Hockey Trade Rumors

Well, here I go again. Another, yet rare article to stash in the good ol’ HTR archives. I tend to post a comment on this site every now and then, but rarely write articles. However, I am a regular viewer of this site and tonight I’m bored, so here goes. Tonight I will take a much different approach as a Hab fan and comment on my bitter rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

All I’ve heard over the past 2/3 months was how Toronto is going in the wrong direction and keeps giving up prospects/picks for active NHLers. I’ve also heard many times that Toronto will be better this year, but Montreal is building their team the “right” way and will be much better in the future. Now I must admit, I was always the first to agree and laugh at the Leafs for trading away their future. However after reading three articles on random sites this week, and doing a little research myself, I began to think otherwise. Are the Leafs “really” that far behind Montreal in their prospects? I know hockeyfutures.com have the Habs ranked #2 and the Leafs ranked at #25, but just think for a second and look at Toronto’s Top 5 (no particular order)….

Jiri Tlusty (C)
-6’0, 200lbs
– Just starting to learn the North American game.
– Very talented and not afraid of the rough stuff.
– Can easily make for a future top 6 forward and has potential 1st liner written all over him.
-This Czech centerman may be the man to take over for Sundin when he retires.

Robbie Earle (LW)
– 6’0, 195 lbs
– Another fairly big prospects for the Leafs
– American kid who posted point-per-game numbers in college.
– strong, fast skater and great in traffic. Very explosive
– intense, drives the net, not afraid to get his nose dirty.
– Great vision and playmaking skills.

Nikolai Kulemin (LW)
– 6’0, 201 lbs
– Yet another big, stong kid who isn’t afraid of the rough stuff.
– Hard worker, strong skater and can play a great defensive game.
– Even though he isn’t known as a goalscorer, he can net a few when needed.

Jeremy Williams (RW)
– 5’11, 184 lbs
– Not known for his size, but has great offensive and playmaking skills.
-Personally my favorite Leafs prospect, and the sky is the limit for this kid. He may be a flop and be unable to handle the big boys, but on the contrary, he has the potential to be a great top 6 forward (maybe even a 1st liner).

Justin Pogge (G)
– Last, but certainly not least.
– Lead team Canada to a Gold medal at the WJHC.
– Emerged as a gem in the NHL draft, being picked in the 3rd round, and becoming a top goaltender in the CHL.
– AHL numbers this year were a concern. Now lets see if he can bounce back.

Honorable mentions include: Vorobiev, Stralman, Harrison, Kronwall, Aubin, and Ruegsegger.

– My point here is that the Leafs aren’t falling right off map, as most people would think. The problem with the Leafs prospects is their depth. You can arguablly look at Toronto’s top 5 prospects and compare them quite equally to Montreal’s, but they don’t have the depth that Montreal has. However, nobody knows how prospects will pan out in the big leagues. Montreal’s top 5 prospect may completely choke, while Toronto’s may become quality players (and vise versa). Its just something that nobody knows right now and we can only speculate.

Its obvious that Montreal has the overall advantage because if guys like Price, Grabovski, S.Kostitsyn, A.Kostitsyn, Chipchura and O’Byrne doesnt pan out, we can fall back on guys like White, Maxwell, Halak, Danis, Fischer, Valentenko, Locke, etc…. We just have more depth…. but looking at the top 5 guys for both teams, it can go either way.

As for people bashing the Toskala trade, its just nonsense. Toskala has proven that he’s a good #1 goalie in this league and possibly great. Even though Toronto gave up 3 picks, I think they won the trade. In a weak draft, Toskala was certainly worth the risk. This guy will be the wildcard in the East this year. If he can play like he played in San Jose, The Leafs will be tough to beat (if they stay away from injuries, of course). Blake was also a steal in this offseason for 4 Million. A 40 goal scorer in today’s NHL for $4 Million is a steal, say what you want.

So after researching Toronto’s situation and writing this artcle, I ask myself the question again…. Is Toronto gone in the wrong direction? Even as a Hab fan, I think Not. However I will add that Toronto must hold onto their picks, and even trade to aquire a few more in the next couple years. Even though they have some great potential in their prospects right now, their depth is very shallow in the event that their top guys don’t develop as planned. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens….

Anyways Im out.. Have a nice day

Go Habs Go!!! lol

P.S: I hate the Leafs, but enjoy the rivalry