How Will This Trade Help More Than One Area Of The Leafs?

by Shane House… Oh my goodness did it finally happen?

Did Brian Burke finally make that big trade, that blockbuster move that defines the Maple Leafs for the next 5-10 years?

Wait…..this all sounds so familiar… (Phil Kessel trade)

But I digress, these are the blockbuster deals that Leafs fans have been waiting and pleading for all season.

First Trade

Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Keith Aulie for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White and Jamal Mayers.

Second Trade

Jean-Sabestien Giguere for Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake.

Now these are quite the trades for Toronto considering that four of the six players leaving Toronto are forwards, but the Leafs do get tougher and they do get a lot younger, now being one of the youngest teams in the league.

But the best part of this trade is that Brian Burke addressed some key issues with the Maple Leafs that have been plaguing the team all season.

Goaltending, the penalty kill, and a big, hard-hitting defenseman.

Lets start with Phaneuf.

Although he has been slumping and in the doghouse this season, Phaneuf is one of the most exciting defenseman in the game. He has a massive shot from the point, and brings a physical presence to the blueline, something that Mike Komisarek was supposed to bring and something that Luke Schenn was supposed to learn.

Giguere is a former Conn Smythe winner with a Stanley Cup ring to go with it. Although he has been struggling this season, he still has played much better than the other two goalies Toronto had on there roster. He will be reuniting with former goaltending coach Francois Allaire whom he had his best success with, so expect good things coming from the goaltender.

The under-estimated part of this deal is Sjostrom. He is a penalty-killing winger that is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL. He will instantly make the Maple Leafs penalty kill better with his presence.

Finally there is the wild card out of all these deals, Aulie. He is a former World Juniors gold medal winner who is a monster in the back end at 6-foot-6. He hits hard and is not scared to drop the gloves if he has too.

Overall the Leafs did a good job at addressing there major needs. But the one issue that needs to be addressed more so now then ever is there sputtering offense.

In total, 57 of the Leafs 148 goals scored this season so was traded in the span of three hours.

But luckily, Brian Burke did state in a Leafs press conference that he is not finished making trades and that until the next deal is done, those positions will be filled with scratched players and rookies looking to make a mark.

Most likely those rookies will be Viktor Stalberg and Christian Hanson from the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies.

So even though the Leafs did lose a fan favourite in White and two of the Maple Leafs leading scorers in Stajan and Hagman, the Leafs got help in three areas of their game that have been severely lacking.

Let’s hope in the next couple weeks, these players can gel well with the players that they already have.

What Should We Expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs Next Season?

Leafs Draft Analysis: An In Depth Look

By Shane House… Going into this year’s draft, there were a lot of expectations for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Brian Burke held a season ending press conference saying that he would attempt to move up in the draft and attempt to go after John Tavares, which essentially got every Leafs fan excited for the future and excited for the draft.

Of course once again, Leafs fans were let down. Burke did not move up in the draft and didn’t pull off a miracle in getting John Tavares. But still there was hope to look forward to. Luke Schenn’s brother Braydon was projected to go fifth overall. So still there was hope for a big deal that would see the Leafs move up and get Braydon Schenn.

Once again Leafs fans were disappointed and the Los Angeles Kings did not part with their pick.

So what were we to do next?

With the seventh overall selection, there was a lot of speculation that the Leafs might still trade down to get Zack Kassian, while also getting more draft picks.

But instead of something exciting happening, the Leafs uneventfully drafted Nazem Kadri of the London Knights. A good player and a solid prospect, but not what Leafs fans exactly imagined. He is a small forward with a lot of skill and a nose for the net. Not your typical Brian Burke player. Plus to boot he was a Montreal Canadiens fan, which to be honest, didn’t sit with me well.

So after Friday and Saturday passed, I looked at who we got and was puzzled. I didn’t know how to take it. No big names and nothing flashy. So I thought I would give it a couple days and wait to see how I felt about the draft after I sat on it for a while.

What I came up with is that the Leafs had an amazing draft, taking all players that would fit the mould of a Brian Burke team. Kind of like the draft, none of them are flashy or the types of players that jump off the page, but if all pan out, will each contribute in a big way with the team.

Here is my scouting report for each player drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2009 NHL Draft.

