Commander Clueless

Most insightful post in the thread thus far. Whole lotta meh left. Best July 1st in recent memory! Still, if signing Tallinder meant the Leafs could move Franson....count me in on the "interested" list. Franson's not without his skillset, but I'd trade his offense for a Leafs team that actually knows how to play outside of the rush in a second.

While it's true the Leafs are desperate for a centre, I don't think they are Vinny Lecavalier desperate. They really need a #1 centre, as Bozak/Kadri could fill the 2nd and 3rd line roles effectively I think. Plus, the Leafs haven't had a whole lot of luck attracting trade targets with NMCs lately. No idea why. The media is fair, and the fans are the picture of mental stabilit...SCREW YOU GORGES!!!! This is a good point. The Leafs team is built on speed, and the bottom six is (hopefully) being rebuilt into a gritty, hard working group. I don't see a fit. Agreed, the fit is bad. The Leafs also have young Peter Holland in the mix (who had a decent but not great showing for the Leafs last year) and signed Petri Kontiola, who could slot in anywhere in the lineup depending on what kind of showing he has. We'll see, but I'm guessing 3rd/4th line depending on which of Kontiola/Holland/Santorelli is switched to the wing. In short, Lecavalier is no longer a #1 centre. The Leafs have decent depth players down the middle, but really, really need that #1 guy.

Sheeeet son! Sick burn! Really, though, I don't blame Wilson. Setoguchi hasn't really demonstrated a desire to play anywhere, at least in my mind. And anyway, he's not really a top six guy anymore, and do you want him playing in your bottom six? I'd answer no, myself.

The Leafs are apparently loving these "low risk, high reward" (well, high reward...let's be honest, it's the Leafs) types of signings, so lets sign all the free agents!! Actually, signing Koivu would be worth it just for the giggles. I was hoping they'd sign Alfredsson, just for the sheer hilarity of it. See if he gets booed in Toronto when he's, in fact, playing for Toronto. Also, deal with it, Ottawa. I'm honestly not sure Jovanovski can still play big minutes. 2nd PP sure, but I don't think you want to rely on him for those big minutes if you are a good team. I'm really surprised Tallinder isn't signed yet. Seemed like one of the better veteran options out there, to me. Slowed down a bit maybe, but still top 4 quality I think. Maybe he wants a long term....

Looks like Santorelli is the man. Vancouver fans loved him, so it might be good. Reportedly, he can play penalty kill and is decent at faceoffs. Can also play wing and put up a few points. Could work out. To the Leafs' credit, I like these low risk depth signings a lot better than the Clarkson/Komisarek-esque signings of the recent past. Looks like they might finally be relying more on homegrown talent...or at least as close as the Leafs get to that. We are building through the draft. Just not our own draft.

@jammer2 Yeah, not to mention Bernier posting a .924 sv%, so you can't blame goalies. And after being 2nd (I think) the year before with those same guys plus Komarov. My, how times have changed. To be fair, the Leafs played one of the most passive PKs I've seen in some time last year.

No idea @jammer2. I wanted McClement back. There were rumours that McClement wanted to come back, but the Leafs didn't offer him a contract. If true, that's a little puzzling. If Holland is the factor, that's one thing, but Holland has offensive potential too. Also, that leaves us without a great penalty killing centre, and that's not good for a team that finished 28th on the PK last year. IMO, they really need a guy like Legwand or perhaps a guy like Vern Fiddler to fill the void that McClement leaves. I also think there is a legitimate shot that Holland is being considered for 2nd line RW with Lupul and Kadri. Or maybe Kadri slides to the wing, although he's been much better as a centre. To be fair, Nonis has said he wants the 4th line to play 10-12 minutes a night, so maybe he's looking for an energy line with some scoring punch. A line featuring Carter Ashton - Peter Holland - Matt Frattin, for example, gives speed, energy, and potentially some tertiary scoring. My biggest concern here is the penalty kill. There are arguments both for and against the Leafs improving in certain areas, but the PK to me hasn't really been touched. We got Komarov back, but lost McClement and Kulemin. I'm pretty sure that's not a net gain where PKing is concerned. Gunnarsson was also one of our top penalty killing defensemen. I hope Polak/Robidas can fill that void, although I don't know enough about them to say if they can or not. Bright side is it will be tough for the PK to get worse.

