My Thoughts On Nazem Kadri...you might not like it.

The Prince, Prince Nazem, The Next One, the most overrated nicknames of all time.

After reading the National Post on the weekend and finding an article entitled "The Prince"...I finally began to feel sorry for Nazem Kadri. The articles subtitle states that 'many believe he will be a top NHL scorer'...ummm who? Nazem Kadri was a 90 point OHL forward, he's not overly dominant on either side of the puck, and has a lot more maturing to do than Crosby, Hall, or Stamkos. Don't get me wrong, I think Nazem Kadri is a future 70-80 point player, season in and season out...a very respectable number, and a very very good draft pick, but that in no way qualifies him as a top NHL scorer.

An OHL scout told me that Nazem's biggest issue is maturity and understanding the NHL game. After watching the rookie camp I can see where he is coming from. Kadri appears to be carrying over the same tendencies over from his time with the London Knights. He perpetually attempts to carry the puck from end to end, he always tries to make the extra move, and he has yet to realize that he needs to stay out of the box and keep his skill on the ice.

In my personal opinion, the best decision for the Leafs would be to let Kadri play with the Marlies for a portion of his first professional season. This may not be popular opinion, but if there is one thing you've gotten from my blogs thus far, it's that I really don't give a shit what the majority thinks. Dallas Eakins (the head coach of the Marlies) is not far removed from the NHL himself, so he understands how to relate to young players, and how to get the best out of them. On top of this, if Kadri is sent to the minors for a period of time, it will humble him as a player and keep him dedicated to his goal of becoming an elite NHL player.

On an unrelated note, another reason I believe Kadri should play for the Marlies is because the Toronto media will not, and already has begun to prevent him from having growing pains and developing as a very YOUNG player. 'The Prince'...Really? 'Top NHL Scorer'...Really? How about saying 'Young prospect Kadri battles to make the Leafs and live out a boyhood dream'? When did that become too much for a 20 year old to want?

I think Nazem has a promising career ahead of him. I think he will make Leafs fans (including myself) very happy over his career here. However, I think we need to allow him to be young, allow him to be a rookie, and allow him to grow in this league. He is not Sidney Crosby, he is not Alexander Ovechkin, he is Nazem Kadri. Don't force him along. All the best to Nazem this season, and hopefully he brings us our long deserved cup soon!

Go Leafs Go

- BF6

Kudos to Scott Carson

I wanted to post a few excerpts from Scott Carson's latest blog on Sportsnet. I think it's great that instead of asking "the question" he is giving praise to a player that has never had a history of any wrong doing. Scott didn't stir the pot, except when he chirped that blogger we all hate, and he kept the good vibe going in Toronto baseball. In a time when things are so bleak in Toronto sports, we need more writers that will praise the good guys and not automatically assume the worst. I support Bombtista, and I hope he keeps going. He has been a great leader on and off the field (mentoring young Spanish speaking players) and has been there in the clutch.

Anyway, here are some tid bits from Scott's blog to keep the good vibrations alive!


"It’s time for all of baseball to start paying attention to Jose Bautista.
In a game also being beamed back to the massive audience that tune into Yankees games on the YES Network and across Canada on the network I work for, Bautista was involved in just about every highlight of the Jays thrilling 3-2 win over the majors' top team."

Great exposure for the Jays and Bautista. MLB better begin to take notice, this is going to be a fun team to watch the next couple of years.

"He’s started flipping his bat in an "I’m the man" manner that Toronto baseball fans haven’t seen in these parts since Bell blasted a club-record 47 bombs in 1987. And the way that he explodes on fastballs reminds me of Delgado, circa 2003."

If he can hit like Delgado and Bell did for the next few years, I would be amazed...however he is in the prime of his career and we can always hope that this is just his true talent emerging. I personally foresee him more as a 30 HR guy once pitchers figure him out a bit better, but I will take 30HR from Jose any day.

"Bautista is currently on pace for 52 home runs which would likely lead the majors and a feat that, if it were a Maple Leaf player going for the goal-scoring lead in the NHL, would be catching the attention of all sports fans in Toronto. Instead, the spectre of steroid/HGH use is floated, unfounded, by a member of the Toronto media who sticks to hockey, not a sport that he casually glances at when bored."

Well said.

The Toronto media needs more guys like Scott Carson.

Until next time

-BF6

www.twitter.com/brandonfinleyy

Richard Griffin and Damien Cox: Who Needs Integrity?

Sifting through the usual Damien Cox diatribe, I came across Richard Griffin’s article insinuating that Jose Bautista is taking performance enhancing drugs. While I don’t discount the fact that going from 19 home runs, to 40 with many games to go is a great feat…I think it’s quite sad that these two automatically threw that conclusion out there. It discredits any work Jose has done, and will now create a cloud over an excellent season.

I figured I would point out some glaring errors in Richard’s article, and hope that it serves to further discredit Cox for referring readers to the article. I would also hope that maybe a Toronto Star reader could email this blog to an editor at the Star to let them know what a joke their blog/columnist sections are.

Richard’s spectrum of proof revolves around utilizing Dave Andreychuk (A hall of famer before his years with the Leafs) as an example of how Bautista is juiced. I don’t really get the correlation as no one in history ever thought that Dave was juiced…and the fact that he had scored over 35 goals in a season 5 times prior to Griffin’s season in question really leads me to go, huh? How in the hell is a 40 goal scorer the same as a former pinch hitter and utility fielder?

Anyhow, I will bite on the comparison and begin to analyze this point for point:

#1 - When it comes to hockey hall-of-famer, forward Dave Andreychuk how is it exactly that at the age of 30, back in 1993-94, he suddenly joined the illustrious ranks of 50-goal scorers?

Someone should really tell Mr. Griffin to look at the 1992-93 season in which David Andreychuk scored 54 goals for the Maple Leafs and Sabres. Did you try and rush this article to the Internet without realizing that those were not two separate years, and that 1992-93 stat lines have to be added? Surely the Toronto Star verified the guys first point in his useless blog? No? If this doesn’t prove the complete idiocy of Mr. Griffin’s blog post than I really don’t know what does.

How does a sports writer in Toronto not remember Joe Bowen’s epic “David Andreychuk hits the 50 mark!” call??? I am 26 years old and I remember that bloody call!

#2 – Hey, prior to 1993-94, Andreychuk, one of the nicest guys in the game, had never potted more than 41 goals in a season, then BAM. What's up with that? The Hamilton, Ontario native (hmm!) had 25 goals the year before, then out of the blue, Bobby Hull and Boom-Boom Geoffrion-esque numbers.

As we have discussed above, this is not true. He scored 54 in 1992-93 and with some quick investigation it is easy to see that Dave's increase in production from 1990-1994 can be directly attributed to increased time on the ice. His shot totals went up by about 80 shots in each of those seasons, something that Mr. Griffin would have been very smart to look at.

