Good news, my friends. Sutter got rid of one of the worst contracts on the books, freed up some...

Good news, my friends. Sutter got rid of one of the worst contracts on the books, freed up some room on the roster for a more valuable player and added a couple of potentially useful farm players in the process. I can't imagine why Burke wanted Primeau (BIG BODY PRESENCE?) but I'm extremely thankful he did.

Kent W.'s ecstatic response to yesterday's trade with the Leafs. Check out the comments. I know we've kind of come to grips with the deal a bit better than when it was initially reported but they still seem too happy for my liking.

almost 3 years ago PPP 27 comments 0 recs |

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You’re not going to like reading this one then, PPP.

Old Guys in Blue and White

by koopa kid on Jul 28, 2009 3:06 AM EDT reply actions

I’ll miss Wayne Primeau. While he was overpaid at $1.4M per season and often injured, he was one of the better 4th line centers that I’ve ever seen in this league while healthy. His size and surprising speed made him a demon on the penalty kill and forecheck, and he should contribute some good minutes in Leafland.

That would have to be the best review of Primeau I’ve seen. If he’s healthy and he does that, then cool. #3 centre is Wallin, #4 is Primeau. Grabbo, Stajan and Mitchel fight for #1 and #2, unless Burke comes up with something else. That’s not so bad.

by Leaf in Habland on Jul 28, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions

What about Bozak?

Identical to Sergei Berezin in every way, only 1/10 his size.

From Russia with GLOVE SIDE!

by Sergei Puckizin on Jul 28, 2009 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

That’s a logjam at centre and other than Primeau I don’t see any of those guys moving to the wing. There has got to be another trade (or two) coming.

A Nation of Masochists The waiting is the hardest part.

by furcifer on Jul 28, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions

To be honest, I haven’t seen Stralman in action much

You could feel that one coming, couldn’t you?

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Jul 28, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions

I shall remain calm and reasonably happy with this deal, until it all blows up in our faces in three years OR Strålman wins his first Norris trophy (whichever happens sooner).

He's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes.

by Mattblack on Jul 28, 2009 3:29 AM EDT reply actions

From MLHS

Alex Tran July 27, 2009 9:10 pm
When something doesn’t make sense, dig a little deeper.
NHL CBA states that a player who is 23 years of age (Stralman turns 23 in less than a week) is no longer waiver exempt after playing 60 NHL games.
Stralman played his 88th NHL game last season.
So, if the Leafs were to carry Stralman this season, they would have to keep him up full-time with the big club and can’t send him down without exposing him to waivers.
This might not necessarily justify the trade for some, but it should at least shed a little more light onto the situation.

I prefer this one.

by Kohma on Jul 28, 2009 3:34 AM EDT reply actions

he’s right that Stralie wasn’t waiver exempt, but he’s wrong as to why. check my blog if you want.

Old Guys in Blue and White

by koopa kid on Jul 28, 2009 3:45 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t know. The HFBoards guys are crazy but they are really good at the details and they have Stralman down as waiver exempt.

Either way, it’s in no way a valid reason because they could have sent crappy players down and kept him up.

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

by PPP on Jul 28, 2009 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Here’s a good breakdown of the waivers

A Nation of Masochists The waiting is the hardest part.

by furcifer on Jul 28, 2009 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions

thanks for that, that’s great info.

what did hockey fans do with themselves in the offseason before they could dissect the ins and outs of the CBA and waiver rules on the internet??

by daoust on Jul 28, 2009 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

We read the blathering of people like Bruce Dowbiggin, Al Strachan, Tony Gallagher and Damien Cox, thinking they knew a lot because they seemed to have all the answers. The ability of the fan to learn so much more about the game has exposed just how little the mainstream press understands about the game.

by Resolute on Jul 28, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you, and I enjoyed the post. I also have your blog on my blogroll.

Very minor difference, especially when it’s moot. While not adding to the draft pool, we have sweetened it. Stralman has his work cut out for him in making Calgary’s lineup. It’ll be interesting hearing Burke explain this one. Probably like Pogge, giving a chance to play elsewhere.

by Kohma on Jul 28, 2009 4:06 AM EDT reply actions

Stralman has his work cut out for him in making Calgary’s lineup

Not so sure about this – I’m by no means an expert on the Flames roster, but I think he easily makes the lineup on either the second or (more likely) third pairing for them.

