The Brian Burke and Friends Luncheon in support of Special Olympics was scheduled for this Thursday at Fort William Historical Park. Event organizer Tony LaChimea said the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager was called away on hockey business, and will not be able to make the event.
All 300 tickets for the luncheon had been sold out at $60 each. The event was also to feature a number of local hockey stars.

Tony LaChimea, a luncheon organizer, said they will try to reschedule the event, but added that everyone will be given full refunds.

The Ontario Winter Special Olympics are being hosted in Thunder Bay in January. The cancellation of the luncheon is a significant setback to the fundraising efforts for the event, and LaChimea is encouraging city residents to continue to donate or volunteer to make the event a success.

Update: LeafsNews has learned that Brian Burke has cancelled the event to travel to Europe to negotiate a contract with a prospective player – yet to be named.

A large and strong winger who is also a good skater. Controls the puck well and has a good technique. Has a good shot and is a reliable goal scorer. Plays aggressively. (Matias Strozyk)

Translated

Hi everyone this is not a rumor, it is confirmed.

Yesterday was the golf tournament Simon Gagnefor Leucan. To Ammassa the most profit possible for sick children, Mr. Simon Gagne to give the scoop on all the world in exchange for donation for his foundation. Indeed, it sold the last vest worn by Simon Gagne in a game, $ 20,000. Following this sale comfirm that he was traded, but said he could not give its destination because the market is 99%. So, Monday we’ll know it the city will honor to be a leading player in the likes of Simon Gagne. Iit’ll be a trade with Montreal, Toronto or Los Angeles. Monday we will know the answer and we are allowed to dream.

I am sure that everyone was waiting to hear the final outcome of the Ilya Kovalchuk signing and it never came about. Logically, it says that once Kovalchuk signs, the Flyers will pull the trigger and make a trade involving Gagne. LA being the first domino.

If a team puts a specific player on waivers, that player has to first clear waivers “on the way down”, typically, for NHL players, in the American Hockey League (AHL).

What makes a player “waiver eligible”?

In order for a player to be put on waivers he or she must first played three seasons since his or her first NHL contract or has played 180 NHL games.

How long do teams have to claim the player?

After player has been placed on waivers any team has 48 hours to put a claim in for that player.

If more than one team claims the player, how is it decided which team “gets” the player?

If a player has been claimed by multiple teams, then the team the fewest amount of points will receive that player. After November 1, the current season’s standings indicates which team has the fewest amount of points, whereas, before November 1, the previous seasons standings indicate the team with the fewest amount of points.

How much of a player’s salary does the team have to pay?

If the player is being put on waivers and is claimed, the team acquiring the player is responsible for the entire term and value of the contract. If the player has cleared waivers and is on re-entry waivers, is claimed by another team—the team that is acquiring him is responsible for half of his salary and his now former team would be required for the other half of his salary. This is for the full duration of their contract.

Brett Lebda Scouting Report

Brian Burke Talks Trades with Doug Farraway

Marc Savard to the Toronto Maple Leafs is something that Brian Burke and company will be mulling over at the start of this week.

As reported by multiple sources, including sportsnet.ca’s Nick Kypreos and TSN.ca’s Bob McKenzie, Marc Savard has waived his no trade clause for two teams including: the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. Also confirmed, is that Tomas Kaberle and Luke Schenn will not be part of this package. Names being bandied about include: Mikhail Grabovski and RFA Nikolai Kulemin.

Also well documented is the fact that the Boston Bruins are in a tight bind in terms of cap space. Based on the proposed player swap, the Boston Bruins are essentially giving the player up to alleviate salary from their roster and will not get true market value for him based on the fact that there are only two teams that are in the hunt (Toronto Maple leafs, Ottawa Senators) and the Ottawa Senators are tight up against the salary cap. Should Boston be able to move disgruntled center man Jason Spezza then they would be able to make an offer on Mark Savard. As it stands right now, the Ottawa Senators are unable to move Jason Spezza and his $7 million contract. Talks continue with the Columbus Blue Jackets regarding Jason Spezza but as the Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray says, “there are no offers at this time”.

The Boston Bruins are current very strong at the center postion with: Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and now newly minted Boston Bruin, Tyler Seguin, whom they acquired as the second overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft. While unlikely to unsurp the strong lineup of centreman the Boston Bruins have, Tyler Seguin has immediately made redundancies in the Boston Bruins lineup.

Marc Savard has had a number of concussions over his career and this has also lowered his trade value having just come over a serious concussion at the end of the regular season where he missed  the last 18 games, as well as six playoff games. The Toronto Maple leafs will likely have medical assessments done on Savard before the trade is completed to make sure that concussion problems are not career threatening.With regards to Mark Savard’s cap hit, his salary breakdown is as follows:

2010/2011 — 7 million
2011/2012 — 7 million
2012/2013 — 6.5 million
2013/2014 — 5 million
2014/2015 — 1.5 million
2015/2016 — 525,000
2016/2017 — 525,000

This makes his annual cap hit: $4,007,000 per year.

While there is a certain amount of risk involved in this trade for the Toronto Maple Leafs, acquiring this player in the off-season allows for full recovery from  postconcussion syndrome and to acclimatize himself with a new environment.

Mark Savard would clearly solve the problem the Toronto Maple Leafs have with regards to the unfilled position of a number one centerman. Also, Mark Savard will be reunited with one of the league’s premier  pure snipers in Phil Kessel. The two had great chemistry in Boston even with Phil Kessel’s well-documented battle with testicular cancer and mononucleosis. With Phil Kessel seemingly healthy and coming into the season in shape (which was not the case in the 2009/2010 season), goal outputs in the 35 or 40 goal range would be easily attainable extrapolating his shortened season totals previously. While Phil Kessel and Mark Savard would be the number one and number two players offensively on the team, the Toronto Maple leafs still require another topline winger. One would think that attracting free-agent wingers will be a much easier prospect than was previously the case where Toronto may have a history of overpaying free agents.

Brian Burke has repeatedly said that Ilya Kovalchuk is not on the Toronto Maple Leafs radar screen due to his salary demands and the length/term that is being suggested that he wants. Perhaps now with a top-flight centreman and an equally gifted sniper lining up on the other side of the ice, he would be willing to play on hockey’s biggest stage for a lesser amount and for a shorter-term. Without being unrealistic, this is a common practice in the NHL if a player like Ilya Kovalchuk who has been starved of playoff success (even regular-season success) and would perhaps be willing to be reunited with his centreman from when Mark Savard played down the middle for the Atlanta thrashers. Ilya Kovalchuk had a career-high 52 goals and 92 points while playing on a line with Marc Savard.

Alternatively, multiple sources have indicated that the San Jose Sharks have offered power forward Ryane Clowe in exchange for Tomas Kaberle. The two sides have apparently not come to terms due to Toronto’s insistence that a prospect included in the trade. However, should the two sides be able to come to terms, it is easy to imagine Toronto’s first line taking shape.

The other positive aspect to this trade would be the alleviation of pressure on second-year centerman, Tyler Bozak. The 2010 unrestricted free agent pool is thin at best. The prospects of Toronto acquiring a number one centerman looked bleak and the prospects of Toronto’s number one and number two pairing of Tyler Bozak and Nazim Kadri were not good with undue pressure and expectations being heaped upon them. This trade will allow them to grow under a much smaller microscope and without the media picking apart their every mistake. This also gives Toronto a legitimate second line with what would appear to be: Victor Stolberg, Tyler Bosak and Christian Hansen as second line, reuniting the three roommates that was successful in the preseason of 2009/2010 and later in the year down the stretch. Should Nazem Kadri make the Toronto Maple Leafs it would likely be on the third line where he would be insulated with stronger more “forceful” players and would be able to play the creative game that is the accustomed to without the fear of being head hunted. The other option for him would be then to play as the number one centerman on the Toronto Marlies, which is probably the best environment for him to play in with top level playing time, as well as being put into high-pressure situations that he likely would not have been able to get into on the Leafs with the improved depth chart.

Should the trade happen, this would Make the Toronto Maple Leafs a much harder team to play against, and surely solidify their spot as a playoff team.

Marc Savard Scouting Report

Assets
Is very shifty  and has great vision on the ice. Marc has outstanding offensive instincts and is a top-level playmaker. Marc distributes the puck with laserlike precision. This play without the puck has improved and despite his small stature, he is known as an agitator.

Flaws
Despite being 5’10″ and being fiery he can still be out battled the puck on occasion in the dirty areas of the hockey rink. Marc It is not a tremendously fast skater and has been known to be in the coaches doghouse because of a lack of discipline taking penalties on occasion.

Career potential
Excellent playmaking center.

Marc Savard Full Career Stats

History
2007-08: Chosen second overall by the Erie Otters at the 2008 OHL Priority Selection.

2008-09: In his OHL rookie year for the Erie Otters, McKegg scored 8 goals and added 10 assists for 18 points in 64 games. Appeared in 5 playoff games for the Otters, picking up 2 goals and 1 assist. Played for Team Canada at the 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he earned a gold medal.

2009-10: McKegg had a breakout season for the Otters. Appearing in 67 games for that club, he scored 37 goals and assisted on 48 others for 85 points. Went from a -13 rating in 2008-09 to a +18 rating in 2009-10. Suffered knee strain in preseason and spent the rest of the year working to get his speed back. Played on top line with Zack Torquato and Mike Cazzola. Played in four playoff games for the Otters, picking up 2 goals and 1 assist.

Talent Analysis
Goal scorer with breakaway speed. Very slippery. Defensively responsible.

