Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel tied the game with 44 seconds left in the third period, beating Devils’ goaltender Martin Brodeur with a slick wrist shot which eluded the future hall of fame netminder.

Despite Kessel’s heroics,Torontowas unable to close the deal, as Devils’ defenseman Mark Fayne put a weak shot pastTorontogoaltender Jonas Gustavsson at the 01:18 mark of overtime.

For Gustavsson, Fayne’s shot resulted in one of three questionable goals on the evening. Soft goals and poor positioning for their goaltenders and a lack of overall defense is killing the Maple Leafs chances of making the playoffs as they have now gone 4-5-1 in their past ten games.

As a result of the Maple Leafs poor performances of late they now stand to lose their stranglehold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as the Winnipeg Jets have tied the Buds in the standings with 65 points on the season, while the Washington Capitals (who have been equally horrible in their past ten games going 3-6-1) sit just two points back of the Blue and White.

Tuesday night was a better overall effort from Toronto, especially in the physical department where captain Dion Phaneuf had a nice tussle with Devils forward David Clarkson, but there are still glaring holes on defense and far too many turnovers in the neutral zone for anyone to take this club seriously.

The Maple Leafs have been blown out in three of their past five games, losing to the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks by a combined score of 16-3.

Despite being Home for their next three games the games will not be easy for the Maple Leafs as they are set to play against the San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers.

With Washington and Florida fighting it out for top spot in the Southeast Division where both Winnipeg and Florida hold a slim two point lead on the struggling Capitals.

We have been saying this since early January, but the next three games really are a make it or break it stretch for the Maple Leafs. Win and they should manage to hold onto eighth spot in the East, lose and it will be very tough for this team to make the playoffs once they have fallen behind.

Let’s face it; confidence is at an all-time low for the Maple Leafs, especially where their goaltending and defense are concerned. Combine that low confidence with the non-stop trade rumors involving a number of roster players and what you get is a team that has lost its killer instinct on some nights.

The opposition smells a wounded dog and they are going for the kill every single night.

It is not time to push the panic button just yet. That said, by the end of the Maple Leafs’ four game Home stand it may very well be.

One thing is for sure, the Maple Leafs do not look like a playoff team right now. Whether or not Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke brings in Columbus Blue Jackets super star forward Rick Nash in a trade or not there is plenty of work to be done in Leafland.

Until next time,

Peace!

Jonas Gustavsson is an unrestricted free agent this summer which brings into question whether or not Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke will attempt to re-sign the Swedish goaltender, while James Reimer’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been slightly compromised due to injuries and some sub-par numbers this season.

Brought over from Sweden via free agency, Gustavsson has amassed a record of 38-40-12 through 97 career starts, including a 16-12-1 record this season. Gustavsson’s rookie season saw his post a 16-15-9 record, but he struggled in his second season, amassing a paltry 6-13-2 record.

A heart ailment and the death of both of his parents were key factors in Gustavsson’s struggles. That and a change in goaltending style that saw him go from a stand up first goaltender into a more of a hybrid goaltender as per the tutelage of goaltending coach Francois Allaire.

This season Gustavsson has had his fair share of ups and downs, culminating in a decent 16-12-1 record to go along with three shutouts, a 2.85 goals against average and a .906 save percentage.

Still, as good as Gustavsson has played this season, nobody is confusing him as a legitimate number one goaltender as there are plenty of questions about his positioning and ability to lead this team.

Meanwhile, after posting a 20-10-5 record in his rookie season, James Reimer has gone from hero to near zero this year posting a disappointing 11-8-4 record to go along with a 2.98 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.

Concussion-like symptoms derailed Reimer early on in the season. He too, has had an up and down season, highlighted by back-to-back shutouts against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.

Unfortunately, Reimer followed his shutout heroics up with three losses in his next five games, including two games in which his save percentage was below .800 at .778 and .733, respectively.

When you are a young NHL goaltender ups and downs are bound to be prevalent in the early going, but with Toronto seemingly on the cusp of making the playoffs for the first time in what feels like a decade, Brian Burke and Company can ill-afford to go forward with two major question marks between the pipes.

For his part, Burke has been saying all the right things of late, even going so far as to say he has no plans to bring in another goaltender at this time.
We don’t disagree with Brian Burke very often, but in this case perhaps Burke should take another look, because the numbers don’t lie and the numbers suggest he could use an upgrade between the pipes.

With Gustavsson’s future up in the air due to free agency and Reimer’s skills being exposed as inconsistent, is there a goaltender out there that Burke can put his faith in?

One option would be to take a look at Ray Emery.

