BBB
(Bring Back Burkie)
!!!

There's been some speculation and reports that the Leafs are keeping an eye on the European free agent market with links to Russian RHD, Igor Ozhiganov. I don't see anything special with him, he played on the same team as Alexei Marchenko and they look basically the same to me but there's plenty of other guys worth taking a look at.

The Leafs need to replace JVR, Bozak, Komarov, Moore / Plekanec and Polak. With Johnsson and Kapanen having a great chance to replace JVR and Komarov, there is still room for the Leafs to add more pieces. They could also look to add a goalie to the system if they either promote Sparks or replace McElhinney with a younger goalie who could potentially play more games.

Mikhail Grigorenko - C/W - 23 years old, 6'2", 209 lbs, 1st round pick.

http://www.eliteprospects...m/player.php?player=42435

KHL Regular season: 45GP 10G 13A 23P +15
Playoffs: 21GP 9G 4A 13P +7

Don't know if Colorado still has his rights but still young, still talented, might be worth a shot if he wants to give the NHL another shot, low risk, high reward.

Role: Replace Bozak, helps the Marlies if he doesn't make the team or go back to the KHL.

Alexander Khokhlachev - C/W - 24 years old, 5'10", 181, 2nd round pick.

http://www.eliteprospects...m/player.php?player=41925

KHL Regular season: 52GP 19G 31A 50P +3

Smallish skilled forward, 2nd most points among centers in the KHL, might be worth a shot. Rights probably still belong to the Bruins, maybe they move him if he doesn't fit in their plans. Could come in real cheap.

Role: Replace Bozak, helps the Marlies if he doesn't make the team or go back to the KHL.

Vladimir Tkachyou - C - 24 years old, 6'0, 207 lbs.

http://www.eliteprospects...m/player.php?player=77117

KHL Regular season: 53GP 22G 14A 36P +11
Playoffs: 19 GP 3G 6A 9P +10

Improving goal and point totals every year, KHL Champion, Olympic gold medalist, pretty good face-off winner.

Role: Replace Bozak or Komarov, can go back to the KHL if he doesn't make the team.

Teemu Hartikainen - C/W - 27 years old, 6'1", 214 lbs.

http://www.eliteprospects...m/player.php?player=11365

Regular season: 55GP 20G 21A 41P +6
Playoffs: 14GP 4G 7A 11P +4

Big body, does well on the PP, even does the JVR between the legs top corner move, played in the AHL/NHL before. Not the best skater but if he plays the right minutes, on the right line, could be worth it a look.

Role: Replace Komarov, big heavy body 4th liner who can stand in front on the PP and score some dirty goals, helps replace JVR a little bit.

Pavel Francouz - G - 27 years old, 6', 179lbs.

Czech Champion, Czech goalie of the year multiple times.

http://www.eliteprospects...m/player.php?player=18084

KHL Regular season 16/17: 30 GP, 1.43 GAA, .953%
Playoffs: 6 GP, 2.15 GAA, .924 SV%
Regular season 17/18: 35 GP, 1.80 GAA, .946%
Playoffs: 12 GP, 1.90 GAA, .949%

It's been awhile since we've seen a Czech goalie make a name for himself in the NHL but this Czech goalie has accomplished a fair amount in Europe, winning everything there is to win in the Czech league over several good seasons and bringing that talent over to the KHL. UFA, looking to come to the NHL.

Role: Back-up who can play 25-30 games.

Emil Garipov - G - 26 years old, 6'2", 192 lbs, WJC20 Gold, WJC18 Silver, KHL Champion.

http://www.eliteprospects...m/player.php?player=16732

KHL Regular Season: 47 GP, 1.99GAA, .931 SV%
Playoffs: 19 GP, 1.55 GAA, .944 SV%

The Islanders are looking at him, he may want to be a starter but if he's okay with being a back-up, another option at back-up who could be worth a look.

Role: Back-up who can play 25-30 games.

Veini Vehvilainen - G - 21 years old, 6'0, 174lbs, undrafted eligible for the 2018 draft, WJC20 - Gold, WJC18 - Silver, Finnish League Champion

http://www.eliteprospects.../player.php?player=176290

Regular season: 35 GP 1.89 GAA .925 SV%
Playoffs: 17 GP 1.57 GAA .933 SV%

Somebody is going to draft this guy this year, I hope it's the Leafs. He's overage for the draft but he's been making noise in Finland. Not the biggest goalie but his numbers are solid and he's a winner.

Role: Prospect, can be drafted and kept in Finland for another year or two.

