Leafs Nation
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- The Leaf's Top 8 Predictions for 2008
1 – Realizing they can’t even agree to disagree, Peddie and Tenenbaum battle it out at a UFC event for 100% control of the Leafs. Tenenbaum wins and at a press conference the following week Peddie admits that he may have made a mistake battling Tenenbaum, who was a formidable opponent.
2 – Paul Maurice resigns as head coach after receiving an offer from Hollywood to star in another remake of Psycho. Director’s feel the Norman Bate’s character would be even crazier with glasses.
3 – As the Leafs barely slide into the playoffs Vesa Toskala is injured and they decide to go with Justin Pogge as the starter. Pogge’s performance is reminiscent of Felix Potvin from ’93 as he carries the Leaf’s to the conference final against the Penguin’s. The Leaf’s lose in 7 as an uncalled Crosby high-stick costs the Leaf’s the game.
4 – Bryan McCabe finally decides that he wants to be traded to Long Island. Ferguson agrees and happily accepts Chris Simon and a 4th round pick stating that it was a steal for the Leaf’s. During his first game Simon snaps and turns against his teammates by lighting the bench on fire. At a disciplinary hearing 2 days later Colin Campbell issues a 5 game suspension, $1,000 fine and recommends anger management.
5 – Mats Sundin finally realizes that he’s 37 and time is running out to win a cup. He waives his no-trade clause and is sent to Detroit on deadline day with Andrew Raycroft for draft picks. Sundin rejoins the Leaf’s in the summer after failing to win with Detroit.
6 – Jiri Tlusty is suspended indefinitely by the NHL for skating naked during a pre-game warmup. Tlusty goes on record to apologize and states that he was embarrassed by his actions. Paul Maurice defends Tlusty stating that he’s 19 and it’s a good lesson for a young player to learn. Unable to deal with the constant hazing Tlusty joins the English elite league.
7 – Following his termination from the Leaf’s John Ferguson accepts a job as GM for the Canadian World Junior team. Hockey Canada executives are outraged that the summer evaluation camp consists of the country’s top 18&19 year old Junior B player’s. They go on record to state that they might have a made a mistake hiring Ferguson but change their position when Canada still wins the tournament.
8 – Scotty Bowman takes over as the head of hockey operations and gives all Leaf fans hope that a cup will be coming to Toronto in the very near future.
Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:32:00 +0000 - A weak 1990 Draft
1990 was not a strong draft for any team. I will say that Martin Brodeur wasn't taken until 20th overall and the Leaf's had 10th pick. Nonetheless 19 other teams passed on Brodeur as well. After reviewing the 87-90 drafts so far the Leaf's could have had an all-star team by now...
10 D Drake Berehowsky
10th overall
549GP-37G-112A-149P
I can't believe that Martin Brodeur did not go until 20th. Could have had him. But hey... we got Berehowsky
Missed Keith Tkachuk (19th)
31 G Felix Potvin
31st overall
Played well during the early '90's run
Could have had Doug Weight (34th) but Potvin was a good choice for a 2nd rounder
73 C Darby Hendrickson
73rd overall
518GP-65G-64A-129P
Alexei Zhamnov (77th)
80 L Greg Walters
80th overall
0 NHL Games
Sergei Zubov (85th)
115 D Alexander Godynyuk
115th overall
223GP-10G-39A-49P
Craig Conroy (123rd), Jason York (129th), Robert Lang (133rd)
136 L Eric Lacroix
136th overall
472GP-67G-70A-137P
Peter Bondra (156th)
157 R Dan Stiver
157th overall
0 NHL Games
178 G Robert Horyna
178th overall
0 NHL Games
199 Bob Chebator
199th overall
0 NHL Games
220 D Scott Malone
220th overall
0 NHL Games
241 L Nicholas Vachon
241st overall
0 NHL Games
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:22:00 +0000 - Great Leaf Moments
In light of the once again slumping Leafs and their inability to play for an entire 60 minutes I like to reflect on happier times...
Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:02:00 +0000 - 1 Week Away...
By far the best hockey tournament is only one week away. The World Juniors is a breeding ground for so many furture NHL'ers and is exciting. Check out this clip of McCabe and Tucker from 94-95...
Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:09:00 +0000 - Links for 2007-12-11 [Digg]
- The Leafs 1989 Draft - Three first rounders...What happened?
As I continue to examine the Leaf drafts I'm blown away by the number of player's they overlooked. At the 1989 draft the Leaf's had a total of 13 picks with 3 of them in the first round. Key player's they missed were Bill Guerin, Olaf Kolizg, Niklas Lidstrom, Sergei Federov. Here's the complete list.
Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600 - The Leafs 1989 Draft - Three first rounders...What happened?