Future
Top-six scorer. He’ll need to gain strength for the pro game.

In 2009, a lot of people underestimated the draft-eligible Ryan O’Reilly. He played on the Erie Otters, a low-profile team. But he went on to stick in the NHL as an 18-year-old for the Colorado Avalanche and make some pundits and scouts look a bit foolish.

A very similar thing seems to be happening again this year, this time with goal scorer Greg McKegg He has 30 goals and 37 assists in 56 games, but he’s not well known and not considered a top prospect for the 2010 draft. He’s rated just 94th among North American Skaters by Central Scouting, and to add insult to injury, his name was spelled wrong on the list.

McKegg looks a bit slight on the ice, though he’s 6’0, 190 pounds. And he didn’t help himself to get on radar screens last season, with just 18 points in 64 games as a rookie for Erie.

But McKegg is slippery, can get up ice in a hurry and can put the puck in the net. He plays for a tough coach who stresses the little things, and McKegg passes muster. His +12 is an indicator of his defensive ability. Robbie Ftorek is happy to sing McKegg’s praises.

“Kegger came into camp and he was in great shape and then he hurt himself,” Ftorek said in early February. “He’s still not skating as well as he did in training camp. I wish the scouts could have seen him in training camp because they would have been drooling. I’m sure he’s going to find that [speed] again, but it might take through the summer to get that back. But he’s playing very, very well. He’s confident, scoring major-league goals — a roof and a backhand-forehand tonight. He’s really playing well and his teammates are helping him along.”

McKegg recently participated in the OHL All-Star Game, replacing Greg Nemisz of the Windsor Spitfires due to injury. He had two assists in the game.

The Ontario native won’t be 18 until a week before the 2010 NHL draft, making him one of the younger members of his draft class.

Hockey’s Future spoke to the very humble McKegg at his home rink in Erie.

HF: You’re having quite a breakout year offensively. How would you explain it?
GM: The second year in the league you definitely have more confidence. You know what to expect. I’m playing with Zack Torquato and Mike Cazzola and they’re two great guys to play with. They communicate so well and I always know where they are. They always seem to find me. It’s been working out really well so far.

HF: You’ve been with them pretty much all year, right?
GM: The first 17 games we were mish-mashed. We’re all centermen. About the 18th game, we played together and have stayed together ever since and it’s worked out great. Hopefully we can keep it up.

HF: Had you played left wing before?
GM: Yeah, I’d flip-flopped around. I was mostly a centerman growing up, but wing’s not too hard to adjust to really. Wherever, it doesn’t really matter. The first guy back takes the down-low spot, so it’s not a big deal either way.

HF: Did you feel like it was important to have a good year because it’s your draft year?
GM: Yeah, for sure. I definitely didn’t have a great season last year, so it was important to get off to a good start here and I did kind of have a slow start. The first quarter I was a bit nervous and wasn’t producing like I thought I could. The last about 40 games have been awesome. I feel like I’ve found my groove and my linemates have helped me out a lot.

HF: Do you feel like people are finally giving you some credit too?
GM: Um, I think maybe people are noticing a bit more now because I’m doing more offensively. When the credit’s there it’s nice to see, but I try not to think about it too much and play my game.

HF: You got to go to the OHL All-Star Game recently.
GM: Yeah, that was an awesome experience to get to play with those top-notch guys. There’s a ton of skill there and I learned a lot. It was great just being around those guys.

HF: Did you feel better about yourself that you were able to fit in?
GM: Yeah, for sure. You kind of realize what it takes to be in that position. The skill level was unbelievable there and it was just great to be a part of.

HF: Do you still feel like you have something to prove — a little bit of an underdog?
GM: Oh yeah. Definitely. I think I’ve got a lot to prove. There’s a lot of season left and hopefully I can keep improving on my game and go far in the playoffs.

HF: What do you think is your best asset?
GM: I’d have to say my shot I think. They’ve been putting the puck on my stick this year and I’ve seemed to find the net. Tough question, but I think that’s what I’d say right now.

HF: On your line, who does what?
GM: I think Cazzola is probably the best in the defensive zone and he’s pretty smart, you always know where he’s going to be. He gets the puck to me and Torqs. Torqs is the set-up guy, he usually can find anyone out there. I like to stick around the high slot, hopefully they can find me.

HF: What’s been the hardest time in your hockey career?
GM: I think last year for sure. I had a slow start. For about 45 games there I was bouncing around, not getting much ice, just like three or four shifts a game. For a young guy coming into the league, you tend to put too much pressure on yourself and seet your standards too high. I definitely got set back a notch there, but I tried to come into this season a lot more confident.

HF: Have you ever had a major injury?
GM: Not yet, luckily. My biggest injury has probably been a separated shoulder in I think my minor bantam year. I had a knee injury this year, but other than that I’ve been pretty healthy.

HF: Was that just a strain?
GM: Yeah, I think it was an ACL strain. It kept me out two weeks (during preseason).

HF: Which defenseman do you think is the hardest to beat in this league?
GM: I would say Cam Fowler. He’s such a smart player and a big body. He can skate.

HF: Have you talked to any NHL teams yet this year?
GM: I’ve talked to a few, but they mostly talk to your agent, it’s not like the OHL draft when they’re always around, calling your house. You never know if they’re there or not. In minor hockey I could see them. You try not to think about it too much and play your game.

HF: Have they told you any things to work on?
GM: They tell my agent and he reports it back to me. I think the biggest thing I need to work on, from what they say, is playing away from the puck. It’s so important. It’s tough to do and tough to learn.

HF: Who’s your agent?
GM: John Thornton, Top Shelf Sports Management. He’s Joe’s brother. He’s from my hometown, so we kind of have that connection.

HF: Do you work with a skating coach in the summer?
GM: Yeah I have. I worked with Dwayne Blais and he’s awesome. He tried to tighten the base of my stride up because I was a little bowlegged. He’s a perfect example to watch because he’s a great skater, so powerful. I try to be a sponge and learn as much information as I can. I’ve known him since I was young, but last year was the first time working on the ice with him.

HF: Did you feel like you maintained that stride all year?
GM: I was skating well in camp and then I got that knee injury and I kind of ‘winded it out’ Robbie said. I need to work on getting it tighter. It’s not back to what I was doing, but I’m still working on it.

HF: Robbie said your speed isn’t quite back either.
GM: That and I’m crossing over when I’m stopping instead of just turning my foot. It’s coming along. It’s tough to get it back after an injury like that. This summer I’ll work on it again with the skating coach.

@JeffMarek: Brad Ross playy on line with Johansen + Niederreiter w/Portland. leafs just drafted Steve Ott essentially.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftprospectdetail.htm?dpid=2294&cmpid=nhl-twt-nhl

• A strong second year in the Western Hockey League saw Ross contribute 27 goals (27-41–68) and 203 penalty minutes for the Winterhawks in 71 games. He added another nine points (2-7–9) in 13 playoff games to finish the season.

• His brother, Nick, was selected 30th overall in 2007 by the Phoenix Coyotes and he played 47 games in the American Hockey League in 2009-10 for the San Antonio Rampage.

• For most of the 2009-10 season, Ross played on a line with 2010 draft prospects Ryan Johansen (No. 10 ranked) and Nino Niederreiter (No. 12 ranked). In total, the Portland Winterhawks have five draft-eligible players ranked in the top 90 North American skaters.

• He was named Portland’s Rookie of the Year 2008-2009 and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2009 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial.

FAVORITES

NHL team: Montreal Canadiens
NHL player: Marian Gaborik
Shootout move: “Backhand, top shelf”
Goal celebration: “Fist pump”
Video game: Call of Duty
Movie: 300
TV show: Family Guy
Actress: Eva Longoria
Music artist: Eminem
Website: nhl.com
Home-cooked meal: Steak
Activity away from the rink: Hanging out with the boys

Fantastic Dion Phaneuf video from KesselySnipes.

Much has been made about the Toronto Maple leafs giving up two first round draft pick’s and won the second round draft pick for sniper Phil Kessel. Media has given Brian Burke & Co. a hard time over the perceived shortsighted trade which shipped one of the league’s premier goal scorers to Toronto. While Brian Burke has defended the trade saying “I would make the same trade again today” media and fans alike are using the Toronto Maple Leafs history of trading draft picks and young prospects away for aging veterans.

While fans and media have good reason to become gun shy over trades that the Maple Leafs make, this trade is much different. With Regards to the Phil Kessel trade: you have to look at the law of averages. Sequin will probably end up being the brilliant hockey player is touted to be. The high second round draft pick may or may not end up playing in the NHL.The 2011 pick — we just won’t know until we see how Leafs finish next season.

Phil Kessel, scored at 0.43 goal/game again which over an 82 game schedule would put him in a tie for 10th place in the league (35 goals) only behind a list of players such as: Crosby, Stamkos, Ovechkin, Marleau, Gaborik, Kovalchuk, Semin, Heatley, Parise.

You are going to have to sell me on the fact that Seguin is going to score at that kind of pace, with impact goals – game breakers like Phil Kessel. Is he going to step in and score in the top 10 in the NHL? Also keep in mind Phil Kessel played with a third line center man (at best) for the better part of the season, also without having a training camp he will winded and out of shape as you would expect. Also, he’s only 22 years old.

If paired the correct centerman, be that Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, a free-agent pickup or a trade — Phil Kessel touching the 40 mark in goals is a very real possibility. If the stars align, Phil Kessel reaching 50 would be achievable. He basically rolled out of bed this season and scored 30 goals in a shortened campaign.

