allow veteran Kirk Maltby to finish up his career with the Red Wings.

D-man Nick Boynton is considering an offer to return to the Chicago Blackhawks. While an offer to return to Chicago is on the table Boynton is also strongly considering retirement.

The Blackhawks are closing in on re-signing 24 year old Bryan Bickell to a multi-year cont…

Andy Strickland: Blues Re-sign Strachan, Maltby, Bickell Close

13, Jul 2010

The Blues have re-signed D-man Tyson Strachan to a 1 year extension for the upcoming season. Strachan signs a two-way deal but has a decent chance to begin the season on the NHL roster. He’s played 38 NHL games over the course of the last two seasons.

Detroit has a 1 year offer on the table that would allow veteran Kirk Maltby to finish up his career with the Red Wings.

D-man Nick Boynton…

Mike Augello: HJALMARSSON SHEET MATCH COULD BENEFIT LEAFS

13, Jul 2010

While we wait for Ilya Kovalchuk to decide if he wants to sign a 15 year deal to play in downtown Newark or to join fellow countryman Evgeny Nabakov in Peter the Great’s Baltic Sea playground, a few NHL general managers are trying to make moves that will impact the fortunes of their club in the future, San Jose GM Doug Wilson hoped to take advantage of the Chicago Black Hawks salary cap troubles…

Mike Augello: LEAFS WILL BE SWEATT-ING IT OUT

12, Jul 2010

Even with the possibility of Toronto acquiring more help up front via free agency or by trade before the season starts, there still will be opportunities for players already in the organization to earn a roster spot. Toronto native Brayden Irwin is one possible option. Irwin, who lead the University of Vermont in scoring with 34 points in 39 games, played two games with the Leafs late last season….

Jesse Connolly: Fan Poll: If You Could Fire One Current NHL Head Coach…

11, Jul 2010

As fans and spectators of the great sport of hockey, we are always ready to rattle off a quick list of our least favorite, most detested NHL players. From generation to generation, there have always been bona fide villains and there always will be. Names like Domi, Avery, Samuelsson and Cooke are undoubtedly bound to come up in any conversation with those who have grown up in the same era of hocke…

Mike Augello: ALL IN DUE TIME

11, Jul 2010

If the Toronto Maple Leafs foray into free agency were a movie, the first act would be comparable to “Die Hard”, with the signings of Colby Armstrong and Brett Lebda, not to mention the acquisitions of Kris Versteeg, Bill Sweatt and Mike Brown. Unfortunately, if the news today is any indication, act two is starting out like a PBS documentary on the mating patterns of the platypus.

Toront…

Andy Strickland: Huet,Modano,Kovalchuk, Erik Johnson+Rink Rats!/Blues Clues!

9, Jul 2010

The Blues continue to negotiate contracts with a number of their own players most notably cornerstone pieces Erik Johnson and David Perron.

The Blues want both of these guys to define who they are as hockey players before they make any long-term financial commitment. There’s nothing wrong with dangling the carrot in front of a young player’s nose to keep them hungry and motivated. The tren…

Mike Augello: THE KABERLE WATCH

9, Jul 2010

Unfortunately the domino effect that is holding up a number of free agents signings and trades is not been initiated by the Lebron James signing. (BTW, after watching two seconds of that atrocity on ESPN last night, my first instinct was to look to the heavens and say “Thank you for making me a hockey fan.”) The indecision of Ilya Kovalchuk is holding up what some teams want to do and that is…

Howard Berger: Ca$h At Root Of Leafs’ Playoff Formula

8, Jul 2010

TORONTO (July 6) – On this glorious final day of work before a summer vacation that extends to the third week of August, I leave you with the following observation…

I am adequately convinced that the Maple Leafs will end their record playoff famine in the next two seasons. It has taken me 1 ½ years to decipher the Brian Burke plan, but I think I finally have a reasonable understanding of i…

Mike Augello: THE MEANING OF LEBDA

8, Jul 2010

In the wake of the signing of diminutive Brett Lebda to a two year contract, everyone is now trying to interpret whether that means a trade is imminent. If you listen to Brian Burke, the signing of the 28 year old Buffalo Grove, Illinois native was more about adding a experienced defenseman for a very reasonable price, but with eight NHL defensemen currently on the roster, it is not a question of…

Paul McCann: Random Thoughts from Pred Nation

8, Jul 2010

- Development camp is underway at Sportsplex, unfortunately my day job requirements have prevented me from getting out there… I’m hoping to sneak away for a quick peek today and will be there over the weekend. Today’s schedule includes an on-ice session that should begin around 10am.

- Kudos to Preds EVP Chris Parker and Preds Broadcasting Director Bob Kohl for the new deal with Fox Spo…

Who is Burke targeting in Kaberle trade?

2, Jul 2010

When Brian Burke makes a trade more often than not he does it by targeting players and going hard after them until he gets them.  He did this with both Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf.  He identified them as players he needs to fill a hole on the roster and went hard after them.  If [...]

Free Agent Round-up: Part 1

1, Jul 2010

Quick hits and reactions from the day’s bigger news so far: -Philadelphia Flyers restock their defense: By re-signing Braydon Coburn and trading for Andrej Meszaros, the Flyers now have one of the most impressive — and expensive — defense groups i…

Andy Strickland: Ladd Next To Go?

1, Jul 2010

As I reported last night on twitter Andrew Ladd could very well be the next Blackhawk on the move as I’m told as many as a dozen teams have expressed some level of interest.

For the latest free agent scoops follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/andystrickland

The Blues and D-man Carlo Colaiacovo will be parting ways at least for now anyway.

Some proposals have been exchanged but as w…

Howard Berger: Answering Your Leaf Questions

30, Jun 2010

TORONTO (July 1) – After landing a player that has scored more than 20 goals the past two seasons, we are left to wonder if Brian Burke is still actively seeking to up-grade his group of forwards. To me, the answer is obvious: Of course he is. Kris Versteeg is a pleasant addition for Leaf fans; he has a nose for the net and has raised the Stanley Cup in the past month. That’s a pretty good com…

John Jaeckel: Versteeg to Toronto

30, Jun 2010

Well, the timing is likely not coincidental.

Kris Versteeg was shipped to Toronto tonight for NHL forward Viktor Stalberg and AHL forwards Phillippe Paradis (a former #1 pick of the Hurricanes) and Chris DeDomenico.

The significance? $3 million more cap room with which to possibly lock up their RFAs, possibly before noon tomorrow in one or more cases.

I doubt anyone who follows the Hawks…

Mike Augello: VERSTEEG TO THE LEAFS

30, Jun 2010

Per Pierre LeBrun:

Leafs get Versteeg and the rights to winger Bill Sweatt in exchange for forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis


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