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Leaf Rumours

More importantly than that, they have Giroux and JVR on the 3rd line, so they can afford to move a top 6 forward or two.

First and foremost Philadelphia has to address goaltending. Kaberle would be a nice luxury but filling that hole in net is much more important.

Besides, with Timonen there Kaberle isn't totally necessary -- and, sure, they had Timonen on board the last time they tried to bring Kaberle in, but they didn't have Pronger or Carle.

In short, they have two very good top unit PP defenders, and a solid offensive defenseman to anchor the second unit.

Kaberle would be a luxury but shouldn't be anywhere close to a priority.
 
Yeah, a Price - Carter swap makes a whole lotta sense for both sides.

It would certainly be possible for the Habs to add Carter, and then not re-sign Plekanec.
 
But is it really worth it to trade your most valuable and tradable asset, and spend more money to upgrade from Plekanec to Carter?

Doesn't seem like the most efficient asset management to me. More of a really expensive sideways move.
 
The Devils aren't trading away Brodeur. That would be akin to the Wings trading Yzerman or the Nords/Avs trading Sakic. It's not going to happen.

I agree... it'd be like the Oilers trading Gretzky or the Kings trading Gretzky or the Bruins trading Bourque or Chicago trading Esposito.
 
Carter for Price....would be the start of something brillaint for both teams IMO

I agree... that deal makes too much sense not to do it.

I was against such a suggestion 6 months ago, but with the emergence of Halak I would be all for it now. Actually I'd be fine with trading either goalie for Carter.
 
I'd be pretty shocked if Philly re-visited the Kaberle/Carter swap. In the two seasons since they made that offer, Carter's gone on to score 46 and 33 goals, and Philly's also added Chris Pronger to their defense. At the same time though, these past playoffs could have changed their thinking about their forwards a lot. Briere, I'm sure, is a guy who's gone from being an albatross that they'd be happy to get rid of, to someone who they're now very interested in keeping. And then to go along with Briere, if Claude Giroux and Ville Leino are both for real, then they've got a surplus of top-6 forwards that they can afford to re-distribute elsewhere.

And sure, you could say that ideally they could use that strength at forward to address goaltending. But aside from the Flyers franchise history of going cheap on goaltending, there's also recent NHL history---in the past three years, the Stanley Cup champions and the runners-up have all gone "cheap" on less-than-stellar goaltending, and made it to the Cup final anyways. So, the Flyers could decide that burning an asset like Jeff Carter to address their goaltending isn't necessary, and either take the free agent route, or decide to roll the dice on a Ray Emery/Michael Leighton combo again.
 
But is it really worth it to trade your most valuable and tradable asset, and spend more money to upgrade from Plekanec to Carter?

Doesn't seem like the most efficient asset management to me. More of a really expensive sideways move.

What they really need to do is figure out a way to trade Hamrlik first.... that opens up the money for Carter.
 
Alright well this is nothing groundbreaking really but it's nice to hear from Kessel; he flew into town for the Phaneuf announcement.

On a team historically bereft of big-time scorers, Phil Kessel believes he can achieve what only one Maple Leaf has been able to do in the last 15 seasons.

That’s topping the 40-goal mark.

“I think I can score 40. I could have had it last year if I’d have scored (consistently). I had a lot of chances, plus I missed quite a bit of games,” said the 22-year-old winger as he passed through town for the unveiling of Dion Phaneuf as Toronto’s captain...

“I’m going to improve on last year. Hopefully, I’m going to be a better hockey player,” Kessel continued.

“My role on the team is to score goals and make plays so I have to do that. If I can contribute in that way, hopefully we win some games,” said Kessel.

So how ’bout 50?

“Oh, I don’t know. You never know,” he said coyly. “Like I said, we’re here to win games. I’m going to score as many as I can.”

“It’s tough. I didn’t play hockey for six months, right. Nothing. I barely skated,” he explained. “I only skated like two or three weeks before I started playing. It’s not like I was in tip-top shape and I couldn’t get into (shape) all year really because you’re not prepared from the start.”

