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By ADAM, on January 13th, 2012 From philly.com comes word that something may be brewing between the Leafs and Flyers.
The speculation seems to be around a potential acquisition of Luke Schenn, a move that would pair him with his younger brother Brayden in the Flyers lineup.
When Brian Burke arrived as the GM of the Leafs, he was quite adamant that Luke Schenn was one of few “untouchable” pieces on the Leafs. Given that Schenn was a highly regarded, recent first round pick, it was a logical and defensible stance. Has that changed?
Schenn was the 5th overall pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft, but few people would rate him that high in a do-over. Amongst those chosen after Schenn, we find Tyler Myers, Erik Karlsson, and Jordan Eberle. Schenn hasn’t blossomed into the top-flight shutdown defender that was once imagined, though he has evolved into a reliable contributor.
The emergence of Keith Aulie as a cornerstone of the Leafs defensive corps does 2 things.
- Demonstrates further just how badly the Leafs fleeced the Flames in the Dion Phaneuf trade.
- Makes Luke Schenn expendable.
Amongst the names mentioned as a possible return from Philadelphia are 2011 first round pick Sean Couturier and 2007 2-overall pick James van Riemsdyk. Either would be tremendous value for Schenn and satisfy a part of the Leafs need for a big, skilled forward. Van Riemsdyk brings with him a reasonable contract ($4.25/season for 5 more years), and would serve to even the distribution of cap space between the Leafs’ front and back ends.
Perhaps bringing some doubt to the mind of Brian Burke is the speculation that the Anaheim Ducks are open to parting ways with Ryan Getzlaf. It’s no secret that Burke’s infatuated with Getzlaf, and he’d be a perfect fit for the Leafs. Should something materialize there, I’d think that Luke Schenn could be a key part of the package the Ducks would want.
We know that Burke likes to swing deals before the deadline, so if something is brewing on either front I’d expect it to happen in the 2-week window wrapping around the “all-star” fiasco in Ottawa.
By ADAM, on January 13th, 2012 Hands up if you’re enjoying the chaotic experiment that is the Montreal Canadiens.
Seriously, let’s just recap the last few months for Pierre Gauthier and what is supposed to be hockey’s holy grail of a franchise.
Given that Pierre Gauthier was never this crazy in the past, one has to wonder who is actually calling the shots in Montreal. There’s been speculation that Geoff Molson is a little more involved than is healthy for a president/owner.
All I know for sure is that the Canadiens, considered a solid candidate for the playoffs by most pundits going into the season, are now a whole pile of hot mess. They’ve got half the Quebec-based media up-in-arms because Pierre Gauthier refuses to speak to them and Randy Cunneyworth can’t speak to them. They’ve got an owner and general manager who have publicly apologized for hiring the coach that’s standing behind the bench every night. Finally, they just traded their best offensive player for a lesser talent.
The Habs are a mess, and as a Leafs fan, I love it.
By ADAM, on January 12th, 2012 For reasons unknown, I’ve started re-reading Eric Lindros’ Fire On Ice. It’s a light read and it’s really only interesting given what we now know about how the career of Eric Lindros unfolded.
Here are 2 choice quotes I’ve come across so far.
When I go to watch a hockey game, I focus on one player for a shift. I watch what he’s doing, try to figure out what he’s thinking. When Steve Yzerman curls, he turns on a dime. Messier, when he drives, his feet never stop moving. When Al Iafrate rushes, he doesn’t care that he might get smoked, he just goes for it. You’ve got to like that. I look at what some guys do and I try to adapt it to my game. I try to integrate as much as possible. The more complete your skills are, the better a player you will be.
It’s surely a sign of how times have changed that one of the young superstars of the 1990′s was advocating rushing the puck with no fear or concern for getting steamrolled.
…I’m thinking, “All right, you’re in for a ride, you’re going down. I might get hurt, but you’re going to be hurt worse than I am.” You’ve got to think you’re invincible…
One can’t help but wonder if Eric’s career may have taken a very different path had he realized earlier that he wasn’t invincible.
As lacklustre and self-promotional as this book is, I think I’d very much love to read a follow-up to the Eric Lindros story.
By ADAM, on January 11th, 2012 Word is breaking this evening that Penguins coach Dan Bylsma used the Penguins’ twitter feed to drop word that Sidney Crosby was nearing a return to action. Given that I’ve recently acquired Sidney’s services for a fantasy league, this is great news.
But is it the right news?
My main point of concern is that Sidney is contemplating a return to action as soon as his symptoms have disappeared. I’m by no means a doctor, but I would suggest that he should sit out a good deal longer to ensure that when he does return, he’ll be back for the long haul. The Penguins would certainly be better served in holding off a return to action until everyone is 100% sure that Crosby’s status doesn’t regress.
I know the team has doctors and I would hope that they are taking the long term view in dealing with Crosby’s head injuries, but after the Cleveland Browns failed handling of the Colt McCoy situation, one has to wonder whether or not the club physicians are acting in the short-term interest of the club.
Despite currently sitting in 8th place in the East (as of now, the Penguins are taking on the Capitals as I type), Sports Club Stats has the Penguins as the most likely 5th seed in the East. It seems likely that the Penguins would make the playoffs without Sidney in the lineup. If I’m the Penguins, I keep Sidney on the shelf for a good while longer.
By ADAM, on January 11th, 2012 It sure doesn’t look like much, but the blog is back and running.
With the recent success of the Leafs, ongoing concussion crisis, inevitable labour conflict, and all the other happenings around the hockey world, there will certainly be no shortage of topics for me to cover.
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