Luke Schenn’s rights will not be dealt, and there will be no offer sheet tendered from a rival club.  Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to a 5-year extension with the young defenseman on a deal that will pay him $3.6 million/season.

With this deal, Burke has strayed from his conventional wisdom of signing free agents to short term deals.  The pact constitutes a long term commitment to Schenn and a statement to the Leafs’ faithful that the 21-year-old will be the anchor of the blue line in the future.  The interesting piece of the contract is that the cap hit correlates to a 21% raise from what he earned on his entry level deal.  That is a fairly modest raise when considering what other players have received in their second NHL contracts (case in point, James van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers, whose current contract reflects a 157% increase from his entry level cap hit).  (Note: Both players met bonus incentives which count against the cap.)  Thus far, Schenn has done a nice job using his 6’ 2”, 229-pound frame to keep attackers at bay, but the Leafs are looking for Schenn to develop more offensive prowess.  His career high in points came last season (22).  He will be encouraged to shoot more and to look for streaking forwards.

The core of the current Maple Leafs’ roster will be intact (barring trades or other movement) through the 2013 campaign.  They have a 22-man active roster, and approximately $4.5 million in salary cap space.  They are hoping that Schenn, goaltender James Reimer, defensemen Carl Gunnarsson and Cody Franson (formerly of the Nashville Predators), along with forwards Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, and Tyler Bozak can make strides in their development in the 2011-2012 season.  These young players, along with goal scorer Phil Kessel, recent acquisition Tim Connolly, and captain Dion Phaneuf will be under the microscope in TO as the team competes to make the playoffs for the first time since the lockout.  If the youngsters excel, the additional $4.55 million in cap space could come in handy for Burke at the trade deadline if he wishes to upgrade.

You can contact the author for cross-checks, high sticks, and other shenanigans on Twitter @Gordsie.

By Brandon Macdonald
NHL Hot Stove Editor

On paper it seems that the Toronto Maple Leafs should have an impenetrable back end. Boasting the likes of Dion Phaneuf, Luke Schenn, John-Michael Liles and with up and comer Keith Aulie, they are a force to be reckon with for the forseeable future. There were, however, some question marks when it came to veterans like Mike Komisarek, Brett Lebda and Jeff Finger.

Many Leaf fans will tell you Finger is the first Leaf that needs to be traded, but Lebda wasn’t far behind on the list. GM Brian Burke came through on that today, dealing the rear guard to the the Nashville Predators, along with forward Robert Slaney. In return the Leafs received highly touted defenceman Cody Franson and speedy center Matthew Lombardi. Although Lombardi is currently suffering with a concussion, the real gem in this deal is the 23-year-old Franson.

Cody Franson (BridgetDS/Flickr)

In his first two seasons in the NHL, Franson has put up 14 goals for 50 points and is a plus-25. Franson is known for being reliable in his own zone, but also possesses the skills to jump in the rush and provide that much needed outlet pass. Since it’s so early, there is no telling where Franson will fit on the depth chart, especially with newly acquired Liles. But it’s expected for him to be a top-four on the depth chart and will likely see time playing along side Schenn.

Also in the deal the Leafs picked up Lombardi, who is known for his blazing speed. After only playing in two games this past season, it’s unclear whether or not he will be ready for opening night. Lombardi was injured in the second game of the season against the Chicago Blackhawks and did not see any ice time after the concussion. If and when Lombardi is able to make his debut to the Leafs lineup, it’s yet to be seen where he fits with the club. With the recent signing of Tim Connolly, along with Mikhail Grabovski, Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri the Leafs are pretty set up the middle.

Another trade could be in the works for Burke, as he tries to find someone to play on the right wing.

After signing Lebda in the 2010 offseason it provided a lot of questions as to what exactly Burke was doing. Aside from his $2.9 million dollar contract, Lebda brought experience and that highly sought after Cup ring from 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings. He was never known for his offensive prowess — he scored a career high 18 points in 2007 — and he did not impress Leaf fans in his first campaign in the blue and white sweater only posting four points in 41 games.

On paper, it seems the Leafs fleeced the Predators. Nabbing one of their strong, young defenceman. It’s the contract of Lombardi that Preds GM David Poile was looking to rid the team of, needing all the cap room to sign Norris trophy finalist and all around beast, Shea Weber. Luckily for the Preds, they have fantastic scouts who have stock piled their defensive core with prospects Ryan Ellis, Jonathon Blum and Teemu Laakso who are nearly ready for full time NHL duties.

The Leafs back end is strong and it should help second year net minder James Reimer avoid the infamous sophomore slump. Being able to roll out six solid defensive lines will help when the team is having problems scoring on any given night. It’s just a question now of whether or not they can gel as a team.

Brandon Macdonald
NHLHS Editor
bmacdonald@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter @bMacdonald8

Last night’s 4-1 victory over a struggling Toronto Maple Leafs club was a breath of fresh air for the Philadelphia Flyers.

After Wednesday’s monumental collapse against the San Jose Sharks – a game in which they surrendered a three-goal lead in the third period at home and lost in a shootout – facing a Toronto team that was just 3-5-1 in their previous nine and 6-13-4 in the prior 23 was just what the doctor ordered.

And like the Flyers, the Leafs were also coming off of a loss the previous night.  They dropped a 5-2 decision to the Penguins in Pittsburgh, a game in which they were totally outplayed in the first two periods before mounting a furious comeback in the third.  Down 4-0 to the Penguins and being outshot 24-10 after two periods, Toronto dominated the third period.  They outshot Pittsburgh 15-2 and scored two goals to get to within striking distance, but would yield a late goal to set the final score.

This had to be something that head coach Peter Laviolette brought to the players’ attention before the opening faceoff last night.  The Maple Leafs possess some very gifted offensive players – Phil Kessel, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, Kris Versteeg, Clarke MacArthur.  The effort would have to be there for the full 60 minutes, or they would be in for a dogfight to take the two points back to Philadelphia.

The Flyers did just that, and the victory was especially sweet for two players in particular.

Brian Boucher

With all of the hype and hoopla surrounding the start by Philly’s rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, backup Brian Boucher has once again kind of been the forgotten man in the Flyers’ crease.

After signing a two-year free agent deal with Philadelphia prior to last season, Boucher was second fiddle to Ray Emery, and then Michael Leighton after injuries forced an early end to Emery’s season.

Even though he would have liked to be starting, Boucher didn’t complain and was the perfect teammate.

He played well for the Orange-and-Black when he got his chances to give the starters a night off, and even got his opportunity to make a difference at the end of last year when Leighton went down with a high ankle sprain.

Who can ever forget the shootout win over Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers on the last day of the regular season to catapult a struggling Flyers’ club into the postseason?  I submit that not many who witnessed Boucher skating away from the crease to celebrate with his teammates after stopping Olli Jokinen to clinch the victory - one leg in the air and arm-pumping the entire way – will be an image that Philly fans will cherish long after Boucher has hung up the skates and called it a career.

After dispatching of the New Jersey Devils in five games in the first round of the playoffs, Boucher would be the one bitten by the injury bug that so plagued the Philadelphia goaltenders all year long in the historic series against the Boston Bruins.

Once he came back, Leighton had wrestled the number one job away from “Boosh” once again.  Brian would watch most of the rest of the way, only getting into game action in the Finals when relieving Leighton during shaky starts.

This season has much of the same for Boucher.  With Leighton injuring his back and re-aggravating it in the pre-season, Boucher thought he might have a chance to open the year as the starting goaltender.

But the incredible play of Bobrovsky caused Laviolette to make the decision to instead go with the 22-year-old Russian.  While Bobrovsky has been excellent over the first two months and change of the 2010-11 campaign, Boucher has also been very good when given a chance to play.  In nine games, Boucher has a 4-3-2 record, with a 2.40 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage.

And if you take a closer look, Boucher’s numbers seem even better than just on the surface.

Boucher has not been given much offensive support in his eight starts – other than a five-goal output against Toronto on October 23rd and four goals against the Washington Capitals on November 20th and last night against the Maple Leafs, and three goals against the Montreal Canadiens on November 22nd – the Flyers have scored two goals or less in Boucher’s other four starts.  Included in that are three contests in which he received just one goal of offensive support in each, and Boucher was still able to get the Flyers into a shootout in two of those three.

Last night Boucher stopped 31 of 32 Toronto shots, and was named the game’s third star.  He made a series of big saves early on when a Leafs’ goal could have destroyed the clubs’ fragile confidence.  Other than a slam dunk by Grabovski at the side of the net on a cross-ice pass from MacArthur late in the second period in which the goalie had no chance, Boucher was flawless.

No started has been announced as of yet for Saturday night’s game in Boston against the Bruins, but with Bobrovsky struggling a bit against the Sharks Wednesday, don’t be surprised to see Laviolette come back with Boucher in Beantown.

