Tragic News - Hannu Toivonen No Longer On The Shelf

by Mattblack on Jul 5, 2009 8:32 AM EDT in From The Branches

Contrary to any wild stories you may have heard, I spent yesterday contributing to a wide range of charitable foundations, teaching school children the values of road safety and nursing a sick puppy named Scraps back to health.

My thanks though to our own Moaning Millie and my rival for your FTB affections, Blurr1974 for stepping in at such sort notice, especially on what was apparently some sort of public holiday.

If you want analysis on Sunday, you know there's only one man for the job. Dr Steve tackles the thorny issue of player turnover - help or hindrance to an organisation?
Toronto Sports Media asks it we're better than we were a week ago, before speculating if the sporting franchises of Toronto are letting the people down. So much for the joys of summer, eh?
What else lay behind the Leafs drafting Nasty Nazem, beyond THAT MOVE. Islamoblog looks at possible wider ramifications.
Whatever the collective noun for dark horses is (an Armada? A Regatta?), we needs them. Maple Leaf Hot Stove likes the exhibitionist in chief for the role next year.
Taking you back a week, Dobberhockey reviews the Leafs drafting efforts over the last five years (at least, they do halfway down the page). For completeness, the other reviews than be found here, here, here and here.
Those Bird Watchers and their odious Georgian connections review the pickings left on the wire for the penalty killing specialists.
Lazy days with nothing to do, all thanks to the NHL. Raw Charge asks if the off-season couldn't be paced a little better.

Safe to say, my ~~massive drug-fuelled bender~~ various acts of kindness and charity have left my links reader a bit all over the place, so please feel free to link anything I've missed.

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Mattblack

You’s a genius.

Sports And The City

A Toronto sports blog, where unabashed homerism is alive and well...

PLAYOFFS!!!!1

by eyebleaf on Jul 5, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks for the linkage, Mattblack

The Raw Charge -- the Tampa Bay Lightning weblog at SB Nation.

by John Fontana on Jul 5, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions

so what free agents are left?
Tanguay? Beauchemin? Moen?Kovalev?

these are things i need to know, ive been in the woods for 3 days

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Jul 5, 2009 3:10 PM EDT reply actions

Basically ya.

The Leafs may not win everygame, but they will beat the shit out of you
Truculence FTW

by leafer1984 on Jul 5, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Koivu!!1

Как же так может быть? - Finland fails at life. Seriously, someone please adopt me?

by sleza on Jul 5, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Dobber Review

Ummm…It’s meant to ostensibly be based on the Leafs’ draft picks but then the guy tosses this in:

Burke’s presence brings down the Leafs grade.

Huh? Not to mention this part:

Nikolai Kulemin was a solid pick at 44th overall despite his considerable defensive liabilities.

Sure…

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

by PPP on Jul 5, 2009 3:30 PM EDT reply actions

That is just stupid.
Kulemin is freakin awesome

The Leafs may not win everygame, but they will beat the shit out of you
Truculence FTW

by leafer1984 on Jul 5, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Kool-aid isnt exactly Doug Gilmour in the defensive end, but I cannot think of a single time he was ever a defensive liability. If he was talking Grabbo or even Tlusty I might buy it, but that is utter and total crap. Has he ever even watched a Leaf game?

also Burkie is a pimp and brings nothing but plus signs

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Jul 5, 2009 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

he’s got a valid argument. Have you seen the list of draft picks in Anaheim since 2005 when he took over?

After Bobby Ryan, there’s not a single name I can remotely recognize. We can hopefully chalk it up to poor scouting, but still, yikes.

As far as Kulemin goes, I don’t recall him being the most enthusiastic back checker, but he’s only 22. If the expectation is that he’ll be a solid two way guy, then I think considering it was his rookie year, he did fine. Wilson and the rest of the coaches will help him exceed over last year.

"If you are going through hell, keep going." Sir Winston Churchill, a Leafs fan...
Stalk me here...

by blurr1974 on Jul 5, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I think PPP was referring to the fact that Nikolai Kulemin’s scouting reports were exactly opposite of what was stated in Dobber’s summary. Kulemin’s main concern as a prospect was more on the offensive side where many said that he benefited from playing with Evgeni Malkin and he lacked the creativity and offensive upside. However, Kulemin was comparatively polished in the defensive zone, which allowed Malkin and his other linemates to focus more on offense. His defensive game was considered strong enough that scouts were worried Kulemin would be another Alexander Steen in the NHL – relegate himself to the third line as a defensive winger.

Supporter of the Sergei Berezin "Give and Go" - You give me puck, then you go to hell

by bkblades on Jul 5, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

The article was referring to how the Leafs overall draft grade was pushed down by Burke’s presence (“Burke’s presence brings down the Leafs grade.”) He’s stating the Leafs overall draft grade, not Kulemin’s, is impacted by Burke’s previous record with the Ducks.

At least that’s how i’m reading it, as the article is not about Kulemin specifically. I don’t understand the random dig at Kulemin, but I don’t think it’s that far off either.

"If you are going through hell, keep going." Sir Winston Churchill, a Leafs fan...
Stalk me here...

by blurr1974 on Jul 5, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

The article’s premise was to judge the Leafs’ drafting performance over the past 5 years not the Leafs’ performance + the Ducks’ performance.

As for Kulemin, Chemmy and I gave him the Doug Gilmour award this year and no one complained.

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

by PPP on Jul 5, 2009 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Killer Koolaid!

Because Taking The Leafs Seriously Is Not An Option

by JaredFromLondon on Jul 5, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

++

amazing

Jesus didn’t need a brother to be great. Neither does Luke Schenn.

by kessticle on Jul 6, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Re-defining Subjectivity

I was going to post some sort of response to the Dobber hockey article, but the premise is so ridiculous I’m just going to shake my head and walk away.

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

by mf37 on Jul 5, 2009 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Have you seen the list of draft picks in Anaheim since 2005 when he took over?

After Bobby Ryan, there’s not a single name I can remotely recognize. We can hopefully chalk it up to poor scouting, but still, yikes.

Yeah, they suck. Unfortunately for the author the Leafs didn’t draft any of thoes kids.

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

by PPP on Jul 5, 2009 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions