Comments on: Gomez llikely to be bought out by the Habs

By: SabresFan220

SabresFan220 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:01:11 +0000

College players are stepping up recently and making an impact. This year it was Matt Read and Craig Smith, next year it could be Abbott and Jack Connolly from UMD. You can't just pencil one of them into your NHL lineup right away, but if they become any kind of NHL player it's a solid addition without using a pick to do it.

The Sabres just got Abbott's center Brian Flynn, the team's captain. Some people think he's the one who makes that line work so well, not that Abbott isn't a special player. Time will tell who got the better guy, we've also seen Hobey winners turn into very average NHL players.

By: SabresFan220

SabresFan220 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:52:11 +0000

As a Sabres fan I have no idea why Buffalo would make that trade. Toronto's pick is only going to be 4 or 5 spots higher, why the hell is it worth so much? Toronto probably doesn't get into the draft lottery so they have no shot at #1. The Sabres are also short on depth at center throughout the organization, and Luke Adam is the only AHL center they have that realistically can come back up. If they're looking to move anyone it's Roy, and Adam would likely take his place. Buffalo wouldn't move up for a defenseman, only if Grigorenko, Galchenyuk, or Forsberg are there, and if one of them is I'd expect Toronto to pick them themselves.

Buffalo is more likely to use both #1 picks, one to pick a center, and on the best player available where ever Nashville's lands. Could be a forward, defenseman, or a goalie really. I'd really like to take Thomas Wilson with that later 1st though, he makes sense as this year's best power forward to replace Kassian in the organization's depth chart.

By: mapleleafsfan

mapleleafsfan — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:49:01 +0000

Agree with some, diasgree with more.

We are not regressing with Burke. We're just not progressing as quickly as we should be. Look at the leafs roster when Burke took over, and look at it now. There is no way that team is better than the team now (prospects included).

Also, please don't say kessel is a top 6 forward on any team. He's a top line forward on any team in the league. Therefore he's a top 3. But I do agree, he's not a franchise player. Until we get a Center and goalie we're not winning anything, I agree. Also, please tell me how Lupul and Grabo aren't legit top 6 forwards? If Lupul isn't a top 6 forward, the habs don't have a single top 6 forward either.

As for the contracts. Connolly one sucks, but its only two years, that's manageable. Komisarek contract I have no argument for. Grabo one is debatable.. he's definitely overpaid, but we can't just lose our best center to free agency. He's not a first line center, but he's a very solid second line center so I can live with it. Assuming the cap keeps going up that's a very manageable contract.

Burkes free agency signings are questionable, but he makes up for any of them with his trades. You can't deny he wins trades. And like I said, in hindsight we lost the kessel trade for sure. But at the time it was fine, just the team was misjudged and did way worse than we thought. If we finished a few spots better, we win the trade. But ya with the way things worked out we lost it, no argument.

By: lafleur10

lafleur10 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:30:42 +0000

well actually you are worse off because your regressing under burke not im proving after 3 years he should've had you guys in the playoffs he's straddled you guys with some bad contracts i.e. connolly,komisarek grabovski etc and he hasn't done much to improve you up front yeah he added kessel who is our only legit top 6 forward but he hasn't surrounded himm with anything more,like it or not he miss read the market when he made the kessel deal and got robbed in that trade that's a fact you can't deny! keseel is a very good top 6 forward on any team in the league but he's not a franchise forward something you don't have burke will need to upgrade in net for you guys and add a big legit #1 center if he doesn't he'll have failed miserably in toronto and will be looked at in a different light whne getting his next g.m. job there''ll be alot of questions and second guessing him.