Seguin for Kessel straight up is a no-brainer for me. How the other two draft picks shape up will show us if this deal was won or lost. They end up being not impact players I give this one to Toronto.

In the meantime, Brian Burke brought in (on a bad day) top 10 pure sniper in Phil Kessel. Kessel’s stock is only going upwards after having seasons cut short with testicular cancer, mononucleosis, and recovery from major shoulder surgery.

That is a sure thing. Seguin, the second round pick and 2011’s first-round pick all have big question marks over them. Is Tyler Seguin in the Crosby, Stamkos category? Is he another Andrew Cogliano? Is he a Robby Shremp? Time will tell. In the meantime the Toronto Maple leaf’s have brought in a sure fire goalscorer with Phil Kessel. If Phil Kessel can score at the projected 40 goals this season (or better) that he can easily achieve, you have a generational hockey player that only comes around every five or 10 years.

The second caveat to this is that Phil Kessel will be putting up these numbers immediately, whereas Tyler Segin may or may not play in the NHL this year and should take 2 to 3 seasons to acclimatize himself to NHL play with better goaltenders and bigger stronger man defending against him. Brian Burke does not have to have three seasons to wait with baited breath to see if his second overall pick will turn into an NHL’er or not.

What we are waiting for right now is Brian Burke, Dave Nonis, Dave Poulin and Cliff Fletcher secured the big power forward number one center man that Toronto desperately needs.

Update: Leafs Considering Trade with Savard

According to the Courier-Post, forward Jeff Carter, who has one-year remaining on his contract that pays him $5 million, is the odd man out in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Flyers GM, Paul Holmgren Has four defensemen under contract for the 2010-2011 season  and is in the market for a puck moving defenseman (read: Thomas Kaberle) to bolster the blue line.

As a well documented trade that never materialized, the Jeff Carter and a first-round draft pick for Tomas Kaberle a two seasons ago was rejected by Kaberle himself activating his no trade clause.

Philadelphia now joins the ranks of Tampa, New Jersey, Buffalo as teams that are now interested in Thomas Kaberle’s services via the trade route.

Kaberle, 32, will make $4.25 million next season. This is the last year of his deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2011. Kaberle Has a no trade clause which ends on the first day of the draft through to July 1. During this window, the Toronto Maple leafs can trade Tomas Kaberle to any team they wish.

It is rumored that Holmgren and Maple leafs GM, Brian Burke, have been in communication regarding a swap of Jeff Carter for Tomas Kaberle. Another name that is mentioned is the Belarusian, Mikhail Grabovski who also could be packaged up in a deal, as well as, Russian player Nikolai Kulemin who is a restricted free agent and Brian Burke has not been able to come to terms with. Kulemin had a breakout year for the Toronto Maple Leafs and would garner a collection of draft picks of Leafs desperately need.

Jeff Carter would fill a avoid the Leafs are trying to fill right now: A large centre (6’3, 200lbs) at the #1 spot.

As one of the key architects charged with building the current Chicago Blackhawks, former Hawks assistant GM and current Thrashers GM Rick Dudley knows a thing or two about. development.

While it’s easy to point to Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane as sure-fire top five picks, dig deeper and you’ll uncover a roster packed with in-house draft day gems:

Duncan Keith (54th overall), Dave Bolland (32nd overall), Niklas Hjalmarsson (108th overall), Dustin Byfuglien (245th overall), Brent Seabrook (14th overall), Troy Brouwer (214th overall) Adam Burish (282nd overall). Superb drafting on the Magnificent Mile yes, but perhaps more important superb development.

“The one mistake I think people make sometimes is they don’t optimize what they have,” Dudley explains. “What you have to do is try to get the player as quickly as possible to his optimal level so you see what you have before you let it go.”

With those words in mind, I sought out Dave Poulin, the Leafs VP of Hockey Operations for his thoughts on inspiring similar development in Toronto.

JS: I was speaking to [Thrashers GM] Rick Dudley recently and something he said kind of struck me. He said in this day and age, you have to optimize what you have and he said in doing that you have to develop assets as quickly as possible to their max optimal level. How do you and the management group in general see development and what’s your philosophy in that regard?

POULIN: The way this is structured here, a lot of it is research and development.

We have built and put an extended effort into player development, but really it starts with the scouting. And if you start with amateur scouting, that’s the grassroots. That’s the guys that are watching hockey, literally world-wide, literally year-round. And they have a pretty good tab on kids when they’re fifteen, sixteen years old and up through the draftable years. Then take that we would draft say seven players this year and then [director of player development] Jimmy Hughes and now Bobby Carpenter take over in the player development role and they monitor those players closely wherever they continue to play before they’re technically in the Leaf organization. While they’re there as draft picks, they’re not necessarily there until they’re signed and even once they’re signed they very often play for junior teams before they join us or the Marlies. That’s the second phase is the player development. And the third phase is the pro scouting where you’re looking for young players in other organizations who haven’t maybe developed as properly as the other teams had hoped and you saw something in them when they were younger and you want them to be a part of your organization.

But it’s a very well-put term [from Dudley] in terms of accelerating development, but you want to accelerate it so it reaches its maximum [potential]. You don’t want to accelerate it just for the sense of accelerating it. It’s really a fine line. We truly are research and development, but you have to be coming up with finished players or players that are finished enough to compete at the NHL level.

JS: Is there a key to make the gears function properly?

POULIN: We communicate an awful lot. That’s probably the key. My head of amateur scouting is Dave Morrison and there isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t talk. My three main pro scouts in North America—Mike Penny, Rob Cowie, Steve Kasper and I talk constantly—and you’re really just trying to keep the communication lines open.

The report reading that goes into this position [is vast]. My days start with a couple hours of report reading online that my scouts are constantly inputting into our scouting system. So I’ll start the day by reading about Calgary and Vancouver in the Western League in the championship series or Windsor and Barrie. So besides going to games live, you’re constantly reading reports on these players.

JS: So you’re getting reports on each player as to how he’s performing?

POULIN: Yes, so it’s a pretty sophisticated computerized system and it’s unique to the Toronto Maple Leafs–each team has their own unique system. During a game [the scouts] will watch and it’s not always all twenty players on the ice, they may focus it [on certain players]. And it funnels down as your list grows through the year on who interests you. The reports actually get shorter and more concise, shorter in terms of number of players and more concise [in nature]. And so you’ll flip on the computer in the morning and you can say ‘Okay there was a college game between Notre Dame and Michigan and there were a total of fourteen players scouted between the two teams’ and you’ll go drill down and you’ll read the individual reports on each player.

JS: When you’re taking that and you’re taking the communication with those scouts, is there something at that next level in terms of that communication extending towards the player?

POULIN: Once we’ve drafted them, there’s constant communication. We really try and focus on them. Because of the reserve list, you’re limited to a total of fifty contracts total and that’s between the Leafs, Marlies and signed players who haven’t joined one of those two teams yet, so it’s not as vast a list as you might think. And Jimmy Hughes is responsible for keeping tabs on exactly how our drafted players are playing, communicating with their coaches, going to see them play, having conversations. He’ll email the kids and they’ll email him back on Monday about how things are going. So I think communication is at a whole different level than it’s been at in the past.

JS: What can you do outside of that arena just in terms of player development?

POULIN: It’s a little bit of a fine line because they’re playing on a current team right now and in no way do you want to coach a player. So the communication probably starts with their current coach or their current general manager.

So for instance, if they’re playing in the [Ontario Hockey League], take a Nazem Kadri. Have we been into London several times? Yes. We communicate closely with both Mark and Dale Hunter, the general manager and the coach. We all want the same thing. We all want maximum performance, but in no way are we coaching a player to do what we want him to do. We’re trying to support the position he’s in right now and make him a better overall player and it’s through communicating, through encouraging however it may be but we don’t coach a player where he’s at.

JS: And for a player and I’ll ask you for your personal experience, is there a eureka moment where things kind of click in, where you start to understand what’s expected of you at the pro level? I look at your year [playing] in Sweden, did that help you as a player coming out of Notre Dame?

[Poulin was accepted into a prestigious management training program at Procter & Gamble upon his graduation from Notre Dame, but instead accepted an invitation to play for Rogle BK Angelholm in Sweden]

POULIN: It did. It was the first time I’d had that absolute pressure put on me to be an offensive player. I’d never had that before. When I got over there, the coach (Ted Sator) told me basically ‘You have to lead the league in scoring’ and I’d never been told that before and there was so much focus on me and attention on me from my own coach about doing that. That was a key year in my development. And it was the first time where I just had to worry about hockey. The four years previous I’d been at a pretty intense academic environment where you were a student-athlete, but you were a student-athlete, so there were lots of things that took away your time from hockey. So it was the first time I was truly a hockey player and just focused on hockey.

JS: As a management group, do you have to be cognizant of learning curves and each players’ being different? As in you look at a Christian Hanson differently than you might a Tyler Bozak?

POULIN: Everybody is different without a question. Their curves are different, their timing is different and that’s where the college free agent piece has become an important piece for us because generally these are young men that have gone through the draft for a variety of reasons. Brayden Irwin, Christian Hanson, Simon Gyspers, and Tyler Bozak are all very different from each other. They’re all college free agents but all they signed at probably different ages. Probably Simon and Brayden would be the two most alike in terms of exact age, but you develop at different stages and that’s where the NCAA time-frame benefits a player because he’s not accelerated. He can develop at his own stage through a four-year course.

JS: You were a head coach obviously with the Irish for a while. Is the gap closing in between what you had to do at the college level and what coaches at the NHL level now have to do in terms of teaching?

