Alright well lets get right back into it with the Goalies. It seems pretty straight forward what Leaf Management are doing with their goaltenders this season. There are 6 goaltenders in camp with the biggest competition coming in the lower ranks of the organization
At the NHL level I think the story is pretty clear. Vesa Toskala is the guy, he is the Leafs only real impact player and the success they have this year will largely depend on how many games he is able to steal for the Leafs.
Backing up Toskala is the Leafs very own prodigal son, Curtis Joseph. He made a very costly misstep when he left the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2002, injury and drama ensued, he was never able to be the player he was in Toronto but it has all come full circle. Joseph is back for the farewell tour, he will be looked upon for leadership on an inexperienced team this year as he sails towards the horizon and a job off ice with the Leafs organization next season.
This is a make or break year for Justin Pogge, it will be his third as a pro and while he was not the best of the Marlie goaltenders last season he had a very respectable year. The Leafs are hoping that he can take it to the next level and step up and be that undisputed number one goalie for the Marlies this season. Unlike last year, Leaf Management expect Pogge will be in a position to be the number one call up for the Leafs in case of injury.
The real competition at the goaltending position is between a trio of goaltenders looking to be the guy to push Justin Pogge in the AHL. The Leafs rookie goaltenders Michael Ouzas and especially former Red Deer Rebel James Reimer will be fighting for a job with the Toronto Marlies. For insurance though the Leafs have invited minor pro veteran Adam Munro to camp to perhaps provide more stability in goal with the Marlies this season. Munro has 17 games NHL experience with the Blackhawks and has played over 100 pro games in the minor leagues. If Munro is able to earn a job with the Marlies it is likely that both Reimer and Ouzas will end up with the Leafs new ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals.
That is it for my Leaf training camp preview, I'll be updating the camp roster regularly on the sidebar and I'll be doing a season preview once the roster seems to be a bit more finalized once the pre-season is in full swing.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tackling the Training Camp: The Goalies
Tackling the Training Camp Roster: The Defence
Today I continue my preview of the Leafs training camp with a look at the group of defencemen the Leafs have invited to camp. The Leafs have a significant group of defencemen capable of playing a regular shift in the NHL. The biggest task for the Leafs brass this pre-season is to loosen that log jam on defence.
The Leafs defence core will once again be anchored by Tomas Kaberle. With the departure of Bryan McCabe, Kaberle will likely have fellow Czech Pavel Kubina running shotgun to start the year. Jeff Finger is all but assured a top 4 role given the contract he signed in the off season but the 3 remaining spots on the back end are up for grabs.
In addition to Kubina and Finger, the Leaf defence is saturated with right handed shooters this year, Van Ryn, White, Schenn and Stralman all shoot from the right and will have a shot at making the season opening roster. Those four players along with Carlo Colaiacovo, Jonas Frogren and Staffan Kronwall will be fighting for their NHL lives in camp but ultimately as many as three may miss out on being named to the season opening roster.
The most interesting name on the back end is obviously Luke Schenn, he's a steady, physical stay at home defenceman that started off rookie camp slow but got better with every game. With the depth the Leafs have on defence it is no question will have a hard time making the team out of camp. If he really shines in camp, a likely scenario for Schenn would be to star the season on the Leafs roster, get a few NHL games experience under his belt and then he could be sent back to Kelowna to finish his junior career. It will be nearly impossible for Schenn to make this team out of camp, Cliff Fletcher and Ron Wilson have pretty much said that in order for Schenn to make the team he must be one of the top 4 defencemen on the team. But even if that were to happen I'm not convinced they'd hand him a full time spot anyway. This is for a couple reasons, firstly it is simply a numbers game, the Leafs would lose an asset by keeping Schenn on the NHL squad and secondly, Schenn must be paired with an experienced NHL defenceman capable of taking Schenn under his wing. The Leafs currently don't have a guy like that. Kaberle and Kubina will be too busy eating big minutes and everyone else on the core has question marks floating over their head. It would not be in Schenn's best interest to enter a situation like this. They will send him back to junior, allow him to play in the World Junior Championships where he will likely wear a letter.
With Schenn out of the way for this season, there are likely 4 roster spots waiting to be claimed by the remaining 6 players. If Carlo Colaiacovo can finally put together a healthy season he will likely fit into the Leafs top four defensive roster spots. A Colaiacovo - Finger tandem is one that would hit hard and play a steady defensive game. This is the type of pairing we have not had in a long time and the team will certainly be better with those two playing a strong, physical style of hockey.
