Per TSN's Bob McKenzie: " Hearing TOR 1st rounder Tyler Biggs leaving Miami (OH) University. Options next season would include NHL (Leafs), AHL (Marlies), OHL (Oshawa)."
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Two players who have been key contributors to the surprising success of the Los Angeles Kings in this year’s playoffs have in the past been mentioned as being on the Toronto Maple Leafs radar and could again be over the summer, as GM Brian Burke attempts to reshuffle his roster.
The Kings most valuable player in the post-season has been goaltender Jonathan Quick, but running a close second is team captain Dustin Brown, who leads the club with nine points, including a three assist performance in a 5-2 victory over St. Louis last night.
Only two months ago, Brown was perilously close to being moved out of Los Angeles by GM Dean Lombardi in the wake of his acquisition of Jeff Carter from Columbus. TSN’s Bob McKenzie indicated that upwards of eight teams(including Toronto) had inquired about the availability of the 27 year old and other speculation named Luke Schenn as possibly heading to the Kings in a trade, but nothing came of the speculation.
Brown is known to be someone that Burke covets, going back to his association with USA Hockey and his selection to the 2010 US Olympic Hockey squad and still could be in play this summer, as ex-Flyers captain Mike Richards is ready to assume the mantle of leadership, but if Brown continues to perform at a Conn Smythe Trophy winning level throughout the playoffs, his price tag may be more than Burke is willing to pay.
Another possibility is winger Dustin Penner, who has suddenly come alive with six points in the post-season and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after completing the last year of the five year, $21.25 Million deal that originated from the infamous Edmonton RFA offer sheet that set off a war of words between Burke and Oilers GM Kevin Lowe.
Penner scored 20+ goals in three of his four years in Alberta but the signing was generally considered a failure due to his inconsistency and lack of motivation.
Penner was traded to Los Angeles at the 2011 trade deadline for blueliner Colten Teubert and the Kings 2011 first round pick, but scored only eight points in 27 regular season/playoff games and continued to struggle this season, with seven goals in 65 games and a trip to the injured list for back spasms inflicted in the strenuous act of consuming of his wife’s flapjacks.
Many teams will be scared away by Penner’s track record, but Burke has never shied away from a reclamation project and Randy Carlyle was able to get 29 goals out of him in Anaheim’s championship year. This year’s playoffs show that when motivated, he can be a difference maker.
Would you be in favor of the Leafs making a trade for Brown, roll the dice on Penner on a short term deal or explore other options?
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The Toronto Marlies face the Abbotsford Heat in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Western Conference Semi-Finals tonight at the Ricoh Coliseum. No lineup changes are expected, but according to Canadian Press reporter Kyle Cicerella, defenseman Jesse Blacker has been cleared to play and Matt Lashoff, who suffered a torn ACL in October, is close to being game ready. Carter Ashton still remains unavailable with a concussion.
Ben Scrivens starts in goal for Toronto.
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