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Leaf Rumours

Always liked Marleau and always will, but I'd agree that if Kovy can be had for just $2M more, then you go for Kovy, especially since he's a few years younger.

Either one would make me very happy, and in all honesty I think we HAVE to get one of them this offseason, full stop.

As for NJ and Kabs, I hate the idea of trading Kabs in a deal for any of those guys, plus they don't even have a 1st to give. I wouldn't touch that rumored package for Kaberle.

The only good thing about potentially trading him to NJ would be that you just know NJ wouldn't resign him and we'd get a shot at him again in a year. That's the only bright spot of a deal with them.
 
From what I remember, Burke never said he wasn't interested in Kovalchuk, he said he wasn't interested in giving out 'lifetime' contracts to anyone not named Crosby/Ovechkin.

The host (i think it was on AM640) asked Burke specifically about Kovalchuk. And Burke responded by saying something along the lines of "I heard about the contract Kovalchuk rejected (from atlanta) and that's not something we're interested in doing"

If Kovalchuk is still demanding a 8-10 year deal, Burke won't have interest imo. But if Kovalchuk is willing to do a shorter deal, like 5 years, I have no doubt Burke will be interested.
 
More recently Burke said something like "we can't talk about players we have interest in, but we can talk about players we don't have interest in, and we don't have interest in Kovalchuk," in response to the question.

I think on Leafs Lunch a couple weeks back.
 
More recently Burke said something like "we can't talk about players we have interest in, but we can talk about players we don't have interest in, and we don't have interest in Kovalchuk," in response to the question.
Click to expand...

Yep. Heard it.
 
People, I don't know how it could be any clearer than this.

Host: "I have to ask this, so here it is. Are you interested in signing Kovalchuk?"

Burke: "You know I cannot comment on players who are under contract, because that'd be tampering. But in the case I am not interested, it's ok for me to say so. And for Kovalchuk, I can honestly tell you we have no interest in him."
 
leafman101 said:
More recently Burke said something like "we can't talk about players we have interest in, but we can talk about players we don't have interest in, and we don't have interest in Kovalchuk," in response to the question.

I think on Leafs Lunch a couple weeks back.
Click to expand...
It was on an internet blog actually ... check out "The burke interview" thread.
 
zeke said:
I heard what he said about 10-year contracts.

Didn't hear him say anything about Kovalchuk.
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Burke also said on 640 that they weren't interested in Kovalchuk because they have Kessel. Which is crazy talk, but anyway.

The Leafs want to get better quickly, have limited assets left to trade, and are in dire need of talent at forward. Their biggest need, as stated by the GM, is a scoring winger. Kovalchuk is the best money they could spend on the free agent market. It makes no sense for the Leafs to divide that money on two far lesser players. How is Toronto supposed to compete with teams like the Hawks, Penguins, Caps, etc? We're way short in the elite forward department. Kovalchuk would be a significant step towards narrowing that gap, and it would only cost money. It would be easy for the Leafs to make space -- just trade Grabo for a pick or two and demote Finger. Presto, that's 6.4 million in cap room right there.

I'm just clinging to the hope that Burke is playing possum here and that the Leafs will at least try. Doesn't sound like we'll be in the game though, from what Burke and Nonis have said. I guess we'll just have to wait to see this trade they've been hyping for weeks is.
 
Pronger84 said:
Apparantly Beauchimen said Burke is interested in signing Marleau and not Kovalchuck. I think that if your going to pay a guy top money and make him the highest paid player on the team, he better be a) the best player b) be the player that leads the team to the cup. I like Marleau, he has a lot to offer, he's a solid 75-85 pt player guy, but is he the kind of guy to be a leader in the playoffs? Marleau is going to be looking for $7M a year plus, if thats the case may as well shell out an extra $1M and go after Kovalchuck. Kovalchuck is a 90-100pt player and if signed would easily be the best player on the team, but then again like Marleau he's questionable in the playoffs. If I were Burke I'd go after Kovalchuck.
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I doubt he actually said that. Even if a player says it they could face tampering investigations I'm sure.
 