When Leighton finally returns to the Philly lineup – he is currently playing with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms on an NHL-extended conditioning stint – it remains to be seen how the Philadelphia crease situation will play out.

But make no mistake, Boucher has done nothing to hurt his cause.

Danny Briere

Another player that needed to have a big game last night was Danny Briere.  After undisciplined play cost his team the night before in the loss to the Sharks, it was essential for Briere to bounce back and make a difference against the Leafs.

And did he ever.

Briere came out with a vengeance and the look of having something to prove against Toronto, scoring two goals in the second period and adding an assist.  His efforts earned him 1st Star of the Game honors.

His first goal came with the Flyers holding a 2-0 lead.  Defenseman Andrej Meszaros took a slap shot from the right point that went wide, and the puck kicked out to the other side of the net off the dasher boards.  Briere pounced on the loose puck on the backhand and in one motion flipped to the forehand and snapped the puck into the net before Giguere could recover.

His second of the night would be an important goal.

The Maple Leafs were beginning to control play towards the end of the second, and Grabovski’s tally had brought them within 3-1.  The momentum was shifting and the crowd sensed that something good was going to happen as Toronto put pressure on in the Philadelphia end of the ice.

Boucher made a big save and as the puck was cleared up the left wing boards, Leafs’ defender Dion Phaneuf went for the big hit on Flyer forward Jody Shelley.  It turned out to be the worst possible timing for the pinch, as Briere and Meszaros headed out on an odd-man break.  Meszaros carried the puck down the right wing and hit Briere cutting in on Giguere from the left side, tucking home a backhander between Giggy’s five-hole.  The three-goal lead and the team’s confidence were both immediately restored, and Philly played solidly the rest of the way.

Briere now has scored a team-leading 16 goals, good for fifth most in the entire league.

This is the version of Briere that the team will need consistently as it moves through the rest of the season.  Disciplined enough to ignore any punishment he received for going to the net, defensively responsible (+3), and working well with his linemates.

This is the Briere that made such an impact on the Flyers throughout their run to the Stanley Cup Finals, leading all NHL postseason scorers with a team-record 30 points in 23 playoff contests.

The more Philadelphia sees of this version of Briere, the better the clubs’ chances of repeating a long playoff run this year.

Laviolette Speaks With Leino

Laviolette had a talk with Leino earlier in the week that is already paying dividends.  Leino had become far too predictable as to what he would do once he took possession of the puck, and as a result of that predictability, it had taken away Leino’s effectiveness.

Ville had picked up an assist in the game against the New York Islanders on Sunday, but had been held without a point for the prior four contests.  As a matter of fact, Leino had only six shots on goal in those four games, five of which came in one game against the New Jersey Devils.

Not so coincidentally, along with Leino’s slump came a huge downturn in the production being put out by Philadelphia’s top line of Leino-Briere-Scott Hartnell.

Laviolette told Leino to look for the shot more often to keep the defense honest, and it seems to be working.

Last night in the first period with the Flyers on a power play, Mike Richards won a faceoff back to defenseman and point man Kimmo Timonen.  Timonen sent the puck over to Leino at the top of the left faceoff circle, and the 27-year-old Finn ripped a shot through a mass of humanity and past Toronto starting netminder J.S. Giguere for his seventh goal of the season.

Leino now has scored goals in consecutive games and is once again looking like a clone of Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk.

And it has also had Laviolette’s desired affect on the line, as they have picked up five goals and eight points in the last two games.

Facing off

The Flyers were absolutely dominant on faceoffs last night, winning 43-of-63 draws, and faceoff wins were directly responsible for kick-starting Philadelphia’s first two goals of the game.

Jeff Carter won an amazing 13-of-14 (92.9%), and Richards won 11-of-15 (73.3%)

Taking a Flyer:  Toronto outshot the Flyers for the game, 32-28…Tyler Bozak won just 6-of-21 faceoffs and Grabovski just two-of-nine for the Leafs…Shelley was given a 10-minute misconduct for something he said to Phaneuf after the Toronto defenseman leveled him, springing Briere for the Flyers’ fourth goal of the game…Meszaros continued his excellent play by adding two assists and finishing the night with a +2.  Defense partner Sean O’ Donnell was also a +2, and the pair are now both tied for the NHL lead in the plus / minus category, each sporting a +18…despite finishing with a game-high seven shots on goal, Kessel was held without a goal for the seventh straight game.

David Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Game 1: 2-0 loss in Montreal
Heading into the road trip, the Canucks had won a season high 6 games in a row and had climbed to the top of the Northwest Division after a tepid start to the season. Unfortunately that streak would come to an end as their road woes continued in a 2-0 loss the Canadiens.

The trip was off to a bit of an interesting start as the team welcomed Dan Hamhuis back to the lineup after he missed 8 with a bruised foot, but also saw Keith Ballard to the press box.  Many questions and few answers about why Ballard was going to sit while Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome would continue to play. Questions about Ballard’s health abound as he is coming off a recent concussion and off-season hip surgery.

Basically the Canucks ran into a hot goaltender in Carey Price. Price made all the big saves shift after shift and played the way that management hoped he would when they traded Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues in the off-season. The Canucks looked disorganized at times in their own end of the ice and when they did catch a break, including a 3-1 shorthanded chance and 4-2 opportunity in the 2^nd period, Price was there to slam the door shut.

Star of the game: Price with 28 saves and the shutout

Game 2: 6-2 win in Ottawa
The Canucks scored 22 seconds into the game on a Daniel Sedin goal, but Ottawa tied it up a few minutes later and carried the play through most of the 2^nd period. It looked like we were in for another low scoring affair as Roberto Luongo and Pascal Leclaire made save after save. Ryan Kesler scored his first of 2 with a goal midway through the second and the period ended with the Canucks up 2-1.

The 3^rd period would start much the same as the 1^st with Alexandre Burrows getting his first of the season 33 seconds in. Kesler would get his second goal 71 seconds later and it was pretty much lights out for the Senators.  Even the 4^th line got into the scoring as rookie Mario Bliznak, called up for the trip, scored his first career NHL goal and Tanner Glass got his 1^st goal in 61 games.

The Canucks looked much more like the team that had a 6-game winning streak going into the trip as the game wore on.

Star of the game: Kesler with 2 goals

Game 3: 5-3 win in Toronto
This was a tale of two teams headed in opposite directions. The Canucks much improved after a slow start and expected by many to go deep into the play-offs and Canada’s best chance to win it all. And the Leafs who opened the season with 4 straight wins, but only have 1 win in their last 12 games and no expectation of making the play-offs. But, this is Toronto and Hockey Night in Canada so anything can happen. Before the game, in an effort to get their offense going, the Leafs called up prized prospect Nazem Kadri.

The Leafs got the early lead with an amazing tip-in by Fredrik Sjostrom and power play goal by Phil Kessel. The home team was rolling, the crowd was in it, and things were looking good for the Leafs. 2 minutes later it started to unravel as Daniel Sedin scored a power play goal. With that goal the Canucks began to take over the game and carried the play the rest of the period. Kesler scored with 3 minutes left in the period to tie it at 2-2.

The Canucks were back on the power play less than a minute into the 2^nd and only needed 3 seconds to take the lead as Kesler had his 4^th goal in the last 2 games. Mikhail Grabovski answered for the Leafs midway through and the period ended 3-3.

While the teams traded chances for most of the 3^rd period, the Leafs had the majority of the shots. Luongo held strong in net and even after being run over on several occasions kept his cool. Eventually the Canucks would break through as Mason Raymond would score the winner on his first road goal of the season. Hamhuis would get his 1^st goal as a Canuck on a 200 foot wrist shot into an empty net to seal the deal.

Star of the game: Kesler with 2 goals

The Canucks finish their road trip with games in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The game against Buffalo will match the 2 expansion teams that joined the NHL in 1970 and Cory Schneider is scheduled to start in net for the Canucks.

I-5 Canucks – Will & Valerie Wittstruck
NHLHS Vancouver Canucks Correspondents
I-5Canucks@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

Sometimes when a team hits the skids, it takes the captain to set the example and lead the way.  After the Philadelphia Flyers had lost their last three games, all at home, the man wearing the “C” did just that tonight.  And the rest of the club followed.

Mike Richards scored the contest’s first goal and added two assists, as the Orange-and-Black were able to win a game in which they dominated, 5-2 over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Philly outshot Toronto 40-14 and were able to score on five of those shots, unlike Thursday night when the Flyers outshot Anaheim 42-22, but ended up losing in the final minute of regulation, 3-2.

Richards opened the scoring when he stole the puck at center ice, skated over the blue line and sent a wrist shot towards the Maple Leafs’ net.  Toronto goalkeeper Jean-Sebastian Giguere seemed fooled by the shot, as he got caught moving to the left.  Richards’ shot sailed to the right of Giguere’s blocker and into the net for a 1-0 Flyers’ lead.

