How can the Leafs improve their scoring?

Question

They don't have a crapload of capspace..........surely they cannot trade more draft picks or prospects for immidiate help.

So, with the current line-up it looks as if it will be another lottery pick for the Bruins (told ya' so) unless they can make a move for some scoring........my question is exactly what kind of a move is even feasible?




BQ- Why is Ron Wilson getting all of the heat? Scotty Bowman could be coaching this squad and they would finish in the cellar.

Answer 1

They can do it the same way they did last year, they can get so far out of a playoff spot that they become an excellant opportunity for opponents to rest their starting goalie in March and April. This will result in increased goal scoring, a few more wins and hope for next year because they will finish march and april one game over 500. Short of that there is not much they can do to add scoring for this year.



What they should do is dump guys like Kaberle at the deadline for picks/prospects. A contending team may even take a guy like Amrstrong as overpaid as he is for picks/prospects at the deadline for a playoff push assuming they have cap room freeing up next year to swallow that $3M hit. This team needs to admit the attempt to shortcut the rebuild failed and go back and do it right.



To add scoring right now will be next to impossible as all teams still have a playoff shot and will not be looking to move productive assets. Come deadline time guys, primarily rentals, but maybe some guys from cash strapped teams will be available. Those teams will be looking for picks and prospects. Without a first round pick next year forget the Brad Richards of the world. Dallas will demand a 1st rd pick, and top prospect at least for Richards and someone will pay it. Look at what Atlanta got for Hossa and then Kovalchuk. The only Currency that Toronto has to spend are Schenn and Kadri. It would take both and maybe then some to land you a second line center to play with Kessel.



So when Milbury says that Burke set the franchise back 5 years he is right, Milbury should be able to recognize those errors he has the wisdom of hindsight himself.



Question, of the current teams in playoff spots- would Kessel make the first line on any of them? Maybe Phoenix or st louis- that's about it

Answer 2

Your man D--Game 3, Avs vs Sharks, Sharks fired 51 pucks at Anderson, who is not the best goalie in the league, Avs win 1-0 in OT after Dan Boyle scores on his own net. Just sayin. One game I recall Kings outshot the Wings 52 to 24 and the Wings won 2-1, and Howard is not the best goalie in the league.



Anyways, how can the leafs improve their scoring, boy oh boy, going to have to find a diamond in the rough with the draft picks. Either that or trade away some of their prospects in the AHL. Maybe try and package Luke Schenn? Not saying they will, I think that'd be stupid, but hey, it's the best shot they have at getting someone who can net 20 goals IMO.

Answer 3

Man, they surely are in a lockjam. They need a centerman bad, and there's no way they can get one without giving up one of their important and only assets. Some Leaf fans on HFBoards want Schenn traded, but I say why? He's been their best defenseman this year so far IMO. A deal will have to involve Kadri AND Schenn if the Maple Laughs want a true, significant # 1 Center. Which, that just won't happen.



Some centerman that aren't too expensive in dollar and on bad teams that come to mind are Stephan Weiss, Andrew Cogliano, and Olli Jokinen. Which, I think only Weiss would be a big contributor on the Leafs. But who knows what it would take to get him, as the Leafs surely don't have the assets, which is the big problem.



Maybe during the off-season they take Savard off Boston's hands if the Bruins are interested in moving him. That caphit and player caliber seems like a fit for Toronto, just once again... how it will it be possible?



And Cdn, Kessel would easily be our RW here in Pittsburgh. Just too bad Burke would have his eyes set on Staal, which I wouldn't do myself. Don't need a winger THAT bad.

Answer 4

Teams like Jersey and Dallas are surely looking to move salaries so it is not totally hopeless.

The real problem is that teams are signing players to long term contracts and skirting the cap so many of the players the Leafs expected to be there next summer are not going to be available. I guess the best bet is Brad Richards. The only thing to do at this point is keep cap space available and wait for the selling to begin.

The problem is what do you give up when your only asset appears to be Kaberle, but Dallas will be in a desperate situation if they do not get their ownership situation straightened out. We just have to hope that when teams start dumping salary that another team will not be in a position to start a bidding war.