1^st Round, 7^th Overall - Nazem Kadri – London Knights – C

56GP – 25G – 53A – 78PTS – 31PIM

Nazem Kadri is a tall, lanky prospect who has the potential to be a number one center down the road, something that the Maple Leafs have not had for some time. His stick handling is considered to be one of the best from the draft and is also considered a clutch playoff performer, scoring 21 points (9G and 12A) in 14 playoff games. Finally, before his jaw injury, people worried about his toughness. But after coming back from a broken jaw after only missing 17 games, there is no question that he can play through the pain, which obviously caught Brian Burke’s eye.

Player Comparison: Marc Savard

2^nd Round, 50^th Overall – Kenny Ryan – USNDP – RW

53GP – 21G – 20A – 41PTS – 44PIM

Kenny Ryan is a strong skater that plays a very solid two-way game. He is very hard to knock off the puck because of his big size and is a very hard worker in the corners. One thing to note is that he is also very gritty, with Darren McCarty being his favourite player growing up. The difference between the two is that he is also very fast on his feet, being one of the fastest to come from the United States National Development Program.

Player Comparison: Todd Bertuzzi

2^nd Round, 58^th Overall – Jesse Blacker – Windsor – D

67GP – 4G – 17A – 21PTS – 54PIM

Although at first it does not look like it, Jesse Blacker is a great two way defender with great defensive presence and an ability to always be in position. He is good in the corners, almost always being able to come out with the puck. He also has an under-rated ability to move the puck, something that was not able to be shown with limited ice time last season. Finally, unlike most two-way defenseman, he is a really sound and fast skater, being able to skate back on the rare occasion that he is caught out of position.

Player Comparison: Dennis Wideman

3^rd Round, 68^th Overall – Jamie Devane – Plymouth – LW

64GP – 5G – 12A – 17PTS – 92PIM

Even though Devane was unranked by most NHL scouts, this pick makes all the more sense when you look into it. Jamie Devane was one of the biggest fighters in the OHL last season, getting into 14 fighting majors last season. What that also tells us is that in playing 64 games, he only got 22 actual penalties, which means that he is not dirty by any means. One thing you can count on with this kid is that he will come into every game playing as hard as he can while doing everything possible to win. The two big knocks on this kid is that he is not a good skater and has no scoring touch, but in all honesty, I really don’t think Burke drafted him for his gracefulness and scoring touch.

Player Comparison: Chris Neil

5^th Round, 128^th Overall – Eric Knodel – Philadelphia Jr. Flyers – D

51GP – 13G – 32A – 45PTS – 30PIM

The first thing that stands out about this kid is his size, standing at 6′6″ while weighing an astonishing 216 pounds. That size is very rarely seen from a high-school kid. Another thing that stands out about the kid is his ability to shutdown opposing players, saying that he takes a pride in always having a good plus/minus. Finally, and the most important reason why I think Burke drafted him, is his heart. He is the type of guy that always has a team first mentality and is always willing to do whatever needs to be done to win, which means that Burke can mold his 6′6″ frame into whatever style player he wants, something that is very hard to find in a hockey player.

Player Comparison: Pavel Kubina

6^th Round, 158^th Overall – Jerry D’Amigo – USNDP – RW

44GP – 19G – 24A – 43PTS – 53PIM

Jerry D’Amigo was ranked 67^th by central scouting for this year’s draft. So why did he fall so far? The reason is because of his decision making. Although he does possess great offensive abilities and great puck-handling skills, he sometimes has the habit of losing focus which in turn hinders his decision making on the ice. Plus not to mention his defensive game could use some work. But still, you cannot deny his scoring potential and his tenacity with the puck, being another player drafted that has a lot of heart and leadership abilities.

Player Comparison: Brian Gionta

7^th Round, 188^th Overall – Barron Smith – Peterborough - D

34GP – 0G – 2A – 2PTS – 57PIM

Son of former NHLer Steve Smith, he is considered more of a project at this point. But standing at 6′4″, there is potential here. He has a great physical aspect to his game, being able to dish out crunching hits. Besides that there is a lot of work to be done here. His positioning is average at best and his skating leaves a lot to be desired. But I imagine with more playing time in the OHL next season, a lot of those issues will be addressed.

