Der Toronto Maple Leafs Thread

[AustroLeaf]

O'Neill hatte doch für zwei Jahre unterschrieben denke ich? Oder verdient er 2 Mio. pro Saison? Irgendwo war ein 2er ...

Der Fall McCabe wundert mich aber, anscheinend wird man sogar in Toronto gescheiter (mit 1 Saison Verzögerung) und erfüllt nicht mehr jeden Gehaltswunsch. So torgefährlich er auch ist, sein Plus/Minus ist negativ. Weiß man was er fordert? Bisher spielte er um ungefähr 2,5 Mio. pro Saison wenn ich mich richtig erinnere.

Elias und Bertuzzi würden einiges an Erfahrung bringen, mehr als Gerüchte sind das nicht oder? Fein wäre halt wenn Sundin jemand an seiner Seite hätte mit dem er sich ergänzen könnte und nicht die ganze Last auf seinen Schultern verbliebe. Gary Roberts ...

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-) O'Neill ist sich nicht sicher, ob er nächste Saison überhaupt noch spielen will. Das ist unsere Chance

-) Caber verlangt Länge mal Breite. Hab die Zahl jetzt nicht im Kopf, aber erinnere mich, das mal gerüchtehalber gelesen zu haben. Er verlangt halt entsprechend seiner Tore- und Vorlagenstatistik, vernachlässigt aber, im Gegensatz zu einigen Herren in genau dieser Preiskategorie relativ konstant eher schlechte +/- Zahlen zu haben. Weiters hat er mit Tomas Kaberle wohl einen der besten Passgeber der Liga neben sich an der Blueline. Speziell im Powerplay für One-Timer extrem wertvoll.

-) Das über Elias hab ich von einer gewöhnlich SEHR gut informierten Hockey-Seite (spectorshockey.net), bei Bertuzzi träumen eher einige Fans davon. relativ klar scheint, daß Bertuzzis Zeit in Vancouver dem Ende zugeht und er überhaupt schauen sollte, aus der Western Conference rauszukommen. Zu viel Vergangenheitslast.

-) Aki Berg wird übrigens nach dieser Saison mit seiner Familie nach Finnland zurückkehren und dort spielen.

Die derzeitigen Veteranen weg, mehr Junge raufholen, Sundin halten, einen starken neuen Wing dazu, und Roberts&Nieuwendyk per Trade zurückholen (ein teurer Trade wäre es sicher nicht). Von kaum jemandem können die Jungs so viel über Einstellung, Leadership, Gewinnermentalität lernen wie von den zwei.

Als Roberts&Nieuwy in Toronto gespielt haben, hatten wir keinen einzigen Losing Streak, der auch nur annähernd so lange war wie die beiden von dieser Saison. Kein Zufall.

bearbeitet 18. April 2006 von AustroLeaf

[Lichtgestalt]

Toronto Maple Leafs - Pittsburgh Penguins 5:3 (2:0, 3:1, 0:2)

1:0 (9.) Pohl 3 (Sundin, Ponikarovsky)

2:0 (16.) Sundin 30 (Steen, Berg)

3:0 (24.) Sundin 31 (Pohl, Ponikarovsky)

4:0 (28.) Tucker 28 PP (Kaberle, Sundin)

5:0 (39.) Williams 1 (Richardson)

5:1 (39.) Crosby 39 (Armstrong, Hilbert)

5:2 (43.) Armstrong 16 PP (Crosby, Hilbert)

5:3 (44.) Malone 22 (Whitney, Boguniecki)

SOG: Leafs 32, Pens 33.

PIM: Leafs 31, Pens 14.

PP: Leafs 1/5, Pens 1/7.

-> Recap

[Lichtgestalt]

pat quinn ist geschichte:

LEAFS CAST FIRST STONE AT QUINN

TORONTO (CP) -- The Maple Leafs fired Pat Quinn on Thursday, freeing general manager John Ferguson to finally choose a coach of his own. The 63-year-old Quinn, who still had another year on his contract, leaves after seven seasons behind the Toronto bench.

"This change is as much about the future, and where we are going as an organization, as it is as much about what has transpired here," Ferguson told a news conference. Ferguson said a search for Quinn's successor would start immediately. The Leafs also fired Rick Ley, Quinn's longtime assistant coach, and said assistant Keith Acton would be offered another position within the organization. Ferguson said Quinn was not offered another job.

