NHL 2007-2008 Season!

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There's even a petition to fire the President of MLSE, Richard Peddie!

http://www.gopetition.com/online/16331.html

I hope all Leafs fans will sign this, so we can get a good hockey man in charge of the Leafs, who can make the changes needed to turn the team around.

Where I think this starts is trading Sundin to a contender for a package of prospects and draft picks. We can always re-sign him July 1 if he really wants to come back. Any year where the playoffs aren't going to happen, then simply trade the UFA near the deadline and get some good prospects and draft picks to restock. The problem is that you need the right people in charge of doing this...

 

This morning, Jon Ferguson Junior was relieved of his duties as General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cliff Fletcher, once hailed as a genius, but at the end also unceremoniously dumped was named interim GM, and will join Richard Peddie and Lawyer Gord Kirk in finding a long term president and general manager.

It's a good step, and despite what people say, you can't simply "blow it up and start over". Fletcher has the experience to make the first moves that will start the reshaping process. With any luck, that could some day end the cup drought!

 

YES! The Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators, 4-2. Emery didn't look too good between the pipes, and they had little to no offence without Heatley and Alfredson. It bodes ill for the Senators with their playoff hopes...

 

I wouldn't count Ottawa out yet. Alfredson and Heatley will be back and you can be sure that Ottawa will pick up once that happens. Emery does seem to be doing his best to lose his job. Gerber has been having a bit of a cold streak going but that happens from time to time during a season.

I just hope that the Leafs can manage to trade away some of their high salary underperformers. It really does seem that the salary cap has cut down a lot of teh ability to do this but hopefully someone will want these guys.

 

Tonight was a train wreck. Florida, 13th in the Eastern conference, beath the Leafs 8-0. Ah well, February 26th, I'll be seated in front of a TV watching the Trade Deadline coverage...

 

First, the lighter news: The Leafs have rebounded fromt hat train wreck by beating long time rivals and current top teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. They still are too far back to make the playoffs, so Trader Cliff will have a ton of work to do for the deadline. I'll be watching the coverage on Feb 26 to see what happens...

Now for something more serious: Florida Panthers forward, Richard Zednik was accidentally struck in the throat with the skate of one of his teammates. He was taken to a local hospital for emergency surgery, but is stabilized. The game was put on hold until word was received that he was stable, and they played the last 10 minutes of the game. Buffalo Sabres coach, Lindy Ruff expressed his relief that Zednik would be okay.

 

I saw the replays on TV, it looked awful with all the blood on the ice. It reminds me of the Canucks' Kevin Bieska's leg getting lacerated by Sami Salo's skate blade way back in October... except more serious since this happened on the neck. I hope Zednik is alright.

 

He is still in the ICU in a Buffalo Hospital, but is stable. The blade caught his caratid artery...

 

I went and opened the TSN website last night and there on the home page was a nice big picture of Zednik showing off his neck and I must say that it is enough to send a shiver up your spine.

 

So the Penguins have remained strong even missing Sid. My only hope is that when he comes back, that instead of thinking "Oh Sids, back now we can take is easy" and everyone kind of lets up that the rest continue to play like they are and Sid comes in and plays at his level. The East should be ours no problem then.

 

The Pens do look like a dominant team, Malkin has taken over the league points lead. They could do some real damage in the playoffs...

Meanwhile in Toronto, Trade rumours continue to circulate involving Mats Sundin and now Brian McCabe. There are clauses in two of the No Trade contracts that allow the Leafs to freely move Kubina this summer, and Kaberle in 2009 if they again miss the playoffs. Sundin to Anaheim is a rumour that won't go away and the possibility of getting 2 top 10 picks in the Entry draft this year is feuling optimism in Leaf Land...

 

Peter Forsberg signed with Colorado again. One moment he says he wasn't going to make a comeback, and then here he is!

 

Kind of surprised me too. If the Avs make the playoffs, then nobody will breathe easy.