Originally drafted in the fourth round (99th overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Emery is just 29 years old. Through 196 career NHL games he has amassed a 105-60-17 record to go along with a 2.69 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

Admittedly, Emery has suffered from a number of injuries including a career-threatening hip injury which led to Emery undergoing an operation where doctors grafted bone from his lower leg and inserted it into the ball of the hip in order to repair his right hip which had been compromised by avascular necrosis, which causes bone tissue to die.

Despite having the same disease that cost legendary two-sport athlete Bo Jackson his career, Emery has recovered from surgery and has rebounded enough to put together a solid 7-2-0 record with the Anaheim Ducks in 2010-11, followed by a decent 11-7-2 record with the Chicago Blackhawks this season.

While there are no guarantees surrounding Emery’s health, it is not very often a goaltender with his upside becomes available and with Emery set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer he will become just that—available.

Nicknamed “Razor” or “Sugar Ray”, Emery has overcome his reputation for being one of the NHL’s bad boys when he was with the Ottawa Senators, to rarely making the headlines and seemingly becoming a team player in both Anaheim and Chicago.

At 6’2” and just over 200 pounds, Emery has the size that many NHL teams are looking for in a goaltender. The fact is, while Emery may not be the goaltender he was when he led the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006-07 or have the agility he once had, he has not had a losing record between the pipes since 2007-08 when he went 12-13-4 with the Ottawa Senators.

At 29 years of age Emery is veteran enough to know how to win and young enough to grow with the team. He would be a decent option to replace Gustavsson should Burke chose to let him walk and a possibility of becoming Toronto’s number one goaltender.

Sure, Emery’s hip could limit the number of games he could play, but with very few options out there is he not worth taking a chance on? Just two years removed from being the Stanley Cup Champions the Chicago Blackhawks felt enough about Emery to give him a shot, how could Emery not be good enough for Toronto?

There is no guarantee that Emery will make free agency this summer and there is no guarantee that he would want to come to Toronto. That said, money talks, and if Burke could bring him in on a reasonable contract, it says here Razor would be worth the risk.

Until next time,

Peace!

You cannot judge the Maple Leafs netminding and defense based on one game, but when you consider the Blue and White currently sit 27th overall averaging 3.00 goals against per game there is plenty of evidence that this team needs to upgrade on the backend.

A quick look at Toronto’s goaltenders reveals James Reimer is ranked 41st in goals against average (2.98) and 36th in save percentage (.903), while Jonas Gustavsson is ranked 37th in G.A.A. (2.85) and 34th in SV% (.906).

Truth be told, neither one of these goaltenders has been all-world this season. That said, when you consider just how poor the team defense has been it is tough to blame just Reimer and Gustavsson.

When you consider the names on the back of the jersey’s Toronto’s defense should be much better than the results. Rookie defenseman Jake Gardiner  and the often criticized Luke Schenn lead all Maple Leafs defensemen with a plus/minus rating of +7. Carl Gunnarsson is second on the team with a plus +3 rating.

Dion Phaneuf (-4), John-Michael Liles (-6), Cody Franson (-3), Mike Komisarek (-2) and Keith Aulie (-2) are all minus players. Some of these players play better defense than others, but none of them has been a defensive stud this season.

Up front the results have been better, but far from great.

Sure, Toronto has plenty of plus players up front, but few of Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson’s forwards have established themselves as reliable defensive players.

Comparatively, the Maple Leafs are ranked seventh overall in scoring averaging 2.97 goals per game. Phil Kessel leads the Maple Leafs in scoring with 30 goals and 63 points, which puts him in the top five in the NHL in both categories, while linemate Joffrey Lupul sits 21st in goals scored with 23 on the season and seventh overall in points with 61.

When you consider Rick Nash’s overall skillset defense would have to be considered a soft spot for the talented winger. Sure, Nash plays in Columbus where defense is often an afterthought and goaltending is often comical, but nobody is ever going to mistake Nash as a Selke Trophy candidate.

Without question, Brian Burke is one of the best general managers in the NHL and, with the exception of a few poor moves, it is hard to argue with the acquisitions he has made since becoming the Maple Leafs general manager. That said, one wonders, is bringing in Rick Nash going to help this team? Would Burke be better off looking to acquire more defense?

Clearly, while Nash would satisfy the fans need for a big name forward (like Phil Kessel isn’t a big enough name already!), it is hard to believe he will make this club a Stanley Cup contender.

Keep in mind if Burke were to acquire Nash the asking price is said to include Schenn, a prospect and a first round draft choice.

That deal would hurt the Maple Leafs defensively in the short term and may hurt the teams development in the long term, not to mention the $7.8 million salary Burke would have to make room for.

With both Kessel and Lupul in need of new contracts after next season it would appear as if Burke would better off re-signing his two stars rather than trying to bring in Nash.

Let’s face it, Kessel and Lupul are already doing a great job manning the wings on Toronto’s top line. In fact, the duo of Kessel and Lupul have combined for the second best totals (124 points combined) in the entire league.

