NHL Rumor Mill – March 11, 2022
Leafs and Capitals not on Marc-Andre Fleury’s trade list? Will it take a three-team deal to move Claude Giroux? Should the Rangers pursue Rickard Rakell or Hampus Lindholm? All this and much more in today’s NHL rumor mill.
LEAFS, CAPITALS REPORTEDLY NOT ON FLEURY’S TRADE LIST.
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals have talked to the Chicago Blackhawks about Marc-Andre Fleury. However, they’re not believed on his shortlist of preferred destinations and both clubs were merely conducting due diligence in the trade market.
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The options beyond Fleury aren’t great for either club. The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan listed the Dallas Stars’ Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin, the Vancouver Canucks’ Jaroslav Halak, Columbus Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo, New York Rangers’ Alexander Georgiev, and the Ottawa Senators’ Anton Forsberg as possible options. None of them are likely to resolve the Leafs and Capitals’ goaltending issues.
WILL IT TAKE A THREE-TEAM TRADE TO MOVE GIROUX?
Pierre LeBrun said it could take a three-team deal for the Philadelphia Flyers to move Claude Giroux before the trade deadline. It’s not the preferred option as the Flyers would rather make a straight deal with another team.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot of the teams linked to Giroux (Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues) have limited salary-cap space. Pulling off a straight trade with one club remains possible but absorbing the remainder of Giroux’s $8.275 million cap hit won’t be easy.
SHOULD RANGERS PURSUE RAKELL OR LINDHOLM?
THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple suggests the New York Rangers shift their focus for a top-six right winger on the Anaheim Ducks’ Rickard Rakell if the Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller is no longer on the table. If general manager Chris Drury intends to use defenseman Nils Lundkvist as his main trade chip, Staple wondered if there’s a deal with Anaheim that could include blueliner Hampus Lindholm.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carrying over $30 million in projected trade-deadline cap space and plenty of promising young assets, the Rangers are expected to be buyers before the trade deadline. Maybe Rakell or Lindholm is on Drury’s radar or maybe he’s eyeing up other options. Perhaps he’s looking at Seattle’s Mark Giordano, Vancouver’s Conor Garland or Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen. Speaking of Miller…
CANUCKS DOWNPLAY MILLER AND BOESER TRADE SPECULATION
SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reports Vancouver Canucks president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin continue to downplay media trade rumors swirling about forwards J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. While acknowledging receiving calls from other clubs, they’re not shopping either player.
Allvin maintains the club’s plan for Miller, who has a year remaining on his contract, is to meet with the 29-year-old center this summer to discuss his future with the Canucks. While it will cost the club $7.5 million to qualify Boeser’s rights this summer, management feels they still have time to navigate this issue.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller or Boeser could be moved by March 21 if a rival club steps up to meet what will be a high asking price for either player. However, they’re not facing the same pressure to move either guy as they would if they were eligible for UFA status this summer.
REPORT: BRUINS’ SWAYMAN “OFF-LIMITS” IN TRADE MARKET
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cites a trust NHL source saying Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is off-limits in any trade talk now and was quite possibly never available in the first place.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams undoubtedly called the Bruins to ask about him but they have no reason to trade him. There was speculation they could use him as trade bait in a package deal for a second-line center because Linus Ullmark is signed through 2024-25 with a $5 million cap hit. However, Swayman’s signed through next season at a dirt-cheap $925K. They’re not going to move the February rookie of the month.
LATEST ON THE KRAKEN, SABRES, COYOTES
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis is willing to use his salary-cap space to act as a third-party broker for a cap-strapped playoff contender attempting to acquire an expensive trade target. However, it will have to be the right price, perhaps in the form of a second- or third-round draft pick. Francis could also use his cap space to acquire a player with term left on his contract who could fit into the Kraken’s long-term plans.
TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Buffalo Sabres are in the market for a top-end defenseman to pair with top prospect Owen Power when he makes the jump to the NHL next season. If unable to land that blueliner before the trade deadline, they could attempt to sign one via this summer’s free-agent market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’ll require quite a sell job on the part of Sabres management given the many years of upheaval that have enveloped this club.
Chris Johnston reports the Arizona Coyotes could put goaltender Karel Vejmelka on the trade block before the deadline if unable to sign him to a contract extension. He’s earning less than $900K and is a year away from UFA eligibility.
Toronto is where goalies go to die no defense the team only cares about scoring. Not much fun playing there and they blame the goalie ever time. Maybe find some players who back check.