Kaapo Kahkonen - G - 21 years old, 6'3", 227, drafted by Minnesota in 2014, 4th round, WJC20 - Gold, WJC18 - Bronze.

http://www.eliteprospects.../player.php?player=114708

Finnish Regular Season: 56 GP, 2.20 GAA, .922 SV%
Playoffs: 2 GP 2.38 GAA, .921 SV%

Don't know if Minnesota still has his rights but he's young, big and talented and could be a steal if he's free.

Role: Back-up or Marlies starter to replace Sparks if he's moved up or out.

Patrik Hersley - RHD - 31 years old, 6'3", 209 lbs, KHL champion, drafted by LA in 2005, 5th round, Swedish International.

KHL Regular season: 41GP 14G 21A 35P +18
Playoffs: 13 GP 1 G 4 A 5 P +7

http://www.eliteprospects...om/player.php?player=1288

Older than most guys I'd be looking at but has a bomb of a shot. Has always scored a significant amount of goals in every league he's ever played in from Sweden to the KHL.

Role: Bottom pairing RHD, possibly used as a big shot on the PP.

David Rundblad - RHD - 27 years old, 6'2", 198 lbs WJC20 Silver, World Champion Silver, WJC20 Bronze, Stanley Cup with Chicago.

http://www.eliteprospects...om/player.php?player=7069

KHL Regular season: 39GP 2G 9A 11 P+23

Once traded for Tarasenko and then Turris, never really turned out because he wasn't paying enough attention to his defensive game but the past couple years in the Swiss league and the KHL, appears to have settled down his high-risk game and is more defensively responsible.

Role: Bottom pairing RHD, another option on the PP.
- Unholy_Goalie

Nice research there UG. Some interesting players listed, although It'd be weird if we actually got Frekarenko just cause of Buffalo, and acquiring Rundblad would likely cause Tanner some problems, I think this picture explains best:


Some interesting options for sure. That Czech goalie,Pavel Francouz, seems interesting.
Teemu Hartikainen might be an option if we could sign him cheap enough.
Patrik Hersley is probably older than the Leafs would like, but depending on his skating, he has a big body that would be useful clearing the front of the net. If he is physical, he might be a decent bottom pairing guy we could use.

Rask shoulda been given a penalty for playing with a broken stick no?
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Nah. Goalies are allowed to play with a broken stick.

Nice research there UG. Some interesting players listed, although It'd be weird if we actually got Frekarenko just cause of Buffalo, and acquiring Rundblad would likely cause Tanner some problems, I think this picture explains best:


Some interesting options for sure. That Czech goalie,Pavel Francouz, seems interesting.
Teemu Hartikainen might be an option if we could sign him cheap enough.
Patrik Hersley is probably older than the Leafs would like, but depending on his skating, he has a big body that would be useful clearing the front of the net. If he is physical, he might be a decent bottom pairing guy we could use.
- Thecakeisalie

Didnt we already let him go once?

The Bolts finding out what the Leafs already know.

Isn’t Carlson Washington’s Gardiner? Don’t think people in Washington think as highly of him as other fan bases lol
- ClarksonDavid

You know lots of Caps fans??? Or the 1 or 2 on here?

Didnt we already let him go once?
- nbboy

Yup. Because he's terrible.

Tampa is gonna need Vasilevskiy to step his game up if they want to win.

(frank)in Bruins

(frank)in Bruins
- Arctic_AARDVARK

best line in hockey does it again

Let all UFAs walk free up 14M use 8.5-9.5 of that to sign Tavares... then trade Nylander for a top RD like Parayko or Trouba type.... use the money from Lupul/Horton/Greening/Gleeson/Cowan towards Matthews extension, cap growth towards Marners extension.... thats what I have seen alot of Twitter and would be all for it.. love Willy and dont want to see him go but if we get Tavares then I would be OK with it

Geeze if Boston keeps this up, I'll have to rethink the Matthews criticism. Stamkos Kucherov were ineffective while Boston's 1st line lit them up.

Geeze if Boston keeps this up, I'll have to rethink the Matthews criticism. Stamkos Kucherov were ineffective while Boston's 1st line lit them up.
- Aetherial

Yep. If Tampa gets steamrolled by Boston, it's going to make me feel a lot better about our team being beat. Tampa is a damn good team.

The Matthews criticism is overblown. It was one series against a tough team that focused on him. He's only 20 and still learning.

