Leafs acquire Van Reimsdyk; Ship out Schenn & Gustavsson

Two players who were promised to be future stars by Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke were sent packing from the lowly NHL club on June 23. Defenseman Luke Schenn was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for James Van Riemsdyk and the negotiating rights to goalkeeper Jonas Gustavsson were shipped off to the Winnipeg Jets in return for a seventh-round pick in next year’s entry draft.

Meet the Newest Leaf: Morgan Rielly

The Toronto Maple Leafs chose to add some depth to their blueline Friday night at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center, as they selected 6'0", 190 pound 18 year old defenseman Morgan Rielly with their fifth pick in the opening round of the 2012 NHL Draft.

On The Leafs Goaltending Situation

Since the end of the regular season we have already seen some significant player movement, with two notable netminders already switching cities in Anders Lindback and possibly the most desirable offseason option in Tomas Vokoun.  As well as the most recently resign UFA in Josh Harding.  All of a sudden, the list of available UFA options and trade targets between the pipes is significantly shortened heading into the draft this weekend.  So, where does that leave the Toronto Maple Leafs?

The Rick Nash Sweepstakes: Leafs, Rangers, Hurricanes in the mix

Barring a Don Draper-level sales pitch from John Davidson, should he eventually join the Blue Jackets organization, Rick Nash is likely in his last weeks with the franchise.  The NHL Draft next week in Pittsburgh will be the first round of auctioneering; and should there be a need for a second, it’ll be during the Free Agent Frenzy the following weekend.  Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reported on Friday that talks were heating up between Jackets GM Scott Howson and a few of Nash’s suitors:

Are the Toronto Maple Leafs About to Make a Major Trade?

Leafs GM Brian Burke recently was a guest on the fan590 Prime Time Sports, and On ESPN, and was very candid in response to questions if he was close to making a significant deal. "We are listening to a lot right now, and there is a good chance something will happen…" Burke said. “Am I done making deals…the answer is no. If I can improve this team tomorrow, I’m gonna make a deal tomorrow that improves it”.

Don't worry, Be happy

Brodi Craddock - Leaf Blogger, hockeytracker.net

After escaping a notoriously tough November above the ever-important .500 mark, the Toronto Maple Leafs have ran out of steam in December winning only 2 of their last 8 games. A free-falling penalty kill combined with various injuries and sub-par goaltending have relegated the Leafs to 7th place in the Eastern conference with two games remaining before the Christmas break. A familiar sense of despair is slowly beginning to creep over Leafs Nation, but as the voice of reason in an ever-apprehensive rabble of supporters, I assure you that your fears are misguided.

15 Thoughts on The Toronto Maple Leafs

Image by Peter Harling

By Peter Harling

1. Jake Gardiner continues to climb the team’s depth chart. In the month of December he is second overall in team average ice time with 23:30 per game. In 27 games he has 8 points, all assists, and has an even plus/minus.

2. The Leafs are undefeated when going into the third period with a lead.

Reinforcements have arrived

Brodi Craddock - Leaf writer for Hockeytracker.net

Whats especially impressive about the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2-2 record to kick off this season is that they've managed to win, on most nights, without the help of players who were thought to be key's to the teams success. Tim Connolly, the newly appointed starting pivot, has yet to suit up. MacArthur, who led the Leafs in points last season missed two games due to suspension while Bozak and Armstrong have both already missed multiple games.

Veiled success and thoughts on the first 6

Brodi Craddock- Leaf writer for Hockeytracker.net

If the first six games of the 2011-2012 season have reminded us of anything, it's that this town will always find reasons to doubt it's team even when it's off to one of it's best starts in 15 years. All I'm saying is if Steven Stamkos were lighting up the league and Tampa Bay were off to a hot start, no one for would for one second stop to question why Stamkos was carrying so much of the offensive load. Rather, the media would praise Tampa Bay for fact that they have star players who are able to steal games for them. Anyone else notice the contradiction here in Toronto?