Or have the coach devise a system where they are REQUIRED to back check regardless of their offensive talents because, more than anything else in terms of “flaws,” that’s what ultimately does them in come playoff time.
Oh no, it’s not the forwards. According to the Leaf fan base, It’s always been Freddie’s fault!!!
@George O
I can’t argue about some of the Leafs’ players inability to back check. Same as I can’t disagree with their defence’s inability to clear the net.
However, when you’re an NHL goalie and you let in 4 goals on 8 shots I think the goalie is the problem. I didn’t like the Mrazek signing in the summer especially considering it only saved $700K compared to what Andersen signed for.
I’m not too familiar with OTT goalie depth. Do they have a potential #1 in the pipeline? How do you feel about Murray long-term? What would it take to get Forsberg out of OTT?
TOR can’t go into the playoffs with Mrazek anywhere near the net.
High Ssdd
This Leaf fan never laid the overall blame on Freddy.
Some games (just like any goalie)…. Yes on Freddy
The big picture has been (last few years) disproportionate/skewed Cap deployment…. 1/2 Cap on 4 Fwds….. tilt Cap spending a little more on the back end…. Then a Cup is easier to see
Daryl, re Forsberg I’ll repeat here what I posted this morning on yesterday’s thread in response to Pengy on the same subject:
“Murray is unreliable (in terms of “injury of the week” syndrome), and Gustavsson is struggling at the AHL level – never mind the NHL. Dorion will do everything he can to get Forsberg signed to a contract both sides can live with. If not, the LAST place he trades him at the deadline is Toronto. ”
I say that last portion because, the one thing Dorion doesn’t need is another 3rd round pick – which is about the best they can expect for Forsberg, and, really, the Leafs don’t have anything in terms of roster players that they’d be willing to relinquish that the Senators would want back (e.g. Kerfoot or any among Holl, Liljegren or Sandin). They would, I’m sure, take Bunting – but that would be insane on the Leaf’s part.
I see where the expected missing time for Campbell is now calculated to be 2 weeks – in that span the Leafs play Buffalo, Dallas (for the first time this year), Carolina, Nashville and NJ. Not sure how they do in those 5 with Mrazek and a rookie back-up.
Maybe they should check out the availability of Craig Anderson for the rest of the season – he’s played pretty well for Buffalo when called upon – including yesterday.
Nylander for Gibson and Manson
Hi JZ
Manson certainly a plus; I don’t think Gibson is the answer though… certainly better than any goalie on Leafs…. But not a top notch goalie this year
Any Leaf move should be with consideration of next year (players with term)….Leafs’ ‘22 cup aspirations are big time long shots…. Must go through a minimum of 2 of the 3 US SE Juggernaut franchises (maybe all three) …. Only to face (likely) the Juggernaut Avs…. Very hard to imagine Leafs taking those 4
All day Johnny z. Quick, get them on the plane before Verbeek comes to his senses.
Edmonton….hold me beer
@Pengy
Not sure why you keep asserting that the FLA teams are unbeatable…same with the Avs. Not one of them is undefeated and they’ve all lost a game or two to lesser opponents. Didn’t Tampa just get thumped for 7 goals against the Jets?
Same thing goes for the Pens…you seem to think they can make it through a round or two against the NYR or Canes and they have a similar record to the Leafs.
To quote the old NFL coach…”that’s why you play the games”
However, with the current state of TOR goalies who can tell?
@George O
I often wonder why NHL teams wait until the last minute to sign players? They should know their worth in the hierarchy of the league. It’s not like OTT is up against the cap either. I think if Dorion was offered a 2nd and a prospect Forsberg would be dealt No matter the destination.
Not sure why you think that the Leafs you mentioned have no trade value? They’re all contributors to a 5th place team. Sandin and Liljegren would have value as former 1st round picks. Holl is no worse than Ristoleinen and he just signed for 5@$5.1M
All I know is the Leafs can’t continue with Mrazek back there…visions of Toskala are coming back…
Daryl, never meant to belittle those guys – what I said is the Leafs D I mention have no interest by Ottawa who have, either up now or will be soon, these 1st rounders of their own: Chabot, Brannstrom, Bernard-Docker, Thompson, Sanderson, plus U.S. colege pick Tyler Kleven to go along with Zub, Holden and Mete – all playing well. Where Kerfoot is concerned, he’s a C and they have Norris, Stutzle, White and Pinto as their projected C looking ahead to next season, with perhaps Ridley Greig getting a look as he enters the pros full-time from Major Junior.
