TML Fan Fury

John Michael Liles signs 4 year contract with Maple Leafs

2012-01-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 31 year old defensemen John-Michael Liles to a new 4 year contract extension, avoiding Liles becoming an unrestricted free agent. The deal is worth $15.5 million with an annual cap hit of $3.875 million which is slightly lower then his current cap hit of $4.2 million.
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The toughest players to wear the Maple Leaf sweater

2012-01-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

With NHL fighting slowly tampering off as most clubs look for not only a player that can fight but a player that can fight and still play a role with the club. The days of clubs carrying enforcers that play 4 minutes a game look to be coming to an end as the NHL slowly moves in a different direction.

It is hard to argue the NHL's direction, with the league at its highest levels in revenue, TV contracts, attendance and TV ratings. The league is not looking to abolish fighting at this time but for as many that enjoy this practice, there are just as many that feel if they want to watch a fight they will tune into a boxing or mixed martial arts contest.
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Maple Leafs lacking that veteran leader.

2012-01-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Maple Leafs are in an all familiar spot in the standings since the lockout, out of a playoff position once again thanks in part to a dismal month of December that saw the club go 4-6-3 and in a tight Eastern Conference that sees 10 points separating 3rd place from 12th place in the Conference the Buds need to get their game back on track

The team plays nine out of their next ten games at home, in what amounts to a very crucial part of the season, if the Buds can claim the majority of points in these games it should see them vault back into a playoff spot. The one thing that has been glaring in the month of December is a horrible penalty kill and a lack of confidence at times with the lead. This team also needs to stop getting off to slow starts, as playing catch up is a recipe for disaster.
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Grading the Maple Leafs at the quarter point

2011-11-29T17:22:00.001-08:00

Well Leafs Nation we have just passed the quarter point of the season and the Buds are sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference and 4th in the whole NHL. How many Leaf fans saw this coming? Do we have any hand raising, I think not. I did feel that Buds would make the playoffs this season but did not see them being in the place that they currently are in the NHL.

I have to say it is alot more fun to watch the games this season, the team is fast, we are getting scoring and surprise, surprise we sit 3rd in the league on the PP (this is huge). This Leafs Nation is something we have been waiting for since the lockout. There is still alot of season to go but if the Buds continue to perform, April will be longer then we are accustomed too.
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30 Insane Predictions for the Leafs upcoming season

2011-10-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

The 2011/12 Maple Leafs season is two days away against our arch rivals the Montreal Canadiens, the Buds will be looking to make the post season for the first time since the lockout. The club is one of only two clubs to have failed to do so (Florida Panthers the other) and will be looking to charge into the post season. Can the club score enough goals? Will the penalty kill finally stop something? What will the goaltending look like?

These are all major questions and some that the club, the fans and the media are already asking and we have not even dropped the puck yet. Well Leafs Nation lets take a look at 20 Insane predictions for the Maple Leafs 2011/12 season.Continue Reading..

Toronto Maple Leafs announce opening night roster

2011-10-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

The NHL season is upon us Leafs Nation and the Toronto Maple Leafs made their final cuts today sending Keith Aulie and Mike Zigomanis to the AHL Marlies, while placing Darryl Boyce, Joey Crabb and Matt Lashoff on waivers as the October 6 home opener against the Habs inches closer.

There were a few surprises with the club as rookie defensemen Jake Gardiner and Jay Rosehill both stuck with the big club over Aulie and Boyce, while rookie forward Matt Frattin also is sticking with the big club as Nazem Kadri is out with an injury for 3 to 4 weeks. The Leafs opening night team will look like this.
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Training camp battles...Kadri vs Frattin, Gustavsson vs Scrivens, Gardiner vs Aulie

2011-09-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone from 70 players at camp to 29 as October 6th, 2011 season opener against the Montreal Canadiens inches closer and closer and the club looking to trim down to the 23 player roster spots. Coach Ron Wilson has some interesting decisions to make as camp comes to a close, some of them expected while some of the surprising but all of a positive note.

We first take a look Leafs Nation at the players that are considered locks to make the squad come opening night. James Reimer, Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn, John-Michael Liles, Cody Fransen, Carl Gunnarsson, Mike Komisarek, Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak, Tim Connolly, Joffrey Lupul, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, Clarke MacArthur, Colton Orr, Colby Armstrong, Darryl Boyce, Jay Rosehill, Mike Brown, that is 19 players with Matthew Lombardi healthy this would be 20.
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Toronto Maple Leafs sign Luke Schenn to 5 year deal

2011-09-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed stud defensemen Luke Schenn to a 5 year contract yesterday morning, announcing the deal just before training camp opened for the 2011-12 NHL season. Brian Burke signed last seasons hits leader to an annual cap hit of $3.6 million a season.

The soon to be 22 year old defensemen took some major strides last season after a dismal sophomore season. Schenn has appeared in 231 NHL games all for the Blue and White and will be back on what is pretty much a set blueline for the upcoming season that includes Dion Phaneuf, John-Michael Liles, Cody Fransen, Keith Aulie, Mike Komisarek and Carl Gunnarsson.

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Toronto Maple Leafs announce training camp roster

2011-09-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will open training camp this Friday and have released their training camp roster. The club has invited 70 players to camp as the club gets into high gear for the upcoming season. Luke Schenn is on the list as the club and player continue to work on a long term deal.

Maple Leafs Training Camp Roster:
(jersey number beside player name)

Goalies:

50 Jonas Gustavsson
1 Mark Owuya
34 James Reimer
40 Jussi Rynnas
30 Ben Schrivens
73 Garret Sparks
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Toronto Maple Leafs release TV Schedule for 2011/12 season

2011-08-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have released their 2011/12 broadcast schedule as we inch closer and closer to the opening face off. The Leafs will have all 82 games broadcast between four stations. Rogers Sportsnet, TSN, CBC and Leafs TV will bring all the games to you live this season. The Leafs will be on Rogers Sportsnet 29 times, CBC 24 times, TSN 17 times and Leafs TV 12 times.
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What the Maple Leafs could look like on opening day

2011-07-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Maple Leafs fans we are just a few weeks from training camp, thats right Leafs Nation just a few weeks away from September and another run by our beloved Buds to end this playoff misery that we having been suffering from since the end of the lockout.

The Leafs have made a few changes from the club that ended the season in April:

In: Tim Connolly, Matthew Lombardi, Cody Fransen and Philippe Dupuis

Re-signed: James Reimer, Carl Gunnarsson, Clarke MacArthur, Tyler Bozak, Jay Rosehill, Darryl Boyce, Mike Zigomanis, Matt Lashoff, Luca Caputi, Ben Scrivens and Joey Crabb
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Taking a look at the Leafs 2011 Draft

2011-06-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NHL draft has come and gone and Brian Burke has added nine lucky youngsters when it was all said and done. The Leafs made a minor move by trading their 30th overall and 39th overall picks to Anaheim to move up to the 22nd overall spot. We take a look at who the Bud drafted.

Tyler Biggs (Forward) 22nd Overall Pick
USA (Under 18)
GP: 48 G 17 A 11 PTS 28 PIM 112

Prototypical power forward who embodies truculence. He has decent hands and can drive to the net while delivering big hits

Stuart Percy (Defense) 25th Overall Pick
Mississauga St. Michael's (OHL)
GP: 64 G 4 A 29 PTS 33 PIM 50

A smart player who is rarely caught out of position in his own end, he guards the puck well and makes passes well in all three zones

Maple Leafs trade for Colorado's John-Michael Liles

2011-06-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Brian Burke has made a move just on the eve of the NHL draft acquiring offensive defensemen John-Michael Liles from the Colorado Avalanche for a 2nd Round pick in the 2012 draft that the team acquired from the Boston Bruins as part of the Tomas Kaberle trade earlier this season.

The 30 year old Indiana native picked up 46 points last season and has 275 points over his career in 523 games played. Liles has 1 year left on his contract that pays him $4.5 million a season but has a cap hit of $4.2 million and was taken by the Avalanche in the 5th round of the 2000 NHL entry draft, 159th overall.

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Who the Maple Leafs may target on July 1

2011-06-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs will try once again to make the post season for the first time since the lockout as restless Leafs Nation fans await to see what general manager Brian Burke does come UFA time on July 1st. The Buds need a top line center, another one or two players for the bottom six forwards a puck moving defensemen and a veteran backup goalie.

The Leafs GM may fill a gap or two come draft day but nothing is certain except that the salary cap has been increased to $64 million for next season with the Leafs currently having about $25 million to spend. They will need to lockup restricted free agents Luke Schenn, Clarke MacArthur and Tyler Bozak which should cost the club about $8 million a season for all three while unrestricted free agent Tim Brent is all but a lock to return back for a small increase bringing spending room down to about $16 million.

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Maple Leafs bring in new coaching staff

2011-06-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought in two new coaches to add Ron Wilson next season as the club looks to end their post lockout goose egg in making the NHL post season, gone are Tim Hunter and Keith Acton and in are Scott Gordon and Gregg Cronin. Leafs GM Brian Burke brings in two more Americans to the Blue and White.

Scott Gordon is the former Head Coach of the New York Islanders and posted a 64-94-23 record, he was also Wilson's assistant coach on the silver medal winning USA Olympic team of 2010. Gregg Cronin has been the Head Coach of the Northeastern University Huskies of the NCAA for the past six seasons.

On another note the Buds signed defensemen Carl Gunnarsson to a 2 year contract worth $2.65 million over two seasons.

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Maple Leafs sign James Reimer to 3 year contract

2011-06-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed upcoming restricted free agent James Reimer to a new three year contract for a reported $5.4 million which amounts to a friendly cap hit of $1.8 million a season. Reimer took full advantage of injuries sustained to goaltenders ahead of him on the depth chart last season to wrestle away the number one spot and earn a hefty raise from $600,000.

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What the Toronto Maple Leafs paid each player per point this season

2011-05-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well Leafs its been over six weeks since the end of the regular season for our beloved Maple Leafs, after doing some reading over the internet on different hockey blogs I came across a very interesting statistic at Blue Notes which is a New York Rangers blog written by Steve Zipay. The Dollar Per Points or DPP, theme is a simple format that takes a look at how much a player was paid per point in the season.

The key all fans need to remember is that some players roles are not to accumulate points and a few on the list missed extended periods of time like Colton Orr who lead the club in DPP with $500,000 per his two points but also only played in 46 games, he is the clubs enforcer not goal scorer. This is all about seeing who gave the club its best bang for its buck and it was not surprising that Clarke MacArthur lead the club in this category, costing the Leafs only $17,742 DPP this season. The worst blue liner was Mike Komisarek who cost the buds $450,000 DPP with the best being Carl Gunnarsson at $40,000 DPP.

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Maple Leafs have long road to playoff spot.

2011-03-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have played some of their best hockey since the all star game, this is nothing new over the past few years as the club seems to always become an over .500 hockey club when things do not seem to matter but the difference this time around is the club is playing well to the point that it does matter.

There is something special about this young squad over the last couple of months and even though they were schooled Saturday by the defending Stanley Cup champs the Black Hawks, we will now see how the young squads composure will come through, will they whittle away or will they rise to the occasion. Leafs coach Ron Wilson has the team playing as well as he has had any squad and GM Brian Burke's trades which subtracted members from the club has only assisted in bringing this group closer together.
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Versteeg joins Beauchemin on a one way express

2011-02-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Leafs GM Brian Burke has sent another short term Leaf packing as Kris Versteeg joins Francois Beauchemin on his way out of town. The Leafs GM looks to be sucking and blowing on his transactions at the same time as both players played a whopping 189 games combined in the Blue and White. The Versteeg deal turned into a 3 for 1 swap for a player that was not able to find a groove in Toronto and was unable to play Top 6 forward minutes as he was acquired to do.
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Toronto Maple Leafs at the Trade Deadline

2011-01-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

The trade deadline is less then a month away, Leaf fans circle February 28, 2011 on your calendars but if Leafs GM Brian Burke has his way he wont be waiting until then to shake this club up, the Buds are no better this year then they were last and a couple of one way tickets out of town for some players if not just about all is something that many of us would not mind at all.

I want to start with the Leafs that Brian Burke should not think of trading unless there is some offer out there that is just too good to refuse (cough), the Buds that should remain with the club after the deadline are, Phil Kessel, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Luke Schenn, Jonas Gustavsson, Colby Armstrong, James Reimer, Tim Brent, Colton Orr and Carl Gunnarsson all others can be shipped out FedEx.

