I really think he can be a 1st line centre if they want him to. This guy doesn't shy away from challenges and he can take and dish some out. If he played with Kessel and Lupul then opponents will have hard time shutting that line down because Grabo and Lupul can hit and all 3 can control the puck and are an absolute threat on their own. So if we can't find that 1st line centre then keep Bozak there but not Connolly. - TML4Life85
Not big enough to compete against the top D pairings in the league night after night.
... see what is happening to Kessel and Lupul now. The grind is getting to them.
I believe Boyce is the only injury remaining. - Juice
Boyce wasn't originally in the line-up though, so I think they are officially healthy with the team they wanted to start with at the beginning of the season.
Let's say the cap is going to stay the same... The Leafs will have just over $11 million to re-sign Grrabovski (UFA), Crabb (UFA), Boyce (RFA), Franson (RFA), Aulie (RFA) and Gustavsson (UFA). I guess you prioritize them, and sign them as you can:
...and you try your hardest to move guys like Connolly, Lombardi, Armstrong, McArthur and Komisarek and replace them with younger cheaper options like Kadri, Frattin, Holzer, Aulie.
The next month or two should determine whether they need to go hard after a goalie in the summer too.
... the evidence is starting to mount - GoneFullRetard
Doesn't matter anyways, the way things are going unfortunately the Kessel/Seguin debate will likely end with one of them getting a career ending concuss....er I mean soft tissue injury.
Location: "There are a few posters who a Joined: 12.06.2007
Feb 1 @ 1:31 PM ET
I think the next 2 years will tell the tale in that trade comparison. - leafs93
Meh...maybe. In the end it all depends on the team around both players.
People see Boston doing so well and whether they admit it or not, that kinda adds to the advantage they're giving Seguin in the comparison. Kessel doesn't stand a chance if it's going to go that way.
People make the comment of "Seguin won a cup in his first year" as if that puts the scale in his favour. Last I checked Tim Thomas, Chara, Lucic (in the second half of the playoffs), Ference, Marchand played a significantly bigger role then Seguin did in the cup win.
Kaberle won a cup with them too...does that make him a better dman then Phil Housley, Brad Park or Borje Salming? Obviously not.
The other thing about last night, the Leafs speed was great but the way Malkin played at the end was amazing.
He wasn't doing it with speed, he was calculating in his play and setting up great plays.
Sometimes, only sometimes though, I wish the Leafs could slow it down a little and be more calculating. I think they go too fast for themselves at times. Like the Lombo empty net and Kessel OT almost empty net chances. - leafs93
Malkin is a special case. He's gets over shadowed in Pittsburgh because of Crosby...and when Crosby is playing and healthy, rightfully so. But on ANY team in the NHL, Malkin is EASILY a franchise player. The fact that Pittsburgh has 2 franchise players, PLUS a franchise goalie, PLUS some very good players and great role players is just ridiculous.
Even Seguin's play to date doesn't prove anything. Even if he was first overall wouldn't prove anything.
Daigle says hello too. - leafs93
Prove ...no. Regret ...in hindsight, yes. I'm on the record as saying I would have made the deal at that point in time. Two Kadri's and a Knight for Kessel .....any day of the week. The problem was Toskola and the Leafs were far worse then anybody not named Uggie would have predicted.
Well, you were being facetious with your post of course.
Seguin is close to Kessel in points already and could very well pass him since Kessel is in free fall mode again.
... and this is Kessel's best year ever, and Seguin's first full year?
Then you throw in arguably the best D in junior hockey right now.
Yeah, the deal was not good. It wasn't Gomez bad, or Lupul/Gardiner Bad, or Phaneuf bad... but it was bad.
I think the only reason Burke isn'ton the chopping block is we were on the winning end of 2 of those 4 horrible trades... 3 if you want to include Franson as part of the Lombardi salary dump.
... and I was on record as hating the deal from moment one. The reasoning was simple, it was trading away future for the present when we had zero shot at anything significant in the present.
The whole philosophy was typical Leafs BS... Burke was just trying to squeak into the playoffs.
What I can't understand is how come the Kessel deal seems to be the gold standard for bad trades and is endlessly discussed.
Even over the Gomez trade? Outside of Montreal fans, everyone else seems to give the Habs a pass on that one. McDonaugh is like top 2 or 3D averaging 25+ min/night and the Habs got 5 years worth of 7+ million and the guy hasn't scored in a year almost... and is single digit points this year.
yes, I would rather have Seguin + Hamilton + Knight than Kessel... every day, but at least there is a discussion and an arguement to be made there (sort of).
The habs lost that deal in a HUGE way AND screwed themselves cap-wise for as long as his contract. - GoneFullRetard
Kessel deal is mentioned because it's a debatable topic still and will be for a long time in the future.
The gomez deal was a failure from the get go....and nobody (not even one hab fan) will ever debate it.
Location: "There are a few posters who a Joined: 12.06.2007
Feb 1 @ 1:39 PM ET
Well, you were being facetious with your post of course.
Seguin is close to Kessel in points already and could very well pass him since Kessel is in free fall mode again.
... and this is Kessel's best year ever, and Seguin's first full year?
Then you throw in arguably the best D in junior hockey right now.
Yeah, the deal was not good. It wasn't Gomez bad, or Lupul Bad, or Phaneuf bad... but it was bad. - GoneFullRetard
Don't get me wrong. In hindsight I wouldn't have made the deal.
I do think if you put a crappy goalie behind Seguin, he has to play a different style of game and absolutely has less points then he has right now.
It's not that I think the Leafs got the better deal, cause I don't. I just think the anti-Leafs are so excited to rip the deal apart and make fun of the leafs that they're letting every tiny little thing make them click on the "" symbol a little too easily.
EDIT: And I will NEVER understand why Burke would not have lottery protected the pick(s). If that topic didn't even come up because he was too busy being cocky...that's f'ing garbage.
Location: Burke: Best part of today is I Joined: 01.21.2010
Feb 1 @ 1:40 PM ET
Well, you were being facetious with your post of course.
Seguin is close to Kessel in points already and could very well pass him since Kessel is in free fall mode again.
... and this is Kessel's best year ever, and Seguin's first full year?
Then you throw in arguably the best D in junior hockey right now.
Yeah, the deal was not good. It wasn't Gomez bad, or Lupul Bad, or Phaneuf bad... but it was bad. - GoneFullRetard
Wrong Wrong Wrong......... Seguin plays on the best team in hockey...... HUGE advantage right now. Best D in junior hockey doesn't amount to anything in the NHL right now does it?? Until he plays a couple of years in the NHL, he is strictly a PROSCPECT......... nothing more.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush...... Prospects prospects, draft picks........ they are all a crap shoot
Location: Big Vin Dog... Ya Damn Straigh, ON Joined: 04.13.2011
Feb 1 @ 1:40 PM ET
Well, you were being facetious with your post of course.
Seguin is close to Kessel in points already and could very well pass him since Kessel is in free fall mode again.
... and this is Kessel's best year ever, and Seguin's first full year?
Then you throw in arguably the best D in junior hockey right now.
Yeah, the deal was not good. It wasn't Gomez bad, or Lupul Bad, or Phaneuf bad... but it was bad. - GoneFullRetard
The only true test of this deal really, would be if Seguin was surrounded by the same talent level that Kessel was for the most part. If Seguin came here, is he leadin the Leafs in points and carrying the team's offence essentially? Would he have the numbers he has in Boston here in TO?
Kessel has shown he can be better when surrounded by good talent. Which would lead anyone to speculate, that with the right type of #1C he could hit even higher point totals.
" symbol a little too easily.