As for Forsberg’s value on the market, I seriously doubt any team is going as high as a # 2 pick AND a prospect (middle-range prospects they don’t need so why would Ottawa want one of those?).
Right now Forsberg is the ONLY goalie in the system they can rely on to at least given them a chance every game he’s in. And while he’s been playing extremely well lately, when he starts to play 2, 3, 4 and up games in a row the fact he’s still regarded as a back-up becomes evident. Like last night when, up 3-1 against Seattle, he allowed goals 2 and 3 that he’d definitely want back, sending them to OT (where they won on Norris’ 2nd goal of the night).
I believe he is a solid archetypal back-up who will give a team solid goaltending in that role behind a bona-fide # 1 and, who knows, might well settle in as a # 1as he plays more games (Tim Thomas did after plugging along for a long time as a pure back-up). Murray might have been that # 1 – but the guy just can’t seem to stay off the IR – and always for a different reason.
So Dorion will do his best to get Forsberg to sign an extension commensurate with his foreseen role as a back-up – NOT a starter (in that regard he’s much like Campbell). The reason he’s not yet been signed to such a deal could well be that he and his agent are contemplating testing the UFA waters where they think some team might look at him as a # 1 and so fork over a bigger return than they might expect from Ottawa and even a longer term.
Hi Daryl
Sorry if I inferred that those three teams are unbeatable. In any game for sure they are beatable. They have to play each other… so they will be beatable in a series
Re: Leafs beating any one of them in a series; to me is a long shot. Beating all three….. to me …. super longshot this year.
Impossible…. N0…. but I could not bet on Leafs doing it…. no matter what odds someone gave me
Now that is me. My opinion.
I would absolutely love to be proven wrong.
My gut feeling is the SC will be played between one of the 3 SE USA teams and likely against the high altitude team in the NHL
in my annual draft, I will not be picking a single Leaf before round 7; if at all
Again, just me and my opinion on this
Cheers
Not sure we here you get your information about defence but your comments are clueless. Missing one big man component in the defence and everything will change. Matthew trumps all with his defensive play and all are working hard. Trade Hall and Dermott and fix is done
“Trade Hall and Dermott and fix is done” for what? You expect better than they in return?
@Pengy
Definitely no need to apologize.
As a Leafs fan I’m used to the disappointment of short playoff runs or blowing a good opportunity.
There are always upsets in the post season and history has shown it happens nearly every year…Leafs last year, Lightning in 2019 getting swept by 8th seeded Columbus.
You never know when a team will catch lightning in a bottle…
You can’t argue with TB playoff success lately but FLA haven’t been to the playoffs in forever and may have the jitters…
Can the Leafs improve? Absolutely! Should they sell the farm? Probably not. However, if they can get an upgrade on physicality and defence without sacrificing mobility I think they have to try.
Mayfield or Chara would be nice fits on the bottom pair. Every leaf would play a bit bigger with Chara back there.
Soucy from SEA is a big boy too…not sure how physical he is but anybody is more physical than Holl…6’4” and gets pushed around a lot.
Of the three mentioned Mayfiejd and Soucy are signed for best year too…if the Leafs blow it this year they can re-coup some assets at next years TDL
Re “ Jimmy Murphy cites a trust NHL source saying Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is off-limits in any trade talk now and was quite possibly never available in the first place.”
I think from the “feel” of the Bruins posters on this site…. most (if not all of them)….would hope that statement is gospel and not speculative/hearsay/“probably”….to me …. Swayman lodes better than Ullmark …. And at < 1\5th the Cap hit!
Pengy….how Ullmark has played this year is how he’s played the last 6 years of his career even being on a better team this year his stats are all in line, is he worth $5 million per & a NMC ? NO!!!!! But the Bruins had to over pay because of Rask and not really knowing what they had with Sway……..hindsight with cost and numbers is a Sway & Vadar better than a Sway and Ullmark ? Maybe not but its not that far off
Makes sense Joe
Hindsight would always be advantageous
Bruins stuck now; yes over-paid for Ullmark due to uncertainty (at the time) re Rask
Re Sway/Ullmark better than Sway/Vadar…. Again hindsight…. Right now quality-wise a saw off perhaps…. But the latter combo coming with much more freed up Cap space
No argument that the decision at the time was not off base (maybe $500K or so too much, but not much)
Ullmark has to go he’s not even a good backup. Joe I’m little worried about having Sweeny in charge come Trade day this is Almost equilivent to having Roscoe Coltrane from The Dukes Of Hazard elected to the Secretary Of Defense. The guy’s an accident waiting to happen.