While Ferguson called Quinn "a consummate professional," he said he was looking for "a new voice, a new approach." Paul Maurice, a former Carolina coach who is now behind the bench of the AHL Toronto Marlies, is seen as a possible successor. The Leafs last won the Cup in 1967. Ferguson, who inherited Quinn as coach when he took over in August 2003, dismissed reports he and Quinn had been locked in a power struggle. "That's a media-created fiction. Our relationship was productive and professional."

Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, gave Ferguson a vote of confidence when asked whether the Leafs were looking to install a hockey supremo as they did by appointing Bryan Colangelo to run the NBA Raptors. "John's our top hockey guy," Peddie told Leafs TV after the announcement. Peddie said the Leafs are looking for a proven winner as coach. "Rookies need not apply," he said.

Quinn's last season was the most difficult, the 41-33-8 Leafs missing the post-season for the first time under his helm despite a late charge. It was only the second time in Quinn's stellar 19-year coaching career that he missed the playoffs. "We didn't achieve what we wanted to," said Ferguson, while insisting his team was competitive. Quinn got immediate support from Senators coach Bryan Murray. "I think he's an excellent coach," Murray said in Ottawa. "I don't think you get the opportunity to coach Team Canada in the Olympics and the chance to coach a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs for that number of years without being an excellent coach. I think you saw at the end of the year when he got the young guys playing, the team played very well. If he wants to coach further, somebody's going to get a heck of a coach."

Quinn has never won a Stanley Cup as head coach although he led the 1980 Philadelphia Flyers and '94 Vancouver Canucks to the final. He also coached Team Canada to Olympic gold in 2002 and the World Cup of Hockey championship in 2004. Overall, the Hamilton native went 300-222-52 with 26 shootout and overtime losses as Leafs coach, twice leading Toronto to the Eastern Conference final, losing to Buffalo in 1998-99 and Carolina 2001-02. He's fourth all-time in coaching victories with 657 behind Scotty Bowman (1,244), Al Arbour (781) and Dick Irvin (692). The Leafs finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, missing the final playoff spot by two points after a strong 9-1-2 run late in the year. It wasn't enough to save his job.

Quinn was named Toronto's 25th head coach in June 1998, inheriting a club that had missed the playoffs in successive seasons. It didn't take long for Quinn to make an impact. The Leafs set a club record for wins (45), they reached the conference final, and Quinn was runner-up for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1998-99. .

When he arrived from Vancouver after 11 seasons as GM and a few spells as coach, Quinn told Toronto reporters he was looking forward to just coaching with the Leafs. That lasted only one year. When Mike Smith left town in the summer of '99 after a power struggle with president Ken Dryden, Quinn stepped in and took over the GM job, more as a means of survival than his desire to take the job. Quinn kept the dual roles for four seasons until Ferguson's hiring.

In 1999-2000, Quinn led the Leafs to their first divisional title since 1962-63. The team once again tied a franchise record 45 wins. The Leafs finished third overall in the NHL standings in 2001-02 and reached the conference final. It was during that series loss to Carolina that Quinn had a health scare, as doctors discovered he suffered from heart arrhythmia (irregular heart beat). Quinn, 58 at the time, would drastically change his lifestyle overnight.

"All my life, I'd get up in the morning, grab a coffee and a cigar, jump in the car and go to the office or to the rink," Quinn said in a Reader's Digest interview a few years later. "I never had breakfast, and lunch would be some kind of fast food. By the time you get home at night you're starved. So I ate one big meal a day. I wasn't very active either. All that had to change. Now I have breakfast and start the day out right. I quit the cigars right away. The last one I smoked was on the morning I went into hospital in Toronto."

A slimmer and healthier looking Quinn kept on leading to the Leafs to winning seasons. The set club records for points (103) and road wins (23) in 2003-04 but the Leafs bowed out in the second round to Philadelphia.. His first few moves as GM weren't golden. He sent promising winger Fredrik Modin to Tampa in October 1999 in exchange for defenceman Cory Cross. The acquisition of forward Dmitri Khristich later that month forced the Leafs to open up a roster spot, which Quinn did by waiving young winger Steve Sullivan.

