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Leaf Rumours

Marleau was the only guy to show up in the series with Chicago....They'd be better off resigning him and letting Nabakov go.
 
The have to resign Setoguchi and Pavelski, and get a real goalie too.

They are going to have to let one of the big 3 go.
 
I don't mind Marleau, but I wouldn't want to give him more than $5.5M....and chances are that won't be enough, unless Burke uses his Jedi Mind Tricks.
 
Marleau's just about the last guy I'd want us to bring in this summer. I'll give him credit for putting up by far the best numbers of any of the "big 3" in San Jose, but I don't want to bring in a big guy with that kind of playoff history, and I can't help but think that he's going to have a huge drop-off from what was by far his best offensive season.

And then all that being said, I can't see where the Leafs would find the $7-8M worth of cap space that'd be necessary to accomodate him. I've been putting together a spreadsheet with all the Leafs and their salaries for next season (because yes, I am that bored), and with four forward spots still left to fill, I've only got about $4.7M worth of cap space left (and that's with Jeff Finger's $3.5M already banished to the minors).
 
Marleau to Toronto?

I could get behind that. I think he'd work well with Naz. RW likes to run his offense through pairings. Bozy-Kess, Naz-Marleau gives you two effective scoring lines.

But RW might be the problem as well. Listen, I know that Wilson said Marleau told him he'd play for him any time but when Bob McKenzie says so definitively that there's a problem there, I put too much stock in Bobby-Mac's opinion to question that there isn't something there.

Now, my biggest corollary in getting Marleau is moving Kaberle, moving Grabovski and moving/demoting Finger. That clears up an additional 10.65 million in cap space. I wouldn't be crazy about paying him more than 6M but I said the said the same thing about Cammalleri at 5.75 last summer and I feel like a sh!t for saying it now.

But I am thoroughly convinced, and I've been saying this to Jays for months. You have to get Naz experienced wingers if you want his rookie year to be a success. Do that and he could put up Duchene-esque numbers next year, easily.
 
And then all that being said, I can't see where the Leafs would find the $7-8M worth of cap space that'd be necessary to accomodate him. I've been putting together a spreadsheet with all the Leafs and their salaries for next season (because yes, I am that bored), and with four forward spots still left to fill, I've only got about $4.7M worth of cap space left (and that's with Jeff Finger's $3.5M already banished to the minors).

Without Finger, and with signing Hanson and Mitchell for ~$1 million each, the Leafs have over $5 million under this years cap, and maybe as much as $7 million under next years cap. And that doesn't include the bonus cushion at all. That is with 11 forwards, 7 D and 2 goalies signed.

Move Grabo, and you are looking at $10-$16 million available with the increased cap and the bonus cushion to add 3 forwards. Maybe as much as $20 million if Kabby is dealt.

Tons of room and flexibility.
 
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Without Finger, and with signing Hanson and Mitchell for ~$1 million each, the Leafs have over $5 million under this years cap, and maybe as much as $7 million under next years cap. And that doesn't include the bonus cushion at all. That is with 11 forwards, 7 D and 2 goalies signed.

Move Grabo, and you are looking at $10-$16 million available with the increased cap and the bonus cushion.
Phil Kessel - 5.4
Mikhail Grabovski - 2.9
Nikolai Kulemin - 3.0 (guesstimate)
Colton Orr - 1.0
Fredrik Sjostrom - .750
Tyler Bozak - 3.725
Viktor Stalberg - .850
Nazem Kadri - 1.750
Christian Hanson - 1.045
Forward #10 - ?
Forward #11 - ?
Forward #12 - ?
Forward #13 - ?

Dion Phaneuf - 6.5
Mike Komisarek - 4.5
Tomas Kaberle - 4.25
Francois Beauchemin - 3.8
Luke Schenn - 2.975
Carl Gunnarsson - .800
Phil Oreskovic - .500

J.S. Giguere - 6.0
Jonas Gustavsson - 1.35

Darcy Tucker - 1.0

So, that's a grand total of $52,195,000 out of a projected salary cap of $56.8M, with four forward spots left to fill. I also probably even went unrealistically cheap on defense, with Oreskovic fillling out the #7 spot at the league minimum. At the same time, although I'm sure that's the number they're asking for, Kulemin's camp is unlikely to get three mil out of Burke. I can't possibly see where you're getting 10-16 million in cap space with 20 of 22 roster spots filled though. Where exactly is the glaring error in my numbers to account for that?
 
2010-11 Toronto Maple Leafs
PLAYER BONUS CAP HIT

FORWARDS

Phil Kessel — $5,400,000
Tyler Bozak ($2,850,000) $3,725,000
Mikhail Grabovski — $2,900,000
Nazem Kadri ($850,000) $1,750,000
Colton Orr — $1,000,000
* Christian Hanson — $925,000
* John Mitchell — $900,000
Viktor Stalberg ($65,000) $850,000
Luca Caputi ($265,000) $833,333
Fredrik Sjostrom — $750,000
Jay Rosehill -- $512,500

DEFENSEMEN

Dion Phaneuf — $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek — $4,500,000
Tomas Kaberle — $4,250,000
Francois Beauchemin — $3,800,000
Luke Schenn ($2,100,000) $2,975,000
Carl Gunnarsson ($170,000) $800,000
Juraj Mikus — $563,333

GOALTENDERS

Jean-Sebastien Giguere — $6,000,000
Jonas Gustavsson — $1,350,000

BUYOUTS

Darcy Tucker — $1,000,000

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS

ROSTER SIZE 20
SALARY CAP $58,000,000
PAYROLL $51,284,167
BONUSES $6,300,000
CAP SPACE $10,975,833

Then dumping Kaberle and Grabo frees up another $7.15 mill.
 