The Kontiola signing seems like a decent low-risk move, apparently for $1.1M for 1 year. Not sure exactly where he'll fit in the lineup, but still pretty low risk. Apparently, the Leafs are after Legwand as well. Could be a decent fit there too, depending on price. We could really use another solid penalty killer with the departure of McClement.

Carlyle must be happy with the thought of actually having three right-handed shots on the blueline instead of just one.

A lot of people were seeing Granberg as the better fit as a big, stay at home guy, but with the acquisition of Polak for Gunnarsson I'm thinking Percy might be the go to guy next season. It really depends on right vs. left IMO. If Carlyle is going to be a stickler on what side the defensemen shoot, then he may force Phaneuf back to the left side again. This means that Granberg's right handed shot might be more appealing to the Leafs. If Phaneuf stays on the right and they have Robidas and Polak also on the right, then Percy slots in nicely on the left side of the bottom pairing with Polak. Have to think he'd compliment Polak quite well. Either way, I'm positive we'll see both Granberg and Percy in at least at some point of the season. Andrew MacWilliam has an outside shot as well. Not much puck skill, but big and mean. Matt Finn had a great OHL season, but he almost certainly will need AHL time.

I don't understand what the problem is. Sometimes you just gotta grab a butt. Repeatedly. Good thing Holmgren's not around anymore, or Giroux would be traded to Columbus. And then LA.

It really seems like Nonis is just Shanny's puppet at this point. Maybe it's time they just get rid of him, or move back to AssMan. Shanaban him, Shanahan, Shanadammit!

I think the day was alright. Pluses and minuses. Robidas is a solid veteran presence who can still eat minutes, assuming his leg is healthy. $3 million is not a bad deal for him (especially considering some of the deals handed out for defensemen), but a 3 year term is pretty bad. It's risky. On the other hand they may be able to pull a Flyers/Pronger LTIR trick if things get hairy in year 3. Komarov being back is great, because they really needed him back. Unfortunately, $3 mil is a lot for a guy who doesn't really put up points. He was on pace for just over 15 points in his first NHL season I believe. That said, it's hard to be mad about it because I love Komarov. Frattin coming back is kind of a meh trade, but I like Matt Fratt. Hopefully he can regain some of the gusto he had before he left. Polak probably fills more of a need for the Leafs than Gunnarsson positionally, but I can't help but think we gave up the better defenseman, retained a tiny bit of salary, and added a pick. Not sure it was a great trade value-wise, but not horrendous I guess. The Leafs do have a fair few young D with potential, but the issue is they need guys to shelter their youngsters who aren't quite ready yet. Assuming Franson doesn't return, they will still need to add one rookie defenseman (probably Granberg or Percy) to Gardiner and Rielly. That's quite a bit of unprovenness. Robidas and Polak give them a bit more stability and some mentors, so I can see the logic. Nonis seems very reluctant to deal Reimer for what he's probably worth on the open market, which I'm guessing is around a 3rd rounder at the very best. Best case scenario for a Reimer trade, I'm guessing, is to move him for another young but less proven backup. By all accounts the Leafs tried to move Franson for Gorges, but Gorges rejected the trade. I'm guessing Franson is still in play, but we'll see. I should add that the brightest part of free agency so far is that the Leafs didn't pull another Clarkson contract, when a fair few horrible contracts were handed out. Huzzah for small victories!

I seriously doubt the Leafs are trying to move a 25 year old who just had a 30-30-60 season for them. JVR is overrated by the Leaf fanbase, but he's a very valuable player. Now, open to moving him, yeah. For the right price. Very high likelihood he's on the opening night roster in Toronto. @jammer2 Leafs could probably use a guy like Letang, but I'm not sure that I'd do that from Toronto's perspective. Not to be insensitive, but Letang's health concerns scare me a bit.

Haha could be, although Kessel has been in this territory before. JVR and Bozak overachieving is certainly a possibility, if not a borderline likelihood. However, it's not all on them. This collapse was a team effort, and a spectacular one at that. It takes a certain mental fortitude to lose that much in that time span.

