Where The Leafs Stand
January 25th, 2010 by SteveSo we know the Leafs will be sellers at the trade deadline. Frankly we’ve known that since we were 10 games into the season when it was abundantly clear the team was likely out of the playoff race. Despite the fits and spurts of positive play (as few and far between as they have been), there was really no hope of the team climbing out of the hole it had dug for itself.
So where does that leave things? Well, despite what many have opined in recent days/weeks, the Leafs DO have some solid young pieces to their puzzle, and the fact that they aren’t winning immediately does not automatically mean there is zero hope for the future.
Pundits tend to have a very short sighted view of the overall NHL picture. They think in terms of who is good right now, and usually they rationalize ex post facto. That is to say, they look for the causes behind the success stories rather than trying to predict the success stories before they arise, because frankly they suck at that. If you think about where most of the pundits predicted the Oilers finishing, and/or NHL fans, there was a chance the Oilers were going to be fighting for a playoff spot… sort of like the Leafs were supposed to… remember?
Of course all those amazingly adept prognosticators (myself included) missed horribly, especially when you factor in that nobody expected Phoenix, Colorado, or the Islanders to be as competitive as they have been. Dave Tippet in Phoenix, a healthy line up of young rookies playing for Joe Sacco in Colorado, and some magic from Roloson, Tavares, and Moulson on Long Island, have teamed up to make those 3 teams a bit better than the likes of Toronto, Edmonton, and Carolina.
Very few predicted that Nashville would be successful, AGAIN, despite the fact that they are doing exactly what they’ve done for the past few seasons by exceeding expectations based upon their payroll. Team D and consistent performance from your goaltending can help with that. These are things the Leafs need to look into.
So let’s throw aside much of the blather from the prognosticators, because they didn’t know what would go into a winner before THIS season. That makes me think its unlikely they’ve suddenly developed sight beyond sight when it comes to assessing who is going to get better NEXT season either.
So what do the Leafs have and what do they need?
What they’ve got:
1) A future regular 30-40 goal scorer in Kessel, who needs to polish the defensive aspects and compete level of his game. He’s extremely young, so arguing that the trade was a failure because the Leafs are missing out on the chance to draft a top prospect (when Kessel was just that less than 3 years ago) is a bit ridiculous.
2) A potential shut down D man in Schenn. Yes he’s suffered from a sophomore slump, but give the kid a break. He’s 20 years old, and he’s learning the toughest position in the NHL. He’s improved recently, and he seems like he’ll sort his head out eventually. Nobody expects him to score a lot, so that’s at least part of the game he won’t need to worry much about. If he continues to improve the Leafs will have a keeper.
3) An offensively gifted centre ice prospect with an edge to his game in Kadri. Yes we all saw it on display at the World Juniors. He was the kid selected to set up the likes of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle at the tournament. He might have been the 3rd best player of the three, but that still makes him pretty damn good. He needs to work on his defense, size, and composure. Overall though he looks like he’ll be solid.
4) Solid young defenders in Gunnarsson, Mikus, and Oreskovic. They might not develop all three into regular NHLers, but Gunnarsson has looked good so far for the Leafs and will likely stick with the team going forward.
5) A solid top 4 D RFA in Ian White. He might not be the next coming of Bobby Orr, and he’s probably not an All-Star, but he’s consistent, and he does his job quite well to all appearances. If they can get him under contract for around $3.5 million a year, they’re doing a decent job.
6) A decent RFA goaltending prospect in Gustavsson. Yes he might be overhyped, but he’s still done reasonably well as an NHL goaltender considering the D team he’s playing behind. If you put him in net for New Jersey, Minnesota, Boston, Detroit, or San Jose, I’m guessing his numbers would improve drastically.
7) A solid power forward prospect in Nikolai Kulemin. Another young forward at 23, Kulemin is still developing his all around game in the NHL. He has a wicked wrist shot that he needs to use more, but he’s excellent defensively, and he’s great in the corners. If he goes to the net with more authority, his goal totals will increase.
A serviceable 2nd line centre in Mikhail Grabovski. He might not make anyone shake from fear of his offense, but he’s got a lot of energy, he plays with reckless abandon, and despite all the giveaways at his own blue line, his level of creativity is pretty damn impressive. One thing you can say about Grabo is that he makes the players around him better. His lines with Ponikarovsky, Kulemin, Hagman, Blake, and Stempniak have all had something in common - they’ve worked hard, and they’ve been relatively productive. He’s the common element, and there’s something to be said for the offensive pressure the team exerts with him on the ice.
