I hope:

The Leafs keep #5 and take the best player available.

They also trade for a 1st rounder to take Faksa (likely a 6-9 overall)

They wait and see if SJ and PIT make a 1st round playoff exit. SJ likely to trade Thorton or Marleau, PIT can't keep Neal, Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Letang and Staal so simple math says Staal could be available. Cost would likely be Kadri & Kulemin plus a 1st rounder, please top 10 protect it Burkie (Kulemin and Malkin have played together in Russia)

Sign Doan.

Schenn for JVR.

Part ways with Connoly, Lombardi and Komisarek, hopefully for picks or pieces that can be used to trade for the 2nd 1st rounder this year for Faksa.

Next year could look like:

Lupul/Staal or Thorton/Kessel
Doan/Grabo/JVR
McArthur/Bozak/Armstrong
Frattin/Steckel/Crabb/Hamilton

Phaneuf/Liles
Gardiner/Gunnarson
Franzen/Gardiner
Holzer

The 1st 2 picks in the AHL all year and Colburne can be the 1st call up and have Doan or Thorton be his mentor.

if the leafs get:

suter
luongo
nash
parise
weber
and grigorenko or galchenyuk in the draft.

they could just trade away the rest of their team and play just those guys and prob win more than they did this season.
- boltsfan48

Vinny would look nice between Kessel and Lupul......just saying.

Wait you said we have nothing of worth to trade for Nash, then in the same breath suggested we could trade the farm for him.

What exactly are you trying to say there bud?
- Nastradamus

Exactly. I agree as Leaf fans we sometimes overvalue our players/assets, but Leaf haters always undervalue them. To say we have nothing to trade is a gross understatement.

When you have a shot at the CUP, you have to go for it..Poile thought this was our year..And he might be right. But Gaustad has been key to us in the face-off circle. No way we beat detroit, A puck control team, without Goose getting over 55% of the face-offs, and over 60 in the defensive end.
- dgutzman

Those are the numbers? Really? Every game I've watched, I heard the commentators talking about how he was brought in for his faceoff acumen but has underproduced in that area.

Yes, in that I agree..But it really involves 2 rounds of building..You build your core, supplement it with some veterans (Kessel and Phanouf in this case), and then You dump the players who aren't going to be part of the core and your top end talent to really bring in the young talent..Nashville has been building since it's first year..Legwand, Erat, Tootoo..Then we had the big year and brought in Klein, Weber and Suter. We had the Paul Kariya, Dumont, and Arnott years, but they weren't going to lead us to the cup. We had to wait for the 2nd round of talent to come in...Rinne, Hornqvist, Spaling, Bourque, Smith, Josi, and Ellis. Only once we had 10-12 guys who were going to be the young core did we start bringing in veterans that could help use win, Fisher, Gaustad, Gill, etc. And we still have depth at Goalie in the AHL, a ton of forward talent in the NHL, and 2 or 3 D men that are a year or 2 away from possibly being NHL talent.

The only thing that kept Nashville from being competitive 4 years ago was our ownership change..Had we not had to let Scott Hartnall and Kimmo go, we would have been were we are now. Again, 2 guys who were part of the core.
- dgutzman

I thought losing Timonen was a great loss, but Hartnell never lived up to potential in Nashville and I'm not sure he would have had he stayed. I love Bourque and not just cuz he potted a few in the first round.....seems to have great speed and good instincts and really good work ethic. Josi, although not as physical, looks like he'll replace Suter's minutes. Rinne is top 3 in the league hands down and Martin Erat is the most underrated player in the NHL. If Radulov and Weber stay for the long haul, the Preds should be contenders for years to come.

Vinny would look nice between Kessel and Lupul......just saying.
- The Shrike

No way Burke takes on that contract. I can see him going to Montreal though.

I hope:

The Leafs keep #5 and take the best player available.

They also trade for a 1st rounder to take Faksa (likely a 6-9 overall)

They wait and see if SJ and PIT make a 1st round playoff exit. SJ likely to trade Thorton or Marleau, PIT can't keep Neal, Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Letang and Staal so simple math says Staal could be available. Cost would likely be Kadri & Kulemin plus a 1st rounder, please top 10 protect it Burkie (Kulemin and Malkin have played together in Russia)

Sign Doan.

