My Favourite Doors Cover Band: Crystal....

by mf37 on Jun 16, 2009 12:14 AM EDT Comment 3 comments

In stepping up for my shot at Plan the Parade's Crystal Ball Challenge the first thing I realized is that the Leafs are thin on the right side. Stempniak and Mayers are the only natural RWs on this club. That's thinner than the "after" photo in a brochure for a fat kids camp.

Here's the first prediction that I'm going to get completely wrong: given the paucity of RWs available as UFAs, the Leafs will swing a deal this off-season that includes a RW (Dustin Penner, anyone? I hope the Leafs take a pass, but he's young, big, plays the right side and won the Cup in Anaheim with Burke. On the other hand, he was a Murray signing...)

The left side isn't deep so much as it's crowded: Blake, Hagman, Poni, Kulemin and Tlusty. Wrong prediction number two: these five will be with the Leafs on opening day.

Up the middle, the current line-up doesn't reflect Burke's philosophy of two scoring centres and two players with what Burke likes to call "sunny dispositions." Wrong prediction number three: Stajan's gone and a couple of Burke cronies are coming to town as UFAs on short-term deals. This gives the kids an extra year with the Marlies, fits in with Burke's "change the culture" mandate and also means the Leafs will spend to the cap just as Burke promised.

On D, the Leafs will likely move one of Kubina or Kaberle. I'm hoping they hold on to Kaberle (or Kubina cancels his contract for those balsa wood hockey sticks). It frees up some cap space and will enable the Leafs to get a bit tougher in their own end. Wrong prediction number four: Burke targets Beauchemin this off-season for Finger-like money.

Wrong prediction number five: Leaf fans will become very familiar with waiver exemption rules as Hanson, Stalberg, Stralman, Mitchell, Berry and others go back and forth from Leafs to Marlies throughout the season (who am I kidding? Leafs Nation will never figure out the waiver rules.) I foresee angry debates when capable youngsters get sent back to the Marlies while Frogren, Tlusty and others remain with the Leafs as they're no longer waiver exempt.

My final erroneous prediction: the Leafs miss on Jonas Gustavsson and sign a UFA keeper

My predicted line-up:

Grabovski	C	2,500,000
Morrison	C	2,500,000
Marchant	C	2,000,000
Mitchell	C	487,000
Bozak	C	4,000,000
Blake	L	4,000,000
Hagman	L	3,000,000
Poni	L	2,105,000
Kulemin	L	1,416,000
Tlusty	L	855,000
Stempniak	R	1,882,000
Mayers	R	1,333,000
Trade	R	4,000,000

Kaberle	D	4,250,000
Finger	D	3,500,000
Beauchemin	D	3,500,000
Van Ryn	D	2,900,000
Schenn	D	1,250,000
Frogren	D	1,054,000
White	D	850,000

Toskala	G	4,000,000
Anderson	G	750,000

Raycroft		1,000,000
Tucker		533,000

TOTAL		$53,665,000.00

PensionPlanPuppets.com is a fan community that allows members to post their own thoughts and opinions on the Toronto Maple Leafs and hockey in general. These views and thoughts may not be shared by the editor of PensionPlanPuppets.com.

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# 5

Andy Frost better learn the waiver rules because that is definitely going to be one of the biggest complaints this year.

“Why’s (insert kid) rotting on the farm while (insert veteran) is playing in the NHL!?! Burke’s lost it. Time to move on!”

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jun 16, 2009 9:49 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Who did we draft? and where are they playing ?

by Plea From A Cat Named Felix on Jun 16, 2009 9:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No draft picks make the big club. If they’re under 18 and Canadian, they’re back with their CHL team. If they’re 20+ or Euros they’re with the Marlies.

Another prediction for you: Burke gets stuck with the seven spot at the draft. He says the cost to move up was just too high. Given Burke’s lack of activity at the trade deadline and his inability to swing a big deal on draft day, DGB will write a brilliantly angry post structured around GNR’s November Rain video that culminates with Burke in a casket covered in blue and white flowers (or maybe he goes with Don’t Cry and drowns Burke).

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Jun 16, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs