The Leaf Blog

Should Burke Acquire Marc Savard? The Why/Why Not

Superstar playmaker Marc Savard apparently doesn't fit into the plans of the Boston Bruins, and he's reportedly agreed to accept a trade involving the Ottawa Senators or Toronto Maple Leafs. Here is a player the Leafs could really use. As of this moment, ...

Why Tomas Kaberle To New Jersey Won’t Happen

Reports have surfaced indicating that Lou Lamoriello has significant interest in acquiring Tomas Kaberle. Positive for Brian Burke is that the Devils are one of several teams believed to be interested in the 32-year-old Czech blueliner. The bidding war for ...

Optimist/Pessimist Debate: Toronto’s Offensive Saviour

Leaf fans of opposite attitudes duke it out below... Pessimist: So... have you looked at the upcoming free agent crop lately? Optimist: Despite my attitudes, I will be the first to admit there are very few forwards on that list that should be of ...

Tomas Kaberle Trade Ideas For Brian Burke To Ponder

You're Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke, sitting there in your office, staring at a plaqued black and white photograph of George Armstrong hoisting the Stanley Cup, and you realize that your rendition of the Maple Leafs aren't about to share that glory. Looking ...

Leaf Draftees Excel In World Junior Championships

With the Leafs sitting comfortably out of the playoff picture and hope quickly dwindling, fans can take consolation in two future Leaf staples who took part in the World Juniors. Nasty Nazem With time ticking away in the third period of the gold medal ...

The Leaf Blog: The Shortcomings of Phil Kessel

Now over 20 games into his Leaf career, Torontonians have enough of a sample size to properly judge Phil Kessel. Since his first game in which he peppered the goal with 10 shots, it was clear the kid had talent. It was also clear that he "just loves to play ...

The Leaf Blog: Olympic Hopefuls Aplenty In Leaf Land

There were three Maple Leafs at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Tomas Kaberle for the Czechs, Bryan McCabe for the Canadians, and Mats Sundin for the Swedes. Kaberle was his smooth self, McCabe was embarrassingly out of place, and Captain Mats captured ...

Jiri TLoose-Leaf-Tea Gone, Paradis Brought Aboard

Brian Burke is bold, he's decisive, and he just traded away Jiri Tlusty. We don't yet know Burke's reasoning behind the deal, but we do know for certain that at some point in the next year we will see a Toronto newspaper headline that reads, "Trouble In ...

The Leaf Blog: Moore Money, Moore Problems

If Brian Burke were a witness to any of the Maple Leafs' 07-08 season, in all of its misery, he would have noted that Jason Blake never found his offensive stride. Blake was brought in to provide some scoring punch to the top line wing position, but ...

The Leaf Blog: Updates On Some Notable Prospects

Here's a brief update of some notable Leaf prospects: A Kadr-eam Come True? Leaf fans should really be keeping an eye on Nazem Kadri, considering he is the franchise's only non-professional first round pick developing anywhere in junior hockey. It's ...

The Leaf Blog: Situa-Schenn Brewing On The Blueline

Maybe it's time to start campaigning for Luke Schenn to be an All-Star this year. An AHL All-Star. As Schenn supporters react hastily to this suggestion, they should understand that there is a strong case to be made for Schenn to be demoted, as his ...

The Leaf Blog: The Optimist & Pessimist Debate

The following are selected snippets from an imaginary staged debate between a glass-half-full Leafs Optimist, and a sour-hearted "this ship is sinking/sunken" Leafs Pessimist... Optimist says: Ron Wilson will get the troops out of this, he's an old pro, ...

The Leaf Blog: Kessel Deal Makes The Losses Sting

The Leafs didn't promise a post-season birth last year, nor did they really aspire to one -- this was clear from the beginning. There were bright points in the rebuilding year, with the emergence of Schenn, Grabovski, and Ian White's mustache. And when the ...

The Leaf Blog: Vesa vs. Jonas, A Familiar Situation…

The general feeling in Toronto right now seems to be that Jonas Gustavsson is the next Terry Sawchuk. Also, that Vesa Toskala is the next Andrew Raycroft. Ron Wilson continues to promote Toronto's goaltending depth as a potential catalyst for a Vesa ...

The Leaf Blog: Nasty Nazem Makes His Case vs. Penguins

We all saw it. The kid has such a swagger, that you knew Nazem had something up his sleeve in the shootout. 44 dekes and one Datsyukian backhand-forehand later, he had the ACC erupting, and Ron Wilson knowing how much tougher it will be to send this kid ...

The Leaf Blog: Thoughts On Pre-Season Game 1 vs. Boston

In the first glimpse of the Maple Leafs this pre-season, the three likeliest rookies stood out. For starters, let's get the obvious out of the way -- Tyler Bozak's shorthanded goal was an absolute beauty. It gives Leaf fans hope that the college standout ...

The Leaf Blog: 5 or 6 Rookies, But Where Will They Fit?

It wasn't something that just slipped out of Ron Wilson's mouth. No, because he made a point of repeating several times, that is, his intention to ice five or six rookies for the Maple Leafs this season. Rookie goaltender Jonas "Don't Call Me Monster" ...

The Leaf Blog: Examining The Boyd Devereaux Effect

Some time in 2008, Brayden Schenn's name appeared on the ISS top ten for the first time. Minutes later, hordes of Leaf fans were campaigning for Toronto to draft him. The fit seemed natural, for the rebuilding buds to structure their franchise around a ...

The Leaf Blog: What Might Burkie Be Up To Now?

All the head-scratching that Leaf fans have been doing as a result of the Anton Stralman deal might have reason to cease. Brian Burke has made another move, and you get the feeling that this one will affect much more than the 2nd and 3rd round picks ...