POULIN: It’s an interesting question because there’s so many different aspects to it. At the NHL level, certainly there’s a lot of coaching that goes on but I think the sport of baseball probably calls it correctly, they call [the head coach] a manager. The coaching that goes on at the NHL level [and] at the highest level of major league sports, a lot of it is done by the assistant coaches and the head coach is more managing both the assistant coaches and managing his players.

For instance, if you went back to the New York Yankees and said ‘Is Joe Torre teaching Derek Jeter how to lay down a bunt or is he deciding whether Jeter should sit anywhere near Rodriguez in the clubhouse?’ And who’s managing the personalities and the egos of a team like that? There’s probably more coaching and a teaching aspect at the college or junior level than there is at the pro level. It’s more accelerated [at the NHL level]. Certainly it does continue but very often you’re learning from each other, you’re learning from the assistant coaches and it’s learning on the fly. You just simply don’t get as much practice time as in either college or junior.

JS: I want to move onto summer programs for some players and obviously it’s an important summer for guys like Phil Kessel, like Tyler Bozak. What do you stress to some of these young guys just in terms of how important a summer is?

POULIN: Well I think the opportunity to improve your body is much easier to do during the summer because you’re not tearing it down.

A couple things, one it’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape and so I think it’s always important to maintain [during the season] but you are beaten up physically so much during the year with very little recovery time and very little practice time and very little training time. Just in a nutshell, you play eighty games in a hundred and eighty days and so you are always crunched by that time factor and then work in travel and everything else. So you’re building your body up in the summer in a unique way that’s just impossible to do during the year.

JS: Did you have anything specific that you did as a player?

POULIN: Yeah, I was very fortunate.

First of all when I was in college at Notre Dame, I got in with a very good strength and conditioning coach and so in the late seventies, really learned how to lift, learnt the weight room pretty well. And then when I broke in with the Flyers, Bobby Clarke, who was a full-blown type 1 diabetic, had figured out early on [in his career] that he had to separate himself physically in order to last through a season and he was on the cutting edge without a question of what was being done in the offseason physically. He invited me to join him right after I joined the team and my first full summer we worked out six days a week at 7am. We were doing split body parts Monday and Thursday, Tuesday and Friday, Wednesday and Saturday. We ran five miles Monday thru Friday and eight miles on Saturday after the workout. He was just so far ahead. When I went to my first full training camp after spending a summer with him, physically I was a 24-year-old version of what he was at 36-years-old and he was always the best conditioned person on the team.

JS: Is that something you just continued to keep up?

POULIN: I did. Clarkie retired the following year and so I had to find people to do it with. Dave Brown from the Flyers was one, Scott Mellanby was another one, Rick Tocchet [another one] who in the summers would join me at various times for these workouts.

JS: I wanted to ask you lastly about some of the prospects within the system. I was looking through a lot of the stats and plenty of these guys had great playoffs and just pretty good years, say a Tyler Ruegsegger, Chris Didomenico, where do you see them progressing? Even a Phillipe Paradis?

POULIN: Well, Phillipe has another year of junior left but he will come to camp. He finished the year with the Marlies and he’s the young man that we traded Jiri Tlusty for from Carolina, former first round draft pick. The Marlies coaches were highly encouraged by the way he finished the year there.

Tyler has graduated from Denver and he’ll be joining us at the prospect camp this summer and Chris has signed and he went back and finished his overage year after that very significant injury that he had during the Memorial Cup last year and had a strong finish to his year this year. So we’re encouraged by what we have. Korbinian Holzer will be joining us from the German Olympic team. We feel we have four young on the Marlies under twenty-three years old that will all have potential opportunities to play in the league, so you’re trying to build the chain up and build the depth up in the organization. From a goalie standpoint, having signed Jussi Rynnas from Finland and Ben Scrivens from Cornell, one thru five I think we’re as deep as any goaltending group in the league. You just have to keep continuing to build that depth. We’re back to your initial comment about Rick Dudley. You have to continue to build the depth in your organization.

JS: And that’s increasing [internal] competition right?

POULIN: Absolutely. And when someone asked me about having five goaltenders in the system, it’s an ideal situation. But if you look back as recently as last October, our number three goaltender at that point was Joey MacDonald and he was starting for us, James Reimer was backing up in the NHL, having never played a game in the NHL and Andrew Engelage as a free agent was starting for the Marlies. And so you were down to goalies three, four and five on your depth chart.

JS: That doesn’t help when you’re trying to create the competition with some of these young guys. You look at Keith Aulie, he’s going to have to come in and now compete for minutes and that’s only going to make him a better player.

POULIN: You know the higher the competition is in house, the better off you are. Dallas Eakins does a great job with the Marlies. But we want that to be a very highly competitive team in the AHL while it’s developing players to play in the NHL and that’s a very delicate balance.

Shortly after Ron Wilson was fired from the San Jose Sharks, Patrick Marleau left him a voicemail message thanking him for everything that he did for him, and in helping them to grow more as a person than as a hockey player. He also said that he would play for him at anytime, anyplace.

Ron Wilson famously dumped on Patrick Marleau during the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, but the knowledge is that he overreacted and that the two have put behind them.

“I would love to coach Patrick Marleau again. We’ve had our differences, that the difference is that just about every single player coached along the way. Patrick is a great player is going to continue to improve it going to be a great leader in San Jose.”

With notes from the Mercury news.

Off-Season Game Plan examines what the Leafs could do this summer, as they continue the re-modeling process that they have undergone since Brian Burke took over as General Manager.

As is the case with every GM, there have been hits and misses on Burke’s record, but he has managed to bring in a couple of cornerstone pieces around which to build, with goal-scoring winger Phil Kessel and hard-rock defenceman Dion Phaneuf the most obvious infusions of talent.

As the rebuilding process goes, the Leafs do have young players making progress. Carl Gunnarsson, Luke Schenn and Tyler Bozak, most notably, showed real promise in the second half of the season and will be counted on to play bigger roles going forward.

Even so, there are still several variables at work when looking at next season’s potential roster. Forwards like Viktor Stalberg and Luca Caputi, for example, had an opportunity to play top-six forward roles down the stretch and, while that’s where they ultimately figure to land if they are NHL regulars, it might be a reach to suggest that a team harbouring playoff aspirations would start next season with both of them in the lineup.

Even throw top prospect Nazem Kadri into that mix. If one of Kadri, Stalberg or Caputi is among the top six forwards out of the gate next season, that’s enough risk to take if the team really believes it’s competing for a playoff spot.

That likely means internal improvement won’t be nearly enough and the Leafs will have to look elsewhere for help. While many rebuilding franchises play the waiting game, willing to wait through years of high draft picks, that doesn’t appear to fit with Burke’s impatience to move this team to the next stage of its development — the playoffs — even if the team needs to be dragged there.

As such, it seems likely that Burke would make another blockbuster trade if he felt it would make the Maple Leafs a playoff team in short order.

A Tomas Kaberle deal figures to be on the table at some point this summer, and Toronto does have the financial wherewithal to bury a salary in the minors if it means getting an impact player, but glitz and glamour isn’t the only need for this team.

This is just throwing names out there, but if the Sharks faltered in the postseason again, it would seem reasonable that the Leafs would inquire about the services of Joe Thornton, or maybe the for-sale Dallas Stars wouldn’t mind shedding Brad Richards’ $7.8-million contract, which expires at the end of next season.

The point isn’t that the Leafs will specifically be after Thornton or Richards, but that, based on their transactions and financial situation, they can remain open to possibilities that will bring an obvious upgrade in talent to a team that needs it if they are going to be a playoff contender.

“We don’t have the split we need,” Burke told the Toronto Sun, referring to his oft-stated preference of having six skilled forwards at the top of the depth chart and six hard-boiled checkers, grinders, scrappers filling out the lower half. “I don’t know if we’re 8-4 or 9-3. Some guys are going to have to define their roles here or play somewhere else.”

So, in addition to doing what they can to upgrade the skill level from a team that finished with one 20-goal scorer (Phil Kessel) after dealing away Alexei Ponikarovsky, Niklas Hagman, Lee Stempniak and 19-goal man Matt Stajan during the season, the Leafs are going to need more bottom-six forwards.

Even if some of those bottom-six forwards, that bring the physical element and toughness Burke desires, have some offensive upside, that’s probably a trade-off worth exploring at this stage of the team’s development. After tying Montreal for 25th in goals for 2.56 per game), it’s not prudent for the Leafs to be turning down offensive potential.

With a passionate fan base and an outspoken general manager, who has a history of making big deals, it at least promises to be an interesting summer for the Maple Leafs.

GM/COACH
Brian Burke/Ron Wilson

RETURNING FORWARDS
Player Rating Cap Hit
Phil Kessel 78.14 $5.4M
Mikhail Grabovski 72.94 $2.9M
Tyler Bozak 71.49 $3.725M
Viktor Stalberg 65.63 $850K
Luca Caputi 63.92 $833K
Fredrik Sjostrom 61.14 $750K
Colton Orr 56.79 $1.0M
FREE AGENT FORWARDS
Player Rating Class ’09-’10 Cap Hit
Nikolai Kulemin 73.46 RFA $850K
John Mitchell 64.23 RFA $500K
Jamie Lundmark 62.12 UFA $600K
Christian Hanson 61.83 RFA $975K
Wayne Primeau 59.66 UFA $1.4M
Rickard Wallin 58.58 UFA $800K
Not only is Phil Kessel going to face a certain amount of pressure being the only proven scorer in the Maple Leafs lineup, but there are inevitably going to be comparisons between the career of Kessel and that of the No. 2 pick in tthe upcoming draft — just one of the picks that the Leafs gave up last summer to get Kessel.