#3 - The next year, Andreychuk scored 22 goals, then eight the year after that. But was he done? No sirree. All of a sudden, Andreychuk seemed to find a mysterious Fountain of Youth that carried him for another 10 productive seasons until retiring at age 43. How so? Are these questions that should have been asked at the time by Hockey Hall-of-Fame voters or are they just too trusting and star-struck?

Everybody who saw Andreychuk play in his 40’s knows that he was as slow as molasses and that he was not a top tier player. He was a captain on a young team, who had playoff experience and could still park his ass in front of the net. Last time I checked experience, positioning, and leadership have nothing to do with PED’s.

#4 – LA PIECE DE RESISTANCE - And by the way, when Andreychuk was drafted, he was listed at 6-4, 200 lbs., yet when he retired he was listed at a strapping 225, gaining 25 pounds of mysterious muscle.

YOU JUST SAID HE RETIRED AT THE AGE OF 43. IS SOMEONE SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THAT AN 18 YEAR OLD CAN NOT PUT ON 25 POUNDS OF MUSCLE IN 25 YEARS?!?!?!?!? DID THIS GUY SKIP BIOLOGY/ANATOMY CLASS? This is an absolute farce to me. I put on 25 lbs since I started writing blogs, and you’re trying to tell me a 6’4 kid can’t do it in a quarter century? I don’t even know what else to say about this.

The most telling part of the article comes in one of it’s final lines:

“Now, granted, I have never spoken to Andreychuk and may have met him only once while covering a Tampa Bay game late in his career. But that shouldn't matter.”

Umm when has having no proof, and never having met a man allow you to decide that your argument is now concrete? Doesn’t this fly in the face of journalistic integrity? For shame Mr. Griffin, and Damien Cox. You have both put a dark cloud over what is an excellent achievement for Jose, and brought in Dave Andreychuk for absolutely no reason. It’s a joke, but I guess I shouldn’t expect much more from you two.

Until next time

BF6

www.twitter.com/brandonfinleyy

Does the Salary Cap Work: Chicago Blackhawks Edition

Congratulations and my condolences to the Chicago Blackhawks of 2009. After sifting through the Atlanta Thrashers roster and realizing that Rick Dudley has created himself Chicago JR in Atlanta, I thought it would be the optimal time to decide once and for all (in my opinion only) whether or not the salary cap actually works. Before we delve any deeper into the discussion allow me to make a few notes:
- I am a huge Maple Leafs fan, and would like to thank the Blackhawks for sending Kris Versteeg our way. You have a potential 30 goal scorer in Viktor Stalberg, but here's hoping Versteeg's skills develop further and that his career of winning rubs off on the Leafs (Tomas Kaberle).
- Kudos to Rick Dudley for acquiring 4 Stanley Cup winners in Byfuglien, Sopel, Eager and Ladd for relatively little return. I think that having people with a history of winning and those willing to sacrifice to get the cup is a very underrated characteristic in the modern day free agent/trade bait. I think Atlanta will surprise a little, maybe not next year, but in 2 years they could be quite dangerous. Remember Evander Kane has just turned 19 years old and already has a full NHL season under his belt.

With that out of the way, lets get into this!


During my deep contemplation over a cheap Magnum of white wine, I had to make the decision as to the best presentation of this argument. Since the Blackhawks are not my team, or even in my consideration of acceptable teams, I felt that presenting both sides of the argument and then making my final verdict would allow this to be the most objective view possible of the monster that is the salary cap.


THE SALARY CAP STINKS!

I found it quite tough to find a lot of reasons why the salary cap does not work, so this section is going to be rather brief. That does not mean that I personally believe it actually works, I just found all of the arguments to be somewhat related.

#1 - Patience Is Not a Virtue

The salary cap has created an odd situation in the NHL where teams can not be built and groomed over time, they now must be built and re-built every few years while maintaining a small core of all-star calibre players. No longer is patiently stock piling #1 picks a viable option, because the NHL salary cap will not alow you to hang on to all of those players over time. A couple of very good picks have to work out, while still under their rookie contracts, and then free agents/trades/mid-level picks must fill out the roster. Patience and the proper foundations of building a team are dead in the NHL today. Ask the Chicago Blackhawks. While a core of Pat Kane, John Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Ketith and Brent Seabrook is downright scary....Byfuglien, Versteeg, Barker, Sopel, Ladd, and Niemi...are all HUGE pieces gone.

#2 - Deep Pockets? Spend Away!

One caveat in the current CBA states that teams can send players to the minors...or apparently the Suisse League if you are Cristobal Huet...when you fuck up and sign someone like Jeff Finger for $3.5 million dollars. Oh wait, the Maple Leafs have yet to bury him there to create more cap space and make their team better? Oh righhttt....I follow a team that stinks and doesn't have the balls to do that. Fuck loyalty. When was the last time a Toronto athlete was loyal to us? Sundin? Bosh? Burnett? I say bury every shitty contract in the minors and let them stay there. Toronto can begin to be loyal when athletes start committing to the fans and the city, like the fans and the city committ to them.

I will leave that for another day. The point remains the same, teams such as the Maple Leafs, the Rangers, and the Flyers can afford to make a mistake or two, and simply put the contract somewhere that it no longer counts against the cap. This does not alleviate the expense from their financial statements, but in a hockey sense it resets the decision meter. Small market clubs like the Blue Jackets and the Thrashers (thanks Bettman) can not afford this luxury and must be very careful with who they sign. The NHL has created the ability to still have the big money clubs winning every year, while trying to balance the power within the game.

#3 - Loyalty...is dead.

Every NHL fan has known since the on-set of Free Agency that loyalty from players to an organization is mostly non-existent. For every Steve Yzerman there are a dozen Jagr's or Yashin's who are just looking for that big payday every chance they can get. The NHL salary cap has created a situation where the Teams and Players can both dump each other at various situations through their NHL careers. Loyalty has officially died in the NHL.

Picture this: The year is 1993, the Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup and proceed to trade off Patrick Roy, Kirk Muller, And Patrice Brisebois simply because they won the cup, and these guys were due raises they could no longer afford. Seems somewhat ludicrous, however as we have seen this year with the Hawks, it is a very real reality. For better or worse.



ROCK ON SALARY CAP!

This was easy to write, all you have to remember is The Count's err I mean Gary Bettman's repeptitive statements during the lockout as to why it's better for us NHL die hards to not have the teams we love on the ice for an entire year. On behalf of all fans, if I haven't said it on record already, fuck you NHLPA and the NHL for the most boring Winter of my life. My drinking and promiscuity were dramatically increased during University as a result of it.

#1 Parity > Dynasty

Lets consider for a moment, the 2009 version of the Chicago Blackhawks, without a Salary Cap. They could have kept each and every player that was on the roster and not skipped a beat for upwards of 5 seasons. This was the youngest team in the NHL at the start of the NHL season with an average age of 25.65. That is a team that could repeat, especially considering how dominant they were in the regular season as well. The salary cap has forced the Hawks to focus on which players they think are the most important to the team, and build around them with economically efficient players. Dynasties will be tough to create, however, the Hawks have kept themselves an extremely good group of players that are very capable of winning the Cup again. The Pens erred in my opinion by giving role players like Orpik and Guerin big money.



#2 Parity = Success (Did not plan these math based intros)

One can't deny that having stars spread out across more NHL cities, and having all teams with a shot at making the playoffs each year, would create greater ticket revenues across the board. Balanced rosters will ensure that teams across the league can compete on a nightly basis and that relocation is not needed. The Coyotes had excellent attendance the second half of this season, and kudos to the organization for assembling a roster that was exciting enough to surprise everyone. Gary Bettman and his crack team of advisers have unfortunately put hockey teams in hotbeds such as Sunrise, Florida and Columbus, Ohio (Home of the $9000 family home)...which creates a bit of a Marketing conundrum. How can 2 cities that have no affinity for hockey, no history of hockey, and no desire for a team be viable business opportunities in any ones minds?

Poor business decisions aside, a salary cap allows these small market teams to be competitive despite not having the same ability to sell out every night. Whether it's covering your own ass or not, the average attendance in the NHL has increased from 16,534 pre salary cap to 17,072 after the cap came in. Advantage parity.


I had approximately 5 points supporting this, however I managed to include them all into 2 overall subjects. Time to form a final verdict on whether or not the Salary cap is beneficial or harmful to the NHL.

THE VERDICT

This is a difficult verdict to write because it comes with mixed opinions. The salary cap delivers benefits, and is detrimental to the NHL at the same time.

My Verdict is the following: The NHL Salary Cap helps the league as a whole, as a business unit, however it is very detrimental to successful teams. My reasoning for this mixed opinion is:

- It creates a world in which the rich teams can be successful while still making the same bad decisions they had in an uncapped world.
- Being patient, drafting well, and not overpaying for free agents does not pay off because players coming off of rookie contracts can not all be retained. This creates a system of constant building that is exciting for the league as a whole, it creates a tumultuous situation with fan bases in individual cities. Teams can go from the penthouse to the basement in a matter of years. This does not inspire confidence in attendance.
- Parity allows more teams a chance at the cup, and for new fan bases to become enthralled with NHL hockey.

So I guess it's time for me to man up and actually make a decision here...all my points are on the table...and 5/8 of my wine is done. Sounds like decision time to me. My personal feeling is that a salary cap is needed in every league so that situations like the New York Yankees do not occur. I think that parity and having exciting playoff series makes for a successful league. Try and tell me you didn't watch the Oilers vs Stars battles in the 90's and early 2000's...cause I was glued to my TV every time they played. If I was a Blackhawks fan, I would hate the salary cap. Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Eager, and Niemi were all great acquisitions and they should be punished for being successful.

Final Verdict: Cap Works. Hawks are still good. Can't wait for the season to start.


Cheers,

BF6

Follow Away!
www.twitter.com/brandonfinleyy

Where Do We Go From Here?

Where Do We Go From Here?
BF's Blog
August 16th, 2010

August 15th, 2010 came and went without much fanfare. A statement released from Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke simply read: "While a number of clubs made offers to trade for Tomas, none of them reflected Tomas' value to our team".

Some say they expected it all along, others were outraged that no deal for a top six forward could be made. I for one am neither here nor there, Tomas is a fantastic offensive defenceman and will continue to be a solid point producer on the back-end. On the other side of the coin is the fact that our defence continues to be overloaded and our top end forwards continue to be thin.

One has to ask themselves how a deal was not consummated when Brian Burke had stated that 10 teams had submitted offers with about 5 days to go before the deadline. One has to think that with that many deals on the table, one could have surely been made that would have been beneficial to the forward corps on the Leafs. That's not to say I wanted one to be made, but at the same time I am beginning to feel as though Burke is not always the most truthful GM in the league. Ten offers and no deals? Ten offers and no competition for his services in the final hours of the deadline? Perhaps Burke was doing more posturing than actual negotiating in this case.

If I can say one thing about this outcome, it is that I hope Toronto fans do not turn on Kaberle like Bryan McCabe. McCAbe got shabby treatment at the end of his career, and it visibly affected his performance on the ice. Neither one of these two players deserves it, and fans really can't use the dip in performance excuse like they did for McCabe. Tomas still remains one of the most skilled DMen in the league, and still has a number of good years left under his belt. We should be encouraged by his desire to remain with Toronto, and hope that many more of our players can act with the same class that he has displayed throughout his career and this off-season.

Will Someone be Moved?

Lacking a Kaberle trade this leads one to believe that one of the D-Men must be moved before the beginning of this season. With eight defenceman on the roster having guaranteed contracts and NHL experience, it is very apparent that there will be a log jam, and too many dollars invested on defence. Lets take a look at who's in the picture:

Dion Phaneuf - $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek - $4,500,000
Tomas KAberle - $4,250,000
Francois Beauchemin - $3,800,000
Jeff Finger - $3,500,000
Luke Schenn - $2,975,000
Brett Ledba - $1,450,000
Carl Gunnarsson - $800,000

Jeff Finger being the unmovable contract is naturally going to be a Maple Leaf for the tenure of Cliff Fletchers big mistake. He's not an awful defensive defenceman by any means, but he is not worth that much money for that amount of overall production. This leads me to believe that perhaps Francois Beauchemin could be the likely target of any team looking for a solid two way defender. Beauchemin can play the power play, penalty kill, and will stick up for his teammates. He has a big shot, decent defensive skills, and can hit...not a bad package for under $4 million dollars. He is a Brian Burke guy, so it leads one to believe that Burke will be hesitant to move him...however I don't know many people looking for a $4.5 million dollar defensive defenceman (Mike Komisarek).

What would a Beauchemin trade get the Maple Leafs? Personally I think you abandon any idea of a top 6 forward here, and I don't think the Leafs really need any more bottom 6 players. I think a 2nd-4th round pick and perhaps a mid-level prospect could be something that a team would think about. Perhaps a bigger deal would be consummated involving a forward or prospect could also be looked at. Who knows though, I'm just spit balling ideas.

Where does that leave us now?

Lacking top flight forward talent, however having a lot of depth overall on the front end. Players like Versteeg and Kadri will be solid producers for years to come, and Tyler Bozak had flashes of brilliance last year. I don't see any of those players as top 3 forwards on a playoff contender or championship team, but they are improvements from the Tuckers and Stajan...so we are getting there. Burke was said to be in Europe discussing a contract with a free agent player a couple weeks ago, however, I can't imagine that there is a first line player available as a UFA in Europe that is not named Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk was still thought to be a New Jersey Devil at this time, so lets rule him out officially.



Toronto presently sits without a first round pick in next years draft, having sent it to Boston in the Phil Kessel trade. If this pick turns out to be another lottery pick it would be a huge blow to the Maple Leafs, so my expectation is that Burke will do everything he can in order to make the playoffs.

Who's Available in the Summer of 2011? Who Can We Afford?

Giguere's 6 million dollar salary is about the only contract that will be coming off the books next year, without a trade this season or Jeff Finger being buried in the minors. If a player of Beauchemin's calibre/contract value is traded it should leave the Leafs with about 10-12 million dollars to spend on a backup goalie, and a forward or two. (This is assuming that Bozak and Schenn will get slightly less, or close to the $3 million they each made in salary and bonus last year.) What free agent goalies and first line Center/Left Wingers could be attractive to the Leafs next year?

Brad Richards
Dallas Stars
C - $7,800,00 in 2010

Richards had 91 points last year with the Stars after registering only 48 the year before. He has been a little inconsistent to warrant his salary in 2010, however, if he has another 90 point season in 2010 he could be looking for another 6-7 million in 2011. If signing Richards to a 5 year $30 million dollar deal was a possibility...I would be happy as a pig in shit.


Patrice Bergeron
Boston Bruins
C - $4,500,000

Hasn't quite been the same since his string of bad concussions...but he is looking much better with each passing week. Had a bit of a comeback year in 2009 with 54 points, and with a strong 2010 could be looking for a bit of a raise. At only 25 years old, this is a very interesting player for the Maple Leafs and should absolutely be considered if he is healthy. Prior experience with Phil Kessel does not hurt either.


Zach Parise
New Jersey Devils
L - $3,125,000

This one is a big IF. IF the Devils come to terms with Ilya Kovalchuk, on a contract that will certainly come at a bigger cap hit than the 17 year deal...it will make it very tough for them to sign Zach Parise to a contract extension next summer. This is more of a pipe dream, as I don't think the Devils can afford to let a player of Parise's skill walk, but lets hope. He'd look great with Kessel.

JS Giguere
Toronto Maple Leafs
G - $6,000,000

Certainly will not make anywhere near $6 million in 2011. If he wants to stay in Toronto, and sign a 2 year $4 million dollar deal, I could see Burke keeping him to continue mentoring the Monster. Stability is never a bad thing in a young players development. Should the Monster not turn out to be a starting goalie, Giguere could fill the void until one of the many goaltending prospects (Reimer, Jussi Rynnas) makes it to the show.

Note: Joe Thornton was excluded due to the fact that I expect him to be re-signed by San Jose, or traded to a team that will have an extension in place.

Where are We Going??

Firstly, glad to still have you here Tomas. Keep putting up those points and running that power play!

At this point the Maple Leafs must stay the course with Burkes plan to build quickly, and avoid giving away a top 5 draft pick next season. If the Leafs can sustain a consistent effort on both sides of the puck they should stay away from a pick that low, and maybe push for one of the last playoff spots. The free agent class of 2011 does show some promise at positions that the Maple Leafs will need help, and if the Leafs can sign some of those players it would make them a very dangerous team come the 2011 season. This is without even considering the further maturation of Bozak, Kulemin, Gustavsson, Schenn, Gunnarsson, Versteeg, Kessel etc.

If everything falls into place, there is a lot of promise in my mind. With, or without a Kaberle trade.

Take Care
-BF
www.twitter.com/brandonfinleyy

Don't be shy. Comment on here and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

Tomas Kaberle is going....where?

I have been surfing the Interwebz quite a bit today checking for any new news on the Tomas Kaberle front. Staying away from HFBoards.com (because the posters seem to have the combined intelligence of Eklund) I managed to find some Tomas to LA chatter, however thus far the key players that I have heard of are San Jose and Columbus.

I thought I would write a piece about the potential destinations, whom I think would be a great fit for the Leafs, as well as discuss some other trades that would make sense...because who doesn't want to read a normal working Joe's opinion on the topic...right?


San Jose Sharks

Present Cap Situation: 3.2 Million under the cap.
Finished 1st in the West with 113 pts, however had another early playoff exit.

Team Needs:

Looking at their roster, it becomes evident that this team does not need anymore offense. Boasting players like Thornton, Heatley, Pavelski and Marleau makes this very evident right from the get-go. Their defense has capable scorers in Dan Boyle, and Vlasic...however neither of them offers the breakout pass and Power Play quarterbacking that the Sharks need.

Kaberle would fill this void on this team and make an offensively gifted team even more dangerous. That is a scary thought for Western division opponents.

Trade Bait:

There are a couple of options here in my opinion. If Burke is looking for top 6 guys, that are on decent contracts than he has to look no further than Devin Setoguchi. A 20-30 goal scorer with San Jose and still on a controllable contract...Setoguchi provides the mix of speed and skill that the Leafs desperately need up front. I think it would take a bit more for the Sharks to get Kaberle, but a 2nd-3rd round pick could pull this off.

Another possibility is Ryan Clowe. He too is young, however I don't see his offensive upside being as great as that of Setoguchi.

Likely Outcome:

Tomas Kaberle has stated his preference to remain in the East, so the Maple Leafs would need to convince him to sign an extension before any deal would be consummated. This could be a very tough sell for the Leafs, and would make me question any rumor of a Maple Leafs - Sharks deal. I would rate the Sharks as a 6/10 on the Kaberle front.


Columbus Blue Jackets

Present Situation: Almost $6 million under the cap
Finished Second Last in the West with 79 points and missed the playoffs by a significant margin.

Team Needs:

I see two glaring holes on this team. The first I would like to address is third line players that are gritty, tough defensively, and have some skill to add secondary scoring depth. There bottom 6 are not strong enough to support their top 6 forwards, and it will continue to hurt them until they address this need. Don't forget the glut of 3rd/4th line guys that the Leafs have lying around.

The second glaring omission from this Columbus team is a puck moving defenseman or powerplay QB that the Leafs have available. Easy to see why these teams are interested, isn't it? Rusty Klesla has become more of a tough shut down defender, and never really fulfilled the offensive promise he showed with the Batallion. Tyutin and Stralman are somewhat skilled, however neither has the capability to run a back end (from an offensive point of view) as Kaberle presently does.

Trade Bait:

One of my favourite rumored teams due to their availability of top 6 guys. They presently have Nikita Filatov returning from Russia so there should be an open spot up front. As previously discussed with a fellow Leafs fan, and excellent tweeter (@1stSFSSKraZe) there are a few intriguing possibilities. The first of which, is Antoine Vermette. The kid inside of me is screaming "Please BRIAN! PLEAAASSSEEE CAN WE HAVE HIMMM..." when I think about Vermette. The guy can score thirty, and still be a plus player on one of the worst teams in the NHL. He can play on the PP, the PK, and either of the top 2 lines. He has a ton of skill to go with lightning fast speed. A reasonable 3.75 million dollar cap hit for the next 5 years makes him a very attractive option.