But there were some good ones, too, such as getting winger Darcy Tucker from Tampa, essentially for forward Mike Johnson, in February 2000. And acquiring defenceman Bryan McCabe from Chicago in October 2000 for blue-liner Alexander Karpovtsev - by far his best deal. Getting forwards Robert Reichel and Travis Green from Phoenix in June 2001 for defenceman Danny Markov was probably not a great move, but a few weeks later Quinn got winger Mikael Renberg for winger Sergei Berezin -- a clear victory.

His final blockbuster was acclaimed by Leaf fans at the time, star winger Owen Nolan coming to Toronto just before the trade deadline in March 2003 in exchange for centres Alyn McCauley and Brad Boyes and a first-round draft pick. It turned out to be a disaster but hindsight is 20-20. The Leafs had a contender in 2002-03 and the Nolan deal was the right move at the time.

Quinn was also successful on the free-agent front, Gary Roberts in July 2000, Alexander Mogilny in July 2001 and Ed Belfour in July 2002 his three most prominent signings.

-> sportsnet.ca

[Seppo Dramac]

JFJ trifft anscheinend keine Schuld und er darf so weitermachen ...

[AustroLeaf]

JFJ trifft anscheinend keine Schuld und er darf so weitermachen ...

1033160[/snapback]

Er war CEO Peddie's Idee, insofern würde er einen Fehler eingestehen, wenn er ihn wieder feuern würde. Daher ist das leider nicht zu erwarten.

[Lichtgestalt]

BERG NO LONGER A LEAF

Maple Leafs' fans won't have Aki Berg to kick around any more. The 28-year-old defenceman, often the target of derision at the Air Canada Centre, yesterday agreed to a three-year deal witn TPS Turku, the Finnish elite league team in his hometown.

"You can't predict everything that happens in the future but I don't think I'll be back in the NHL," said a buoyant Berg, when reached in Turku by telephone yesterday. "Family comes first and hockey after that and this is a family decision. I'm happy and everything is perfect." Berg has two children under the age of 4 and he wanted to raise them in the Finnish culture among long-time friends and extended family. He would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Leafs acquired Berg, drafted third overall by Los Angeles in 1995, from the Kings at the trade deadline in 2001 in exchange for Adam Mair and a second-round draft pick, which L.A. used to select Mike Cammalleri. The hope was that the 6-foot-3, 213-pound defender, only 23 at the time, could develop in to a hard-nosed, stay-at-home NHL defender. He showed flashes of it, particularly when playing for Finland on the world stage, but he was consistently no better than the fifth or sixth option on the Toronto blue line.

But love him or hate him — and there really was only one side of the equation for callers to the radio phone-in shows — he was a workhorse for the Leafs. In his four full seasons in Toronto, he never played less than 75 games. Injuries on the Toronto blue line showed the team has several good young prospects toiling in the minors and Berg's departure might, depending on what the Leafs do on the free agent market, open the door for one of them to gain fulltime employment. Carlo Coloaiacovo might also step in if he fully recovers from a concussion.

Another contender will likely be Karel Pilar. He's spent the last two seasons battling a heart ailment that prevented him from signing with the Leafs before the Dec. 1 deadline for Group II free agents. But the 28-year-old signed with HC Sparta Prague in mid-February and helped the team wrap up the league championship in the Czech Republic this week.

In 14 playoff games for Sparta, Pilar had three goals and three assists and was a plus-6. His North American agent Mark Stowe said Pilar's health concerns are no longer an issue. "He wants to come back (to the Leafs) if he can work out a deal," said Stowe. "He's always said the people in the Toronto organization treated him right."

Leafs' general manager John Ferguson said his expectation is that Pilar, who remains a restricted free agent, will be signed and at camp in the fall. "In due course, we'll get him over here, make sure he is fit and ready to play and go from there," said the GM. "Obviously he is playing. He's recovered and the reports have been good." Stowe said Pilar declined an opportunity to play for the Czechs at the upcoming world championship at Riga, Latvia, "just to make sure he's ready for next year."

Berg will play for Finland at Riga and said he will join the national team tomorrow. Berg declined to say what his contract with Turku will pay him. He conceded he likely would have made more on the open market in North America this summer but said, "it's not about the money."