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The Greatest Maple Leafs Defensemen of All Time

2011-01-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

The boys in blue and white continue to falter as they look headed to another missed post season unless they somehow can turn it around. A new year is upon us once again and I though it would better to have my first blog of 2011 take a look at some better moments and memories in Leafs history, so hear goes Leafs Nation as we take a stab at the Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen of all time and dont forget to let me know who you think is the greatest in our poll at the end.Continue Reading..

What to do with the Leafs goaltending situation?

2010-12-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hey Leafs Nation its been a bit of time since I have been able to sit down for an extended period of time and blog about my favourite club the Toronto Maple Leafs, I hope to be able to do this a little more frequently as the hectic pace of the past few months slows down for the Holiday season. I have spent a bit of time thinking lately as Im sure many fans have of the Buds goaltending situation.

We have the "Monster" Jonas Gustavsson playing as well as he can in front of a team who cant seem to find the back of the net on a regular basis and have clear periods of bone-headedness in their own end on too many nights but he still sits with a .902 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.91 respectable numbers for a player entering his second season in the NHL and who is signed through next season.Continue Reading..

Dion Phoneyneuf or Captain Pylon does it make a difference?

2010-11-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

The season is just 10 games in and the attack dogs seem to have gotten loose and their primary target seems to be new Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. The club looks to have come back down to reality after winning their first 4 games, the club has turned around and earned just one victory in their last six games played. This should not be a surprise to most but their lack of goal scoring is a tad disheartening.

This was not what Brian Burke had in mind when he acquired some key pieces to his puzzle over the last twelve months. The season is still early and another four game winning streak may quiet the attack dogs of Leafs Nation but this was always brewing for most fans, as many myself included feel that the team was a tad to quick in handing over the captain's C to newly acquired Dion Phaneuf.
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Which Maple Leaf should be bronzed in front of ACC

2010-10-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their impressive performance to start the season taking 9 out of a possible 10 points as the club looks to break their longest playoff drought in club history. The team is oozing confidence, looks faster and has one of the better back ends in all of hockey but there is something else brewing.... with the opening of Maple Leaf Square the club has basically cornered off a section across from the Air Canada Center on Bremner Blvd and York Street, the club has opened the highly successful Real Sports Bar and Grill voted ESPN's Best Sports Bar already, Real Sports Apparel, and the soon to be opened Eleven Steakhouse, talk about making money.

There is something missing at this spectacular corner and that is a bronzed statue of one of the all time Maple Leaf greats. We have Wayne Gretzky outside Rexall Place, Vince Lombardi in front of Lambeau Field and even Rocky Balboa in Philadelphia but one of the greatest franchises in all of sports does not have a statue dedicated to one of their all time greats, something that could not only awe but inspire the club and Leaf Nation, something like we might just see in Rome.

The biggest question is not should the Leafs organization do this but more about when and who? The who question is the biggest question of all and this will rage debate back and forth between Leaf and Non Leaf fans alike. Who exactly do we honour with such a tribute, which Maple Leaf has earned this privilege to be enshrined for all of time, to be photographed endlessly by hordes of visitors and to have fathers, mothers, grandparents pass on who it is and what he did for the club to the younger generation of Leaf lovers.

This is not a simple question to answer but of course I will do my best to narrow it down to who I feel deserves such an honour. The first though is no ownership, management or coaches, the player should have won a cup with the club, be one of its all time leaders in various Leaf statistics. He should be a player that all Leaf fans know something about even if they never had the opportunity to see him play.

This process is not a simple one but taking what I have decided to look at this narrows the field down to five greats. Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Johnny Bower, Turk Broda and Frank Mahovlich. Keon has the most points, goals and assists from this group, while Horton has the most games played as a Leaf. Broda leads the group with five Stanley Cups. There needs to be another criteria added as this may just have one stand out a bit more then all the deserving candidates and that will be career in the NHL with the club.

This last criteria narrows the field to just one player, the late great Walter "Turk" Broda the only one in the group of five to play his entire career with the organization. Broda along with his five Stanley Cups, also captured two Vezina trophys and leads the club in all time wins, shutouts, games played in both the regular season and in the playoffs. The NHL Network has rated Turk Broda the 9th Best Goalie of All Time and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.

Well there you have it Leafs Nation, its time to honour a Leaf great with a bronzed statue in front of what is slowly becoming a hot corner in the city of Toronto. Walter "Turk" Broda the first and only Leaf to have this honour bestowed upon him, what do you think Leafs Nation is this the right choice or do you prefer to honour someone different?

Who is Maple Leaf Tim Brent?

2010-10-09T02:44:00.000-07:00

Tim Brent's name has been talked about throughout this past training camp as the journeymen forward has finally landed a spot to start the season on a NHL roster but many including myself wonder who is Tim Brent and where did he come from?

Brian Burke signed the center to a two way contract on July 6, 2009 as he looked to add depth to a weak Toronto Marlies roster, Burke was familiar with Brent having had him under the Anaheim Ducks franchise and believe it or not Brent was drafted twice by the Ducks franchise after failing to sign with them the first time picked.Continue Reading..

The Leafs roster is down to 30 players

2010-09-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ron Wilson continues to dwindle his ranks as the NHL regular season inches closer, the Leafs coach currently has narrowed his open day camp to 30 players with 3 goalies, 10 defensemen and 17 forwards remaining in camp.

Current Roster

Goalies: J.S. Giguere, Johan Gustavsson, James Reimer
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Toronto Maple Leafs invite 63 players to camp

2010-09-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that training camp opens up this Friday for our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs.... its our favourite time of the year and thats the fall or hockey season as it is also known. Brian Burke and Ron Wilson hope to be able to guide this club into a late spring for the first time since the lockout and have invited 63 players to this seasons training camp.Continue Reading..

Why the Maple Leafs will make the playoffs

2010-09-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

The NHL training camps are just around the corner and Leafs Nation is wondering if this will finally be the season in which the club and its fans get to do more in April then whine and pack their bags, something the club has not done since the pre-lockout days. Brian Burke has continued to retool the team into a club that will play hard every night and coach Ron Wilson will need to continue to get this club to buy into his system, if the club is to make some sort of run towards the playoffs. The real winners when this happens will be the fans, how many playoffs do we have to sit and listen to how great our friends teams are and how our team has all the golf courses in the country booked, I for one am sick of it and this is why I feel the Leafs will make the playoffs this season.
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Maple Leafs acquire another defensemen

2010-08-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

Brian Burke has acquired another defensemen via trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Leafs sent prospects Alex Berry and Stefano Giliati for Matt Lashoff. The 23 year old blueliner has appeared in 63 career NHL games with Tampa and the Boston Bruins and spent most of last season in the AHL. The former first round pick joins an already crowded Maple Leafs back end as Burke looks to make sure that this training camp will be as intense as ever since he has been with the Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs release TV schedule for 2010-11

2010-08-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have released their TV schedule for the 2010-11 season and all the teams games will be televised once again this season with Leafs TV showing 12 games, CBC 24 games, TSN 17 games and Sportsnet 29 games. The team will also have all its preseason games televised with 6 games on Leafs TV.

Leafs TV Schedule below
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The times they are a Changin' in Leafland

2010-08-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

The hockey season is just around the corner now and most Leaf fans are hoping that this will be the season to see improvement by the Buds, hell who knows maybe even a long winning streak but what comes to mind through all the gloom of the past seasons is a song by Bob Dylan that gives some hope and has a few similarities to what has happened or can happen in Leafland.

The popular song by Bob Dylan about "The times they are a Changin'" heeds to mind what we in Leafland have been experiencing as Brian Burke continues to make over the roster to a team that will come out to compete every night and most importantly return to the playoffs. The Leafs as in Dylan's first stanza have been sinking like a stone since the lockout with lackluster performances and no playoffs.Continue Reading..

The Best UFA signings by our Toronto Maple Leafs

2010-08-02T15:55:00.001-07:00

This has been a quiet off season for the Toronto Maple Leafs when it comes to the unrestricted free agent market. The Leafs signed Colby Armstrong when the gate opened July 1st and Brett Lebda on July 7th, they also look to have loaded up the Marlies with a few other minor signings but the biggest move of this off season will not be a free agent signing and may just be the yet to be made trade involving blueliner Tomas Kaberle, IF that even happens.

The signing of unrestricted free agents started to slowly take shape in the mid 90's and has grown thanks to the collective bargaining agreements over the years to what we know today. The Leafs first busy summer in the UFA market takes us back to 1997. The Leafs picked up Derek King, Mike Kennedy, Kris King, Igor Korolev, Kevyn Adams and Glenn Healy before the start of that season.Continue Reading..

Toronto Maple Leafs sign German forward

2010-07-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they have signed 22 year old German forward Marcel Mueller to a 2 year entry level contract. Mueller has played the last three seasons in the German Elite League and was a member of the German National team at this Winter's Olympics and World Championships. Leafs GM Brian Burke continues to attempt to restock the Leafs youth, lets see what he has up his sleeve next.

What if Burke decided to trade Luke Schenn

2010-07-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is a question that many news reporters and Leafs fans are wondering when it comes to the Tomas Kaberle saga, is it possible for Leafs general manager Brian Burke to switch gears and move the younger Luke Schenn for a top forward instead of the veteran blueliner. The one thing that most NHL teams covet is a puck moving offensive defensemen and Tomas Kaberle more then fits the bill, Kaberle's pinpoint passes have sent many Maple Leaf players one on one with the opposition goaltender over his career in Toronto and is the type of defensemen that the club will need as it moves towards respectability.

Brian Burke could send Kaberle packing out of town but in a few years may require a player just like Kabby to bolster his roster, how is that for irony. Kaberle loves Toronto and would like nothing more then to retire as a Toronto Maple Leaf, there is no denying that the 32 year old Kaberle is a top 10 offensive defensemen in the NHL and is a bargain at $4.25 million for the season. Could then the Leafs general manager re-sign the veteran blueliner for a longer stay and set his sights on shipping the younger Luke Schenn out of town?Continue Reading..

Maple Leafs sign Brett Lebda to two year deal

2010-07-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed unrestricted free agent defensemen Brett Lebda to a two year contract worth 1.45 million a season. The 28 year old blueliner has played his whole career with the Detroit Red Wings and last season dressed for 63 games picking up 8 points. Lebda is a stay at home defensemen and the club will be looking for him to fill in the #5 or #6 spot on the team. This move adds more depth to the Leafs backend as Brian Burke continues to listen to offers for veteran Tomas Kaberle.

Kaberle trade will have domino effect on Maple Leafs

2010-07-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

Brian Burke seems to feel that he is holding all the cards when it comes to moving long time Leaf Tomas Kaberle, as bonafide offensive defensemen have dried up in the UFA market, the Leafs GM is holding his trump card close to his chest and feeling out what the market is willing to offer or more like what is the most some team is willing to pay for the Leafs most gifted blue liner.

The Leafs should be able to maximize their biggest asset if Kaberle were willing to negotiate with the team he was heading to and sign an extension with the club this would almost guarantee the club a first rounder or even better yet a top six forward. What Burke is hoping for is that some team will get desperate and offer the Leafs a deal that the general manager will have a hard time saying no to, this could at best be a pipe dream but one that does exist out there. Continue Reading..

Maple Leafs re-sign Nikolai Kulemin and John Mitchell

2010-07-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed two components from last seasons squad by inking Nikolai Kulemin and John Mitchell this past day. Kulemin was signed to a 2 year contract worth 4.7 million over 2 years. Kulemin was one of the better Leafs in the second half last season and chipped in 16 goals in 78 games. Mitchell was signed to a 1 year contract worth $725,000. Mitchell's second season in the NHL saw the youngster suffer an injury which derailed his on ice performance as he scored only 6 goals which was half of what he scored his rookie year.

Maple Leafs sign Colby Armstrong to three years

2010-07-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first signing of the off season as the UFA market kicked off at 12pm today and that is former Penguin and now for Thrasher Colby Armstrong. The 27 year old hard nosed winger was signed to a three year contract worth $3 million a season. Armstrong will bring grit to the club and has easily become the Leafs most hated player, as opponents know that the Buds have just become that much more tougher to play against. Armstrong has scored 78 goals in his NHL career, amassed over 360 games played.

