Just Don't Pick Up Bertuzzi
Godd Till: Today the Leafs make it official. Hopefully Burke breaks the news by doing a run-in on tonight's Hotstove wearing a Clark jersey and choking out Al Strachan, then leaping onto the table and crotchchopping the camera repeatedly. Whether it's that or another Dick Peddie puppet show, they have finally landed another two-fisted hard-drinking Irishman to helm the franchise. The decision itself has been debated ad infinitum. I think both of us agree that this is on balance a good move, but that it's foolish to pass any judgments until he actually starts doing the job. So let's look at other angles. What do you hope Burke does between now and the end of the season?
Kim Jorn: Burke should be careful with Strachan. You never know when Al is going to sic C-Blatch on Burke's ass. What do I hope Burke does between now and the end of the season? The same as everyone else: gut this team, unload Kabs, Kubs, Toskala, Antro and Poni, noogie Damien Cox, and stockpile picks and prospects. If he can build a time-machine and pull of last winter's Kaberle for Carter trade, I'll be quite happy.
Godd Till: Carter and a 1st! That ship has sailed, unfortunately- if it ever was anything more than a Bruce Garrioch fever dream.
I'll get a little more specifc than you: I don't just want picks and prospects, I want Burke to do absolutely everything in his power to get the Leafs a top-two pick. The team needs a young offensive centerpiece to build around, complementing OLAS on the back end, and that is John Tavares.
I also want to see him give Pogge some competition (wouldn't it be awesome if we had another good goalie prospect?) by picking up a young goalie playing well that's blocked. Corey Schneider from Vancouver, Crawford or Niemi from Chicago - drafting goalies can be a crapshoot so I'd like to see a guy picked up who's at least been successful in the AHL.
I really want to see Grabovski, Kulemin, and Tlusty kept. I fear Jiri will be rushed out of town, just as he's been jerked around his entire career. Leave him on the Marlies this year and next to build his game and confidence. After all that, he'd still be just 22.
What do you fear from Burke? And what do you make of this?
When Burke was courting his wife, he sent her a box of fortune cookies with the fortune inside: "You are falling in love with Brian Burke," and later sent another batch that read: "You are going to marry Brian Burke."
Kim Jorn: I think that is fucking fantastic. I hope he sends a fortune cookie to Ray Shero that says "You will trade Evgeni Malkin to Brian Burke for Robbie Earl and Ryan Hollweg."
I think the Leafs are already doing everything in their power to get a top-two pick. Having said that, if Toskala tries to fuck everything up by playing like he did Thursday night for the rest of the season (or, at least until the end of February), I do have faith in Burke`s ability to manoeuvre up in the draft. Hopefully he ends up with something better than the Swedish cycling brothers for his efforts.
I don`t really fear anything from Burke. I grew up in the eighties and I lived through Brylcreem Jr.`s reign of error. It can only get better. Right?
Godd Till: It already has. There is an edge and urgency around the Leafs, on and off the ice, that is light years removed from the lethargy of the Brylcreem Interregnum. In one respect things are exactly the same as last year though - knowing there are going to be a whole lot of guys shipped out the door in the near future. In that spirit, lets' bring back last year's Blue and White Bargain Bin contest. Name five guys who will be gone by season's end. Winner gets a prize of nebulous value. My guesses:
Kaberle, Antropov, Ponikarovsky, White, Moore.
Kim Jorn: Kaberle, Antropov, Toskala, Kubina, Stempniak.
Considering that Burke is expected to shake things up right away, it might also be worth guessing who the first victim of the purge will be. Has to be a roster player.
Godd Till: Jason Blake removed from active duty and relegated to bartender in the GM box, making sure Brian has an never-ending supply of Burkequakes, which I have on good authority is a half finished Cheesequake from DQ, topped up with Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum.
Also - Anton Stralman for Nevada tickets and a deck of Craven As.
Kim Jorn: Jiri NSFW to Leksand for Jan Huokko.
Godd Till: There's an acquisition that would fill a hole.
Maybe we should wrap this up before it deteriorates any further. Blocheads, for your bingo entries and hopes and fears about the Cheesequake era, proceed to the comments!
Kim Jorn: Burke should be careful with Strachan. You never know when Al is going to sic C-Blatch on Burke's ass. What do I hope Burke does between now and the end of the season? The same as everyone else: gut this team, unload Kabs, Kubs, Toskala, Antro and Poni, noogie Damien Cox, and stockpile picks and prospects. If he can build a time-machine and pull of last winter's Kaberle for Carter trade, I'll be quite happy.
Godd Till: Carter and a 1st! That ship has sailed, unfortunately- if it ever was anything more than a Bruce Garrioch fever dream.
I'll get a little more specifc than you: I don't just want picks and prospects, I want Burke to do absolutely everything in his power to get the Leafs a top-two pick. The team needs a young offensive centerpiece to build around, complementing OLAS on the back end, and that is John Tavares.