For his part, 22-year-old Kessel has put up back-to-back 30-goal seasons, so the Leafs already have some idea what they have in hand. Thirty goals should be the base expectation for Kessel, but if his linemates improve, 40 isn’t out of the question at some point.

Mikhail Grabovski has offensive talent, but is a long way from being a consistent point producer. In an ideal world, Grabovski could anchor a secondary scoring line for the Leafs, but expecting that next season does require a certain leap of faith.

Several Leafs forwards have promise, though caution needs to be exercised when placing long-term expectations on unproven players.

Tyler Bozak, the 24-year-old who emerged as the Maple Leafs’ number one centre in the second half of the season, appears to be the most promising of those who spent significant time with the Leafs last season.

Bozak has good speed and is a savvy puck distributor with fine offensive instincts, but can still improve his all-around game as he grows into a prominent role in the league.

Toronto’s rebuilding plan is going to require development of some of their other young forwards. One of those is Viktor Stalberg, a 24-year-old who ripped it up in preseason last year before stalling and going down to the AHL for a spell.

Stalberg has size and can finish but, as it goes with young players, who knows if he’s good for 20 goals or is going to land in the AHL next year?

Another challenger for position as a scoring winger is Luca Caputi, the 21-year-old picked up from the Penguins in the Alexei Ponikarovsky trade.

Caputi is lanky and talented and while 47 points in 54 AHL games last year suggests he’s a legit prospect, two goals in 23 NHL games indicates he may not yet be ready for the scoring line duty that will ultimately be expected of him.

The less-heralded part of the trade with Calgary, Fredrik Sjostrom, doesn’t provide much offensively, yet his size and speed makes him an effective penalty killer and fourth-line checking forward.

Sjostrom doesn’t necessarily provide the kind of pugnacity that Burke prefers in his fourth-line forwards, but that’s not an issue with Colton Orr.

Orr did manage a career-high six points last season but, more importantly, he fought 23 times and racked up a career-high 239 penalty minutes. How much that helps the Leafs win is debatable, but Burke wants a heavyweight enforcer and Orr fits the bill.

One of the more underrated players in the league, though maybe not for long, is Nikolai Kulemin. The Russian winger plays a good two-way game and can be a factor on the forecheck, but his impact was elevated later in the season once he started getting prime ice time.

Kulemin scored a career-high 36 points last season, so counting on him for first-line productivity could be a reach, but he’s certainly worth a top-six role once he agrees to a new contract.

Toronto has been patient with 25-year-old John Mitchell, waiting for him to develop. Mitchell hasn’t broken through offensively and his defensive game is still a work-in-progress, so he might be worth a third-line role or could merely be a fringe forward, depending on the level of competition up front.

Christian Hanson has enough size (6-foot-4, 228 pounds) that he ought to be able to contribute in a checking role if his offensive game doesn’t pan out. The 24-year-old had 31 points in 38 AHL games, but had zero goals in 30 NHL games before tallying a pair in the final game of the season.

Even with a number of holes in the forward ranks, there doesn’t appear to be much reason for the Leafs to bring back unrestricted free agents Jamie Lundmark, Wayne Primeau and Rickard Wallin.

In need of a serious upgrade of forward talent, the Leafs will likely hope that 2009 first-round pick Nazem Kadri can make the jump from the Ontario Hockey League. Of the No. 7 picks selected since the lockout (Jack Skille, Kyle Okposo, Jakub Voracek and Colin Wilson), Skille and Okposo didn’t see a lot of NHL time a year after being drafted, while Voracek and Wilson both saw significant NHL time, so it’s not unreasonable to expect Kadri to play, but it’s hardly a sure thing.

Kadri has the skills to potentially be a top-line scoring forward, but expectations have to be tempered, even if he’s playing with the Leafs as a 20-year-old next season.

While a Tomas Kaberle trade would ideally bring a scoring forward in return, the Leafs could also dip into the free agent pool, as players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Frolov would figure to provide the kind of scoring that the Leafs need, though neither one seems to have the style of game that appeals to Burke.

Given Burke’s reputation for loyalty to “his” guys, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the Leafs could consider someone like Todd Bertuzzi.

He’s no longer an elite power forward, but Bertuzzi’s settled in the 15-to-20 goal range in recent seasons and, with those expectations, he could help bridge the gap while the Leafs wait to find out whether Stalberg and Caputi will sink or swim.

Toronto could also use an upgrade in the checking forward department. Depending on the money available after addressing scoring needs, the Leafs could look to free agent checkers like Colby Armstrong, Christopher Higgins or perhaps Zenon Konopka — a tough guy who can win some draws.

RETURNING DEFENCEMEN
Player Rating Cap Hit
Dion Phaneuf 74.72 $6.5M
Tomas Kaberle 70.18 $4.25M
Carl Gunnarsson 68.35 $800K
Luke Schenn 67.39 $2.975M
Francois Beauchemin 66.46 $3.8M
Jeff Finger 62.59 $3.5M
Mike Komisarek 56.87 $4.5M
FREE AGENT DEFENCEMEN
Player Rating Class ’09-’10 Cap Hit
Mike Van Ryn N/A UFA $3.35M
Garnet Exelby 56.00 UFA $1.725M
Set to become the Leafs’ captain, Dion Phaneuf is touted as an impact player, but wasn’t particularly productive after arriving in Toronto (two goals, ten points in 26 games). If the Leafs improve their forward talent, that could help free up Phaneuf, particularly on the power play, where his heavy shot should be an asset.

Tomas Kaberle has played 820 games with the Leafs since 1998-1999 and last season’s minus-16 was the worst mark of his career. He finished the season with only six points in his last 26 games. With his no-trade clause voided by the Leafs missing the postseason, Kaberle is a logical candidate to be moved, provided the Leafs can get something significant in return.

Given the Leafs’ depth on the blueline, it would make sense for the Leafs to deal Kaberle in an effort to upgrade their offence. With only one year remaining on his current contract, Kaberle isn’t quite as desirable as he’s been in the past, but his ability to quarterback a power play will make him an attractive commodity.

One reason Toronto has such depth on the blueline is the development of Carl Gunnarsson, the 23-year-old Swede who seamlessly handled a top-four role in the second half of the season. Gunnarsson is smart in his own end and makes good passes. If Kaberle is moved, Gunnarsson’s puck skills will be even more valuable on the Leafs’ back end.

After a relatively slow start to his second NHL season, Luke Schenn emerged in the second half of the season (effectively after the Phaneuf trade) as a much stronger defensive presence, handling nearly 20 minutes per game from February through the end of the season.

Francois Beauchemin struggled at times defensively, but didn’t back down from a heavy workload that saw him play more than 25 minutes a night while playing all 82 games. His versatility allows Beauchemin to play in any situation — he handles and shoots the puck well enough to work the PP, while he’s tough and durable enough to play a defensive role.

Perhaps with the Leafs’ improved depth along the blueline, Beauchemin could be more effective while logging fewer minutes on a night-in, night-out basis.

In part because of his hefty salary, Jeff Finger is the most maligned of Maple Leafs defencemen. While he’s still a capable penalty killer, Finger struggled early in the season and fell out of the defensive rotation before playing in a limited role late in the year.

Finger is the kind of player that could be demoted to the AHL if the Maple Leafs need cap room in order to make a significant acquisition, but he could still be a serviceable third-pair defenceman; maybe not worth $3.5-million a season, but useful nonetheless.

The Leafs’ prized acquisition last summer, Mike Komisarek, endured a forgettable first season in Toronto. Among other things, he tried to fight more than he had in the past, and the result was not at all what the Leafs were hoping for. Komisarek’s season ended after 34 games as he underwent shoulder surgery, yet he still managed a career-low minus-9 rating while also struggling on the penalty kill.

A healthy and focused Komisarek will be an important part for the Leafs going forward and now, with Phaneuf, Gunnarsson and an improved Schenn, he has plenty of support.

If the Maple Leafs make any additions on defence, and presuming that Garnet Exelby will look for a fresh start elsewhere, it will likely be of the depth variety, as there aren’t a lot of NHL-ready options in the system if injuries or subpar play affect the regulars.

RETURNING GOALTENDER
Player Rating Cap Hit
Jean-Sebastien Giguere 66.33 $7.0M
Jonas Gustavsson 63.63 $1.35M
Jean-Sebastien Giguere lost his job in Anaheim to Jonas Hiller with a year-and-a-half of mediocre (.900 save percentage) play, but the veteran improved with his move to Toronto, posting a .916 save percentage in 15 games with the Leafs. Going into the final season of his contract, and facing an opportunity to start again, Giguere ought to be motivated.

Backing up Giguere is The Monster, Jonas Gustavsson, the highly-touted Swede who had an up-and-down rookie season, but played well down the stretch to provide more hope for the future. The 25-year-old already inked a two-year deal in off-season, giving him an opportunity to prove he’s worthy of a long-term starter’s role.

Goaltending is one reason to hold some optimism for the Maple Leafs. After Vesa Toskala posted an .874 save percentage in 26 games with the Maple Leafs last season, there is a good chance that the Leafs will improve simply based on better goaltending.

For example, Giguere and Gustavsson combined to post a .906 save percentage with the Leafs. By replacing Toskala’s .874 save percentage (on 676 shots) with a .906 save percentage (and, given Gustavsson’s finish, it would be fair to expect even better), the Maple Leafs would give up approximately 22 fewer goals over the course of the season.

That doesn’t entirely close the gap (Toronto allowed 53 more goals than they scored last season) enough to make the Leafs a playoff team, but it’s definitely a move in the right direction.

TOP PROSPECTS
Player Position Team/League Stats
Nazem Kadri C London (OHL) 35-58-93,+26, 56 GP
Keith Aulie D Toronto (AHL) 2-4-6,+2, 48 GP
Brayden Irwin RW Vermont (HE) 15-19-34,+6, 39 GP
Jussi Rynnas G Assat Pori (FHL) 2.50 GAA, .929 SVPCT, 31 GP
Juraj Mikus D Toronto (AHL) 5-18-23,-13, 68 GP
Philippe Paradis C Shawinigan (QMJHL) 24-20-44,-4, 63 GP
James Reimer G Toronto (AHL) 14-8-2, 2.25 GAA, .925 SVPCT, 25 GP
Korbinian Holzer D DEG Metro Stars (DEL) 6-16-22,+12, 52 GP
Christopher DiDomenico RW Drummondville (QMJHL) 7-15-22,+18, 12 GP
Mikhail Stefanovich C Quebec (QMJHL) 25-43-68,+10, 53 GP
Nazem Kadri is the shining offensive hope of Maple Leafs prospects. He steadily improved in each of his four OHL seasons and has the creativity to be a point producer, but he’ll need to improve his conditioning — getting stronger and faster — to withstand the grind of being a scorer in the NHL.

Included as part of the blockbuster trade with Calgary, Keith Aulie is a 6-foot-6 stay-at-home defenceman who can skate well for his size. He also suffered a shoulder injury not long after joining the Marlies, so another year of seasoning in the AHL should help Aulie’s development.

Toronto native Brayden Irwin was signed as a free agent out of the University of Vermont, with Burke stating that the Leafs expect Irwin to be a scoring forward after he put up 34 points in 39 games. Given his marginal offensive numbers (including 48 points in 105 games in his first three years with the Catamounts), Irwin may need to trade on his 6-foot-5 frame for more of a grinding role in the pros.

Finnish goaltender Jussi Rynnas elected to sign with the Leafs, over other suitors, reportedly in part because of goaltending coach Francois Allaire, who is a guru for a big netminder like Rynnas, who stands 6-foot-5.

Lanky blueliner Juraj Mikus adjusted to the North American game with the Marlies last season and his ability to move the puck offers some promise. He’ll need to get stronger and improve in his own end if he’s going to challenge for an NHL job.

Acquired in exchange for Jiri Tlusty, Philippe Paradis was a first-round pick in 2009. He didn’t score enough in junior to think that he’ll make an impact like that at the next level, but Paradis does play with some grit and could eventually earn a role as a checker.

James Reimer has worked his way up from the ECHL and put up strong numbers in a backup role with the Marlies in 2009-2010. With Rynnas in the fold, Reimer may not be a top priority, but if he keeps stopping pucks, he can’t be forgotten.

German blueliner Korbinian Holzer has been improving since he was drafted in 2006 and the 22-year-old played in the Olympics and is set to play in the upcoming World Championships. Perhaps he’ll be ready to spend next season with the Marlies, just to see how his progress compares to other prospects.

Chris DiDomenico played only a dozen regular season games as he returned from a broken femur, but he has shown that his scoring touch wasn’t lost with all that time off. A chance to prove himself in the American Hockey League awaits.

Same goes for Mikhail Stefanovich, a big and skilled winger who saw his production dip from 49 goals in 2008-2009 to 25 last season. If one or two of the Leafs’ fringe forwards joins some of these younger players in the AHL, there is likely a chance that the Marlies can develop some offensive talent.

More long-range prospects include Ontario Hockey League defenceman Jesse Blacker, a second-round pick in 2009, as well as collegians Jimmy Hayes and Jerry d’Amigo, both of whom had productive seasons; Hayes with national champion Boston College and d’Amigo, who plays at R.P.I., was a standout for the gold-medal winning U.S. team at the World Junior Championships.

DRAFT
No first-round pick.

FREE AGENCY
According to www.capgeek.com, the Maple Leafs have approximately $50.1M committed to the 2010-2011 salary cap for 16 players.

Needs: Two top six forwards, two top nine forwards.

What I said the Maple Leafs needed last year: Three first line forwards, backup goaltender.

Who did they add? Phil Kessel, Colton Orr, Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Jonas Gustavsson.

TRADE MARKET Mikhail Grabovski, Tomas Kaberle.

Pascal Dupuis scored 9:56 into overtime on Saturday night, giving Pittsburgh a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators and a six-game victory in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

Pittsburgh rallied from a 3-0 deficit midway through the game, forcing OT when Matt Cooke got his second of the game with 7:36 to play.

Both teams had chances in overtime before Staal controlled the puck behind the Ottawa net and found Dupuis racing down the left side. His pass hit the speedy winger in stride, and Dupuis whipped a one-timer to the far side past Pascal Leclaire’s glove.

The Penguins will have a few days off to see who they’ll play in the next round.

Ottawa, fresh off Thursday’s emotional triple-overtime win, dominated the first half of Saturday’s Game 6 at Scotiabank Place for long stretches of time in authoring an unexpected – but well-deserved – three-goal lead against Pittsburgh.

Matt Cullen, Chris Neil and Daniel Alfredsson scored in the game’s first 30 minutes and Leclaire looked like he would make the lead stand up as he stopped 20 of 21 shots during the course of the first 40 minutes.

But Matt Cooke keyed the Pittsburgh comeback, scoring the first and third goals with almost identical put-back shots of rebounds allowed by Leclaire.

Bill Guerin made Cooke’s tying goal possible by scoring a power-play tally with Anton Volchenkov in the box for interfering with Chris Kunitz midway through the third. Guerin’s goal came at 7:03 on the only power play of the third period.

Guerin’s goal came just seconds after an apparent goal by the Pens was disallowed because Evgeni Malkin had crashed into Leclaire, impeding him from making a play on the shot by Alex Ponikarovsky. Guerin scored while Leclaire was playing goal with the stick of Jarkko Ruutu after his own stick was broken in traffic around the crease.

The Sens got the first goal of the game Saturday night just 5:19 into the contest, putting the Pens on their heels.

On the play, Alfredsson corralled a Volchenkov clearing slapper on the half wall and saw Cullen releasing out of the zone, cutting between Pittsburgh defensemen Mark Eaton and Kris Letang, who were slow in ceding the blue line. A perfect pass hit Cullen in stride and sent him in for a clean breakaway. Cullen made a small move to his left and then fired back across his body, beating Marc-Andre Fleury to the stick side as the sold-out Scotiabank Place crowd erupted.

It was the first Ottawa goal of the series scored with Sidney Crosby on the ice. Pittsburgh outscored Ottawa 14-0 with Crosby on the ice in the first five games.

The 1-0 lead, combined with the carryover enthusiasm generated by Thursday’s triple-overtime win, gave Ottawa even more momentum as it dominated the first half of the first period, forcing Pittsburgh to spend long periods of time in its own end.

The defending champs finally found their legs after a helter-skelter start and were pressing for an equalizer before a video review in Ottawa’s favor derailed the comeback.
Fourth-line center Mike Rupp thought he had scored the tying goal at 12:40 of the first when he fired a rebound at Leclaire. The shot was not ruled a goal on the ice, but was reviewed at the next whistle.

After a lengthy review, the call on the ice was upheld. NHL hockey operations said that several different camera angles were used to try to determine if the puck had crossed the goal line, but a conclusive angle could not be found.

Early in the second period, Ottawa doubled its lead just after an unsuccessful power play.
Rugged Chris Neil, who has spent much of this series going to the dirty areas on the ice, was rewarded for his work just at 1:51. During a delayed penalty call, Chris Kelly was able to fire off a shot even as he was falling to the ice, but was denied by Fleury. Neil, though, was Chris-on-the-spot as he pounced on the rebound and swatted the loose puck home.

Alfredsson made it 3-0 when he scored off an faceoff win in the offensive zone. Alfredsson took a pass from Cullen, went backhand-to-forehand in the left circle and lasered a wrister to the far side past Fleury.

Bu the Penguins had no intentions of going quietly.

Just 68 seconds after Alfredsson’s goal, Cooke gave the Penguins life by slamming the rebound of a Jordan Staal shot past Leclaire.

Suddenly it was 3-1 and the Pens seemed ready to join the fight. But, Ottawa held strong — even after having a video review go against them this time for a while longer.

Late in the period, Mike Fisher appeared to give Ottawa a comfortable 4-1 lead when he tucked a rebound of a Matt Cullen shot past Fleury, who was on the ice after being crashed into by Cullen, who had been hooked by Sergei Gonchar.

After a lengthy review of the play, hockey operations ruled that the net had been knocked off its moorings before the puck crossed the goal line and the goal was disallowed.