Maple Leafs acquire Kris Versteeg from Hawks

2010-07-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired two time 20 goal scoring winger Kris Versteeg from the Stanley Cup Champs along with college prospect Bill Sweatt and have shipped off Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis. The Leafs have added some scoring to the club in the 24 year old Versteeg who comes with a cap hit of $3,083,333 and is signed for the next two seasons. Brian Burke has added some help up front and a possible top six forward but I feel he may have given up a tad too much in this deal. Stalberg is a speedster and the most likely of the new arrivals to crack the teams opening day roster in Chicago, while DiDomenico is a talented forward who just happens to be on the small side for Burke's liking. The hoping here is that the deal helps both sides, as it seems Burke wants to make the playoffs now in hockey mad Toronto while the Hawks are more then happy to stock the cupboard with prospects as they look to get under the Cap. This deal seems to have Scotty Bowman's fingerprints all over it as it seems Brian Burke was unable to wrestle away another Hawk by the name of Patrick Sharp who would have been a much better acquisition by the Leafs general manager. The club now prepares for the opening of the UFAs today and we hope that Burke has something else up his sleeve as I am not too impressed with his first move this Canada Day.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2010 NHL Draft Choice

2010-06-28T16:20:00.001-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up with a second round pick after all when they acquired Calgary's second round choice from the Chicago Black Hawks to land Portland Winter Hawks left winger Bradley Ross with the 43rd overall pick of the draft. The Leafs send Calgary unsigned pick Jimmy Hayes. Brian Burke also acquired Anaheim's Mike Brown for the clubs 2010 fifth round pick.

Here is a look at the Leafs picks in the 2010 NHL Draft
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Toronto Maple Leafs 2010-11 Schedule

2010-06-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

The NHL has released the 2010-11 season schedule and our boys in blue will open the season and end the season at home against the Montreal Canadiens on October 7, 2010 and April 9, 2011.

Here is the full Toronto Maple Leafs schedule:

October

7- vs Montreal
9- vs Ottawa
13- at Pittsburgh
15- at NY Rangers
18- vs NY Islanders
21- vs NY Rangers
23- at Philadelphia
26- vs Florida
28- at Boston
30- vs NY Rangers

November

2- vs Ottawa
3- at Washington
6- vs Buffalo
9- at Tampa
10- at Florida
13- vs Vancouver
16- vs Nashville
18- vs New Jersey
20- at Montreal
22- vs Dallas
26- at Buffalo
27- at Ottawa
30- vs Tampa

December

2- vs Edmonton
4- vs Boston
6- at Washington
8- at Pittsburgh
9- vs Philadelphia
11- vs Montreal
14- at Edmonton
16- at Calgary
18- at Vancouver
20- vs Atlanta
26- at New Jersey
28- vs Carolina
30- vs Columbus

January

1- at Ottawa
3- vs Boston
6- vs St Louis
7- at Atlanta
10- at Los Angeles
11- at San Jose
13- at Phoenix
15- vs Calgary
19- at NY Rangers
20- vs Anaheim
22- vs Washington
24- at Carolina
25- at Tampa

February

1- vs Florida
3- vs Carolina
5- at Buffalo
7- vs Atlanta
8- at NY Islanders
10- vs New Jersey
12- at Montreal
15- at Boston
16- at Buffalo
19- vs Ottawa
22- vs NY Islanders
24- at Montreal
26- vs Pittsburgh
27- at Atlanta

March

2- vs Pittsburgh
3- at Philadelphia
5- vs Chicago
8- at NY Islanders
10- vs Philadelphia
12- vs Buffalo
14- vs Tampa
16- at Carolina
17- at Florida
19- vs Boston
22- at Minnesota
24- at Colorado
26- at Detroit
29- vs Buffalo
31- at Boston

April

2- at Ottawa
5- vs Washington
6- at New Jersey
9- vs Montreal

TMLs 2010 NHL Mock Draft

2010-06-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

The NHL gets set on June 25th for the first round of the NHL Draft 2010 in Los Angeles and all Leaf fans know that the club does not have a first round pick in this draft at the moment but that could all change with a trade. TML Fan Fury though has decided to still bring you a first round mock draft of who we think will go where.
Continue Reading..

Toronto Maple Leafs announce Dion Phaneuf as Captain

2010-06-14T17:07:00.001-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally announced one of the NHL's worst kept secrets and that was naming Dion Phaneuf the teams new captain. Brian Burke acquired the rugged defensemen last January in a blockbuster deal with Calgary and felt that Phaneuf would be the teams future captain and thats exactly what happened just five months later. Phaneuf becomes the Maple Leafs 18th captain, the club did not have a captain the past two season after Mats Sundin had served in that role the past 776 games. Phaneuf is a talker and will be a different leader then the former Swede. Will this be a move in the right direction for the club only time will tell.

Its time for the Leafs to change goal horn

2010-05-17T19:27:00.001-07:00

The playoffs continue and we Leaf fans continue to enjoy the games without our beloved squad in the post season. There is a lot of talk in the blog world when it comes to the Leafs pertaining to free agents, trades and what the club can muster in the draft.

I have decided to take another route at the moment and blog about another thing that the club can look into this off season at the Air Canada Centre and that is to change the goal horn to something a little more lively. The fans at the games in most cases are too quiet for my liking and without the scoreboard telling people when to cheer and chant who knows if any sound would come out especially from the platinum section. Continue Reading..

TML Fan Fury Special Guest Article on Traumatic Brain Injury

2010-05-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

The playoffs continue and us Leaf fans continue to sit on the sidelines and enjoy but with a bit of remorse that our club is not making the playoff runs that some of the clubs are doing as we reach the final four in the quest for Lord Stanley. This is also a busy time for myself and blogging has not been as frequent as I would have liked but for our 100th post we have decided to talk hockey in general and have granted a request for a special guest blog from Chelsea Travers an outreach representative for CareMeridian on the seriousness of head injuries, having suffered a couple of concussions myself I know that its best we try to be safe and smart when we are out on the ice.
Continue Reading..

Grading the Maple Leafs Season, Player by Player

2010-04-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Leafs finished their 2009/10 season with a victory over the Habs on April 10/10 and after taking a few weeks to asses the Leafs season. I am now taking a look at how each player performed in a Leafs uniform this season, this will include players that were traded to and from the team and have played in a minimum of 25 games for players and 15 games for goalies.
Continue Reading..

Maple Leafs sign rookie Finnish goalie

2010-04-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed a rookie European netminder for the second year in a row as Brian Burke has signed Finnish keeper Jussi Rynnas. The Leafs GM had made a trip to Finland over the last few weeks with assistant Dave Nonis to meet the Finn and then made another unexpected visit to the keeper in Montreal as he was touring NHL cities last week. The soon to be 23 year old keeper was considered to be the best available goalie in Europe this season, which makes Burke, two for two the past couple of seasons after acquiring Jonas Gustavsson last off season. Rynnas played 31 games for Finnish club Assat Pori where he posted a .929 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average. There has been no official announcement from the Leafs on contract but it is rumoured to be a 3 year entry level contract and Rynnas should start the season with the Toronto Marlies next season. Francois Allaire is said to have been a major influence in Rynnas signing with the Leafs, as he is regarded as the best goalie coach in the world at the moment.

Will the Maple Leafs be fishing for Free Agents?

2010-04-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

The NHL playoffs are on and us Leafs fans are sitting back and enjoying the hockey that is being played now as our team sits on the sidelines once again for another season. Brian Burke pulled off another great move last week signing restricted free agent Jonas Gustavsson to a two year deal for $2.7 million as the keeper continues his growth under the tutelage of Francois Allaire.

Burke now has turned his attention to winger Nikolai Kulemin and since the Leafs dont have a pick until the third round of the NHL draft at the moment, I have decided to take an early look at some of the key unrestricted free agents that Burke may want to go after as he looks to get the Maple Leafs rebuilding plan on fast track but before we get their we need to take a look at the clubs current cap structure. Continue Reading..

Reviewing the 30 Predictions for 2009/10 Leafs Season

2010-04-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have wrapped up yet another disappointing season, as they miss the NHL playoffs for the fifth year in a row. Leafs Nation famous we will get them next season is starting to sound like a sour note in Leafland. Brian Burke will make changes this off season, not being in the post season eats at him. The Leafs did show some promise after the Olympic break but it is nothing new as all Leafs teams have played better through March and April every year since the lockout only to not be in the post season. This organization must be better, the fans demand it.Continue Reading..

What the 2010/11 Maple Leafs roster might look like

2010-04-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is just about done for our current Toronto Maple Leafs and all but what spot the Leafs will finish in the standings is all but decided. The Leafs will miss the playoffs again and have not made the post season since before the lockout. Brian Burke will have a bit of work to do as he continues to rebuild this team in the right path. The club has once had a strong finish to the season as seems the norm the last few years and with younger players on the roster accomplishing the streak this time around, there is a sense of hope and not some mirage we have been accustomed to in seasons past.
Brian Burke's team will look very different then the team that started the 2009/10 season, it already does but will be much more so as some UFA's will be let go and others signed from around the league. The Leafs will trade some players and receive some back in return.

We take a look at what the Toronto Maple Leafs 23 man roster should look like in 2010/11.

Goalies

Jonas Gustavsson
J.S. Giguere

Defensemen

Dion Phaneuf
Francois Beauchemin
Mike Komisarek
Carl Gunnarsson
Luke Schenn
Keith Aulie
Free Agent/Trade Acquisition

Forwards

Phil Kessel
Tyler Bozak
Nicolai Kulemin
Viktor Stalberg
Nazem Kadri
Christian Hanson
John Mitchell
Luca Caputi
Fredrik Sjostrom
Rickard Wallin
Colton Orr
Free Agent/Trade Acquisition
Free Agent/Trade Acquisition

I know some of you are wondering where Tomas Kaberle is and I feel Kabby will be traded this off season, possibily for a 1st rounder and prospect, especially if he signs with the team he is traded too. I'm sure you also notice Jeff Finger is missing from the list, I feel he will be bought out or sent to the Marlies next season to get that big cap hit off the teams roster. Then you have Mikhail Grabovski his contract may be harder to get off the books but since we managed to do it with Jason Blake's I'm sure Burke will be able to move Grabo, his welcome has worn out and he does not fit on the top two lines. The other more shocking player that some see on the roster is Rickard Wallin, I know Wallin cant score but he and Sjostrom have been terrific killing penalties and he does do the little things right, like block shots and check hard, he would cost the team little to re-sign. I feel that Garnet Exelby, Wayne Primeau, Jaime Lundmark will be allowed to walk as they are pending UFAs. The only player I have a hard time making my mind on is Mike Van Ryn when he played for the Leafs last season he did look good and may be a welcome surprise if he stays healthy and signs for alot lower salary then he is getting now. Well there you have it Leafs Nation a look at the 2010/11 Leafs roster have fun dissecting it.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Brayden Irwin

2010-03-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to go the NCAA college route to help rebuild their team a bit faster signing University of Vermont forward Brayden Irwin. The 23 year old Toronto native was signed to a two year entry level deal and was a teammate last season of Leafs winger Viktor Stalberg. The 6'5 player finished his fourth season in Vermont picking up 34 points in 39 games. Irwin is the first player signed by Brian Burke from the college ranks this season, Burke signed up Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson last season, both players are currently playing with the NHL club.

What will the Leafs do with Grabovski?

2010-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

The other night I was enjoying the Leafs game as most fans I'm sure have since the Olympics and a though crossed my mind, what will the Maple Leafs do with Mikhail Grabovski? Tyler Bozak has looked terrific between Phil Kessel and Nikolai Kulemin, a line I like to reference to as the B2K line and how many fans out there know that the kid leads all NHL rookies who have played in at least 20 games this season in points per game.

Thats right more the Tavares, Duchene and Bergfors and currently sits in 12th place in rookie scoring two points from moving into 9th. These kind of impressive statistics should all but guarantee Bozak a spot in the middle next season. Then you have the Leafs top prospect Nazem Kadri the 93 point player who finished fourth in scoring in the OHL and currently has 14 points in 5 playoff games to lead the league in playoff scoring at the moment. Continue Reading..

NHL Team by Team Breakdown of Best Prospects

2010-03-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently the youngest team in the NHL and have played quite well, winning seven of their last nine games as they fight to get out of the 29th spot in the league and have been a thorn on the side of many teams needing the points as they fight for their playoff lives. The Leafs situation gives some food for though of what do the rest of the NHL teams prospects look like, taking every player in the organization that is 25 years of age and under as of today as well under 40 NHL games played lets take a look at a team by team breakdown of the clubs Top 5 Prospects.
Continue Reading..

Who has made the Best 1st round picks

2010-03-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

The big talk lately is all about the Toronto Maple Leafs trading away this years and next years first round draft pick to the Boston Bruins, some fans have accepted this, some fans are not sure what to think and others are mad as hell based on the Leafs current position in the NHL.

I have decided to do some research on a team by team basis to see which teams in the NHL have drafted the best first rounders between the 1996-2006 season whether they are on the team that drafted them or have been traded it does not change the fact that they are still first round selections. Continue Reading..