Schenn for JVR.

Part ways with Connoly, Lombardi and Komisarek, hopefully for picks or pieces that can be used to trade for the 2nd 1st rounder this year for Faksa.

Next year could look like:

Lupul/Staal or Thorton/Kessel
Doan/Grabo/JVR
McArthur/Bozak/Armstrong
Frattin/Steckel/Crabb/Hamilton

Phaneuf/Liles
Gardiner/Gunnarson
Franzen/Gardiner
Holzer

The 1st 2 picks in the AHL all year and Colburne can be the 1st call up and have Doan or Thorton be his mentor.
- cracka

I miss your old avatar.

Nashville's roster next year. Keep in mind, Nashville is a $ frugal organization. While we may only have 1 or so million under the cap, our salary would be 4 or 5 million under that since we have already made the 1.7 million in buyouts and we have 3 players whose cap is more then their salary next.

If Nashville can go deep this year, I think 85% of this roster is realistic.

http://www.capgeek.com/ca...%24900%2C000&sign-button=

Nashville's roster next year. Keep in mind, Nashville is a $ frugal organization. While we may only have 1 or so million under the cap, our salary would be 4 or 5 million under that since we have already made the 1.7 million in buyouts and we have 3 players whose cap is more then their salary next.

If Nashville can go deep this year, I think 85% of this roster is realistic.

http://www.capgeek.com/ca...%24900%2C000&sign-button=
- dgutzman

So Nashville and Boston swap teams, eh? Interesting...

OH NO!!!!!! Parise is a UFA that is still playing!!!!!!
- WayneZ

So Nashville and Boston swap teams, eh? Interesting...
- A_Tree

I guess the link didn't work..Here we go..

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
Sergei Kostitsyn ($3.000m) / Mike Fisher ($4.200m) / Martin Erat ($4.500m)
Gabriel Bourque ($0.618m) / David Legwand ($4.500m) / Alexander Radulov ($4.800m)
Craig Smith ($0.715m) / Nick Spaling ($1.050m) / Patric Hornqvist ($3.083m)
Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m) / Paul Gaustad ($2.500m) / Matt Halischuk ($0.713m)
Brian McGrattan ($0.675m)
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan Suter ($6.500m) / Shea Weber ($7.200m)
Roman Josi ($1.000m) / Hal Gill ($2.500m)
Ryan Ellis ($1.440m) / Kevin Klein ($1.350m)
GOALTENDERS
Pekka Rinne ($7.000m)
Anders Lindback ($0.900m)

BUYOUTS
J.P. Dumont ($1.333m) / Brett Lebda ($0.467m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $63,194,167; BONUSES: $725,000
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $1,105,833

Anyone know a good site that's streaming the marlie game?
- AngryWhiteMale

http://atdhenet.tv/42225/...ricans-vs-toronto-marlies

predictions for next season... realize i know nothing of UFAs and drafting. but this is my guess based on what i think people will do.

EAST:

1. Tampa
2. philly
3. buffalo
4. NYR
5. PIT
6. BOS
7. FLA
8. NJ
9. WSH
10. NYI
11.OTT
12. CAR
13. WPG
14. TOR
15. MTL


WEST:
1. DET
2. COL
3. LA
4. VAN
5. NSH
6. STL
7. PHX
8. SJ
9. MINN
10. DAL
11. ANA
12. CHI
13. EDM
14. CGY
15. CBJ

Nashville's roster next year. Keep in mind, Nashville is a $ frugal organization. While we may only have 1 or so million under the cap, our salary would be 4 or 5 million under that since we have already made the 1.7 million in buyouts and we have 3 players whose cap is more then their salary next.

If Nashville can go deep this year, I think 85% of this roster is realistic.

http://www.capgeek.com/ca...%24900%2C000&sign-button=
- dgutzman

Nashville has already committed to go to the cap.