9) An intimidating shut down D man in Mike Komisarek. He’s huge, he hits, he blocks shots, and he plays big minutes. He needs to relax in his own end a bit, but overall he’s done reasonably well. The team is better with him in the line up.
10) A powerful shot from the point, that plays decently in his own end in Francois Beauchemin. He usually does his job in his own zone, though he’d be more consistent if he was playing with reliable D on a regular basis. His shot is hard, and he uses it.
11) A very tradeable asset in Tomas Kaberle. Yes he happens to be one of the top offensive D men in the NHL, but that isn’t helping the Leafs much at this point. If he doesn’t move at the deadline, expect the Leafs to trade him when they fail to make the playoffs, and his NMC is void.
12) Marketable UFA’s in Ponikarovsky, Stajan, and Stempniak. All three could fetch something at the trade deadline, and help a playoff bound team. Will be nice to see it go through.
What they need:
1) Some sort of scoring power forward. Kulemin is still developing, but more of a physical offensive presence is needed to help this team become better.
2) Another 1 or 1A goaltender. Gustavsson might be good, might be great, or might be just average, but he isn’t going to be enough to turn the Leafs goaltending woes around on his own at this stage of proceedings.
3) A checking line centre that can actually play persistently with speed for the future. Right now Wayne Primeau is holding that spot down, and John Mitchell may develop into the role, but he isn’t good enough in his own zone at this stage of proceedings.
4) A long term fix to the offensive D man role. White might maintain his play, Gunnarsson may improve, but neither one will fill the void Kaberle would leave if he’s traded or walks as a free agent. They need someone to QB the PP in the future.
5) Time. This team is still young… very young. Roughly half the roster is within it’s first 3 years in the NHL. Players don’t really hit their stride until their 4th year traditionally, so there’s lots of room for improvement still. The question becomes, does management have the patience to wait it out before pushing reset. Hopefully they do.
Let’s remember, the Chicago Blackhawks have made the playoffs twice in the past 12 years. They’re now one of the best teams in the NHL. Weird how they had 6 seasons in that stretch with 30 wins or less… yet now they are seen as visionaries.
The Blackhawks have had 16 first round draft picks, and 19 second round draft picks over that 12 year stretch. Of those selections, only Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Jack Skille, David Bolland, Brent Seabrook, Cam Barker, and Duncan Keith are still with the team. 7 out of 35 players, which amounts to slightly better than one in six of their selections. The odds of a first rounder still playing for them over that stretch is 5 out of 16, or slightly worse than one in three. They have had some luck with undrafted signing Antti Niemi in goal, but they haven’t drafted a starting goalie since they selected Craig Anderson in 1999 - and he didn’t become a starter until this year with Colorado after a decent season with Florida last year.
Holding the Blackhawks up as some sort of “model” to follow as if they’ve discovered the holy grail of drafting is frankly INSANE. That doesn’t seem to stop people from doing it. They have a lot of good young players, but they also drafted a lot of crappy young players, and it didn’t seem to make much difference either way until the past couple of years. Let’s face it, by the time the Blackhawks drafted Kane and Toews, they had already been in possession of Duncan Keith for 4 years, Brent Seabrook for 3, and Cam Barker for 2. They are built from the D out, and if the Leafs do the same, they won’t begin to see real returns for another couple of seasons at the earliest.
Posted in Player Analysis, Prospects, Stat Analysis
34 Responses to “Where The Leafs Stand”
By BCapp
on Jan 25, 2010
Hey,
You didn’t include Hagman anywhere on the ‘what we have’ side.
He is a great checking/dangling winger, who’s defensively sound, good for 25+ goals, and on a reasonable contract.
All that being said, I’d move him for the right deal.
Can you envision a Hagman for Ryder and our 2nd deal?
By Steve
on Jan 26, 2010
I was looking at this as building blocks for the future, and I sincerely doubt Hagman will fetch anything significant on the trade market towards the Leafs future beyond draft picks. Beauchemin and Komisarek are signed long term, Hagman’s deal expires after next season. I agree he’ll likely be dealt, but I think they may wait until next season when he’s becoming a UFA.
I also doubt the Leafs have any interest in Michael Ryder. But that’s more because I don’t think he’s that useful to a team like the Leafs.
By BCapp
on Jan 26, 2010
To be honest I don’t even like that trade. It is just the kind of thing that I see popping into my head when I look around this league for the ’salary’ that Burke will be willing to take for picks.
and fair enough on the Hags front… He’s still my favourite Leaf of the last 1.5 years though, lol.
By Casey
on Jan 26, 2010
Agreed on the ‘Chicago Model’. It’s absolutely impossible for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, because we have the dollars to spend to the cap ceiling every year.
When you say we need “some sort of scoring power forward”, I would agree, but I think whoever that forward is, he needs to be able to carry/hold the puck tremendously well so Kessel doesn’t have to. I guess you’re assuming that Kadri may fit that bill, so in that case I would agree with you. With Kadri and Kessel, a big young power forward would be the finishing touch to an amazing first line.
Tonight I will dream of Brian Burke prying Bobby Ryan from the Ducks, after Ryan refuses to sign with any team but Toronto.
By Casey
on Jan 26, 2010
P.S. Hagman has another two full years on his contract.
By BCapp
on Jan 26, 2010
I know he is not a Burke-esque player, and many will say ‘don’t bother he is a head case’…. But do you think we could create a package for Filatov.
I basically see either Hitchcock being fired (more likely when a defensive coach has their GAA) or Filatov being traded.
By BCapp
on Jan 26, 2010
Casey:
I’d love that too. If only we had the picks left to contract sheet him… Seriously though do they have anyone to salary dump on us? (Giggy? Two birds with one stone?)
Can you imagine that trade though? Wtf would we have to offer to get Ryan and Giggy (even on 6 mil contract he is a former Conn Smyth winner).
Schenn/Kaberle would have to be included… But the bottom line is I would include good old OLAS for that…
W/e thats just dreaming, that’ll happen the same day I win the lottery, Dr. Phil gets assassinated, and chocolate bars cure cancer.
By Casey
on Jan 26, 2010
Hahaha good point about Giguere. They really do want him gone and I’m sure Burke would take that contract for the final year. I think a Giguere/Gustavsson tandem would be good. Bobby Ryan aside, I hope Burke pursues the Giguere contract. The Ducks have 2 firsts in the upcoming draft - their own and Philly’s - to perhaps something could be worked out?
As much as Ryan would be a dream pickup, I think if he were unwilling to sign straight up with the Ducks, a package of Schenn and Hagman and perhaps a pick could land him.
By glgbill
on Jan 26, 2010
Great article. Truly excellent, Steve.
Regarding Giggy, he does represent an interesting option to reacquire a first, while also filling a need while Gustavsson develops. If that deal could be swung while keeping Kaberle for a second trade, it would be huge accomplishment by Burke.
By BCapp
on Jan 26, 2010
As much as Anaheim wants to drop Giggy, every GM in the league knows we need a goalie, so they would not include a first with it… But I’d take Giggy with a second for something as a salary dump.
By theothervatican
on Jan 26, 2010
Brilliant article. Especially the analysis of Chicago and their drafting. Love it. I’m-a tweet it up.
By James Goneaux
on Jan 26, 2010
I think you did miss something: part of Chicago’s “rebirth” is that it non-coincidentally more or less began with an ownership change (true, it was a death and the same family runs it…but still).
Imagine: Hawks fans can actually watch games for free.
Imagine: getting rid of deadwood (Bob Pulford). Etc.
But, yes, using any team that drafted high for a decade as a template is dumb. Then gain, the Leafs have drafted high for decade…
By neil
on Jan 26, 2010
“The Blackhawks have had 16 first round draft picks, and 19 second round draft picks over that 12 year stretch. Of those selections, only Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Jack Skille, David Bolland, Brent Seabrook, Cam Barker, and Duncan Keith are still with the team. 7 out of 35 players, which amounts to slightly better than one in six of their selections. The odds of a first rounder still playing for them over that stretch is 5 out of 16, or slightly worse than one in three.”
Doesn’t this prove the point - the more the picks the better?
