Toronto Maple Leafs

Burke does it again: Leafs trade Tlusty for 2009 first rounder

3 Dec 2009

tlusty When the Leafs traded mostly underachieving forward Jiri Tlusty to Carolina today, they were able to shed a little salary (he was making $62,500 in the AHL with a $855,000 cap hit in the NHL), but they were also able to build for the future by acquiring 18-year-old power forward Philippe Paradis, who was selected 27th overall in the 2009 draft by the Hurricanes.

Tlusty, who has scored 10 goals and 10 assists in 74 NHL games, will become an restricted free agent after this season, and amid rumors that he threatened to go to the KHL if he remained in the AHL this season, it was almost certain that he would not be wearing the blue and white in Toronto next season.

Paradis, meanwhile, has registered 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) and 43 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Shawnigan Cataractes of the QMJHL this season. He has not signed an entry-level NHL deal yet.

At first glance, it appears the Leafs won this trade. However, time and time again underachieving forwards have been able to thrive in Carolina, and Tlusty should expect to see some significant playing time, possibly on the top two lines.

If both teams remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in the coming months, expect more moves to solidify the Leafs’ future and for the Canes to find more scoring.

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Tags: Carolina Hurricanes, Jiri Tlusty, Toronto Maple Leafs

Biggest surprises of the season so far

Written by Alex Carrollin NHL

7 Oct 2009

While the 2009-10 NHL season isn’t even a week old, there are already a few surprises. Here’s why you should (and shouldn’t) be worried about your favorite team’s slow start.

Roberto Luongo and the Canucks are 0-3

The Canucks captain has a 4.55 GAA in three appearances this season as Vancouver has been outscored 13-6 in losses to Calgary, Colorado, and Columbus.

Why you should be concerned: If the Canucks continue their slow start, it will be tough for them to rebound in the middle of the season when they have a 14-game road trip from late January to mid-March. Another reason to be concerned: Andrew Raycroft is the backup.

Why you shouldn’t be concerned: Luongo has historically been a slow starter. The pressure is huge for Luongo to perform well this season so he can be the starter for Team Canada at the Olympics in Vancouver. Once he settles down, look for him to return to his old self.

Are the Maple Leafs truculent enough?

With huge expectations going into this season after Brian Burke re-tooled the team’s blueline and added toughness up front, the Leafs are now 0-2-1 with huge question marks in goal.

Why you should be concerned: The Leafs still don’t have scoring power and they’re going to rely too heavily on Phil Kessel, who hasn’t completely proven himself as a top offensive power. Also, Vesa Toskala is still inconsistent and rookie Jonas Gustavsson can’t be relied on to carry the entire load this season in his first year playing in North America. Not to mention Luke Schenn looks to be having a serious sophomore slump so far.

Why you shouldn’t be concerned: It’s only a matter of time before the revamped team starts to click. And Kessel’s return in November from shoulder surgery should give the Leafs a much-needed spark. Hopefully by then it won’t be too late.

Stanley Cup Final hangover in Detroit?

The Red Wings started 0-2 in Sweden with two losses to the Blues. Goaltenders Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard split the losses for a team with an aging defense and missing offensive pieces.

Why you should be concerned: The departures of Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, and Mikael Samuelsson are being felt. Both Osgood and Howard have save percentages below 85 percent and Nicklas Lidstrom has been kept off the scoresheet so far. And when Kirk Maltby and Dan Cleary are tied for the team lead in points, there’s probably reason for concern.

Why you shouldn’t be concerned: They’re the Red Wings.

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Tags: Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks

Pogge will get second chance in Anaheim

Written by Alex Carrollin NHL

10 Aug 2009

Maple Leafs Thrashers Hockey Three years ago, a 20-year-old Justin Pogge backstopped Team Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships. Since then, he’s struggled to live up to the hype as the savior of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In seven NHL starts last season, he managed one victory while posting a 4.35 GAA and .844 save percentage.

But reports have surfaced that the 23-year-old netminder will be dealt to Anahaim, and Toronto will sign Joey MacDonald for AHL depth after signing the much-coveted Jonas Gustavsson this offseason.

While in Toronto, Pogge struggled with several goaltending coaches — one of which compared him to a child actor — while critics questioned his mental toughness. His former goaltending coach, Steve McKichan, spoke of Pogge’s unfortunate situation several weeks ago.

“There’s nothing bad I can say about him. He’s just a young kid who got put into a difficult situation. He came in as the saviour — and not to take anything away from him — but he’s got to earn his stripes.”

Now Pogge will get the chance to prove himself in a far less pressure situation in Anaheim, where most of the fans have probably never heard of him before. With Jonas Hiller already slated as the goaltender of the future, and with two more years remaining on JS Giguere’s contract, Pogge will be given plenty of time to earn his orange and black stripes.

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Tags: Anaheim Ducks, Justin Pogge, Toronto Maple Leafs

Raycroft, Kovalev, Beauchemin find new homes

Written by Alex Carrollin NHL

6 Jul 2009

Alex Kovalev Ottawa Senators

There were several key free agent signings today.

First, another year, another backup in Vancouver, as the Canucks inked Andrew Raycroft. Raycroft went 12-16-0 with a 3.14 GAA and a .892 save percentage last season in Colorado. So what does this mean for Cory Schneider’s future in Vancouver? The 23-year-old netminder doesn’t have much left to accomplish in the AHL, where he won the Goaltender of the Year Award last season while losing to the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup Final in six games.

And it appears that Ottawa is still counting on a Dany Heatley trade, as they signed Alex Kovalev to a two-year, $10 million contract today. I refuse to believe any of the nonsense about Kovalev being a loafer or not a team player. He has the skills and experience to help a team make the playoffs. Unfortunately, that team is not the Senators, who are now around $2 million above the salary cap.

Lastly, Brian Burke and Francois Beauchemin are reunited and it feels so good, especially because Beauchemin gets a nice pay raise at $3.8 million per year for three years. Beauchemin is Burke’s guy, so this signing really comes as no surprise.

But does this signal the end of Tomas Kaberle in Toronto? Probably, although I would advise against it. Two defensive defensemen are in — Mike Komisarek and Beauchemin — while one offensive guy — Pavel Kubina — is already out.

If they traded Kaberle, they better get some serious offense in return. After all, the Leafs didn’t necessarily sign Colton Orr to score 20 goals this year.