The Future

As we near the end of another season I feel the need to point out some highlights.

Starting with our future...Christian Hanson is already a welcome new addition, and Tyler Bozak will come in next training camp and prove all the drafters of past years wrong...I hope...

Poni had a great season even though we traded Antropov away. Grabovski broke the 20 goal mark in his rookie season. Kulemin has shown major progress towards his development to the North American ice surfaces. His forecheck has become a major part of his game. Hagman has scored 20 goals even though he missed 20 games due to injuries. I hope he can remain healthy next season as he is a major workhorse on every shift. Blake had a much improved season. He and Moore had some great chemistry before Burke traded Moore away...and how could he not...Moore was asking for the moon...nice try Dom...Burke is not JFJ. Blake looks like he is having fun on the Leafs team this year...and I think it has a lot to do with the change in the room. All the players who felt they had "the right" to be Leafs are gone. What's left are a group of youngsters competing for jobs with a few good vets in place for leadership. Toskala had a terrible season that he put down to injury...but with his surgery this summer, he should be 100% next season...let's hope for the best.

Whatever happens over the summer will surely make the Leafs even more dangerous next season. No one is expecting the Leafs to compete next season again. They are expected to continue the rebuild. And so they might...but I see the competitive fires burning in Burke...and I think we will pick up a FA and maybe even another big college guy before long (Gilroy?).

It's a no lose situation...which is great...Leaf games have been very entertaining for just that reason....and we'll get 82+ more next season.

Go Leafs!

The Leafs grow a pair

yes...they lost...bad...but we finally grew a pair and kicked some Hab ass...and it's about time!

Brad May joined the ranks and basically became a steamroller knocking over anyone with a Ch on their chest last night...

and little Grabovski continued his feud with the brothers Kostitsyn...and in a brilliant moment of clarity...he gave a double F-U to the entire crowd at the Bell centre!..wow!

When asked about the rivalry he stated :

"If he wants to fight, we'll go in the street and every minute of every day I'll wait for him and we'll fight."

That's what I'm talkin about!

a side note about the Brad May trade...he was traded for a conditional 6th round pick...a lot of people were all up in arms about this saying that Burke is trading away our future for a goon...well..now we know the "conditions" of the pick...and they make Burke look like a genius.

The conditions are that the Leafs will have to give the Ducks the 6th rd pick IF May resigns with us before July 1st of 2009. That means that if he doesn't resign, or resigns AFTER July 1st (ie. July 2nd) then we got him for this season for free!

Not bad Burkie...bring in some muscle and leadership and get it for free.

JFJ would have given May 3.5 mill and a no movement...and then would have sent the Ducks our next 2 1st rounders...lol

History is made...and The Comeback (almost) Kids

Steve says:

OBAMA-RAMA!

down 3-0....we get 1

then down 4-1...and we storm back to tie it

a goal by Blake is called back (early whistle)

only to have a shot from the point go in past a screened Toskala.

Another painful loss after a storybook comeback.

Seems these guys love to bounce back in the 2nd period.

That Grabovski / Kulemin / Hagman line is deadly!