Just for fun, I'll give it the old college try. Community college, obviously. University level try is WAY too much work and, frankly, beyond me. For the forwards: Defensively responsible forwards are an absolute must this offseason. The system needs to change to compensate for the Leafs record-breaking shots against totals this past season. A high end, two-way centre for the top six is a major need for the Leafs. Bozak is a solid two-way player, but he's at most a 2nd line centre. Signing Stastny would be a good call, but I get the feeling that Stastny will be unavailable to the Leafs. If this is the case, Nonis should explore the trade market, which of course would have a high cost. I might get some hate from my fellow Leaf fans for saying this, but I would explore the possibility of trading JVR if it involved the return of a high end young centre. Fortunately, since Leaf fans are virtually non-existent on this site, I think I'm safe. @J0e Th0rnton, you Sharkies want to give us a centre? The bottom six will likely get a makeover since everyone is gone. Like I said, I have no interest in Bolland at the price he will likely command. Holland or Bozak (if a centre is acquired - see above) are good candidates, and the Leafs could look to free agents such as Marcel Goc or Vernon Fiddler to maybe fill a hole or give them flexibility in that role. I'd love to see a couple veteran signings for the bottom six, such as a Daniel Winnik type. I'd also love to see Leo Komarov back in blue and white. Mason Raymond could make a comeback, particularly if JVR or Lupul are moved. If neither is moved, though, I doubt Raymond will be back. I'd like to have him back at a sub-$3 mil salary, but I doubt he takes that. The defense is tough, as I'm not sure what the stance on Phaneuf will be. If Phaneuf is traded, it would likely involve a younger, right-handed defenseman. If not, the Leafs will still need a right-handed defensive defenseman. I like Mark Fayne if he hits the market. Reimer and Franson are likely gone for mid-round picks. Both are still useful players, but have effectively worn out their welcomes in Toronto. The Leafs will also need a backup, preferably a young-ish good one, even if it costs them a bit more - just in case Bernier's injuries become a recurring thing and/or he gets hit by the Toronto curse. I like Johnson, Greiss, and Montoya as targets, personally. So, with variables, I could see something like: JVR/Lupul-Stastny/Traded For Centre-Kessel Raymond-Kadri-Clarkson (please bounceback. please. please?) Holland-Bozak-UFA (Winnik?) Komarov-McClement(or prospect)-Prospect (Ashton/D'Amigo/Carrick/Whoever earns it) Gardiner-Phaneuf/Replacement Rielly-UFA (Fayne?) Gleason-Gunnarsson (Vet Shutdown Squad, yay overpaid bottom pairing!) Bernier UFA (Johnson/Greiss/Montoya?) The other alternative could be to keep Bozak with Kessel, move a new centre to the 2nd line with Kadri on the wing, and have Holland as the 3rd line centre. Some avenues I'd explore, anyway, were I Nonis. I'd also love to move up in the draft, but the cost to do so is scary.

@flyercanuck To be fair, I prefer the scenario where the end up with the high pick versus the JFJ-Era scenario where they end up in 9th place. That said, they are both incredibly frustrating. It's really tough to get a gauge on what the Leafs want to do this offseason. There's a lot of talk of trading Phaneuf and others for what seems to be futures, which seems to suggest that they want to do a "rebuild within the rebuild" type of thing. I find that unlikely, but I guess we'll see. Either way, the draft should be fun. There's a lot of rumours of big changes going around. I'm a little jealous of the Islanders at the moment, who seem to be starting their offseason before everyone else. I hear there's this Stanley Cup thing still going on, but I find myself wishing it was over. With Montreal and Chicago out, I'm content no matter who wins.

Yeah. To me that means they brought him back way too early. Before his injury, he was playing great. I could see Holland taking a spot, but he's not quite there in terms of defensive ability. That said, it's probably a better option than risking a long term contract on Bolland. If I were the Leafs, I'd pick up a bit of help in the form of a Goc or Fiddler type, should they be available come free agency. Gives them a bit of flexibility with Holland - can shift him to wing if he's not quite ready for the 3rd line C position. Well, lets just say they were lights out for a Maple Leaf year, which apparently covers everything until the last 15-20 games of the season. This phenomenon, also know as the Maple Blackout, is scientifically proven to be the direct result of NHL Scheduling, Gary Bettman's mutant powers, Daniel Alfredsson, and the migratory patterns of certain birds.