By: lafleur10

lafleur10 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:21:50 +0000

bowman did hire him twice and he won the cup with scotty bowman so i answered your question lol! i'm not putting words in bowmans mouth but he doesn't recommend alot of guys for jobs,i'm sure he has a good opinion of burke but who know's? i know macguire does they worked together in hartford and him and burke are friends he's said that on many times on the tsn 990 in montreal or the fan 590 in toronto i'd still take macguire and give him a chance i mean you can't kknow that much about the game and not be good 1 burke hasn't succeeded witht he leafs,as we both agree i think this is his last chance if he doesn't make the playoffs he's done there and rick dudley or dave nonis will take over potentialy they are as good or better than burke is as a g.m.

By: dumbassdoorman

dumbassdoorman — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 08:24:15 +0000

Ya I think it really ends up depending where those picks fall, eight? It could be a win win or a draw, bonus is Adam is ready now, picks three years, most likely. Stay higher and get 1-2 year help, pending avail player.

By: mapleleafsfan

mapleleafsfan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:06:27 +0000

"i don't have a leafs bias i hate the leafs"... Hypocritical but anyways. Few things.

You hate on Burkes cup ring because he came into a good team, made a few key trades, and won a cup. But he did EXACTLY what murray did (probably more), with Vancouver, but vancouver still hasn't won a cup, yet I'm guessing you'd argue Gillis is a better GM.

Bowman or Burke? Bowman any day of the week. Obviously. Burke or McGuire is just LOL. Again, if Bowman loves McGuire so much, why hasn't he hired him? Answer that and we can keep going. I'd take a GM with a cup ring, thanks.

Also, you don't know Bowman and you have no idea on his opinion on Burke, so don't sound stupid by putting words in his mouth.

And absolutely I agree with you, Burke so far hasn't succeeded with the leafs. I disagree that we are worse off than we started, but I agree that we should be better than we are now for sure. Kind of hard to debate that. If we don't see changes in the next year, I'm all for firing him. As it stands right now, there's no one nearly as good as him for the job, so why fire him?

By: lafleur10

lafleur10 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:30:16 +0000

if it's juilen brisebois i'll be1 very happy habs fan i think he's really smart and has a very keen eye for talent and he knows how top work the cap too and that's a bonus i think he's young enough to,too keep the job for years! i think crawford would be a very good choice as coach to,however i think if brisebois come over from t.b. he will bring boucher with him as coach,if not i think crawford would be very good,if not like i said carbonneau would be awesome as well,but so would patrick roy it'll be a very interesting next few weeks TIMTHEBONE ………. who's your choice for top 2-3 pick? i'd like to see either grigorenko/forsberg,or galenchenyuk ……………..and with any luck and we win the lottery yukapov

By: lafleur10

lafleur10 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:16:43 +0000

he built the canucks and couldn't take them any further than he did. nonis had to come in and do it for him! he's really taking the leafs far isn't he? he's the most overated,overhyped(by leafs fans) g.m. in the league,if he was in montreal and didn't make the playoffs after 2 years not 4 he would've had his ass fired already! only in toronto can he get away with such ineptness..........but you guys are so use to using you put up with it and expect it that's why he's still there! so yeah bowman would and will say macguire is twice the hockeyman that burke is ,and when has scotty bowman ever been wrong i'll trust him and his word over burke's anyday !

....WOULD you rather have bowman or burke,or listen to bowman or burke right now? give your head a serious shake and get over your leafs bias towards burke and admit he's a failure
also i don't have a leafs bias i hate the leafs. period end of story.

By: mapleleafsfan

mapleleafsfan — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:13:54 +0000

To be honest, if he's considering the position now, I have a hard time believing he has turned down many of the same in the past. Just because you were an assistant coach and a scout does not mean you can be a GM. Sure he has hockey knowledge but it's just as much a business as it is hockey knowledge. Will he be good with Cap management? Contracts? It's way easier as a media guy to just analyze than it is to get it done.

Regardless though, I'm with LN91. A team like mtl needs someone with experience who can deal with all of the crap he's going to get.

And besides, even if turns out to be a solid GM, I wouldn't want my team run by this dude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i5zXLZHGI4

Maybe that's just me.