Less than two minutes later, Ville Leino pulled off one of the rarest of feats for Philadelphia this season, as he netted a power play goal at the 18:59 mark of the first.  Leino, who was questionable for the game after a collision with teammate Chris Pronger in practice on Friday, jammed the net and deflected a Richards shot into the Toronto cage.  The goal was originally credited to Richards, but was correctly changed to Leino during the intermission.

It was just the third goal scored with the man advantage for the Orange-and-Black, who after the game sit at 9.1% (3-33), but moved up to 24th from 27th in the rankings with their 1-6 performance against the Leafs.

Philly dominated the shots on goal count in the first by a 14-4 count.  But as has been the case too many times this season, the games have remained close despite the lopsided amount of chances.

This game was no different as Phil Kessel scored his sixth of the season at the 6:35 mark.  The shots at the time were 21-6, but brought the Leafs to within one at 2-1.  It was also Kessel’s first-ever goal in his fifteenth career game against the Flyers.

Blair Betts restored the two-goal lead late in the second, finishing a two-on-one off of a beautiful feed from Darroll Powe to make it 3-1.

But as has been the case over the past few games, Philly would give up a couple of quality chances soon after a goal.

Moments after Brian Boucher stoned Mikhail Grabovski all alone in close, Clarke MacArthur continued his surprising offensive start to the year with his sixth goal.  MacArthur was able to break in alone and poke his own rebound past Boucher, and heading into the third period, despite outshooting Toronto 27-11 it was just a 3-2 Flyers’ lead.

Early in the third, Richards made a beautiful pass to Scott Hartnell down the right wing, and Hartnell ripped a one-timer past Giguere to make it 4-2.  Richards spotted Hartnell streaking down the wing as he had just come off of the bench on a line change, and the winger with the newly shorn locks made no mistake.

Midway through the final frame, Danny Briere stole the puck at the Leafs’ blue line.  With a head of steam, he broke in on the left wing and let a shot go when he hit the circle.  The puck went by Giguere’s glove side shoulder and inside the far post to close out the scoring.

Briere’s 28 shots and five goals both lead the team through seven games.  This is the regular season player the club thought they were getting when Briere was signed to a contract in July of 2007.  The line of Hartnell-Briere-Leino that was such a revelation in last year’s postseason run continues to be Peter Laviolette’s most consistent threat.

Leino’s power play tally in the first was the only goal in six opportunities with the man advantage, but the PP unit looked better than it had in recent games.  Puck movement was crisp and the team had several high-quality scoring chances.

So the five game home stand ends with a 2-3-0 mark, with a win in the first and last contest sandwiched around three regulation losses.  The Flyers head to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets Monday night, then return home to face the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

Laviolette’s squad showed signs of waking up tonight, and he has to hope that they can use this win to build momentum going forward.  When the club squandered points early last season, it almost cost the Flyers a berth in the playoffs.

If it is up to the captain, that will not be a problem again this season.

Taking a Flyer:  Giguere came into the game with a 3-0-1 record and a stingy 1.96 goals-against average…Dan Carcillo returned to the lineup and fought Mike Brown in the first period…James van Riemsdyk was checked head first into the boards by nemesis Colby Armstrong.  Armstrong, who received a five-minute boarding major, had leveled JVR last season with a border line legal hit in Atlanta…Defenseman Dion Phaneuf was a -3 for Toronto…Briere came close to a second goal when he beat Giguere cleanly, but his shot hit the inside of the left post, deflected directly along the goal line to the other side, and clanked off the right goal post.

David Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

One of the main bright points Leaf fans have been looking forward to this season is Nazem Kadri. Leaf fans make a habit of appointing their best prospect the next savior of the franchise. They did it first with Luke Schenn, and once Kadri was drafted, passed the torch on to him. Although the recent hardships give some explanation as to why these lofty explanations were placed, it’s still quite unfair and unwise to do so. I don’t want to get into the logistics of why yet, this article is meant for another reason foremost. The point is, high expectations were placed on Nazem, and as a result he is expected to make the team as soon as possible.

