Kessel traded to Leafs

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Ducks, Flyers, Leafs = league leaders in fights.

Of the three, I actually think Toronto will have the most fighting majors assessed all season.

It will be close,either Toronto or Philadelphia,IMO.I think Calgary will be up there,as well.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

seriously, I think the tides have changed and the east may be the tougher conference this year.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

I wouldn't have given him 5+ million - he hasn't proven anything yet. Boston wins this one...2 first round picks for Kessel? And save me the 'oh the weakest draft pool ever' in 2011 s***....thats two LONG years away for some 16 year old to show his stuff - there is ALWAYS half a dozen guys who turn out to be legitimate NHL stars.

[thedisappearer 291]

I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, I had Jeff Finger in my ear.

So who's going to center him? He had Marc Savard most of the year in Boston, do the Leaf Blowers have anyone capable of setting him up?

I don't get it - are you that starved for attention? You're obviously "Leaf-obsessed", but yet you choose to troll around on a Red Wings board, spouting off about how great the Leafs are, how great Burke is, how great the Leafs moves are (regardless of their blatent stupidity for years now) and then criticize others when they disagree with your "Leafs Rule" attitude. Do you really think we're all closet leafs fans that secretly hope the Leafs win? Take a look at the title at the top of the page - Let's Go WINGS", not Leafs you tool. Most of us that come here to read about the Wings hope that the Leafs bus goes off a cliff in northern Ontario.

I am on record for not supporting bashing Mac. He's like a Canadian Duck Guy- a solid hockey fan who likes Detroit... but loves something else more. We can be friends. We just will never be best friends. I like to pretend he hangs here because we talk hockey all kinds of good and s***.

[thedisappearer 291]

You're a Wings fan, silly. You *should* enjoy watching them win. Hell, you should enjoy watching them even when they lose. They're your team.

People who are already diehard fans of one specific team are not the people that the NHL needs to get the attention of. The Wings have been very skilled pacifsts for many years now, nobody other than their fans cares about them anymore. No non-Wing fans are excited to watch the Wings this year. Judging by the hype on HF and even on here, plenty of non-Leaf fans and non-Flyer fans are excited to watch the Leafs and Flyers this year. Something has been missing from too many great teams in recent years, and it looks like there are some upstarts that want to prove that you don't have to be a squad of pacifists to win hockey games.

No one cares about the Wings? We're the top grossing travel team. Everyone else cares about us. I have non-Wings friends (Flyers fans) who root for us (when we don't play them...) because we play, as they say "fun hockey". I'm sorry you can't respect recent Cup winners. But they are Cup winners. And that is WIN, right? I'll take a Cup over your respect any day, and you'd do the same.

[rick zombo 3,739]

Chiarelli has easily surpassed Burke on the "all the other GMs that are not as good as Ken Holland" GMs list.

Fixed.

Zealot.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

For some of us that added element that guys like Perry/Getzlaf bring to the rink can attract as much - if not more interest/attention than the dazzling moves from the likes of our Euro Twins.

As Micah (and others) have said - what's not to like when your team not only beats their opponent on the scoreboard, but gives them a bloody nose/lip as well?...Old Time Hockey

I loathe perry because he's a pathetic little ***** that picks on non-fighters and backs down when a real fighter steps up.

Getzlaf I would love to add to this team.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I am on record for not supporting bashing Mac. He's like a Canadian Duck Guy- a solid hockey fan who likes Detroit... but loves something else more. We can be friends. We just will never be best friends. I like to pretend he hangs here because we talk hockey all kinds of good and s***.

This.

[Nev 1,085]

"Skilled tough teams" is not the same as "Teams with some skill and some guys that fight" unless you think that fighting is a direct indicator of toughness, and the way to measure a player's toughness is by his fighting ability and his frequency if fighting.

Skilled tough teams have always been the ones who have had success. The Red Wings and Penguins of the past two seasons are a prime example of this. Both teams boasted quite a bit of skill, neither team really had much in the way of fighters, but both team was comprised primarily if not completely of players who worked hard and would grind for pucks in the corner and in front of the net, regardless of size. Players who played through minor injuries and shook off slashes and cross checks from opposing players. That, not fighting, is what toughness is. Toughness is about doing what it takes to win, not about sitting on the bench for around 45 minutes a game and in the penalty box for five because your only skill is punching the guy on the other team who plays five minutes a game and whose only skill is punching you.

