Kubina Out For Two Weeks, Time To Focus On Getting A Defenseman?
Lets set this straight, the Leafs will not try to get Keith Tkachuk or Bill Guerin at or before the deadline. They will be getting 3 amazing additions at forward soon. Those players are Peca, Tucker, and Wellwood.
The Leafs have been playing well without them and will play great when they come back! I think the Leafs should go after another defenseman just in-case Kaberle, McCabe, Kubina (already injured),or Gill get hurt in the final few weeks of the year.
Brendan Bell is a very attractive young player and any team would like to add him for their future defensive core. I also think the Leafs should go after a reliable back-up for Raycroft because this guy can’t keep playing this many games and I don’t feel secure with Aubin in net.
Here are some available defensemen:
Nick Boynton/Phoenix Coyotes
Aaron Miller/LA Kings
Brent Sopel/LA Kings
Jim Vandermeer/Chicago Blackhawks
Bryan Berard/Columbus Blue Jackets
Eric Brewer/St. Louis Blues
Okay Eric Brewer is to expensive for the Leafs to pick-up, take him out of the picture, Bryan Berard is too old and injury prone, take him out of there. Nick Boynton is slow. We have a slow, but good defensive defenseman in Hal Gill already. Jim Vandermeer has missed a lots of games over his career with injuries, I don’t like him. Plus lots of teams have been calling in about him so there price is going up.
This leaves 2 defenseman:
Brent Sopel/LA Kings
Aaron Miller/LA Kings
Out of these two I like Brendan Sopel more. He is still only 29, is pretty good defensively and has a good offensive upside, plus he will be a UFA at the end of the year so if anything happens we will lose him on the off-season.
Here is a good trade:
To Toronto:
Brent Sopel
To LA:
Brendan Bell
3rd round pick
I think the Leafs should go after a goalie, my take, CUJO!
I know there haven’t been alot of teams calling in and this guy will become a UFA at the end of the year, so he will be cheap, here is my trade:
To Phoenix:
JF Racine
Alekasander Suglobov
4th round pick
To Toronto:
Curtis Joseph
Here is the roster after all of the player come back:
Antropov__Sundin__Ponikarovsky
Tucker__Peca__Steen
O’Neill__Stajan__Kilger
Deveraux__Pohl__Battaglia
Extras: Green, Belak
Kaberle__Kubina
McCabe__Sopel
Gill__Coliacovo
Extras: White, Kronwall
__Raycroft__
__Joseph__
This team is greatly improved from right now, what do you guys think?