With eager eyes, we all watched Nazem play the rookie tournament and his pre-season game – without impressing. Instantly, warning lights and sirens went off, with many fans concerned. You might be saying to yourself right now, ‘What are you talking about, it’s been one pre-season game, give the kid some time to show what he’s made of’ and I whole-heartedly agree with you. It is entirely possible that Nazem might turn it around next game, or in the next few games – enough to impress Ron Wilson to keep him on the team. Helping him in that regard are Wilson’s words stating:

“A centerman’s job is a huge job,” said coach Ron Wilson. “Not many 19-year-olds come in and earn a first- or second-line position. Maybe in our case the third line is reasonable as well. But if we have three guys playing better than him, we have to decide what we’re going to do. It’s up to Kadri to get the job done.”

While it sure does help Kadri’s odds of making the team, is it really the right decision to accept him as a third line center? Kadri is a player bred for offense, with skill, speed and overall gritty play as his forte. He’s still developing, as we could see from his rough performance in the first exhibition game. To develop correctly, he’s going to need lots of minutes and special teams time. Would he get that with the Leafs club this year? Probably not, as the Leafs currently possess two better and more experienced (albeit slightly) centers in Tyler Bozak and Mikhail Grabovski.

This brings us to the other namesake of this article, Grabovski. Many fans, including myself, wanted Grabovski and his contract off the team during the summer. Whether by trade for draft pick, or as throw-in to any potential Tomas Kaberle deal, he had to go. We did indeed have Kadri coming up the ranks, so why keep dead weight around? I was being somewhat bias towards one of our better players (due to the obsession with having a totally made over team), and wrong in my analysis. In his first season, Grabovski was an offensive force for the Leafs. In his rookie campaign, he racked up 48 points (20-28) in 78 games. Quite impressive for a prospect who was given up on by his former franchise. In his sophomore season, the fans expected an equal – if not better – offensive season. The team had an awful year, and as it was unfurling, Grabovski unfortunately became a scapegoat for the team’s shortcomings. It didn’t help his case when he broke his wrist, and was forced to miss a good chunk of games. Still, Grabovski played well and was able to come up with 35 points (10-25) in 59 games. His offensive “shortcomings”, combined with his tendency to be a Leaf scapegoat had fans calling for his dismissal.

Fast forward to training camp 2010. Grabovski comes into camp having worked hard all summer to come ready and in good shape. He received nothing but good comments from coaches and teammates. Tonight’s exhibition game saw Grabovski return to the ice. In his first game, it looked as if he was in his rookie-season form. He was blazing all over the ice, creating chances, and eventually potted a goal. He was on of the best players on the ice for the Leafs. Truly a sight for sore Leaf eyes. Grabovski knows what is at stake this training camp, and is surely looking to cement his role as the second line center.

At this point, it seems as if Grabovski should, and will win the second line center duties. Kadri will most likely get a chance at the third line center role, but will have to battle with John Mitchell and Christian Hanson in that regard. It is my firm belief that AHL seasoning is the best scenario for Kadri, who will have ample time to improve his game, and secure a spot in the long run on a hopefully competitive future Leaf team. As for Grabovski, the team could surely use him, should he keep his form. The team will rely heavily on two strong pivots in Bozak and Grabovski to anchor the attack. Both are considered playmakers, and will be counted on to dish the puck to scorers Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg.

In closing, it should be noted that lofty expectations are the norm in Toronto; a byproduct of hockey fanaticism in the “Vatican of Hockey”. While they should be “expected”, it is unwise to place such weight in your expectations. Young careers can be ruined by too much pressure, which is the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. It is sensible to expect Kadri to be a great player (based on his junior play / draft choice position), but to dub a teenager as the savior of an ailing franchise is most foolish. The only teenagers to ever be given such a burden (and be successful) were the Wayne Gretzky‘s and Mario Lemieux‘s, and generational talent like those players don’t come around as often as you would like to think.

Luca Vacca (LeafsWire)
NHLHS Toronto Maple Leafs Correspondent
leafswire@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @leafswire

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded away Ian White, Jason Blake, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers and Niklas Hagman accounting for 38 percent of their offense.  What will the team do to replace the four missing forwards?

When questioned GM Brian Burke mentioned the one forward acquired, Fredrik Sjostrom, as one of the players likely to fill the void.  Known mostly for his penalty killing ability Sjostrom will probably play more than in Calgary, where he found himself a healthy scratch on numerous occasions.

Recent healthy scratch John Mitchell also should be reinserted into the lineup and can hopefully keep his job with a return to his early season form.  The other two players needed most likely will be Viktor Stalberg, Rickard Wallin or Christian Hanson.