Despite hearing the boos from the fans, he said he "loved" playing in Toronto and living in the city. "It's a great city. Playing there was unbelievable. It was a tough decision to leave," he said. "It wasn't something we decided overnight. We've been thinking about it for a long time."

-> Toronto Star

[Lichtgestalt]

"WE HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL" (Pat Quinns complete statement)

There have been a number of media requests for interviews over the past few days and I thought it best to respond in this way.

The team is moving in a new direction, and my departure should not distract in any way from the challenge facing the team and the organization, so a press gathering would not assist that process right now. It is also a time for personal privacy.

I will have tremendous memories of my eight years in Toronto.

Throughout my coaching career, the goal at every training camp, every year, was to win the Stanley Cup.

Despite two trips to the finals over the years, and other times making it to the "final four," that goal, for me, has not yet been achieved.

That does not, though, diminish the feelings I have about my seven seasons and eight years overall here in Toronto.

From the first season here in 1998-99 to this past season, I was genuinely optimistic every year, and believed we had teams that could advance and go a long way.

I leave now remembering especially that first season in 1998-99, also the spring of 2002 when we worked so hard to try and reach the finals, and the 2004 playoffs, when I felt in my heart we had something special here.

I believed in our group this past season, as well. While we did not achieve what we needed to, this group worked to deal with various obstacles, and I am proud of their efforts — especially their work in recent weeks when they overcame significant odds to almost attain a playoff berth after we dug a huge hole for ourselves.

It has been a wonderful time in Toronto, and I'd like to thank all those who worked with me over the years, from Steve Stavro and Larry Tanenbaum to Mike Smith, Ken Dryden, John Ferguson, Mike Penny, Bill Watters and Barry Trapp, Rick Ley, Keith Acton, Paul Dennis and the many special and talented individuals, including outstanding support and training staff, who worked with me side-by-side in the dressing room, the Leaf offices and behind the bench.

I would particularly like to express my high regard for Steve Stavro, who passed away over the weekend. Steve was a generous, caring individual, a genuine family man who had a passion for sports and the Maple Leafs.

There are too many players to mention, of course, individuals who gave everything they had for me and for the team and its great fans over these years.

Three players were here for my entire eight years. Mats (Sundin) was our great leader, Tie (Domi) played with so much heart, and Tomas (Kaberle) has developed into an outstanding all-around player.

There is no game without the players, and no victories for a team or its coach without loyal and talented individuals on the management, coaching and support staffs.

This is the best hockey city in the world. The fans are knowledgeable and passionate. The media follows the team so closely, and while a little overzealous for my liking at times, help make playing, coaching and working here a stimulating environment daily.

My passion for the game, for coaching, is as strong as ever. I will always appreciate the opportunity I've been given to work with Hockey Canada many times over the past decade. It was a particular privilege to be a part of the 2002 Olympic victory and the 2004 World Cup championship, as well as earlier World Championships Team Canada squads and the 2006 Olympic team in Turin.

There may be a time to talk about all this further, but for now I hope everyone understands that the focus should be on the team and the challenge that lies ahead. Thank you.

Pat Quinn

-> Toronto Star

[Lichtgestalt]

LEAFS POISED TO SIGN MAURICE

Ferguson looks to hire coach `sooner rather than later'

Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson would not come out and say it, but he appears poised to hire Paul Maurice as the team's 26th head coach, perhaps as early as this week. Ferguson acknowledged yesterday that he wants the process of hiring a coach completed, "sooner rather than later." Sources maintain, meanwhile, that Ferguson has not talked to any other candidates for the job and one source close to the situation maintains that the GM has already made up his mind on Maurice.

"I won't comment on any candidates," Ferguson said.

All that is left now is for the two to negotiate a deal and get approval from the board of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which could cause something of an unsettling front-office situation. Ferguson has only one year left on his deal with the organization and given that other teams will undoubtedly be interested in hiring Maurice, it's unlikely he'll accept a one-year deal.

But Ferguson is believed to be eager to get Maurice under contract for the head coaching job, largely because he will be offered jobs with other organizations this summer. The contract he signed with the Marlies last year gives him a window of 30 days, beginning June 1, to pursue other opportunities.