Year: Senior
Position: F
Height: 6-5
Weight: 215
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Previous Team: St. Michael’s (OPJAHL)

Career Statistics

YEAR	GP	G-A-P	    PPG	SHG	GWG	PIM
2006-07	33	7-12-19	    3	0	4	7-14
2007-08	39	10-8-18	    2	2	3	24-48
2008-09	33	6-5-11	    3	0	1	19-60
TOTALS	105	23-25-48    8	2	8	50-122 

HOCKEY EAST GAMES ONLY
YEAR	GP	G-A-P	    PPG	SHG	GWG	PIM
2006-07 24	6-11-17	    3	0	3	6-12
2007-08 27	6-6-12	    2	2	3	19-38
2008-09	26	4-5-9	    2	0	1	9-29
TOTALS	77	16-22-38    7	2	7	34-79

AS A JUNIOR (2008-09): Irwin played in 33 of 39 games and recorded six goals and five assists for 11 points … Had 63 shots on goal … Recorded nine points (4g, 5a) in 26 Hockey East games … Had three power-play goals and one game winner … Won 51-percent of his face offs (78 for 153) … Scored a power-play goal in the season opening 4-1 victory against RPI on Oct. 11 in Quebec City … Notched a goal in a 4-3 win over No. 7 Miami at Gutterson Fieldhose on Oct. 17 … Had a power-play goal and an assist in a 3-1 win at UMass-Lowell on Nov. 8 … Recorded the game-winning goal on the power play in a 4-3 victory at No. 2 Boston U. on Nov. 21 … Scored a goal in a 6-4 win over No. 9 New Hampshire on March 6 at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2007-08): Irwin played in all 39 games and finished tied for the team lead in goals with 10 … Finished with a total of 18 points … His three game-winning goals tied for the team lead and ranked tied for second best in Hockey East … His two shorthanded goals led the team and ranked tied for sixth all-time in a single-season at UVM … Also had two power-play goals … Was second on the team in penalties (24) and penalty minutes (48) … His 79 shots were fifth most on the team … Recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points in 27 Hockey East games … Went 369 for 690 on face offs (.535) … Was named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll once … Had a career best five-game scoring streak from Oct. 28 to Nov. 17 … Recorded three goals and two assists in that stretch …Scored the game winner in a 2-1 win at Merrimack on Nov. 10 … Scored a goal in a 2-2 tie against No. 12 Harvard on Dec. 8 at Gutterson Fieldhouse … Had a shorthanded goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over No. 8 Northeastern on Jan. 19 … Notched a shorthanded goal at No. 14 Massachusetts on Jan. 25 … Scored the game-winning goal on the power play and had an assist in a 3-2 win at No. 18 UMass-Lowell on Feb. 22 … Notched the game-winning goal on the power play in a 2-0 victory over Maine on Feb. 29 … Had an assist in a 4-3 victory at No. 3 New Hampshire on March 8 … Scored 68 seconds into the game in a 4-1 win over Northeastern in Game 3 of the Hockey East Quarterfinals at Gutterson Fieldhouse on March 16 … Had an assist in a 3-1 victory over Boston U. in the Hockey East Semifinals at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on March 21.

AS A FRESHMAN (2006-07): Irwin played in 33 games on his way to finishing third on the team in scoring with seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points … In 24 Hockey East games he recorded six goals and 11 assists for 17 points and became the first-ever Catamount to be named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team … His 17 points ranked third best among rookies in Hockey East … He was named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll on two occasions and twice was named runner-up for Hockey East Rookie of the Month … He finished the year tied for the team lead in game-winning goals with four … His plus-3 rating ranked third best on the team … He recorded 49 shots … He won 54-percent of his face offs (250-213) to rank second best on the team … The Catamounts went 18-11-4 with Irwin in the lineup and 0-5 in the five games he missed with an injury … He recorded the first point of his career by picking up an assist in UVM’s 4-2 victory at Providence on Nov. 10 … Recorded two assists in a 4-1 victory for the Catamounts against Merrimack on Nov. 18 at Gutterson Fieldhouse … Had one assist in Vermont’s 3-2 win at home against No. 2 Maine on Nov. 25 … The victory was Vermont’s first at home against Maine since Feb. 15, 1983 … Scored the first goal of his career and added an assist at UMass-Lowell in a 2-1 win on Dec. 1 … The victory over UML was the seventh straight for Vermont and Irwin’s goal proved to be the game-winner … He was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Dec. 4 for his performance … Picked up one assist in UVM’s 4-0 victory at St. Lawrence on Dec. 16 … On Jan. 13 at Northeastern he recorded one assist in a 3-0 shutout against the Huskies … He had two goals and two assists in a weekend sweep at home against No. 7 Boston College on Jan. 19 and 20 in a pair of games televised on CSTV and CN8 … In Friday’s victory against the Eagles, Irwin had one assist in a 3-2 win … The victory was Vermont’s first over BC since Nov. 11, 1994 … The following night he had two goals and one assist in a 4-2 victory over the Eagles … Notched one goal in Vermont’s 3-0 shutout at Gutterson Fieldhouse against No. 19 UMass on Feb. 17 … He had one goal in Vermont’s 3-2 victory at No. 8 Boston University in Game 1 of the Hockey East Quarterfinals at Agganis Arena on March 8.

BEFORE VERMONT: Played for the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League … He scored eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 21 regular season games … In the playoffs he exploded for 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in 20 postseason contests … Finished with 40 goals and 42 assists for 82 points in 123 career games with St. Michael’s … Prior to joining the Buzzers he played for Upper Canada College … Had 43 goals and 37 assists for 80 points in 73 career games at UCC.

PERSONAL: Brayden Irwin the son of Grant and Carol Irwin of Toronto, Ontario … Has three younger siblings Keegan, Mackenzie and Madison … His father played college hockey at Western Ontario … His grandfather played college hockey at the University of Toronto … Lists Vincent Lecavalier as his favorite athlete … Enjoys playing golf … Majoring in business administration.

By Tim Wharnsby, CBC Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs dipped into the United States college free-agent pool to sign 23-year-old forward Brady Irwin on Saturday.

The Leafs haven’t announced the signing yet because Irwin and his University of Vermont team were only eliminated in the NCAA West regional by Wisconsin on Friday. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Irwin was raised in Toronto and played junior B for the St. Michael’s Buzzers.

He was a teammate of current Maple Leafs forward Viktor Stalberg at Vermont the previous three seasons. Irwin completed his fourth season at Vermont with 15 goals and 34 points in 39 games.

My bank transfer/e-mail transfer was sent through and received. I never received my unlock code for my Blackberry. After repeated questions about when I would receive it, Mobile in Canada.com (Jean Philippe Vallee) would not reply to e-mails.

mobileincanada.com is a scam and should be avoided at all costs. The WhoIs information is blocked (for good reason) as I’m sure this is a business that is run out of his moms basement. I’m doing my best to help people avoid the same mistake that I made in dealing with  mobile in Canada.com

They explicitly state on their website that your unlock code will be e-mailed to you within two hours and usually less for the transaction to go through.

If anyone else can avoid this mistake please do.

Cap space beside. Gotta think LA, Phoenix, Nashville, Colorado.
Washington Capitals – 3.574
San Jose Sharks – 0.941
Chicago Blackhawks – 0.571
Los Angeles Kings – 5.399
New Jersey Devils – 1.950
Phoenix Coyotes – 13.968
Vancouver Canucks – “-0.188″
Pittsburgh Penguins – 0.227
Colorado Avalanche – 8.068
Ottawa Senators – 0.880
Buffalo Sabres – 1.828
Nashville Predators – 12.738
Detroit Red Wings – 2.747
Philadelphia Flyers – 2.431
Calgary Flames – 1.480

2006-07: With Mississauga IceDogs recorded 27 goals and 38 points while playing in 68 games. Luca Caputi added two goals and an assist in five playoff contests.

2007-08: Luca Caputi almost doubled his previous season’s total of 27 goals and 65 points with 51 goals and 60 assists in 2007-08, good for first on the team, fourth in the OHL, and more points than highly touted prospects like Steve Stamkos and Cody Hodgson. The young forward also added an element of nasty to his play with 107 penalty minutes, fourth overall on his team.

Luca Caputi Talent Analysis

Luca Caputi has all of the physical tools to develop into a power forward at the NHL level. At 6-2, 184 pounds, Luca Caputi’s game is based upon paying a price physically. He scores a lot of his goals from in front of the net, and is more than willing to muck it up in the corners. One area where Luca Caputi must improve is his skating, where his initial stride is not as quick as it needs to be.

Luca Caputi Scouting Report

Assets
Has a nose for the net, solid offensive instincts, grit and versatility. Does his best work around the net.
Flaws
Needs to fill out his 6-2 frame in order to add the strength needed to win battles with consistency. Isn’t a great defensive winger.

Career Potential
Scoring winger.
Follow Luca Caputi on Twitter.

• Has a terrific combination of speed and defensive instincts. Is willing to take a hit in order to make a play. Kills penalties very well and can line up on either side of center.

• Doesn’t use his 6-1, 218-pound frame to his advantage nearly enough. Misses a ton of scoring chances due to questionable hands.

• Defensive winger.

If you know of anyone that might be a suitable writer for leafsnews.com, or people to contribute other forms of media — please do contact us via our contact form.

Brian Burke, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs

By Dan O’Shea

@dkoshea_

I know this as fact because I am a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sure, there are some out there who will disagree with me. They live in Ottawa. They’ll point to the leafs goals against average or comment on the terrible start to our season. They will say we gave up too much for Kessel. Fact of the matter is Brian Burke saw this coming. He planned it. Hell, he probably ran it by Pat Quinn and they both had a good chuckle over it, then discussed how Dustin Penner was great with Burke is great with Quinn but sucked with McTavish. Then they’ll laugh at Kevin Lowe (I assume). That being said, the leafs are exactly what Brian Burke wanted them to be;

Overachievers.

Let’s face it, it’s not like our roster is chalk full of “Brian Burke type players” Kuliman, Grabo, Poni, Stajan.. Yet it’s apparent the sum is worth more than its parts. We are the highest shooting team in the league. We are a tough team and a tough team to play against (especially on the road…) we’re hard working, and there is little quit in these leafs. More importantly – for the 1st time since the lockout we are playing exciting hockey. No offense Jason Allison.

