Late Addition

The moment for which David Steckel is famous - or infamous - is really not his calling card as an NHL player.

That moment, of course, was his collision with Sidney Crosby during last year's Winter Classic that, in combination with another hit a few days later, has derailed Crosby's brilliant career for now because of concussion issues.

Some called it an intentional, dirty play by Steckel. It wasn't. Anybody who knows anything about his career understands that if anything, he has underused his 6-foot-6 frame in terms of physical play throughout his career.

So to be a bruiser is not the reason the Leafs picked up the 29-year-old centre today from New Jersey for a fourth round pick in 2012.

What Steckel can do is take draws as well as anybody in the league, a commodity the Leafs are in short supply of these days. In particular, the left-handed shooting Steckel is useful on draws while penalty killing, and we all know how that facet of the game has been a huge challenge for Ron Wilson's club. Win a few draws while shorthanded and your chances of allowing fewer powerplay goals increases.

Steckel had the best faceoff percentage in the league last year (62.3 per cent), and could be the best draw man the Leafs have had since Yanic Perreault.

"When your team gets competitive, you're looking for small pieces," said Leafs GM Brian Burke tonight. "I'm actually pretty excited about this move. He's been on our radar for 18 months and we finally got him."

Steckel's shortcoming is his skating, and he's not an offensive player, although he was during his collegiate career at Ohio State after being drafted in the first round by the L.A. Kings back in 2001.  Unable to nail down an offensive role in the NHL, he reinvented himself as a checker and faceoff specialist.

"I like guys like that," said Burke.

At $1.1 million for this season and next, Steckel is also a little expensive for what many teams want to be paying their third and fourth liners. But the Leafs needs, both up the middle and in the faceoff circle, were significant enough they were willing to pay.

With Tim Connolly ailing, Steckel's presence frees up Tyler Bozak and/or Matthew Lombardi to play higher in the lineup in the home opener on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Mike Smith]

Damien, the Leafs are 2 non playoff years, 2 coaches, and 1 GM away from making the playoffs. Hoisting Stanley? Double or triple my playoff estimate. When the signing of Steckel is BIG news (no disrespect to you as you are reporting it as 'small' news) there is a problem. The Leafs 'may' have a good d-corps, depending on how many games Phaneuf is suspended this year but where are the goals coming from? And, when things start going nutty in December when the truth becomes self-evident...

At least you will have lots to write about.

[Stephen B]

Nice non sequitur. Don't need to have been a "physical" player through your career to commit a cheap shot.

[Aubrey]

Good move by Burke to get David Steckel. A 6'6" player with a 62.3% on faceoffs , the best in the league, will be a real asset to the Leafs.

[Gregg in Hamilton]

"I like guys like that," said Burke.

Geez, Burke, how 'bout liking guys like Seguin instead and getting those guys. Enough with boasting how great the 4th liners are.

[Gregg in Hamilton]

And Damien, I vehemently disagree with you when you say Steckel's hit on Crosby wasn't dirty. From the replay's, it seems to me he knew exactly where Crosby was and made no attempt to move out of the way.

[abecedario]

Zigomanis wouldn't have cost the Leafs a 4th round pick! There's still potential in that round, so I'm disappointed that Steckel cost the Leafs so much when they already have a comparable asset.

[KD]

Zigomanis might not be 6'6", but he's just as good a faceoff man, and already in the organization.

[Willy]

You are off the band wagon so stay off... Burke is getting it done and I will wait watch and follow. D Cox you can walk!
Willybear1960

[Gregg in Hamilton]

@abecedario and @KD: great points!!! Way to reward the hard work Zogomanis is putting in with the Marlies, Burke.

@Willy: I don't get your comment. So everyone is supposed to applaud Burke picking up another 4th liner? And I don't think D Cox criticized the move.

[PMSteve]

Cox is wrong. It was an intentional, dirty play, but then what kind of comment do you expect from a journalist like Cox who complained the other day about Shanahan's suspensions. As for Brian burke, this is not yet a competitive team. It has too many truculent players and not enough skill players.

[BillBarilko]

ok...let's review folks:

Komisarek, Steckel, Lashoff, Brown, Crabb, Connely, Kessel, Liles

Wilson, Gordon, Cronin, Burke

what we have here folks is too many Americans!!!

Burke inherited one cup and that is the total of the cups won by the above players! He is familiar with yankee players and brings in the guy that knocks out Crosby (intentional or not) is absolute BS.

Burke, take your hot-dogs, 5 of the above players and 3 of the above coaches, your fat belly and blowhard attitude and go to Boston where you want to be!!! We do not like your game and you are pushing the real hockey fans away from your team...

[palbo]

Instead of letting a young guy learn and grow into the job, Burke gives up a draft pick for a very mediocre player. I don't like this trade. I am truly starting to lose confidence in Burke. Does he know what he's doing?

