Free to Dream

MEL EVANS/AP

Scott Gomez has experience scoring goals against the Ottawa Senators, something the Maple Leafs are sure to be interested in.

Paul Holmgren, it's fair to say, beat a lot of his colleagues to the punch, just as he did a few times during his NHL playing career.

Now the GM of the sad sack Flyers, Holmgren added former Predator stalwarts Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timmonen to the Philly lineup for more than $10 million per season in salary cap costs, but before other NHL teams could even get a bid in. Holmgren moved a first rounder - actually, returned a first rounder - to the Preds to get exclusive rights to negotiate with Hartnell and Timmonen before the unrestricted free agent season opens July 1st, and got the names of both on contracts.

Add Timmonen and Hartnell to a new-look Flyer core group that includes Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent, Martin Biron, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, and its fair to say fortunes are looking up in the Flyer kingdom.

This takes a couple of bodies out of the July 1st mix, but doesn't change things terribly, particularly up front where the Maple Leafs, among other clubs, will be hunting for bargains.

Sports poll
Which of the top five free agent forwards should the Maple Leafs chase? Ryan Smyth Scott Gomez Daniel Briere Chris Drury Jason Blake Results | Past Polls Speak Out

The top five free agent forwards remain Ryan Smyth, Scott Gomez, Daniel Briere, Chris Drury and Jason Blake, with the next level including Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk, Todd Bertuzzi, Ladislav Nagy, Alexei Yashin, Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie and Ruslan Fedotenko. Nobody's quite sure yet what's going on with Peter Forsberg, Gary Roberts or Brendan Shanahan.

So if you were the Leafs, who have $8-10 million to spend, and could have the pick of the crop, which free agent shooter would you gun for?

It's not easy, is it? Smyth would bring guts and all kinds of intangibles, but enough skill for $5-6 million? Is Gomez better than a 13-goal scorer? Can Briere deliver in the post-season enough to put a team over the top? Will Drury put up the same numbers elsewhere that he's put up with the flashy Sabres? Even though Blake potted 40 last season, is he just too old to spend big money on at age 33, 34 in September?

I change my mind on this question every day, but the guy who seems the best fit for the Leafs would be Gomez, a legitimate No. 2 centre behind Mats Sundin and the Swede's successor down the line.

But then again, Smyth has all that character, and Briere can sure skate, and . . .

Comments

[Bryan]

I think the Leaf's need to pick up Gordie Howe as they need a proven goal scorer.

[Alex A]

the leafs should resign colicacovo and mike peca and then sign paul kariya and curtis joseph....assuming everyone stays healthy next season this team would have enough talent to compete with any other team in the league

kariya/sundin/tucker
antropov/wellwood/poni
steen/peca/stajan
deveraux/pohl/kilger

kaberle/kubina
mccabe/coliacovo
gill/white

joseph/raycroft

and plus all those players they can fit under the salary cap and all the holes in their lineup would be filled with some actual quality players and if they can manage to trade some a defensemen like kubina,gill or white actually anyone but kaberle and replace them with stralman and/or kronwall in order to obtain some offense is another good idea and would help compensate for the fans for all the other failure offseasons where they signed the likes of allison, oneill and lindros, ageing veterans who had already passed the peaks of their careers

[David]

Why would any of the top free agents choose to play in Toronto when they can sign for similar money with teams that might actually contend. The reputation of the Leaf organization is out there for all to see. Money aside, incompetent management is not a great selling point for cream of the crop players most of whom really do want to win. On the other hand, maybe JFJ can add more third or fourth line players or overpaid defencemen as he has during his tenure as GM.

[Paul D]

The Leafs need players who are going to create chemistry and help develop the young players. for the last 2 seasons, I've thought of Wellwood as a junior version of Briere. I think it would be a very good long-term strategy to sign Briere and to have him work closely with Wellwood. The same idea could be put into practice by signing Kariya, but I think thats too typical a pick-up for Toronto. I love Kariya, but like Peca and Lindros, he's just too injury prone. Giving Joseph another kick at the can might also provide the needed mentorship that Raycroft and Pogge need. The leafs could also use a little more grit, nobody really catches my eye but someone other than Tucker and Belak needs to be in there for protection.