Player Comparison: Greg Zanon

2009 NHL Mock Draft 2.0

By Shane House… A lot has been going on in the NHL over the past month. Jim Balsaille had his third attempt at purchasing an NHL franchise and moving it to Hamilton thwarted by Gary Bettman. Sidney Crosby and company finally fulfilled their destiny by winning the Stanley Cup, and as always, Alexander Ovechkin won multiple awards at the NHL awards ceremony, only this time in the great city of Las Vegas.

But now with all of these events finally out of the way, the next event on the agenda is of course the draft.

There is still a lot of speculation out there regarding the draft. A lot of players are still quickly rising and dropping in prospect ranking, and there still might be trades going on in between now and when the draft starts on June 27th.

But once again, without further ado, here is my personal Mock Draft, the second edition.

1. The New York Islanders will select John Tavares of the London Knights

This is actually a much harder decision for this team than most people would think. John Tavares is a world class talent, but so is Victor Hedman. This pick will all boil down to one thing. Does Garth Snow want to rebuild the team, or rebuild the fan base? Both players can be building blocks for the future, but let’s be honest, only one will bring in the fans.

2. The Tampa Bay Lightning will select Victor Hedman from MoDo (Sweden)

Once again this is a much more complicated pick then one would anticipate. Yes this team needs defense and yes Victor Hedman would help them with that problem. But the issue here is whether or not they trade out of the spot to dump salary. This team has too much salary for next season and General Manager Brian Lawson need to address that before the start of next season. So as for right now, the obvious choice is Hedman. But don’t be surprised if that changes in between now and the draft.

3. The Colorado Avalanche will select Matt Duchene of the Brampton Battalion

This to me is a no brainer for the Avalanche. Joe Sakic is coming to the end of the line and they need somebody to replace him. Matt Duchene is a fast, hard working player who is a playmaker and leads by example. Best part is that he has arguably the best wrist shot out of any prospect in this year’s draft. Sound a little familiar?

4. The Atlanta Thrashers will select Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson from Timra (Sweden)

This was a hard decision because the Thrashers are a team that needs a lot of things. But the most important thing this team needs is a solid first line. They already have two thirds of it with Bryan Little being the center and Ilya Kovalchuk manning the right. So drafting Paajarvi-Svensson makes perfect sense. It would finally complete a first line that has been incomplete for some time.

5. The Los Angeles Kings will select Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants

This team is scary enough as it is with the amount of blue chip prospects it has in its system. With this pick, they are adding another one. Evander Kane is a fast power forward that with a year or two of strength training will become a premier power forward in the mould of a young Owen Nolan.

6. The Phoenix Coyotes will select Jared Cowan of the Spokane Chiefs

The Coyotes are dealing with a lot of issues regarding their security as a franchise in Phoenix, but nobody can deny that they are a team with a lot of security in the prospect department. This team will add another one in Jared Cowan. He is a tough, bruising defender that is a year or two off, but when he is ready, will add that extra bit of grit and attitude that will take this team to the next level.

7. The Toronto Maple Leafs will select Braydon Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings

The Maple Leafs are not a team that usually has a lot of prospects. But with the signing of Christian Hanson and Tyler Bozak towards the end of the season, the center position is now a position of strength in the prospect department. But still, Braydon Schenn is too good of a talent to pass up at this point. He is a solid player that brings grit, toughness and most importantly, scoring talent to the table. Besides, when has Brian Burke ever turned down the chance at having two brothers playing on the same team (examples being the Sedin twins and Niedermeyer brothers.)

8. The Dallas Stars will select Scott Glennie of the Brandon Wheat Kings

With the second Wheat Kings player in a row being taken, Scott Glennie is an extremely fast forward that has a great shot and is one of the best finishers in the draft. He has the ability to make plays with his speed and has the ability to put the puck in the net. Although this pick is a bit high, he is still a player that has the potential to be a star in Dallas.

9. The Ottawa Senators will select Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires

Some people have the highly skilled offensive defenseman falling towards the middle of the draft, but it will be very hard for Ottawa to pass on his offensive abilities. He has a great shot from the point and has the ability to quarterback the power play, something that this team sorely needs. Look for Ellis and there other defensive prospect, Erik Karlsson, to be running their power play for years to come.

