Leafs Out with the Old, in With the New

The Leafs played hardball with Peter Holland this week, waiving him and leaving him exposed to picked up, then signing him before Peter's arbitration hearing.

I have enjoyed Peter's progression through last season. I can see him being a solid third line centre on the Leafs roster. He is solid in the defensive end. He contributes now and then in the offensive game. Whatever he gets is a pure bonus.

It is the potential I see in him that the Leafs have to consider. This is the reason I am very happy we signed Peter. I think he has the skill enough to score 15 to 20 goals in his career. He will be a valuable asset to have during this painful rebuild.

The Leafs should sign Enroth. He is the perfect backup for Anderson. He will be able to spell him now and then. We do not need to overwork our first string goalie going down the stretch. Enroth was a pretty solid in goal for the Kings, giving them a chance to win in his starts. He knows his role and accepts it.

My mouth is watering with the potential superstar potential of the Leafs prospects in the next upcoming years. Think about it; we have Nylander, Marner, and of course the Stud Matthews. And that is not mentioning the Russian Soshnikov, who has a ton of potential.

The problem is the Leafs need to make room for them. So that means some of the vets have to be gone; Tyler, Bozak, Joffrey Lupul, and Brooks Laich.

The problem there is cap hits. They have worn out their welcome. Trying to find a team that will take their cap hit will be hard.

Lupul is the hardest $5.25 million for two years. Too injury prone. Lupul is a solid player, just made of glass.

Next is Bozak, who is $4.2 million for two more years. His cap hit would not be bad for a second line centre. The problem is he not; maybe a third line forward.

And finally, Laich, $4.5 million for one more year. Which is way too much for a role player. Fortunately, that contract is only one more year.

So they have some work ahead. Can they do it? Only time will tell.

Analysing Russell

I am hearing everyone who is a Leaf fan from here to China, yelling 'no' to Russell.  I completely understand with his salary demands; there is no way he is a $5 million player.

Chris is not a unique defencemen. He does not stand out in any way.  His one specialty is blocking shots. At times, he will block everything in sight.  He is pretty steady in his end.  But he is not a five mil number one defencemen.

Kriss will give you heart and defensive reliability in the defensive zone.  He is an effective communicator and will be a leader in the dressing room.  He leads by example and will do what it takes to win.

The main problem with Russell is his offensive skill.  For this reason, I think the Leafs should stay away from him. They need more of a complete player.  The Leafs need a little more offense from their defensemen.

So watch the Leafs go ahead and sign him.  What do I know anyway?

Calgary Flames - Now What

Reblogged from Flames Jambalaya

Well, how did the Flames do at Free Agency Frenzy?  Going into the Frenzy, the Flames needed a right wing and a backup goalie. Check right wing, and check back up.

General Manager Brad has said he is not done and would like to add defencemen.   It is evident that Brad will have to make another move to make that happen.

The Flames did well fixing the goaltending issue with Elliot and Johnson.  Brian Elliot's stats speak for themselves. He is a  solid goaltender who knows how to win.  For the first time in years, the Flames have a goalie who will be consistent and give them a chance to win every night.

Chad Johnson gives the Flames an established goaltender.  They needed a backup goalie who can steal a game or two.  It is vital for the Flames to have a  backup and be competitive.

The Flames signing Troy Brouwer is huge.  Troy is a solid player, who knows what it takes to win. He is a stable influence on the younger players, who will look up to him for his leadership skills. Troy will be a good fit for Monahan and Gaudreau, who have been looking for an RW since the end of time.

Let's talk about assets that the Flames could trade to get the defenseman Brad said he would like to acquire.

In no particular order, these are the assets I would consider moving:

Lance Bouma

Lance put himself out of favour with the Flames' management with his antics last year. Lance can easily be replaced.  The problem is that every other team also knows about his actions.  But hopefully, there will still be plenty of takers looking for the agitator in their lineup.

Dennis Wideman

It is common knowledge that Flames are shopping Dennis.  But finding a home for 5.23 million dollar powerplay specialist can be difficult. Dennis can still potentially be useful.  Many teams who could be in the market looking for a powerplay defensemen.

Mikael Backlund

This is the last resort, but if the Flames feel that Sam Bennett, is their 2nd line center, that might make Mikael expendable. Backlund could fetch a pretty good defender for the Flames.

Could the Flames consider trading a player for picks to make room?  The Flames could go the free agency route. If they do, I hope the Flames go with Patrick Wiercioch. He is a good number five stay-home defensemen.