Answer 5

They are pretty much screwed at this point. Burke has managed the unthinkable...he took a bad franchise and found a way to make them worse (as I correctly predicted). Bad contracts, worse trades and very little in the way of player development have doomed this once proud franchise for at least another 3 or 4 years while they wait out some of these horrendous contracts. Best thing they can do now is hope Kaberle doesnt stick it to them at the trade deadline (or sooner...because sooner is when they should be seeking out deals) and get a couple of quality prospects for him. Then toss out Versteegs name and see if there is a team willing to take on his contract and put him in the role he thrived in for the Hawks....as a secondary forward working on a 1st or 2nd line with high end scorers to take the defensive pressure off him. Again I suggested this would be a bad place for him (and was told I was wrong by many Yahoo answerers) but he is an asset when used according to his skills. Other than those 2 they have really nothing in the way of trading chips to offer around....they arent going to shop guys like Kadri or Schenn in part because of potential and in part because they are affordable for the foreseeable future as well.



So Boston gets Seguin and what looks like (as I predicted) another top 3 pick this year for a one dimensional forward who will pot plenty of goals and will be lazy in his own zone on occasion and maintain his coach killer status....too bad the rest of the league already knows his shortcomings or they could dangle him in a deal as well.



BQ. It is always easier to blame the coach than to blame 23 guys not capable of winning so of course he will get the heat. And his friendship with Burke isnt helping his situation but I agree even Bowman couldnt win with this group.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Shoot the goddamn puck. The Leafs dangle wayyyyy to much when they have the puck. If you take 50 shots a game, the best goalies in the league will give up 4 goals.

Answer 8

Actually with Finger buried they're in good shape with regard to cap space and come next year Giguere goes away and now the Leafs have a crapload of space. I don't read Eklund (and since I have a functioning brain I refuse to) so I will go on some logical moves:



-Beauchemin to SJ for a scoring forward (hate to see him go but he is most likely our most marketable defenceman); Pavelski or Coture.

-Lebda to The Beer Store a two-four of crappy beer (his numbers are awful; -10 +/- in 11 games, -13 goal differential). Colossal failure of a signing. Ugh. Either that or cabfare to Ricoh Coliseum.

-I know Burke doesn't like doing this, but I would offer sheet Stamkos at the league max if he doesn't get locked up. It's a case of "how many times do players of this calibre go on the open market?" Failing that, would kidnapping be rig

-Giguere and Beauchemin to TBL for Lecavalier (goaltending may put TBL over the top, and TBL is going to be in cap space hell after dealing with Stamkos) and it gives TOR the badly-needed topline centre they need.

-Kaberle to WSH for Semin (I'd have done this deal in the offseason during Kaberle's window; both guys are UFA's come 7/1/11 and WSH picks up a bit of help relative to cap space; Semin goes missing in the playoffs but you have to actually qualify for this to be a problem).



I will point out that if JFJ hadn't gone into brain-dead mode with the Toskala trade (which I hated on day one), the draft pick that the Leafs gave up was Logan Coture (cue smacking of forehead).



Some good truths:



-Kessel is on pace for a career-high year, but his projected centreman (Bozak) has been a colossal dissapointment (Schenn got off to a bad start last year; I think it's sophomore slump-itis). Kulemin has been good. Versteeg will end up with 20 goals. Kadri, so far, has been pretty good and he's not at all a puck hog (supposedly he will be on a line with MacArthur and Kessel tonight). I do think you have to continue to try to give him somewhat sheltered minutes though. Grabovski has been solid. If MacArthur pots 20 goals it's a total win.

-Aulie has been outstanding; nothing flashy but nothing stupid. Big man who moves well on his skates.

-The goaltending is better. Gustavsson has played well enough to deserve better (but 0 goals @MTL and @OTT are a killer), and his stats are solid. In my mind



Now the ugly:



They too thin up front. Armstrong going out hurt them (he was good on the PK and their best forechecker) and I agree with Grapes that Zigomanis was exactly what you want out of a 4th line centreman (good on faceoffs, good PK work).



The fact that Schenn pretty much called out the team after Saturday's game speaks volumes.



BQ: Actually Keith Acton (special teams) has been the biggest problem (see 29th ranked PK). The team is actually solid at evens and on the PP, but is getting sh**hammered on the PK. The Leafs, at home, are playing well. On the road, they're awful and on that one, I hold Wilson accountable. They need to play a beyond-simple road game; dump-and-chase, simplify the PK (no moronic passes in your own end (coughKomisarekcough) above all don't get cute). Again, this is on Wilson.

Answer 9

they should get me on their team!