Not too familiar with the Leafs blue line.. what's their D pipeline look like? They aren't going to fall into the Edmonton problems of having stacked forwards with no backend are they? Buuuuut... Stammer, Mathews, Kadri is a ridiculous 3 Center model to build upon.
- j.boyd919

I think the blue line core is pretty thin... Reilly is good but far from a #1 stud D right now..Gardiner hot and cold then it kind of thins out. Dermott hopefully can be of help in a few years. Percy needs to step it up or he is heading to Finn territory. i know many Leaf fans will disagree but I think many overrate the D core

I think the blue line corpse is pretty thin... Reilly is good but far from a #1 stud D right now..Gardiner how and cold then it kind of thins out. Dermott hopeful can be of help in a few years. Percy needs to step it up or he is heading to Finn territory. i know many Leaf fans will disagree but I think many overrate the D corpse
- Popcorn Kid

Phaneuf's in Ottawa

Phaneuf's in Ottawa
- walshyleafsfan

good catch

Pretty sure every team should be kicking the tires on Stamkos.... why the hell not?

yes

I didn't even read the article this time. I think the league should just penalize the MapleLeafs for tampering due to the daily articles on this subject. Every day, all day, all the time. Stamkos to T.O.
The league should take their first round pick this year, make them select 30th instead. Good for Winnipeg I guess.
- InSutterWeTrust

Sounds like somebody is feeling butt sore after getting knocked down in the draft lottery.

Pretty sure every team should be kicking the tires on Stamkos.... why the hell not?
- Guile

Many teams just cant fit a 9 million cap hit this year.

I didn't even read the article this time. I think the league should just penalize the MapleLeafs for tampering due to the daily articles on this subject. Every day, all day, all the time. Stamkos to T.O.
The league should take their first round pick this year, make them select 30th instead. Good for Winnipeg I guess.
- InSutterWeTrust

Garf? Is that you? You cheeky monkey.

I think the blue line core is pretty thin... Reilly is good but far from a #1 stud D right now..Gardiner hot and cold then it kind of thins out. Dermott hopefully can be of help in a few years. Percy needs to step it up or he is heading to Finn territory. i know many Leaf fans will disagree but I think many overrate the D core
- Popcorn Kid

Pretty thin is an understatement.

I would not be surprised to see the Leafs use some picks, and young talent to try to get some defense, as soon as this summer.

The Leafs need a stud Dman. A true #1. Rielly may be a 2 or 3... time will tell. I think they could address the goaltending issue this offseason.

The Leafs need a stud Dman. A true #1. Rielly may be a 2 or 3... time will tell. I think they could address the goaltending issue this offseason.
- ShayneCorsi

hoping they move some picks/prospects with Pittsburgh's first to obtain a D man in the top 12. #onecanhope

"Sure, his blood clot issue is scary and something to be wary of moving forward."

Blood Clot for Stamkos is not systemic, it was caused by pressure of one of his ribs near shoulder. Rib removed and pressure eliminated.
This is not a concern moving forward like it was for other hockey players (such as Dupuis)

Pretty thin is an understatement.

I would not be surprised to see the Leafs use some picks, and young talent to try to get some defense, as soon as this summer.
- Aetherial

One guy could make a big difference. That being said, that one guy would have to be a #1 talent, and that's not easy to find. If the Leafs plug a guy in ahead of Rielly, things start to look a lot better really quickly. I have a lot of faith that we're all going to like Gardiner a whole lot if the rest of the top 6 is solid.

Re: Defense. Quotes not working.

Harrington, Percy, Marincin, Corrado, all are virtual locks to be at least NHL regulars.

Jake Gardiner would be a star player if he hadn't spent the last three years on a crap team and Reilly has potential to be Kris Letang.

But the Oilers D isn't bad either. Klefbom has already put up respectable top line minutes, Sekara is an above average top four player, Nurse projects as a top pairing star and Davidson and Reinhardt are both good NHL regulars, at worst.

The D gets a bad rap, but mostly it's because Nurse wasn't an Insta-star and Klefbom missed most of the year. Those guys would be exciting building blocks on basically any other team that wasn't stacked knee deep in first overalls.

If they do as expected and add in a top line Dman this summer, their defense will be well above average.

Yes they should get Stamkos - for a price. He is worth between 7.5 and 9 million a year. I would not pay at the top end of the scale to get him. If Lou and Mike can convince him to come to the Leafs for about 8 million a year - it would leave enough in the till to pay for the developing talent and possibly add a number one defenceman and goalie.

If the Leafs had Stamkos and Matthews, they would not need Kadri - who has a very easy to trade contract. It would not sit well with the Leaf haters like Tim Wharnsby (a-hole) and Jack Todd (moron). If they could do this, I would do a jig. The only thing
sad-sack would be that porko Wharnsby

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/...auston-matthews-1.3562516

Many teams just cant fit an $11 million cap hit this year.
- Santo_44

FTFY

Yes they should get Stamkos - for a price. He is worth between 7.5 and 9 million a year. I would not pay at the top end of the scale to get him. If Lou and Mike can convince him to come to the Leafs for about 8 million a year - it would leave enough in the till to pay for the developing talent and possibly add a number one defenceman and goalie.