I think the Flames are looking for a number four or a number three.  They will have to trade a player from their roster for two reasons: first,  salary cap, and secondly, you have pay something to get something.

Analysing the dealings of the day

Reblogged from Flames Jambalaya

General Manager Brad Treliving made it pretty clear the Flames would not be very busy in the free agency period. So I suspect that the Flames will go the trade route to improve the team.

What still needs to be done? Treliving checked off the biggest weakness by acquiring Brian Elliot.  What should be his top priority?  He pretty much has three priorities. The first is re-signing Money and Johnny Hockey.

The second one? That is the tricky question. Could it be another backup goalie? Could it be a right winger? With the exchange of Alex Chiasson from the Sens for Patrick Sieloff, will the Flames still be looking for a top 6 forward? Or do they think Chaisson fill the need of a top six forward?

With Chaisson, the Flames get a big right winger who is nasty. He is a role player who could be more in the Flames system. He is a blank distributor, who gets under the opposition's skin. He knows his role and does it very well, but does not fill the need of a top 6 forward.

Next, we have a pretty good idea that the Flames are going to have a new backup goalie, as Ortio did not get the qualifying offer. I can think a few goalies out there including Al Montoya, Johnson, Chad.

List of nonqualified players.

Kenny Agostino (LW)

Bill Arnold (C)

Joe Colborne (C)

Turner Elson (LW)

Josh Jooris (C)

Joni Ortio (G)

Kevin Poulin (G)

Drew Shore (C)

Bryce Van Brabant (LW)

The Flames are not qualifying Colborne to avoid arbitration. They are still trying to sign him; ditto on Jooris and Ortio.

2016 Calgary Flames Mock Draft

Reblogged from Flames Jambalaya

It is late June again and that means it is time for Randy's annual Flames mock draft. We all remember how Randy predicted the selection of Baertschi and he followed it up with the Jankowski prediction. I remember reading his Jankowski prediction and going to Google to find out who this Mark Jankowski was. 

With the Flames currently holding down the number six selection in this years draft; I do not expect an off the board type pick such as Jankowski. Let's see.

I asked Randy to give us his picks for the Calgary Flames selections at 6, 35, 54, and 56. I believe Randy agrees with me when I predict the Flames will trade one or a number of those picks to get an established goaltender.

Here we go with Randy's selections:

Yes, it's that time of year, my favourite time of year, otherwise known as the Nightmare on Randy's Street.  Yes, the draft is coming up again. The Flames have one mission, and that is to get bigger and stronger.  Here are my picks for this year's draft.

At #6 the Calgary Flames will select...

Alexander Nylander 

from the Mississauga Steelheads

Not that I want this to happen, but basically Alexander will land on the Flames.  It is evident that the Flames would love to have Pierre-Luc Dubois, but he won't be there.  Alexander is a smooth puck-handler with a nasty attitude.  He has a quick shot and release.  I do love his offensive playmaking ability.  The only downside is his play in the defensive zone. 

The Calgary born skilled winger won the CHL Rookie of the year last season and some scouts have said Nylander is the most skilled play making forward in this draft. Nylander does not fit the "size" bill for the Flames but with Tkachuk and Dubois likely going before him, Nylander is the best option for the Flames. Did we mention he shoots right?

At #35 the Calgary Flames will select...

Taylor Raddysh

from the Errie Otters

Raddysh is a skilled playmaking right winger, which the Flames desperately need. The Flames are thin up front on the wings. Taylor could be the answer.  The downside is that he is not quite big enough and will not yet be ready for the NHL next season.

I agree with Randy that our winger depth, especially on the right side is very weak. Raddysh does have the frame to develop into a more power forward type player, but that will take some time. I have the Flames selecting Alberta born LW Tyler Benson from the Vancouver Giants. This is a risky pick but the potential payoff here is worth it for me.

At #54 the Calgary Flames will select...

Tim Gettinger

from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Gettinger is a big bulky forward who is very versatile.  He can play in all situations. I love the fact that he can play all three forward positions.  Tim was the Captain of the Greyhounds. He is a project, but the Flames have the patience, and he just might be the prize at the end of the rainbow. 

I like this pick by Randy. the fact that Tim Gettinger is 6'5"and now over 200 pounds will draw the Flames attention. Some may compare him to Hunter Smith, I on the other hand believe he is a more complete and offensive player than Hunter. 