Swayman should get more playing time than Ullmark. He is now a good cheap number 1 goalie. He was never going to be traded. Ullmark needs to learn how to control rebounds. Otherwise he is a decent backup- not worth the money but it’s not my money.
@George O
That was a very well written and thoughtful reply. Very insightful.
Would have to agree. Pretty close to never trade as possible.
Ducks have plenty of cap space next year. Lindholm and Manson are 2 good vet dmen that I think they’d want to keep. I don’t think Rangers can afford to extend Lindholm, and cost to aquire as a rental could be steep. Not sure I’d give up Lundkvist for anyone not in their future plans. Rakell would be a nice rental, but again, at what cost? Wonder if any of those Ducks want to test FA or stay in Cali?
Mrazek, Holl, Kase 2023 2nd for Varlamov, Mayfield
Johnny Z, somehow I just don’t see Lou Lamoriello agreeing to taking on a struggling goalie costing $3.8 mil off the cap for 3 more years, a D-man having all kinds of trouble in his own end costing $2 mil and a plugging dime-a-dozen F at $1.2 mil for a very good veteran back-up goalie and a huge physical D-man.
To what end as far as the NYI are concerned? I just don’t see the benefits to them in that deal.
You are right G. it should be:
Nylander, Mrazek (.5M retained) for Verlamov, Mayfield, Clutterbuck (1.75M retained), Chara (1/2 retained)
George did you miss the first post that in a word, brilliant? Spoken like a true fan who actually watched a game.
There is that guy, Rasmus Dahlin, pretty good and top-end.
”Darren Dreger reports the Buffalo Sabres are in the market for a top-end defenseman to pair with top prospect Owen Power when he makes the jump to the NHL next season.”
Seeing that it’s Friday and I’m already coked on two Tim’s coffees….
And for ships ‘n giggles…. and because I love to ponder multi-team deals….
Many Bruins posters here keep asking for LD upgrade
Knights close to (well let’s be real….OVER) Cap
Krakken building for future and have space….
To Krakken …. Dando ; DeBrusk; 3rd (‘22 Flames [ from Bruins])
Bruins ….. Martinez, Johanson (Krakken)… 50% retained
Knights…. 3rd (‘22 Krakken) ; 4th (‘22 Krakken)
Bruins certainly upgrade LD and wit term…. Cost is differential (DeBrusk over Johanson) and a 3rd
Krakken get DeBrusk, Dando…. for retaining 50% on Johanson and moving down the draft (their own 3rd to Flames 3rd) plus a 4th
Knights clear $10.3 M in Cap (become balanced Cap compliant); gain a 3rd and 4th … at the expense of losing Martinez and Dando….. But…. If Stone were to remain LTIR until YE… have space and an extra 3rd and 4th to make a move
Fair trade all around
stinks, retreads no thanks
Like you have a say
No doubt Fleury wouldn’t come here (unless he fixed our D) which I stated many times.
Dubas has to be more desperate than ever.
I propose he lays out some huge deal to Arizona
RW-Nylander
LW-Engvall
LW/RW/C- DMITRI OVCHINNIKOV
D-Topi
LD/RD -Dermott
G-Mrazek
G-Campbell
2022 1st
2023 2nd
2024 1st
for : LW -Crouse
RW – Kessel
Rw/Lw/C – Galchenyuk
LD -Chychrun
G-Vegmelka
G-Prosvetov
And maybe try to pry Olkesiek Off the Kracken with:
Holl
Duszak
Robertson
2023 1st
Bunts – Matthews – Marner
Crowse – Tavares – Kessel
Mikheyev -Kampf – Kase
Galenchuk – Spezza – Simmonds
Rielly – Brodie
Chychrun -Oleksiek
Sandin/Muzzin – Lybushkin
Vegmelka
Prosvetov
Yup a ton of picks to ensure the trades get done. OR is everyone now satisfied with an early playoff exit again and let the new GM take over.
As per Obie , George ..
Leafs have 42million tied up in their core “4”
3 players making over 11 million !!!
Does Boston have 1 player over 7 million
Colorado doesn’t have a player in that money structure ..
I think they have talent , Lol
Matthews is worth the dough
My question to Obie and George
How do you fill out a balanced lineup with Leafs structure , back checking , porous defense..
