Comments on: Schneider has new NHL contract – Wonders about a trade

By: lafleur10

lafleur10 — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:54:00 +0000

if philly makes a deal it won't be for kaberle he doesn't fit their style he's not a typical flyer player! and their defence is close to being the best now,it certainly is the best in the conference if they flyers trade jvr or giroux it will be for a goaltender and a goaltender only!

By: nocup4sharks

nocup4sharks — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:37:15 +0000

First chances are huskins gets traded or waived.

Nick petrecki could very easily make the team. he really could of made it this past year but his cap hit was to high to fit him in.

We have roughly 20m. We could use 4m or so to sign Willie Mitchell

Resign Rob Blake for 2.5m

Sign another 2 guys for 2m each and our defence is solid.

Also with Griess in net we could have the best defence in the league and still get beat by 5 goals each game

By: leafmeister

leafmeister — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:33:13 +0000

He would totally complete the defense, and he is better than all of their defensemen hold for Pronger.

Pronger-Kaberle
Timonen-Coburn
Carle-Parent

Undisputed best defense in the league.

JVR is a great talent, but Philly has a lot of forward depth, so he is expendable.

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 09:16:38 +0000

Gustavsson is the man the Leafs would like to hand the keys too, huge difference. Gustavsson isn't a lock for anything. I'm sure Burke would say we'd like to see him continue to improve. It's willful ignorance to take that it as a given.

I'll over simplify this... If you had to choose between Cory Schneider or Martin Biron what is the obvious answer? 99 out of a 100 people take Schneider and I don't know what I'm talking about?

We're not flush with goaltending talent we have bunch of question marks. It's a worse message to the fans that bring in a washed up backup to spare Gustavsson's feelings. Gustavsson has to earn the position.

I don't love Hodgson either, but he's a solid prospect from a deep draft. Between him Kadri and Bozak I feel strongly the Leafs could find a solid top two centers. I'm of the mind that I'd rather land a winger in free agency and trade Kaberle for a building block down the middle.

How did Philly and Chicago prove free agency is where to get goaltending? Emery was a bust, Huet is possibily the worst UFA pick up in the league. It's their young talent starting in the finals...

Kulemin is expendable given his demands, a trade could humble him.

By: Mapleleaves

Mapleleaves — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:48:59 +0000

ive always thought of myself as a life long leaf fan but if they were to trade for heatly im not sure if i could continue

By: HABSRULEFOREVER

HABSRULEFOREVER — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:25:26 +0000

Heres one question for you: if you were the GM of the Canucks would you trade two VERY promising propects in their early 20s for a 32 year old who only has one more year left on his contract???? Not every GM is as stupid as Burke….

By: reinjosh

reinjosh — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:13:44 +0000

I get the being prepared long term. But I just have a different view. Rynnas isn't expected to make the Leafs next year and wont be expected the year after. He is very much in need of development and won't be expected to make the jump anytime soon. The hope for him would be that he develops alla Rinne in a view years.

Scrivens is the same move as Reimer. Lesser known goalie with a decent ceiling who needs lots of development. Three guys of differing readiness, developing for different reason.

Gustavsson is the man the Leafs are preparing to hand the keys too. All the evidence points to that. If your not sold, I wouldn't blame you but the evidence points to him being prepared for that. His development in the latter half of the season was a good sign of his ability to learn. Your non-trust of him on his solidness is just and thats why we have Giguere again. The way he has developed so far, its not too much to think he could theoretically inherit the starters position by his third season in the NHL.

Getting Schneider in my opinion is just pointless. The team is already flush with goaltending talent and the only position that will need filling in the next year or so is an experienced backup, something I can't see Schneider being. Yeah, it would be sweet to have him and maybe have a sick tandem between him and Gustavsson but I just can't see Burke doing it. It wouldn't send the right message to Gustavsson, and goalies temperaments have always been up in the air.

I get the Hodgson part (as much as I am not sold on him, but thats a story for a different day). To me it comes down to what we need and thats scoring, particularly scoring with NHL level experience. The rebuild is important but by getting a young scoring forward (whoever that may be, maybe Neal), we skip the necessity of another year spent in the rebuild mode and also, and if logic holds (which its possible it wouldn't) we finish in a playoff spot or near, so as not to give up a top 10 pick again. Kaberle can give us that scoring winger/forward with NHL experience. Thats the only logical move in my mind. By getting an RFA (the only players likely to get traded for a guy with one year left) we can not only sign a guy for more than 3 years, but we can get him while he is young.

I have nothing against Schneider, I just think with some solid prospects already in the goaltending part of the system, we need to focus somewhere else. Free agency is the perfect area for solid second option goalies (as Philly, Chicago have both proved). Guys available next offseason who would fit our purposes include Howard, Ersberg, Garon, Conklin, Anderson, Leclaire, and even Giguere.

And the Kulemin issue is a tough one. Just signing him would be a sideways move. Not a bad one, unless truly overpaid, but not a move forward move eitehr.

By: HABSRULEFOREVER

HABSRULEFOREVER — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:36:45 +0000

Why would Philly want Kaberle???? they already have Pronger, Carle, Coburn, and Timmonen eating 90% of the playing time….. Good try though…

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 21:26:07 +0000

*1, Correction I thought Raycroft had another year on his deal, the Canucks could always sign Biron.

By: LeafsneedSteen

LeafsneedSteen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:30:10 +0000

Hehehe,

I used to post here under a different handle and I always sung the praise of Alex Steen, nobody could turn the puck over like Steen Jr. I shouldn't expect you to pick up on that though.

I like Guvtasson but I don't trust him to be solid, not yet.

1. Irrelevant point, he's not going to play in Vancouver behind Luongo or Raycorft unless for injuiries. So he's fine to play for the Marlies and get the call when the Monster's heart skips a few beats.

2. He has no say on his future when he's brought in specifically for depth. Burke owes him nothing.

3. He's proved himself ready, he's been dominant in the AHL ala Tuuka Rask. He's perhaps the best goaltender not playing in the LNH.

4. Stupid and foolish is taking a step sideways and burying Rynnas in the minors by bringing in a veteran back up. Experience is meaningless for pure skill position (what has experienced goaltending done in the post season? Not a difference maker). Gimme the back up with the potential to exceed expectations. Monster/Schneider/Rynnas keeps open the possiblity for whomever earns the position to take the reigns, not giving it to someone based on a sense of entitlement. Signing a Biron type backup is a missed oppertunity and would cost more. I'd also go as far as waive Giguere by sending him down and give Schneider a serious look.

I understand you don't want a Rynnas/Monster tandem however that is the issue on the horizon I'm addressing.

Again Hodgson is the key to the deal. He would provide solid deepth down the middle (in addition to Bozak and Kadri) long term (we still should be thinking long term as we're the second worst team in the league).

The addition of Hodgson and Schneider IMO would be excellent final touches to the rebuilding plan and provide the necessary young core to start adding UFAs too. Two quality 1st round propects well along on their development would compliment a solid blueline and free up space for 2011 to shop for a winger and puck moving defenseman.

Or we could over pay Kulemin and get a patchwork backup and continue to shoot ourselves in foot.

It would be prudent to prepare ourselves long term given that this up coming season is another year in limbo.