Clotting Blue blood

I've been a leaf fan my whole life and watching the season end early sucked,  but I am for the first time since they brought Brian Leetch in to be a Leaf  a little enthused. With the right personnel moves they could easily strive next year and into the future. With the cap crunch all teams are feeling that has to be considered and that leads to my thought for the big move of the summer: 

With the Flyers just sneaking into the playoffs they will want to make changes to improve their team(unless they somehow upset Washington in the first round).  This trade long rumored seems more likely now with Toronto need for a top line center and Philly's need to change up their organization. Philly won't move Mike Richards, Simon Gagne or Chris Pronger and can't move the contracts of Daniel Briere, Scott Hartnell or Kimmo Timonen so Jeff Carter seems the logical odd man out. Burke will complete the deal by offering to take Scott Hartnell and his rather expensive contract. Philly will want to make the trade because they get two usable NHL players and save 2.1 mil to spend their hurting goaltending situation. As well Mikhail Grabovski fits in with the rest of their team being a scrappy guy.

Burke says he wants a top six forward and a first rounder for Tomas Kaberle but he isn’t going to get that from anyone.  Doing this trade gives the leafs something they haven’t had for as long as I've been alive and that's having two consistent 30+ goal scorers who are still young. Burke should be able to squeeze a second round pick out of Philly as well but that is besides the point because there is no garauntee that players becomes an NHLer.

With Phil Kessel and Jeff Carter forming the new first line, Nikolai Kulemin will act as their Alex Burrows who doesn’t really need to score for the two of them to produce but will, given the way he plays and the opportunities he will get and ability to capitalize with his skill level. Kulemin will also provide a good defensive conscience to let the two top guns dance.

With Kulemin resigned for 3 years at say 2,750,000 the first line will cost:13,150,000 million.

Hartnell will plug nicely into a second line giving leadership and protection to Nazem Kadri who will hopefully center the line but could be moved to the wing like he was at times during the world juniors, allowing Tyler Bozak to center the line. The hypothetical second line would cost a total of 4,250,000 + 900,000 for both Kadri and Bozak equaling 6,050,000. Kadri and Bozak combine to dominate teams second lines each putting up 20 goals and 50 assist while Hartnell will pot 28 goals or so from going to the net for this tandem. 

The third line will be the young guns hopefully letting them develop more with Luca Caputi, Viktor Stalberg and Christian Hanson moving back to center. They will be given time to develop and cost the Leafs nearly nothing at 2,170,000. Hopefully they all continue to develop and each pot 15 goals or so. 

The Fourth line will provide grit and PK expertise with Colton Orr, Fredrik Sjorstrom and the re-signing of Rickard Wallin. Also coming on the cheap side at 2,250,000.

Defence is laid out pretty much the same with lots of truculence and pugnacity here. Ideally Mike Komisarek returns to form and can tandem with Luke Schenn who takes the next step to become a dominant shutdown pair. Dion Phaneuf and Francois Beauchemin are solid together and hopefully the massive Keith Aulie can make the jump and pair well with the underrated Carl Gunnarson giving the Leafs one of the best D cores in the league.

Goaltending

This position is set with the resigning of Jonas Gustavasson for hopefully around 2.5 million dollars and will cost us 9,500,000 million dollars which is kinda pricey for two decent goalies.

 So the team total

The current cap is at 56,800,000 that would leave the leafs 4 million dollars to acquire a couple of things.

- Cover if Gustavsson or Kulemin are stingy and try to get more

- A sixth defenseman if Aullie isn’t ready

Potential FA Defenceman

- Adrian Aucoin - 2 million or so for 2 years

- Milan Jurcina - Gonna get a raise, Washington might not bring him back maybe 2.5 for 2 years

- My personal favourite Bring back Wade Belak for nothing   

- A right winger for their second line, dropping Bozak down to the third line and putting Wallin or Hanson into the press box again 

Potentials FA wingers

- Colby Armstrong is the only FA I see Burke liking  at maybe 2 mil for 2 years

Or it could all go to an RFA

- Crazy idea but very Burkesque whooing russian Alexander Radulov to return to the NHL. He signed a three year deal but has an opt out clause after two and then make a deal with Nashville to acquire his rights

- Tender Andrew Cogliano to a low level contract (doesn’t seem like a Burke move because he is small)

- We know Burke loves Joe Pavelski  and if San Jose re-signs Patrick Marleau they may need to move someone

- Bobby Ryan - but we won't have the assets to acquire him  

With a couple shrewed moves the Leafs could very quickly go from a last place team in the east to a playoff contender next year and legitimately threatening team in a couple years.

 The real reason I am writing this is to give myself some sense of optimism because I have been bleeding blue for too long now and the blood loss is starting to add up.