[Conn Smythe]

'what we have here folks is too many Americans!!!' Do you really follow hockey? Have you seen how improved the USA Hockey Development program is? Gone are the days when USA Hockey only produced a few good players here or there. They have easily surpassed Russia as Canada's rival. Now if you are saying that we have too many of the wrong Americans, I agree completely.

[Johnny the Juice]

"When your team gets competitive" - excuse me? When have the Leafs been competitive in the past 6 years?

[Geoff Read]

I've watched the tape repeatedly - it was intentional. You might be the accidental contact excuse if it weren't for the fact that Steckel braces himself and leans into Crosby's head as they collide.

But Burke likes "that kind of player." He liked Todd Bertuzzi too. Will he be picking Sean Avery up off waivers next?

[Peter]

@BillBarilko,
Burke inherited a cup? Really? From who, I wonder? The great Brian Murray who pretty much drove the Senaturds into the ground. lol
I'm sure all you armchair GMs would have done a much better job with the Leafs, not.

[Chris]

True, Zigomanis could have done the same job -- and, would be quicker on the forecheck. But, he's from the Toronto area, played in the OHL and is not over-sized. Hence, he'll have a hard time cracking the line up.

If a player isn't American, and/or played in U.S. College, he better be the next Gretzky to crack this 11th place squad.

[Dan]

It's sad how the Leafs are turning into Team USA

[Alex in Southampton]

"When your team gets competitive, you look for the small pieces". Is this a joke? This team? competitive?
And getting this guy "frees up Bozak to play higher"? Only reason Bozak will now play higher is that this new guy is even worse than Bozak.
How long must we suffer Burke and his non-moves?

[Nik Cooloman]

@ BillBarilko, funny but who you forget to mention are: Bozak, Armstrong, Lupul, Phanuef, Franson, Aulie, Colburn, Kadri, Lombardi, Dudley, Nonis, Fletcher, Poulin, Allaire, Frattin, MacArthur........ALL Canadian.....Wilson was born in Canada. One other thing in relation to Wilson, Burke never signed him as a coach, Fletcher did.....

@ Mike Smith, Our GM has a Stanley Cup ring, A silver medal at the Olympics....You??? Our GM inherited a team where Matt Stajan was our number one centre and Antropov was our number 2.....Go back on wikipedia...Look at the roster he inherited and tell me what you could have done better in 3 and half years???? Because I see a much improved farm system, a much improved roster which with time will show results....

[Chris]

Watch the replay. Steckel tries to avoid Crosby.

What's with everybody blaming Steckel? Hedman's hit was far dirtier and was the one that put him out. Who is to say that Steckel's hit was the one that put Crosby out for this long? The last time I checked, the medical doctors at Crosby's press conference said that if a player suffers a second concussion very close to the first concussion the symptoms are amplified.

Too many Americans? I remember when people said the Red Wings had too many Swedes. The Americans were the only team to go undefeated in regulation in the last Olympics and did so with a roster that wasn't even supposed to medal. That was Burke's blueprint on display.

David Steckel got 26 PIMS last year and 19 the year before. Goons typically get that in a game or two.

Some of you know very little about hockey so let me walk you through it.

- The Leafs' PK has been a big time contributing factor to their poor performance in the past years.

- Whenever a team gets a penalty the faceoff is in their defensive zone.

- If you win the first faceoff you a) Prevent the other team from getting possession of the puck and setting up their PP b) Can fire the puck down the ice which takes valueable seconds off the clock and c) force the other team to gain the zone before they set up their PP which is more difficult than doing so after a faceoff.

Steckel won't fix the Leafs coverage on the PK but he will hopefully reduce the amount of time the other team has possession in the d zone when they kill penalties. If this happens it will be yet another step in reducing the goals against.

The Leafs don't need a superstar. They need to keep the puck out of their own net. The Bruins proved that last year. Not one player on the Bruins got more points than MacArthur or Kessel and they won the Stanley Cup because they could keep the puck out of their net. It's not all PK but it's a big part.

[Craiger]

@BillBarilko: wrong. everything you wrote. just wrong...

[Chop]

PM Steve is right. Burke is committed, on purpose or not, on making this team as american as possible. Now I don't think this has some bad motive, it's just that he's more familiar with college players + from his experience in the US olympic board. But I think you win Cups with Canadians around 60% of your lineup, sorry. This is the Toronto Americans.

[Wade]

I won't say we have "too many" Americans, but I would say the fact that we now have the most in the league (subtracting Lashoff but keeping Crabb) -- tied with Buffalo I believe -- has to be notable. Why doesn't this get more mention? If it was Swedes or Russians it probably would. Also agree with those who think Zigo can do this job just as well, and is a better skater.

[Doc]

Not just Americans but crappy run of the mill Americans and US college players. How does this shuffling of the second class deck chairs help anything.
Time for the American brain trust to get out of dodge