Aulie to TBay for Carter Ashton

[sneakyray]

he kinda sounds like kulemin...you know...last year!

 

[gunnar36]

I am disappointed that we are losing Aulie.  It's not often that you get a defenceman with his combination of size and mobility.  I thought last year he looked amazing paired with Phaneuf and he seemed to have that ability to easily separate the opposing forward from the puck.... he also showed a bit of a mean streak and appeared that he could be a shut down guy for them for years to come.  He did struggle a little this year at training camp and hasn't quite looked as comfortable as last season but I'm sure he will get over the 'sophomore' struggles.

I haven't seen Ashton play enough to make a fair assessment of the trade but I still think that this is one that they will regret having made in the future.

 

[Bender]

Tony Ambrogio ‏ @SNTonyAmbrogio
Leafs Dir. of player Personnel Rick Dudley says play of defencemen Korbinian Holzer and Jesse Blacker allowed them to deal Aulie. #sntrade

God I hope so. I liked Aulie.

I've heard non-Leafs management/coaches speak very well of Holzer.

I don't have a huge problem with this deal but I'll say again: our defense is our weakest link, and Aulie looked pretty good in his callups.  So they'd better be right on Holzer and Blacker.

I don't know what games you've been watching but he was one of the worst defensemen in training camp this year and has been average at best, terrible at worst for the Marlies this year. Looking at the stats that PPP posted some time ago actually proved that Aulie dragged down Phaneuf to some extent when paired with him.

We've got Blacker, Holzer in the A and Percy in the O. He was very far down on the depth chart. Ashton on the other hand was rated as TB's top prospect in the Hockey News in November (or whatever it was).

You can criticize the deal all you want, but according to pretty much EVERYBODY involved, this was a good deal for both teams with the Leafs getting the prospect that has better upside. Nevermind the fact that this move addresses organizational need.

Organizational need?  The need of the organization I've been watching is for a defenseman who can actually play defense. Aulie is a big guy who has the tools and size to play the kind of game we need on the back end.

Maybe Holzer can too and maybe Blacker can. I'm just saying bb better be right on this.

Sure, I understand you can`t teach size, but at the end of the day you take the player with higher potential. Carter Ashton, according to pretty much every source, is that player. He`s a big, possible power forward type, which the team also needs. I think these types of players are harder to acquire than stay at home defensive defensemen.

 

[WalterSobchak]

Rather pleased with this transaction.

I hope Ashton doesn't get promoted to the big team until Wilson is let go though. 

 

[ZBBM]

Tony Ambrogio ‏ @SNTonyAmbrogio
Leafs Dir. of player Personnel Rick Dudley says play of defencemen Korbinian Holzer and Jesse Blacker allowed them to deal Aulie. #sntrade

God I hope so. I liked Aulie.

I've heard non-Leafs management/coaches speak very well of Holzer.

I don't have a huge problem with this deal but I'll say again: our defense is our weakest link, and Aulie looked pretty good in his callups.  So they'd better be right on Holzer and Blacker.

I don't know what games you've been watching but he was one of the worst defensemen in training camp this year and has been average at best, terrible at worst for the Marlies this year. Looking at the stats that PPP posted some time ago actually proved that Aulie dragged down Phaneuf to some extent when paired with him.

We've got Blacker, Holzer in the A and Percy in the O. He was very far down on the depth chart. Ashton on the other hand was rated as TB's top prospect in the Hockey News in November (or whatever it was).

You can criticize the deal all you want, but according to pretty much EVERYBODY involved, this was a good deal for both teams with the Leafs getting the prospect that has better upside. Nevermind the fact that this move addresses organizational need.

Organizational need?  The need of the organization I've been watching is for a defenseman who can actually play defense. Aulie is a big guy who has the tools and size to play the kind of game we need on the back end.

Maybe Holzer can too and maybe Blacker can. I'm just saying bb better be right on this.

Sure, I understand you can`t teach size, but at the end of the day you take the player with higher potential. Carter Ashton, according to pretty much every source, is that player. He`s a big, possible power forward type, which the team also needs. I think these types of players are harder to acquire than stay at home defensive defensemen.

I'm not arguing about who has the higher potential, nor that we don't need a power forward.  I'm just saying that trading away a good defensive asset when the big team's defense has been horrible strikes me as ill-considered.  Again, all the concern goes away IF they are right about Holzer and/or Blacker.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I'm not arguing about who has the higher potential, nor that we don't need a power forward.  I'm just saying that trading away a good defensive asset when the big team's defense has been horrible strikes me as ill-considered.  Again, all the concern goes away IF they are right about Holzer and/or Blacker.

Or if you're wrong about Aulie.

 

[ZBBM]

Also, I have major problems with the dude's name.  "Carton Ashton" sounds like an investment brokerage.  "Zach Kassian" reeks of sociopathy.

 

[ZBBM]

I'm not arguing about who has the higher potential, nor that we don't need a power forward.  I'm just saying that trading away a good defensive asset when the big team's defense has been horrible strikes me as ill-considered.  Again, all the concern goes away IF they are right about Holzer and/or Blacker.

Or if you're wrong about Aulie.

You mean if me and Stevie Y are wrong.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I'm not arguing about who has the higher potential, nor that we don't need a power forward.  I'm just saying that trading away a good defensive asset when the big team's defense has been horrible strikes me as ill-considered.  Again, all the concern goes away IF they are right about Holzer and/or Blacker.

I'll add though, that Aulie didn't exactly show that well this season either. I think it has more to do with a lot of those variables. Aulie's performance, Gardiner's emergence, Holzer and Blacker's development and a lack of a quality power forward prospect. They also brought in a seemingly decent replacement (Fraser), for a player that was going nowhere 3 years ago (Mitchell).