Kessel already looks fitter and less drained than he did at any time as a Leaf. Clean shaven and upbeat, he also seemed more confident and outgoing with the media than he was during his first few jittery months in Toronto.

“I’ve already started working out. I’m back in to it, getting ready to go again. This year, I’ll be ready to go,” he said, noting that he’s lifting and running four or five days a week back home at Madison, Wis.

“I think this year we should expect good things from our team. We should be fighting for a playoff spot and be very competitive. Last year, we could have been right there, we just had a bad start.”

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/mapleleafs/philkessel/article/823976--pushing-40-leafs-kessel-aims-for-elusive-goal-scoring-mark
 
I'd be pretty shocked if Philly re-visited the Kaberle/Carter swap. In the two seasons since they made that offer, Carter's gone on to score 46 and 33 goals, .

well, let's not gild the lilly on Carter.

He's soft. He's a playoff dissappointment. He's got a big contract, and was a malcontent signing....and is due for a new contract in a year. The Flyers also have Briere, Richards, Gagne, Giroux, JVR, and Hartnell up front, and can definitely look to move a guy like Carter.

And, on top of all that, that 40gl/80pt year might just be a fluke.

22yrs: 82gms, 29gls, 53pts (82gms, 29gls, 53pts)
23yrs: 82gms, 46gls, 84pts (82gms, 46gls, 84pts)
24yrs: 74gms, 33gls, 61pts (82gms, 36gls, 68pts)
Plyffs: 35gms, 12gls, 19pts (82gms, 28gls, 45pts)

(that's playoffs just for ages 22-24, ignoring his 0pts in 6 games as a 20 year old).

You might be trading a whole lot for a pretty one dimensional 30-35gl, 60-70pt guy, who's gonna be looking for elite money just a year from now.

And as for Kaberle on Philly - he'd be a perfect fit there, and there biggest weakness this year in the playoffs was that they had to lean so hard on their top-3/4 dmen, and simply couldn't afford ice their bottom pair at all. And while they've got some good offensive from their blueline, they don't ahve anyone who can skate the puck like Kabs.


I don't know if they'd necesarily be looking for a dman, especially with their goalie situation, but I think they will 100% be shopping Carter.
 

“I think I can score 40. I could have had it last year if I’d have scored (consistently). I had a lot of chances, plus I missed quite a bit of games,” said the 22-year-old winger as he passed through town for the unveiling of Dion Phaneuf as Toronto’s captain...


I love that line.... "I would have scored 40 goals if I had scored more goals."

Not knocking Kessel, I just found the wording funny. I actually believe he will score 40+ next season.
 
Kovalchuk interested in Leafs; Burke says nyet

Yesterday, ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun had a quote from Leafs GM Brian Burke basically squashing any speculation his team would be in the mix for Kovalchuk, saying simply: “We're not going to be involved in that race.”

So there goes one top-six forward candidate.

What’s interesting about the Kovalchuk talk is that I’ve been told pretty definitively that the Leafs were among the teams he was interested in. While the player (who is under contract to the Devils until July 1) and his camp remain quiet on all this, the general feeling around the league is that Toronto was at least among the teams in the running.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/kovalchuk-interested-in-leafs-burke-says-nyet/article1606151/

- OK, if there's interest there from Kovalchuk, it'd be a huge mistake not to go after him.
 
Yeah but if Burkie really doesn't want Kovalchuk, then he go after him. Maybe Burke is lying to the media again...or maybe he's telling the truth.
 
Kovalchuk seems to me like a guy who likes the spotlight. I think he'd welcome playing in the biggest hockey market in the world.

If Kovalchuk is willing to take 5 or less years, maybe something is possible. At least I hope so.
 
Well we can always hold out hope that after last year he's just playing it cautious because the league is watching.

But if Burke says he has zero interest, unfortunately I believe him.
 
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