Leafs acquire Steckel from NJ

[Joe S.]

Reading between the lines, does this mean Connolly is more seriously injured than we are lead to believe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIkJ4BUChxI

 

[Kin]

So, if Connolly and Lombardi both get hurt, which isn't out of the realm of possibility, then I guess we get to deal with Boyce and Zigomanis to take us places. I don't like that option personally.

Well, there isn't a hockey fan in the league who's going to like the look of his team if the #1 and #3 options at the team's weakest position get hurt. That doesn't make the Leafs unique in that regard.

And it's not even true either way. The Leafs do have options because of guys like Kadri and Colborne potentially. It wouldn't be ideal, sure, but nothing is if you lose important pieces.

Besides, it still makes more sense than keeping Bozak in the press box for 20+ games just in case someone gets hurt.

I'm not going to suggest anything, I'll let Burke and Co. deal with that. We have plenty of other prospects and picks that could change the deal(s) for both of those two players, they don't even have to be dealt together.

The reality is, though, that the team doesn't have plenty of options of putting together a trade package for a top player and Gunnarson/Bozak's availability doesn't really change that.

All I'm saying is that if we do decide to deal those two players, I hope we don't end up further increasing our age and ending up with a team full of near end of prime guys just to make the playoffs and watch some of the talent we traded away, thrive and go deep in the playoffs somewhere else.

"Further increasing our age" and ending up with a team full of old players? This is still one of the youngest teams in the league(and one that could probably use a little experience and veteran leadership) and we're talking about one trade. They're not the 02-03 Leafs.

Morrow's only 31 and while, yes, it wouldn't be good if Bozak thrives elsewhere it doesn't change the fact that those guys may not have spots here to play. If Bozak doesn't earn his spot and is having trouble getting into games you can't be too picky about who he gets dealt for.

 

[Bonsixx]

I can't be the only one who fully expects Connolly and Lombardi to get hurt this year. Counting on those two and shipping Bozak out because of their presence would be madness.

Connolly's already out and Lombardi is one hit away from retirement. When healthy, both (Connolly obviously) are better than Bozak is currently, but I'm still not sure what Bozak really is, the guy from Year 1 or Year 2. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what Connolly and Lombardi are.

 

[Joe S.]

Burke the bottom-feeder. Why do all his deals hinge on him somehow outsmarting a rival GM?

I prefer the GM whose deals hinge on being outsmarted by the rival GM.

Where is JFJ anyway??

He's a scout for San Jose.

 

[maplesyrup]

Fair to say that Steckel probably is better then the very best 4th line centers/specialists who were available this summer? i.e. Talbot, Zonopka, etc...

 

[Kin]

Fair to say that Steckel probably is better then the very best 4th line centers/specialists who were available this summer? i.e. Talbot, Zonopka, etc...

I don't think there's anything to suggest he's better than Talbot.

 

[maplesyrup]

Fair to say that Steckel probably is better then the very best 4th line centers/specialists who were available this summer? i.e. Talbot, Zonopka, etc...

I don't think there's anything to suggest he's better than Talbot.

On par? Or, at least a better option given the cap number and term?

 

[Kin]

On par? Or, at least a better option given the cap number and term?

I don't see there's a need/reason/proof to say anything like that before we watch him play a little.

 

[cw]

So, if Connolly and Lombardi both get hurt, which isn't out of the realm of possibility, then I guess we get to deal with Boyce and Zigomanis to take us places. I don't like that option personally.

I'd say it's probably closer to picking the centers playing the best at the time for the role they're needed for among Kadri, Colborne & Dupuis along with Boyce and Zigomanis. I wonder if Kadri at center would be any worse defensively than Bozak was last year.

Secondly, no team in the NHL isn't going to avoid suffering if two of their top 3 centers go down. Nobody has that sort of depth at center though some would obviously be better off than others.

 

[Tigger]

Fair to say that Steckel probably is better then the very best 4th line centers/specialists who were available this summer? i.e. Talbot, Zonopka, etc...

I don't think there's anything to suggest he's better than Talbot.

On par? Or, at least a better option given the cap number and term?

Talbot is pretty good but yeah the cap hit and term seems fair to consider in comparison.

 

[maplesyrup]

On par? Or, at least a better option given the cap number and term?

I don't see there's a need/reason/proof to say anything like that before we watch him play a little.

Just bar stool chat stuff... Nothing more. Still, I think its a worthwhile question.

 

[anton girdeaux]

Decent pick up for little cost, he even scored a goal this morning on NHL 12

;D

 

[Corn Flake]

Fair to say that Steckel probably is better then the very best 4th line centers/specialists who were available this summer? i.e. Talbot, Zonopka, etc...

Well, Talbot is a winger, more of a 3rd line guy expected to chip in more offense and makes quite a bit more money on a long term deal.  The similarity? They both kill penalties. Kinda apples and oranges.

