Leafs get tougher, younger (and worse)
July 14th, 2008 Posted in LeafsNews.com | 
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It would appear after todays signing of Ryan Hollweg, that Leafs just got a little bit tougher, and a little bit younger. While adding Ryan Hollweg starts to plug wholes in the lineup for the Leafs and gives them some added grit that they were DESPERATELY missing last year. This is still a team that lack offense.
While adding some respectability to the team in terms of toughness and getting yonger, this is a team that can’t possibly be better than last years team. While hoping that Nikolai Kumelin is the saving grace for the team or that Mikhail Grabovski is not Sergei Berezin #2 and will live up to his potential - this team is not a contender.
Bryan McCabe $5,750,000
Pavel Kubina $5,000,000
Tomas Kaberle $4,250,000
Jason Blake $4,000,000
Vesa Toskala $4,000,000
Jeff Finger $3,500,000
Niklas Hagman $3,000,000
Mark Bell $2,166,700
Alexi Ponikarovsky $2,105,000
Nik Antropov $2,050,000
Matt Stajan $1,750,000
Alexander Steen $1,700,000
Nikolai Kumelin $1,487,500
Jamal Mayers $1,333,333
Carlo Colaiacovo $1,282,300
Dominic Moore $900,000
Jiri Tlusty $855,000
Mikhail Grabovski $850,000
Ian White $850,000
Anton Stralman $737,700
Curtis Joseph $700,000
Boyd Devereaux $575,000
Staffan Kronwall $487,500
John Mitchell $475,000
Tucker buyout $1,000,000
Raycroft buyout $533,333
Total payroll $51,338,366 45,588,336
That leaves the Leafs roughly 11,000,000 on the table for this coming season - assuming that Bryan McCabe is not back with the team and that Sundin doesn’t miraculously re-sign with Toronto.
We will find out closer to the summers end if the Leafs will add more offence, or stay the course this season looking for building the young players towards the 2009-2010 season.
Here’s to hoping for John Tavares next June and that the Leafs are in a place to draft him.
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