Not sure he is available but Derrick Brassard would be an upgrade at Center for the Leafs. He had an off year last year, so I would be hesitant to move Kaberle for him...however he is an option. RJ Umberger is a big, power-forward type player that can put up 20-30 goals and control the front of the net. He is an attractive option to open up space for Kessel and has 2 years remaining with the same cap hit as Vermette.

Likely Outcome:

Again, Kaberle has stated his preference to stay in the East...and Columbus provides more of that opportunity than San Jose ever could. Ohio is a stones throw from Ontario considered to the other Western Conference clubs and might be an attractive option for Tomas. The players in return are there, and I believe Columbus still has all picks as well. Needing bottom six forwards, players like Hanson, Mitchell, Sjostrom etc. could be considered to beef up any potential draft pick or prospect also coming back. I rate this a 7.5/10 on the possibilities scale.


Dallas Stars

I know, you're saying 'Wait...they weren't included before, and they are a Western conference team!'...but I thought I would include them because of two players I think Burke covets from that team. There have also been rumblings from some friends, that sources are saying Dallas is in play.

Present Situation: ~$12 million in cap space available
Finished 12th in the Western Conference last year, 7 points out of a playoff spot.

Team Needs:

Defense. Not just defensive defenceman, but offensive ones too. This teams glaring weakness is their D. Lehtonen is solid in net, and Richards, Morrow and Ribiero are providing solid production up front. At this point a Kaberle addition, plus a veteran shut down d-man would make the Stars a very likely playoff contender in the West.

Trade Bait:

Two players here. James Neal, and Steve Ott. I have heard that Burke covets both of these guys; Neal for his size and skill...Ott for his grit and skill, and motor that will not quit.

Neal would be the tougher pull. A young, power forward, with great hands and capable of potentially putting up 40 goals (Anybody have spare shorts...cause I just came). Burke wants him. Dallas wants to keep him. The rest of the NHL would probably like to get him too. If Brian could find the right compliment of players to make a deal involving this kid work, I would be over the moon. He is exactly what this young core needs, and again would be the big body to open up space for Kessel.

Ott provides more 3rd line talent, however he is capable of stepping onto the 2nd line in times of need. He may not be exactly what the team needs to win the cup, however adding a pick to this deal would make it pretty good for both sides. I don't see him as a likely target after the acquisition or Armstrong, and the fact that Torres should be signing in Toronto...however I wanted to give him some love.

Likely Scenario:

I see a few factors that would come into play with this deal.

1) Will Kaberle sign an extension in Dallas? If not, no way Dallas makes a trade for him. They need him for a few years if they want to be serious about making a run.
2) Will Dallas trade James Neal? Would be a tough sell, however if Burke can get Phaneuf for Leafs cast offs...I will hold my tongue until the 15th of August.




Summary:

I have no idea where Kaberle will end up going. If I could rank them in order of preference it would be:

Dallas, Columbus, San Jose.

If I have to rank them in likelihood to be consummated I would say:

Columbus, San Jose, Dallas.

This does not discount the fact that Burke says 10 teams are interested...though I highly doubt that (and so does Kaberle's agent Rick Curran)...so teams like Boston or Philly could still be in the mix.

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear some comments and see what you guys think.

Until Next Time

-BF



As an aside: The Maple Leafs are presently looking at Tim Kennedy and Ryan Potulny as potential signings, however both are contingent on them being two way contracts. A smart move by Burkie as both players are still very young, and not deservant of one way deals just yet.

We Are The Champions...But When?

Sitting on my couch while watching a mind numbing game between the Tigers and Rays tonight, and having a few rye and diets followed by some wine (writers juice)...I decided it was an appropriate time to make my decision as to which team in Toronto would bring us our next championship, and when.

My reference to Toronto teams will consist of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC. As per usual, Toronto Rock are eliminated due to Nascar.


Examining the present state of the franchises, most would say it does not look good. I prefer to say, it is so-so. The Toronto Blue Jays are presently tearing apart AL East opponents and sit 7 games over five hundred. Predictions at the start of the year had them winning sixty games...one more win and they will have met expectations with 50 games to go. Optimism. Toronto FC is presently on the outside looking in sitting in 9th place, one spot out of the playoffs. They are however into the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, which is a historic feat for the baby of the Toronto franchises. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished another disappointing season by sending the second overall pick to the Boston Bruins and having to trade into the second round of the draft. Brian Burke has added some nice pieces in Versteeg, Phaneuf, Kessel, and Gustavsson in the last year...while ridding us of some contracts that I did not think were even possible of unloading (see: Jason Blake) however, we have yet to see the results of these moves. Finally, the Toronto Raptors stink. Enough said. More on them later.

Toronto Blue Jays

Present Standing: 4th in the AL East and out 8 games out of the Wild Card standings.

Don't let this fool you, the Blue Jays have surpassed expectations this year with a young group of players growing into bonafide MLB players on any team.

Positives

The young pitching staff has been consistent, dominant at times, and never over matched by the Monster that is the AL East. AA's addition of Brandon Morrow has been fantastic, and he is only getting better as can be evidenced by his 17K's and one hit shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Bay Street Bombers have hit more home runs than any team in baseball this year. Jose Bautista has led the charge with 34 home runs (leading MLB) and will hopefully be re-signed for 3 more years this off-season so that he can continue to swing a big bat in the big smoke.

Negatives

We remain in the AL East. As long as the Yankees, and Red Sox continue to have an open vault, and the Tamp Bay Rays superstar core stays in tact we will have a tough time winning a championship. That being said, the gap is closing. This young group of upstarts is quickly becoming a challenging group of MLB starters.

Outlook

This team will be competitive in 2010, challenging in 2011, and contending soon after that as the aging core players of Jeter, Rodriguez, Posada, Youklis, Ortiz and Beckett begin to fade. I foresee it taking a wild card to make the playoffs due to the fact that the Yankees and Sox will still have cash to reload, but it could happen. The Blue Jays seem to be in capable hands with Anthopoulos at the helm.




Toronto Maple Leafs

Present Standing: Off-Season. Finished second last in the NHL last year, however made some positive strides with regards to the roster and freeing up cap space.

Not much more I can say here. The young guys seemed to turn it on at the end of the season, but the Leafs have done that the last 4 seasons and missed the playoffs in every one of them.

Positives

Young goaltender who may or may not become solid enough to win in the playoffs. The Monster seemed to flourish a bit more with Giguere as his battery mate, and with a season free of health problems he could easily put up starting keeper numbers in the NHL.