When Dubas signed Tavares , did he forget he had defenseman to be concerned about …
Leafs defense is horrific , no fix , other than to change up the core …
Not being negative , just fact
This young goaltender in net last night for the Leafs , I have no information on, but at least stood up, wasn’t on his knees , hopefully they give him a shot at the outdoor classic this weekend .
Ken, short answer to your question “How do you fill out a balanced lineup with Leafs structure , back checking , porous defense …” – you don’t. Or at least, if you do get monumentally lucky with a slew of ELCs/low cap hits having eye-opening career debuts, that won’t last any longer than it takes for them to be seeking raises.
And while it’s fine for some to say “trade one (or two) of the high cap hits for top quality lower cap hits to shore things up …” – trade them where? Right now, CapFriendly lists 18 teams with projected cap space of less that $1 mil (some of them with 0 cap space), while one is just over at $1,016, 163). A couple more have in the $2.5 mil range, while 12 are shown having $5 mil up to $13.5 mil.
But there are so many, like Toronto and Edmonton, paying half their cap – or close to it – on 4 to 6 players, any market for some of those they’d think about trading is practically non-existent, either because the receiving team would then need to shed some space of their own, adding to the glut of supply exceeding the market, or having good young RFAs of their own who are on the verge of seeking big raises (such as Ottawa).
The only salvation for those top heavy teams is a return to annual significant cap increases – and it’s hard to figure when that might be with everything depending upon whether or not the pandemic is going to hut us with yet another nasty variant. And, of course, there’s the potential effects of that situation in Ukraine if it expands at some point.
@Ken
Come on Ken…be a little realistic with your comments. The Leafs are in 5th in the entire league. Their defence is far from perfect but horrific…? Come on now…
Take away McAvoy and Carlo and who do the Bruins have?
Also take into consideration the timeframe when the contracts were signed.
Marner is a point per game winger. His salary is on par with other players like Panarin, Kane, etc.
Matthews is one of the best goal scorers in the league.
Tavares had teams lined up to pay more…also a point per game player.
Nylander is on his way to another 30G season.
Good players cost money.
Not one GM in the league predicted the salary cap would stay flat. If the cap increased a few million each year after those players signed the Leafs, and everyone else, would have had more wiggle room under the cap.
Signing Mrazek over Andersenwas a mistake unless Andersen wanted more from TOR than he signed off in CAR.
Daryl, when you say “The Leafs are in 5th in the entire league. Their defence is far from perfect but horrific…?” it’s something I’ve been essentially pointing out all year. Do they have flaws? Sure – there are damned few teams without flaws – but you don’t get to 5th overall after close to 60 games by being lousy. And they’re just 8 points back of 1st overall with a game in hand on the 1st place team. There are many teams who would give their eye-teeth to be in their position.
One word of caution, however, from one who has seen many dramatic changes in standings over the final 20-odd games of a season. The Leafs are also just 8 points from the 13th place team, with several in that grouping also having games in hand on them.
And right now they’re facing 5 games (at least) without Campbell, leaving it down to a choice of Mrazek or a raw rookie.
Things can change swiftly in the final 20-odd game stretch as teams currently in – or close to being in – start to play more playoff style hockey.
It’s the real NHL not playstation If you’re serious can I get some of what you are smoking, sounds like really good stuff. Let’s trade half the leafs team for half of Arizona’s team because you know Arizona is for sure them team you want to mimic this year.
What the heck ..actually if you watched the real NHL games you might notice that the Leafs d-core bites, same with the goaltending. So you tell me that Crouse and Chychrun along with the two goalies mentioned from Arizona does not improve the Leafs considering the cap they also save by doing that particular trade does not improve the whole team? Add the Seattle trade to shore up our defence and you may find what you are smoking is ditch weed. Leafs are headed for the ditch buddy with this team. You and your weed are probably better off with play station..oh…I get it!! You OWN a NYLANDER Skirt…I mean jersey.
But DJ, when you say “the Leafs d-core bites, same with the goaltending …” don’t you think – if that’s indeed the perception from wiser hockey minds than ours – that teams like Arizona would want much better returns? How do those players make them better?
The days of peddling canoes for battleships are history.
So dj what you’re saying is trading for a goalie with a 904 save percentage (Best of the 2 you named) A -20 defenceman and a far inferior winger in Crouze than Nylander (who led all forwards in the toronto/Montreal series last year helps improve our defense. They’re not improving Arizona’s defense so other than that amazing hockey insight you obviously have please explain how they actually all of a sudden turn the leafs into cup contenders. By the way Campbell had better stats than Price in that first round as well. Matthews and Marner were nowhere to be found but you’re not trading them so just how again would that make us cup contenders
It’s not about how many goals you let in. Or letting in some bad goals. It’s the timing of those bad goals. Freddie let in some bad goals at the wrong time of deciding games in the playoffs. Otherwise he was a good goalie.