10. The Edmonton Oilers will select Zack Kassian of the Peterborough Petes

The power forward from Peterborough has the potential to be a very nasty, tough to play against type of player in the NHL. That is something that the Edmonton Oilers have been missing for a long time from their game. He has great hands and even better size and with a little work on his foot speed, will be a very good power forward in the NHL.

11. The Nashville Predators will select Jordan Schroeder from Minnesota (WCHA)

Another great pick by the Predators, Jordan is a little small, but makes up for it with his skill and speed. He had a great combine and showed a lot of doubters that he has the work ethic and mental toughness to deal with the daily grinds of the NHL. Also, with playing in the WCHA, he is already used to playing with men, something that will greatly help his development down the road. The Predators get a steal in taking him this late.

12. The Minnesota Wild will select Carter Ashton of the Lethbridge Hurricanes 

This draft might be known more for its toughness than for anything else, Carter is another power forward that might be the dark horse of this draft. He is a big-bodied power forward that is very intense while playing. He is also known as a player that is very easy to coach and is willing to do whatever his coach asks of him, something that people in the Minnesota franchise covet in a player.

13. The Buffalo Sabres will select John Moore from Chicago (USHL)

Easily one of the most rapidly rising prospects in the draft, John Moore is considered as the premier skater in this draft, being able to skate like the wind. He also possesses a great first pass, something that the Sabres were having a lot of problems with from there defense last season.

14. The Florida Panthers will select Dmitry Kulikov of the Drummondville

Most people will be surprised to see him fall this far, but the Florida Panthers will be more than happy to snag him at this spot. Especially with the big possibility of Jay Bouwmeester leaving for free agency come July 1st.

Kulikov is the type of player that is not great at one thing, but is good at everything. He has a good shot, great first pass and most importantly, is positionally sound. Look at Kulikov having a shot at making the NHL right out of the draft.

15. The Anahiem Ducks will select Peter Holland of the Guelph Storm

One thing that you can tell about the Ducks is that when they draft someone, usually they have two qualities. One being they are big and two being that they are always tough to play against. Peter Holland matches both of these qualities to a T.

Not only does Holland possess great hands, but is also a really good skater that works every shift. Look for Holland being on the Ducks second line two years from now.

16. The Columbus Blue Jackets will select Simon Despres of the Saint John

The Columbus Blue Jackets are finally start to come around. They have a great goaltender in Steve Mason. They have a good offense being led by Rick Nash. Now all they need to do is start piecing together a defense.

Simon Despres will be the first piece of that defense. He is the type of player that is always reliable in every situation and has very few problems in his game, the only knock on him being his skating ability. But look for Despres to be patrolling that blue line a year or two from now.

17. The St. Louis Blues will select Nazem Kadri of the London Knights

The St. Louis Blues do not need a center that badly, but with a top ten prospect falling so far, there is no way they can say no to drafting him. He has the potential to be a top center in the NHL and personally reminds me of a Scott Gomez type of player where he is an amazing playmaker and has a good ability to find open players in scoring position. Not to mention he has great skating ability as well.

18. The Montreal Canadiens will select Louis Leblanc from Omaha (USHL)

The Canadiens have always been a fan of drafting francophone players and this is no exception. Leblanc has great hands and if he had to, could probably stick handle his way out of a phone booth.

He will take a couple of years getting to the NHL seeing as he is attending Harvard college next fall. But trust me, this highly skilled center will not make it to his senior year.

19. The New York Rangers will select David Rundblad from Skelleftea (Sweden)

Ever since Brian Leetch left the New York Rangers, they have never had that great defenseman that can just get the puck to the net. David Rundblad has the potential to be that guy in the future.

He has an amazing shot from the point and an equally good first pass from his own zone. He can quarterback a power play with the best of them and with a little work, could be a premier offensive defenseman for years to come.

20. The Calgary Flame will select Jacob Josefson from Djurgarden (Sweden)

The only position that the Flames are lacking offensive output is the center position, so drafting a player at that position only makes sense. Besides at this point of the draft, Josefson is the best player available.

He has great skating ability for his size and is solid at both ends of the ice. The only knock on him that will make him drop in the draft is he has to get stronger in order to be an effective player in the NHL.