If your odds are 1 in 3 in the first round and 1 in 5 overall (based on Chicago, who ONLY have Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Jack Skille, David Bolland, Brent Seabrook, Cam Barker, and Duncan Keith)…Doesn’t more picks give you better chances at selecting some worthwile players?
Prove to me otherwise. Show me a team who has built a winner without drafting well and/or without drafting at full compliment.
I want a better proof other than that final paragraph in this post.
By BCapp
on Jan 26, 2010
Neil,
That was supposed to make 3 points:
1) it took 12 years of sucking. They made the playoffs twice in that stretch. You prepared to deal with that?
2) They are perfect example of that you need both drafting and trading/UFAs. Both of their starting G’s are from FA signings. Guys like Sharp, Hossa, Versteeg all came the same route.
3) I think it is more a pet peeve of Steve’s that they are being looked at as this golden child, where they were really garbage for so long and the shite of the league, and that people have no long term memory.
The bottom line is that everyone but Pittsburgh and possibly Washington today has built there core through a MIX of drafting FA/trades.
I think an important thing that Burke did, which may show big returns at the deadline and summer, is all the money Burke put into pro scouts.
For the Chicago example, wouldn’t you like to get Kris Versteeg, and Patrick Sharp for virtually nothing, as they did?
Finally,
I’ll sum it with this. I do not believe Steve is criticizing the concept of building through the draft. He is just criticizing using Chicago as the model of it.
By Diggler
on Jan 26, 2010
@BCapp
Versteeg was part of the Brandon Bochenski trade, which in the end was for nothing LOL.
Something to notice is that Versteeg, the solid player that he is, was selected in the 5th round I do believe. So it is true in a opinion point, the more rocks you throw, better the chances you have hitting somebody.. you get what I mean in referring to more draft picks the better, statistically. One thing is for sure I hope they stick to the CHL in this years draft. I don’t see any of their USHL and University prospects showing any promise.
By Leaf in Habland
on Jan 26, 2010
Did you read Mike Ulmer’s blog on the Leaf’s site? http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=514913
He posted this on Monday as well. Not exactly the same, but, well, it’s not like there are that many positives to point out, are there?
By Steve
on Jan 26, 2010
Neil - I was countering the concerns in Leaf land about missing a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and another 1st in the grand scheme of things.
Especially when one considers that Phil Kessel was obtained in exchange - he was also a 1st rounder if you recall.
If you want to compare to another young team, which frankly nobody trumpets as a success story, how about the Florida Panthers?
They have made the playoffs once in the past 12 years. They have drafted in the lottery 3 times in that span, and in the top 10 on an additional 4 occasions. That’s 7 top 10 picks in the past 12 years. NO PLAYOFFS.
The following players who have shown up on their roster this season were drafted by the Panthers:
Horton (3rd overall 2003), Weiss (4th overall 2001), Frolik (10th overall 2006), Olesz (7th overall 2004), Kulikov (14th overall 2009), Campbell (67th overall 2002), Kreps (38th overall 2003), Booth (53rd overall 2003), Repik (40th overall 2007), McArdle (20th overall 2005), Ellerby (10th overall 2007).
That’s 11 players, roughly half of whom were selected in the top 10 picks of the draft… and Florida still for the most part suck.
They also had Bouwmeester up until this year, and prior to that Luongo. The idea that building through the draft is the ONLY way to go is a bit absurd. Yes it’s important but if you can’t develop players, or select the right ones in the first place, it does you no good to hold on to your draft picks.
The point about Chicago is more that they’ve made a LOT of bad picks over the years, and they didn’t get to where they are by holding on to tonnes of picks. They improved drastically by drafting two young stars, and surrounding them with guys who they’ve pieced together from all over the NHL.
Very few of their top forwards were guys they picked in the top 3 rounds, when you consider Patrick Sharp (Flyers), John Madden (New Jersey), Kris Versteeg (Boston), Marion Hossa (Ottawa), Andrew Ladd (Carolina), Kopecky (Detroit), Fraser (Flyers), Eager (Coyotes). Then toss in Campbell (Buffalo), and the likes of Huet (LA), Niemi (Free Agent), and the fact that a lot of their “depth” forwards and D were later round selections like Brouwer (7th rounder), and Byfuglien (8th rounder), Hjalmarsson (4th rounder)… and yeah… they weren’t built on just a few first and 2nd round selections.
