MacK_Attack

All I'm going on is the word of Peter Chiarelli that he would match any offer sheet thrown at Kessel.

Yeah, but the Bruins probably would have matched.

You're good at being ignorant. Burke just had his PC to announce the trade. The questions were raised about Kessel's reputation for being a poor team player, Burke said he knows him well from all of the USA Hockey stuff they've been involved in and knows what kind of guy he really is. He also said he was comfortable (but called it a steep price) with the picks going the other way because the team was able to land good young players this spring in guys like Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson, Robert Slaney, Jonas Gustavsson and of course, Nazem Kadri. Plus they signed a 6th round pick from a previous draft in Viktor Stalberg who is one of the fastest skaters I've ever seen. He can fly and has hands to boot. Plus there's kids like Jiri Tlusty, Luke Schenn & Nik Kulemin. Are they going to miss the picks? Of course, but the cupboard is far from bare. Toronto has future players, and one of them is Kessel at 21 years old. How many players score 36 goals at 20/21 years old?

Burke said that he has no problem putting one-way deals in the AHL. I would imagine that extends to guys like Mayers or Primeau. Have to think there's a target on Finger. I would imagine he or Van Ryn won't stick around for long. It also means that a guy like Tyler Bozak might start in the AHL.

They're just throw-back jerseys. Boston wore those in the 50s & 60s to absolutely no success. But they did end up with Bobby Orr.

No, Kessel rejected deals in the $4.5 million range from the Bruins.

It will take many years to find out. 2010 draft is not a very strong field, but the 2011 field is supposed to be one of the weakest ever.

2010 1st round pick 2010 2nd round pick 2011 1st round pick Leafs sign Kessel to a 5-year, $27 million contract to complete the deal.

TSN: Deal done pending the Leafs & Kessel agreeing on a contract.

At least this saves the Leafs from giving up kids they already have like Tlusty, Kadri, Schenn, Bozak, Hanson, Kulemin, Stalberg, Gustavsson... Don't like giving up draft picks, but the Leafs picked up some decent kids via the NCAA free agent route this spring to kind of offset the giving up of draft picks. Plus with the glut on the blueline, they will likely add a pick or two before all is said and done.

Early indications are that the Leafs will send two first round picks and a 2nd round pick to Boston.

Well, Frolov is a UFA in 10 months, maybe the Kings already know that he isn't going to re-sign. Who knows.

To San Jose: Dany Heatley To Ottawa: Alex Frolov & Jarret Stoll To Los Angeles: Patrick Marleau All sides have denied, the hold-up could be Marleau and his NTC.

He'll need vice grips to get that tail out from between his legs.

Yeah, shame on him for being competitive and wanting to be the best.

Kessel now saying that he is still talking with the Bruins, but added that he does not expect to play for them again.

Phil Kessel's agent has come out and said that he is done negotiating with the Bruins and that his client intends to sign an offer sheet with another NHL club.

Generally, the protocol is to take things slowly with severe post-concussion syndrome. Once he's symptom-free for a week or so, then they'll let him do light workouts and such. Then the workouts are ramped up depending on how the headaches and such are during and after the workouts. The biggest hurdle is getting cleared for contact practices. Once that happens, the player has to be symptom-free for seven days, then he can be cleared to play.

Dry clean.

I don't think Burke wants to use the offer sheet method, but he needs that leverage in order to work out a "fair" trade, if in fact there's a trade to be made.

Kubina plays for Atlanta.

This is a move by Burke to try and force the Bruins hand into making a trade. I think the Bruins probably want to send another body with Kessel to free up some cap space and the Leafs would like to move a blueliner out in this deal to perhaps be able to hang on to one of those picks. It's a poker game, but Burke just upped the ante. It likely means that a formal offer has been made to Kessel.

The Raptors have their own plane (same with the Leafs) so I don't know if this affects them. So far all I've been able to figure out is that this only affects charter planes run by Air Canada. Worst case, I guess they could register their plane in the U.S., hangar it somewhere like Buffalo and fly it up to Toronto to pick the teams up. Sounds like pissing a lot of money against the wall, though.

Sundin's backhand went downhill when he switched to the composite stick.

Most teams bus around to the NY area games. The NY area teams definitely bus to games against each other, don't know about teams like Philly. The Leafs bus to games in Buffalo (and vice versa), I do know that.