Its time to get over the Phil Kessel trade

2010-03-08T19:00:00.001-08:00

On September 19, 2009 the Toronto Maple Leafs traded away their first and second round picks in the 2010 draft along with their 2011 first round pick to acquire 36 goal scorer Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins. Leafs Nation for the most part jumped for joy as the team had acquired a 21 year old sniper and top six forward for the squad.

The Toronto Sports papers, radio stations and Canadian Sports stations had tons of praise and were quick to pat Leafs GM Brian Burke for making a bold move since the drafts over the next two years were predicted to be weak, comments on more of a positive manner were posted all over the internet on blogs and sports websites, fans texted their non Leaf friends to let them know watch out the Leafs were finally moving in the right direction.....fast forward to March 8, 2010 and pandemonium has broken out all over the same places in less then 6 months, terrible trade, the Leafs continue to throw away their draft picks, Kessel will never be a guy the team can build around, Burke made a big mistake are some of the comments that are being made now. Take a CHILL Leafs Nation.Continue Reading..

Leafs deadline trades after a few days of review

2010-03-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

After taking a few days to take a good hard look at the Toronto Maple Leafs trades on deadline day March 3 , 2010 I have come to the conclusion that for what we had to do, we came out just fine, I know many Leafs fans are thinking what is this guy talking about. We Stink!, fair enough but with the players we had we sat in 29th place in the NHL and after the trades we still sit in 29th place in the league are we worse? Are we better? Time will tell.

The one thing we do know is that Burke traded a bunch of UFAs that the team did not want to keep and got back mostly picks that with some good scouting, not always a Leafs strong point, maybe just maybe we can find a gem in the later rounds. Continue Reading..

Which Leafs will end up where?

2010-03-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

The trade deadline is March 3rd and Maple Leaf fans across the country and around the globe have started talking up a storm about who could go where and who we can get in return as they seem to do every season at the deadline.

This season has a little different twist then previous years since the lockout as Brian Burke tries his best to continue to steer this franchise in the right direction, after Burke pulled off the Kessel trade earlier this season and the Phaneuf trade earlier this year, Maple Leaf fans await to see what will the Leafs GM do next? Continue Reading..

Leafs Rumours II, Stempy to Pens? Kaberle waiving NTC

2010-02-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

The NHL has shutdown for the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver and many Toronto Maple Leafs fans have shed their blue and white colors at the moment, to the red and white colors of Canada, hoping that their country can continue bringing as many medals as they can in these last few days. While back in the NHL most players have returned to practice this week with their respective clubs, as teams continue working the phones and preparing for the March 3rd trade deadline. We bring Leafs Nation a second part to the latest rumours regarding Leafs players around the league, how real are they who knows but enjoy.

Ponikarovsky knows his trade bait
source: Toronto Star

Leafs know changes could come with trade deadline looming
source: TSN

Penguins eyeing Ponikarovsky and Stempniak
source: Post Gazette

Kaberle may be willing to waive NTC
source: Hockey Buzz/Strickland

Ponikarovsky and Finger both on the block
source: Examiner

Burke continues to shop Ponikarovsky & Stempniak
source: Fox News

For whom the deadline tolls
source: Sportsnet

Busy deadline ahead for Leafs
source: Toronto Sun

Talk it up Leafs fans as the deadline gets closer.

Mikhail Grabovski arrested at Olympics

2010-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

There are many news reports coming out of Vancouver, that Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski was arrested Friday night while attending the Olympic games in a street scuffle. Grabovski who has been out of action for the Maple Leafs since breaking his wrist on January 2nd, was in Vancouver rooting for his home country of Belarus. The news reports indicate that Grabovski was released Saturday night to his parents and at the present time has not been charged with anything. Here is guessing the Grabovski's wrist is feeling a bit better.

Leafs Rumours, Cody Hodgson, Stephen Weiss in Blue and White?

2010-02-17T18:20:00.001-08:00

The NHL has shutdown for the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver and many Toronto Maple Leafs fans have shed their blue and white colors at the moment, to the red and white colors of Canada, hoping that their country can bring home as many Gold Medals as possible. While back in the NHL most teams are working the phones and preparing for the March 3rd trade deadline. The NHL will not resume until March 1, 2010 and with the trade freeze in place teams will not have much time to wheel and deal once its lifted and NHL season continues. The Leafs are a club looking to continue to remodel the current roster, the team still has six upcoming UFAs with all but Van Ryn looking like they will get a one way ticket out of town. The club also has three restricted free agents. The one thing that all Leafs fans can agree on is that whether its an Olympic break, the summer season or a Christmas break we all love to get all the Leafs news we can and what better then some juicy rumours. I have decided to give Leafs fans that fix by combing the net and posting links to the latest rumours out there during this break, how real are they? who knows?, but lets enjoy

Cody Hodgson coming to Toronto for Kaberle
source: The Hockey News

Stephen Weiss on the Leafs radar
source: Ottawa Sun

Ponikarovsky prepared for trade deadline
source: Slam Sports

Kings looking for Top 6 forward, Ponikarovsky anyone
source: The Fourth Period

Maple Leafs offered 2nd round pick and prospect for Ponikarovsky
source: CBC Hotstove

Poni drawing tons of interest, Kabby staying put
source: TSN

Eklund thoughs on Stempniak, Exelby and Ponikarovsky destinations
source: Hockeybuzz

Penguins heavily scouting Alexei Ponikarovsky
source: Kuklas Korner

Talk it up Leafs fans as we get set for the trade deadline.

Maple Leafs claim Jaime Lundmark on waivers

2010-02-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired another Calgary Flame after picking up former first round pick Jaime Lundmark on waivers. Lundmark has played in 280 NHL games to date with 39 goals and 96 points. Brian Burke looks to have picked up another NHL body as they get prepared for the NHL deadline in which the club could be moving up to five forwards from the current roster. The 29 year old Lundmark is in the final year of a contract that pays him $600,000 and then will become an unrestricted free agent. Lundmark has 9 points in 21 games for the Flames this season, in other Leafs notes Stalberg and Hanson have been returned to the Toronto Marlies during the Olympic break.

Taking a look at the Leafs best prospects

2010-02-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have looked different since trades on January 31, 2010 not only has the team received some solid goaltending but they have played with some confidence and more importantly the Leafs have played with a youthful energy something not seen in these parts for quite some time. We take a look at who we think the teams top ten prospects 24 and under and who have not played more the 40 games in their NHL careers, these players should wear the Blue and White uniform in the future.Continue Reading..

Maple Leafs fans wake up to a Burkie Blast

2010-01-31T10:26:00.000-08:00

Toronto Maple Leafs fans went to bed last night with a bitter taste in their mouths after watching their beloved Leafs blow a 3-0 lead against the Vancouver Canucks on Hockey Day in Canada. This morning many started their Sunday as they normally would but what most fans did not expect was to get hit all of a sudden by a Burkie Blast. Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke had seen enough and today many players got the "pink slip", when it was all said and done Burke has sent off six players on the current Leafs roster and taken back four in two separate trades completed today. Continue Reading..

The time to trade Kaberle has come

2010-01-30T09:18:00.001-08:00

The time to trade defensemen Tomas Kaberle has come in the Brian Burke era. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their free fall in the NHL and Burke can not sit back and continue to watch this without doing nothing, his ego would not allow it, his passion to win will not allow this and his commitment to right the Leafs ship will not let this happen.

The Maple Leafs biggest asset is Kaberle, he knows, we know it and Kaberle knows this. Tomas Kaberle has on most nights done his best for this organization, a team he loves, a city he adores. The Leafs general manager knows that Tomas Kaberle has a no movement clause at least until it opens again in the summer but will Burke get as much for Kaberle if he waits for this time? I think not. Continue Reading..

What the Maple Leafs should do at the deadline

2010-01-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

The NHL trade line is set for March 3rd 2010 and the Toronto Maple Leafs continue their spiral through the NHL this season. The deadline is closer then many might think with the NHL ready to close shop for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver in three weeks then when it starts up again there is only three days for the deadline.

This will be Brian Burke's time to put his biggest stamp on the club roster, as the Leafs will have nine unrestricted free agents when the season concludes and four restricted that could be a total of thirteen new faces on the Leafs squad a complete overhaul is not out of the question for this sorry bunch. Continue Reading..

Selecting the NHL All Stars for 2009-10 season

2010-01-16T08:42:00.001-08:00

The NHL would be having an All Star game around now if not for the season closing down and heading to the Olympics next month in Vancouver. I have decided to take a look at the teams around the league and select an All Star team for both the Eastern and Western Conferences based on this seasons performances.Continue Reading..

The Leafs waddling through their worst month since lockout

2010-01-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue on their waddling days of January which has been the teams worst month statistically since the lockout, if the team is to succeed in its quest to make the playoffs again then they need to come to grips with one of the coldest months of the year in Canada.

The team is 1-5-0 so far this month and continue to struggle in their penalty kill and scoring goals in general. Leafs Nation is not impressed and for all the knocks on Phil Kessel who's scoring has dried up, this is more then a one player problem as is always in team sports one player alone does not make or break a teams fortunes, all wheels need to be moving in the same direction.Continue Reading..

What is fun about being a Leafs fan right now

2010-01-11T09:01:00.001-08:00

The Maple Leafs continue their tail spin away from a post season spot and currently sit nine points back of the eighth and final spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Maple Leaf fans around the globe continue to suffer from various negative emotional feelings in the early weeks of 2010 whether it is anger, rage, fury, sadness or frustration there has been little to be content about as one decade has ended and another has begun.

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to struggle to score goals even though they are the league leaders in shots per game, what this tells us is that the Leafs lack finishers, who would have though it? The Leafs have the worst penalty killing unit in the NHL and are close to being the worst of all time, placing your sticks into passing lanes while killing penalties seems to be some sort of artistic form for this bunch, who would have though it?Continue Reading..

NHL Awards at the Half Season mark

2010-01-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

The NHL season has just passed the halfway point in the season and we at TML Fan Fury have decided to take a look at who deserves to win the NHL Awards at the halfway mark of the season. There have been a few surprises and some things have stay status quo but for the most part this season, after watching numerous games this season this is our call.

Agree or Disagree?

Jack Adams Award (presented to the leagues best coach)

Winner- Joe Sacco (Colorado Avalanche)
Finalists- Dave Tippett (Phoenix Coyotes), Jacques Lemaire (New Jersey Devils)

Frank Selke Trophy (presented to the top defensive forward)

Winner- Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)
Finalists- Rene Bourque (Calgary Flames), Mike Richards (Philadelphia Flyers)

Lady Byng Trophy (given to the league's most gentlemanly player)

Winner- Martin St Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Finalists- Brad Richards (Dallas Stars), Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)

Calder Trophy (given to the rookie judged top in the league)

Winner- John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Finalists- Matt Duchene (Colorado Avalance), Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres)

Norris Trophy (awarded to the top defensemen in the league)

Winner- Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)
Finalists- Duncan Keith (Chicago Black Hawks), Mike Green (Washington Capitals)

Vezina Trophy (presented to the league's top goaltender)

Winner- Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
Finalists- Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils), Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes)

Hart Trophy (awarded to the player judged best in the league)

Winner- Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
Finalists- Marian Gaborik (New York Rangers), Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)

First Team All Star

G- Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres)
D- Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)
D- Duncan Keith (Chicago Black Hawks)
RW- Marian Gaborik (New York Rangers)
C- Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)
LW- Alexei Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)

Second Team All Star

G- Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)
D- Mike Green (Washington Capitals)
D- Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)
RW- Patrick Kane (Chicago Black Hawks)
C- Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)
LW- Dany Heatley (San Jose Sharks)

Maple Leafs turn for Winter Classic and we know where

2010-01-02T09:14:00.001-08:00

The Winter Classic has come and gone once again and this time at Fenway Park was another spectacle to watch, there is nothing like watching professional players, playing outdoors in what can come across to us as a game of shinny.

We can all relate to that growing up and going into our backyards or the local community rink with temperatures below zero, the frost coming out of our mouths as we spend hours every day and week through the winter months, not so much chasing a dream but in love with a game. Continue Reading..

What Team Canada II could look like for Olympics

2009-12-31T16:06:00.001-08:00

The debate about who should and should not be on the Mens Team Canada Olympic hockey roster is under way. Canada has the luxury of being able to stack more then one team for a big tournament much in the same way as Brazil can for soccer tournaments of the USA for baseball. We take a look at what Team Canada II would look like if Canada had another spot at the Olympics.

