Comments on: Leafs Training camp Questions

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:12:56 +0000

If Colaiacovo plays really well this year, I don't see why Kubina wouldn't be expendable at all.

It would be good if we could get a first round pick for Kubina, like say he gets off to a decent start in October-November, then we trade him to a team that's lacking on the blueline.

On the other hand I would like to see Kubina have a monster year and play for us the whole season too. If he's playing great and we don't trade him, that would be no travesty, but he has to be better than last year.

By: 92-93

92-93 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 20:50:54 +0000

yeah that would be a good thing.

I just hope and pray that if he doesnt make the team (and he probably wont) that he decides to play with the Marlies and doesnt go back to Sweden. That way, he can at least make Kronvall work that much harder.

Right now, Kronvall, and Stralman are far and away the best defencemen in the organization after the big 6 who are with the club now. Woz is decent, so is Oreskovic, even Casman, Siefers, and Voribiev could be considered to be pretty promising. But Kronvall and Stralman look to be closest to being NHL-ready IMO.

more imporant, IMO, is that these young defencemen (including White and Coliacovo) play so well and are so dependable, that trading Kubina becomes an afterthought. i know theyve been trying to trade the guy but i think they might be asking for too much in return considering his salary.

By: senators_choke

senators_choke — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:20:20 +0000

I'll add to that prediction. We'll beat Ottawa in the playoffs…for a 5th time!

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:44:12 +0000

I would be interesting to see if Stralman can make some noise in training camp/pre-season. At the very least it will make Ian White work that much harder.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:41:59 +0000

Oh couldn't agree more. He got loads of assists during that time. Getting a ton of assists usually just means that you dominate the play and have the puck a lot. Joe Thornton has put up 90 assist seasons in back to back years scoring just in the 30's and 20's in terms of goals and he's considered to be a top 3 most dominate player in the league.

So no more assist bashing, and no more Sundin bashing please.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:38:22 +0000

Antropov would belong on the top 2 lines on any team in the league.

Your comment should have stated that Sundin is burnt out because of a lack of secondary scoring from the centre position. His number 2 centre for years was Reichel, and one year with Joe Niewendyk who got hurt. Coming out of the lockout it was Allison who scored mostly on the PP and Lindros who dressed in just 33 games. Unfortunately last year Wellwood missed almost 3 whole months. But Welly will provide a second scoring threat down the middle.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:34:19 +0000

Still I wouldn't want Newburry as an enforcer, but as a call up to be a 4th line grinder, sure I wouldn't mind seeing him come play 5-10 games like last year.

Ondrus is a tough guy though, I don't know why the two people above laughed at the notion of him being the teams tough guy. Although "enforcer" might not be the right label, Maurice talks highly of Ondrus and he could be a darkhorse for the 13th fwd spot on the roster. Sending Belak down and dressing Ondrus in fifty-something games.

By: 92-93

92-93 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 12:15:40 +0000

one small edit, i dont think O'Brien is better than White now that i think of it … I would either take White out and add Kronvall OR I would make that 3rd rounder a 2nd round pick in 2008.

By: 92-93

92-93 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 12:13:05 +0000

I would like to see this trade to go down - to free up cap space and for future reasons:

To Tampa Bay: Kubina, Raycroft, White
To Toronto: 3rd round pick 2008, 2nd round pick in 2009, Denis, O'Brien.

McCabe-Kaberle
Coliacovo-O'Brien
Gill-Stralman/Woz/Kronvall

Toskala
[Denis]

Leafs free up some cap space, get a decent, young top-4 defender that who is an upgrade over White IMO, free up some space for the #6 D-spot, make up for some of the lost picks in the Perreault and Toskala trades.

Tampa Bay takes on Kubina's contract but they know what he can do, they get rid of Denis' in exchange for the cheaper (and better IMO) Raycroft, acquire a solid young defender in White, who can move the puck very well.

By: 92-93

92-93 — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:35:29 +0000

what gets me is this whole 'yeah he had assists, but assists are not goals and he should have scored goals' arguement.

throughout the 'drought,' how many of Antropov's and Poni's goals would have been impossible if it were not for Sundin and his skill and the attention he drew? or McCabe or Kaberle or Wellwood or Tucker on the powerplay.

it boggles the mind the lack of support this guy gets not just from leaf fans, but from the toronto media.