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Leaf Rumours

I was 100% for trading Ponikarovsky until Double D-Day. Since then, he's be playing physical and showing some creativity, which are the two things that he lacked enough previously for me to want him out. If he keeps playing like this, considering how cheap he'll likely be as a UFA, keep him, within reason.
 
Trading Poni for Tangradi (whose upside I see as a similar player as Poni) could make sense.
 
I just have no interest in paying him much more than he makes now. If he wants $3 mill+, then later Poni.

Plus the fact that there is so much parody and no sellers, bodes very well for Poni's value. Will probably get more than Antropov.
 
Most importantly too in all of this is the fact that Burke is maximizing assets. He's showing he's not afraid to sell high.

White was at the top of his game and he helped secure us Phaneuf. Our 1st in the offseason looked like a top-5 pick (still does unfortunately) and he used that to get us Kessel.

Burke knows that Kaberle being sold high gets us another young building block. And that trading Poni has to happen soon while that first line is on fire. Poni playing with Kessel and Bozak so well probably has GMs envisioning what Poni could bring to their squad and has them thinking he can play with a guy like Malkin night-in and night-out.

We have to sell high in this rebuild and we CAN'T be afraid to lose some assets gain others that will help us when we want to win.

Especially this is tough for Kaberle, my favourite Leaf since Mogilny left town, but the writing is on the wall. Hell, he is the second oldest player on our active roster behind a 33 year-old Primeau. I would love for Kaberle to not leave and lead us back into the playoffs, but Burke has a plan and I trust Burke with or without Niederm... err Kaberle.
 
Couple rumors from hockeyleaks.

On Poni-12 teams have contacted the leafs. Frontrunners Boston and Atlanta

On Kaberle- Chicago and Boston in the mix, but real team to watch is San Jose.

Rumored package

Pavelski or Clowe
1st round pick or highly touted prospect (Coutre?)
 
Now, kaberle isn't 'old' at 32. The style he plays he can easily play at the same level at 36, 37. It's just the writing is on the wall they don't consider him a critical part of the team going forward
 
number17 said:
Now, kaberle isn't 'old' at 32. The style he plays he can easily play at the same level at 36, 37. It's just the writing is on the wall they don't consider him a critical part of the team going forward
Click to expand...

That and his agent wouldnt be doing his job if he didnt tell Tomas to give Burke a list of team he would play for. Considering he could be sent to hell on earth (Edmonton) or anywhere else if the leafs miss the postseason.

With the amount of teams looking for D Help and with Kaberle being the best one on the market (potentially) logica indicates he is moved. and for a good return
 
number17 said:
Now, kaberle isn't 'old' at 32. The style he plays he can easily play at the same level at 36, 37. It's just the writing is on the wall they don't consider him a critical part of the team going forward
Click to expand...


I don't mean he is 'old' by the NHL's standards. He can play until he is 40 for sure.

I'm just saying, Burke is making a young, physical team and if the opportunity is there to deal Kabs for youth, then I see Burke making the trade.

And to San Jose for Pavelski, Couture and a pick... Burke would have it signed, sealed and delivered.
 
i don't know if i'd say that they don't see kaberle as an essential piece.

at the same time, there are a ton of puck moving defensemen available this summer, so they could perhaps parlay kaberle into a high impact forward, and then fill his slot on the blueline through the ufa market this summer.

this summer's ufa crop isn't considered to be a strong one but it is rich in defensemen who can play the PP.

Lidstrom
Niedermayer
Kubina
Gonchar
Johnsson
Blake
Martin
Clark
Zidlicky
Morris
Van Ryn
Lydman
Schneider
Corvo
Pothier
Seidenberg
Hamhuis
Leopold
Colaiacovo
Michalek
 
Pavelski or Clowe
1st round pick or highly touted prospect (Coutre?)
Click to expand...

Pavelski + Couture for Kaberle

****...that's a trade I would have a hard time saying no to.

Pavelski is a 60-70 pt centreman already...and Couture is on a 112 point pace in the AHL as a 20 yr old.

and...to top that off, San Jose is an unlikely place for Tomas to re sign....they want him because he's so cap friendly....at his UFA price of 6+ million, they walk and he hits the open market.

For any other combination of assets possible there, **** no, **** off.
 
msun30 said:
i don't know if i'd say that they don't see kaberle as an essential piece.

at the same time, there are a ton of puck moving defensemen available this summer, so they could perhaps parlay kaberle into a high impact forward, and then fill his slot on the blueline through the ufa market this summer.

this summer's ufa crop isn't considered to be a strong one but it is rich in defensemen who can play the PP.

Lidstrom - retired
Niedermayer retired
Kubina been there, no thanks
Gonchar only guy on the list I want
Johnsson
Blake
Martin
Clark
Zidlicky
Morris
Van Ryn
Lydman
Schneider
Corvo
Pothier
Seidenberg
Hamhuis
Leopold
Colaiacovo
Michalek
Click to expand...

a whole lot of crap on that list
 
Considering the Leafs rebuilding plan, you don't want Gonchsr he's gonna fetch top $$ but his body is already breaking down.
 
Lidstrom
Niedermayer
Kubina
Gonchar
Johnsson
Blake
Martin
Clark
Zidlicky
Morris
Van Ryn
Lydman
Schneider
Corvo
Pothier
Seidenberg
Hamhuis
Leopold
Colaiacovo
Michalek


Make a puch for any of those and Kaberle's loss is minimized and you probably don't need to blow a wad on Kovalchuk this summer as you now have, for example:

- Staal/Pavelski (named for relevance to recent posts) up front

- $2.5 million per year for Colaiacovo to come back and replace Exelby as #6.

Phaneuf - Beauchemin
Komi - Schenn
Gunnar - Cola

The only thing I don't like there is that each defense pairing has the same side shot, but other than that, sign me up.
 
well, we have to maintain some perspective here.. we're talking about #4 or #5 defenseman whose main job will be to feather passes over to phaneuf.

i can dream of niedermayer, who i don't think is going to hang them up (and there's the burke connection). still, there are several guys i would have serious interest in.

gonchar will be too pricey, and i agree -- no thanks to kubina.

but i'd have a ton of interest in martin, zidlicky, or michalek. i think any of them would fit the bill nicely -- especially zidlicky, who is just a step down from kaberle.

if those three are unavailable i'd love to see the team take a shot on hamhuis (who just isn't getting PP time behind suter and weber) or johnsson. meanwhile pothier and lydman are pretty underrated, while colaicovo and clark have been solid pp options in the past.
 
Hamhuis is appealing to me. What's he been like this year?

Hamhuis 12th overall
Phaneuf 9th overall
Kadri 7th overall
Kessel 5th overall
Schenn 5th overall
 
The problem is, Hamhuis already makes 2 mill, so he's probably going to get a deal in the 3.5-4 mill range.

I don't think the Leafs should be investing that kind of money into more middle pair defenders.
 
he's having a shit year.

but he had 38 points in 05-06 (the one year where he was actually given substantial pp time).

for some reason trotz doesn't seem to like him on the pp. hell, he's playing buillon on the secnod unit over him. not sure if that's an indictment of hamhuis or if it's a case of his coach simply being stubborn.

still, he had 38 points as a 23 year old in the first season back from the lock out.

there is definitely some untapped offense there.
 
PlayerToBeNamedLater said:
The problem is, Hamhuis already makes 2 mill, so he's probably going to get a deal in the 3.5-4 mill range.

I don't think the Leafs should be investing that kind of money into more middle pair defenders.
Click to expand...

it's tough to say how much that guy is going to get.

the market, as you can see, is pretty saturated. and gm's tend to be kind of reactionary when pursuing these guys (ie atlanta giving hainsey $4mn per).

maybe he comes in around $2.5-$3mn...

i'd definitely target zidlicky, though. he'd be the guy to go after. and i'd bet kaberle's contract will be teh benchmark for him, too. if they can trade kaberle for pavelski and couture and then sign zidlicky to the same dollar amount kaberle currently earns then i'm happy.
 
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