Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger

Taylor Pyatt also agrees to 2 year deal with the NYR.

Damn.... i wanted the Leafs to grab him if they were able to move Connolly
- cor99

Even though there's been rumours of interest in Connolly lately, Burke did say something in that interview about hoping Tim has a better season this year. Makes me think he's here to stay.

Why?
- cor99

i wanted the Leafs to grab him if they were able to move Connolly

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle

Nieuwendyk's UFA strategy was "guys I played against in the '90s."
- cor99

Ha! That's good...

Even though there's been rumours of interest in Connolly lately, Burke did say something in that interview about hoping Tim has a better season this year. Makes me think he's here to stay.
- spade_77

He's not only here to stay.... but probably a Feaster-like extension with full NMC/NTC... wooooooo

I don't know who to believe anymore. I'm so confused.
- weirdoh

you should believe Burke, he may or may not be able to do anything

Fill your boots...
- SofaKingBored

Puss in Boots?

i wanted the Leafs to grab him if they were able to move Connolly
- weirdoh

Ah... I see

you should believe Burke, he may or may not be able to do anything
- bobbyisno1

Sounds like Ek and his rumors... but yeah

Even though there's been rumours of interest in Connolly lately, Burke did say something in that interview about hoping Tim has a better season this year. Makes me think he's here to stay.
- spade_77

Unfortunately, I would think so, but bodies have to move; there's no way we can go into the season with:

Bozak
Grabovski
McClement
Connolly
Steckel
Lombardi

I had McClement pencilled into the LW spot on the 4th line but Burke and Poulin both said 3rd line center.

Puss in Boots?
- peddy-93

Pussy in boots...

Unfortunately, I would think so, but bodies have to move; there's no way we can go into the season with:

Bozak
Grabovski
McClement
Connolly
Steckel
Lombardi

I had McClement pencilled into the LW spot on the 4th line but Burke and Poulin both said 3rd line center.
- gravyface

Plan is to actually have a 3rd line this year that can... you know... check and stuff.

If Lombardi or Connolly play at all, it will be on the wing. If both play I will puke

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle

Nieuwendyk's UFA strategy was "guys I played against in the '90s."
- cor99

Plan is to actually have a 3rd line this year that can... you know... check and stuff.

If Lombardi or Connolly play at all, it will be on the wing. If both play I will puke
- Big_Lightnin

I thought they'd go with a 3rd scoring line and keep the 2nd line (Grabs) as the shutdown line again. 4th would be energy/banger line.

Agreed on Lombardi and Connolly both playing. But who knows, Lombardi + full off-season training/training camp, could be useful. Connolly, well, gotta think he has a better year and both those guys are going into contract years...

I thought they'd go with a 3rd scoring line and keep the 2nd line (Grabs) as the shutdown line again. 4th would be energy/banger line.

Agreed on Lombardi and Connolly both playing. But who knows, Lombardi + full off-season training/training camp, could be useful. Connolly, well, gotta think he has a better year and both those guys are going into contract years...
- gravyface

I am really excited about Komorov after watching him play some more. He is gonna be the next Darcy Tucker/Matt Cooke.

I thought they'd go with a 3rd scoring line and keep the 2nd line (Grabs) as the shutdown line again. 4th would be energy/banger line.

Agreed on Lombardi and Connolly both playing. But who knows, Lombardi + full off-season training/training camp, could be useful. Connolly, well, gotta think he has a better year and both those guys are going into contract years...
- gravyface

Still, neither is good enough to be considered (or should be) in the top 3 lines.

Lupul-Kessel
JVR-Kulemin
Mac-Frattin
Kadri

I don't want either Lombardi or Connolly taking shifts from any of those wingers.

guess Augello didn't like Huddle getting over 500 hits - he posted a new blog

Still, neither is good enough to be considered (or should be) in the top 3 lines.

Lupul-Kessel
JVR-Kulemin
Mac-Frattin
Kadri

I don't want either Lombardi or Connolly taking shifts from any of those wingers.
- Big_Lightnin

Yeah, in my sheer boredom at work today I couldn't figure out any lines that made sense without moving like 3 or 4 bodies.

guess Augello didn't like Huddle getting over 500 hits - he posted a new blog
- Big_Lightnin

That's the first time Chud got so many hits... from begging 3rd tier journo's on twitter for advice to 500+ hits on FB... HE HAS ARRIVED!!!

dunno if it's already been posted, but TSN has vid of the Biggs-Broll fight, and interviews of both after.

I make my own in my pink bathtub. 1 quart of jizz, toasted hops, the tears of a gay clown.
- gravyface

only 1 quart? How do you stop it halfway through like that?

Burke: "not a remote possibility at all..." they go into camp with the roster they have now.

Poulin: "I've seen more trade activity at this time than I have in any other year I've been doing this".

So for the f'n haters out there, relax, grab a six of Schlitz Gay, and get your chillax on.
- gravyface

I honestly don't believe a word coming out of their mouths. Come Sept/Oct. that will have changed to "We kicked alot of tires but nothing made sense". Book it.

OK, BL, be prepared for another rant. Although this one isn't quite so white-hot angry.

Leafs fans seem to think that the Toskala/Blake for Giggy trade was a hands-down win for the Leafs.

The truth was, it was a pretty good trade for both teams, and the Ducks may have actually won it.

First off, throw out Toskala. He never played a single minute as a Duck, and they flipped him to Calgary for a ham sandwich.

So the Ducks took our problem: Jason Blake. $4 million cap hit, but the Ducks never had cap problems, so it's moot. Two years at $3 million in actual salary, plus the remainder of the 2009-10 season. And his numbers weren't spectacular, but they weren't that bad either for a guy making $3 million a year. Cut him some slack for getting injured this year (he was terrible after that).

And we got Giggy. Great that he started his Leafs career with two shut-outs, but he really wasn't very good after that. Maybe you can make the case that he was half decent in 2009-10, but wow was he ever terrible in 2010-11 - especially when they paid him $7 million.

So the Ducks got Jason Blake for 2.5 seasons of meh hockey, and paid less money than if they had kept Giggy for 1.5 seasons.

Sorry, Leafs Nation, but I think the Ducks won that trade.
- Atomic Wedgie

You just straight up couldn't be more wrong.

You just straight up couldn't be more wrong.
- maverickJ

Thanks for your incredible insight.

Thanks for your incredible insight.
- Atomic Wedgie

He's right.

Be amusing if something did in fact go down with the CBA that put a cap on the length of deals and Burke looks like a genius.
- weirdoh

Or the cap hit is tied to the actual dollars.

Burke would pretty much be handed another Executive of the Year Award.