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First of all, this 'rumor' started with Jeff Blair. That should be the end of any 'rumor discussion'.

Second of all, it's not even a rumor. Blair says 'it makes sense', to Blair HIMSELF ... which means nothing at all. No source, no inside information ... pure speculation, by Blair too.

And there are several reasons Marleau won't land in Toronto ... 1. Marleau will be 31 when the next season begins. Now 31 isn't overly 'old', but he'll be over his prime when the Leafs contend, and 31 isn't in line with Burkes "29 or under" rule for major UFA signings.

2. There's also the RW factor, obviously. Wilson said Marleau can play for him any time, and Marleau said it's water under the bridge, but if Marleau had a choice where he signs, will he choose Wilson's club? Highly doubt it.

3. Also, there's the $$ factor. With Kovalchuk being the only potential exception, Marleau will be the most sought after UFA this summer, and he will very probably net $8M per. That isn't something the Leafs can afford without making some major moves (like trading Kaberle) and is Marleau really worth it? I don't think so, and pretty sure neither does Burke.


I don't mind Marleau, but he isn't worth the $$ he's gonna get. Burke will get a top 6 forward but it's gonna be via trade. Just wait and see.
 
I'd say 27 to 33 is "prime". But Marleau is at the wrong end of that for this Leaf team right now.

I don't think he'll get 8 million, but 7 isn't out of the question. He certainly won't be signing for less than his current 6.3 after a 37 goal season.
 
Looks like the leafs lost out on Cervenka as he has signed with Avangard Omsk

But apparantley there is Holzer

German defenceman poised to join Leafs
Paul Hunter


For the Maple Leafs, defenceman Korbinian Holzer is like found money.

A draft pick from another era — he was selected 111th overall in 2006 during the John Ferguson regime — from a place not exactly known for pumping out prospects, Holzer’s game has quietly blossomed to the point that it is almost NHL ready. And the Leafs are poised to cash in.

Holzer is an 18-minute-a-game stalwart on the host German team that has stunned the hockey community by reaching the semifinals of the world championship for the first time since the current format was introduced in 1992.

Soon after the Germans face the heavily-favoured Russians on Saturday, it is expected that Holzer will sign a contract with the Leafs. The 6-foot-3 blueliner will attend Toronto’s training camp in September and, likely, be assigned to the AHL Marlies for further acclimatizing to the smaller North American rinks. But the 22-year-old’s progress isn’t expected to stop there.

“I think this kid has a real good chance to play in the National Hockey League in the next two years because he’s . . . intelligent and he has above average skating ability for a guy his size,” says Toronto general manager Brian Burke, who met with him while in Germany heading up the American entry in the tournament.

“He’s a wide load — my kind of defenceman — but he’s skilled; European skill level.”

Holzer’s presence helps maintain a Toronto angle to the IIHF championship long after Team Canada flamed out. Nikolai Kulemin is on the Russian squad. (Burke, by the way, notes there has been no progress in contract talks with the soon-to-be restricted free agent.) In the other semi, Sweden has a hat trick of Leafs in Jonas Gustavsson, Carl Gunnarsson and Rickard Wallin that will face a Czech-team of mostly Euro-based players.

“Nobody expected us to be in the semifinals. It’s a good feeling to see how the whole country is getting into it,” said Holzer in a telephone interview on the eve of the semis.


“We’re going into the game (against Russia) to win the game, that’s for sure. We didn’t come this far to lose to the Russians by five goals or something. We’re going to give them a fight.”

Whatever the result, Uwe Krupp, the head coach of the German squad and a Stanley Cup-winning defenceman with the Colorado Avalanche, also believes Holzer is ready to make the move to the North American game

Twice during the world championship, Burke ended up in the gym at his Cologne hotel working out at the same time as Krupp and understandably the conversation turned to Holzer’s progress.

“Uwe said this kid is ready to play, he’s ready to make the shift over and play on the smaller rink,” recounted Burke. “The one thing he says is that he’s got to have a harder finish to his game.”


Burke said that’s just the difference between playing defence in Europe and the NHL but he is confident Holzer, who thinks the game well and makes a smart first pass, will grow to have that edge.


“In European hockey, they bodycheck and as long as they separate the player from the puck, that’s okay, that’s a good check,” explained Burke.


“We want a harder finish on those checks and a little more of a statement when you hit a guy. Don’t just separate him from the puck, thump the guy if you can. Discourage him. We think that’s going to develop.”

Burke was undoubtedly encouraged when a melee erupted at the end of Germany’s 1-0 win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. There in the middle of it was Holzer. He was assessed 14 minutes in penalties once the bodies were pulled apart.

“I have to get used to more physical play because there’s not that much in Europe or Germany,” said the Munich-born Holzer. “(In North America) you always have to be ready to hit and get hit. That’s probably the biggest challenge when I go over there. But it was like that at the Olympics and I really liked that game. It was faster and more physical and way more fun to play.”

Sounds like another Frogren....
 
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