Needless to say these four players will not make up the scoring lost.  The Leafs lose their top goal scorer and their fourth, sixth and eighth leading scorers putting a gigantic hole in the offense.  The return of Mikhail Grabovski should help but it will not be the answer.

Burke mentioned the shop being open for business which should mean a forward or two needs to be acquired at some point.  If the Leafs have serious interest in making the playoffs they must also improve their forward core.  Listed below are the expected forward lines after both trades.

Alexei Ponikarovsky – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Nikolai Kulemin – John Mitchell – Viktor Stalberg
Wayne Primeau – Lee Stempniak – Christian Hanson
Jay Rosehill/Fredrik Sjostrom – Rickard Wallin – Colton Orr

Probably the weakest forward core in the League with a lot of room for improvement.  Nazem Kadri looks like a reasonable candidate to make this roster out of training camp next season at this point.

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove

Atlantic Division

• Original recipe served the Penguins well on Sunday. Winger Matt Cooke‘s deflection off a point-shot by defenseman Sergei Gonchar provided the Penguins a second power-play goal and a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Wachovia Center.
• The Flyers’ nationally televised 2-1 loss to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday can be explained in two words: special teams. The Flyers were just 1 for 9 on the power play, while Pittsburgh was 2 for 6, including Matt Cooke’s winning goal with 1:47 left. With the loss, the Flyers are 3-1 on the six-game homestand, which also has meetings with Atlanta and the Islanders.
• Sweep away the tumbleweed; Nassau Coliseum isn’t wasteland anymore. It finally is fertile ground again, a space where careers can blossom. Not to get hasty or anything. The Islanders still are not guaranteed a spot in the playoffs and they still have not won a postseason series since 1993. But they have succeeded in allowing players at least to get a foothold.
• The Rangers have 30 games to go in the season and there is a total disconnect within the team itself and between the players and the coaching staff. There is no better way to explain what became yet another blowout and yet another shutout, last night in an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to the Canadiens in which the Rangers competed only sporadically for one another and for head coach John Tortorella.
• Nothing is set in stone, but there is a possibility that the Devils could have center Dainius Zubrus back when they face the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Zubrus said he will find out Monday, when his right knee is examined and he speaks with general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Northeast Division

• Despite web traffic that had him getting named as a substitute for the Russian Olympic team, winger Nikolai Kulemin had not heard anything as of Saturday. Tomas Kaberle (Czech Republic), Jonas Gustavsson (Sweden), Niklas Hagman (Finland), Mike Komisarek, (USA) and Phil Kessel (USA) are going. Mikhail Grabovski (Belarus) might not play due to a wrist injury.
• There are benefits to playing against — and losing to — the top team in the NHL. “Yeah, it shows we’ve got to learn,” Buffalo Sabres defenseman Toni Lydman said. The Sabres practiced in Vancouver on Sunday and tried to shake off Saturday’s 5-2 loss to San Jose. Buffalo held down the league’s best for long stretches while dictating play. It didn’t matter. The Sabres made several costly mistakes while the Sharks committed only one.
• Once again Saturday, the Ottawa Senators received the magic touch from the return of a long lost player. This time it was Jason Spezza who stepped off the injury list and into the starring role, scoring the winning goal as the Senators extended their winning streak to six games — their longest since December 2007 — in a sound 2-1 victory over the slumping Boston Bruins.
• The Canadiens appear to have grown tired of waiting for some of their young forwards to turn their season around and took action on Sunday. Early in the day, the team announced that Max Pacioretty had been assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. The team also assigned Matt D’Agostini on a conditioning assignment.
• If it turns out that yesterday’s game was not rock-bottom for the Bruins this season, it’s frightening to imagine what a worse performance might look like. Facing the last-place team in the NHL entering the game, the B’s accomplished little offensively and were even worse on the defensive side, absorbing a 5-1 thumping at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Southeast Division