Best post Eva has made since I've been on here

Burke has easily surpassed Holland as the greatest GM in the NHL.

I'd like to think this is sarcasm, but given your avatar and posting history...

Burke has done Jack in Toronto so far. All he's done is made a few big moves and signed a few tough guys to make the fight fans here all moist. Lets wait and see 1) if they become a legit contender again 2) If they actually win something. If they win a cup or 2, have the team destroyed by the cap and by age and then builds *another* team which is an annual contender and wins a cup or 2, then and only then can we talk about Burke being better than Holland. And all that is assuming that Detroit fall from their pedestal in the mean time.

[Guest micah]

I know, eh? Datsyuk and Zetterberg are so lame compared to Perry and Getzlaf because those two fight too!

I expect more out of you because you aren't an idiot, Drake. I never said that Datsyuk and Zetterberg are lame compared to Getslaf and Perry (although if I could only have one on my team it would be Getz).

The Ducks (not any one or two particular players) have been consistantly fun to watch because they are a do-it-all team. They have skill, they have sandpaper, they win. Do you honestly think that the product that Detroit puts out in your typical November is as fun to watch as what the Ducks do?

[Guest micah]

I'm sorry you can't respect recent Cup winners. But they are Cup winners. And that is WIN, right? I'll take a Cup over your respect any day, and you'd do the same.

You sound like Devils fans sounded a few short years ago. I didn't realise it had gotten this bad

Edited September 19, 2009 by micah

[eva unit zero 271]

No doubt Perry's a little half-shield wearin' weasel who picks his spots...That said I'd take him on my team anyday; he's 10X the player/agitator that guys like Maltby could ever had dreamed of; guy can score 30 plus goals/get 70 plus points each year all the while of knocking around/harrassing any super-star like Crosby, or Malkin on their asses.

I kinda see Perry as a modern day Esa Tikkanen.

You think Perry is offensively capable, a great agitator, and is also one of the league's elite defensive forwards? Not a chance. He might have the first two, but he's not even on the same planet as the third.

[FinRedWing 172]

Thought Burke has lost his mind,but MacK_Attack's posts kinda changed my opinion a bit.

Gotta love trades though.

Edited September 19, 2009 by FinRedWing

[MacK_Attack 108]

I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you, I had Jeff Finger in my ear.

So who's going to center him? He had Marc Savard most of the year in Boston, do the Leaf Blowers have anyone capable of setting him up?

I don't get it - are you that starved for attention? You're obviously "Leaf-obsessed", but yet you choose to troll around on a Red Wings board, spouting off about how great the Leafs are, how great Burke is, how great the Leafs moves are (regardless of their blatent stupidity for years now) and then criticize others when they disagree with your "Leafs Rule" attitude. Do you really think we're all closet leafs fans that secretly hope the Leafs win? Take a look at the title at the top of the page - Let's Go WINGS", not Leafs you tool. Most of us that come here to read about the Wings hope that the Leafs bus goes off a cliff in northern Ontario.

I originally wasn't going to dignify this with a response, but that wouldn't be any fun.

You know, I've been here for like what, 6 years or something and I think you're the first person to ever call me a troll. I come here because it's usually a good place to talk hockey, be it Red Wings, Leafs or anybody else. I did notice that the description for this part of the forum reads:

"Discuss the Detroit Red Wings, NHL, or hockey in general here!"

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't say that only the Detroit Red Wings may be discussed here.

If you want to go back in my six years of posting, you'll notice that I called for the head of John Ferguson for years....and hated most of his moves. Actually, I even criticized the Stralman for Primeau & a 2nd trade. I don't agree with giving up on Stralman so early, but there just wasn't room for him.

But hey, why make constructive arguments when you can just call me names and make assumptions, right?

I think you're just getting a little too defensive because you have an pre-conceived notion that anything the Leafs do is a horrible move, but that really hasn't been the case since Burke took over. I don't criticize others because they don't agree with me, that's the fun of debate. The only thing that bothers me is blind criticism towards anything the Leafs do just because they are the Leafs. I understand fully why it happens, but it never sits right with me. Comes with the territory, though.