Better than Zonopka?  Yes.  If nothing else, exponentially better in the "less dumb penalties" dept.  So, more likely to be available for the PK as he won't be the one who caused the penalty in the first place.

 

[Kin]

Just bar stool chat stuff... Nothing more. Still, I think its a worthwhile question.

With any bottom six guy a ton of his value is going to come defensively and, until we watch him play, there aren't really any stats that will tell us anything here.

 

[maplesyrup]

Just bar stool chat stuff... Nothing more. Still, I think its a worthwhile question.

With any bottom six guy a ton of his value is going to come defensively and, until we watch him play, there aren't really any stats that will tell us anything here.

Folks probably saw Steckel play as much as they did Talbot, etc and how many pages of discussion were on the likes of him this summer? Not saying you're wrong but I think we're allowed to form an opinion based on what we know... even if it isn't much. I know FO% isn't the end all be all for 4th line players but the fact that there are none better in that department has to count for something.

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

Fair to say that Steckel probably is better then the very best 4th line centers/specialists who were available this summer? i.e. Talbot, Zonopka, etc...

I don't think there's anything to suggest he's better than Talbot.

Agreed.

Steckel may be more valuable in the faceoff dot, but Talbot has consistently had markedly better stats.

Talbot, as of the moment is the better player.

 

[Kin]

Folks probably saw Steckel play as much as they did Talbot, etc and how many pages of discussion were on the likes of him this summer?

That's probably not true at all. I think a lot of the opinion of Talbot is going to be based on the fact that he played a very visible role on one of the more successful teams of the last little while(He played in 61 playoff games in the last 4 years). Those playoff games, especially the finals games, are going to be seen by all of us.

Speaking of which, Talbot's got a pretty impressive string of playoff performances under his belt. His playoff scoring(.50 ppg) is almost double his regular season scoring(.28)

 

[Highlander]

Hey, the kid is the best in the league in something, lets give him kudo's  for that. If he can win us two or three games drawing the puck in the final minute of the game then he is worth it.
I think we all agree the depth this team is starting to put together is the best in a long long time. [/font]

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Bozak did look pretty good in preseason ... but that was only for two games before he got hurt. His body of work last season still carries some raised eyebrows for me. He was -29 and we're trying to convert that into a partial checking role.  He's 25 which is not a youngster for a NHL forward though one may argue he's a late bloomer. There's a lot of centers in the NHL who would darn near kill for the opportunity he had last season to center for Phil Kessel.

I'm a Leafs fan and hope for the best. I do not dislike Bozak and hope he bounces back towards  the potential they hoped for when they signed him. But with Connolly, Grabovski, Lombardi & Steckel, if Bozak was part of a deal to upgrade the top six, I would not automatically grieve his departure while recognizing he may turn out to be a useful player.

When another NHL team is looking at Bozak for compensation in a trade, I can't believe the -29 and his season last year doesn't give them pause and haggling ability that would depress expectations on his return.

Gunnarsson is a little different to me. At 24, he's closer to effectively three years younger in terms of development because forwards tend to develop faster - very roughly a forward at 22 is like a dman at 24-25 yrs old. Because he's a Euro, I'd give him the extra year. He's reasonably paid and useful in that he can play PP (I think he has some more upside to come there), PK and even strength. And he's demonstrated that he's gotten physically stronger this preseason. I'd hope to get more in return for  Gunnarsson if he must be moved.

I definitely won't argue that Bozak right now, is probably not as valuable as Gunnarsson on the open market and just as well, as we have more depth at his position anyway. But I have to think that, as Bonsixx said, we don't really know what we have in Bozak. So if we're counting Bozak's -29 last year, we should also give credit for his rookie season, where he looked all kinds of good at the end of the year, when trying to decide what his value is. Like I said to Nik, I'll leave that stuff to Burke, he knows deals better than we do and I certainly like his odds of scoring, more than us coming up with what we think a players value is.

I buy that Wilson is under a lot of pressure, but I'm not as sold on Burke, new ownership or any other factor. I'd be willing to bet that all parties involved with MLSE like what Burke is doing, but that's just what I think. He may decide to mortgage some future for the now, but I don't think he should, we've gone this far and are starting to see some results, why make the playoffs the absolute cutoff? I know MLSE likes money and all, but the Leafs points have gotten better every year since the "rebuild" started, so wouldn't the playoffs just come when they come with the progression? I'm willing to let it run its course. It's ultimately what we do in the playoffs and how long this team can continue to compete year by year that is most important to me. Every trade that sends youth out the door and brings in older players makes that more difficult IMO. I'm not saying a deal here and there to improve positions with veterans shouldn't be done, but can we at least wait until we know what these younger players can do?

 

[Leafaholic99]

Is there any way to see how his faceoff numbers are against other teams lines, rather then just a total? EX: percentage against other teams #1 lines, etc.