I thought overall, it was a very good set of moves today.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I'm not arguing about who has the higher potential, nor that we don't need a power forward.  I'm just saying that trading away a good defensive asset when the big team's defense has been horrible strikes me as ill-considered.  Again, all the concern goes away IF they are right about Holzer and/or Blacker.

Or if you're wrong about Aulie.

You mean if me and Stevie Y are wrong.

Obviously, but Stevie Y and I haven't chatted lately.

I think it is just the Leafs feeling they have depth in the guys listed above, and used it to get a more physical winger, which I definitely think we could use in the future.

People here seem to be really high on Dallas Eakins, and he seems to love Holzer, so he must be doing something right.

 

[Bender]

I am disappointed that we are losing Aulie.  It's not often that you get a defenceman with his combination of size and mobility.  I thought last year he looked amazing paired with Phaneuf and he seemed to have that ability to easily separate the opposing forward from the puck.... he also showed a bit of a mean streak and appeared that he could be a shut down guy for them for years to come.  He did struggle a little this year at training camp and hasn't quite looked as comfortable as last season but I'm sure he will get over the 'sophomore' struggles.

I haven't seen Ashton play enough to make a fair assessment of the trade but I still think that this is one that they will regret having made in the future.

Then that`s not much of a fair assessment if you haven`t seen him play or don`t know a lot about him. I liked Aulie and everything but I saw quite a bit of regression as a player than when he first came over. He should`ve been a lock on the top 6 and is one of the worse Marlies defensemen, which is saying something. Yeah, you don`t give up on a guy just because he has one bad year, but maybe the ceiling is higher on Ashton. The best we could hope for for Aulie was Hal Gill, to be quite honest.

At any rate Ashton`s a Leaf now so I`d rather give him the benefit of the doubt that he`ll turn out to be a solid, if maybe unremarkable player. Maybe this kid can turn into our version of Ryan Clowe or Malone (although I think that is a high standard).

 

[leafplasma]

Only Kyle Palmieri has more goals in the Ahl and is younger than Ashton and that is only by 2 months.  There is no denying that Ashton is having a great first pro season.

 

[cw]

After looking over those links I previously posted
http://tmlfans.ca/community/index.php?topic=756.msg55613#msg55613

not a bad goal here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS54wC-NFVg&feature=fvst

Guy Boucher on Carter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5jHtjNgT9w

Video from his draft:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtba2JmM4hw&feature=related
- his CHL goals look like the goals he's scored in the AHL - goes to the net and bangs them in from up close - which the Leafs need.

Normally from his CHL stats, one might project him as a 3rd liner. But with power forwards, it's generally tougher to do so reliably. Power forwards take longer to develop but they tend to have a little more NHL upside in scoring if they can make it.

I'd seen some rap on his skating but others describe him as moving quite well for a big guy and that was my impression from the videos I've seen so far.

I would also normally and generally give a little more weight to the value of the NHL dman than a NHL forward - all other things being equal. I think Ashton's legit prospective status as a NHL power forward probably evens that out with a defensive dman like Aulie.

 

[lamajama]

Only Kyle Palmieri has more goals in the Ahl and is younger than Ashton and that is only by 2 months.  There is no denying that Ashton is having a great first pro season.

That's impressive! I wonder why Stevie would give up on him - wealth of
Top 6 in TB? Doubt it...

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Only Kyle Palmieri has more goals in the Ahl and is younger than Ashton and that is only by 2 months.  There is no denying that Ashton is having a great first pro season.

That's impressive! I wonder why Stevie would give up on him - wealth of
Top 6 in TB? Doubt it...

It's not a case of giving up, you don't get anything for free, you have to give to get.  Oh and as far as top six go, they are well ahead of us.

Aulie will play 15-20 minutes a game for the Tampa Bay Lightning from here, Ashton is probably at least a year out.  He's also a guy the Leafs scouts have been on Burke a lot about, so he finally was able to add him.

 

[Bender]

Only Kyle Palmieri has more goals in the Ahl and is younger than Ashton and that is only by 2 months.  There is no denying that Ashton is having a great first pro season.

That's impressive! I wonder why Stevie would give up on him - wealth of
Top 6 in TB? Doubt it...

TBay has thin defense, and I think Boucher had a connection to the WJC team where Aulie was paired with Myers. His scouting staff seem to covet him.

 

[moon111]

Wonder if he'll get a looksee when the Leafs are eliminated from the playoffs.  Oh wait, guess they could put him on the roster right now and not use up one of their four call-ups.

 

[Corn Flake]

Also, I have major problems with the dude's name.  "Carton Ashton" sounds like an investment brokerage.  "Zach Kassian" reeks of sociopathy.

I keep thinking he's an actor on some show on the Disney Channel... the next Jonas Brother or something. (if you have kids this will ring true)

 

[cw]

One other thought on this deal:

Liles was re-signed for a number of years (I wasn't enthusiastic about that contract but ..). Gardiner and Gunnarsson are younger dmen obviously within the top 6. All play the left side like Aulie. There really wasn't a NHL spot for Keith in the near future on the left side in the top 6.

Secondly, the league seems to be shifting away from defensive dmen. The Leafs currently have Komisarek & Schenn for that. Again, with those two (Komi locked into the roster via his contract), where was Aulie supposed to fit? As much as he played well at times with Phanuef, his lack of offence probably doesn't place him in the top 2 for an extended period of time.

Recognizing that, it wasn't a bad time to make such a deal for something they need: a power forward - before Aulie's prospect value went stale with his lack of NHL ice time.

 

[Bullfrog]

I don't mind the trade at all. Good prospect for good prospect.