Goaltenders (3)

Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes)
Marty Turco (Dallas Stars)
Dwayne Roloson (New York Islanders)

Reserves: Chris Mason (St Louis Blues), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Anaheim Ducks)

Defensemen (7)

Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames)
Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames)
Mike Green (Washington Capitals)
Robyn Regehr (Calgary Flames)
Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres)
Brian Campbell (Chicago Black Hawks)
Ian White (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Reserves: Francois Beauchemin (Toronto Maple Leafs), Kevin Bieksa (Vancouver Canucks), Scott Hannan (Colorado Avalanche)

Forwards (13)

Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes)
James Neal (Dallas Stars)
Brad Richards (Dallas Stars)
Martin St Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Mike Fisher (Ottawa Senators)
Jason Spezza (Ottawa Senators)
Jeff Carter (Philadelphia Flyers)
Ryan Smyth (Los Angeles Kings)
Michael Cammalleri (Montreal Canadiens)
Patrick Sharp (Chicago Black Hawks)
Stephen Weiss (Florida Panthers)

Reserves: Dustin Penner (Edmonton Oilers), Nathan Horton (Florida Panthers), Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh Penguins), John Tavares (New York Islanders)

Let the debates begins on Team Canada II selection.

Brian Burke's first move of 2010, sign Ian White

2009-12-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

As the 2009 calender year comes to a close with the Maple Leafs three points behind a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Brian Burke will need to look at making some decisions in 2010 and the first one on his list needs to be the resigning of defensemen Ian White. The 25 year old on many nights this season has been the teams best rearguard and overall it's not much of a stretch to say that he has been the teams second best defensemen behind only Tomas Kaberle this season. White is set to become a restricted free agent and Burke would be wise to sign the versatile White, who can also play forward when asked by the Leafs coaching staff to a long term deal. White who started off his first season with Ron Wilson as the teams head coach in the pressbox has worked hard to get regular duty under Wilson and now is firmly planted in the Leafs Top 4 defense this season. White has eight goals (one behind league lead for defensemen) and thirteen assists this season with a plus nine rating. White is on pace to shatter his career high in points in a season of twenty six, which he achieved on two occasions and is slowly starting to live up to scouts comparing his play to that of Brian Rafalski. Burke needs to draw on his experience in negotiating contracts and hopefully be able to sign White to a long term deal of around 4 to 5 years at an average salary of anywhere from 2.5 to 3 million a season, in today's market for defensemen this looks to be the going rate. The Leafs will once again have a lot of money tied to big contracts on the backend with about $15 million against the cap next season already committed to Kaberle, Beauchemin, Komisarek and Schenn not including the White signing. The Leafs do have Exelby's and Van Ryn's contracts coming off the books after the season. The Leafs could also take a look at the bloated contract of Jeff Finger at $3.5 million a season over the next two years as a buyout would be a cap hit of just under $1.2 million over the next four years if the can not find any takers on the trade front. The team would not need to worry short term about all the high salary on the backend with alot of young forwards on the team over the next few years in Stalberg, Hanson, Bozak, Kulemin and Mitchell having all low salaries. Brian Burke needs to make some moves in 2010 and why not have the first of those moves being a long term contract to Ian White. I think most Leaf fans would agree that he has more then earned it.

TML Fan Fury announces 23 man Canadian Olympic Roster

2009-12-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their futile play 4 on 4 with another loss tonight in overtime to their arch rivals but on a different note with the Olympics less then two months away in Vancouver it will be a time when all hockey fans from around this great country will put their allegiances aside to unite for the red and white. Canada will be announcing their Canadian Olympic Hockey roster on December 30/09 and I have decided to give Stevie Y and the Canada brass a hand in the selection of their 23 man roster and reserve taxi squad in case of injuries for the Olympics as Canada try to bring home the gold on their home turf.

Goaltenders (3)

Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils)

Marc Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks)

Reserves: Dwayne Roloson (New York Islanders), Marty Turco (Dallas Stars)

Defensemen (7)

Scott Niedermayer (Anaheim Ducks)

Chris Pronger (Philadelphia Flyers)

Dan Boyle (San Jose Sharks)

Shea Weber (Nashvillle Predators)

Duncan Keith (Chicago Black Hawks)

Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames)

Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings)

Reserves: Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames), Mike Green (Washington Capitals), Brent Seabrook (Chicago Black Hawks)

Forwards (13)

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks)

Dany Heatley (San Jose Sharks)

Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks)

Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames)

Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes)

Brad Richards (Dallas Stars)

Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks)

Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks)

Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Mike Fisher (Ottawa Senators)

Jonathan Toews (Chicago Black Hawks)

Ryan Smyth (Los Angeles Kings)

Reserves: Mike Richards (Philadelphia Flyers), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning), Martin St Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning), James Neal (Dallas Stars)

Do you agree or disagree with the selections let us know.

Maple Leafs World Junior Watch

2009-12-25T06:51:00.001-08:00

The World Junior Championship gets ready to kick off on boxing day with Canada looking to win their sixth straight Gold Medal in Regina and Saskatoon. The Toronto Maple Leafs will have two prospects at the tournament this year in Nazem Kadri and Jerry D' Amigo.

Nazem Kadri (Canada) 1st Round pick, 7th Overall 2009
Season Stats with London Knights(OHL): GP- 28 G- 20 A- 18 PTS- 38

Jerry D'Amigo (USA) 6th Round pick, 158th Overall 2009
Season Stats with R.P.I.(ECACH): GP- 18 G- 5 A- 9 PTS- 14

We wish both Maple Leafs prospects the best of luck in the tournament and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

What the Toronto Maple Leafs should get for Christmas

2009-12-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is quickly approaching for a lot of people around the world and as many await the arrival of St. Nick on Christmas Eve, they wonder if they have been naughty or nice this past year. We take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs players and ask St. Nick to bring a host of goodies for the team this holiday season.

Brian Burke- A first round pick in the next two seasons.

Ron Wilson- 60 minute effort from his players.

Vesa Toskala- New set of contacts, to help him with the odd bad goal.

Jonas Gustavsson- Healthy season the rest of the way.

Joey McDonald- Mandatory roster increase to three goalies.

Tomas Kaberle- Hockey Stick that shoots automatically.

Mike Komisarek- Cheers in Montreal when he visits.

Ian White- Long Term Contract in the new year.

Francois Beauchemin- An iron to place the C on the front of his jersey.

Luke Schenn- Remote control to fast forward his sophomore jinx.

Jeff Finger- Some regular playing time.

Garnet Exelby- See Finger.

Mike Van Ryn- Rubber Suit to avoid injuries.

Jason Blake- Some goals to go with his hard work.

Nik Hagman- Some consistency.

Phil Kessel- A true number one center.

Alexei Ponikarovsky- His first 30 goal season.

Matt Stajan- Some respect.

Mikhail Grabovski- A little more heart.

Nikolai Kulemin- Some powerplay time.

Wayne Primeau- New contract.

Lee Stempniak- A trade at the deadline.

Jamal Mayers- see Stempniak.

Colton Orr- Rematch with Ottawa's Carkner.

Rikard Wallin- First class ticket to Sweden.

John Mitchell- Speedy recovery.

Viktor Stalberg- Top 6 forward minutes.

Maple Leaf Fans- A Playoff in the Spring.

Merry Christmas to all and enjoy the time off with your loved ones but remember those that are not as fortunate this holiday season.

The Leafs send down McDonald and bring up Stalberg from Marlies

2009-12-17T16:58:00.001-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a few minor tweaks with their roster, sending down goalkeeper Joey McDonald to the Toronto Marlies while bringing back up rookie winger Viktor Stalberg. McDonald filled in admirably while both Vesa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson were out with injuries. Gustavsson will be backing up Toskala tomorrow, while Stalberg makes his return back to the big club he is leading the Marlies in scoring this season with 21 points in 19 games and should be in the lineup tomorrow when the Leafs take on the Buffalo Sabres.

The Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs, Decade by Decade

2009-12-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 is coming quickly to an end and I have decided to take a look at the best Toronto Maple Leaf player on a decade by decade basis covering Toronto clubs from 1920-2009. The Maple Leafs were known as the Toronto St. Pats until the 1927 season when the team was purchased by Conn Smythe and the named changed to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This organization has had many outstanding players and currently boasts 57 players in the Hockey Hall of Fame who at one time or another who wore the Toronto sweater. The Toronto Maple Leafs have won 11 Stanley Cups with the Toronto St. Pats and the Toronto Arenas winning one a piece for a total of 13 but unfortunately for most fans the organization has not won a Stanley Cup since the 1966-67 season. We now give a decade by decade breakdown of who we feel was the best player of each decade, this was not an easy task as the Leafs especially during their Stanley Cup winning years had many key players that contributed to the teams success.

Click to Enlarge

Legend: GP- Games Played, G- Goals, A- Assists, PTS- Points

1920-29 BABE DYE
Career Maple Leaf/St. Pat's Regular Season Stats: GP- 218 G- 173 A- 42 PTS- 215
Career Maple Leaf/St. Pat's Playoff Stats: GP- 11 G- 11 A- 1 PTS- 12

Babe Dye was the first Toronto sniper, the Babe whos real name is Cecil Henry Dye scored an unheard of 11 goals in 7 playoff games leading the St. Pat's to the Stanley Cup. Dye also scored 38 goals in 29 games in the 1924/25 season and averaged over todays 82 game schedule would have scored an astonishing 106 goals for the season.

The Hockey News ranked him #83 on the list of the NHL's Greatest Players.

Inducted into Hall of Fame: 1970 Maple Leafs/St. Pat's Stanley Cups won: 1

Honourable Mention: Reg Noble, Happy Day

1930-39 CHARLIE CONACHER
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 326 G- 200 A- 124 PTS 324
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 41 G- 14 A- 12 PTS- 26

Conacher was part of the famous kid line of the 30's and collected 14 career hat tricks as a member of the Leafs. Conacher captured the Art Ross trophy as the league's leading scorer in 1934 and then again 1935 and was selected to the end of the year All Star squad on five occasions, three times as first line right winger and the other two as the second line right winger.

The Hockey News ranked him # 36 on the list of the NHL's Greatest Players.

Inducted into Hall of Fame: 1961 Maple Leaf Stanley Cups won: 1

Honourable Mention: Harvey "Busher" Jackson, Joe Primeau, King Clancy

1940-49 SYL APPS
Career Maple Leafs Regular Season Stats: GP- 423 G- 201 A- 231 PTS- 432
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 69 G- 25 A- 29 PTS- 54

Apps came into the league flying and captured the Calder trophy as the NHL rookie of the year in 1937 and then added the Lady Byng trophy in 1942. Apps Captained the Greatest comeback in Stanley Cup history when the Maple Leafs came back from being down three games to none against Detroit to win four straight and capturethe Cup in 1941-42. This feat has never been accomplished again in an NHL Final. Apps was also selected to the end of the season All Star team five times, twice as the first team center and three times as the second team center.

The Hockey News ranked him # 33 on the list of the NHL's Greatest Players.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame: 1961 Maple Leaf Stanley Cup wins: 3

Honourable Mention: Turk Broda, Babe Pratt, Ted Kennedy

1950-59 TED "TEEDER" KENNEDY
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 696 G- 231 A- 329 PTS- 560
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 78 G- 29 A- 31 PTS- 60

Kennedy had the luxury of playing almost two decades as a member of the Maple Leafs in the 40's and 50's. Kennedy still holds the Maple Leaf record for most points in the Stanley Cup Final Series with 23 points in 26 games played. Kennedy captured the Hart Trophy awarded to the leagues MVP in 1955 and was named to the end of the year All Star team three times all as a second line center.

The Hockey News ranked him # 57 on the list of the NHL's Greatest Players.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame: 1966 Maple Leaf Stanley Cup wins: 5

Honourable Mention: Sid Smith, Dick Duff, Tim Horton, Tod Sloan

1960-69 DAVE KEON
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 1062 G- 365 A- 493 PTS- 858
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 89 G- 32 A- 35 PTS- 67

Keon is said by many to be the Greatest Toronto Maple Leaf of All Time. Keon is the Leaf t capture the most NHL hardware winning the Calder Trophy in 1961, the Lady Byng trophy in 1962 and 1963 as well as capturing the 1967 Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP. Keon was also selected to the end of the season All Star team on two occasions, both times as the second team's center. Keon was a tough as nails player and had one of the Greatest shutdown performances in Stanley Cup history when kept Montreal's Jean Beliveau off the scoresheet in the last two games of the teams 1966-67 Stanley Cup win. Keon also had eleven 20+ goal seasons as a Leaf.