Devils battling minor injuries; the future of Devils goaltending



Adam Larsson has played big minutes for the Devils,
despite having only played 4 NHL games.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2011/10/devils_rookie_adam_larsson_sid.html

 The 3-1-0 New Jersey Devils have won three consecutive games since dropping their Opening Night contest, 3-0 to Philadelphia.  In the process, rookie defenseman and 2011 fourth overall draft pick Adam Larsson has received big minutes.  According to hockeyreference.com, Larsson is averaging 24:14 of ice-time per game through four games.  He was struck in his leg during a practice and missed an additional practice session following the team's recent victory in Nashville.  Larsson returned to practice today.

Five Potential Trades for the Toronto Maple Leafs

By Peter Harling

After the Toronto Maple leafs failed to qualify for the playoffs last season general manager Brian Burke declared the team would address the need for a number one center and the desire to add a “super star player” over the off season.

Leafs depth chart

By Brodi Craddock
With training camp still several weeks away and the Leafs opening night roster all but set in stone, Leaf fans await in bewildered anticipation the game of musical chairs that has come to be known as a depth chart. While there are some plausible projections out there that generally indicate the organization's best players based on position, this years pre-season depth chart is sure to be written in pencil.

Fantasy Analysis: 10 Rookies/Prospects Ready to Breakout for 2011-2012

Looking for sleeper picks in your upcoming fantasy draft or interested in who to look for as possible up-and-comers next season?  You've come to the right place.  After hours of statistical analysis, I have compiled a top-10 list (featuring video evidence) of rookies/prospects who are likely to breakout next season as bonafide NHLers or even superstars.

For the purposes of this article:
Eligible players must have played two NHL seasons or less (of more than 5 Games Played)

New Acquisitions, Same Old Questions

An exciting two weeks in hockey's mecca have left us with a number of important questions heading into the upcoming season. The auspicious signing of shifty centre and longtime Leaf killer Tim Connolly (More points vs Toronto than any other team) and the astute transaction that brought promising defenceman Cody Franson and underrated pivot Matt Lombardi to Toronto present interesting options to Leaf management. With a number of players still unsigned and another trade possibly in the works, does this off-season suddenly become much more significant than we all originally thought? Though there hasn't yet been any major moves, sometimes it's the minor acquisitions and the trades that aren't made that can really define the team's success.

Plenty of Burke to be done (Offseason preview part 1: The Draft)

With the NHL awards now concluded, the true offseason begins and it's all but certain to be one of massive consequence to Brian Burke and the Maple Leafs. His first two years behind the helm consisted of forming his core group, which at this point appears to be Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn, Phil Kessel, James Reimer and Nikolai Kulemin (interestingly, only two of these players are Burke acquisitions). But now comes the critical moment of finding the perfect complimentary pieces to his group and of course, the elusive component that all contending teams have: a number 1 centre. Does Burke make a blockbuster trade on draft day, enter into the Brad Richards sweepstakes, or take the conservative route and use all his picks?

Leafs Options at Centre

By: Brodi Craddock

The combination of the 2011 playoffs and the bitter feeling of our club being at it's lowest point in it's storied franchise(6 seasons 0 playoff appearances) has turned the Leaf's stellar play after the all-star break into old news.  In general, there's just not really much to talk about regarding the Leafs, especially since it's unlikely we'll see a demolition of the current 23 man roster this summer. The draft will provide a quick fix for the unquenchable thirst this fanbase has for all things Leafs, but the main question on a Leaf fan's mind must surely be "Will this be the summer we figure out a number one centre?".

Building Blocks up Front

By: Brodi Craddock

Toronto has been for some time challenged for talent up front. Since the departure of Mats Sundin there have been no all-star quality forwards in the line-up. Yes, Kessel did technically participate in the All-Star game, but he is not yet an elite forward in the sense that he doesn't control or impact the game on a regular basis. Kessel is clearly a work in progress, and the only forward on the team we can pretty much guarentee will be playing here for some time. The question is, which other forwards in the organization will still be playing here in 2 or 3 years time?

A Few Thoughts on the Team and the Deadline

By: Brodi Craddock

With the Leafs slowly but surely removing the gap between themselves and the eighth and final playoff spot, the team seems to have found it's stride and despite several key losses, is showing a lot of character in it's seemingly hopeless bit for a playoff berth. Special teams, which have been a non-factor in most games for the Leafs are now finally starting to improve, which is a direct result of the team finally buying into Wilson's system (On the PK take away shooting and passing lanes, on the PP get shots through traffic from the point).