Regardless of the date, one GM said Maurice would be made aware that other teams have interest in hiring him. In fact, he has heard that other teams have already let it be known they want to speak to Maurice. "We all say there are rules against tampering," the GM said, "but what happens is a friend of a friend will call on behalf of somebody else and the next thing you know, the wheels are in motion."

-> Toronto Star

[AustroLeaf]

Angesichts der tollen Arbeit, die Paul Maurice mit den Leafs-Youngsters bei den Marlies geleistet hat, und auch seiner Bilanz bei den Carolina Hurricanes, wäre es höchst fahrlässig von JFJ, Maurice NICHT zum Head Coach der Maple Leafs zu befördern.

Und wenn, dann bitte noch möglichst bald vor der UFA-Deadline, dann kann Maurice da intensiv mitreden.

PS: No more Aki Night In Canada

[AustroLeaf]

MAURICE GETS LEAFS JOB

TORONTO (CP) - Paul Maurice was three months old when the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup.

He fully understands the challenge he's accepted as the 26th head coach in franchise history. Perhaps only after the Chicago Cubs, there isn't a fan base more hungry for a championship than in Toronto.

"In this market it's pretty simple, you win or lose and there's no grey area in there," the 39-year-old Maurice said Friday after being officially introduced at Air Canada Centre.

"You're judged every game here, shift by shift as a matter of fact."

The former Carolina Hurricanes head coach got a glimpse of what his future entailed last week while at home in Windsor, Ont.

"I'm walking in a mall and I have a guy from a wireless store yelling at me about the leadership of the club and who I should give an 'A' to," said Maurice. "And at that point I'm not even coach of the Leafs yet. So I have a sense this is a little bit different."

His hiring was hardly a surprise. He was next in line to replace Pat Quinn the moment GM John Ferguson hired him to coach the AHL's Toronto Marlies last year. While Ferguson did interview two other candidates - Marc Crawford and Andy Murray - Maurice was always destined to be his man.

"I did know from the day Paul was brought in here to coach the Marlies his capabilities as an NHL head coach," said Ferguson, who fired Quinn on April 20.

"He is the ideal candidate and far and away the best fit."

And he was in demand. Other NHL clubs called the Leafs wondering about Maurice but Ferguson wouldn't let them near him.

"I heard from a number of my peers throughout the league to that effect - and it wasn't solely limited to the last couple of weeks," said Ferguson.

The Vancouver Canucks, a source confirmed Friday, did not call about Maurice. Their coaching search continues.

Maurice said his contract with Toronto had a clause that gave the Leafs first crack at him in terms of an NHL job. And that was fine with him.

"In your heart, you have a place you want to be. I wanted to be here," said Maurice.

As first impressions go, Maurice passed with flying colours before a packed news conference. His sense of humour was on full display, something he'll need to count on during the tough times that may lay ahead.

This isn't Carolina, where only two or three reporters cover the team on a daily basis. Maurice will get 15-30 media every single day and get asked the same questions over and over again. His predecessor, Quinn, showed terrific patience with this aspect and Maurice will need to do the same.

Spending a year in this market as the AHL coach was a nice way for him to get acclimatized, even if his team didn't get that much attention.

On the ice, Maurice has a vision of a Leafs team that can skate and play in the new NHL much like Buffalo, Anaheim and San Jose.

"I think the game you're seeing now at the NHL level is far more up tempo. up pace. You see a lot more two-man forecheck, a more aggressive game," said the new coach.

"I believe that's the style of game that will best suit the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's something that we started playing with Marlies this past season."

Maurice guided the AHL team to a 41-29-4-6 record. But perhaps the greatest compliment to his coaching skills was how his young players performed when called up by the Leafs, players such as Jay Harrison, Ian White and Ben Ondrus. They did the little things well, a sign of well-coached and well-prepared players.

"He's a better coach today than he was a year ago," Ferguson said of Maurice. "This hiring is a critical and key step in positioning us back to where we need to be next season and beyond."

It's not clear at this point who Maurice will have as his assistants. Keith Acton was kept on board after the Quinn and Rick Ley firings, but it remains to be seen what his future holds.

"We're going to sit down with Keith and make a determination," said Ferguson. "We're going to discuss staffing at both levels."

Acton would be a good fit as the AHL head coach.

Link zum Artikel (Toronto Sun)

[AustroLeaf]

Auf die gute Nachricht eine schlechte:

MATS CONSIDERING PACKING IT IN?