The Hockey News ranked him # 69 on the list of the NHL's Greatest Players.

Inducted into Hall of Fame: 1986 Maple Leaf Stanley Cup wins: 4

Honourable Mention: Frank Mahovlich, George Armstrong, Johnny Bower, Red Kelly

1970-79 DARRYL SITTLER
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 844 G- 389 A- 527 PTS- 916
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 64 G- 25 A- 40 PTS- 65

Sittler will always be remembered in Toronto for his still standing NHL record 10 point performance against the Boston Bruins where Sittler scored 6 goals and added 4 assists. Sittler holds the Leaf record for career hat tricks in a season with 18 and was the first Maple Leaf to pass the 100 point plateau, he did this twice and scored over 40+ goals on four occasions. Sittler was named to the end of season All Star team as the second line center in 1977-78.

The Hockey News ranked him # 93 on the list of the NHL's Greatest Players.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame: 1989 Maple Leaf Stanley Cup wins: 0

Honourable Mention: Borje Salming, Lanny McDonald, Ian Turnbull, Norm Ullman

1980-89 RICK VAIVE
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 534 G- 299 A- 238 PTS- 537
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 32 G- 14 A- 9 PTS- 23

Vaive was the first Maple Leaf to ever crack the 50 goal plateau completing this accomplishment in three consecutive seasons with 54, 51 and 52 goals scored. The 80's were one of the teams most difficult decades but you could always count on Vaive flying in from the wing and letting a slapshot go past the opposing netminders. Vaive scored 10 career hat tricks with Toronto and currently sits 10th on the Maple Leafs all time scoring list.

Inducted into Hall of Fame: No Maple Leaf Stanley Cup wins: 0

Honourable Mention: Gary Leeman, Bill Derlago, John Anderson, Al Iafrate

1990-99 DOUG GILMOUR
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 393 G- 131 A- 321 PTS- 452
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 52 G- 17 A- 60 PTS- 77

Gilmour took Toronto by storm, has any one player done as much with the team in only five season. Gilmour took the team to within one game of the Stanley Cup final in 1992-93 the closest the team has come since winning the cup in 1966-67. Gilmour is the Leafs All Time playoff scoring leader and holds the single season record for most points when he earned 127 also in the 1992-93 season. Gilmour also holds the single season record for most assists with 95 and the single season record for playoff points with 35. Gilmour went on to capture the Frank J Selke trophy in the 1992-93 season a the leagues best defensive forward. Gilmour was all heart and none of us will forget the double overtime wrap around goal in the playoffs against the St. Louis Blues. Gilmour is currently on the Hall of Fame ballet and sits 17th in All Time NHL scoring.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame: No Maple Leaf Stanley Cup wins: 0

Honourable Mention: Wendel Clark, Felix Potvin, Dave Andreychuk, Mats Sundin

2000-09 MATS SUNDIN
Career Maple Leaf Regular Season Stats: GP- 981 G- 420 A- 567 PTS- 987
Career Maple Leaf Playoff Stats: GP- 77 G- 32 A- 38 PTS- 70

Sundin is the Maple Leafs All Time Regular Season scoring leader. The Swede sits first in goals and points and for many seasons did not play with the most skilled of Leafs. Sundin has been selected to the NHL All Star game a team record nine times and was selected to the end of season All Star team twice as the second team center. Sundin holds numerous other Leaf records which include leading the team in regular season scoring ten times, most game winning goals with 79, most overtime winners 12, most 30 goal seasons with 10 to name a few more. Sundin will be looking to enter the Hall of Fame in the future as he currently sits 25th on the NHL All Time scoring list.

Inducted into Hall of Fame: No Maple Leaf Stanley Cup Wins: 0

Honourable Mention: Tomas Kaberle, Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Curtis Joseph

We dont want to end this blog without mentioning two other Leaf Greats, one who's career was cut short due to a hit during a game and another who's life was cut short because of a plane crash. Ace Bailey and Bill Barilko the only two Maple Leafs two have their numbers retired on the team. The #5 and #6 will not be worn again for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their honour.

This research was great to complete and share with all the Maple Leaf and hockey fans out there and to see how many Leaf Greats put on the blue and white sweater, makes you proud to be a fan and I know that at the moment this organization is not where we as fans would like them to be but the next Leaf Great cant be that far off and hopefully the Glory of the Past will be rekindled once again.

Brian Burke sends Jiri Tlusty packing to Carolina

2009-12-03T15:11:00.001-08:00

Brian Burke has made his first trade of the 2009-10 season and no it was not a player on current roster and no we will not be getting a player to add to the roster. The Maple Leafs general manager had decided to send former first round pick and 21 year old winger Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for the Canes first round pick of the 2009 draft, 18 year old center Philippe Paradis. Tlusty could not seem to make much of an impact in the NHL when given a chance over the past couple of seasons, the winger seems to be a tad to good for the AHL but just not good enough for the NHL and it seems that Burke has decided to not waste the organizations time any longer and has moved for a promising player from the QMJHL. Paradis is said to be a hard nosed center (Burke's favourite) with a great slapshot and has the smarts to make room for himself and his teammates in the offensive zone. Paradis currently has 19 points in 26 games for Shawinigan Cataractes this season while Tlusty has 15 points in 19 games for the AHL Toronto Marlies and zero points in two NHL games with the Leafs. Tlusty though may be remembered best in Toronto for some raunchy photos of himself on the net too bad it wont be for something a little more benefiting of the team. Good Luck to Jiri Tlusty in Carolina and welcome to the Toronto organization Philippe Paradis.

Maple Leafs face a goaltending dilemma

2009-12-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs now face a goalie dilemma with both goaltenders Jonas Gustavsson and Vesa Toskala out of action. The Leafs will turn to third stringer Joey MacDonald to hold the fort for the next week or so. The Leafs announced earlier today that Gustavsson will undergo his second heart procedure this season. The Leafs rookie will undergo a heart ablation tomorrow which is a procedure to correct abnormal heart rythms by destroying damaged tissue. Vesa Toskala continues to nurse a groin injury and even though he is practising with the team he wont be able to go until at the earliest sometime next week. Their were some rumours that the Leafs might try to obtain New York Rangers backup Stephen Valiquette who was placed on waivers yesterday but the Leafs have decided against this move and will go with what the currently have in the organization.

The Maple Leafs can shoot and score

2009-11-30T13:41:00.001-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided to show some offense this NHL season. The Leafs who have won 3 out of their last 4 games going into tonights match up against the Buffalo Sabres have scored 20 goals in their past 5 games. The have not only moved out of the NHL cellar but also moved out for the bottom end of the goals scored department as well. The Leafs have been getting scoring from quite a few players over this game not just someone named Phil Kessel. Niklas Hagman is now sitting at 13 goals after scoring five in his last three games and earning himself 3rd Star honours this week in the NHL. The interesting statistic with Hagman is that he has scored a whopping ten goals on the road this season. Phil Kessel is on an amazing tear having scored eight goals in twelve games so far this season and would be among the league leaders if he was healthy all season long. Alexei Ponikarovsky has nine goals and Matt Stajan has seven goals with five coming on the powerplay where he sits tied for 10th in the NHL. The Leafs will try to continue their offensive power at home where they have only one victory in regulation and will need to add to that total if they believe in making the post season. The Leafs will need all the fire power they have to get a few goals past a red hot Sabres netminder. The Leafs can shoot as they sit atop the NHL in average shots per game but we are slowly finding out that they can also score and this needs to happen on a regular basis if this season is to be saved and tonight would be a great night to continue the goal outburst.

The Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltenders

2009-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

The season has reached its quarter mark and the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to struggle. The Leafs sit in the basement of the NHL with just 4 wins and are on pace to get under 20 wins this season if there futile performances continue. The man question that has been going around Leafland the past few years is the teams goaltending situation. Vesa Toskala, Curtis Joseph, Justin Pogge, Andrew Raycroft, J.S. Aubin, Martin Gerber and now Jonas Gustavsson have all been in the Maple Leafs goal the past few seasons for extended periods of time and all but Gustavsson who has some promise have not been able to steal the Leafs a few victories over the past few seasons. We have to go all the way back to before the lockout to Ed Belfour to find a Leaf goalie who could win us the game on their own almost on any given night. We here at TML Fan Fury have decided to go through the Leaf archives and find out who the greatest Maple Leaf goalies of all time are and have selected nine keepers with their Maple Leafs stats and then would like the fans to tell us who they feel is the Greatest Goalie of All Time.

Click to Enlarge

The 9 Greatest Maple Leafs Keepers
Legend: GP- Games Played, W- Wins, L- Losses, T- Ties, SO- Shutouts, GAA- Goals Against Average

Felix Potvin
Regular Season Stats: GP- 369 W- 160 L- 149 T- 49 SO- 12 GAA- 2.87
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 52 W- 25 L- 27 SO- 5 GAA- 2.75

Harry Lumley
Regular Season Stats: GP- 267 W- 104 L- 106 T- 58 SO- 34 GAA- 2.21
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 14 W- 2 L- 12 SO- 1 GAA- 2.98

Lorne Chabot
Regular Season Stats: GP- 214 W- 103 L- 80 T- 31 SO- 33 GAA- 2.20
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 22 W- 11 L- 9 SO- 2 GAA- 1.67
WON 1 STANLEY CUP

Johnny Bower
Regular Season Stats: GP- 472 W- 220 L- 161 T- 79 SO- 33 GAA- 2.51
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 74 W- 35 L- 34 SO- 5 GAA- 2.52
WON 4 STANLEY CUPS

Mike Palmateer
Regular Season Stats: GP- 296 W- 129 L- 112 T- 41 SO- 15 GAA- 3.43
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 29 W- 12 L- 17 SO- 2 GAA- 3.03

George Hainsworth
Regular Season Stats: GP- 147 W- 79 L- 48 T- 20 SO- 19 GAA- 2.26
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 21 W- 9 L- 12 SO- 2 GAA- 2.30

Curtis Joseph
Regular Season Stats: GP- 270 W- 138 L- 97 T- 27 SO- 17 GAA- 2.64
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 60 W- 32 L- 28 SO- 8 GAA- 2.25

Turk Broda
Regular Season Stats: GP- 629 W- 302 L- 224 T- 101 SO- 62 GAA- 2.53
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 101 W- 60 L- 39 SO- 13 GAA- 1.98
WON 5 STANLEY CUPS

Terry Sawchuk
Regular Season Stats: GP- 91 W- 42 L- 29 T- 14 SO- 4 GAA- 2.81
Playoff Season Stats: GP- 13 W- 6 L- 7 SO- 0 GAA- 2.74
WON 1 STANLEY CUP

We here feel that Turk Broda is the Greatest Maple Leafs Goaltender of All Time followed closely by Johnny Bower.

Is it time for Grabovksi to center Kessel?

2009-11-15T14:55:00.001-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to stink up the joint as they get closer to the 1/4 mark of the NHL season and sit in the 29th spot in the NHL one point ahead of Carolina and four points behind Florida and Anaheim. The Leafs are averaging 2.5 goals per game this season, sit last on the penalty kill and are a league worst 1-6-2 at home. The team on many nights seem to take a little too long to realize that the game is underway and hence fall behind early as was apparent in yesterdays loss to Calgary and on Friday in Chicago. The fans at yesterdays game were just finding their seats when two goals were scored before the game was even two minutes old, coach Ron Wilson called a timeout to let his team know that the game was underway and that they were already behind once again. The coach and his staff continue to shuffle lines looking for a combo that can produce some consistency for more then a few shifts or a game or two. The time has come now for Ron Wilson to place Mikhail Grabovski with Phil Kessel. These two players are the only forwards on this team that actually have the opposing defense back peddling when they are coming into the zone with the puck. Wilson seems to be worried that both Kessel and Grabovski want to carry the puck but from watching this seasons games it looks like Grabovski is thinking pass first before thinking shoot, while Kessel is a shoot first before pass player. Grabovski has taken 35 shots on net in 18 games while Kessel has 34 shots on net in 6 games. Why not place the two together and see what will come from this? The team seems to be concerned with placing the two together, I for one dont see what the problem is? Do we have anything to lose on this experiment? These are two professional hockey players I'm sure they can talk over how much each will carry the puck and any other matters that may arise from playing on the same line. The Leafs need to start winning, these players need to be placed together and maybe a call up to a young Swede in Viktor Stalberg would compliment the duo. The time to try the combo is NOW! Is there anything more to add?

Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson working way to fans hearts

2009-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson is slowly working his way into the hearts of Leaf fans as he slides side to side with his arms moving and his head up looking ready for every shot that comes his way. The time is relatively early but the Monster has posted a record of 2-2-3 with a goals against average 2.84 and save percentage of .908 and is set to play in his first back to back games in his short NHL career as the Leafs take on the Red Wings, tonight in the Hall of Fame game. The Monster has made some big saves and if not for his heroics last night to secure the win for the Leafs against the Canes we would still be on a losing streak. The Leaf fans have not seen this type of goaltending since the days of Ed Belfour before the lockout and Gustavsson comes to Toronto after leading Farjestads to the Swedish Elite crown last season posting a 1.08 GAA a .938 SVP and 5 shutouts in his playoff run. The Monster was pursued aggressively by Brian Burke this off season on a recommendation from Leaf scout and former keeper Mike Palmateer (who deserves alot of the credit for this signing) and the Leafs are now off to the races with the keeper. The season is still early, his career is just getting started but "The Monster" is working his way into the hearts of Leaf fans and wouldn't it be nice to see a Monster in the spring and not just at Halloween?

Toronto Maple Leafs Best Goalie Masks

2009-11-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their share of goalkeepers over the history of the club and after TSN's Best Goalie Masks in the league contest, I decided that it would be a great idea to gather many of the Leafs Keepers better masks over the years and get them together to display.

Click on the Image to Enlarge and let us know in our comments section which mask or masks are your favourite from the Masks shown. I would say my top 3 choices in no particular order are Mike Palmateer, Ed Belfour and Mikael Tellqvist. What are yours?

On a special note Congratulations to Tomas Kaberle for being named the First Star of the Week in the NHL after contributing 12 points over 4 games last week.

Jiri Tlusty's time to step up

2009-10-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Jiri Tlusty has once again been called up by the Toronto Maple Leafs who decided that his play in the AHL merited a call up. Tlusty played in his first game last night replacing Viktor Stalberg in the lineup after he was sent to the Marlies to make room for him and in 13:58 minutes of ice time managed a couple of shots on net. The Leafs 1st round pick 13th Overall in the 2006 draft is ready to make his move permanent into the NHL, with his performance in the AHL this season and his big second half last season for the Marlies, he has earned his promotion. Jiri Tlusty will now need to take his game to another level in the NHL to remain a regular stalwart in the Maple Leafs lineup. The Czech native's offensive skills would be a welcome addition to this squad who has trouble scoring goals. Tlusty should be given a long look with the Leafs and fans should not be surprised to see the winger on the same line as sniper Phil Kessel once he makes his Maple Leaf and season debut in the next week or so, for the Maple Leafs and Tlusty lets hope this audition works out because the time has come for Tlusty to step up and make a statement and for all Leaf fans to just hope that his AHL play can continue at the NHL level.

Would you swap Beauchemin & Komisarek for McCabe & Kubina now?

2009-10-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue on their winless streak after losing yesterdays game to the Vancouver Canucks and setting the all time team mark for worst start in franchise history. Lets hope as fans that this is the only negative mark that we are part of this season but i wouldn't hold my breathe on this matter. The big question now is would the Maple Leafs be better off if they had kept Bryan McCabe and Pavel Kubina? The Leafs would then not have had to go out an sign Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komisarek this off season. Bryan McCabe had become the whipping boy of the franchise and his move before the start of last season for the brittle Mike Van Ryn was seen as a no brainer, now just over a year later are Leaf fans wondering if this was a smart trade? Then Pavel Kubina was sent packing in the summer in a trade that brought Toronto Garnet Exelby, a player who is rotating in and out of the lineup. The Leafs moved to dump some high salaries and by moving McCabe and Kubina got rid of $10.75 million off the books and the cap. The signings of Beauchemin & Komisarek brough back $8.3 million dollars to the Maple Leafs cap. We gave up a Stanley Cup winner in Kubina and got one back in Beauchemin.

Legend to Numbers GP= Games Played, G= Goals, A= Assists, PTS= Points, PIM= Penalty Minutes, SH= Shots on goal, P/M= Plus/Minus

Bryan McCabe stats

2009-10 GP 9 G 0 A 3 PTS 3 PIM 4 SH 16 P/M +3
2008-09 GP 69 G 15 A 24 PTS 39 PIM 41 SH 153 P/M -1

Pavel Kubina stats

2009-10 GP 8 G 0 A 5 PTS 5 PIM 6 SH 8 P/M +4
2008-09 GP 82 G 14 A 26 PTS 40 PIM 94 P/M -15

Mike Komisarek stats

2009-10 GP 8 G 0 A 0 PTS 0 PIM 23 SH 7 P/M -4
2008-09 GP 66 G 2 A 9 PTS 11 PIM 121 SH 56 P/M 0

Francois Beauchemin stats

2009-10 GP 8 G 1 A 2 PTS 3 PIM 0 SH 19 P/M -5
2008-09 GP 20 G 4 A 1 PTS 5 PIM 12 SH 45 P/M -3

This season all four defensemen have averaged over 21:00 minutes a game of total ice time, the main difference the seperates these two players it seems is their ages with McCabe and Kubina at 34 and 32 years of age while Beauchemin and Komisarek are 29 and 27. The big question for Maple Leaf fans is. Would you want to have McCabe and Kubina in the back end right now or do you prefer Beauchemin and Komisarek that is a question that seems to be going through quite a few fans minds especially with the Leafs yet to win with the latter.

Maple Leafs fortunes on the back of defense?

2009-10-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs get a whole week off, so we know that when Saturday arrives we will still be sitting pretty in last spot. The Leafs are not as bad a team as it seems but far from how good we think they can be. The Maple Leafs fortunes could all come down to the back end, a back end that was suppose to be the teams strength and backbone and has been nothing but its achilles heel in the first seven games. Brian Burke has stated he wouldn't change a thing and as the season progresses he could be correct but Leaf Nation is an impatient bunch. The key to the Leafs turn around though lies in the back end, the goalie needs to make the first save but the defense need to clear the crease, get some key take aways and block some shots. The Toronto Maple Leafs defense have no one in the Top 30 in blocked shots for defensemen, the Maple Leafs leader is Mike Komisarek who sits tied in 38th place in the league with 13 blocks but the Maple Leafs defense does have two players in the Top 10 in the league in giveaways Ian White sits tied for 5th with nine and Francois Beauchemin is tied for 9th with eight. The Leafs can also add Luke Schenn tied for 14th with seven and Tomas Kaberle tied for 25th with six to the list. These two statistics don't work well together for our Buds as they give the puck away too often and yet don't block shots to assist their goalkeepers when this is done. The Maple Leafs do have the league leader in penalty minors in Mike Komisarek who has taken eight so far this season, when you throw in the Leafs pathetic PK who sit dead last chugging along at 60%, a good idea might be to stay out of the box. The Maple Leafs back end also have just one player who is positive on the plus/minus side. Ian White is a some how a +3, while the other six Maple Leaf defense are a combined -27. These statistics don't lie Leaf fans the team is playing lousy in many areas but the defense and not the goaltending may be the weakest point of all and until this area improves, Leafs Nation is in for a long season.

Lets smile Leafs Nation, its a long season

2009-10-12T20:13:00.001-07:00

The Maple Leafs are winless in five games and counting, what is there to say that alot of people are not already thinking, saying or screaming so i though it might be a great time to have a look at some funny Maple Leaf cartoon pics from artist Dolighan.com. I find they are the best pics that are appropriate at this stage in the season to bring a smile or a least a smirk to peoples faces and remember lets not panic yet Leafs Nation its five games in and the Leafs could still go 77-0-0 the rest of the way with a small goaltending change.

Could change this to 2009/10 season

Might need a bit more magic

Ron Wilson is in hot water

The haunting number

Top 2 Cup winners in for long year

The Monster pulls up lame with groin injury

2009-10-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs Swedish content has taken a blow over the last couple of days as Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson will be out of action for 7 to 10 days with a groin injury, its not clear where Gustavsson sustained the injury but we do know it was not during the Senators game, the same game that Viktor Stalberg suffered a concussion in the first period and is out indefinetly at the moment. The Leafs have recalled Joey McDonald to back up Vesa Toskala while Gustavsson recovers.

Though some Maple Leafs fans would enjoy this cartoon pic that I saw in the Toronto Sun this week.

Maple Leafs forwards are pretty lousy bunch

2009-10-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the season as many non Maple Leaf fans would have hoped for losing their first three games with the possibility of making it four when the defending Stanley Cup Champions come to town on Saturday. The Maple Leafs have scored eight goals in these three games but is their any forward on the Leafs that scares any opposing team that faces them? Maple Leaf fans might say that Phil Kessel brings this fear but he wont be around until mid November at the earliest and the Leafs would be about a quarter of a way through the season. The Maple Leafs need to find a player or even a line that can be consistent just about each and every night, sure the defense has played lousy and the goaltending could be better but this team will need to score and perform better on home ice if they want to have any chance of making the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the lockout. The Maple Leafs do not have a player on their current roster who has ever hit 70 points in a season and this includes Kessel, Jason Blake has had the highest point total of 69 the year he scored 40 just before joining Toronto. The Leafs will be hard pressed to make the post season without at least someone hitting this plateau. Looking back over the last two post seasons out of 32 playoff teams only 3 did not have a player that hit the 70 point mark during the season and not surprisingly all three clubs went out in the first round of action. The Maple Leafs need to find someone or line that will strike fear into opposing teams because if they dont then this could turn out to be another futile season for the Buds, we are three games in and Leafs Nation is already feeling the heat of another springtime on the sidelines and with a few more lackluster performances by the Buds as the had against Ottawa this past Tuesday and its only a matter of time before Ron Wilson's and Brian Burke's temperatures start to rise.

Maple Leafs facing a goaltending problem two games in?

2009-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Leafs have played two games this season and already fans are screaming about the teams goaltending. Vesa Toskala has looked average at best in four periods of play as the Leafs dropped both their games to start the season. Jonas Gustavsson didnt look out of place in his relief appearance and some might say looked better in the third period but lets not kid ourselves the Capitals took their foot off the gas in that period after being up 6-1 after two so the score was a little deceiving. Then there is Joey McDonald who played superb in the Toronto Marlies debut a shootout victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs. Brian Burke and Ron Wilson were said to be huddling at this game yesterday to discuss the matter between the pipes. Toronto Maple Leafs fans want to see the "The Monster" get his shot at starting tomorrow night against the Leafs hated provincial rivals the Ottawa Senators but is it not a little too early to give up on Vesa Toskala for a keeper who has proved nothing? The Leafs defensive play has been poor and Toskala has been left out to dry on many of the oppositions team goals in these first two games, besides the first goal in Washington can we honestly say any of these other goals are his fault or more in tune with poor defensive coverage? Luke Schenn has looked slow and sluggish, Mike Komisarek is parading to the box more times then necessary and Francois Beauchemin is making poor decisions on his play reading. There is nothing a goalkeeper can do about that. The season is two games in and with eighty games to go, its fair to say that the Monster will get his shot between the pipes, possibly even tomorrow night but it is too early to throw Toskala to the wolves he deserves better then that and some leeway for now and if Joey McDonald plays like he did yesterday this goaltending controversy will get a whole lot interesting.

Toronto Maple Leafs announce 23 man roster

2009-09-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have narrowed their roster to 22 men one under the limit of 23 as they prepare to take on the Montreal Canadiens in their season opener Thursday night. The Leafs look to have the roster spot open for Mike Van Ryn who along with Phil Kessel will start on the injury list and do not count as a spot on the roster. The Leafs did not surprise many by sending down Tyler Bozak, Carl Gunnarsson, Joey MacDonald and Jiri Tlusty to the Toronto Marlies but some may be a tad surprised that last seasons 15 goal scorer Nikolai Kulemin was also sent down to the Marlies over some other players. The Maple Leafs opening day roster looks like this.

Forwards (13)

Jason Blake
Mikhail Grabovski
Niklas Hagman
Jamal Mayers
John Mitchell
Colton Orr
Alexei Ponikarovsky
Wayne Primeau
Jay Rosehill
Viktor Stalberg
Matt Stajan
Lee Stempniak
Rickard Wallin

Defense (7)

Francois Beauchemin
Garnet Exelby
Jeff Finger
Tomas Kaberle
Mike Komisarek
Luke Schenn
Ian White

Goalies (2)

Vesa Toskala
Jonas Gustavsson

30 Predictions for the Toronto Maple Leafs 2009-10 season

2009-09-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

After reading many previews on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight and watching some videos on sports sites I've decided to write another blog tonight with 30 predictions for the 2009-10 season, also on an inspirational note I would just like to congratulate Theo Fleury for a great story its just to bad he couldnt have taken it a bit further all the best to him as he continues his recovery.

