I left Hockeybuzz as a ref and a poster last week because I found the conversations so repetitive, the same fights over and over again, I needed to get away. I couldn’t join in the conversations as hard as I tried to get in them. I started to feel like an outsider at times. I took so much abuse in Personal Messages from people that were banned that it wasn’t worth it any more. I did however meet a lot of great people and I’m glad I can call them friends on that site. Some posters from HB came here from time to time to comment on the blogs, but I knew it was time to move on. I shared some good stories and I will miss those. So what does that have to do with this site?
Working from home, taking care of my daughter and being on HB had really limited my time that I could be on Leafs 4 Life. I started L4L for you guys, I have incurred all the expenses to host and maintain this site mainly because of my love for hockey and the Leafs. I will keep this site going but I need some help, not in the monetary sense but in the blogger and participation way. We need to grow this just a little more. So I need you guys to start writing some blogs or helping me attract some people who would like to contribute some content. I basically need you guys to help do some recruiting.
I will update all new additions to the Leafs organization, stats, etc… to this site and keep that part current. Please help me out with the rest, I would really appreciate it.
As some of you may know I have a new addition to my family who needs some extra attention right now, she is my main priority as my wife and I are trying to get her acclimated to her new life with us. It’s been two of the greatest weeks of my life with Kaitlyn mixed in with a bad week at HB. To all the regulars here, I thank you for sticking with the site, to all others who may be passing by, please let me know if you would like to blog or even to just join the site and leave a comment. In time we can build a solid community of great posters and bloggers. Thanks for reading.
-LeafMan-
I love the Liles signing and I think it just reinforces the idea we already had that movement is imminent. Somebody pointed out that the leafs scale back the minutes of players who are about to be dealt and that points directly at MacArthur and Schenn. Those two together along with some other piece could land us the much needed help.
Sorry to see you go LeafMan and I hope I wasn’t a contributing factor to your departure from hockeybuzz. Enjoy your freed up time with your new little girl.
Don’t worry about it, it was time to go, nobody was listening to me anymore, I felt kinda left out at times, I liked a lot of people there.
Does anyone think Bettman might have Advised GMs, especially Burke, NOT to make any moves this week that would steal the media thunder from the All-Star game in Ottawa?
Here’s a wild “rumour”
Heard this from a hookup. This is what the Leafs have tabled to Columbus
To TOR
Rick Nash
Jeff Carter
2012 2nd
To CLB
Kadri
Schenn
Grabovski (or Mac)
Kulemin
2012 1st
2013 1st
Apparently the “hookup” is an agent for a couple of players in Columbus
I didn’t bother to work out the math, as I doubt it works, just thought I would post it for shits and giggles.
The numbers would work if BOTH Grabovski and MacArthur were included, or if they were “in”, and Kadri was exchanged for Gunnarsson.
Basically the Leafs would be swapping their entire 2nd unit and a couple of good picks for two big, top-6 forwards and a lesser pick.
I could actually see Burke making that deal.
What are the odds that Columbus claims Nittymaki off waivers from San Jose, and that starts the ball rolling?
If they don’t claim him, I’m guessing Tampa Bay will.
I’ve been there, I was a mod and an admin for hockeyforums and it got to be too much. It is very difficult to contribute and lay down the law at the same time.
Liles was just on the Tim and Sid show on the fan and I quote “I would go through a wall for that man” re: Burke
Damn I missed it, players love Burke. Thanks for coming to the site, nice to have you back.
He should be on the Hayes show on TSN soon.
Here is something interesting to ponder, working the math on the roster players that could be involved.
To Columbus:
Grabovski – 2.900
MacArthur – 3.250
Kadri – 1.720
Schenn – 3.600
Total – 11.470
To Toronto:
Nash – 7.800
Umberger – 3.750
Total – 11.550
Difference – $80,000
Pretty damn close, I doubt it will ever happen but doable.