Let all UFAs walk free up 14M use 8.5-9.5 of that to sign Tavares... then trade Nylander for a top RD like Parayko or Trouba type.... use the money from Lupul/Horton/Greening/Gleeson/Cowan towards Matthews extension, cap growth towards Marners extension.... thats what I have seen alot of Twitter and would be all for it.. love Willy and dont want to see him go but if we get Tavares then I would be OK with it
- hamzilla

The problem with all these "trade Nylander for a defender" scenarios is that everyone is so eager to offer up Nylander for a top pairing defender, yet we think there are going to be a lot of trade partners wishing to trade a top pairing defender for Nylander. Sure you can add extra to sweeten things, but would that be enough if you were the other team's gm?

If Nylander is as replaceable as everyone seems to think he is, why would any gm trade a top pairing young defender for him? More likely all we're going to get is an Adam Larsson type deal where we end up getting the short end of the stick. The only exception I can think of recently is the Sergachev trade. Where you gamble a bit on a young defender that hasn't really proven much yet.

Or we could overreact and trade Nylander for a tougher forward because of one disappointing playoff appearance, and follow another Chiapet mistake like the Eberle for Strome disaster.

As for Tavares, lets not count our chickens before they've hatched.

new blog everyone

Geeze if Boston keeps this up, I'll have to rethink the Matthews criticism. Stamkos Kucherov were ineffective while Boston's 1st line lit them up.
- Aetherial

from a pure shots on goal standpoint the matthews line was probably more effective than stamkos/kucherov, though it's just a one game sample size. regardless boston looks really damn good. that bergeron line is the best line in hockey right now

Timothy Liljegren has big value, but is a long way from being dominant in the AHL, let alone the Leafs, I think the Leafs package him, Carrick and possibly their first round pick to try to land a top 2 dman for next year.
JVR's goals are not going to be easy to replace, so I think it 50/50 that he stays, unless of course there is interest from Kovalchuk to take his place as a free-agent, in that case, Toronto will flip JVR's rights at the draft for a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Bozak, I see no reason to move him as he provides good value for his contract and is unlikely to be in a position to seek a big raise. The team can't afford to let him AND Leo and Polak all go without gutting the core leadership guys. Two of those guys will be retained I think.

Timothy Liljegren has big value, but is a long way from being dominant in the AHL, let alone the Leafs, I think the Leafs package him, Carrick and possibly their first round pick to try to land a top 2 dman for next year.
JVR's goals are not going to be easy to replace, so I think it 50/50 that he stays, unless of course there is interest from Kovalchuk to take his place as a free-agent, in that case, Toronto will flip JVR's rights at the draft for a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Bozak, I see no reason to move him as he provides good value for his contract and is unlikely to be in a position to seek a big raise. The team can't afford to let him AND Leo and Polak all go without gutting the core leadership guys. Two of those guys will be retained I think.
- doktordave

I think JVRs goals can be made up in committee by giving Kap and Johnsson bigger roles.

I think his overall benefit to the team, when you consider his lackluster defensive play, will be easier to make up.

Komarov is done, unless regrowing the stache means he gets his skill + pestiness back.

Bozak needs to take a discount if he wants to stay. He did not provide good value for his $$ last season.

Polak, 50/50. Borgman is probably the better player right now, but Polak, as you noted, brings some veteran presence.

LOL...what's next? This rebuild will be all but abandoned under the stupidity and opportunism of people such as Steve Simmons and Howard Berger who's already setting the table by openly questioning Austin Matthews and the entire rebuild. It's a 31 team league (soon 32) and a salary cap league at that. This market, MEDIA and fans, will NEVER be capable of waiting through all the ups and downs of a proper rebuild. You can already see the villagers lighting their torches.

LOL...what's next? This rebuild will be all but abandoned under the stupidity and opportunism of people such as Steve Simmons and Howard Berger who's already setting the table by openly questioning Austin Matthews and the entire rebuild. It's a 31 team league (soon 32) and a salary cap league at that. This market, MEDIA and fans, will NEVER be capable of waiting through all the ups and downs of a proper rebuild. You can already see the villagers lighting their torches.
- Kayakjack

Why? The building is sold out no matter what, what makes you say the fans can't wait? They've been through what 14 years and still sell out.

The media morons like Simmons and turd burgerler don't matter an ounce. The leafs aren't going to do something cause they said so. They're ancient history, no one even knows they exist anymore.

LOL...what's next? This rebuild will be all but abandoned under the stupidity and opportunism of people such as Steve Simmons and Howard Berger who's already setting the table by openly questioning Austin Matthews and the entire rebuild. It's a 31 team league (soon 32) and a salary cap league at that. This market, MEDIA and fans, will NEVER be capable of waiting through all the ups and downs of a proper rebuild. You can already see the villagers lighting their torches.
- Kayakjack

You woke up, and decided you needed to post the same thing you keep repeating, in a thread that hasn't seen any activity in over a week, at 4 in the morning?