30 Toronto Maple Leafs 2009-10 Predictions

30- Jonas Gustavsson plays in 35+ games this season

29- Colton Orr is involved in 15+ fights

28- The Maple Leafs move into the Top 15 on the penalty kill

27- Rickard Wallin leads Leafs in short handed markers

26- The Leafs finish with a winning record in shootouts for the first time

25- Carl Gunnarsson plays first NHL game

24- Brian Burke blasts the media

23- Tyle Bozak plays in at least 25+ games

22- Jason Blake and Alexei Ponikarovsky score 15+ goals

21- The Leafs goaltenders record 5+ shutouts

20- The Leafs score 8+ goals in one game

19- Lee Stempniak scores 20+ goals

18- John Mitchell gets first career hat trick

17- Luke Schenn leads the Leafs in hits

16- Mikhail Grabovski earns 65+ points

15- Niklas Hagman and Tomas Kaberle make All Star Game

14- Victor Stalberg scores 20+ goals

13- Victor Stalberg finishes in the Top 5 in rookie scoring

12- Francois Beauchemin scores 10+ goals to lead team defense

11- Phil Kessel plays center for the Leafs

10- Niklas Hagman leads Leafs with 3 hat trick games

9- Tomas Kaberle returns to the Top 10 of Defensemen scoring

8- Mike Komisarek is in the Top 5 in blocked shots

7- The Leafs win season series over Montreal

6- Niklas Hagman earns 70+ points and leads Leafs in scoring

5- Niklas Hagman scores 35+ goals

4- Mike Komisarek drops the gloves with Milan Lucic 3x

3- Lee Stempniak leads the Leafs in game winners and finishes in Top 5 in league

2- Francois Beauchemin named Team Captain

1- The Toronto Maple Leafs make a return to the NHL Playoffs

The Maple Leafs look weak in the middle

2009-09-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to trim down their roster to the 23 man limit for Wednesday but no matter what Brian Burke and Ron Wilson look to do, the Maple Leafs are definitely weak down the middle. The Maple Leafs best center during the pre-season was 2009 1st round pick Nazem Kadri but he has been sent back to OHL as he should be, some would say that the second best center in camp was rookie Tyler Bozak who looks to be on his way to the AHL Marlies which leaves the Maple Leafs with Mikhail Grabovski, Matt Stajan, John Mitchell, Rickard Wallin and Wayne Primeau. These players do not place much fear into opposing teams, while Grabovski holds promise and Mitchell could bring his game up to another level, he looks to be opening the season as a winger. Stajan who is coming off a career year of 55 points would be nothing more then a third or fourth line center on most teams and Wallin and Primeau do not look like nothing more then journeymen NHLers. The Maple Leafs will be harder working team this season, they will also be a tougher team and have one of the better defense in the conference but lack that middleman. This over the years will not be the case with Kadri and Bozak waiting in the wings but at the moment the Leafs lack a true number one centermen but this could change come November if they decide to switch Phil Kessel back to his natural position. Kessel would be a huge upgrade at the center position and would move back the centers to more suitable roles with Grabovski dropping to number 2, Stajan to number 3 and Wallin or Primeau as the number 4. This Leaf fans could be a short term solution to the Maple Leafs center blues but wouldnt it be great to see Kessel centering Stalberg and Hagman when he is ready to get back in action? This Leaf fans is something i would definitely look forward to.

Time has come to send Kadri back to OHL

2009-09-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

The time has come for the Toronto Maple Leafs to send Nazem Kadri back to the OHL's London Knights. Nazem Kadri has shown Maple Leaf fans that he was well worth the selection made by Brian Burke this past draft, he is a smart player with great speed and a great hockey sense and I'm sure many fans are excited thinking of this kid playing with Phil Kessel for many years to come, down the road but that time is not now. Kadri is only 18 years old and the Leafs need not rush the youngster to the show, if he has a down side, it is that Kadri is too light and is easily muscled off the puck. The youngster will need to add a few pounds to his frame over the next couple of seasons and Leaf fans should note that when the real NHL season starts and teams play their regulars and coaches start to bring in their game strategies they will quickly learn what Kadri's weakness is and use this to their advantage. The fact many of us have played hockey we know how important confidence is in the game and with a camp like Kadri has had there is no reason he should not get over 100+ points in the OHL and make the Canadian World Junior Squad. These accomplishments will garner further confidence for the youngster and dont think for a second that coach Ron Wilson will not send Kadri on his way with what he needs to do to continue on the path to Leafland. Nazem Kadri is something special but with Tyler Bozak and Victor Stalberg looking ready to make the jump as an NHL regular their is no need to rush the kid. We all know that in most cases this has not always worked out for the best in Leafland.

Toronto Maple Leafs make first cuts

2009-09-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs have taken their first steps in moving forward towards their goal of a 23 man opening day roster. Coach Ron Wilson has trimmed down the camp roster to 44 with more cuts expected this week. The Leafs have sent Andrew Engelage, James Reimer, Josh Engel, Joe Ryan, Juraj Mikus, Phil Oreskovic, Todd Perry, Kyle Rogers, Gregg Scott, Robert Slaney, Mikhail Stefanovich, Alex Berry, Darryl Boyce, Tom Galvin, Dale Mitchell, Stefano Giliati and Richard Greenop to their AHL Toronto Marlies. Jesse Blacker, Brandon Manning and Joel Champagne were sent to their respective junior clubs, while Bill Thomas and Juha Uotila were released from their pro tryout contracts.

Finally, Burke lands Phil Kessel

2009-09-19T07:46:00.001-07:00

Brian Burke has finally landed his most coveted off season acquisition landing Boston Bruins scorer Phil Kessel. The Leafs GM has been chasing Kessel since the draft back in June and after numerous attempts to convince Boston GM to part with the 36 goal winger, Burke's offer was too hard to refuse. The Leafs give Boston 2 first round picks 2010, 2011 and a second round pick in 2010 to get Kessel, with this seasons draft being assessed as a rather weak one and Burke's desire to get the Leafs back into the playoff picture sooner rather then later, this was too good of a deal to pass up on. The Leafs GM then quickly signed the 21 year old to a 5 year contract worth 27.5 million dollars a cap hit of 5.5 million per season. Coach Ron Wilson will have to put a hold on where he will pencil Kessel in on the Maple Leafs roster as Kessel is out until at least mid November with a torn rotater cuff injury after having surgery. Brian Burke is slowly putting his stamp on this Maple Leafs team and Leaf fans myself included can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve next.

Battle at the Mastercard Center

2009-09-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in full swing as the battle begins at the Mastercard Center to crack the Maple Leafs 23 man roster. The Leafs have a few spots open but as per Brian Burke and coach Ron Wilson their are plenty of spots open on the roster and almost no ones job is safe. Burke has gone out on a limb and said that he would have no problem sending millions of dollars in salaries to the AHL Marlies. We decide to take a look at the Leafs current camp and where the major battles are to make the roster.

Goaltending

The back up goalie spot is up for grabs between Swedish rookie Johan Gustavsson and Joey McDonald. The Monster as Gustavsson is known in Europe looks to have the inside track on the spot but he can also go down to the Marlies without clearing waivers and 60+ game starts in the AHL wouldnt hurt.

Verdict: Joey McDonald starts the year as Leafs backup with Gustavsson minding the net for the Marlies.

Defense

The Leafs look to have the 1-4 spots set in Kaberle, Komisarek, Schenn and Beauchemin and the battle will be for spots 5-7 or possibly 8. The Leafs have Exelby, White, Frogren, Finger, Van Ryn and Oreskovic battling for those last spots and a very short margin for error, look for the Leafs to make a move on the trade front in this department.

Verdict: Exelby, White, Van Ryn and Finger as the Leafs go with 8 on the backend to start the season knowing White can play up front as well.

Forward

The Leafs look to feature a few rookies on the roster after camp concludes but look for some of the fiercest camp battles to take place here. Grabovski, Ponikarovsky, Hagman, Blake, Mitchell, Stajan and Orr look set on the roster but that still leaves 6 spots to battle for with the main contention taking place between, Stempniak, Kulemin, Primeau, Mayers, Hanson, Bozak, Kadri, Tlusty, Allison, and Stalberg.

Verdict: Look for Jason Allison to earn a spot on the top six basically our best forward if he has his game, Kulemin, Primeau, Stempniak, Mayers and Bozak round out the roster.

Who to watch for Surprises

Victor Stalberg- The 23 year is a strong skater and a little bit older and wiser then some of the younger Leafs, was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and took his college squad to the NCAA final four.

Jiri Tlusty- The 1st rounder had a great second half of the season with the AHL Marlies finished just under a point a game player.

Jesse Blacker- Long shot to make the squad but was impressive at the rookie camp and looks like a steady defensemen of the future.

Toronto Maple Leafs Training Camp Roster

2009-09-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs are ready to kick off training camp for the 2009-10 season with medicals today at the clubs new Mastercard Centre with on ice activities taking place tomorrow with their first preseason game kicking off on the 16th. The Maple Leafs training camp roster looks like this.

Goaltenders

29 Joey MacDonald
34 James Reimer
35 Vesa Toskala
50 Jonas Gustavsson
71 Beau Erickson
72 Andrew Engelage

Defensemen

2 Luke Schenn
3 Garnet Exelby
4 Jeff Finger
7 Ian White
8 Mike Komisarek
15 Tomas Kaberle
22 Francois Beauchemin
24 Jonas Frogren
26 Mike Van Ryn
36 Carl Gunnarsson
40 Phil Oreskovic
59 Todd Perry
60 Juraj Mikus
62 Joe Ryan
63 Josh Engel
66 Andy Rogers
69 Barron Smith
70 Jesse Blacker
78 Brandon Manning

Forwards

9 Niklas Hagman
11 Jiri Tlusty
12 Lee Stempniak
14 Matt Stajan
18 Wayne Primeau
20 Christian Hanson
21 Jamal Mayers
23 Alexei Ponikarovsky
25 Ben Ondrus
28 Colton Orr
32 Alex Foster
33 Jason Allison
37 Tim Brent
38 Jay Rosenhill
39 John Mitchell
41 Nikolai Kulemin
42 Tyler Bozak
43 Nazem Kadri
44 Kyle Rogers
45 Victor Stalberg
46 Dale Mitchell
47 Darryl Boyce
48 Ryan Hamilton
49 Stefano Giliati
51 Rickard Wallin
52 Greg Scott
53 Alex Berry
55 Jason Blake
56 Andre Deveaux
57 Robert Slaney
58 Mikhail Stefanovich
64 Richard Greenop
67 Jamie Devane
68 Joel Champagne
76 John Kurtz
84 Mikhail Grabovski

Brian Burke toying with Peter Chiarelli and Glen Sather

2009-09-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Brian Burke made a very interesting move over the weekend when he acquired the Maple Leafs second round pick for the 2010 draft from the Chicago Blackhawks for the Leafs second round and third round picks for the 2011 draft. This move allows the Leafs to be players if they decide to go out and sign a high priced restricted free agent as the compensation if the team does not match the Leafs offer sheet would be the teams first, second and third rounders from the 2010 draft. The two players being talked about out there are the Bruins Phil Kessel and the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky. Phil Kessel registered 60 points with 36 goals while Brandon Dubinsky registered 41 points with 13 goals on paper this looks like a no brainer for Kessel but Dubinsky fits more the mold of what Brian Burke is looking for with the team and thats a player with some sandpaper. In the end should Burke offer an offer sheet to one of these players i think not, why would he do such a thing when the Leafs could be just toying with both Chiarelli and Sather looking to make a deal with two teams that are close to the cap and are having a tough time fitting these players requested salaries into their team payroll. The Leafs have nothing to lose here as either player would be a welcome addition to the team that looks hard pressed to score goals this upcoming season. The fact that the Leafs have the picks from each of the first three rounds from the 2010 draft just lets the teams they are negotiating with know that they can make your job miserable and lay down an offer sheet to any of these players if we feel that what your offering or wanting in return is not to our liking. The Leafs have acquired a great hand over the weekend and if we were playing poker the Leafs would be closing in on a flush, they question is will they play the hand and wait for the river card to turn or will Burke fold when he gets the deal he is looking for, only Burke knows the answer to that.

Who is the Greatest Maple Leafs Goalie of All Time
	Turk Broda
	Felix Potvin
	Johnny Bower
	Lorne Chabot
	George Hainsworth
	Curtis Joseph
	Mike Palmateer
	Harry Lumley
	Terry Sawchuk
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