Adding Nash only complicates your top line, could potentially have a negative impact on your salary cap for years to come, fails to address Toronto’s need at centre and does little to address the teams most glaring need—defense.

Adding a top centre would go a long way in addressing the Maple Leafs paltry defense, as would taking a serious look at bringing in a proven goaltender. The addition of Nash, while tempting, does not look like the smart move for Burke, at least not from my seat.

At the end of the day we’d all love to see Rick Nash in a Maple Leafs uniform, but the price tag (which is significant) is far too high. Let’s hope Burke switches gears and looks to improve his team where it needs it most—defensively.

Until next time,

Peace!

The Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs are said to be in the running for Nash’s services, along with the Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks and Flyers seem to be getting the least amount of press in the Nash Rumors, while Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto seem to be the most logical destinations—all things considered.

When evaluating what the Blue Jackets could potentially net in trading Nash one must consider Nash’s hefty $7.8 million salary which could potentially play havoc with any team Nash joins.

According to capgeek.com, the Vancouver Canucks will have $407,359 available at the deadline. The Los Angeles Kings will have $3,188,225, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have $5,998,352, while the New York Rangers come in at $6,959,621.

Based on cap space alone the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers look to be in a good position to add Nash’s salary. That said, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke also has to worry about re-signing two of the NHL’s top-ten scoring leaders in Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul—both of whom will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2012-13 season, both of whom will not come cheap.

Of course, Burke could send some salary the other way to help off-set Nash’s measurable contract, but we’ll get to that a little later.

The word on the street is that Columbus will be asking for a roster player, top prospect, and a first round draft pick—for starters.

That’s a huge price for a player that currently sits 55th overall in goal scoring (18) and a paltry 74th in points scored (39) this season.

Sure, Nash has the potential to be a perennial 40-goal, 80-point player, but when you consider how much you’d have to give up for him and the hefty $7.8 million price tag Nash carries, one wonders if acquiring Nash is really worth it?

So what will it take to get Nash?

Vancouver could offer the likes of goaltender Cory Schneider, forward Cody Hodgson and defenseman Christopher Tanev as well as a first round draft choice. The Rangers are said to be dangling forward Brandon Dubinsky, top prospect Chris Kreider and a first round draft pick. Los Angeles is said to be offering up goaltender Jonathan Bernier, defenseman Jack Johnson and a pick, while Toronto could put together a package that may include the likes of defenseman Luke Schenn, prospects Nazem Kadri or Joe Colborne, forward Nikolai Kulemin and draft picks.

When you look at all the potential deals the two that stand out are those from Los Angeles and Vancouver. Both deals include a goaltender that could potentially be a number one goalie and both offer up a good combination of players at every position.

With Columbus needing upgrades at every position they will be looking for a return that nets them a number of quality players or prospects that can give them a head start on their potential rebuild.

Put yourself in Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson’s shoes for a second—which deal would you take?

Toronto’s bid looks to include a questionable prospect in Nazem Kadri, a defenseman that has been a healthy scratch on a number of occasions this season in Luke Schenn and a forward that is having a career low in Nikolai Kulemin and a draft pick heading to Columbus, while the potential deals from Vancouver and Los Angeles appear to be infinitely better.

It really is no contest— Toronto’s deal simply does not make the cut. Not if Vancouver and Los Angeles are willing to give up what they are rumored to be offering. If this is the case Brian Burke simply does not have the top-end quality to offer up that Vancouver and Los Angeles does.

In fact, while the potential haul from the Rangers does not include a top goaltending prospect, the thought of adding forward Brandon Dubinsky, top prospect Chris Kreider and a first round draft pick must be very tempting for Howson and may be better than any offer Burke could dream up (without getting stupid).

The Rangers could also dangle the likes of young forward Derek Stepan or defenseman Michael del Zotto to sweeten the deal, depending on how desperate they are to land the likes of Nash.

At the end of the day, as much as the Leafs Nation would love to see Nash in the Blue and White, the odds are far from good.

What say you? What deal would you make if you were Scott Howson? How does Toronto’s potential offer stand up in your opinion?

Until next time,

Peace!

Toronto had lost four in a row before beating the Edmonton Oilers in overtime on Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs paltry 5-4-1 record in their past ten games has them precariously close to falling out of a playoff spot, as Toronto currently sits eighth overall in the Eastern Conference, a mere one point up on the Washington Capitals who sit in ninth.

The Maple Leafs and Canucks last met back on December 17th, with the Canucks beating the Blue and White by a final score of 5-3. Tyler Bozak had a goal and two assists that night, while Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows and Chris Higgins each had a two point effort against the Maple Leafs. Vancouver has beaten Toronto nine straight times going back to 2003.

