Tag Archive for 'maple leafs'

Is Brian Burke Jumping Coasts?

Published
by
BlueIndian
on November 13, 2008
in Blue Indian
. 0 Comments

From ESPN:

Brian Burke won’t have to wait long to take calls from other NHL teams now that he has stepped down as Anaheim Ducks general manager.

“After he helps us with the transition, he’ll be free to talk to other teams about employment,” Ducks CEO Michael Schulman announced at a news conference Wednesday. “That will probably be a week or two.” Bob Murray, who has been the Ducks’ senior vice president of hockey operations since 2005, replaced his good friend Burke, who has been Anaheim’s GM since June 2005 and watched the team win the Stanley Cup in 2007. “There’s only 30 of these jobs available and it’s an honor and a privilege and it’s exciting for me take over,” Murray said. “I can’t wait to take over. I’ve been taught properly by Brian and we will go on the same way that we have since the beginning. “People are worried about transition when these things happen. Well, from day one, from when Brian and I took over this organization, he has included me in everything he’s done. All of our hirings, all of our trades.” The Ducks will inform the NHL’s front office that they are giving the rest of the league access to Burke, who has long been linked to the Toronto GM job. Cliff Fletcher is filling the role on an interim basis.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tlusty to Take John Mitchell’s spot

Published
by
BlueIndian
on November 8, 2008
in Hockey
. 0 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that forward Jiri Tlusty has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

In five AHL games this season, Tlusty has registered two assists and four penalty minutes. The 6-0, 209-pound native of Slany, Czech Republic appeared in seven games with the Maple Leafs earlier this season and was held scoreless while averaging 12:19 of ice time per game and registering 13 shots. Mitchell expects to be out at least a week after sustaining a shoulder injury against Boston … The Maple Leafs head out for a Western swing next week that will take them to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Does Leaf’s Nation Say Goodbye McCabe on Tuesday?

Published
by
BlueIndian
on September 1, 2008
in Hockey
. 0 Comments

This is from Sportsnet.ca:

A trade to send Leafs defenceman Bryan McCabe to Florida, first reported by Sportsnet, should be announced on Tuesday. The Leafs are expected to get defenceman Mike Van Ryn from the Panthers in return.

McCabe, who has a no-movement clause in his contract, has agreed to waive the condition in order for the trade to be completed. The deal is a major step in Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher’s wish to remake the under-performing team’s roster.

Fletcher originally tried to deal McCabe, along with several other Leafs veterans, at the February trade deadline shortly after Fletcher was hired to replace the fired John Ferguson Jr. But McCabe, along with captain Mats Sundin,  Darcy Tucker, Thomas Kaberle and Pavel Kubina, all refused to waive their no-trade clauses.

Tucker was bought out by the club in June and subsequently signed with Colorado while Sundin opted for free agency once his contract runs out and remains undecided on whether he will even play this season. Kaberle and Kubina remain with the Leafs. The Leafs missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season in 2007-08.

McCabe spent seven seasons with the Leafs, scoring 83 goals and 214 assists. In June 2006 he signed a five-year, $28.5 million deal that also included the no-movement clause.

Van Ryn, 29, was a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 1998 and has played the past four seasons with the Panthers.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

So What Did the Leafs Get on July 1st? The Finger.

Published
by
BlueIndian
on July 3, 2008
in Hockey
. 1 Comment

With Bryan McCabe about to get the boot, Cliff Fletcher paid dearly to give the Maple Leafs defence the Finger.

But the general manager is convinced free agent Jeff Finger is part of the answer for his blue line, at $14 million US for four years, with at least one more defenceman and forward to be added by free agency or trade.

Finger and Finnish-born left winger Niklas Hagman (four years, $12 million) topped yesterday’s opening of shopping for the Leafs, who also brought home Curtis Joseph to play out his last days as a backup goalie for $700,000.

Read the rest of the article from the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Fletch sharpens his knife

Published
by
BlueIndian
on June 19, 2008
in Hockey
. 0 Comments

Article From Toronto Sun Here

If often-criticized defenceman Bryan McCabe is a potential victim of the imminent Maple Leafs housecleaning as is expected, it likely will not come via the buyout route.

That was the word yesterday from Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher, who is aware that McCabe’s average salary of $5.75 million US translates to a hefty cap hit (almost $3-million per season for six years) in the event the Leafs attempted to buy him out.

The more logical way to go is to trade the veteran defenceman, the belief being that McCabe might waive the no-movement clause in his contract in order to go to a preferable destination such as the New York Islanders. The McCabes spend their off-seasons on Long Island, where Bryan’s wife, Roberta, grew up.

One theory making the rounds here leading up to tomorrow’s 2008 entry draft was that the Leafs might attempt to include McCabe and their No. 7 overall pick to the Islanders for a package that includes the No. 5 selection. By moving up two spots, the Leafs likely would land either Niagara defenceman Alex Pietrangelo or Russian forward Nikita Filatov, two players they covet.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!