Love 'em or Laugh at 'em, this topic is for the Toronto Maple Leafs

[Chris 273]

The Maple Leafs have traded defenceman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli to the Nashville Predators for veteran forward Olli Jokinen, prospect Brendan Leipsic and Nashville’s 2015 first-round draft pick.

 

After weeks of trade speculation involving both Franson and Santorelli, the two players are shipped out of town in a package deal to the Predators, who are loading up for a deep Stanley Cup run this spring.

 

 

Jokinen is a pending free agent, so he doesn’t figure to fit into the future plans of the team. Leipsic is a former third-round pick of the Predators in the 2012 Entry Draft, and the 20-year-old left-shot centreman has 35 points (7 goals, 28 assists) scored in 47 games played with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL.

 

 

The deal frees up roughly $2.3 million in cap space. And more importantly, the rebuild has begun.

 

[Joe 5]

#TankNation

 

Gotta ship out Lupul and maybe Bernier aswell before the deadline imo. Just hoping we can stink enough the rest of the season to draft Strome or Eichel to stick alongside Kessel and Nylander next season. 

 

JVR - Strome/Eichel - Kessel

Nylander - Kadri - Panik/Kozun/Brown 

If we can get that next year as our top two lines I'd be very happy. If Nonis is still in a job by the draft then I'm very worried about free agency, the only thing that can save his job now is if he pulls a miracle and manages to trade Clarkson and Robidas. 

[Chris 273]

It's definitely looking more and more like Dylan Strome .. Eichel or that guy with the last name that starts with M would be the jackpot

 

"If I'm selected by the Leafs, it would be a tremendous honour," said Strome, who's second in OHL scoring with 98 points. "I grew up playing with the (Toronto) Marlies for seven years, so I kind of bleed blue and white. I love the colours and it would be pretty special, but at the same time, any team is going to be special. I'm looking forward to it, the rest of the season and then draft day."

[Chris 273]

WASHINGTON -- The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Daniel Winnik from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday in a trade for forward Zach Sill, a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and second-round pick in the 2016 draft.

 

"He's a guy that will fit in our top nine," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said of Winnik. "He gives us more balance and more depth up front, something we were looking for. He's had a very good year, one of the best in his career, and he’s a top penalty-killer in this League."

Pittsburgh plays the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center on Wednesday.

Winnik, 29, had seven goals, 25 points and a plus-15 rating in 58 games with the Maple Leafs. He averaged 3:27 of shorthanded ice time per game with Toronto, which led the Maple Leafs.

"Wherever they want me to play, I'll play," Winnik told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "If they want right wing, left wing, center, I can play all three positions."

Rutherford said he began talks with the Maple Leafs attempting to acquire Winnik about a month ago. Toronto retained half of Winnik's salary, according to Rutherford.

"This was an important one for us," Rutherford said. "Glad to get it out of the way."

 

[Joe 5]

Good trade, glad to see they are actually making the right moves. Sill seems like a career AHL guy but the two picks are very good for a guy that would have left at the end of the year for nothing.

[Chris 273]

TORONTO - By trading David Clarkson to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Toronto Maple Leafs got out from under the weight of their worst contract as they embark on a rebuilding project.

The Leafs sent Clarkson and his US$5.25-million cap hit for five more seasons to the Columbus Blue Jackets for injured winger Nathan Horton, who has a similar salary and term but could cost nothing on the cap while on long-term injured reserve.

 

 

"We get a player that if he could ever come back is an elite player," general manager Dave Nonis said Thursday night. "In the event he can't, we created some cap space."

 

Limited to just 36 games with Columbus and none this season because of back problems since signing there in the summer of 2013, the 29-year-old Horton may never play again. But that would simply allow the Leafs to use his $5.3 million salary elsewhere.

 

 

The return for Clarkson was almost inconsequential compared to dealing the underachieving right-winger and his albatross contract. After inking a $36.75-million, seven-year contract on July 5, 2013, Clarkson had just 15 goals and 11 assists in 118 games with the Leafs.

 

 

"I know he did whatever he could to be a successful Maple Leaf, and I don't blame him for anything that happened here," Nonis said. "He showed flashes. There were moments where we had the David that we hoped to have. But overall it was probably disappointing for both sides, and I do believe he's going to go there and play well."

 

 

Clarkson was a healthy scratch for two straight games earlier this month, and given the structure of his contract, the Leafs seemingly had little recourse. A buyout would hurt the long-term future more than help it, and because of a no-movement clause, the 30-year-old could not be put on waivers to go to the minors and had to approve any trade.

 

Approached by Nonis to go to the Blue Jackets, Clarkson did just that. He goes to a Blue Jackets team that is not in the playoff hunt but figures to be back in it next season, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen hopes the one-time 30-goal scorer is a big part of that.

 

 

"He'll fit out needs and our group perfectly," Kekalainen told reporters at a news conference in Columbus. "We now have a piece of the puzzle in place."

 

 

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I can't believe it. This is fucking great.

 

[AY-BR 14]

poor Leafs fans...

[funkydave 1]

well they definitely doing a rebuild

 

one of the best moves they ever made was to get shanahan into the organization

 

and hes putting together a team who could very possibly bring the Stanley cup back to TO

 

so kudos to him i hope he does it, the leafs are great for Canada a s wwell

[Chris 273]

It has been a while since we had a post here, but I'm excited for the new season!

 

[Chris 273]

Sharing some memories. Great new years day.

 

Me at the Winter Classic 2014

 

 

 

Me at the Centennial Classic 2016

 

[Chris 273]

C'mon playoffs! Big push by the kids this year. Matthews, Marner, Nylander.

[Chris 273]

We made the playoffs! Huge game vs the Pens. Looking forward to win over Columbus and a chance to play Ottawa instead of Washington.

 

Ottawa doesn't have a very good history vs the Leafs in the playoffs

[Chris 273]

Brutal close to the season. Tough matchup with the Capitals.

[Chris 273]

5 overtimes and a first round exit.

 

Lots to be happy about still. Andersen looks solid in net. The kids are alright. Looking forward to the changes made.

[Chris 273]

4 hours until the news on William Nylander

[Chris 273]

I'm so happy he's staying. Looking forward to a great 2018/2019 playoff run!

[TigerHeli12 1]

It is great to see the Maple Leafs competitive, finally, in the last couple of seasons. I believe that the NHL is better when the Canadian teams do well, at least competing. This year, Calgary is in it as well, and the Canucks have a great new goalie.

[Chris 273]

So the leafs fired Mike Babcock.. What's the thoughts on Keefe's system? My buddies say he'll let the kids loose

[Username_Bot 0]

shows you how bad the leafs are

[Chris 273]

2 hours ago, Username_Bot said:

shows you how bad the leafs are

They looked much happier in their win last night

[vctms 1]

Leafs suck