I think you're missing a key element when asking who is going to center a line with Kessel this year. This isn't a trade about this year. This is a trade that hopefully will net the Leafs a top-end scoring winger for the next 10-15 years. Maybe there isn't much at this exact moment, but the fun thing about Brian Burke is that all can change in a matter of moments. If Burke has a guy in his sights, he usually gets him. I like your comment about how you think Kessel will never have a better season than the one he just had. How many players do you know of that hit the peak of their career at 20 years old?

Maybe it will be Matt Stajan centering Kessel, or maybe Grabovski....hell, maybe even Jason Allison. I don't know. I'm not worried about this year because this is just a development year for all the kids that are up and coming. It's a year to see what some of these kids can be in the future, and hey, maybe sneak into the playoffs.

I think in the not-too-distant future, you'll see Nazem Kadri centering Kessel. Maybe even Marc Savard if he doesn't re-up with Boston. Who knows, but the Leafs finally have a young first line forward for the first time since Mats Sundin arrived. It was a huge hole that Burke had to fill and he just did it. Like I said before, it's a huge price to pay, but the NCAA signings that the Leafs made in the spring should help to somewhat fill the void of losing those picks.

I'm just here to have some fun and talk hockey. If you don't like it, you don't have to read anything that I have to say. I won't lose any sleep if you don't.

Edited September 19, 2009 by MacK_Attack

[swedishconnection 36]

I'm just here to have some fun and talk hockey. If you don't like it, you don't have to read anything that I have to say. I won't lose any sleep if you don't.

Done and done.

For the years I have been reading Mack's posts, they have always been insightful and critical. I consistently learn about intricate parts of contracts and trades that I normally wouldn't have thought about or cared about. The challenge to think about them and how they effect the overall hockey picture has been one of the best parts of the posts the he (I am assuming) contributes to the forums and one of the most entertaining for me.

Just sayin.

There is a reason that Mack keeps posting, and it starts with why the Wing's fanbase more often than not some of the most hockey intelligent and welcoming of others. I personally take pride in this and this is why I have been posting for years here. I would rather read an informed Leaf's opinion than some of the detritus that comes out of our own base.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

For some of us that added element that guys like Perry/Getzlaf bring to the rink can attract as much - if not more interest/attention than the dazzling moves from the likes of our Euro Twins.

As Micah (and others) have said - what's not to like when your team not only beats their opponent on the scoreboard, but gives them a bloody nose/lip as well?...Old Time Hockey

Agreed. It'd be hard for me to be excited about adding Perry to the team, because he's suck a gutless puke, but I would absolutely love to have a Red Wings team like the Ducks of a few years ago that beat you on the scoreboard, and just plain beat the hell out of you.

Getzlaf - absolutely. Perry? meh. He's not a Duck anymore, but I'd take Pronger in a heartbeat too.

I started watching the Red Wings faithfully the year that Yzerman was named captain. And those mid and late 80's teams may not have had a ton of talent, but they definitely played with a chip on their shoulder after years of being the Dead Things. It's not like Detroit has always been this "classy."

A Red Wings team that has jaw-dropping moves, Norris-caliber defense, bone crushing hits, and will also drop the gloves and beat the snot out of you. Who in their right mind wouldn't want that??

[StevieY'sguy 1]

I originally wasn't going to dignify this with a response, but that wouldn't be any fun.

You know, I've been here for like what, 6 years or something and I think you're the first person to ever call me a troll. I come here because it's usually a good place to talk hockey, be it Red Wings, Leafs or anybody else. I did notice that the description for this part of the forum reads:

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't say that only the Detroit Red Wings may be discussed here.

If you want to go back in my six years of posting, you'll notice that I called for the head of John Ferguson for years....and hated most of his moves. Actually, I even criticized the Stralman for Primeau & a 2nd trade. I don't agree with giving up on Stralman so early, but there just wasn't room for him.

But hey, why make constructive arguments when you can just call me names and make assumptions, right?

I think you're just getting a little too defensive because you have an pre-conceived notion that anything the Leafs do is a horrible move, but that really hasn't been the case since Burke took over. I don't criticize others because they don't agree with me, that's the fun of debate. The only thing that bothers me is blind criticism towards anything the Leafs do just because they are the Leafs. I understand fully why it happens, but it never sits right with me. Comes with the territory, though.