Those high draft picks were important pieces to the puzzle for sure - but they amount to roughly 5 guys out of a roster of 25. The Leafs currently have Kadri, Kessel, Schenn, Paradis… heck they still have Stajan if they want him… but yeah… they are going to get high end talent somehow… it doesn’t have to be through the draft.
By BCapp
on Jan 26, 2010
If I were Ron Wilson, I would be making Kuleimin watch video after video of Dustin Brown playing! Do you see that puck possession, creating plays with hits in the corners?
Not only is that the power forward we hope is developing in Kuleimin, BUT it would also be the perfect compliment to Kessel.
By Steve
on Jan 27, 2010
Interesting things about Dustin Brown: 13th overall draft pick in 2003, he’s in his 5th full NHL season, but it would be his 6th if it weren’t for a serious ankle injury early in his rookie season, and 7th if it wasn’t for the lockout. He’s taken a while to become the player he is. He’s been captain of the LA Kings since last season.
He has NEVER been a plus player in his career, and currently sits at -4 on the season. He is only on pace for 19 goals this year, though he has a career high of 33. He is on track to match his 53 points from last season, but again that’s off his career high of 60. His career high total of PP goals is 13, and he had 12 in the year he registered 33 goals.
His sophomore season (the year after the lockout) was his first full NHL campaign and he registered 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, along with 80 PIMs and a -10 rating. He fired 159 shots on goal that year. 6 of those 14 goals came on the PP. He was 21 years old.
So let’s compare to Kulemin. Last year Kulemin was 22 in his rookie year in the NHL, and he registered 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points on 129 shots on goal. He registered a -8 rating. He also only took 18 penalty minutes. Only 2 of his 15 goals came on the PP.
This year as a 23 year old, he has 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 50 games. He is on pace for another 31 point season. BUT it should be noted that since his promotion to the top 6 forwards following the injury to Mikhail Grabovski on Jan 2nd, Kulemin has registered 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 12 games, along with a +6 rating, and 26 shots on goal. That improves him to a 0.66 ppg rating, and 2.17 spg, over his initial 6 goals and 6 assists over his first 38 games for a 0.32 ppg rating and 1.58 spg.
His point production has more than doubled, and his shot totals have jumped significantly also. If he had played the same minutes and at the same level for the full year, he could be expected to have registered around 25 goals and 50 points on 178 shots.
In Dustin Brown’s 2nd full NHL season, he registered 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points on 195 shots. He also finished with a -21 rating.
Yes Kulemin is a year older than Brown was at the same stage, but honestly, I don’t think his development is that far off. He’s also far more responsible from a defensive perspective, but a bit less physical and rowdy in terms of fighting/penalty minutes.
I would say Kulemin is likely to produce goals more consistently if he skates in the top 6 for the Leafs with regularity going forward. I also think his production on that front will increase more drastically if he gets increased PP minutes, and continues to develop chemistry with his line mates.
By BCapp
on Jan 27, 2010
Never realized he was so negative in the plus/minus. But the slow development is actually what I meant. Kuleimin seems to be developing nicely into a power forward, which we all know the leafs could desperately need…
By BCapp
on Jan 27, 2010
ps why on earth does Kuleimin NOT shoot more? He has such a nice shot… That was a sweet goal last night.
By Steve
on Jan 27, 2010
Power forwards are typically slower to develop. As for him shooting more, if he were to fire 2.56 shots per game all year long that works out to 209 shots, so he IS shooting more.
By JCollins
on Jan 29, 2010
Indepth article but you make it sound like all these players will reach the top. Komi has been awful this season and hasn’t been the same since getting beat up by Lucic. He’s also been injury prone.
Kessel has noone to play with and I don’t see Kadri stepping in next season. he still needs time. White making 3.5mil? No way 2.5 tops. Some of what you wrote was bang on. I think you overrated a lot of these players.
By BCapp
on Jan 29, 2010
JCollins,
I’d love to get White for that kind of money, but there is simply no way it would happen. If you compare him to people with similar stats going into RFA over the last few years you get a bunch of people that have been paid 3.5-4 mil/year. (JM Liles, M Carle, T Gilbert).
He also logs big minutes and plays in all situations.
Now would I LIKE to sign him for less? For sure! But I think his agent must realize his market value…
In regards to Komi (and Beauch for that matter) that is just a guy trying to look for glass half full. The whole ‘getting beat up by Lucic’ has been blown out of proportion. We got Komi to be a bruiser, yes, but NOT a fighter. There is a difference. He still hits hard, blocks, etc. But yeah he is a complimentary top 2, OR 3/4 guy.
In regards to Kadri, he really didn’t imply that he is stepping in next year. Just that he is a good ‘prospect’. Even if everything goes GREAT, this team will not be a legit contender for 2-3 years. (more likely longer)
If we are lucky we’ll CHALLENGE (likely not get) for a playoff spot next year.
If we can turn our multitude of prospects into second and third liners over the next 2-3 years (Bozak, Hanson, Kuleimin (okay not really a prospect), Ryan, D’Amigo, Stefanovich, Kadri, Stahlberg) and one of them make it to be a legit top liner.
Add in ONE trade for a legit top liner/UFA signing and we can have a sweet offense in 2-3 years.
Its always a balancing act between being optimistic and being self-blinding.
Cheers
By Steve
on Jan 30, 2010
JCollins - What exactly did I say that implies I’ve overrated anyone? All I did was state facts:
Kessel isn’t just a “future” 30-40 goal scorer, he’s also a “past” 30-40 goal scorer… so I’m not sure why there’s any over statement there.
As BCapp asserted, and as I’ve reiterated repeatedly, based on White’s production and the players with similar numbers heading into RFA status, he’s going to be getting over $3 mill a year. If you think he wants $2 mill, be ready to go to arbitration and possibly lose him for absolutely nothing as a UFA if you walk away from the table.
I said Kadri is a future top line centre (potentially)… not sure where I’m off base on that one as most every hockey scout/analyst agrees that’s his talent level. Not sure he’s a future superstar, but I never said he was, so I’m not sure what the over-estimate is here.
As for Komisarek being the same since the Lucic fight last season on Nov 13th 2008, he finished off as a combined -3 with 1 goal, 9 assists and 88 penalty minutes for Montreal over the last 52 games of their season. His injury was to his SHOULDER not his legs.
In Toronto this year he has missed 8 games due to a leg injury, and another 13 games with an “upper body” injury of undetermined nature… Leaving him with 34 played.
In those 34 games, he’s registered 4 assists, no goals, and 40 penalty minutes to go with a -9 rating. He doesn’t appear to be suffering from THAT fight in particular.
Although it’s possible that his current injury is to his shoulder, it came from a weird collision with Iginla, not necessarily any sort of motion that would exacerbate an old injury. The fact that he played through 86 games without suffering a “recurrence” of the injury he suffered against Lucic makes me think it’s unlikely that he re-injured it or that it’s affecting him in any serious way.
To be honest, fighting has never been part of Komisrarek’s game. He only registered the one fight against Lucic last season, and has only registered 2 this season, as well as 2 more in the pre-season, and 1 in last year’s playoffs. In 2007-08 he registered 5 fights, but his high in any season prior to that was 2.
By glgbill
on Jan 31, 2010
Dreger predicting “Major move” today:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=308448
If it happens, my bet’s on a ‘retool’ move, with no “major” picks or prospects in return.
Hope I’m wrong.
By BCapp
on Jan 31, 2010
Holy shit thats a new team!!!
In:
Giggy, Phaneuf, Sjostrom, K Aulie (D. Prospect)
Out:
Stajan, Hagman, White, Mayers, Blake Toskala
WTF!?!?!?
By Tom Cat on Jan 31, 2010
There goes our chance in landing Avery.
By BCapp
on Feb 1, 2010
I think the Calgary trade can really help both teams.
Question though:
Do any of you think that this may have been the trade:
White/Stajan/Hagman for Phaneuf/Aulie
and then Burke was like I gotta get rid of this asshole Mayers, swap me somwone like him? So they added Mayers for Sjostrom?
By Steve
on Feb 1, 2010
I don’t think Sjostrom is just a fill in… he addresses the 3rd point on my list of things the Leafs need.
By BCapp
on Feb 1, 2010
Thanks Steve,
I don’t know much about Western players and really only saw stats for him. One thing though, isn’t he a winger not a C as you addressed in that point? As in he would be lining up on the wing on the 3rd line?
I image something like:
Stemps-Primeau-Sjostrom