It was a spectacular disappointment - but it was disappointing because expectations rose dramatically throughout 2/3rds of the season. Than fell... plummeted, and smashed to oblivion. With that said, we all thought the leafs would be horrid through last summer.
- A_Tree

No...How exactly did it rise dramatically? We came into the season expecting to make the playoffs, and we were sitting at about 6th before we fell? Is "making the playoffs" all of a sudden a dramatic expectation?

predictions for next season... realize i know nothing of UFAs and drafting. but this is my guess based on what i think people will do.

EAST:

1. Tampa
2. philly
3. buffalo
4. NYR
5. PIT
6. BOS
7. FLA
8. NJ
9. WSH
10. NYI
11.OTT
12. CAR
13. WPG
14. TOR
15. MTL


WEST:
1. DET
2. COL
3. LA
4. VAN
5. NSH
6. STL
7. PHX
8. SJ
9. MINN
10. DAL
11. ANA
12. CHI
13. EDM
14. CGY
15. CBJ


- boltsfan48

i think you're underestimating ottawa, and overestimating the lightning

predictions for next season... realize i know nothing of UFAs and drafting. but this is my guess based on what i think people will do.

EAST:

1. Tampa
2. philly
3. buffalo
4. NYR
5. PIT
6. BOS
7. FLA
8. NJ
9. WSH
10. NYI
11.OTT
12. CAR
13. WPG
14. TOR
15. MTL


WEST:
1. DET
2. COL
3. LA
4. VAN
5. NSH
6. STL
7. PHX
8. SJ
9. MINN
10. DAL
11. ANA
12. CHI
13. EDM
14. CGY
15. CBJ


- boltsfan48

Way off on the West..No way Detroit finishes first in the league.

Nashville has already committed to go to the cap.
- JDJ

Yes, and the reason they can spend to the Cap is because they have contracts that pay less then the cap figure..Thus, we might be close to the cap, but we won't' spend near the cap.

As much as I enjoy watching the Leafs lose, is this really a good idea? Build through the draft!

predictions for next season... realize i know nothing of UFAs and drafting. but this is my guess based on what i think people will do.

EAST:

1. Tampa
2. philly
3. buffalo
4. NYR
5. PIT
6. BOS
7. FLA
8. NJ
9. WSH
10. NYI
11.OTT
12. CAR
13. WPG
14. TOR
15. MTL


WEST:
1. DET
2. COL
3. LA
4. VAN
5. NSH
6. STL
7. PHX
8. SJ
9. MINN
10. DAL
11. ANA
12. CHI
13. EDM
14. CGY
15. CBJ


- boltsfan48

predictions for next season... realize i know nothing of UFAs and drafting. but this is my guess based on what i think people will do.

EAST:

1. Tampa
2. philly
3. buffalo
4. NYR
5. PIT
6. BOS
7. FLA
8. NJ
9. WSH
10. NYI
11.OTT
12. CAR
13. WPG
14. TOR
15. MTL


WEST:
1. DET
2. COL
3. LA
4. VAN
5. NSH
6. STL
7. PHX
8. SJ
9. MINN
10. DAL
11. ANA
12. CHI
13. EDM
14. CGY
15. CBJ


- boltsfan48

You're brainless. Plain and simple.

No...How exactly did it rise dramatically? We came into the season expecting to make the playoffs, and we were sitting at about 6th before we fell? Is "making the playoffs" all of a sudden a dramatic expectation?
- Nastradamus

I don't know about you but i specifically remember hordes of bloggers positing that the leafs would land between 7th - 11th. Just before their eventual collapse they were sitting 5th closing on philly or pitts. We know what came next. So yes, I think those changed our expectations pretty dramatically - from potentially making the playoffs to "a contender". Don't fool yourself, everyone was jumping the bandwagon save for the usual fatalists.

You're brainless. Plain and simple.
- A_Tree

as long as the habs get the 1st overall...I'm in

McKinnon

as long as the habs get the 1st overall...I'm in

McKinnon
- Symba007

Lol, dust in the wind.

You're brainless. Plain and simple.
- A_Tree