If the Leafs had Stamkos and Matthews, they would not need Kadri - who has a very easy to trade contract. It would not sit well with the Leaf haters like Tim Wharnsby (a-hole) and Jack Todd (moron). If they could do this, I would do a jig. The only thing
sad-sack would be that porko Wharnsby

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/...auston-matthews-1.3562516
- winsix

Not gona happen. TB offerd 8.5 per Stamkos said no thanks.

Why would he sign in Toronto for less when he could have stayed in income tax free Tampa for more.

The Leafs need a stud Dman. A true #1. Rielly may be a 2 or 3... time will tell. I think they could address the goaltending issue this offseason.
- ShayneCorsi

I don't even get how people make these kind of assessments. Like, what are you basing his "2 or 3" potential off of? As you can see my the chart below (Own the Puck.blogspot.ca) even if he never improves, he's already an above average #3 playing on the worst team in hockey with Matt Freaking Hunwick as his partner.

He also scored 36 points and 50 doesn't seem unattainable once he's feeding the puck to Nylander, Matthews, Marner, maybe Stamkos. Unless you're garbage at defense, 50 points pretty much guarantees you're an elite defenseman.

Of course the chart failed!! You can look it up though.

Not gona happen. TB offerd 8.5 per Stamkos said no thanks.

Why would he sign in Toronto for less when he could have stayed in income tax free Tampa for more.
- ImThatGuy

There's no way he would go to Toronto regardless. The whole hockey world (sans Leafs fans) have said this all year.

I don't even get how people make these kind of assessments. Like, what are you basing his "2 or 3" potential off of? As you can see my the chart below (Own the Puck.blogspot.ca) even if he never improves, he's already an above average #3 playing on the worst team in hockey with Matt Freaking Hunwick as his partner.

He also scored 36 points and 50 doesn't seem unattainable once he's feeding the puck to Nylander, Matthews, Marner, maybe Stamkos. Unless you're garbage at defense, 50 points pretty much guarantees you're an elite defenseman.


- James_Tanner

But how many potential goals does that equate to over time.....

I think the blue line core is pretty thin... Reilly is good but far from a #1 stud D right now..Gardiner hot and cold then it kind of thins out. Dermott hopefully can be of help in a few years. Percy needs to step it up or he is heading to Finn territory. i know many Leaf fans will disagree but I think many overrate the D core
- Popcorn Kid

Not the knowledgeable Leaf fans!

hoping they move some picks/prospects with Pittsburgh's first to obtain a D man in the top 12. #onecanhope
- Lucas.Neilson

Yes Please, Sergachev!!!!

Not one person has brought up the cap implications of the leafs signing stamkos! They Leafs already have roughly $63 million committed to 19 players next season. Obviously money can always be moved around but lets say Stamkos commands a max contract of $10-11million what kind of wiggle room does that leave the Leafs to make other transactions or signings? Absolutely none! Im not saying that it wouldnt be a great addition to the line up but why would you want to tie yourself down to a series of contracts just after you got out of this situation over the last decade or so? Teams need to have flexability now more than ever. If the Leafs were truelly close to being a true cup contender next year i could see doing this but they are not and will not be in one year. They will be better but they will not even make the playoffs next year. The management needs to be slightly patient here and wait unless they can talk Stamkos down to a more reasonable contract at around $8 million
[/img]

Yes they should get Stamkos - for a price. He is worth between 7.5 and 9 million a year. I would not pay at the top end of the scale to get him. If Lou and Mike can convince him to come to the Leafs for about 8 million a year - it would leave enough in the till to pay for the developing talent and possibly add a number one defenceman and goalie.

If the Leafs had Stamkos and Matthews, they would not need Kadri - who has a very easy to trade contract. It would not sit well with the Leaf haters like Tim Wharnsby (a-hole) and Jack Todd (moron). If they could do this, I would do a jig. The only thing
sad-sack would be that porko Wharnsby

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/...auston-matthews-1.3562516
- winsix

...Soooooo modeling glue? Or did you go big time and go for airplane glue?
There is a 0% change Stamkos (or any self repeating elite 26 yr old FA) takes that deal...

Also Kadri stays, we have oddles of cap space even with Stammer making 10.5 ( which he will get), I'm glad you're not the GM anddddd have a great day

Not one person has brought up the cap implications of the leafs signing stamkos! They Leafs already have roughly $63 million committed to 19 players next season. Obviously money can always be moved around but lets say Stamkos commands a max contract of $10-11million what kind of wiggle room does that leave the Leafs to make other transactions or signings? Absolutely none! Im not saying that it wouldnt be a great addition to the line up but why would you want to tie yourself down to a series of contracts just after you got out of this situation over the last decade or so? Teams need to have flexability now more than ever. If the Leafs were truelly close to being a true cup contender next year i could see doing this but they are not and will not be in one year. They will be better but they will not even make the playoffs next year. The management needs to be slightly patient here and wait unless they can talk Stamkos down to a more reasonable contract at around $8 million

- speeda[/img]

Uhmmmm......the leafs have 25 million in cap space right now and have literally no ufa or rfa's to sign other than entery levels or depth contracts that are 2 way. Michelik, greening, and liachs cap hits will be gone next year. They are the most financially set team to sign him.

Nice try though but run along now