Young core of players. Phaneuf, Kessel, Gustavsson, Schenn, Gunnarsson, Bozak, Kulemin and Kadri inspire hope. Though they may not be Toews, Kane and Nash they are great pieces that can be made into a contending team with a few high end additions at Center and Wing.

Negatives

Despite having all the new additions last year the Leafs finished out of the playoffs and in the bottom 2 of the NHL.

Despite finishing second last in the entire league...we did not get a draft pick out of it. The Boston Bruins got a potential franchise center...and we continue to shop Tomas Kaberle Oh, we also don't have a first round pick next year. So much for building with young players and inexpensive contracts...we have young players making 5+ million.

Outlook

As I said in my prior post I think that this team will finish 8th or 9th in the East next year. Lacking a first round pick this year and next, I don't foresee this getting much better. in 2011-2012 I can see us finishing in the same position again. Without compiling first round picks and getting a solid free agent acquisition this team could toile in mediocrity for a while.




Toronto FC

Present Standing: 3rd place in the East behind the recently stacked New York Red Bulls, and 9th overall in the MLS. One spot out of the playoffs. In the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Playing some of the best football of the franchises history has yet to translate into league success for this team. They have held onto their position in the standings longer than in years past, and we have yet to see that summer collapse...however they are still on the outside looking in.

Toronto FC has tasted success in International Competition as they have advance to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. Unprecedented for this team.

Positives

The rabid fan base of Toronto FC (led by the supporters clubs) has created a home atmosphere that makes it impossible for opposing teams to come in and take full points. The Big Red Machine becomes a mix of the team, the fans, the chants, and coach Preki's always nasty demeanour. This is our house...you're god damn right it is.

Unexpected players have stepped up on a nightly basis this year for Toronto FC. Adrian Cann, a USL signing has become that big, steady CB needed for Toronto. Chad Barrett has found the form that many have demanded, and still continue to refuse to acknowledge at BMO field. Give the man some damn love...his right foot has basically sent us through to the group stage of CONCACAF, not to mention given us 3 crucial points against Chivas.

Negatives

Toronto's road record remains atrocious. Without the friendly confines of BMO Field the boys appear lost. Home field seems to be a big thing in the MLS, more so than any other sport that Toronto franchises play in.

Scoring remains an issue. One goal or none appears to be the norm for this talented squad. There has yet to be a consistent goal scoring threat emerging from this squad and until they do, it will continue to be a roller coaster ride.

Outlook

Up until 2-3 weeks ago I would have had Toronto's chances of gelling and becoming a legitimate contender as a very real possibility. However, when the New York Red Bulls sign Thierry Henry and the captain of the bloody Mexican World Cup squad, on top of Juan Pablo Angel...I lose a lot of faith in our chances of winning the East.



Toronto Raptors

Present Standing: Dead in the water. Sinking ship. Young Gunz that are not loaded. The Raptors no longer have a legit star, and we have a core group of players that has one guy who has averaged more than 10 points per game in his career. This does not look good.


Positives

The team appears to be closer after the departure of Chris Bosh. Demar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Sonny Weems have formed a strong bond and are determined to prove that the Raptors are not the second worst team in the NBA (thanks ESPN).


Ed Davis, the Raptors first round pick at PF (think Bosh when he was drafted for his size) out of North Carolina looked dominant against bigger competition in the Vegas summer league. He handed Demarcus Cousins his lunch when Sacramento played Toronto by blocking him 4 times in the first half and holding him to a paltry 1-10. Not bad. A couple years away from being big time though, I think.

Negatives

Everything else. We have no legit Center (Bargs is a PF) no dominant Wing, and no dominant PG. This could be a lonnnnngggg rebuilding process.

The Toronto media did not rip Chris Bosh harder. Don't treat Toronto fans like morons, be straight up and tell us we wont see you next year. We can deal with that. At the same time, I'm disappointed they didn't rip Colangelo harder. He acted like a child, and stooped to Gilberts level. Grow up and build us a damn team. Stop worrying about where you get your dress shirts and get me a fucking Center.

Outlook

Fucked. A decade away from being anything in the NBA. At this point relocation looks more likely than a Championship.




PREDICTION

Ladies and gentleman, your next Toronto CHAMPIONS......

THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS!!!!

The reason I chose the Toronto Blue Jays encompasses a few factors:

- Recently the New York Red Bulls acquired 2 more players who are considered stars in the MLS. This drastically hinders Toronto FC's chances to ever win the East, and further more the league. Columbus remains a very strong squad.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs could miss the playoffs and wind up in the lottery 2 years in a row without making a pick. Not the way you build championships anymore.

- As I said, the Toronto Raptors are fucked.


What do you think? Agree disagree? Love to hear some comments.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A Look Forward

Being a die hard Leafs fan for the entirety of my 26 year life, I have always needed a forum to express both my love and frustrations with respect to this team. Thankfully Twitter, and BlogSpot have provided me that opportunity...so I look forward to writing a few more Leafs posts as Training Camps get started and we get back into the swing of the greatest sport in North America.

In my first installment, I'd like to speak to the Maple Leafs presently, and look forward to the future...whatever that may hold.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A Look Forward

As we all know the Leafs are going into another season rife with uncertainty. Who is our first line Center? Is the Kessel deal going to be worth it? Will Kaberle be traded? Will our highly paid defense finally show up this year? All questions that I honestly don't think have been addressed at all this off-season. That being said, lets take a look forward at where the Leafs are, and what needs to be done in order to get back to the promise land?

Off Season Acquisitions:

Kris Versteeg - When all is said and done I truly believe that Versteeg will be a solid 2nd line winger for us. I think he will be forced into a first line role this year, due to the lack of depth at forward...however I see him as being a stalwart on the 2nd line for many years to come. Solid acquisition, I just wonder if it was a lateral move shipping Stalberg and 2 prospects for Versteeg.

Billy Sweatt - Who? Is probably the first thing that came to your mind. He was the prospect added in to the Versteeg deal, because Chicago was unable to reach terms with him and his agent. Don't take this as merely a throw in, I honestly believe Sweatt has top six potential....however the sticking point is that if he goes un-signed again this season he becomes a UFA and can choose which team he wants to play with. I look for it to be tough signing him in the future, however I would be very happy if they did.

Mike Brown - Nice Duster. He should fit in well with Colton Orr to form one of the nastiest fourth lines in the NHL. I like the fact that Burke protects guys like Kessel, however the Mike Browns of the world are not the type of draft day acquisitions this team needs.

Colby Armstrong – Solid third line guy, with strong leadership skills on a young team. I’d love to see him paired with Raffi Torres on a third line. From what I hear, this is a very likely possibility as Torres’ camp and the Leafs have been talking since free agency opened. Armstrong has a decent set of hands, a nasty demeanour, and a big body. All things I will welcome anyday on the Leafs.