Bang on !
Fleury has a knack for letting in easy goals at inopportune times despite his heroic looking saves.
Hello game three playoffs gift.
Seattle, what a joke, your big deadline moves in Season 1 are trading your franchise’s first captain and taking on some dead cap space for a draft pick? Lol
Yeah, Francis is showing himself to be a much better player than manager. Nice personable guy but he’s clearly out of his depth in that role.
Pavelski signed extension with Dallas. Guess he really does like it there.
It may also have something to do with Dallas being in the playoff picture and playing very good of late.
George – Informative replies
Marner zero goals in 18 playoff games…and counting
Forsberg was sitting at 12 in save percentage. Not going anywhere . Maybe someone will have interest in Hangnail Murray. In a short series of course and money held.
I heard last night the Flames have enough cap to take on a 3.8 m full year player at the TD for the balance of the year
Great comments folks. Keep them coming or continue tomorrow. Insightful!
The sad reality for Leafs fans is if you suspend disbelief (like when you were a kid and you believed in Santa Claus, or before puberty you thought professional wrestling was real, or as a teenager you think if you can make the high school hockey team you might get drafted because there could be an NHL scout at the barn) then you’ll be okay. If you are a realist, a pragmatist, a disillusioned middle aged man who now allows his wife to turn the channel to watch the Bachelorette because it’s more entertaining than watching the circus (Leafs games) a suspension of reality just doesn’t work. The best you can hope for is I don’t blow a blood vessel at any moment during games.
Last night, five Leafs in front of their own net and one Coyotes player scores. Rielly looking at the puck. Marner pretending that he’d like to physically engage but making sure he maintained time and space. Tavares out of breath skating like he’s wearing a pair of rubber boots.
So here is todays “what’s wrong with the Leafs? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with them!” edition:
1. Tavares is aging in between periods.
2. Tavares is always one step behind the play. He’s trying hard but he’s just too slow to be impactful other than to score within a few feet of the net if he can skate within 1.5 feet of the net.
3. Rielly has a muffin shot. By playoff time the other team will figure it out.
4. Simmonds has no real role on that team other than to fight every 15-20 games. He’s like the third cousin that visits with the family but wasn’t really invited.
5. Nylander plays with eggs in his pocket.
6. Engvall needs a motivational speech in between shifts just to breathe with some passion.
7. Mrazek can’t stop a beach ball.
8. Holl and Dermott have checked out like two people in line at Walmart service desk.
9. The team gives up more turnovers than a bakery.
10. No defence.
Hilarious!
Harold Ballard is reborn!
Trivia eggs in your pocket, was Harold Ballard’s interpretation of Inge Hammarstrom…
Could go in the corner with a dozen eggs in his pocket and not break one of them..
Bruce Gamble couldn’t stop a beach ball
Hi Ken
Gamble….blast from the past
When we played street hockey and everyone always had to take a turn in net…. No one wanted to “be” Bruce Gamble…. Everyone wanted to “be” Plante or Dryden or Cheevers or Espo
NO Doubt -Lol
Lots of expressive, concerned Leaf fans lately ..
For good reason
Leafs should give this Swedish kid an opportunity .
U just never know ..
Dryden came in late one year out of no where , stunned the Bruins ..
I imagine there’s a few more comparisons ..,
Frank , U must be younger than us …
Palmateer was afterwards , likeable , good goalie
So why all of these comments that are constantly focused on the leafs and the teams in the east. And the in only team in the west is the avalanche. Hasn’t any one seen what Sutter has done in Calgary. Calgary has been out coaching, out playing and out shooting all of these “top teams”. This is an all in year for them no doubt as the cap crunch that has hit a lot of teams and resigning players is a reality. But where is the disconnect that the west is only one team deep. Flames have a deep roster. Too bad Monahan isn’t playing up to his old self. And just imagine if Bennett okayed the way he was playing the way he is playing now. They have cap room to make a move. They have a vezina caliber goalie. Johnny is having an MVP season. Lindholm should be considered a front runner for the selke.
We’ll Pengy, when I was a kid hockey cards at the corner store were 10 cents a pack and they had a stick of pink bubble gum in it. My nostalgia moment….
Everyone in my neighborhood wanted to be Mike Palmateer.