If you don’t believe me here is my evidence – I live in Southern California yet I haven’t missed a game this year. I’m wearing my Wendel t-shirt on Saturdays and my American born Girlfriend knows how to spell “Ponikarovsky”. I begrudgingly follow @mapleleafs and @leafspacemonika on twitter (relax leafspacers, they’re good sports) and more importantly there are only 2 things that will bring me back to Toronto in the dead of winter

1. Steaks with my father

2. The Toronto Maple Leafs

And all this from the 2nd worst team in the league.

See – we’re over achievers. Always have been. Now we are starting to hear there “may be” a market out there for Hagman, Blake (and his 5 goals) or Poni. Now, Hagman I get – but Blake or Ponikarovsky? We couldn’t give these players away a year ago! That said, it’s starting to make sense right? Blake (and all of his 5 goals) is a proven goal scorer when paired with a decent center. Alexi Yashin proved that and so did Dominic Moore (that’s right Yashin, we are NOT in the business of giving out complements) Blake (and all of his 5 goals) works his ass off every night (5 goals). He’s quick, skates hard and plays with (kindof) an edge. Burke and Wilson (sorry Grapes) have created a market for him (and his 5 goals)and if you don’t believe me just think of the “ever lacking depth on the wing” Pittsburgh Penguins they could use a (kindof) feisty, quick, proven goal scorer on Crosby’s wing, right? Or Malkin’s? Or Staal’s? Seriously, Blake’s contract isn’t what it used to be.

Or maybe I just want Blake out of town .

Either way – All of a sudden the leafs have quietly established a core (Kessel, Komisarik, Schenn and Beaucheman) and a market for their “spare parts” (the rest) all while icing a very entertaining team. That sounds like a Burke Kind of rebuild to me. Not Convinced? Let’s keep going –

You can’t have a leafs article containing the word “trade” without the words “Thomas Kaberle”. So let’s get it out of the way.

1. Thomas Kaberle is playing out of his mind right now.

2. I would hate to see him go.

3. Thomas Kaberle is playing out of his mind right now.

4. Kessel was expensive.

Burke has every right to entertain offers for Kaberle. That’s right folks, “entertain”. For the 1st time, when it comes to Kaberle we are in the drivers seat. As we all know Toronto was offered Carter and a 1st rounder while shopping Kaberle 2 years ago. I expect this year there will be something of a bidding war for his services. Kaberle will waive in order to go to a contender if burke gets an offer that “blows his doors off”. Again, I feel we are a better team with him then without, but his contract will expire before we will be contending for the Cup (playoffs first) If we can get some Kessel picks back along with a top 6 forward then lets do what we can to help Kaberle get a cup and shut up his brother Frank.

If Kaberle goes Ian White gets his minutes. If Kaberle stays then I think we all agree Ian White is a legit NHL defenseman, right? (note: Ian White got good the day Hal Gill was shipped out of town. Just saying). There is always a market for a top 6 defenseman in the NHL.

As for Stajan I say trade him and give Primeau his minutes. Yes, I said it and I stand by it. Primeau has been the biggest surprise of the season for me. The more ice he gets the better he plays. Either way trade Stajan. Just trade him. Trade him for Mike Danton. I don’t care.

Or keep them all (except Stajan). They are a fast team that forechecks well and plays hard. I will continue to watch. Happily. That’s the thing about this team – There is a good core in place and I don’t really care if the rest get traded or are leafs till the end of the year.

Genius.

“It has been widely reported over the last few seasons that much like Jay Bouwmeester, Horton isn’t entirely fond of playing in South Florida and would prefer to play elsewhere.”

Nathan Horton is described in his scouting report on Sportsnet as:

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens

Two years ago, the Montreal Canadiens had the best record in the Eastern Conference. After things went south last season, they’ve got a revamped roster and a new coach in Jacques Martin.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, meanwhile, believe they may be able to end a franchise-record four-year playoff drought — if they can fix their leaky defense.

The Original Six and Northeast Division rivals open the new season on Thursday night as Martin makes his debut behind the Canadiens bench in the start of a five-game trip for his club.

Montreal (41-30-11) had an East-leading 104 points in 2007-08 under Guy Carbonneau before losing in five games to Philadelphia in the conference semifinals. Last season, the Canadiens were 35-24-7 when they fired Carbonneau on March 9 with general manager Bob Gainey taking over, but the change failed to provide much of a spark.

Playing as the eighth seed, Montreal was swept by Boston in the opening round.

Gainey hired Martin, who had stints with St. Louis, Ottawa and Florida. Martin coached the Blues and Senators to the postseason in 10 of his 11 seasons with those clubs but never reached the playoffs in three seasons with the Panthers from 2005-08.

“It was a priority for me that we find a head coach that had seen a lot of situations,” Gainey said. “We love Montreal as a marketplace, if that’s the right word, but it comes with the demands and expectations and pressures. And I think Jacques has already proven that’s well within his capacity to handle not only the coaching but the environment in Montreal.”

Gainey also went about reshaping his roster, and the Canadiens will have a smaller — and perhaps quicker team — on the ice.

The Canadiens acquired Scott Gomez in a trade with the New York Rangers and signed forwards Brian Gionta from New Jersey and Mike Cammalleri from Calgary.

Cammalleri had a career-high 82 points last year for the Flames while Gomez tied for the Rangers’ lead with 58 — his lowest total in five years. Gionta had 60 points in his final season with the Devils, his most since a career-high 89 in 2005-06.

Among those gone are Alex Kovalev, who led the Habs with 26 goals and 65 points, and longtime captain Saku Koivu. Kovalev signed with division rival Ottawa while Koivu joined Anaheim.

Carey Price is back in net after a bit of a rocky second season for Montreal. Price went 23-16-10 with a 2.83 goals-against average in 2008-09, but never seemed to recover from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for nearly three weeks in January.

Over his final 32 games including the postseason, Price was 7-16-5 with a 3.48 GAA. He also comes in having lost seven straight, but believes he can bounce back.

“I’m not really doing anything different, just working hard and staying focused,” Price told the Canadiens’ official Web site.

His counterpart, Vesa Toskala, also will be under pressure. Toronto (34-35-13) allowed a league-worst 3.49 goals per game last year and Toskala was 22-17-11 with a career-worst 3.26 GAA.

General manager Brian Burke made sweeping changes to the Maple Leafs’ blueline, adding Francois Beauchemin from the Ducks and prying Mike Komisarek away from the Canadiens. An All-Star, Komisarek spent his first six seasons with Montreal before signing a five-year, $22.5-million deal to join Toronto.

“We are extremely pleased to add a player with Mike’s ability and leadership qualities to our lineup,” Burke said. “He’s a respected competitor in this league and we know that he will bring his hard-nosed approach to our team on a consistent basis.”

Burke also added high-scoring forward Phil Kessel, who was acquired from Boston on Sept. 18 for two first-round picks and a second-round pick. Kessel led the Bruins with a career-high 36 goals last season, but won’t be available until November while recovering from rotator cuff surgery.

The Maple Leafs play five of their first seven games at Air Canada Centre, and know their defense will come under scrutiny in the early season.

“We got guys that can score, we can obviously play better defense,” forward Jason Blake said.

Montreal and Toronto split six meetings last season with each being decided by at least three goals.

Starting Line-ups

Canadiens: One year after taking the East’s top seed, Montreal had a disappointing campaign last season, costing coach Guy Carbonneau his job before the Habs barely squeaked into the final playoff spot. Montreal has had moderate success thus far, finishing 4-2-1 in the preseason, but coach Jacques Martin and GM Bob Gainey will be expecting more production out of an offense that finished eighth in the conference in scoring in 2008-09, after adding Michael Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez. The Canadiens’ new trio of forwards totaled 200 points last season, but those points didn’t come cheaply. The three will make a combined $18 million this year.

Maple Leafs: Brian Burke’s rebuilding operation is in full swing, and the GM wasted little time molding the roster into a similar unit to the one he won a Stanley Cup with in Anaheim in 2007. Those Ducks were noted for their physical play, and with Toronto adding Francois Beauchemin, Garnet Exelby and Komisarek to accompany maturing defenseman Luke Schenn, the Leafs have enough brawn on the blue line that few teams will push them around. Newly-signed winger Colton Orr also brings toughness to the lineup. So far this has worked for Toronto, which went 6-3-0 in the preseason, but the goals may not come so quickly. Phil Kessel, perhaps the biggest fish reeled in by Burke this offseason, is out until at least mid-November.

Who’s Hot — After spending his entire career in the defensive-minded Devils organization, Gionta might be primed for a big season in Montreal. The winger is on a roll with three goals in the last three preseason games. For Toronto, Swedish winger Viktor Stahlberg is set to make his NHL debut, and if he produces as he did this past month, he’ll become a mainstay. Stahlberg finished September at a blistering pace, netting five goals in the Leafs’ final five exhibition games.

Injury Report – With Kessel out of the lineup, Toronto’s offense could prove sluggish, and the loss of Mike Van Ryn will make the Maple Leafs thinner on the blue line. The Leafs may also be without gritty center Jamal Mayers, who has not played since a collision with Pittsburgh’s Tim Wallace last week. Montreal should have a full lineup for the opener.

Stat Pack — One might assume the Kessel-less Leafs will want for scoring, but that may not be the case. Despite finishing outside the East’s top eight, Toronto ended the 2008-09 season a respectable 10th overall in goals.

Puck Drop — With the excitement of opening night, it’s unlikely either side will come out flat. Look for Montreal to unleash their newly added firepower, but don’t be surprised if Orr and Toronto’s physical blueliners attempt to establish the tone early, both for the game and the season.