Despite the Maple Leafs recent struggles, Joffrey Lupul has nine points in his past seven games, while Phil Kessel has five points in his past five games.

Scoring has not been the issue for the Maple Leafs this season, rather, it has been the teams overall defense and a pair of struggling goaltenders which seems to be holding this team back.

James Reimer will get the nod between the pipes for the Maple Leafs, while defenseman Luke Schenn will be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch in Edmonton.

Despite Vancouver’s recent success, not all is well. Henrik Sedin has just one goal in his past 15 games and the team is struggling on the power play.

On the positive side of the ledger, goaltender Roberto Luongo has been lights out for the Canucks of late. Luongo hasn’t lost in regulation since January 15th, while Canucks forward David Booth has scored in three straight games.

Prediction: Beating the Vancouver Canucks is a lot to ask a team that has been struggling to find it’s way of late. Vancouver’s depth up front, combined with Luongo’s fine goaltending should be enough to dispose of the Maple Leafs— 4-2, Vancouver.

Until next time,

Peace!

In order for any of these claims to be true, Nash, who owns a No Movement Clause, would have to give the Blue Jackets a list of teams he would like to join, which means, despite the trade rumors, Nash is very much in control of his future.

Of course, just because Nash has presumably given the Blue Jackets permission to listen to trade offers, there is no guarantee that he gets moved.

Clearly, a player with Nash’s impressive resume would command a large return, a return which few NHL teams are willing or able to offer the Blue Jackets.

Let’s face it, a player of Nash’s caliber will fetch a very healthy return for the Blue Jackets and with Nash presumably forwarding a limited list of teams he’d be willing to join the matter becomes all the more complicated.

While there are few NHL teams able to put together a suitable package for Nash just about every NHL team would love to add Nash to their lineup. With the NHL trade deadline just two weeks away, look for Nash rumors to run rampant with just about every conceivable team, including the Toronto Maple Leafs being mentioned as a possible destination for the 6’4”, 219 pound winger.

Drafted first overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by Columbus, Nash owns a long list of accomplishments, including five All-Star appearances, an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2010, as well as earning the Maurice Richard Award as the NHL’s goal scoring leader (41) in 2003-04.

Through 56 games this season Nash has registered 18 goals (4 PPG) and 21 assists for a total of 39 points. His minus -22 rating on the season is more a reflection of his team’s poor overall defense than anything else, which will cause most suitors to overlook that statistic.

Through eight NHL seasons Nash has registered 277 goals and 250 assists for a total of 527 points, for an average of 0.81 points per game.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has long awaited a chance to land a player of Nash’s size and ability. In order for Burke to land Nash a couple of things have to happen.

First, Nash must give Columbus his blessing to explore a trade with the Maple Leafs, which may or may not happen. Second, Burke would have to be willing to give up a king’s ransom, which will likely include at least one roster player, a top prospect and a first round draft choice.

While not the big body centre Burke has longed for, Nash could potentially transform the Maple Leafs undersized forward corps, adding size, grit, leadership and of course some serious scoring prowess to the Blue and White’s lineup.

While the entire Leafs Nation would love to see Nash in a Maple Leafs’ uniform I wouldn’t hold your breath.

When you think of the Maple Leafs overall talent pool, top prospects that may be available in comparison to what other NHL teams may offer up as well as the cap issues that may evolve when you consider bringing in a player that carries a cap hit of $7.8 million through 2017-18, it will be tough for Burke to pull off a deal of this magnitude.

Let’s face it folks, Nazem Kadri and Luke Schenn will NOT be enough to land Nash, so get that out of your heads! Kadri and Schenn may be part of a potential deal, but I still see Burke having to sweeten the pot significantly in order to land Nash.

That said, stranger things have happened, and if Nash is willing to come to Toronto(which there is no guarantee of) there is no doubt in my mind that Burke will do everything possible to make it happen.

Look for the usual teams to surface as the most likely to acquire Nash, including the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and of course the Maple Leafs.

From the outside looking in I would say the Blue Jackets, while weak in all areas, should be looking to acquire a goaltender, draft picks and a forward prospect to help off-set the potential loss of Nash. The Los Angeles Kings could off up goaltender Jonathan Bernier as part of a package, while the Rangers have talented forward Chris Kreider to offer. Another team that might take a shot at Nash are the Vancouver Canucks, who could offer up goaltender Cory Schneider and/or forward Mason Raymond for starters.

While the Maple Leafs have a number of young forwards and defensemen to offer, the likelihood of Columbus being interested in one of Toronto’s young goaltenders is slim, which may put the Maple Leafs out of the Nash discussions.

One thing is for sure, the possibility of Nash being available will serve as great trade fodder in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, this is going to get very interesting!

Until next time,

Peace!