Brett Lebda – Was caught off guard by this signing. In a good way. I think Lebda is an underrated puck moving defenceman. He has a great outlet pass, and a bit of a nasty streak to him. Carl Gunnarsson would look good paired with him. Too much cash? We will have to wait and see on that one.

Jussi Rynnas – I know so little about Mr. Rynnas that I can’t even write a proper opinion. I know he is big, raw, and will play with James Remier n the minors. I am willing to wait on that one, as the Monster is such a young player still. Stocking the cupboard with goaltending prospects was not a formula that hurt Burke in Anaheim, so I like that move in Toronto as well.

Brad Ross – Leafs first pick, albeit in the second round, of the 2010 entry draft. Listed at 6 feet tall, he appears to be a little smaller than that. Built in the mold of Darcy Tucker, but with worse hands, this kid projects to be a Steve Ott type agitator, with some decent skill. Whether his size and skill will translate to success at the NHL level is another story, but if he doesn’t make it…it will not be from a lack of effort.

Now that we have run down the recent player acquisitions, let’s breakdown some of the potential line combinations that we could see in the 2010-2011 season:

Versteeg – Bozak – Kessel
Kulemin – Grabovski – Caputi
Armstrong – Mitchell – Sjostrom
Brown – Hanson – Orr

Phaneuf – Kaberle
Schenn – Komisarek
Gunnarsson/Lebda – Beauchemin

Monster

I don’t mind the roster from the defenceman back, but I don’t know a Leafs fan that could look me in the eye and tell me that those forwards could compete in a playoff series with the Penguins, Blackhawks and Canucks of the world. The Leafs need a legitimate first line Center, and a big power forward to play with Kessel to even begin resembling a quality squad at the front.
Versteeg brings intrigue to the first line, however ultimately he will have to be relegated to the second line once higher end talent is accumulated (hopefully). As it stands right now, that first line is entirely too small and would get pushed around by the Prongers of the league. Lets take a look at the top prospects in the Leafs system, and how they project as future players.



Top Prospects:

Nazem Kadri – Talented scorer that put up 93 points in 58 games last year in the OHL. Had it not been for an early slump after being sent back to Junior by the Leafs, Kadri would have amassed over 100 points for the Knights and could have challenged Hall and Seguin for the CHL scoring title. A few knocks I have on Kadri are; size( though from what I hear he has bulked up quite a bit this year…or so this creepy blogger says: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=51444&post_id=9811) On ice vision (he appears to make some stupid plays with the puck, and try and force it through the neutral zone) and finally his mental game. I think he projects to be a second line player (70 point seasons) with Versteeg as his running mate. They would form quite the formidable secondary scoring, and be exactly what his team needs to succeed. Kadri should start the season in the AHL for some professional seasoning, however I look to him to be on the Leafs full time by the end of the season.

After Kadri there is a significant drop-off in the quality of the prospects we have at our disposal, however here is a quick run-down of some of the other Leafs prospects:

Brad Ross – See above, previously mentioned.

Mikhail Stefanovich – Heard some good things out of summer camp last year from him. Offensive winger who can light the lamp with ease. Needs to work on his 2 way game.

Jerry D’Amigo – Getting lots of love after an excellent performance at the World Juniors in 2010. Needs to be smarter and more consistent, but is another decent Wing prospect.

Keith Aulie – A forgotten man in the Dion Phaneuf trade. Aulie is a large mobile defenceman who had a rather inauspicious year with the Marlies. You didn’t really notice him on the ice, which is tough to say wherther that is good or bad from a big D-man.

Jesse Blacker – A Windsor Spitfires defender that some say has an excelent all around game. He is positionally strong, with a decent sized body for the NHL. Could be playing with the Leafs in the next 2 years.

As you can see, the cupboard is not completely barren…however there is a significant lack of high end talent in that cupboard…especially for a team that has missed the playoffs the last 4 years. Accumulating more of this talent is a must for any team in the salary cap world because RFA and rookie contracts help win Stanley Cups…ask the Blackhawks.

What else does Burke need to do to make this team a contender? Here are some of my thoughts as to what the next steps should be:
- Acquire top 6 forward talent. We have second line players in first line roles right now, and you can not compete over the course of an 82 game schedule with players playing out of position. We saw this with Matt Stajan for so many years, and it did not help then.
- Power forward with skill. Tough to find I know, however acquiring a guy like Milan Lucic, Ryan Malone, or Dustin Penner (bad example I know) who can put in 25 goals but still create open space is a must. This type of player would not only contribute offensively and be an upgrade on the front line, but he would open up space for Kessel to roam by clogging up lanes and screening shotsd. I think this type of player is a MUST.
- Playmaking center. How is Kessel expected to score 40 goals with Tyler Bozak feeding him on a nightly basis? Not a knock on Bozak, I love the way he came in and played last year, I just don’t know a sane Leafs fan that would say he is a legitimate first line player. Kessel needs a Savard type player again that can find him in open space, hit him for a one timer, and provide those passes that make your jaw drop. This along with a power forward would make our first line legitimate, and allow Versteeg and Bozak to slide down the depth chart and balance the attack.
- Is the Monster the goalie of the future? I have yet to see concrete evidence that Gustavsson is the answer in net….however…if Antti Niemi, Brian Boucher, Michael Leighton, Chris Osgood etc are any inidication, big money does not need to be spent between the pipes in order to win the cup. The Leafs would need Gustavsson to be solid (2.70 GAA, .900-.910 sv%) but not spectacular in order to compete with an upgraded lineup, and I think he can provide that. With more confidence, less heart surgeries, and continued tutolage of JS Giguere, I think the best is yet to come with the Monster.

Season Prediction: 8th/9th in the East – Burke can not afford another lottery pick going to Boston.

What do you think? Am I talking out of my ass? Do you agree with my assessment of this team, and what needs to be done to improve? Will Kadri be a superstar? IS Kaberle going to be here next year? Let me know! Sign up and comment! Thanks for the read, I am going to do a lot more posts about the Leafs in the future…so please share your thoughts and ideas as well.


- BF

Blue Jays Quiet at Non-Waiver Deadline

After weeks of speculation about Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Lyle Overbay and Jose Bautista....the Jays only make a prospect for prospect swap.

My initial thoughts:

- What the hell is wrong with Brett Wallace that a guy hitting .301 with 19HR and 61RBI in AAA can't get a crack at the lineup...especially considering Overbay is a free agent next year. Wallace was traded by St. Louis in the Holliday trade, then traded to Toronto in the Halladay deal, and now has been shipped again in a round a bout way in the Roy Oswalt deal. Why does everyone keep dealing this kid???
- Could we have gotten more for Wallace? I know Anthopoulos has a serious man crush on Anthony Gose, but he's only hitting .263 in A ball, and his power numbers are non-existent. The 36 steals are nice, but unless I read a statline with an error, he's been thrown out 27 times too!! I wouldn't say that is a great success rate...especially when you are in A ball. My only thought is that he is 19 years old, and has a long time to develop. Wallace was 23 remember. Who knows?
- Glad to see Bautista not moved. He seems to have found a home in Toronto, and if he puts up monster numbers again next year the possibility still exists that he can be traded for a monster haul. For now, let him mentor Escobar...and let him keep mashing the ball.
- I wish they had traded both Scott Downs and Jason Frasor. I don't subscribe to the thought that this is a decent bullpen. In a 7 game series against the Yankees, Fraosr, Downs, Camp and Gregg would get lit up by Jeter and the boys. That hurt to write because the Yankees are douchebags.
- With Overbay likely gone, here is a quick (unofficial) guess at an opening day lineup next year:

1B - Lind
2B - Hill
SS - Escobar
3B - Anybody but Encarnacion.
C - Buck/Arencibia
OF - Lewis
OF - Wells
OF - Bautista
DH - Snider

If the 3B situation was settled, and Lind and Hill returned to a shell of their former selves...that is a very decent lineup. I love Arencibia, he is destroying the ball in AAA and I really hope he gets a chance at a spot in the lineup next year.
- I am a little surprised that Buck was not traded. He is a free agent next year I believe, though I suppose having a bunch of all-stars sign with other teams will next the Jays a lot of draft picks.


Those are my thoughts. An un-exciting day. Who knows what that will bring next year?

- BF

Toronto Raptors: Summer 2010

The Toronto Raptors, where do I start other than the obvious.

The Decision. Twitter-gate. The big three. I will touch on this quickly because, well I am sure we are all sick of hearing about it by now. Bosh leaving would not have been bad had Bryan Colangelo (BC) been able to use the 15 million dollar trade exception into a valuable front line rebounder to team with Bargnani. I like the two first round picks, however Miami's first is undoubtedly turn out to be a 25th or later pick...so not a lot of value in that piece. We knew the day was coming, Colangelo didn't get impact players in a sign-and-trade so now we must move on with the Young Gunz.

The Amir Johnson signing. I like signing this kid long term, because as Jay Triano has told me...he really is a great team guy, and the glue that holds the locker room together. He possesses an intriguing amount of potential that makes you wonder if he has double double capabilities in a starters role. Unfortunately, Amir is an under-sized, under-skilled starting 4 in the NBA...so the Raptors will be abused at that position regularly this year. When Ed Davis is ready to step in (if that day comes) Amir will be the perfect backup 4 and energy guy off the bench. Again, I like the signing.

Drafting Ed Davis and trading for Solomon Alabi: The Raps desperately needed front court depth, so BC addressed this by taking a number 4 in Davis and trading for a big #5 in Alabi. I watched a lot of summer league this year so that I could form an opinion on the new young core of Raptors players, and I must say that Ed Davis was unbelievable. He desperately needs to add weight to his slight frame, but in one game against Sacramento...I watched him dominate Demarcus Cousins in a big way. He was facing Cousins up so that passes had to clear him to get inside, and if they got past him he had enough quickness and power to quickly block Cousins from the backside. Not a word of a lie he personally blocked Cousins 4 times in the first half, a first half that Cousins shot 1-10 from field in. Alabi looks to have that one thing you can't teach....an NBA body as they put it. He was big, he finished strong, and he looked to have some pretty soft hands for a big man. I like both of these pickups, however they are both a ways away from being regular contributors at an NBA level.

Trading Hedo Turkoglu. THANK GOD! Let me sum up Hedo's NBA professionalism...the stuff you know...he was too sick to play, however someone caught a picture of him out at the club after. He had one of his entourage take the girls camera and delete her pictures. Add that to a PPG that amounted to the same number of millions he was making on his new contract, and he wasn't winning anyone over. The stuff you didn't know...Hedo refused to workout in his downtime. He believed that he only way to get into game shape was to play games. His in-season diet consisted pretty much of the same thing you saw him eat in that god awful Pizza Pizza commercial, and he put no time into trying to bond with his teammates. All I can say is welcome Leandro Barbosa...I am happy to have you. I look for Leandro to put up 15-18 points per game in a starters role and increased minutes. He is quick, he can score, and he is a great fit for a young run-and-gun style of play.

The failed Chandler deal. I must say, this disappointed me greatly. I thought that Tyson Chandler would have allowed Bargnani to slide into the 4 and have less of a rebounding responsibility. I think Andrea has been lacking that dominant player down low who can do the banging and crashing for him. The fact that Michael Jordan pulled it off the table after his GM had already announced to the players that they were moving, is an un-classy and unprofessional thing to do. It sets a very bad precedent for your organization, and if I have heard correctly...he did the same thing at the trade deadline last year with the Pacers. A bad start for a guy who should understand the NBA better than that.

Bryan Colangelo. BC. You had me drinking the kool-aid for a while, however now I am very unsure. As the face of the franchise in Toronto...you should have kept quiet and let Chris Bosh leave without any fanfare or arguing back and forth. Be the grown up. Be the bigger man. Now, lets address your moves as a GM. Thus far you have managed to assemble one of the most uncertain teams since the Raptors franchise came into existence. Bosh is gone with nothing big being brought back in return, your first overall pick hasn't quite developed into an all-star (yet) and the best free agent signing we have seen in your time was...Jarret Jack. I like Jack...but that's a bad thing to have as your top highlight. Here's hoping this rebuild goes well and the Raptors can challenge in the near future.

Final thoughts. It looks bleak right now. It really does. At this point I don't know that the Raptors will even get 30 wins next season. If that is the case where does the finger get pointed? BC? Triano? The axe will have to fall at some point, and I hope the organization makes the right move. We need a man of prestige, we need a basketball legend to run the franchise and bring back credibility and excitement to this team.

Hope you enjoyed it, please share your thoughts too!

- BF

It's Been Awhile

So I disappeared for about 2 years....took a long needed break from the daily routine, increased my drinking and found a new passion in Toronto's youngest franchise: Toronto FC.

Recently, I have rekindled my passion for writing non-sensical alcohol and drug fueled blogs, however, this time I have decided that I need to write about all things Toronto Sports. Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, Toronto FC, and even the Raptors. Yes I know, the Raptors. No Toronto Rock you ask? No...I will not be writing about the Toronto Rock. I am not of Mohawk decsent, and I do not enjoy Nascar...so needless to say I will not be writing about Lacrosse.

Anyway, I had previously written some musings about the Raptors summer, and a look ahead at the future of the Maple Leafs, so I am going to post those here and start fresh.

Glad to be back, hope you enjoy the show.

-BF