Category Archives: Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leaf News and Rumors
Toronto Maple Leafs: Three things they can do to turn it around
Here’s a look at three ways they can break their slump and bolster their drive for a playoff berth:
Goaltending
Give James Reimer the task of leading the team over the remainder of the schedule.
Both Reimer and Ben Scrivens have improved this season. But the season is now at a desperate stage, and every team in the Eastern Conference seems to have elevated its game.
Time to trade?
Corey Perry’s name is the name that has surfaced on talk surrounding the Leafs with regards to trade or off-season moves.
But another name making the rounds around the Leafs is Mike Ribeiro, a top-six centre.
The Leafs are said to be interested in adding a centre and a top-four defenceman.
No more excuses
Toronto will be hard-pressed to hang onto a playoff berth if it allows defensive coverage lapses to continue.
They must prevent disasters like that four-goal second period Saturday night against Winnipeg. Good teams, playoff teams, manage those blips down to a goal or two at most. Toronto has to start looking like a playoff team defensively; it certainly has the offensive weapons to make a serious post-season bid.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2013/03/17/toronto_maple_leafs_three_things_they_can_do_to_turn_it_around.html
Leafs still in market for D upgrade and a big 2nd\3rd line centre
Lupul will take morning skate before official decision. Leafs still in market for D upgrade and a big 2nd3rd line centre. #TSN
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 15, 2013
Bozak and MacArthur not likely to get moved. Canes have Jokinen available
Don’t expect Leafs GM Dave Nonis to mess with a good thing. Toronto has excellent chemistry under coach Randy Carlyle which means neither centre Tyler Bozak nor left winger Clarke MacArthur — both UFA’s — likely won’t be going anywhere.
Leafs could be buyers and sellers at trade deadline
This year’s deadline is scheduled for April 3 — a mere 12 games before the end of the season — so teams should know if they are buyers or sellers. But for the Leafs, the decision-making process could be a little more complicated since they could be buying and selling.
Will Nonis try and dump the team’s highly paid healthy scratches? Will he try to turn some of the pending unrestricted free agents into draft picks? Will he try and acquire a top-line centre such as Colorado’s Paul Stastny to push the Leafs from a bubble team to a contender?
Wings, Kings, Bruins, Flyers and Leafs after Perry
Canucks could’ve had Kadri, Bozak and a pick for Luongo
Worth noting at June draft Canucks could’ve had Kadri, Bozak and a pick for Luongo. Got greedy. Now have lost as many as have won.
— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) March 6, 2013
Will Devils’ David Clarkson consider signing with hometown Maple Leafs?
Devils right winger David Clarkson loves coming home to Toronto.
“This is my favorite place to play,” he said of the town in which he grew up as a Maple Leafs fan.
But will Clarkson, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season, think about signing with the Leafs to play in his hometown? He gets asked that a lot around here.
Leafs’ Lupul practiced Sunday for first time since injury
Leafs’ Lupul practiced Sunday for first time since injury bit.ly/WFY6GE
— Hockey Central (@SNHockeyCentral) March 4, 2013
Hurricanes have expressed intrest in a exprienced D
John Michael Liles has not played in recent games and could see himself moving out of Toronto by the trade deadline. With the Carolina huricanes making it public that they are looking around for a veteran D-man to add to their blue line, John Michael must surely be one of their targets. Could we see John Michael liles be moved for a mid-round pick? Yes , and probably sooner rather than later.
Michael Lo Giudice
Blues and Leafs On Each Other’s Radar?
Sources out of Toronto have the Blues and Maple Leafs on each other’s radar. One player whose name continues to pop up, not just with St. Louis, is forward Nikolai Kulemin.
A former 30 goal scorer, Kulemin is playing a different role with Toronto and could maybe use a change of scenery. The 26 year-old Russian has just 12 points this season but has been used primarily in a defensive/PK role. He’s seen limited PP action.
He put up 38 points in 36 KHL games this season. Kulemin is a childhood friend of Pittsburgh superstar Evgeni Malkin as the two played together before coming over to the NHL.
Rumors persist in Toronto that general manager Dave Nonis may unload Kessel
Meanwhile, rumors persist in Toronto that general manager Dave Nonis may unload Kessel (4-12—16 in his first 22 games) prior to the April 3 trade deadline. In three-plus seasons, the ex-Bruin has convinced many up there that he’s neither a leader nor core performer. Add him to a deep lineup with a coach who emphasizes offense (say, the Blackhawks, or maybe Canucks or Ducks), and he could be that 60-, 70-, or even 80-point guy who helps deliver a Stanley Cup.
Ideally, a Kessel swap would bring the Leafs a franchise center. Of course, if they had a franchise center, perhaps they wouldn’t consider dealing Kessel. Such is life in the salary cap world.
http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2013/03/03/nazem-kadri-helps-maple-leafs-get-running/uacH4EE5ALZmL5PVkmOwxN/story.html
Komisarek reportedly has a list of teams he will accept trade to
For the first and only time this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs will not take to the ice for one of their traditional Saturday night games, but even without a game today, we have plenty of Maple Leafs news making the rounds.
Mike Komisarek, who hasn’t played since February 2nd against the Bruins, has reportedly issued a list of 12 teams he would accept a trade to.
Cherry: If Phaneuf beats Prust, Leafs win
Some issues can’t wait until Saturday night.
Passionate about an incident that occurred during the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 thrashing of the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre, Don Cherry called in to Hockey Central at Noon Thursday adamant that Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf should have fought Montreal Canadiens tough guy Brandon Prust when challenged.