He's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes.

by Mattblack on Jul 28, 2009 4:14 AM EDT up reply actions

If he’s waiver eligible, and it seems he is, he’s going to Abbotsford.

He’s not going to get a sniff of the top four: Regehr, Bouwmeester, Phaneuf, Sarich. Pardy and Giordano are both on one ways, Matt Pelech and Brett Palin are knocking on the door from within the organization, and there’s a couple of other players who’ve been signed. Barring another trade in Calgary, you’ll get to see Stralman again when Abbotsford visits the Marlies.

by Resolute on Jul 28, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh I know, it just bugs me that he’s quoting the CBA except… not really.

It’s just frustrating to see the Leafs dump young guys with cheap salary and decent potential in favour of highly paid vets, whether they be free agent signings or otherwise. It’s just not how I’d hoped this “rebuild” would go.

We still got something back, but I’m still uneasy about Stralie and Pogge, it all feels a little familiar…

Old Guys in Blue and White

by koopa kid on Jul 28, 2009 4:15 AM EDT up reply actions

Honestly, even if Stralman reaches the high expectaions I doubt it will be with Calgary. They have a Glut on D just like us. Plus does anyone sense that he might not be a team guy. Remember when instead of playing for the Marlies in their playoffs he opted to play for Sweden at the WHC. Oh well good luck we’ll be sipping out of the cup in 2012-2013 without you.

by 6rick6 on Jul 28, 2009 4:17 AM EDT reply actions

That last sentence makes me wonder why I’m even replying, but Stralman’s got a good chance of beating out Pardy or Giordano on that depth chart. It’s easy to forget, but he was the fastest Leaf at training camp (faster than Blake and Mayers), and he was still rehabbing a shoulder injury from the WHC for the first part of the year. Any player would play for their country over the AHL.

Old Guys in Blue and White

by koopa kid on Jul 28, 2009 4:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Giordano’s bigger with better numbers. He does beat Pardy though(numbers, not size). The 2 of them can fight for the 6 slot on a top-four heavy d.

by Kohma on Jul 28, 2009 4:27 AM EDT reply actions

Gio has better numbers with more GP, though. And he’s 3 years older. Plus, if we’re seriously talking about Stralman not being a team player, Giordano ran off to Europe for more money and ice time once already. They’re very similar players, it’ll be a battle in camp for sure.

Old Guys in Blue and White

by koopa kid on Jul 28, 2009 4:32 AM EDT up reply actions

reply fail

A Nation of Masochists The waiting is the hardest part.

by furcifer on Jul 28, 2009 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Personally, I have always been impressed with Gio’s mobility and puckhandling when I saw him with the Flames and I would expect him to crack their top 6. Actually, given that both Gio and Pardy are on one way deals, the best Stralman can hope for coming out of camp is #7 on their depth chart. And he’ll have to beat out several other guys, including Staffan Kronwall, for that spot.

Stralman, for his great skating and puck handling and his big (but underutilized) shot, always was less than the sum of his parts. I saw him with the Marlies several times and he was usually underwhelming and soft in his own end.

by Shack23 on Jul 28, 2009 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Calgary fans are happy right away because they get short-term gains out of this.

They have 1.4M in cap room they didn’t yesterday, and they’ve added two young, cheap players (at 23 & 27 I refuse to call them “prospects”) who will either help fill out the Flames roster, or will play in Abbotsford.

Resident Capologist

by clrkaitken on Jul 28, 2009 8:23 AM EDT reply actions

And it’s definitely easier for Flames fans to get excited about a ‘young player’ like stralman because they’ve never seen him play. The grass is always greener.

Stralman looked great at times, and completely ineffective at others. He wasn’t going to crack our lineup this year, and I never really saw him as ‘the next kaberle’ anyway (turning two 7th or 8th round picks into elite puck-moving defencemen within a decade would be a lot to ask for).

by daoust on Jul 28, 2009 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Meh, let ‘em be happy. I don’t see that they have all that much to be thrilled about, but whatever.

Being a Leaf fan here requires one to be sufficiently lubricated... and truculent!

by stucky on Jul 28, 2009 9:54 AM EDT reply actions

What do you mean? They’re right up against the cap, and we gave them cap room, a prospect, a pick and a cheaper replacement for Primeau for a 2nd rounder in two years. Teams expect to lose assets in salary dumps, and the Flames really didn’t.

Old Guys in Blue and White

by koopa kid on Jul 28, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions