My crack at building the Leafs!
All you guys have posted articles as to how you’d build the Leafs, and I’ve often been told I’m the craziest far out Leafs fan, so I’m going to give it a shot.
Right now, the Leafs have approximately 1.5 million in cap space. That’s approximately. I’m not really into how the cap works, so I’m doing things the simple way and just adding and subtracting the players salaries. So if the Leafs payroll is $37 500 000, what would I do?
Fire Ferguson. With the money he spent on Domi, Allison, and Czerkawski, and 0.5 of their current cap space, they could have had Selanne, Kariya, and Carter, all having great years. This guy has to go, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go, as MLSE has just seen how good a job the new Raptors GM is doing. New GM… Phil Esposito. I love that guy, and he knows hockey, he deserves another chance. He’d also likely build a more Canadian team, and I prefer a team of Canadians. Nothing against the Euro’s, but North American style scrappy hockey is more fun to watch.
Next, I’d fire Quinn, and hire Brent Sutter, for obvious reasons. Who cares if Quinn’s the hockey Canada coach??? Pretty damn soon, that’ll be Sutter’s job too! He’s a better coach. Give him the job.
Now, the actual roster moves, I’d trade Ed Belfour for Mike Peca. I said it in a past article, the Oilers wanna dump Peca, and are said to be willing to pick up Ed Belfour’s option, and Don Cherry said, and I agree, that the Leafs need the 3rd and 4th line guys who can hit, and that’s Peca, the salaries are about even. This leaves the Leafs with 2.2 million in cap space by the way.
The next trade, I’d trade Alex Khavanov, and Ian White for Curtis Joseph. The enemic Yotes defense could use it, they won’t make the playoffs, and Khavanov and Joseph are both UFA’s this summer. The Yotes have a class organization, and Joseph said it’s possible he’d only play for Toronto or Phoenix. Ian White has alot of potential, but he’s just rotting with the Marlies right now, he’d be better off in Phoenix. This deal leaves $2 550 000 in cap space.
I’d waive Belak and Berg now. That makes our cap space $4 250 000
Then I’d send Antropov for Witt, it’s been rumored for a while. This deal makes it $3 350 000.
Jason Allison for Adam Foote. Adam Foote is a solid defenseman, but expensive as hell, Allison will be expensive this year, but his option year is at 1.5 million, the bonuses don’t count then. Salaries are equal
Matthew Barnaby, I’d get him for a third rounder, not many people are gonna want him, and he’s a solid choppy 3rd or fourth liner. Makes the cap space about $2 000 000.
Florida is gonna wanna dump salary, now I know I sound crazy, but , Kilger, Chow, and Klee (all UFA’s this summer) for Roberts and Nieuwendyk.
Steen-Sundin-Lindros
O’neill-Nieuwendyk-Tucker
Roberts-Wellwood-Stajan
Ponikarovsky-Peca-Barnaby
Domi
McCabe-Kaberle
Foote-Witt
Colaiacovo-Kronwall
Harrison
Joseph
Tellqvist
And we can afford to keep this team together too! Kick ass team. Unrealistic as hell, but eh, what isn’t???
By the way, trading Klee, Kilger, and Belfour… kinda hard, I love those guys.
Player numbers…
Mats Sundin 13
Alex Steen 10
Eric Lindros 88
Jeff O’neill 92
Joe Nieuwendyk 25
Darcy Tucker 16
Gary Roberts 7
Kyle Wellwood 42
Matt Stajan 14
Alexei Ponikarovsky 23
Mike Peca 27
Matthew Barnaby 36
Tie Domi 28
Bryan McCabe 24
Tomas Kaberle 15
Brendan Witt 19
Adam Foote 52
Carlo Colaiacovo 45
Staffan Kronwall 44
Jay Harrison 43
Curtis Joseph 31
Mikael Tellqvist 32
Hopefully this is posted on the Leafs page only, so no non-Leaf fans will freak out at the unrealisticness. I’d like to get some feedback from Leaf fans (92-93 especially).
-L