I see a good bunch of the fanbase clamoring for another rebuild, which I see as unlikely. Stastny would fit in perfectly with this team, but I shudder to think of the price he will command. The Leafs are no strangers to overpayments, and they may actually overpay a player they really need for once, but still...it's frightening. Toronto will be one of many teams after Stastny should he reach free agency, and there is not much to entice him to don the Maple Leaf except overpaying him even further. With a good run now ended with the Marlies, I'm guessing you will see players such as Holland, Ashton, D'Amigo, and Carrick get evaluated on the possibility of playing in the bottom six for the Leafs. Since the entire bottom six minus Clarkson is hitting free agency, the kids will need to step up. A few veteran bottom six signings would not be out of place - hopefully they are cheaper, effective players on shorter term contracts. Clarkson will get at least one more year in the blue and white before they consider any drastic action for dumping him. Raymond I'm guessing is likely gone. He played well for the Leafs, but I'm assuming he will want a significant raise, and the Leafs are not in a position to be paying him that money when they need to address their biggest problem - team defensive ability. Bolland is a nice player, but I would not give him more than 2-3 years and I would offer $4 million at the absolute most (that's pushing it). If he wants more, I'd send him packing. Waste of a trade for Toronto, but better than overpaying him long term. I'd love to see Reimer stick around as backup, but that bridge is probably burnt. They aren't likely to get much more than a 3rd round pick for him. Franson needs to go IMO. He's a PP specialist, but Toronto needs to focus on the defense. Phaneuf, Gardiner, and Rielly are all capable offensively. They should replace him with a right-handed defensive specialist, like say a Mark Fayne type. I find the Phaneuf trade rumours odd. People like to crap on the guy, but he's still a good defenseman. His contract is probably about a million more than ideal, but I can still see him garnering a good amount of interest due to the league wide need for defenseman. However, if Nonis moves him, I can't see the Leafs sniffing the playoffs next year because their defense behind him is very weak. They have some high potential guys in Gardiner in Rielly, but nobody really ready to step into that role. If they trade the big goof, they'll be battening down the hatches for another high pick (not that that's a bad thing, necessarily). I like Gleason because he is what they needed - a physical shutdown guy who can skate decently. He's nothing more than a bottom pairing guy and is certainly overpaid, but they need more of his type of play. I would actually stay away from Niskanen because I believe he is going to be paid like a top pairing guy this offseason, and I'm not sure he's quite on that level. If he comes at a decent price, though, I'd welcome him. Yandle would be a great guy to add to most teams, but I can't see Toronto having the necessary assets to acquire him (high end centre, for example).

Personally, I'm just happy the Hawks are out.

Aren't they all that shape? Multi-function. Also, is Emery still a halfway decent backup, or is he done?

Well you have to think the Leafs will get it right eventually, even if it's in spite of themselves. To be fair to Bernier, the guy had a phenomenal season, posting excellent stats despite being the goalie of the team with the WORST SHOTS AGAINST TOTAL IN LEAGUE HISTORY. Yes, I'm a bit bitter. I'm usually not one to anoint a "messiah" (Leaf speak for future scapegoat), but credit where credit is due. It's no coincidence that the second Bernier went down the Leafs crumbled into dust. Reimer couldn't hold it together this time around. If teams had individual Hart trophies, Bernier would take Toronto's easily. Of course, that's the equivalent of being the best looking girl at a Star Trek convention. Sure, you won, but you didn't have any competition. Also, people keep looking at you funny... I imagine, given Reimer and Carlyle's little standoff this past season and Carlyle's totally deserved and in no way mind-boggling extension (LOL), that James will be moved and the Leafs will be a participant in the goalie market this offseason.

Dang, you guys are harsh. And here I was thinking I was a bit hard on the big goof. Reality of it is that Phaneuf is not nearly as bad as a lot of people think. Earlier on in the season, Phaneuf was playing great. During the collapse, however, he did himself no favours. That contract is LONG though, and $7 million per year is crazy UFA signing type money for him. I'm sure some crazy GM would have offered him $7 mil in UFA, but that's no hometown discount that's for sure. Yikes. Still, I don't see how this rumour makes any sense. I thought the Leafs were trying to improve their backend? Colour me confused (in addition to clueless!). I don't see him being moved because without him the Leafs have some potential and not much else. The Force is with us, but that's about it. If Toronto ate salary for him, I'm sure they'd expect a pretty decent return. At a lower cost, Phaneuf is a pretty decent defenseman. Problem is, the Leafs have him and then a hope and a prayer after him.... I fully understand disliking his contract (trust me, I don't like it at all either), but yeah, half his salary for 7 years and the Leafs are sending a pick? That's monkey nipple madness.

I can certainly tell you the answer is not Byfuglien. Assuming that Karlsson is Erik, I'll take him I think.

Of all the Thornton-related offenses, this one pales in comparison to Joe's genital-related banter. Seems fairly tame, but hey, gotta fine what you gotta fine.