I also want to see him give Pogge some competition (wouldn't it be awesome if we had another good goalie prospect?) by picking up a young goalie playing well that's blocked. Corey Schneider from Vancouver, Crawford or Niemi from Chicago - drafting goalies can be a crapshoot so I'd like to see a guy picked up who's at least been successful in the AHL.
I really want to see Grabovski, Kulemin, and Tlusty kept. I fear Jiri will be rushed out of town, just as he's been jerked around his entire career. Leave him on the Marlies this year and next to build his game and confidence. After all that, he'd still be just 22.
What do you fear from Burke? And what do you make of this?
When Burke was courting his wife, he sent her a box of fortune cookies with the fortune inside: "You are falling in love with Brian Burke," and later sent another batch that read: "You are going to marry Brian Burke."
Kim Jorn: I think that is fucking fantastic. I hope he sends a fortune cookie to Ray Shero that says "You will trade Evgeni Malkin to Brian Burke for Robbie Earl and Ryan Hollweg."
I think the Leafs are already doing everything in their power to get a top-two pick. Having said that, if Toskala tries to fuck everything up by playing like he did Thursday night for the rest of the season (or, at least until the end of February), I do have faith in Burke`s ability to manoeuvre up in the draft. Hopefully he ends up with something better than the Swedish cycling brothers for his efforts.
I don`t really fear anything from Burke. I grew up in the eighties and I lived through Brylcreem Jr.`s reign of error. It can only get better. Right?
Godd Till: It already has. There is an edge and urgency around the Leafs, on and off the ice, that is light years removed from the lethargy of the Brylcreem Interregnum. In one respect things are exactly the same as last year though - knowing there are going to be a whole lot of guys shipped out the door in the near future. In that spirit, lets' bring back last year's Blue and White Bargain Bin contest. Name five guys who will be gone by season's end. Winner gets a prize of nebulous value. My guesses:
Kaberle, Antropov, Ponikarovsky, White, Moore.
Kim Jorn: Kaberle, Antropov, Toskala, Kubina, Stempniak.
Considering that Burke is expected to shake things up right away, it might also be worth guessing who the first victim of the purge will be. Has to be a roster player.
Godd Till: Jason Blake removed from active duty and relegated to bartender in the GM box, making sure Brian has an never-ending supply of Burkequakes, which I have on good authority is a half finished Cheesequake from DQ, topped up with Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum.
Also - Anton Stralman for Nevada tickets and a deck of Craven As.
Kim Jorn: Jiri NSFW to Leksand for Jan Huokko.
Godd Till: There's an acquisition that would fill a hole.
Maybe we should wrap this up before it deteriorates any further. Blocheads, for your bingo entries and hopes and fears about the Cheesequake era, proceed to the comments!
Kabby =(
Antro =(
Hollweg =)
Mayers =|
Tlusty =(
goaltender prospect to try and snag
Dustin Tokarski from the Tampa system.
He has killer stats but The bolts don't seem interested in him at all.
Might be a steal
Quick thought. In terms of sheer assholery, who engaged in more assholeness over a 4-day period --
a) Stephen Harper, Thursday through Sunday
b) Damien Cox, the four days around JFJ's firing and Cliff's hiring
c) Daniel Alfredsson, Games 5, 6 and 7 vs Leafs in 2002
Obviously, Harper's assholery is the most consequential (especially compared to Damien's), but relatively speaking, who do you think wins?
I don't think gutting this team is easy. I figure that "the league of moneymaking gentlemen" that is the board wouldn't be too happy with too much roster incisions, as a total lack of experienced talent would make any rebound next season difficult and unlikely. Let's face it, I don't think the moneymakers would be too happy with a roster next season that would be the equivalent of Tonya Harding's interpretation of white trash on skates - in that it would try hard but ultimately suck in the end.
Toskala would be nice to move, in that he has value, but moving a keeper during the season is tough, mainly in that you have to find a team that has an injury at the position or one that has planned poorly for the season. Best time to move a keeper is once the season is finished I think.
You have to see Berger's blog today: basically Burke was signed, but he wasn't there, he heard it was nice. Didn't see the game (isn't that kindof his job?!), but heard it was OK.
But California is warm and has many weird natural phonomenon. That's what I got out of it, I swear...
Saw that, gnashings (welcome!). He also mentioned going to the Raptors-Lakers game. No word on whether the LEafs sat courtside while Working Class Howard kept it real in the nosebleeds...
DD2, I think Toskala is very movable- goalies get dealt every season. With Osgood looking cooked in Motown, there may be a deal there.
I think the moneymakers are going to have to deal. I don't see a Pittsburgh/Ottawa style tank fest in our future, though. I think Burke is more likely to try to move aggressively and rebuild the team on the fly.