New beginning

Just when you thought it was safe to close down your so-called "blog" and run off to the golf course ... (actually we "prefer electronic diary correspondence"). Well, yesterday we sure liked those Senators, with Marian Hossa signed for 3 years, the core of a very good, young team was in tact.

Little did we know.

We also said yesterday that Hossa's signing was bad news for the Leafs, thinking the balance of power in Ontario is shifting. Does this trade worry Leafs fans? The balance is still moving to the east and fast. Though Jeff O'Neill thinks Leaf Nation should be patient.

"Frankly, to hear people already saying we will miss the playoffs, well, that's ridiculous."

We hope you're right, Mr. O'Neill...and welcome to the chaotic centre of the hockey universe. Click the comments link below and tell us what you think about the Heatley deal and, as always, the Maple Leafs.

So who does John Muckler think he is? A savvy general manager?

Dany Heatley is granted his reasonable request for a fresh start, Atlanta gets an awesome player in Hossa (Hossa and Kovalchuk - who will score more goals? Discuss) and the Senators pick up Heatley, who's history we all know, on the ice and off. Ottawa sure hopes Heatley can be the player he seemed destined to be before his car accident. Looks like the Thrashers think otherwise.

Over to Buffalo, where it's been quiet this summer. Too quiet. But with more cap room than Kevin Mench, the Sabres might be ready to make their move. Just 'cause we all like Leafs rumours, Ken Klee's name has popped up.

The Penguins, the antithesis of the Sabres after all those ping pong balls and expensive signings, are not all sign and keep and celebrate after all. Aleksey Morozov and hot prospect Evgeni Malkin likely won't be in Pittsburgh this season.

"It doesn't look good at all," says agent Pat Brisson.

Finally, speaking of not looking good, today we hope to get a look at our first nasty arbitration case (thanks a lot Ottawa Senators) when Roberto Luongo and the Florida Panthers battle for some loot. Apparently, the rising star didn't like GM Mike Keenan's 4-year offer.

"I'm biased, obviously, but if I was in Roberto's shoes, I would have accepted it," said Keenan.

Yes, Mr. Keenan. You are biased. Good luck today.

Comments

[kyou]

If JFJ is going through with his plans about getting younger players and not signing older players eg. (Mogilny, Nieuwendyk, Roberts, Selanne) here are 2 great opportunities to do it. I am talking about Morozov who is 28 and has very good offensive skills and would become their 2nd best winger (after O'neill) if they got him. The other guys which they could get if the rumours about Klee are true is goaltender Mika Noronen, The Leafs need a goalie next year after Belfour is gone and here is a young goaltender who may turn out to be a very good starter (think about Kiprusoff last year) and although Klee is solid, well the Leafs really don't have much else to trade with and he is over 30.

[Bo Sedore]

hossa not worth disrupting salary scale for and devries overpaid heatley will be okay and who will give hossa and kovolchuk the puck with heatley gone?

[Ken66]

Its funny how everyone is bad-mouthing Hossa while praising Heatley that he is better than Hossa.

Well, people have to stop blaming Hossa for asking for so much money. Its the other players who have set the market values.
Hossa's stats: last 5 seasons: 56, 75, 66, 80, 82 = 359ponits. Playoffs: 51 games 34 points.
Nash who only has 2 years of experience had 39& 57 points.
Lecavalier's point totals over last 5 years are: 67, 51, 37, 78, 66 = 299points, playoffs: 34games 22points.
Thornton's point totals last 5yrs: 60, 71, 68, 101, 73= 373, playoffs: 35 games, 18 point.
Based on this Hossa is much better than nash and lecavalier in the regular season and is comparable to Lecavalier and Thornton in the playoffs.

Hossa is getting: 5mil, 6mil, 7mil
Lecavalier gets 4 yr deal at 6.8million/year
Nash is getting: 5 yr deal at 3.5mil, 4.5mil, 5.5mil, 6.5mil, 7mil.
Thornton is getting: 3yr deal at 6.66mil/yr

So all these contracts are pretty similar. True, he is not Iginla, but then again, neither are these 3 guys either but they are all getting Iginla money.
So if you were Hossa wouldn't you think you deserve close to that kind of money??
Or maybe he doesn't receive the credit for his skills cause he is European ?

[denial]

Keenan is more than biased; he's insane. Not because he wants to face off against Luongo, but because of the WAY that he's doing it. Keenan isn't motivated by prudent financial spending. He's a raving tyrant of a manager/coach and this is his way of showing the Panthers that he's the boss. It's about ego, not about money.

Of course, in Keenan's world, that's fine -- ego is the difference between winning and losing. But Keenan doesn't have to look to far down the interstate to see what the Devil Ray's are doing to their tyrant, Pinella. The raving testosterone lunatic thing only works when you win. And we all know that the Panther's can't really do that for a few years. Keenan will be gone before the All Star break, and would have been replaced by Paul Maurice if he hadn't already been promised Quinn's job. Then things here will change.

I don't think it's legal to call John Muckler "saavy". He's more of a craft veteran type; like Donald Rumsfeld, but with ethics and thicker glasses.