At 54 I have the Flames selecting Calgary born defenseman Max Lajoie from the Swift Current Broncos. 

At #56 the Calgary Flames will select...

Luke Green

from the Saint John Seadogs

From what I have read of him, Green is a highly skilled offensive defensemen. Luke will push offensive zone play.  He is very skilled playmaking defensemen who could be a big part of the Flames' future. Also a right handed shot defenseman, that adds some value. Luke scored ten goals last year and became more physical as the year progressed.

At 56, I have the Flames selecting the now highly talked about Cliff Pu from the London Knights. Obviously Pu had a strong Memorial Cup and that helped his draft value. Cliff Pu is a smart center who reminds me a little bit of Stephane Yelle. Pu will need to become a bit more offensive, but with more ice time I believe he will.

Randy's Conclusion:

The Flames might very well try to grab their number one goalie this draft, via trade.  If they have decided to make a trade, this might be the time to do it. The Bolts and the Flames have been talking Bishop since the deadline.  The problem is, the Bolts' price is high. How much are the Flames going to waive in the future to get him? Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada says the Flames might be willing to move down.   If they move down, I suspect it's Logan Brown that they want. I am also speculating that the Flames will want a player to play now.  Expect that the Flames might very well trade a couple of seconds to get a late first rounder.   Players like Markus Niemeläinen and Tage Thompson are available. Thompson is a no-nonsense forward and Niemeläinen a good, puck-moving defenseman. 

My other Flames selections were not required for this blog, but for your future reference, my other picks are:

Tyler Parsons at 66

Hugo Danielsson at 96

Carsen Twarynski at126

Tobias Eder at 156

Kasper Bjorkqvist at 166

Nolan Stevens at 186

This concludes another version of our annual Flames draft selection blog. Thanks to Randy for willing to put his selections on the line. I agree with Randy that although the draft is about the future of the club, the focus may be more about a goaltender for next season. We've heard names like Bishop, Fleury, Elliot, and now Varlamov, it could get very interesting this weekend. 

Stay tuned.

Leafs draft picks

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally have a chance at a franchise player to build their team around for years to come. There is zero chance of blowing this unless all of their scouts have brain farts. So here are my picks on who the Leafs will pick:

Austin Matthews  1

Duh. This is a no-brainer. Of course, they will pick  Austin. He is the first real number one centre since Darryl Sutter.  Coach Marc Crawford could not say enough about his skill while playing in the Swiss league. By far the most skilled player in the draft.

Alex DeBrincat 31

DeBrincat is a fantastic, skilled forward, a future linemate for Mathews.  Alex is a sniper, which the Leafs so legitimately need.  He has scored over 100 goals for the last two seasons.  Hoping this pick comes through.

Adam Mascherin 57

Mascherin is a powerful sniper who can put a puck in the net.  Adam has speed to burn and uses it to his advantage.   He has a ton of grit with a no-quit attitude.

Jordy Stallard 62

I have seen Jordy play a couple of times this season. The first reason  I like him is his versatility being able to play both wing and center.  Second is his determination to get things done. Stallard won't quit. He will do what it takes to win.

Vladimir Kuznetsov 92

Kuznetsov is a typical Russian power forward.  He is a project who will take a few years to mold.  The Leafs will take their time with him.  Vladimir might be worth taking a chance on.

David Quenneville 122

Quenneville is a big defenseman who had a pretty good year with a very bad junior hockey team, the Medicine Hat Tigers.  The only concern was a minus 21; but with the Tigers, that might be understandable.

Tyler Steenbergen 152

If you want the truth, I am just guessing now.  Tyler had pretty decent numbers. Tyler numbers in Swift Current: 20 goals, 26 assists, 46 points. Another forward who can play both wings wouldn't hurt either.

Luke Coleman 182

Coleman is a big forward with some size who could fill in as a role player.  Leafs need to beef up, and Luke fills the bill.

Conclusion

I expect the Leafs to be busy trying to sell some more assets. Their goal is to get as many assets in this market as they can. Expect Bozak and Lupal to be shopped around.  They may shop their second round picks to get a third first-round pick.

Flames expected to announced Head Coach

First blogged at Flames Jamalaya

Not exactly huge breaking news, as everyone but the kitchen sink already knows, but the Calgary Flames are about to announce the hiring of a new coach.  The man's name is Glen Gulutzan.  Glen is coming from the Canucks organization as an assistant coach.  Before that,  he was with the Dallas Stars.

Flames will now focus on the draft, coming July 24.