Comments on: NHL clubs ready to woo U.S. collegian Justin Schultz

By: reinjosh

reinjosh — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:38:33 +0000

He was simply one of the best players in the low scoring era of the 90′s and early 2000′s. He was amazing. He’s never going to get the credit he deserves because he never got a cup and didn’t have anyone playing with him to push him from a 70ish 80 point player to a perrenial 90 point player.

I still remember him finishing a hat trick in overtime while short handed to get his 500th goal. Probably one of the most epic ways to hit a milestone.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:37:15 +0000

To me Steve, and you would probably disagree, but dealing for Luongo would be the equivalent of signing 33 year old Olli Jokinen to 7 or 8 year deal to solve our 1st line centre situation. He’s still productive and will do an adequate job for a year or two but then it would just be like “how many more years do we have to put up with this declining veteran?”

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:04:40 +0000

Have you really watched him play at all, or are you basing this on… what? I really don’t know. If you’ve watched him play and payed any attention at all to what’s gone on in Vancouver the last year then I don’t know how you can defend Roberto’s play. Don’t be blinded by the numbers. Toskala posted great numbers before he got here too, its amazing what a great team can do for a goalie.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:02:30 +0000

Then, let’s just wait a year and see who becomes available. If Luongo is the best option available (he’s not… but for arguments sake lets say he is) then we might as well wait for a better option.

You’re talking about a guy who is prone to let in those heart breakers, those goals from the corners, from behind the net, kicking out big rebounds on point shots and falling forward. He’s not pretty, and its hidden behind a good team.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:53:22 +0000

And the clutch goals late in games really set him apart from other superstars of his day. He had that ability with the game on the line to rise up to that next level and score that big goal.

Also, his consistency was unreal. Excluding his rookie year, the half lockout in ’94 shortened season, and his half year in Vancouver, his lowest career point total was 72 (in 75 games). Even as an old veteran, his final year with the Leafs he posted 78 points in 74 games.

By: mojo19

mojo19 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:42:55 +0000

Ya, we even started to see evidence of the Carlyle effect right away last year, I felt like the guys were playing with a little bit more of an edge, and obviously dropping the gloves a lot more.

Give Randy some time to get his game plan, and his systems in effect in camp and I think we’re gonna see a lot of our players playing with more of an edge.

By: Steven_Leafs0

Steven_Leafs0 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:01:25 +0000

A 2-way deal is pointless in this case. Mueller would have to be waived to be sent to the minors even with a 2-way deal so why bother? Sign him one-year if he works then awesome, if not then waive him. No loss there.

By: Steven_Leafs0

Steven_Leafs0 — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:55:41 +0000

“But at the end of the day it doesn’t bring us closer to a cup,”

that comment is wrong. Maybe Toronto is unlikely to win a cup even with Luongo (it is the Stanley Cup, one of the hardest sports prizes to win) but we are definitely closer with him in net. If he can bring to Toronto similar GAA / Sv% that he brought to Vancouver (no real reason he wouldn’t) then Toronto is definitely a playoff team. And a playoff team is a cup contender… if we learned anything from LA.

I’m not saying Luongo is a no-risk move (no player is) but he is the best option out there. A guy like Biron won’t get it done, I like Reimer but he isn’t ready to start 60 games and lead us into the playoffs, and guys like Schneider, Backstrom, Thomas, etc are not available.

By: Steven_Leafs0

Steven_Leafs0 — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:36:52 +0000

the Finn pick I can see since he was the best player available and was a Toronto native. Win-win of a pick to me. I was thrown off guard by the Reilly pick, I was completely expecting Forsberg to be drafted (I cheered when the Islanders passed on him) but considering that 5 other GMs passed on him to pick defensemen I feel better about it.

Obviously in the short term it will look like we missed the boat but who knows, maybe Reilly will be another Gardiner type asset to our team in a few seasons. Very happy with that if it happens.

By: LN91

LN91 — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:24:08 +0000

He’s a verteran and under contract for 1 more season, but I think a perfect defensive/veteran player for this young unit is Rob Scuderi.

He’s made sucha big impact to the D of both Pitt and LAK during his tenure, rarely makes a mistake, warrior, and knows how to win.