You can all but ensure that promising youngster Anton Stralman will make the team as they strive to get younger. With Stralman's inclusion it becomes a competition between Ian White, Mike Van Ryn, Staffan Kronwall and Jonas Frogren for the final 2 spots on the Leafs roster. I believe Van Ryn will be one of the guys to make the team. He is Cliff's reclamation project. We will likely see him moved at the deadline to a team looking to move over the top and until then we can not accurately judge the McCabe deal. Kronwall and White seem to be the two defencemen on the outside looking in. They are both capable of taking a regular shift in the NHL and at times in 07-08 Ian White looked like one of the best defencemen on the roster. Unfortunately the Leafs have plenty of soft offensive defencemen and White could be peddled for a mediocre return in the form of draft picks.
Kronwall has had his chances with the Leafs and he really seemed like he fit in well while he played with the teams. His waiver exemption is probably what kept him out of the NHL more than anything the past few seasons. He was an easy roster move. He could squeak in with a strong camp but I think he'll clear waivers this year and will be off to season by Christmas. A bit of a stretch but why not, I'm in the mood to gamble.
So lets talk about the guy who is left. Jonas Frogren, NHL rookie and Swedish import will likely have an edge on Van Ryn for the final roster spot on opening night. He plays a strong defensive game has an edge for European standards and has familiarity with Anton Stralman. The two played together at the World Championships for Sweden and whatever chemistry they've developed playing together may be enough for Frogren to earn an every day role. The Leafs made an attempt to bring Frogren over, its naive to think that he wouldn't get a chance to make an every day impact.
Guys like Sifers, Oreskovic and recent signings Boumedienne, Langdon and Uotila will all be trying to make an impression on Leafs brass but will likely not be capable of enough to knock out any of the players on the Leaf roster.
So as it stands and from my humble perspective the Leafs defence core is looking likely to end up something like this:
Kaberle --- Kubina
Colaiacovo - Finger
Van Ryn/Frogren - Stralman
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tackling the Training Camp Roster: The Forwards
The Leafs have announced their 2008-09 training camp roster which is set to gather Friday for team medicals. The group will join the Leaf Coaching staff on ice at Ricoh Colliseum on Saturday and Sunday for their only workouts prior to the Coca Cola Zero Fans First Game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. In the next 3 days I'll be breaking down the Leafs training camp roster by position, providing my very own prognostications (as my friend Billy says) on how camp will break down and what the post-camp Leaf and Marlie rosters will look like. Today we start with the Forwards.
The Leafs have invited thirty-six forwards to camp this year as they try to sort out a lineup that got a major overhaul in the off season. While many of the invitees are along just for the experience, there are still perhaps as many as nineteen forwards at camp with making the big team in mind. The final Leafs forward lineup will likely come from a group that consists of...
Those who are all but assured a spot:
- Antropov, Hagman, Stajan, Blake, Steen, Mayers, Kulemin, Tlusty, Grabovski.
Those fighting for an every day role:
- Ponikarovsky, Bell, Hollweg, Moore, Devereaux.
Those on the fringe likely to end up with the Marlies:
- J.Mitchell, Williams, Earl, Boyce, Newbury, Ondrus
It is no secret, the Leafs are going young this year, this is why you see the likes of Tlusty, Kulemin and Grabovski in the category of guys all but assured a spot come the season opener in Detroit. Training camp is going to take on a whole new meaning for Leaf forwards this year. With Cliff Fletcher's recent admission that Nik Antropov is his team's only legitimate top-six forward, you can be sure that young players like Steen, Stajan, Tlusty, Kulemin and Grabovski all have a chance at earning top 6 roles and being an important part of the Leafs offence. With that one simple statement Cliff has created a competition for spots unlike anything we have seen in recent history with the Leafs. Everyone will be given an honest look and it seems like priority ice time will not just be handed to veterans like Jason Blake or Nik Hagman as it may have been in the past, it will be earned by anyone who is going to work hard enough.
It is a make or break situation for a couple of Leafs forwards, as I see it Alexi Ponikarovsky and Mark Bell will be duking it out for one spot on the Leafs roster this camp. They are middle of the road guys who play a similar up and down game and you can be sure with players with an actual future on this team fighting for roster spots, both these guys won't be on the team. If Bell even just matches the play of Ponikarovsky this pre-season I believe there is a good chance Ponikarovsky will be traded. While Ponikarovsky provides a big body presence he's only ever been able to put up points on Mats Sundin's wing, it would be in the Leafs best interest to trade him now before other teams realize the top 6 potential he showed in the past was just the results of another Mats Sundin charity project. Mark Bell's physicality will be more useful to the Leafs in the 3rd line role that the two will likely be battling for. Ponikarovsky also has trade value while you couldn't pay someone to take Bell. If Cliff is looking to get back some of the picks he's traded away this summer, trading Ponikarovsky would be an efficient place to start.