21. The Philadelphia Flyers will select Robin Lehner from Frolunda (Sweden)

For over a decade this team has been unable to find a star goaltender to play for them and in order for this team to contend for the Stanley Cup, this team needs a top tier goaltender to take them to that next level.

So that’s why this pick makes sense. Lehner is another product of the Frolunda goaltending factory which has turned out goaltending prospects on an annual basis. He easily has the potential to be like a Lundqvist type of goaltender where he uses his size and positioning to take up a lot of the net.

Not to mention he has a quick glove hand that can steal goals from even the best shooters.

22. The Vancouver Canucks will select Stefan Elliot of the Saskatoon

With Mattias Ohlund most likely leaving in free agency, there will be a need for a possible successor to be in the Vancouver system and Stefan Elliot has all the potential to be that replacement.

He has great hockey sense and has the ability to always be in the right position to make a play. Not to mention he has amazing hockey intelligence, being able to see the play before it happens. With another year or two of development, he has the potential to be the anchor of this already strong defense.

23. The New Jersey Devils will select Tim Erixon from Skelleftea (Sweden)

The New Jersey Devils have always been a defensive minded team so that’s why this pick seems so right. Although he has some offensive upside, Tim Erixon is for the most part a defensive defenseman that has the potential to be a great shutdown defender in the NHL.

He is very safe with the puck and always makes the right play, something that the New Jersey Devils always preach to their players.

24. The Washington Capitals will select Zach Budish from Edina (Minn.) High School

For the past two seasons, the Capitals have gone heavy on defense, so that’s why they will most likely take a forward in this year’s draft. Plus with the amount of pure talent already on the team, it would make sense to draft a much more gritty player to complement the skill they have.

Zach Budish is a very big, gritty forward that is not scared to get into the face of the opposition. His foot speed could use some work, but his good hands and ability to get in front of the net will be a welcome addition to the team.

25. The Boston Bruins will select Chris Kreider from Andover Academy (Mass.)

Chris Kreider was born and raised in Massechusetts, is now attending high school there, and this fall will be attending Boston College to play hockey. It only makes sense for the Bruins to take the power forward.

He has good hands and a good ability to get to the net. The only thing lacking in his game is his skating ability but that will be addressed this fall at Boston College.

26. The New York Islanders will select Oliver Ekman-Larsson from Leksand (Sweden)

The Islanders need to eventually address their problems on defense and where better to start than with Ekman-Larsson. He has great offensive instincts and has one of the best first passes in the draft. Not to mention that he has a booming shot from the point. Would make a great pairing with Mark Streit on both even strength and on the power play.

27. The Carolina Hurricanes will select Calvin de Haan of the Oshawa Generals

Although they did make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they did not do it with a skillful defense. That’s where Calvin de Haan comes in. He has a very good shot and even better passing ability, not to mention he is very fast making him a big asset on the power play.

The only knock on this guy is his defensive positioning. He can get away with it in the OHL because of his speed, but will have to work on it in order to make the NHL.

28. The Chicago Blackhawks will select Drew Shore from the USNTDP

There is nothing really special about the forward. He has above average abilities in almost every aspect. What makes him such a good prospect is his willingness to do the dirty work and the drive he has to win.

He will do everything it takes in order to succeed and that is something that all coaches look for in a player. Plus he is great on the penalty kill and even better in the faceoff circle.

29. The Detroit Red Wings will select Kyle Palmieri from the USNTDP

Once considered a top 15 prospect in the draft, is stock dropped because of a less-than-stellar combine.

But regardless, Palmieri is a blue chip prospect that the Red Wings will not pass up. He is a great stick handler that when put into any situation, will never be a liability.

Give him a couple years to develop in the system, and he will be a potential second line center.

30. The Pittsburgh Penguins will select Carl Klingberg from Frolunda Jr. (Sweden)

The new Stanley Cup champs are a team that has a good balance of skill and grit. But one thing that is still missing is a winger to play next to Sidney Crosby. Klingberg has an amazing shot and has offensive instincts past his age. Plus not to mention that he is a very strong skater and is not easily hit off the puck.

The one thing that is keeping him from being a top prospect in the draft is his lack of defensive responsibility. He sometimes forgets to play his position at both ends of the ice.

Also, I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Five Things To Expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs Come Offseason