In his final address to the media on Tuesday, Roberto Luongo affirmed that he would waive his no-trade clause if Vancouver Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis ask him to.

Obviously mad and disappointed about the way things were handled in the playoffs (he was replaced by Corey Schneider after an 0-2 start vs the Kings), Luongo won’t be returning to Vancouver next season.

We all know that Brian Burke will be shopping for a top goalie this summer, and since Luongo is locked up for the next 10 years, at a cap hit of a little over 5M$ per season, it is very possible that the asking price won’t be as steep as one might believe for the 33 years old goaltender. Of course, the Leafs would have to sacrifice one or two key players, but Toronto has so many defenceman that I wouldn’t mind trading Luongo for a 2 good defencemen and a good prospect.

Obviously the Canucks will look to hit a homerun in a trade that will happen for sure. However, I don’t think many teams will be ready to jump the gun on a goalie that his signed for the next 10 years.

Personnally, I believe he would be a good fit in a team that desperately needs a #1 goalie. At 5M$ on average per season, it is unlikely to find a better goalie than Luongo. Let’s face it, he is an unbeliveable goaltender, who won a gold medal for our country.

In the playoffs, he was pretty good, but not great. However, he is a great goalie and I am sure he could help the Leafs finally reach the playoffs.

What do you think?

• By Manny Frag
• April 24, 2012
• Comment

It is no surprise that GM Brian Burke has decided to fire head coach Ron Wilson. Wilson will be replaced by Randy Carlyle who was looking for a job since the Anaheim Ducks thanked him for his services earlier this season.

Randy Carlyle and all the Leafs Nation must be very happy about that news, since Carlyle won the cup with Brian Burke, in Anaheim, in 2007.

Wilson was not tender last tuesday in regards to his GM, about him not making a move at the trade deadline, and it seems that Burke`s patience came to an end after 6 lost in a row.

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• By Manny Frag
• March 2, 2012
• Comment

I recently had the opportunity to discuss with a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ hockey management, and he was clear on one thing.

“Burke and the boys are looking for a big time center. If we can’t get him through a trade before the deadline, we will definitely go after a no.1 center this summer.”

He wouldn’t tell me exactly who they were after, but we all know Brian Burke had a meeting last week, in New York, with the Columbus Blue Jackets’ GM. Yesterday, Burke told James Cybulski, of TSN Radio, that he had no concrete offer on the table for Rick Nash. I think the message is clear: the Leafs are after Jeff Carter, who finally seems to be playing up to his talent lately.

When I mentioned the name of Ryan Getzlaf, my source’s seemed delighted. “Ryan would be a perfect fit for us. He is big, fast, with a ton of skills. If he is available, 29 teams would go after him, and I’m sure we’d be one of them.”

Ryan Getzlaf still has one year on his contract with the Ducks, so I guess we can expect them to hold onto him until the draft. But if the Leafs can’t get a big #1 center until then, Burke will go agressively after Ryan Getzlaf

• By Manny Frag
• February 23, 2012
• Comment

With the recent struggles of the Toronto Maple Leafs -they are 1-5 in their last 6 games- many fans of the Leafs would like to see a new goaltender enter the ACC for the white and blue.

At moments during this season, both James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson have been incredible, but lately, both goalies are in a slump and can’t seem to play up to par. With the 8th spot in the East slowly slipping away from the Leafs, a change needs to be done, but will it be in front of the net?

A few very good goaltenders are available at different prices. Jonathan Bernier, the LA Kings backup, is absolutely ready to be a #1 in the NHL, but the emergence of Jonathan Quick over the past few years has prevented him from doing so. At 23, Bernier is a goaltender for the future but you can be sure the Kings won’t let him go for nothing. They are implicated in a playoff race in the West and you can bet they will ask for some assets, most likely top forwards, who can help their team right away. I don’t think Brian Burke is ready to trade a top-6 forward for a goalie, because the lack of offence would handicap his chances of making the playoffs.

Jaroslav Halak could also be on the market, since Brian Elliott is absolutely on fire this season. However, the same goes for the Blues, and they would probably ask for someone who can play right away. Plus, I doubt they would trade him, just in case Elliott doesn’t do the job in the playoffs. Halak had an unbelieveable run in the 2009 playoffs, bringing the very mediocre Montreal Canadiens to a Conference final.

Cam Ward and Brian Schneider could also be on the trading block, and the asking price for one or the other would most likely be prospects and draft picks, for completely opposite reasons.

Honestly though, I just don’t see Brian Burke making a move for a goalie, as he has 2 very competent goaltenders who need to be more regular. Look for Burke to go after a top-6 forward. He had a not so secret meeting with Howson, the Columbus GM, where we now know that Rick Nash and Jeff Carter are available. Obviously they could be discussing about Antoine Vermette or Derick Brassard, but I really think Brian Burke will go for another blockbuster to help his team finally make the playoffs.

• By Manny Frag
• February 20, 2012
• Comment

A few nights ago, on his birthday, Mikhail Grabovsky played an amazing game, compiling 2 goals and 1 assist for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

However, with less than a minute left in the game, Mikhail Grabovski tried to score his hat-trick goal from his own blue line, as the other net was left vacant for an extra skater. The play resulted in a center ice turnover and eventually to the tying goal for the Penguins. The Leafs then lost the game in a shootout, and were credited with only one point.

After the game, the Leafs’ coach Ron Wilson, blamed Grabovski for that attempt. In reality, Grabo should have cleared the red line and then go for the empty net. He was rushed by Letang and couldn’t complete his hat-trick.

