MacK_Attack

CuJo is holding out for Ottawa to move Gerber and that would allow him to slide in to the back-up spot behind Emery. I would think that Pittsburgh would probably be his #2 choice.

Pittsburgh is looking for a guy to help Fleury out, they might take a flyer on him, as well.

Yep. They were so set on Joe Sakic that they had even told Joe before the draft that if he was still there when it was their turn to pick, they were going to pick him. Then two years later, the Leafs go to select a Soviet forward in the 4th round, but a very senile (and nearly dead) Ballard said again that they were not to draft that player because there would "be no *bleeping* commies" on his team. So instead of picking Sergei Fedorov, they picked Matt Martin. That worked out well.

It's legit.

Well, to be honest, it's the easiest way to identify a particular player style or potential. It's easier to say "he's the next Alex Mogilny" than to say he's a player with 1st line potential with blazing speed off the wings and a hard, accurate wrist shot. People want to be able to draw comparisons to players that they are already aware of.

He played his 1st NHL game tonight and didn't look out of place at all. He showed some nerves at first, and for that, they held him off special teams (not that he was really expected to have those minutes to start out). But you talk about a guy who has poise with the puck and has an unreal panic threshold. He had guys like Kovalchuk buzzing all around him and he looked like a veteran with how he would spin away from then make a beautiful, crisp pass. He didn't do any jumping up in the play like he did in the pre-season and kept his shifts really short and played a really safe game, probably to stay on the coaches good side (assuming he stays the coach for much longer). This kid is going to be a keeper. He's just made for the way the game is played today.

According to The Score, Boulerice got 25 games for his shot to Kesler's head.

Not really. Jason Blake has taken Tucker's spot on the top PP unit. Well, Tucker really hasn't done anything at all this season because he's been hurt since training camp.

The only way it will change is if they keep embarrassing themselves......and they probably will.

Wednesday, October 24 Vancouver @ Detroit 7:30pm (TSN) Wednesday, Dec. 19 Los Angeles @ Detroit 7:30pm (TSN) Sat. Jan. 12 Detroit @ Ottawa 7:00pm (CBC) Friday, Feb. 1 Colorado @ Detroit 7:30pm (TSN) Sat. Feb. 9 Detroit @ Toronto 3pm (CBC) Friday, Feb. 15 Columbus @ Detroit 7:30pm (TSN) Sat., Feb. 23 Detroit @ Vancouver 10:00pm (CBC)

The popular misconception is that these blades allow a player to skate faster, when in fact, they allow the player to get up to top speed faster and with less effort. It makes stops and starts easier, it makes skating on snowy ice (late in periods) much easier and it allows players to glide longer. The biggest difference is going to be perhaps lengthened shifts and a higher energy level later in games.

I think P.J. Axelsson is the guy they'd prefer to move. Now, the question is if anybody would want him.....

I'd claim him and then trade him to Ottawa. At least get an extra draft pick just for being a jerk.

No, I think the McCabe hate has reached Larry Murphy territory and I don't thiink there's any turning back. He's going to get booed and it's not going to stop until he agrees to go somewhere else.

The L.A. Kings are in the process of sending G Jonathan Bernier back to the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the QMJHL This leaves them with the all-star tandem of Jason Labarbera and J.S. Aubin. Start the Martin Gerber/Andrew Raycroft-to-L.A. rumours.......... (I'd put my money on Gerber)

But hey, let's look at the bright side.... Nik Antropov is finally playing like he can, Matt Stajan is finally showing the he can put up points at the NHL level and Simon Gamache is looking like a great find. If only they could play defence.....

The ultimate solution to this mess lies in firing John Ferguson. Kubina or McCabe aren't going to be moved because his admitting failure in those players would be admitting failure in himself, and he's already on thin ice as it is. Sadly, the Leafs have to end up as bad as the Flyers were last year before a move is made mid-season. Also, Maurice needs to implement a defensive system to help out the defencemen. They don't have enough defensive ability back there to play run 'n gun. It's like they've reverted back to Pat Quinn hockey. Maybe Maurice needs to go too before that happens.

He got involved in cocaine and with some shady characters connected to the Russian mob. It was getting pretty bad where they were asking him to bankroll drug operations and such and he was in such a bad way mentally with the drugs that the Leafs got a plea from his agent along with his family to get him as far away from Toronto as possible.

Because Fergie agreed to demands that McCabe quickly realized he would never get from any other team and took his money with the Leafs. Here's my theory on Kubina/Gill on July 1, 2006: Fergie desparately wanted to steal Zdeno Chara away from Ottawa. He had $7.5 million (and some say , offered up to $8 milllion) earmarked for Chara and when Chara chose Boston, Fergie panicked. He panicked and signed the next guy available (Kubina) for whatever it took to get him. Kubina claims he had bigger offers from other teams, but I think he's just covering up for his boss. He then used the leftover money to get GIll, for whatever reason. What do the placement of your 1st round picks matter when you never keep them? Tuukka Rask is going to come back and bite them in the ass. Toskala looks like he's going to be a real solid goaltender, but it's going to be a long time before he ever has a solid defence in front of him.

Because his brain and his hands are still pure McCabe?

It would be a bad idea to bring Markov back to Toronto, given the circumstances of his original departure.

Gill has been a real good PK defenceman, which is more than the other two stiffs can say.

Fortunately, his cap hit is just $5.75 million. As I said before, his contract is front-loaded, so a buyout either this summer or next summer is actually only a minor cap hit ($1.6 million or so). McCabe is going to get the Alfredsson cheer on Thursday, a lot worse than the one he got on Saturday. Hopefully it changes his mind about wanting to play three more years in Toronto after this. He should play on Saturday or at the latest, early next week. I'm not sure how well a Kaberle - Stralman pairing would work since they're essentially the same type of player, but there really is a lack of options. Stralman has to get in there, he's way too good not to play. The problem with Carlo is that as soon as he starts to hit his groove and play the way he can, he gets hurt again. I'd rather have even Staffan Kronwall come up to play with Ian White over Gill.

Well, as said before, it's ultimately up to McCabe because of his no-trade/no-movement clauses. I think you can fully expect the Alfredsson cheer every time McCabe touches the puck on Thursday. I don't think Fergie has the stones to trade him, but he isn't going to have a job much longer if this keeps up, which is fine by me.

He never actually said it, but everybody knew that his wife wanted to go back there to be closer to her family when they started one of their own. As for Kubina, he's been pretty bad, no question. The problem for him is partially his defence partner. It was Andy Wozniewski and it just doesn't work. Both are far too slow to cover up any mistakes. Carlo Colaiacovo could be back by Saturday and I don't think it'll be long before Anton Stralman is brought in. The kid is quite simply dominating in the AHL and has no business playing there for much longer. He's just way too good.