Great Signing by JFJ

Steve says:

I think the Jason Blake signing is not only great for the Leafs on the ice, but in the bank account as well. Of all the UFAs out there, Blake is the top scorer! and his price tag is decent for the Leafs. There is still some room to dump a bit of blueline and maybe get one more depth player, but I must say that this lineup looks pretty good.

Chris says:

I agree. Value for money here. Considering what the big guns where getting in terms of dollars as well as the lengths of some of their contracts we came out ahead on this deal.

Jason Blake 20 million over five years.

Blake is coming off his best season ever, 40 goals plus last year. I don't expect that we'll be seeing that kind of production out of him this year. But it's nice to know that he has that kind of potential in him. In that respect I hope to be pleasantly surprised. He'd certainly make an excellent Captain if Sundin follows through with his rumblings about "retirement".

Blake's biggest downside? At 33 years old he's getting a little on in hockey terms. A five year contract at this stage in his career could easily be his last.

But what I really got a kick out from all the signings is how our division rivals are now mere shadows of their former greatness.

Remember how tough Buffalo was? No more.

NYI? Gutted.

Devils? Sans Gomez.

The balance of power has changed and the Leafs look to reap some of the rewards.

Steve says:

He is getting older, but he started late (25) so he is actually approaching a peak.
I see no reason why you would expect less from this guy. He will most likely be on a line with Sundin...and that cant be anything but good for both players, and the team, and of course, us.

I don't know that he is "Captain" material as the initial reports are that he is a bit selfish with the puck sometimes and sometimes whiny in the dressing room. I don't where these "reports" originate so I suppose we will have to see how he reacts after moving to Toronto.

It's true that a lot of the "better" teams in our division have lost a lot of punch, and some like Montreal lost most of what they had to begin with....even Ottawa has lost more than it has gained...and they cant find a coach who wants to go in there under Bryan Murray...wonder why...

I think we will see the Leafs closer to the top of our division than where we ended up last season.