Volcanologist said:
Burke also said on 640 that they weren't interested in Kovalchuk because they have Kessel. Which is crazy talk, but anyway.

The Leafs want to get better quickly, have limited assets left to trade, and are in dire need of talent at forward. Their biggest need, as stated by the GM, is a scoring winger. Kovalchuk is the best money they could spend on the free agent market. It makes no sense for the Leafs to divide that money on two far lesser players. How is Toronto supposed to compete with teams like the Hawks, Penguins, Caps, etc? We're way short in the elite forward department. Kovalchuk would be a significant step towards narrowing that gap, and it would only cost money. It would be easy for the Leafs to make space -- just trade Grabo for a pick or two and demote Finger. Presto, that's 6.4 million in cap room right there.

I'm just clinging to the hope that Burke is playing possum here and that the Leafs will at least try. Doesn't sound like we'll be in the game though, from what Burke and Nonis have said. I guess we'll just have to wait to see this trade they've been hyping for weeks is.
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The problem as I see it, isn't the per year cap hit. They can make room to fit Kovalchuk. It's the length of the contract that's the issue.

Burke doesn't want to sign players to 8-10 year deals.
 
It's not the length of teh contract.

It's Burke doesn't see Kovalchuk being a guy who he wants to invest big chunk of his cap space on. Nobody will mind Kovalchuk as a complimentary player, but Burke doesn't see Kovy as a guy to build the team around.

And I agree with him.
 
JaysCyYoung said:
I would be fine with a deal along the lines of this:

To Toronto

RW David Clarkson
C Jacob Josefsen
2nd round draft pick

To New Jersey

D Tomas Kaberle
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You would be fine with trading Kaberle for a 3rd liner, late 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick? Are you joking?

If that's the best offer for Kaberle, then just get his name on a long-term extension and keep him. That would be a disastrous trade.
 
number17 said:
It's not the length of teh contract.

It's Burke doesn't see Kovalchuk being a guy who he wants to invest big chunk of his cap space on. Nobody will mind Kovalchuk as a complimentary player, but Burke doesn't see Kovy as a guy to build the team around.

And I agree with him.
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If Kovalchuk could be signed to a 5 year deal, Burke would be interested.

He's already shown his willingness to spend big money on purely skilled players.
 
Habspatrol said:
I doubt he actually said that. Even if a player says it they could face tampering investigations I'm sure.
Click to expand...

"Je serais surpris de voir Brian Burke tenter sa chance pour Kovalchuk. Il va certainement se montrer intéressé à Patrick Marleau et je serais surtout surpris de le voir faire l’acquisition d’un défenseur. On a déjà une brigade bien garnie"

http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/300462.html

My French sucks but this is the quote people were going off of, I believe.
 
Figured this would be good for a laugh

The Calgary Flames are, once again, in the market for a backup goalie.

General manager Darryl Sutter, in an interview Wednesday, confirmed Vesa Toskala — an unrestricted free agent who drew a salary of $4 million US last season — is not returning to the club.

Toskala, 33 , had been acquired at the National Hockey League trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Curtis McElhinney.

“Vesa made it very clear that he wanted to be a (No. 1 goalie) or 1A in the league,” Sutter told The FAN 960.

LINK
 
“Vesa made it very clear that he wanted to be a (No. 1 goalie) or 1A in the league,” Sutter told The FAN 960.
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What a gay.

Of course, by "the league", Vesa must be referring to the ECHL. Otherwise his statement makes no sense.
 
That is ****ing outrageous, a weird thing happened to me in winter, towards the end of the season after Vesa got traded and I met a Leafs fan whose favourite player was VESA ****ING TOSKALA, I was shocked.
I tore this guy and Vesa a new one, calling him worse than Andrew Raycroft, almost got into a fight. He said he was cheering for the Flames now and it reminded me instantly of MNIJ, but now that I think about it, cheering for scum like Vesa is worse than what MNIJ did.
 
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