Posts tagged kulemin
7 Reasons #84 Should Stay
Jul 26th
Editor’s Note: There’s been a lot of discussion amongst fans whether it’s in the comments, or forums or Twitter or things like that which state the Leafs should trade Mikhail Grabovski, and that he’s expendable with the acquisitions of guys like Kris Versteeg, or that he can be packaged with Tomas Kaberle for a greater return or things like that. This is a post I made way back in April, one of my first here at LHQ, stating why we should keep Grabovski, at least for one more season. Pretty much all of the points still stand. Enjoy.
Whether it’s TSN’s Off-Season Game Plan or just another thread on the HF Boards, the consensus is that Mikhail Grabovski could be shipped out of town. But why?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think he’s the greatest offensive stud or an answer to any position longterm, I don’t think he’s going to score 30 goals or dish 50 assists, I don’t think he has any shot at ever topping 55 points in a season. I don’t really like his cap hit, his contract, his attitude or his ethic. I don’t like his defense, his rushes or even his hair. But put all those negatives aside, and Mikhail Grabovski is a guy who could be integral in helping the Maple Leafs reach the playoffs next season. How?
Here’s how: More >
My Five Outrageous Predictions
Jul 23rd
Well, its late July. Nobody’s signing contracts, and training camp hasn’t started yet. The fascination with rookie camp is at its low point until it begins its merger with training camp hype, and there are no decent players that are rumored to be on the market (like, legitimate rumors, not the “OMG GUY ISN’T SIGNED YET HE MUST BE UNHAPPY” ones). Hell, its so slow that I looked to HFBoards in the middle of the night yesterday, saw a thread about Boyd Devereaux signing with the Leafs on the first page, said to myself “makes sense”, and went to lie down without realizing that the post was from 2006, and that someone found the thread 4 years later to bash him for scoring a that 82nd game hat trick, baiting many people into believing he signed last night, myself included.
Death By Kovalchuk?
Jul 20th
Sometimes being a fan of an NHL team is a lot like being a ten year old kid in front of a candy shop. You see that treat that you desperately want but then mom comes into play and says: “You can’t have it!”. She of course knows it’s not good, healthy for you to eat gummy bears, but you can’t be persuaded. You like sweets. I know some of you would like to have seen No17 glide down the ice with that blistering speed or burry one on the PP but it all comes with a price. As much as I’ve been against the Kovalchuk deal in the past, I’d like it too. What? You didn’t think I was impressed by his all world offensive talent. I’ve watched this kid since he came to the league as a No1 draft pick. I’ve even watched him play for Bars Kazan during the lockout and am well aware what he’s capable of. Also, his winning pedigree isn’t stellar in the NHL but is very good on the international stage. So, I’m looking to ask one question. Should we have paid that price? This one is about the current Kovalchuk deal and how it would affect the Leafs had we been in the mix and eventually won his over signature. I will also try to look the current and future NJ situation just to get a better, more objective view on the impact of his deal.
Impending Doom Through the Looking Glass
Jul 18th
If the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs have under two-million in cap space currently isn’t scary enough for a team that just finished 29th in the league this past season, perhaps the fact that it only gets worse from here once the team actually truly hopes to be competitive should scare off some of you.
What I mean when I say it only gets worse is that the Leafs are gonna be entering a bit of a logjam at the end of the 2011-2012 season. At this point in time the Maple Leafs will be forced to deal with inking new contracts for old players, being forced to resign the likes of potentially key free agents Kris Versteeg, Nikolai Kulemin, Jonas Gustavsson, Francois Beauchemin, Keith Aulie, Korbinian Holzer, Jussia Rynnas and Marcel Mueller among others.
Defending Burke and the Kessel Trade! Part 3 of 3
Jul 3rd
First off, I apologize that it took me so long to get to my 3rd article, just didn’t have that much time to write it properly, as I was out of town last weekend, and this week was quite the hectic week. Thank you for being patient!
Now, you already know that the first two reasons why I defended the trade of the 2nd overall selection were having both Phil Kessel, and Nazem Kadri on the team. The 3rd reason why I defend the Burke trade, is a different reason. It is not just one player, in fact it is having Brian Burke as the GM. I don’t think people realize how lucky we are to have a GM like this, I personally remember what it was like before him, and it wasn’t good. When was the last time we had a GM who would make blockbuster trades for players in their PRIME (key word), and bring them onto our team. When was the last time we as Leafs fans were constantly excited because we knew every single day the team could change for the better. I know that some people disagree with the moves that Burke has made, however, you cannot deny the fact that unlike a lot of GM’s in the league he is doing his best and being proactive to not only try to get the best team on the ice that he can, but also to win a Stanley Cup. That is what I love about him, he doesn’t care if people will disagree with his moves, he will not do anything unless he thinks it is the best move for the Toronto Maple Leafs having the best chance they can to win the Stanley Cup. He doesn’t just sit around, he is continuously doing the best he can, and looking at ALL OPTIONS, and because of the fact that he does that, to me it doesn’t matter that he traded away the 2nd overall selection. Because he really has more than made up for that. Just look at the other moves he made, that if he were not Brian Burke, would have never happened for the Leafs.
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