• All Brandon Sutter could do was smile, shake his head and say, “Wow.” Sutter was on the bench, admiring a replay of a nifty move by Ray Whitney that set him up for a goal, but he could just as well have been talking about the Carolina Hurricanes’ play Sunday against the Boston Bruins.
• There’s a clear presumption of excellence, immediate or otherwise, attached to being a first-round pick, and that has been Eric Fehr‘s burden since the Washington Capitals selected him 18th overall in the 2003 draft. From virtually the first time the right wing began skating with the club, Fehr has fielded questions about when he would fulfill that promise and when Washington would be able to look to him as confidently as it does some of its more established players.
• Slava Kozlov‘s franchise record for consecutive games played ended Saturday. It was not a health issue that snapped the Thrashers veteran forward’s streak at 251. Kozlov was a healthy scratch against Tampa Bay.
• Speaking of Tampa Bay, Mike Smith will at least be on the bench Wednesday against the Canadiens after the Lightning on Sunday sent Dustin Tokarksi back to AHL Norfolk. Tokarski backed up Antero Niittymaki while Smith recovered from a neck strain that kept him out of six games. “I’m getting close,” Smith said. “The goal is to be ready for Wednesday.”
• It was the goal Kenndal McArdle had waited for since the Panthers drafted him five years ago. Gregory Campbell grabbed the puck after a Toronto turnover near center ice, streaked toward the net with it on a 3-on-1 rush and slid it over to McArdle, who fired a shot from the inner edge of the right circle into the top right corner. McArdle scored his first NHL goal with 6:55 left in Saturday’s 2-0 win against the Maple Leafs, and he did so against his hometown team.

Hat tip to the now defunct Illegal Curve for their permission in taking over this daily series.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

The title says it all.  This article will be no more than a comprehensive list of NHL (and some other players owned by NHL teams) players set to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

For the sake of clarity we have sorted players by team.  Minor league players in red, injured players in blue.

Anaheim Ducks (8) – Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Jonas Hiller, Bobby Ryan, Luca Sbisa

Atlanta Thrashers (5) – Ilya Kovalchuk, Maxim Afinogenov, Ondrej Pavelec, Pavel Kubina, Tobias Enstrom

Boston Bruins (6) – Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm, Tim Thomas, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, Miroslav Satan

Buffalo Sabres (4) – Toni Lydman, Ryan Miller, Henrik Tallinder, Andrej Sekera

Calgary Flames (3) – Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Olli Jokinen

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Eric Staal, Joni Pitkanen, Tuomo Ruutu

Chicago Blackhawks (6) – Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Paul Stastny, Peter Budaj, Ruslan Salei

Columbus Blue Jackets (6) – Rick Nash, Jan Hejda, Samuel Pahlsson, Fredrik Modin, Milan Jurcina, Fedor Tyutin

Dallas Stars (4) – Brenden Morrow, Jere Lehtinen, Loui Eriksson, Karlis Skrastins

Detroit Red Wings (7) – Valtteri Filppula, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom,  Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom

Edmonton Oilers (2) - Lubomir Visnovsky, Denis Grebeshkov

Florida Panthers (2) -  Dennis Seidenberg, Tomas Vokoun

Los Angeles Kings (5) – Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Jon Quick, Dustin Brown, Michal Handzus

Minnesota Wild (5) – Niklas Backstrom, Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen, Marek Zidlicky, Martin Havlat

Montreal Canadiens (6) – Tomas Plekanec, Yannick Weber, Jaroslav Halak, Andrei Markov, Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Kostitsyn

Nashville Predators (6) – Alexander Sulzer, Shea Weber, Marcel Goc, Ryan Suter, Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist

New Jersey Devils (6) – Martin Brodeur, Paul Martin, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Patrik Elias, Johnny Oduya

New York Islanders (1) – Mark Streit

New York Rangers (5) – Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Henrik Lundqvist, Andres Ambuhl, Marian Gaborik

Philadelphia Flyers (5) – Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Kimmo Timonen, Oskars Bartulis, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen

Pittsburgh Penguins (5) – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fleury, Sergei Gonchar, Brooks Orpik

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – Sami Lepisto, Zbynek Michalek, Ilya Bryzgalov

Ottawa Senators (6) – Jarkko Ruutu, Filip Kuba, Milan Michalek, Daniel Alfredsson, Kaspars Daugavins, Anton Volchenkov

San Jose Sharks (8) – Dan Boyle, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Douglas Murray, Thomas Greiss, Joe Pavelski, Evgeni Nabokov

St. Louis Blues (3) – Eric Johnson, David Backes, Roman Polak

Tampa Bay Lightning (5) – Antero Niittymaki, Ryan Malone, Mattias Ohlund, Martins Karsums, Andrej Meszaros

Toronto Maple Leafs (6) – Jonas Gustavsson, Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel, Tomas Kaberle, Mike Komisarek, Niklas Hagman

Vancouver Canucks (7) -  Roberto Luongo, Sami Salo, Christian Ehrhoff, Pavol Demitra, Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin

Washington Capitals (4) Tomas Fleischmann, Nicklas Backstrom, Semyon Varlamov, Alexander Ovechkin

-Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Founder
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove