Sunday, October 19, 2008

Five games in...

Some quick hits as we round past the 1/16th mark...


  • Please stop talking about Luke Schenn's contract situation. It doesn't matter. The decision to keep him in Toronto or send him back to junior has nothing to do with starting the clock on his free agency eligibility.

    First of all, it's crazy to make assumptions about what the CBA will be like three or four years from now, let alone seven or eight. We have no idea when Schenn will be a free agent, because we have no idea how the CBA will read in a few years. And for that matter, it doesn't even matter whether Schenn is helping the team. The season is already a writeoff, so who cares if Schenn can add a few wins?

    The only factor worth considering is Schenn's development. That's it. Will he develop better in junior than in Toronto? If so, send him there. If not, keep him around. End of story.

    If he hits free agency a year early and demands big dollars because he's playing at a superstar level, that will be a problem the Leafs will be happy to have.

  • I want to like Mikhail Grabovski. The kid has some moves, he's fast, and I'd love to chalk up the zero points to bad luck. I want him to a be star. But... um... I'm not getting that vibe yet, you know?

  • Do Jamal Mayers and Ryan Hollweg have some sort of secret sidebet to see which one of them can be the first to get one of their teammates killed?

  • I love the way Ron Wilson is handing out playing time. He's basically throwing his lineup card onto the ice every night and saying "Here, you guys fill this out".

    Last night in Pittsburgh, Wilson gave virtually the entire team a shot at powerplay time. That's exactly what he should be doing this early in the season. While Paul Maurice basically handed out ice time based on salary and reputation, Wilson is letting guys play their way in -- or out. Perfect.

  • That said, maybe it would be a good idea for Wilson to ask Cliff Fletcher for a list of guys he's trying to trade and not bench them. Mike Van Ryn, I'm looking in your direction.

  • Nikolai Kulemin is good. Two unassisted breakaway goals and two shootout goals -- if anybody ever figures out how to pass the puck to this kid, look out.

  • Speaking of people who are really good at breakaways, only the exact opposite, why was Matt Stajan taking a shootout on Friday? Did I fall asleep and miss the first 14 rounds of that one?

  • Finally... Dominic Moore is playing so well that I'm going to give him a new nickname: Dominic "Second Round Pick at the 2009 Deadline" Moore.




9 comments:

  1. Excellent point re: Schenn, and you brought up aspects I've never thought of (or read previously).

    My only question is, looking back on the old CBA, would old contracts get altered, or grandfathered in? What I mean is, if the CBA changes, would it change for all players, or just new signings.

    I'm quite ignorant on CBA matters, but I remember some aspects being unchanged (like Jagr's contract), so are you confident Schenn's status could be altered?

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  2. It's not a matter of passing to Kulemin, the kid needs to find open ice better. He's used to a bigger playing surface, most games he has the puck in the zone he just plain runs out of room. He'll adjust.

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  3. My only question is, looking back on the old CBA, would old contracts get altered, or grandfathered in? What I mean is, if the CBA changes, would it change for all players, or just new signings.

    I guess the short answer is "it depends on what they negotiate". But last time around, changes to free agency status were immediate. That's why you saw some guys becoming free agents after one season, rather than having to wait until they were 31 like under the old deal.

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  4. 100% agree on Schenn, its whartever is best for his development. He was a great pick and looks to be a fixture on the blueline for a long time, dont burn him out, but dont baby him.

    I feel better with Wilson there than Maurice. He'll do the right thing.

    Re: play in or play out....can we have some fun for a second and jsut imagine the nuclear explosion that would have happened last October if Maurice had done that. I am smiling now just imagining.

    Moore: Why do you think he is playing so well, is it heart, clicking with linemnates, strong fit with the Wilson system? Any of those could dictate whether he gets traded or not and whether you may decide to keep him, not averse to trade BTW. Curious about yours and others thoughts

    Kulemin is a definite keeper and Frogren looks like he is settling in well. The Leaf D is actually shaping up nicely so that they can move excess to get forwards and picks. The question is how best to execute. Looks like "da plan" is coming together, stick to it Cliff and Ron.

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  5. I'm waiting for Cox to write a column about how Moore is the next captain of the Leafs.

    And Grabovski, though he has zero points, has looked great IMO. We gotta be patient with this kid, he looks like a keeper. His puck pursuit skills are amazing. I like him on a line with Hagman.

    I'd like to see Tlusty get a little more ice time. Preferably on the power play.

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  6. Moore: Why do you think he is playing so well, is it heart, clicking with linemnates, strong fit with the Wilson system?

    I think he's a guy with a lot of speed, and a little bit of skill. On most teams that's not enough, but on this team it is and he seems to realize that.

    I don't think he'll ultimately turn out to be more than a third-liner in the NHL, but he could be a nice surprise this year. If so, Cliff will be smart to swap him for some picks.

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  7. Some of my thoughts from Saturday:

    -Totally concur with your points about Wilson. Playing time is definitely a carrot and a stick, and after the first period Stajan, Poni, and Mayers were barely seen.

    -Stralman, on the other hand, played well and was rewarded

    -we need to get rid of a defenceman or two - I don't like the shuffling

    -Did anyone think Schenn would be getting 25 minutes a game? Seems like they are going the Pronger dev route with him

    What the hell was Cujo doing in the third?

    Anyone else think that Wilson sees Grabovski/Kulemin/Hagman as the first line now?

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  8. Anyone else think that Wilson sees Grabovski/Kulemin/Hagman as the first line now?

    Yep...

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  9. Great guess for Moore!

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