With an outside chance to make this team I think you'll see John Mitchell and Jeremy Williams slip past the first cut and make it into some exhibition games. You gotta believe this is the last opportunity for Williams who finished the season with the Leafs last season. In staying with the Leafs til the end last year Williams was ineligible to compete in the AHL playoffs indicating the organization believes it is time for Williams to take the next step if he's ever going to do it. If he doesn't make this team it is likely the end of the line for him in Toronto. Mitchell is a guy who finally stepped up last season and in the AHL playoffs. He plays a fairly gritty two way game and will be looking to build on last years success with the Marlies. He has some people on his side within the Leafs organization and will definitely get a look. Ultimately I believe these two guys will fall short of making the team but they should have the opportunity to make the team.
Earl and Boyce are perhaps in the same category as Mitchell and Williams, they are of similar age and both had an opportunity with the Leafs last season but they haven't been around as long as the other two and are perhaps a bit earlier in their development and the pressure to make the team is not as great. They may get a look with the Leafs this season, but I'd consider them longshots to make the team.
I believe the Newbury and Ondrus era has all but come to the close and their names will fall in line with past part-time Leaf grinders like Josh Holden, Aaron Gavey and Bates Battaglia(who you notice I have not listed in any of my categories.)
The final category to look out for is the rookies, 2008 Leaf draftees up front Joel Champagne and Mikhail Stefanovich look to make an impression up front in their first NHL training camp. 2007 Leaf pick Dale Mitchell, looks to gain more experience after signing an entry level contract last spring and competing with the Marlies in the playoffs. Don't expect him to make the team though as a 19 year old. In a similar boat is Chris DiDomenico, another Toronto naitive looking to build off a strong rookie camp and get a taste of pro hockey. Look for him to continue his development in Saint John this season and possibly win some hardware in the Q. Look for guys like Stefano Giliati, Eric Wellwood, Kyle Rogers, and Greg Scott to try and convince the Leaf brass they are legitimate prospects and deserve a further look but they will likely be cut on Sunday or early Monday morning.
Most interesting forward to watch: Nikolai Kulemin- Could have an impact anywhere from line 1-3
Left Wing - Centre ---- Right Wing
Tlusty ------ Antropov --- Blake
Hagman --- Grabovski -- Kulemin
Bell --------- Stajan ------ Steen
Hollweg ---- Moore ------ Mayers
Devereaux
Tomorrow we'll tackle the crowding on defence.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Debunking the Myth of the Mighty Quinn
This past Thursday, Hockey Canada announced that Pat Quinn would be leading Canada's best junior aged players at the World Junior Hockey Championships come Christmas in Ottawa. This announcement came after Hockey Canada's first two choices, Pete DeBoer and Benoit Groulx took head coaching jobs with the Florida Panthers and Rochester Americans respectively.
Since the announcement I've heard the same old criticism that has followed Quinn dating back to the end of his tenure with the Leafs and I decided this would be as good a time as any to speak out in defence of the big Irishman... not that he needs it.
Although I call it the Myth of the Mighty Quinn, I do recognize that this particular myth is rooted somewhat in reality. It is the circumstance under which Pat Quinn became the big bad murderer of all things youthful that makes it so absurd that this label has followed the man for so long. Quinn was a hero in Toronto until 2003, he rescued the Leafs from the three headed monster that was Ken Dryden, Mike Smith and Anders Hedberg, he gave the franchise an identity they've lacked since his departure, and took them as far as anyone has since 1967. His downfall coincided with (and this is the circumstance you must be forced to fully comprehend people) the MLSE power shift from Steve Stavro as majority owner to The Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund and the emergence of CEO Marcel Marceau Richard Peddie. This began the long and embarassing exodus of the Mighty Quinn and the myth that would follow him.
When it was announced on February 11 2003 that Steve Stavro had sold his stock in MLSE the writing was on the wall for Quinn. This was accentuated in an article run by CBC sports the very next day suggesting that Quinn's role would be revisited under the new ownership structure. As General Manager, Quinn for the most part had autonomous control of Hockey Operations. He consulted with CEO Richard Peddie and President Ken Dryden but did not need their approval. He reported directly to Chairman Steve Stavro with some decisions even bypassing Dryden and Peddie. With Stavro out and Dryden halfway gone to the Liberal Party, Richard Peddie, with a shiny new seat on the board of directors and the support of the OTPF, had all the control and would no longer be marginalized.