- Bates waived... rumors of movement
Bates Battaglia has been placed on waivers, which has prompted rumors of movement. Over the last week many rumors have circulated about Patrick Marleau to the Leafs, Sundin to Detroit, a potential deal with Tampa, etc... I really don't think any of these deals will see the light of day at this point. The Leaf's have been hot lately and management will probably continue to go with the flow until the deadline. If a deal were to happen don't expect Kaberle or Sundin to be shipped out. Other moves can be made to free up cap room. In fact, Al Strachan wrote an interesting article speculating potential moves that can be made. Have a read:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/7522562
Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:26:00 +0000 - What happened at the '89 Draft?
As I continue to examine the Leaf drafts I'm blown away by the number of player's they overlooked. At the 1989 draft the Leaf's had a total of 13 picks with 3 of them in the first round. Key player's they missed were Bill Guerin, Olaf Kolizg, Niklas Lidstrom, Sergei Federov. Here's the complete list.
3 C Scott Thornton- 3rd Overall
- 894GP-139G-138A-277PTS
- Bill Guerin 5th overall, Bobby Holik 10th overall
- Other notable player the Leafs could have had were Stu Barnes (4th), Mike Sillinger (11th)
12 R Rob Pearson
- 12th overall
- 269GP-56G-54A-110PTS
- Olaf Kolzig 19th overall
21 D Steve Bancroft
- 21st overall
- 6GP-0G-1A-1PT
- Adam Foote 22nd overall, Patrice Brisebois 30th overall, Niklas Lidstrom 53rd overall, Jason Woolley 61st, Kris Draper 62nd
66 D Matt Martin 96
- 66th overall
- 76GP-0G-5A-5PTS
- Sergei Ferderov available at 74th overall
96 D Keith Carney
- 96th overall
- 0 NHL Games
108 D Dave Burke
- 108the overall
- 0 NHL Games
- Pavel Bure available at 113th overall, Dallas Drake 116th
125 W Mike Doers
- 125th overall
- 0 NHL Games
129 Keith Merkler
- 129the overall
- 0 NHL Games
150 D Derek Langille
- 150th overall
- 0 NHL Games
171 Jeff St. Laurent
- 171st overall
- 0 NHL Games
- Donald Audette 183rd overall, Vladamir Malakhov 191st overall
192 F Justin Tomberlin
- 192nd overall
- 0 NHL Games
- Arturs Irbe 196th overall
213 R Mike Jackson
- 213th overall
- 0 NHL Games
234 F Steve Chartrand
- 234th overall
- 0 NHL Games
Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:40:00 +0000 - Leafs Nation Player of the Week
This week's Leafs Nation player of the week is Vesa Toskala. Toskala went 2-1 with a 1.67 GAA and a .938 save percentage. He has been outstanding during the Leaf's 4 game winning streak and gave them a chance to win last night against Boston. It looks like Toskala has found his stride here in Toronto and it should make for an exciting year.
Vesa Toskala Stats:
Born: May 20, 1977 in Tampere, Finland
Drafted: 4th round (90th overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 Entry Draft
NHL Totals: 138GP-75W-37L-5T-8OTL-2.43GAA-.912 SV%-9SO
TOSKALA SCORES!!!
Sun, 09 Dec 2007 15:29:00 +0000 - Marleau A Leaf - Not Sure About This One
I read today the Leafs and Sharks are working on a deal to bring Patrick Marleau to Toronto. Marleau would be a nice addition to the lineup but at what cost? Reports indicate that the Sharks would send Marleau and a draft pick to Toronto for Kaberle and a young forward. I'm not even sure the accuracy of this trade talk. Nonetheless I ask myself why the Leafs would trade their top defensemen when their biggest area of opportunity is defense? Last I checked scoring wasn't an issue, which is what Marleau would bring. A young forward too? Who would that be? Stajan? Steen? Wellwood? All three of these guys are great cornerstones for a re-building Leaf team. As much as I hope something happens with this lineup I hope it's not this deal. I like Marleau but that's not what the Leafs need.
Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:57:00 +0000 - 4 In A Row!
Great game last night and I'm pumped to see us win 4 in a row. Not to be negative but I get a little concerned with this type of performance. I feel that because there's a streak a false sense of security will follow. Changes still need to be made regardless of the streak. Winning like this will only prolong the inevitable. Don't get me wrong I'm as big a Leaf as anyone but at the end of the day this team will not get us to the promise land.
On a lighter note Stajan was great last night! Sure, Antropov played excellent as well but I find overall that Stajan has really come into his own this year. This guy has developed a great two way game and the more I see him play the more I believe that this guy is no doubt a leader. He plays determined and he has a serious egde on. A real change from his Junior days whan he was racking up one hundred point seasons.
Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:01:00 +0000 - Draft - 1988
1988 was the year the Leafs drafted Domi. It was also the year they missed out on six future stars and some very good depth players. Drafts are tough and other teams missed the same players... but year after year???