My mistake, Liles will be on Cybulski and company @6pm
Thanks.
Burke on Primetime @5:20
good value on Liles!!
Schenn looks as good as gone. Hope it’s worth it.
Kenny Ryan has two goals and seven points in seven games since suiting up with Reading. I really think he should be with Marlies and not with the Royals.
i haven’t really been following him, but maybe ripping it up in the ECHL is better for his development than struggling in the AHL.
Agreed. I’d rather see Ryan in the A than Wilson, Acton or Caruana.
Next year should be interesting….. I think Ross is eligible for the A, and then you got McKegg and Devane and maybe even Crecenzi.
Yeah…. :lol: :lol: :lol:
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/AllStarGame/2012/01/25/19295441.html
@ Keon – I LIKE the idea of Umberger and Nash, but I’m going to throw out something else to ponder.
BB’s good buddy Lou has a dilemna on his hands … what to do with Zack Parise. The Devils are apparently having money trouble, and this pending UFA is going to want a boatload of cash, probably for an extended period. Further, the Devils have to start thinking about their goaltending post-Brodeur, and they have only 4 Dmen and 8 forwards signed beyond this season.
I’m thinking BB could help out his buddy Lou by packaging one of his goaltenders, Gunnarsson or Schenn (Robinson and Tallinder – look what he did with Myers when in Buffalo – could turn him into the Dman he should become), Kulemin or MacArthur, and a pick and/or prospect (Kadri?) in exchange for Parise.
Lou gets to replenish a chunk of his roster with decent players, all of whom already play in the NHL and have good upside, and reasonable contracts. (Kulemin should be easy to re-sign at a very reasonable rate, given the year he’s having.)
BB gets an impact, top-6 forward, though he’s not BIG (5’11″, 195 lbs) or a centre.
BB would then have to get the veteran goaltender the Leafs need to get them into the playoffs, and mentor whoever is not sent to New Jersey.
What do you think?
Parise has great chemistry with Henrique, I think he resigns in Jersey. Interesting idea though but I see him staying in jersey, just a gut feeling.
Although Parise is on the small side he does not play like that, he crashes the net, goes into corners and plays all zones on the ice, wish we did have him on the Leafs.
Ya, with the money issues that surfaced last week that is a distinct possibility, but they would have to have a contract in place with Parise before the deal was ever consummated, otherwise there is too big a risk and the cost of acquiring him would be dramatically reduced.
Like you say though, he’s not a centre and I would really like to see them get that #1 centre they need.
And FYI, my post about Nash wasn’t a trade proposal, but more an exercise in looking at the math of such a huge deal and seeing how all the pieces would fit in under the Cap. I’m not really a fan of Nash and I don’t like Umberger’s contract beyond this year. I’m still holding out hope for Getzlaf or maybe Eric Staal.
Agreed on almost all points. The team’s biggest needs, IMO, are a #1 centre and a PROVEN goaltender. Unfortunately, I can’t really see them acquiring either during this season.
Liles new contract structure lends itself well to him be a very tradeable asset going into the final year.
http://www.capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=553
Agreed, but as Leafman says, if they’re still “sellers” four years from now someone has failed miserably.
$2,750,000 actual salary, unless the Leafs are completely useless in that year and are sellers, then they have truly failed as a team and organization.
Going to be interesting in the next few weeks, with the surplus on d-men and cap issues that seem to be forming, I wonder what Burke can pull off.
We should also keep in mind the contract count, the Leafs have a few graduating players from junior going into the AHL, so look for some 2 or 3 for one deals or draft picks for a player or two.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few deals like that, but it isn’t necessary.
Crabb, Finger, Dupuis are all UFA and likely won’t be retained. Crabb is the most likely to stick.
Rosehill, Greenop, Mitchell are all RFAs that haven’t contributed much, and if it came down to a young prospect playing in the AHL or these guys.. prospect would win. Rosehill is the most likely to stick.