Can anyone explain to me why Fletch is trading away his draft choices? What possible difference is Hollweg going to make for the Laffs chances this season? Why part with a draft choice to get him? Or what about the acquisition of Grabovsky, a third liner, for draft choices. Why? The problem with the Laffs for decades as a result of incompetent scouting and bad mgt has been no young talent. Lafffs need to stock up on the draft choices and perhaps the sheer volume of choices will outweigh the fact that they have incompetent people like Morrison and Penny making the choices. Fletch hasn't done all that much if the top line is still going to comprise Antropov and Ponikarovsky. Lots of third and fourth line players who have absolutely no chance to move into first and second liners. The Laffs roster with players like Devereaux, Williams, White, Ponikarovsky is really, really bad. What is the hold that Ponikarovsky has anyway? This guy should have been moved 2 years ago. Cliffhanger has not changed the Laffs enough to make a big improvement. And one other thing, Finger will have the same season as Blake did last year. Once they arrive in TO these highly paid wonders stop playing and start counting the money. T
Dumb, dumb and dumber, 2008-07-31 09:31:19

So explain to me why anyone would want to play for the Leaf's when you have a general manager who won't honor contracts and in turn gives Finger 3.5M$ but says McCabe's over paid - sure help his trading value. I see the strategy, insult the fans with putting a last place team on the ice and then lose the lottery at draft time and pick third - so much for tavares. What a joke
John W, 2008-07-31 01:58:42

I can see it now as I've seen it happen to the leafs every year before. Lose McCabe and Sundin the only real good player left is Kaberle. Leaf fans get ready .. your going to lose and your going to lose allot this year without them. Absolutely no hope for Toronto this year and many years to come.

Maybe they sould ice a foreign team like Detroit. We then watch 2 teams doing all the hooking holding and blocking useless frustrating hockey for years to come. I think the refs let Detroit break all the rules in their disgusting Stanley Cup run. Oh yes .. this is about the leafs ..lol. Won't sign McCabe. He knows if he does the same thing to Sundin he will be fired before the end of the year when the stats run absolutely terribe for TO. Fletch is nothing but an old idiot. He has to be letting these 2 slip away.

I'm so glad I moved from there years ago...
Keith from Mtrl, 2008-07-30 19:53:49

Why not let Hamilton have a team and put some pressure on the leafs to win or atleast go deep in the playoffs instead of sucking everyones money from their pockets. It would be nice to see big bussiness buying tickets down the road instead of Toronto being the only game in town.
Ed, 2008-07-30 17:01:41

So far nothing major has been done, but the pieces are starting to fall into place (Schenn for example, and toughening up the team)). Fletch is right to move McCabe and use the cap room to acquire some good young talent. It is too bad Sundin is doing his annual sleepathon, but at least the Leafs are going ahead with or without him.
Ward Moroz, 2008-07-30 15:45:18

I think they should do everything they can to convince Sundin & McCabe to stay with to leafs but ultimately its up to them.
Mirko Stimac, 2008-07-30 13:15:31

Encouraged to hear that scout Granato was "lost" to the AHL where he will become a coach. He was a lost cause as a scout. Hopefully, there will be others following him namely Morrison and Mike Penny. Laffs cannot hope to rebuild unless they have the scouts capable of assessing talent something both Morrison and Penny, just like JFJ, are unable to do.
Still not satisfied, 2008-07-30 12:09:28

I think that the best aquisition that Fletcher has done by bring in Luke Schenn. After that I like Stajan, Steen, Tlusty. Keep the course bite the bullet for a few years and build through the draft. Lots of teams have finished very low gotten 1-5 picks for 3-5 straight years and then been excellent: Ottawa is a prime example of that. Would of been nice (if Sundin) does not come back to have gotten something for him. Go Leafs Go !!!
Chris, 2008-07-30 11:55:40

the leafs should rebuild by selling their team to a new city, and starting a new team from scratch in the expansion draft. If that fails then trade the whole team and have open tryouts to everyone with two legs or four. That should get us under the salary cap!!
victor, 2008-07-30 11:24:46

Build the team around Kaberle,Stajan,Steen, Hagman, McCabe and Toskala

McCabe is not going anywhere so let's eat his contract

The BUDS don't have any star power or offensive presence

Trade away the wannabes: Antropov, Poni, White, and Blake

The Buds don't have a clue on how to make the system work with their personnel or vice versa. Either build with speed and size so you can dump and chase and hit. Or go with skill and be a puck possession team...

There is no skill on this team:

Look at the next wave of Free Agents like: Cammaleri, Kopitar, Stansny, Havlat, Gaborik and Pomminville to build a #1 line to go along with Tavares!!!!

Johnner Glenn, 2008-07-30 11:24:11