TORONTO (June 28) – Before flying home yesterday from Los Angeles, I wrote a quick column stating why I believe Marc Savard – the player – is a good fit for the Maple Leafs under Brian Burke’s plan to fast-track the club toward respectability. And, why such an acquisition would be consistent with the way Burke is stockpiling top-level players, rather than the typical Leaf method of hording mediocrity. Third and fourth-liners have been front-liners on the Leafs in way too many years and Burke is trying to disrupt that pattern. But, this particular circumstance is fraught with peril on both sides. And, that’s why I’m not at all certain that a Savard-to-Toronto deal will happen.
First, let’s think about it from a Bruins’ perspective. I have immense difficulty envisioning a scenario whereby Peter Chiarelli voluntarily dumps Savard into Burke’s lap – which is essentially the type of “soft” deal that is being reported. The Boston GM has to be rather torn over this scenario. Sure, he has enough youth and depth at centre [David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton, who plays both the middle and right-wing] that he could probably live without Savard, and the Bruins would free themselves of a lengthy contract that eats up more than $4 million of cap space for each of the next seven years. Given, however, that Chiarelli owns the Leafs’ first-round draft choice again next summer, wouldn’t you think he’d pull every string imaginable to trade Savard elsewhere and avoid strengthening the Blue & White?
The Leafs are responsible for two of the NHL’s brightest prospects landing in Boston [Seguin and Tuukka Rask]. Another name is likely to join the list in St. Paul MN next June, when the 2011 draft is held at the Xcel Energy Center. If I’m Peter Chiarelli, I have no appetite at all to disturb that trend against such a fierce rival as Burke. Instead, I would either convince Savard to accept a deal to another Eastern team, or hang onto him for at least one more year, until Boston makes the 2011 Leaf pick in the opening round.
That’s not exactly a worst-case scenario. Chiarelli has built the Bruins to win now, and he would miss a healthy Savard – cap hit or no cap hit – in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
From a Toronto perspective, there appears to be a much-smaller immediate risk. And, that’s probably why Burke is anxious to make the deal. If it turns out Chiarelli has no option but to practically donate Savard to the Leafs – and, again, that sounds almost ridiculous, doesn’t it? – Burke radically improves his hockey club with only one major concern: how Savard rebounds from the horrific concussion he incurred on the Matt Cooke hit last March. Though Burke would never admit it, the length of Savard’s contract will not be his concern if he doesn’t have the Leafs moving rapidly northward in the next couple of years. That mess will be dumped into the lap of Burke’s successor. So, there really is limited long-term implication for the Leafs’ GM.
As for the Tomas Kaberle saga, Burke will likely have some serious dance partners after the free agency puzzle is solved next week. That doesn’t mean he’ll be presented with an acceptable offer for his veteran defenseman, but the NHL landscape going into 2010-11 will be much clearer. I had a number of e-mails last night when I got home questioning my notion of a Kaberle-for-Jordan Staal swap with Pittsburgh. First, I never suggested it would have to be a straight one-for-one deal, and I also think many of you have fallen for some hype as it pertains to Staal.
Though Jordan is an excellent all-round player, he isn’t as innately gifted as his brother Eric in Raleigh, N.C. – Jordan’s best season to date is a meager 49 points [Kaberle has exceeded that total on three occasions, including a 67-point effort in 2005-06] – and he’s likely never to realize his scoring potential while toiling in the immense shadow of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But, because he has played for a Stanley Cup team – and is frequently lionized on Hockey Night in Canada – Jordan comes off as a superstar. Clearly, he’d be able to find a truer level with the Leafs.
And, given that Pittsburgh is still vying for a championship, Kaberle would look awfully smart feathering tee-ups to either Sergei Gonchar [if he is re-signed], or Kris Letang, who also has a good shot from the point. Though Kaberle isn’t quite the force he was when he played alongside Bryan McCabe, his vaunted patience could mesh spectacularly with Crosby and Malkin.
Staal’s cap hit is $4 million for each of the next three seasons. Kaberle’s base salary will be higher than that in a new contract, but his cap figure should be similar. That’s why this deal would not be harmful to either side. So, Jordan Stall is definitely the player I’d be going after if I was Burke.
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