French Collection

I say no. On the slight chance that he wants to be here and KA and company can see a fit for him, I hope it is a reduced role so he is not blocking anyone. To be honest, I would prefer Toews. Leadership, two way play, 4C on this team and NHL’s best faceoff man.

I don’t know if the average reporter, who votes on the award, will actually dive deeply into those fancy stats. To me it looks like 3 former winners, one with a generational offensive season. I think the first numbers they look at are points and then fine tune it from there. I think the NHL should add a Rod Langway award for the best defensive Dman, similar to the Selke for forwards.

Bob McKenzie’s top 12 is out. https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/plenty-of-intrigue-after-connor-bedard-in-bob-mckenzie-s-nhl-draft-lottery-edition-ranking-1.1956585

This is on point. A few things might line up for him to take it up a notch next year. His competitive juices will overflow. The team will improve, helping his numbers. His leadership role could be elevated. His contract status may be settled.

A contract like that indicates they are part of KA’s core. Thompson will be expected to carry a lot of the scoring load while Mule plays the Hjalmarsson like role. Dahlin and Power will be like Keith and Seabrook.

I think KA will add a Dman or two in the 4-6 range. A successful off season will be getting them closer to the 4 than the 6. The UFA pool has a few and KA has prospects, picks and a guy like VO to deal for another.

They are getting there. There is some talent on the conveyor belt, Savoie, Kulich, Rousek, Rosen, Östlund, Neuchev, Nadeau, Komarov, Cederqvist, Novikov…. The NHL talent on the team is still elevating while the prospect pool is deepening. I am often impatient in life but I see this version of the rebuild as having a real chance so I am giving it more time. KA needs to add from the outside, IMO, to plug a few holes and get a skillset or two they don’t have internally. I think a pivot in on ice leadership is needed. They don’t need to pin the C on an incoming guy but get a few guys who have playoff experience and a winning pedigree.

Fox got in because he is a former winner and his team made the playoffs.

This another reason I am willing to move on from KO and Girgs. They are great guys and have been instrumental in forming the culture but they have no playoff experience or winning at any level.

He definitely loves it on the island. Does he love it enough to cut his salary in half on what is likely his last contract?

NYI

This is the Leaf I can’t stand more than others. Nylander is a wonderful skater, puck handler and he has a good wrist shot. He is mostly a perimeter player and will circle around the O zone with lots of possession time but not generating much. He will sometimes sift into an opening for a good scoring chance. He avoids contact like the plague and rarely backchecks let alone block shots. He deserves to spend his entire career in Toronto making good money but winning nothing.

I was curious about a couple of recent cores of successful teams. Tampa’s run from 2018/19 to 2021/22 included 2 Cups, 3 Finals and a President’s Trophy. They had 9 guys play all four of those years. Non core guys they have kept are Killorn, Cirelli, Cernak and Sergachev. Chicago’s run of 3 Cups in 6 years had 8 guys there for the whole thing. Crawford wasn’t a factor in the first Cup while Sharp and Hjalmarsson are not really core players. I am surprised at how much roster churn there is in 4-6 year periods. Those two team’s cores were around 5 but some of the players not considered core were pretty darned important. Sharp was a good all round player and Hjalmarsson was an underrated shutdown D. When the Sabres hit contender status it will be interesting to see who remains and who gets moved. I’ll have to not get too attached to players.

They also said that the Leafs haven’t lost a game in Florida during these playoffs. Tampa Bay is in Florida but that is history.

One more loss and sweaters will get burned. Two more losses and calls to break up the core, fire everyone will be drowning everything out.

Next year.

I’m not opposed to picking him at 13 if they feel he is BPA. Craig Button was at the U18s and compared him to Tage Thompson. Part of the reason was he goes to UConn. He’s a big kid but not TNT sized. He’s more Tuch sized but doesn’t have that speed. Great numbers in the NCAA for a 17 year old. He did well at U18s 13 pts in 7 games. He was 5pts in 5 games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup a year ago. He will be one to watch at the World Juniors.

And no one can win draws anyway.

We have had rain every day for the last week. The weather has been really cool as well. The last of the snow that I plow into the field finally melted. Slow start to our spring. The golf season has not started yet, about two weeks behind the norm. As soon as it warms up the bugs will come out. There, it’s out of my system.

DG was the guy that went to bat for him so we’ll have to think he will find his game. I wonder if he can play net front on PP2, to change the look. I’m not sure if he has the hands for that role, he definitely has the size. I think his floor is 4th line defensive conscience with some good board work. His ceiling is 15G 25A?

Might as well go for the hat trick, Calder, Vezina and Conn Smythe.

Any Östlund sightings around Rochester?

I really want Levi to be a part of the core but he must earn that. I don’t know why it has to be a hard and fast number like 5 but my 5 are: Dahlin, Cozens, Thompson, Power and Tuch.

Clifton?

Blow Leafs Blow! Must lose and bring their fans back to reality.