Mats Sundin is selling his Forest Hill home and contemplating his future with the Maple Leafs.

This isn't just another real estate transaction.

There is more to this than a 'For Sale' sign.

There is the thought that the Leafs' best player is seriously considering retirement because of his disenchantment with the state of the hockey team.

In a Sundin kind of way, this is, for him, almost a public declaration: It's the only way he is comfortable communicating what he truly feels -- with subtext and mystery rather than words.

Sundin is home in Sweden now after a Florida vacation and unhappy with the Leafs, uncomfortable with the current management team and some aspects of ownership, truly wondering whether he wants to play again in the National Hockey League.

He hasn't asked to be traded. He won't ask. He may not want to play anywhere else. But the message remains: He is discouraged with the current Leafs team and may walk away from the game because of it.

Former Leafs player, Mike Walton, a close friend of Sundin's and also the listing real estate agent of his Dunvegan Rd., property, has been sworn to secrecy on Sundin's future.

"I've been instructed to say nothing," Walton said. "Everybody is calling and I'm saying nothing."

Sundin is 35 years old, with one year left on his Toronto contract, and finds himself further removed from the Stanley Cup than he has been at almost any of his 11 seasons with the Leafs. This past season was his most bittersweet as a professional -- the highlight being Olympic gold, the absolute low was a Leafs season that started with a serious eye injury and ended with the team just missing the playoffs.

The elation of one championship did not soften the hurt and disappointment of a Leafs season gone wrong.

Sundin's quiet contemplation is a further indictment of Leafs general manager John Ferguson, who is dancing as fast as he can on the job.

Sundin may, in fact, make a decision on his future prior to the July free agency date, thus leaving the possibility that he will leave the game before even seeing what this team may look like next season.

He expressed some of these views on a recent Florida vacation with former teammates Joe Nieuwendyk and Gary Roberts, who were stunned to hear his remarks about the Leafs.

The relationship between Sundin and Ferguson has been frosty at best. The only communication between the Maple Leafs and their captain during the NHL lockout -- when teams were banned from communicating with their players -- came about when Ferguson called to inquire if Sundin would be renewing his luxury box at the Air Canada Centre. Sundin told Ferguson to call his agent, J.P. Barry, for the answer.

The two didn't speak even casually at the time.

And after winning the gold medal at the Turin Olympics, the highlight of his hockey life, Sundin was informed by the Leafs that he would be deducted a day's pay if he didn't immediately return to practice with the Leafs.

By comparison, the Buffalo Sabres told veteran defenceman Teppo Numminen, who lost in the gold-medal game, to take his time before reporting back to the club after the Games.

Sundin was also not pleased when Ferguson let both Roberts and Nieuwendyk, two teammates he held in high regard, get away last summer, not pleased that the GM miscalculated the importance of character on the team.

Among the players Ferguson acquired to replace Roberts and Nieuwendyk were Jason Allison, Eric Lindros and Jeff O'Neill -- none of whom would be considered team leaders.

Some Leafs watchers already have mistakenly connected Sundin's house selling to the breakup with his longtime girl friend, Tina. But the time frame doesn't work. He broke up with Tina during the lockout and has since begun a serious relationship with another woman.

Sundin did admit to enjoying the lockout year off, away from hockey, and is financially set for life should he choose not to return to the NHL.

Link zum Artikel (Toronto Sun)

[AustroLeaf]

Die Leafs und Bryan McCabe haben sich scheinbar auf einen neuen 5-Jahres-Vertrag geeinigt, der angeblich zwischen 5,5 und 6 Millionen im Jahr liegt. (Bericht)

JFJ raus.

Kaberle bekommt 4,25 Millionen. McCabe ist damit der am drittbesten bezahlte Verteidiger der Liga. Nicht schlecht für den zweitbesten Verteidiger eines Nicht-Playoff-Teams. (No-trade clause versteht sich von selbst :aaarrrggghhh: )

Meinungen dazu:

McCabe isn't worth it (Damien Cox, Toronto Star)

McCabe deal makes sense (Al Strachan, Toronto Sun)

bearbeitet 3. Juni 2006 von AustroLeaf

[AustroLeaf]

Am ersten Tag des großen Buhlens um unrestricted free agents haben die Leafs ordentlich am Verteidigermarkt zugeschlagen:

Pavel Kubina, 29, wurde für 4 Jahre verpflichtet, Kostenpunkt 5 kühle Mille ($) pro Saison. Letztes Jahr kam er für die Tampa Bay Lightning auf 5 Tore und 33 Assists.

Hal Gill, 31 Jahre alt und 198cm groß, unterschrieb für 3 Jahre á 2,1 Mio. $. Gill, eher von der defensiven Sorte und mit 198 cm und ca. 115 kg ein fleischgewordenes Durchreisehindernis, kam letzte Saison bei den Boston Bruins (die mit Zdeno Chara seine bessere und teurere Version verpflichteten) auf 1 Tor, 9 Assists und 124 Strafminuten.

Tie Domi wurde endgültig mitgeteilt, daß die Leafs nicht mehr mit ihm planen. Domi wurde 1988 von den Leafs gedraftet, 1990 zu den Rangers gedealt und war seit 1995 wieder in blue and white aktiv.

Erwartungsgemäß wurde auch Goalie Ed Belfour aus seinem Vertrag herausgekauft (Kostenpunkt 1,5 Mio. $), zumal nach dem Trade für Andy Raycroft seine Position ohnehin ausreichend besetzt ist.

Und das Beste zum Schluß: Gary Roberts hat die Florida Panthers um einen Trade zu den Leafs gebeten; er möchte aus familiären Gründen wieder in Toronto leben. Zum täglichen Gebet, daß JFJ das nicht noch irgendwie versaut, ist aufgerufen.

--> Leafs take free-agent plunge

--> Bleeding stops for Tie

--> Roberts asks for trade to Leafs

bearbeitet 2. Juli 2006 von AustroLeaf

[pheips]

Meanwhile, it doesn't appear as though veteran winger Gary Roberts will get his wish. He had sought a trade back to Toronto to be with his teenage daughter, who will attend school in the city. Roberts, 40, has one year and $2.25 million remaining on the contract he signed with Florida before the 2005-06 season.

"The expectation is Gary will be back in a Panther outfit," Panthers GM Mike Keenan told reporters in Florida. "I don't know if (a deal with Toronto) is dead, but we're not making any progress, so I put it to rest as far as we're concerned. We don't want to do anything unless it improves our team."

[AustroLeaf]

Nik Antropov, mit einem neuen 1-Jahres-Vertrag ausgestattet, im Porträt.

Nik glad Leafs love him

Nik Antropov knows he should have been a much better player by now, a much better return on the first-round pick the Maple Leafs used more than eight years ago.

"It's not just injuries, it's not bad luck, it's ... I don't know," Antropov said yesterday. "I don't get the answers from myself as to what is going on. But I'm glad they still believe in me and give me the opportunity."

Antropov, 26, recently signed a one-year, $1-million US deal after deciding not to go to arbitration.

Since becoming an NHL regular in 1999-2000, the closest Antropov has come to playing 82 games was in 2002-03 when he appeared in 72 games.

Injuries and operations have been the norm, and when he has played, the results have not been great.

Though Antropov registered a respectable plus-13 with the Leafs last season, he endured various injuries again and had 12 goals and 19 assists in 57 games. And few would confuse the 6-foot-6, 230-pound native of Kazakhstan with the speedier players in the NHL.

Antropov's most prolific season was marked by 45 points in 2002-03, the same year he scored a career-best 16 goals.

Whether new Leafs coach Paul Maurice can extract more out of Antropov than Pat Quinn likely will be one of the biggest challenges facing Maurice this season.

"But Nik is not alone in that," Maurice said.

"As a group all the players have to do a little better. He won't be singled out in that way. When you're a first-round pick sometimes you are not allowed to be good -- you have to be great or you shouldn't be playing."

As much as everyone in the Leafs organization would like to stop wondering whether Antropov will one day live up to expectations, Antropov simply is anticipating getting guidance from someone other than Quinn.

It's not necessarily because Antropov disliked Quinn's methods -- after all, Quinn stuck with Antropov longer than others might have.

"I have been saying every single year before the season, yeah, I have to improve," Antropov said.

"The main concern is to stay healthy. It's why I am working out earlier than usual. I'm looking forward to playing under a new coach and hopefully it is a great season for me."