It is well konwn that the Leafs are looking for a big forward for their playoff push, and with his recent brain cramp, Grabovski could be on the trade block. His value is going up everyday, as he is currently on fire, and a team looking for a young asset could very well be interested in him.

The recent feud between 84 and his coach could be the final episode GM Brian Burke needed to trade him away.

• By Manny Frag
• February 2, 2012
• Comment

With the return of Colby Armstrong and John-Michael Liles in the lineup for the Maple Leafs against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, general manager Brian Burke has decided to send Nazem Kadri and Keith Aulie to the Toronto Marlies, in the AHL.

Kadri has been less than impressive, registering no points and a -2 differential in his last 5 games. He also looked kind of bad on a shootout attempt versus Marc-André Fleury in tuesday’s lost against Pittsburgh.

Keith Aulie hadn’t laced the skates since January 17th, so it was obvious he was the odd man out when Liles would come back to action.

The Leafs will welcome the energy and offensive skills of both Armstrong and Liles, after they collapsed in the third period last night, against the same opponent they are facing tonight.

Action starts at 7:30, live from the ACC

• By Manny Frag
• February 1, 2012
• Comment

A few weeks ago via twitter, the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke, confirmed what most Leafs’ fans already knew. He is not the kind of businessman to wait to the last second in order to get a player and most likely overpay for that asset.

In fact, Brian Burke likes to make his moves a few weeks before the trade deadline, to get a fair price for a player, and stay away from a bidding war.

It is well known that the Leafs are looking for a big forward to compliment their talented forwards. The name of Rick Nash was recently mentioned in a trade rumor concerning the Leafs. However, Burke, who usually tells it how it is, wasted no time denying the rumor, saying that he has never spoke to the Blue Jackets’ GM concerning Nash, but he didn’t say that he wasn’t shopping for another Blue Jackets.

Now, Jeff Carter is not exactly living up to expectations in Columbus with his production of 10 goals and 17 points. It’s obvious that the big Canadian does more than fill the net during a game, but with his huge contract - $5,272,727 cap hit through 2022 -, it is possible that the Jackets would be ready to trade him, even if they just traded for him last summer. Keep in mind that Carter’s no-trade clause kicks in only for the 2012-13 season…

The asking price would be steep, but put in Grabovski and a solid defenceman like Komisarek or Schenn, and I am sure that Scott Howson, the Jackets’ GM would listen.

I personally believe Jeff Carter would be a great fit for the Leafs, and I would like to see such a trade happen.

What do you think?

• By Manny Frag
• January 31, 2012
• Comment
• 3

It appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs have faith in the rehabilitation of their defenceman John-Michael Liles, who has missed the last 15 games because of a concussion. In deed, Brian Burke offered a 4 years contract extension to @hoosierjm26 in spite of his injury. Hopefully his concussion isn’t serious enough to keep him out of the game for a long period of time…but then again, we never know with concussions!!

Source: Pierre Lebrun twitter account

• By Manny Frag
• January 25, 2012
• Comment

Two years ago, at the trade deadline, Brian Burke let every GM in the NHL, and all the medias for that matter, that Luke Schenn was an untouchable. A week ago, Burke didn’t hold the same speech. He told Luke Schenn he couldn’t promise him that he wouldn’t be traded.

It is no surprise that Luke Schenn, who was a 5th overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft, could be on the trading block. Luke Schenn’s best offensive season was last season when he registered 5 goals and 22 points, in 82 games. Even if his offensive skills aren’t his greatest assets, its is obvious that Schenn doesn’t live up to the expectations defensively either as he has been a healthy scratch a few times this season.

The Leafs had a great start of this 2011-12 season, but once again their balloon seems to be deflating and it is well known that Brian Burke is looking for a big forward to add some weight on that smallish unit. Don’t be surprise to see Schenn or even another young prospect, Nazem Kadri, who is an healthy scratch tonight, pack their bags for another city.

Nazem Kadri, who was the 1st pick of the Maple Leafs in 2009- 7th overall- is also disappointing the leafs’ management in big part because of his work ethics. He does have alot of offensive skills but doesn’t seem to improve himself enough in other dimensions of the games, which just doesn’t fly in the NHL.

A team who is looking to get younger could be asking for Schenn or Kadri but expect the price to be pretty steep, especially for Schenn. However, it is well known that Brian Burke doesn’t mind trading prospects or draft picks for established players, so don’t be surprise to see either of the two young Leafs leaving the team before february 27th.

• By Manny Frag
• January 17, 2012
• Comment

At the start of the season there was a lot of optimism coming from Leaf Nation for the first time since the pre-lockout era, mainly due to the sudden rise of young goaltender James Reimer at the tail end of last season.

Fast forward to the start of the current season, with Reimer at the helm the Leafs came out of the gate hot going 4-0-1. During the Leafs October 22 game against the Habs, Reimer was clipped by Montreal forward Brian Gionta and hasn’t been back on the ice since with no tangible update from management. A couple of days ago, rumours started flowing around the internet stating that the leafs were in fact shopping for goaltending help. The names that have been thrown around coming to Toronto are Vancouver backup Cory Schneider and troubled Islander goalie Evgeni Nabokov. With the current tandem of Ben Scrivens and the Monster leading the Leafs to only a .500 record since Reimer got hurt, is it time to hit the panic button?

• By Disarm
• November 17, 2011
• Comment
• 3