Meanwhile the Leafs embarrassed the Senators again tonight. Even though they need to tank, I can't help but enjoy watching a division Rival get smoked.

Their big 5 (Sundin, Tucker, Kaberle, McCabe and Kubina) would not waive their no trade clauses, so I don't expect much action out of Toronto tomorrow. But I will be up to watch as much of the 10 hours of coverage that the big 3 sports networks are offering to cover the Trade deadline. Look for some opinions tomorrow night...

 

The Deadline was today, with 25 trades. Hossa is in Pittsburgh, Campbell is in San Jose, Brad Richards is in Dallas. The Leafs offloaded two UFA and another big defenceman and brought in 4 draft picks. An interesting day, but let's see what real impact this makes...

 

I thought the Hossa trade was better for Atlanta. Pittsburgh already had two good scoring lines, they've just made there top line even scarier. Atlanta added an entire second scoring line (if the prospect and draft pick work out) so opposing teams can't just focus on Kovalchuk anymore.

Brad Richards trade I thought was quite even. Tampa got what they wanted - Smith is a good goalie, Halpern is a checking center and Jussi Jokinen is a shootout specialist. Dallas can now build two great lines with Modano, Morrow, Richards, Lehtinen, Hagman and Ribeiro.

The only move the Canucks made was a salary dump of Cooke. The media here sounds bitter about it because he was in the organization for 9 years and a fan favourite, but I agree with the trade. We have other players that can do his job for less money, and the guy we got back MIGHT develop into a scorer (he did score 20 goals once), which is what we need.

 

Looking at the expected 8, I like Pittsburgh to come out of the East.

Ottawa, after firing John Paddock will struggle because they have a mediochre goalie in Gerber, and a sideshow in Emery. They have one Offensive line. About the best thing they have is a top four defence that's best in the conference.

New Jersey has Brodeur. Beyond that, for them to make noise, someone has to step up and make their name.

About the only team in the South East that has any chance in the playoffs would be Washington now that they have Huet. I would love to see Ovechkin on that big a stage. Anyone else will loose embarrassingly in the first round.

Montreal needs to win the division or else they would see Pittsburgh in the first round. I just don't think that Price or Halak would last in four to seven games with Sid the Kid, Malkin and the rest of the offensive Juggernaut.

The Rangers don't impress me, The Sabres are too depleated and the Bruins are over achievers. Philly will be on the outside looking in...

 

Detroit is really struggling without Lidstrom, Rafalski and Chelios, going 1-7-2 in their last ten games. They look a lot like Ottawa right now.

Dallas is looking like the best in the west on paper now. Great defense and goaltending, 2 solid scoring lines.

Anaheim is probably the runner up. They signed free agents in case Selanne and Niedermeyer chose to retire, and hey they're both back! The team is almost the same as last year's with some replacements.

The other 5 playoff spots are chased by 7 teams. I think San Jose, Colorado, Calgary, Minnesota and Vancouver with squeeze in past Nashville and Phoenix. Colorado just buffed up from trades, so they could be scary. San Jose and Calgary both have potential for second line scoring, but Marleau and Tanguay haven't been having a good year. Minny and Vancouver can only hope to grab the lead and hold it for the game.

 

I just couldn't stop laughing when I heard that Hossa was injured in his first game with the Penguins. I know that he is only expected to be out for a week or two but, considering how much the Penguins gave up to land him as a rental player, it has to hurt.

Still, with Hossa and Crosby due back in plenty of time for the playoffs you have to like them for the East.

For the West I wouldn't count Detroit out but I do agree that Anaheim and Dallas look like the favourites at this time.

 

The Media still won't pronounce the Leafs truly eliminated, and the opinion is split on whether they could sneak into the playoffs. Nobody from the club will hear suggestions that tanking is in their best interests...

 

Speaking of injuries, Colorado lost Ryan Smyth and Svatos in one game. More pressure on Forsberg to come back productively I guess.