Leafs

No Room For Bozak in Leafs' future

April 5, 2013

*This article originally appeared on www.mapleleafscentral.com

“If the player wants to be here and we want him, my experience has been that generally we find a way to make it happen."

That quote is from general manager Dave Nonis on April 3 in regards to a possible Tyler Bozak extension.

It’s worrisome if you believe Bozak is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ weakest link among their top-nine centres. The statistics support that claim, as Bozak seems to excel at faceoffs and not much else. His defensive play is suspect and he’s generally a passenger on the top line considering the amount of ice-time he receives. He leads all Maple Leafs in time on ice...

Leafs Should Target Bouwmeester

March 31, 2013

Ron Guillet

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*This article originally appeared at thehockeywriters.com/mapleleafscentral

If Dave Nonis plans on being active before the trade deadline on April 3, Jay Bouwmeester should be a primary target.

The 29-year-old comes with a hefty cap-hit at $6.68 million, which runs through next season, but he’s exactly what the Toronto Maple Leafs require: a first-pair defenseman capable of playing tough minutes.

Bouwmeester ranks third among NHL defensemen in Corsi QoC (quality of competition) at even strength, behind only Dion Phaneuf and Mike Weber. He averages over 25 minutes of ice-time per game with over three of those minutes coming on the penalty kill. Acquiring a pla...

Why the Leafs Shouldn't Re-Sign Bozak

March 11, 2013

Ron Guillet

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https://twitter.com/kevin_mcgran/status/310093153946451969

That tweet is from the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran on Mar. 8 after Ryan Getzlaf re-signed with the Anaheim Ducks on an eight-year contract extension. It’s also a representation of the misconception that Tyler Bozak is a capable first-line centre.

It should be noted from the outset that Bozak is not to blame. It’s not his fault he’s been miscast as a top line player, and one certainly can’t fault him for doing his best in a role beyond his capabilities. There are enough underlying statistics to prove that Bozak is probably better-suited on the third-line (which we’ll get to), but it e...

Former Leafs prospect budding in Carolina

February 14, 2013

Andrew Schopp

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In trading the prospect Dec. 3 2009, fellow general managers Brian Burke and Jim Rutherford agreed 2006 first-round pick Jiri Tlusty would not thrive in Toronto.

VIA The Toronto Star:

"(Tlusty) is a player who has a better chance to flourish in a smaller market," Hurricanes general manager Rutherford said in 2009. "It takes a certain type of character to flourish in Toronto. Some guys like it, some guys don't. It's something (Burke) and I talked about when we were making this deal."

The Maple Leafs gave Tlusty little time to develop - trading the Czech forward before his 22nd birthday - having played 74 games for the buds over a span of three ...

JVR benefits from net presence

February 14, 2013

Ron Guillet

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If James van Riemsdyk’s current projections are any indication, Brian Burke’s swan song may be a coup for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 23-year-old has eight goals and 10 points in 13 games thus far and has provided a net-front presence that’s been lacking on the Leafs for a while. Consider that the average distance of JVR’s goals is 14.9-feet (three came from rebounds in front of the net). If you’re curious, here are the distances of each goal he’s scored so far this season:

1 – 33-feet

2 – 9.5-feet

3 – 6.5-feet

4 – 19.4-feet

5 – 10-feet

6 – 9.5-feet

7 &ndas...

Bruins Remember Defense: Shutdown Toronto

February 3, 2013

Coach's Sister

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Boston Bruins 1, Toronto Maple Leafs 0

Oh there you are Bruins defense! Boston played the solid defense we all know they are capable of in their first shutout of the season against the Maple Leafs Saturday night. James Reimer played amazing for the Leafs, earning him the first star of the game. Tuukka Rask's twelfth career shutout earned him the second star and the only player to score, Chris Bourque, the third.

As mentioned in the preview, this game was all about the new kids. The third line must have heard all of the criticism and really stepped up. Rich Peverley to Chris Kelly who tossed a perfect pass which landed bullseye on Bourque's...

AHL Players Center Stage As Bruins Visit Toronto

February 2, 2013

Coach's Sister

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Boston Bruins (5-1-1) at Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3-0)

The Bruins visit Toronto for the first of four meetings this season and try and leave the trauma of Thursday night's beat down against the Buffalo Sabres behind them. Last season the B's swept the Leafs in all six meetings, outscoring them 36-10, in their last meeting in March, Boston shutout Toronto 8-0.

James Reimer started that game in net for the The Leafs and will be looking for redemption as he gets the start between the pipes. Tuukka Rask will be starting for Boston as expected.

Both the Leafs and Bruins have substantial injuries and have tapped into their AHL reserves for tonight's...

Kadri deserves shot on top line

January 23, 2013

Ron Guillet

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Nazem Kadri has finally made his mark on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With Randy Carlyle proclaiming he is “trying to get Kadri more ice-time,” it could be a matter of time before Tyler Bozak is slotted as the third-line centre with Kadri in-between Joffrey Lupul and Phil Kessel.

But let’s make one thing clear: Kadri is likely not a first-line centre. Is the potential there? Sure, but he’s probably more effective on the second-line. But alas, the Leafs have an abundance of holes to address, and a top line centre is one of them.

Unfortunately for general manager Dave Nonis, it’s not as simple going out into the trade market and grabb...

Leafs Require Clear Direction

January 10, 2013

Ron Guillet

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With news of Brian Burke’s dismissal fully digested, the watchful gaze of the hockey world turn on newly-appointed general manager Dave Nonis and the direction of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Since his hiring in 2008, Burke had opted for a fast-track rebuild in an attempt to stockpile prospects and draft picks while competing for the playoffs every season. Evidently, his plan was foiled by missing the post-season four years in a row, and the Leafs don’t have an elite batch of prospects to show for it.

I’d be amiss, however, not to acknowledge the decent core and (to a lesser extent) prospect pool Burke has managed to assemble.

Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly and...

The Annual Danglers Winter Classic

December 23, 2012

Rob McGowan

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At this very moment, the ice of the outdoor rink is glimmering in the sunlight in anticipation of its annual Winter Classic that will take place this evening. Gary Bettman and the National Hockey League may have canceled the NHL Winter Classic that was to be played between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, but that's not stopping a talented group of hockey players from getting together for the annual Danglers Winter Classic.

The Danglers are a men's league hockey team that I started years ago in order to keep my friends and I together on the ice. High school was over, and many of us were going away to college or starting to work full-time. Every summer, the Danglers were put together through the Midnight Hockey League on Long Island and have continued to go strong for five years.