Just as Senators fans begin to feel good about themselves (not having much of a memory will do that to you), remember that expectations in Atlanta are still "we want to get some playoff experience as a franchise". In Ottawa, they need to make it to the finals or it'll be a failure of a season. Players react weirdly under that kind of pressure, and it's usually bad-weird.

Wonderful to hear that O'Neil has already begun calling tens of thousands of leaf fans who have supported this team for longer than he's been alive "ridiculous". Sounds like he's already taken the 1-part Tie Dome Homestudy Course in Public Relations. I wonder if it's mandatory by this point. Can't wait for Eric to start sounding sanctimonious.

[John Newton]

I think the Leafs are Okay at the moment, but with Heatley going to the Sens at age 24 and with 181 points in just 190 games that he has played, he is a definite points-per-game guy for the Sens. This move pushes the Sens at the level of Excellent. Think about it, Heatley and Alfredsson playing on the same line with (whoever they want) against Tucker, Sundin, O'Neil - that's a disaster.

Bottom Line: The Leafs have depth at goaltending, depth at defense, but what they truly need is a LEFT WINGER, I don't care if it's a no-name guy that gets paid $100,000 or a guy that gets paid $3 Million and takes up the rest of the cap room. I mean do you honestly want Darcy Tucker to start in the first line? I think you would want him to protect Lindros and let someone else play with Sundin and O'Neil. Think about it, Sundin and O'Neil could make a no-name LW into a star simply by giving him good passes which result in good scoring chances.

[nucksfan]

Are leafs fans in sever denial again? Are you fans out there in leafs nation still pondering why some of the UFA's did NOT sign on with TO (with the exception of Lindros and Allison maybe - two questionable picks at best)? An unrestricted free agent no longer goes to the team that simply gives them the most money (such as why the leafs signed so many RFAs over the past few years). They sign on with teams, at a reduced market value in most cases, that they feel are either a good fit for their style of play (Selanne in Anaheim) or have a good chance of going far in the playoffs and could win the whole thing. That is, quite simply, why players are avoiding Toronto like a bad cold and are signing on with other teams. Case in point - the reason Carter is in Vancouver and not Toronto is Vancouver has a much better chance at winning and has a style that is better suited for him. Toronto even offered him more money! As long as the leafs are signing players like Domi and Tucker and putting them on the first or second line you will not have a reasonable chance at success.

As for Dany Heatley going to Ottawa - ouch!!! - what a great pick up. This guy is going to be awesome and when you do the math on the salary that Ottawa is saving, not to mention getting a better player in return, than it is kinda hard not to think this was a steal for Muckler.

Since there will be no playoffs for Toronto this year (sorry...) I truly hope that the leafs fans support the Canucks as they march all the way to the finals. The Stanley Cup parade will be down Robson St this year (that's in Vancouver folks....) and you are all invited to come and celebrate!!!!

Good luck leafs and nucks....can't wait to start watching some hockey again.

[denial]

If the teachers pension plan had allowed JFJ to buyout some deadwood and free up some cap room, you could have LeClair -- a pure goal scorer who snaps defensemen in half on his way to the net -- on the wing with Sundin and O'Neil.

As for Tucker... again, one of the Domi-approved tantrum throwing wingers that leaf fans who are in more denial than me call "a player with heart". A player with heart doesn't elbow opponents with 8 minutes to go in the 3rd down a goal. That's not heart, that's a nerve disorder. He also doesn't pull a Nicholson-from-the-Shining (a.k.a. a "Fleury") whenever a ref has the audacity to get him off for commiting an infraction that had all 17,000 people in the seats -- even the platinum weasels -- and a million more on TV cringing with "my God, I wish this guy was on some other team so I could hate him for being such an embarassment". Now we know what the Av's and Devils fans felt when they had to pretend to cheer for Claude Lemieux.

John, I like the idea of a no-name guy on the wing who can get 30 goals simply by putting the small part of the stick on the ice. If we can't find anyone, why not begin the thawing of Bill Derlago?

[Tony]

Marc savard, Bobby Holik, and Patric Steffan can all give the puck to Kovolcuk and Hossa. Definitly a better trade for Atlanta.Sens will continue to lose to the Leafs when it is all on the line. While we will beat Philly. "Heatley and Alfredsson playing on the same line with (whoever they want) against Tucker, Sundin, O'Neil - that's a disaster." I have thought about it no contest: Leafs win.

[mm]

Again another Canucks fan on about something or another. You ask us to help Cheer on the 'Nucks'? Please. Why would we waste or time and energy doing that? Not one Canuck fan would ever say anything positive about the Leafs. All you want to do is make cuts to the team and its fans. We'll here is a news flash...It's a game..and some years certian teams play better then others...there are many resons for this least of which is foresight (which the TML front office has been absent of). Remember this, when you guys sucked all through the mid 90's you could hardly sell out a game (not to mention even getting the seats half full) unless the Leafs were in town. You so called 'fans' deserted the team much more so than any other real hockey town would have. Hey, we haven't won a cup in years...and every year we hope and pray...but no matter what (those dismal years in the 70s, 80s, 90s) the fans have backed this team. So go cheer on your Cannot's and brag about your great line (which you do have) hope and pray your goalie doesn't suck again in the playoffs but most of all keep that kayak and hackysack on standby because in a few years you will be caring more about them again then you will about your team come rebuiding time!