So fast forward to the NHL Trade Deadline of 2003, twenty-two days after the announcement of MLSE's pending shift in power, is it any wonder that Pat Quinn acted the way he did? Could anyone really blame him? As a General Manager all too aware of what the future held, you too would make one last ditch attempt at glory. This deadline saw Quinn acquire Owen Nolan, Phil Housley, Doug Gilmour, and Glenn Wesley for really, one player of consequence, Brad Boyes, and of course the first round pick that turned out to be Mark Stuart (Ryan Kesler at 23, Mike Richards at 24 and Corey Perry at 28 were still on the table.) It is this trade that became Quinn's legacy and completely distorted the reality that throughout his time with the Leafs, he relied heavily on the young players he had.
Even so late as 2005-06, 21 year old rookie Alex Steen played the 2nd most minutes of any Leaf forward and achieved his best statistical season to date. 21 year old sophmore Matt Stajan featured all season long on the team's top penalty killing tandem, and while he was used sparingly in the playoffs during his rookie season, Quinn later admitted it was an error that he did not play Stajan more. Of course we cannot forget the beginning of Quinn's tenure as coach. During the 1998-1999 NHL season, Quinn had one of the youngest defence cores in the NHL. With Berard(21) Kaberle(20) Markov(22) Tremblay(22) and veterans Cote(32) and Yuskevich(26), Quinn took an inexperienced team to the Eastern Conference Finals while playing an up-tempo, entertaining brand of hockey.
When Quinn took over as General Manager in 1999 he actually made the team younger. He acquired draft picks, and young players as he built the core of a team that would go as far as any Leaf team since 1967. He acquired 25 year old Darcy Tucker and 25 year old Bryan McCabe in landslide deals. He moved out veterans like Sylvain Cote, Derek King, Dave Manson, and Dimitri Kristich. He brought in a 22 year old, mobile, 6-3 defenceman formerly picked 3rd overall. His name might of been Aki Berg but you can see where Quinn's head was at. Hindsight is 20-20 after all. He built young and added veterans along the way to compliment his core. And for all misinformed criticism that he bought his teams, Pat Quinn only signed 4 un-restricted free agents his entire tenure as General Manager. Gary Roberts, Shayne Corson, Dave Manson, and Alex Mogilny.
There is also the prevailing myth that Quinn sacrificed draft picks for the sake of buying veteran players. It is fact though that while teams were given a standard 9 selections per draft, (equalling 36 picks throughout Quinn's 4 draft tenure as GM) Quinn actually selected 37 players. Also, 40% of Quinn's 37 selections were made in the first 3 rounds of the draft. 17 of those players (46%) have made it to the NHL, 11 have made it with the Leafs and 8 Have played over 100 games. Not too shabby for a guy who was consistently picking in the last 8 selections of each round.
To suggest that Quinn will be an utter failure at the World Juniors is absurd. He is one of the winningest coaches of all time, he has international experience and not to mention he'll be familiar with some of the players on this years squad. Quinn just coached Canada's U-18 squad to their first Gold Medal in 5 years, only their 2nd Gold at that tournament ever. This is the perfect opportunity for him to build on the Under 18 success and win Canada its 5th straight Gold Medal.
While I may be crusading on behalf of the good ship Quinn here, the issue may not even be that Quinn doesn't get the credit he deserves because I understand, these details are easily lost on those who are not as familiar with him as those who follow the Leafs (gotta tie it back, it is after all a Leafs blog). The concerning issue to me is that the bulk of the criticism I hear comes from those claiming to be members of 'Leaf Nation.' The bigger question might be, and Bob touched on it... Why is Leaf Nation so hell bent on dumping on their own? I have my theories but I think for now I'll just steal one from former Leaf coach Paul Maurice. It seems that for whatever reason, in Toronto, anything negative you can say is automatically deemed intelligent. After being beat down by failure for so long it is easy to dismiss everything as being wrong. Really though, it should be the small victories that sustain us. Cos' for now, they're all we got. So rather than dump on Sundin because he may want to play elsewhere or suggest Canada's hope for a 5th gold are dead, actually think before you react, you consider circumstance and history and realize that all your frustration is misguided and if you look hard enough you'll find the appropriate place to direct it...but that's for another blog.
