Posted by admin on 16th, 2009
TORONTO – The Maple Leafs are going to aggressively pursue a top NHL entry draft spot, perhaps even the No. 1 pick owned by the New York Islanders, says GM Brian Burke.
Going into the draft lottery Tuesday night, Toronto was seventh in the selection order and could have moved up a maximum of four spots if it won the weighted draw.
The Islanders finished last in the league this season and had the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick.
That’s exactly what happened when deputy commissioner Bill Daly announced the results of the draw, giving the Isles the top pick for the first time since 2000. Toronto remained in seventh spot.
Earlier Tuesday, Burke said he intends to be wheeling and dealing before the top teen talent is dispersed in Montreal with an eye on landing highly touted forward John Tavares.
“We’ll immediately attempt to move up,” Burke said during a morning news conference. “We’re going to talk to everyone between us and the first pick and see what the landscape is.
“We’re going to see what it costs and we’re going to try and move up.”
Anybody on his roster, with the exception of standout rookie defenceman Luke Schenn, might go in a package that would be required to get a higher position.
“No player is untradeable,” said Burke. “Wayne Gretzky got traded.”
Burke has a history of draft coups, most notably the ones that landed him Chris Pronger when he managed the Hartford Whalers and maneuverings that procured the services of the Sedin twins for the Vancouver Canucks. So, teams will be ready for his spiel this time.
“I don’t think we’re going to sneak up on anyone,” he said. “They’ve seen that movie.”
He wouldn’t necessarily need the No. 1 spot to draft Tavares, he said.
“I’m not confident every team has John Tavares as No. 1,” said Burke.
Toronto finished 12th in the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row and hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2004, but that was long before Burke was handed the reins. There were some positive developments this season, he said.
The development of “our young guns” was encouraging and the recent signings of top U.S. college prospects Christian Hanson and Tyler Bozak provides talent depth. Pitches have been made to land defenceman Matt Gilroy of the NCAA-champion Boston Terriers and free-agent Swede Jonas Gustavsson, who Burke considers the top goalie outside the NHL.
Burke also says he’ll be active in seeking unrestricted free agents once they become available July 1.
Vesa Toskala, who played in pain much of the season, should be fit enough in the autumn to retain the No. 1 goaltending job, says Burke. Gustavsson would be backup if the Leafs land him.
“The goal for next year is to make the playoffs,” Burke said. “If that’s not the goal of every GM, they should get out of the business.
“We’re building here to win a championship and the first step is to make the playoffs.”
The Leafs might have qualified for the post-season had they won some of the close ones they dropped during the winter, he said.
“If we had better goaltending and found a way to win those games, we’d be right there,” Burke said. “We could have traded Luke Schenn this year and made the playoffs” but that wouldn’t have been in the team’s long-range interests.
Burke said he and head coach Ron Wilson have progressed in their attempt to end the “culture of entitlement” some players feel when they play for the Leafs.
“Anyone who thinks he’s on this roster because he has a contract is sadly mistaken,” he said, adding a mention that the buyout option kicks in July 1.
Burke, as he has in the past, stressed that his only concern is to bring the Leafs a championship.
“I want to make the playoffs and have a parade here,” he said. “I have no ego involved in this.
“I’m not trying to put any personal stamp on the team. I just want to win.”
There remains no timetable to select a captain, he added: “This is the Toronto Maple Leafs so that decision has to be made with great care.”
Wilson said he expects to have a fitter team next season that won’t get worn down by opponents as was often the case this past season. Workout regimens have been distributed.
“We have a system in place where we’ll be able to monitor everyone’s progress on a week-to-week basis,” he said.
Toronto had the league’s worst goals-against average. Goaltending, injuries and conditioning were to blame, said Wilson.
Like Burke, he backed Toskala.
“I’m confident Vesa is going to bounce back next season,” said Wilson.
It was clear that Wilson expects Burke will be making numerous personnel changes this summer.
“This environment is going to change and I expect it to be changing rapidly,” he said.
Wilson picked the previous team he coached, the San Jose Sharks, to win the Stanley Cup. Adding Rob Blake and Dan Boyle to their power play was a big boost.
“They have to find a way to score 5-on-5 and if they can do that they should be able to win the whole thing,” Wilson said. 20:48ET 14-04-09
Original Article on TSN
Posted by admin on 3rd, 2009
So far we’ve seen the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Now that the 2009 Winter Classic is over with, fans are left wondering;
Who could be potential future match-ups?
Before you can really start to make a list you need to think about what goes in to a good Winter Classic game.
Rivalry is the most important feature in my opinion. Having 2 rival teams going against each other in the cold out doors seems allmost… fitting.
How about “old Vs new”?
I would love to see a match-up between the Dallas Stars and their old home-town “new team” Minnesota Wild. While these 2 teams may not have a rivalry, this game would provide plenty of excitement for fans.
So here’s my list of top 5 Winter Classic games i would like to see.
- Dallas Stars @ Minnesota Wild. This gets #1 for 2 reason; 1) i’m slightly biased being a Stars fan, but more importantly 2) because up in Minnesota people still talk about how the Stars turned their back on the fans. Crazy i know, but for fans, this game could be huge.
- Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs. Is there a bigger rivalry?
- Washington Capitals @ New York Rangers. The Winter Classic has seen Sid the kid, now it’s time to introduce it to Ovy.
- New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins. A classic match-up if there ever was one.
- Philadelphia Flyers @ Pittsburgh Penguins. The battle of Pensylvania.
Gary Bettman and the NHL seem keen on focussing on the US teams for the Winter Classic, possibly in a hope to increase ratings within the US. While I understand the logic here, i do disagree with it. The Habs Vs Leafs game would be fantastic to watch, even for fans of other teams.
Posted by admin on 6th, 2008
Avery Alert: With so much news surrounding the Sean Avery situation, our new section “Avery Alert” will bring you all the news comments you need in one handy location. Don’t worry though, this section will only last a short time and will stop once we all get sick off hearing about Avery.
- NHLPA Plans to file grievance on Avery suspension
The National Hockey League Players Association is planning on grieving Sean Avery’s 6-game suspension. The PA believes NHL commissioner Gary Bettman handed down a summary suspension before the hearing, constituting a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA suggests for off-ice discipline a hearing must take place before action is taken. (The Full Story on TSN)
News
- Wild keeping Gillies from World Juniors
While Team Canada’s December camp roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship has room for additions, forward Colton Gillies will not be one of them. (The Full Story on TSN)
- Wilson puts struggling leafs through early morning skate
For most NHL teams taking a road trip through a warm and sunny locale, a round of golf is usually on the schedule. But for a Toronto Maple Leafs club that dropped two of three games after a humiliating loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, it’s a good ol’ fashioned bag skate. (The Full Story on TSN)
- Can the Stars start fresh without Avery?
While it has been made clear that the Dallas Stars aren’t interested in getting Sean Avery back in their lineup anytime soon — if at all — are there any other opportunities that might work with other teams around the NHL? (The Full Story on TSN)
- Canucks GM Gillis believes Sundin decision imminent
As Mats Sundin continues to ponder his future, Canucks general Mike Gillis is once again attempting to convince the Maple Leafs all-time leading scorer that Vancouver should be his destination of choice. (The Full Story on TSN)
Trades & Transactions:
Injuries:
- Sam Gagner (C – Oilers) Day-to-Day with concussion.
- Owen Nolan (RW – Wild) Day-to-Day with lower body injury.
- Robert Nilsson (LW – Oilers) Placed on Injured Reserve.
Rumours & Gossip:
- Possible trade locations for Avery?
Could there be a trade involving Sean Avery? An article allegedly from TSN lists 5 teams who could provide possible trade locations for the forward. All would involve long term contracts that have not paid off; Dustin Penner (LW – Oilers), Jason Blake (LW – Maple Leafs), Radim Vrbata (RW – Lightning), Rostislav Olesz (LW – Panthers) & Sergei Samsonov (LW, Hurricanes).
Scores:
- Calgary 4 – 3 St Louis (Overtime)
- Vancouver 2 – 1 Minnesota
- Dallas 2 – 1 Colorado (shootout)
- Edmonton 5 – 4 Los Angeles (Shootout)
Source: NHL.com, Yahoo! Sports, TSN
Posted by admin on 5th, 2008
2 mins Player of the day:
- Richard Park & Nate Thompson (Islanders). Both scored shorthanded goals to lift the Islanders 2-1 over the Rangers today.
Stars of the day:
- Jean-Sebastien Giguere (G – Ducks) 35 Saves, Shutout
- Niclas Wallin (D – Hurricanes) 1G (GWG) in Overtime
- Joey MacDonald (G – Islanders) 35 Saves, 2GA
- Roberto Luongo (G – Canucks) 24 Saves, Shutout
NHLPA files unfair labor practice charge
- NEW YORK (AP)—The NHL players’ association on Tuesday filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board regarding negotiations with clubs over European player releases.
The latest move by the union followed notification that it lost a grievance challenging the NHL’s institution of defected player status on drafted and unsigned European players.
That came about because of a lack of an International Ice Hockey Federation transfer agreement between the NHL and hockey federations in some European countries.
The filing of the charge with the NLRB was confirmed by union spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon. The NHLPA declined to comment further because of the ongoing legal matter.
The New York Post first reported the union’s action Tuesday on its Web site.
In the last collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the players’ association, the union fought for European players to have the same rights as their North American counterparts.
The union’s loss of the grievance gives teams permanent rights to these European players as long as there is a lack of an IIHF transfer agreement between the NHL and international hockey federations. The NHLPA is trying to avoid reverting to a time when the NHL controlled the rights of European players forever.
The charge by the players’ association against the NHL said: “Since on or about June 26, 2008, (the NHL) has failed and refused to bargain with the NHLPA over a mandatory subject of bargaining by unilaterally implementing a rule substantially modifying and restricting the manner in which players under contract to European Clubs may gain employment (in the NHL), without first providing notice to, or bargaining to agreement or good-faith impasse with the NHLPA,” the New York Post reported.
Testimony by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly was crucial in the NHLPA losing its grievance. Daly and former union executive director Ted Saskin agreed in a letter on July 22, 2005, to temporarily adopt defected player status for Europeans since an IIHF transfer agreement wasn’t in place.
That agreement expired and the union didn’t want to extend it, but the NHL sent a memo on May 19 to the 30 general managers to advise them that it was putting the defected players status back in effect, the Post said.
Devils lose Brodeur
- Martin Brodeur will have to wait longer to break the NHL records after tearing a distal biceps in his left elbow last weekend. He will be out for 3-4 months. He will undergo surgery Thursday.
Trotting Along
- Barry Trotz coached his 750th game, all with Nashville, becoming the 31st NHL coach to reach that milestone and just the 10th to do so with the same team.
oh, they’re hurt:
- Martin Brodeur (Devils): out 3-4 months with torn distal biceps.
He shoots… the scores:
- New York Islanders 2 – 1 New York Rangeres
- Carolina Hurricanes 5 – 4 Toronto Maple Leafs (Overtime)
- Ottawa Senators 2 – 1 Washington Capitals (Overtime)
- Vancouver Canucks 4 – 0 Nashville Predators
- Phoenix Coyotes 4 – 2 Calgary Flames
- Anaheim Ducks 2 – 1 Los Angeles Kings (Overtime)
- San Jose Sharks 3 – 1 Minnesota Wild
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