I think you're missing a key element when asking who is going to center a line with Kessel this year. This isn't a trade about this year. This is a trade that hopefully will net the Leafs a top-end scoring winger for the next 10-15 years. Maybe there isn't much at this exact moment, but the fun thing about Brian Burke is that all can change in a matter of moments. If Burke has a guy in his sights, he usually gets him. I like your comment about how you think Kessel will never have a better season than the one he just had. How many players do you know of that hit the peak of their career at 20 years old?

Maybe it will be Matt Stajan centering Kessel, or maybe Grabovski....hell, maybe even Jason Allison. I don't know. I'm not worried about this year because this is just a development year for all the kids that are up and coming. It's a year to see what some of these kids can be in the future, and hey, maybe sneak into the playoffs.

I think in the not-too-distant future, you'll see Nazem Kadri centering Kessel. Maybe even Marc Savard if he doesn't re-up with Boston. Who knows, but the Leafs finally have a young first line forward for the first time since Mats Sundin arrived. It was a huge hole that Burke had to fill and he just did it. Like I said before, it's a huge price to pay, but the NCAA signings that the Leafs made in the spring should help to somewhat fill the void of losing those picks.

I'm just here to have some fun and talk hockey. If you don't like it, you don't have to read anything that I have to say. I won't lose any sleep if you don't.

I completely agree, I don't know if you follow baseball at all, but this move reminds me of when our hometown Tigers signed Pudge Rodriguez a few years back...a name that you can put on the marquee to build around and to hopefully be the catalyst toward building a winning franchise...It worked for the Tigers and im confident this will work for the Leafs, did they overpay for him? possibly; but if in 3-4 years from now fans can look back and identify this trade as the spark that got the fire going, then i think it will be worth it...

[swiss_fan 3]

Everyone here is discussing it with toronto's perpective. WHat about the bruins?

I highly think this trade will make this team a powerhouse for many years to come.

What is sad is that the Bruins were basically in the same situation that us, too much talent to keep for the salarycap. Boston managed to trade the surplus and receive great assets in exchange. Unfortunately Kenny didn t managed it the same way. Don t get me wrong, i m very happy with Kenny's late signings, but losing for free Quincey Hudler Samuelsson Hossa wasn't that great. Particulary in the case of Samuelson he should have trade him last summer when his stock was high or at the deadline, knowing he would be gone for sure.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

Everyone here is discussing it with toronto's perpective. WHat about the bruins?

I highly think this trade will make this team a powerhouse for many years to come.

This seems to be a logical assessment; from boston dot com / Boston Globe :

According to the Bruins, Phil Kessel got what he wanted Friday night when he was traded to the Maple Leafs and then signed a new contract that will bring him $27 million over the next five years. Kessel informed the Bruins he wanted out of Boston, general manger Peter Chiarelli finally confirmed yesterday, and thus turned his restricted free agent status into a Frommer’s Guide to Toronto.

...

Had Chiarelli not swapped Kessel to Toronto for a pair of first-round picks and a second-rounder, he likely this morning would be faced with committing $27 million to a kid with 66 career goals and not much grit in his tool kit. And if Chiarelli chose not to match the presumed offer sheet, then the compensation, as spelled out by the collective bargaining agreement, would have been only first-, second-, and third-round draft picks. The potential for Brian Burke rolling out the offer sheet ultimately forced the deal, with the Leafs GM deftly, and in concert with Kessel’s stated desires, forcing Chiarelli’s hand.

No other suitor stepped up with an offer, Chiarelli also confirmed, and that was because no club wanted to yield assets to Boston and then be positioned to suffer Burke’s roundhouse right of an offer sheet. Imagine if the Predators swapped Colin Wilson for Kessel one morning, only to see him that afternoon sign the Leafs’ offer sheet? Just wasn’t going to happen, not without Kessel checking off on a sign-and-trade deal, and he wasn’t going to do that after determining over the summer that he wanted to wear Toronto’s Blue and White.

...

And, an honest observation; from Toronto Star :

...Only one thing missing in this deal for Phil Kessel – the Leafs have no equivalent to Bruins centre Marc Savard, who fed the kid tape-to-tape passes. ...

More dealing from Toronto is sure to follow, likely sooner rather than later.