6 L Scott Pearson- 6th overall
- 291GP-56G-42A-98PTS
- I'm sorry... did I miss something? Scott Pearson as a first selection? What about Jeremy Roenick (8th), Rob Brind'Amour (9th), Teemu Selanne (10th) and worst case Martin Gelinas (7th). Wow... I'm getting sick. I know the draft is tough but really... Add any of these guys with Sakic from 1987 and we're building!
27 R Tie Domi
- Tie is Tie... We loved him.
- Instead we could have had... Tim Taylor (36th)??? No thanks.
48 G Peter Ing
- 48th overall
- It gets really depressing here folks... Mark Recchi (67th), Tony Amonte (68th)
69 D Ted Crowley
- 69th overall
- 34GP-2G-4A-6PTS
- Ummm... what about Rob Blake at 70th??? or even Keith Carney at 76th... Joe Juneau at 81st.
- 86th overall
- 27GP-0G-10A-10PTS
- Alex Mogilny went 89th, Rob Ray (97th).. I'd take him
132 Matt Mallgrave
- 132nd overall
- Not a huge fan but Keith Jones seemed to be a better choice at 141st
153 Roger Elvenes
- 0 GAMES
- Sean Hill went 167th
174 Mike Delay
- 0 GAMES
- Not much else here anyway
195 C David Sacco
- 195th overall
- 35GP-5G-13A-18PTS
- Bret Hedican at 198th
216 G Mike Gregorio
- 0 GAMES
- Claude Lapointe went 234th... what a steal this far in!
237 C Peter DeBoer
- 0 GAMES
Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:52:00 +0000 - Go Wade!!!!
143 games! Awesome to see Wade pop one in. I was shocked when I discovered that Belak was a 1st round pick. No disrespect it's just that most depth players or tough guys go later in the draft. Quebec took him 12th overall in the 1994 draft. His stats in junior were certainly not that of a typical first rounder although his penalty minutes were out of this world. Nonetheless we love 'em here in Toronto. Keep the scoring alive...
Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:20:00 +0000 - Player's We Missed
If you look at most successful team around the NHL they have built a solid foundation around the entry draft. As much as I hate to say it, the Ottawa Senators are probably the best example. The Leafs on the other have a history of drafting not so well and when they have drafted well they trade their prospects. If you look at the Marlies this year there have maybe a handful of potential NHLer's at best and none are real future stars... except for Pogge. He might have chance. The NHL draft can be summed up as part research and part luck. Once you get out of the first two rounds the rest is almost guessing. But like most things you have to be to be good to be lucky and often the players selected in the later rounds will make or break the team by providing that much needed depth. Over the coming days/weeks I will be reviewing the Leafs draft history over the last twenty years, what the players did and who they missed. The format is draft position, position and player.
1987
7 D Luke Richardson- 1362GP-33G-160A-193PTS
- Drafted 7th overall
- Joe Sakic went 15th overall??? Imagine Sakic as the Leafs franchise player
28 R Daniel Marois
- 350GP-117G-93A-210PTS
- Drafted 28th overall
- John LeClair went 33rd, Eric Desjardins 38th, Mathieu Schneider 44th
49 C John McIntyre
- 351GP-24G-54A-78PTS
- Drafted 49th overall
- Not much else in this position unless you like Geoff Smith
71 R Joe Sacco
- 738GP-94G-119A-213PTS
- Drafted 71st overall
- Not a bad choice in this position. Was the best of the 4th rounders in 1987
91 C Mike Eastwood
- 783GP-87G-149A-236PTS
- Drafted 91st overall
- Ted Donato 98th, Shaun Van Allen 105th, Shaun McEachern 110th
112 G Damian Rhodes
- Drafted 112th overall
- Garth Snow 114th, Rob Dimaio 118th,
133 C Trevor Jobe
- Drafted 133rd
- 0 NHL Games
- Jim Down 149th
154 D Chris Jensen
- 154th overall
- 0 NHL Games
- Guy Hebert 159th, Theoron Fleury 166th (What a steal this would have been)
175 D Brian Blad
- 0 NHL Games
196 C Ron Bernacci
- 0 NHL Games
217 D Ken Alexander
- 0 NHL Games
238 D Alex Weinrich
- 0 NHL Games
What a draft! Could have had Sakic, Fleury, Schneider. Leave your thoughts and we'll see you in 1988.
Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:19:00 +0000 - Links for 2007-12-01 [Digg]
- Leafs Nation - A Mess In Leafs Land!
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a real chin scratcher. What's going on? For true leaf fans who are passionate about their team. Who should be fired?
Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600 - Leafs Nation - A Mess In Leafs Land!
- Stanley Cup 1967
Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:39:00 +0000
