Leafs @ Lightning - Mar. 5th, 7:30pm - SNO, TSN 1050

[cw]

From Hockey's Future post

Tampa's opening day lineup for 2012-13
(coming off a .417 season, 28th in 2012-13):

Ryan Malone - Steven Stamkos - MSL
Cory Conacher - Vinny - Teddy Purcell
Benoit Pouliot - Tom Pyatt - Dana Tyrell
PC Labrie - Nate Thompson - BJ Crombeen/Adam Hall

Hedman - Sami Salo
Eric Brewer - Matt Carle
MA Bergeron - Brian Lee
Brendan Mikellson - Keith Aulie

Lindback
Garon

Only Carle, Hedman, and Stamkos remain

I'd say their current roster is a pretty good one (.646 win%, 8th).

If the Leafs could get someone to GM like Yzerman ... there's some hope.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Your dating is wrong there cw. Lecavalier was bought out the summer of 2013 so he wouldn't have been a part of the opening 13-14 line-up. That's likely a 12-13 roster. Still, that's a pretty crazy turnover rate.

 

[Kin]

Yeah, also, worth mentioning that two of the only holdovers are a franchise calibre center and defenseman who were taken #1 and #2 in the draft. That's is a good sign that a lot of the heavy lifting was already done.

 

[cw]

Your dating is wrong there cw. Lecavalier was bought out the summer of 2013 so he wouldn't have been a part of the opening 13-14 line-up. That's likely a 12-13 roster. Still, that's a pretty crazy turnover rate.

Yes, it was. Thanks. Fixed it.

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

On the plus side, we get to see the man, the legend, Eric Brewer play ice hockey tonight

 

[cw]

Yeah, also, worth mentioning that two of the only holdovers are a franchise calibre center and defenseman who were taken #1 and #2 in the draft. That's is a good sign that a lot of the heavy lifting was already done.

Not a minor point. They're so critical. Leafs maybe have one in Kessel (I'd agree that's debatable)

TBay also had a pretty good contractual mess with Lecavalier, Malone, Brewer, Ohlund & others. So Yzerman did a pretty good job cleaning that up.
http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/TBL?year=2013

 

[Kin]

Yeah, also, worth mentioning that two of the only holdovers are a franchise calibre center and defenseman who were taken #1 and #2 in the draft. That's is a good sign that a lot of the heavy lifting was already done.

Not a minor point. They're so critical. Leafs maybe have one in Kessel (I'd agree that's debatable)

TBay also had a pretty good contractual mess with Lecavalier, Malone, Brewer, Ohlund & others. So Yzerman did a pretty good job cleaning that up.
http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/teams/TBL?year=2013

Absolutely. Also, as I was talking about with CtB earlier the fact that their best line right now might be one with a late second rounder, a 7th rounder and an undrafted center who's outscoring Stamkos right now is a testament to the depth of the roster Yzerman put together.

 

[ZBBM]

You guys are technically RT'ing.

...as well as Favouriting. I put a little star there too, just for effect. 

This ensures I come off as cool and current. 

Hmmm, alright you're cool.

No little stars for me.  I am noncool.

 

[pmrules]

What world am I living in that an undrafted 2nd line center has more points than an elite 1st overall 1 line centre...On the same team.

Unreal how lucky they were in grabbing Johnson.  Were the Leafs in on the signing of him?  Was this what Bozak was supposed to be?

 

[Chev-boyar-sky]

What world am I living in that an undrafted 2nd line center has more points than an elite 1st overall 1 line centre...On the same team.

Unreal how lucky they were in grabbing Johnson.  Were the Leafs in on the signing of him?  Was this what Bozak was supposed to be?

It's hard to say. Bozak was supposed to be a found wallet. Turns out it was a wallet with a couple of toonies in it. Johnson is like a found wallet with a winning $30M unsigned lottery ticket in it. So in short, we found the wrong wallet.

 

[riff raff]

What world am I living in that an undrafted 2nd line center has more points than an elite 1st overall 1 line centre...On the same team.

Unreal how lucky they were in grabbing Johnson.  Were the Leafs in on the signing of him?  Was this what Bozak was supposed to be?

It's hard to say. Bozak was supposed to be a found wallet. Turns out it was a wallet with a couple of toonies in it. Johnson is like a found wallet with a winning $30M unsigned lottery ticket in it. So in short, we found the wrong wallet.

I think you're being unfair to Bozak. I'd say there was at least a fiver in that wallet.

 

[ZBBM]

What world am I living in that an undrafted 2nd line center has more points than an elite 1st overall 1 line centre...On the same team.

Unreal how lucky they were in grabbing Johnson.  Were the Leafs in on the signing of him?  Was this what Bozak was supposed to be?

It's hard to say. Bozak was supposed to be a found wallet. Turns out it was a wallet with a couple of toonies in it. Johnson is like a found wallet with a winning $30M unsigned lottery ticket in it. So in short, we found the wrong wallet.

I think you're being unfair to Bozak. I'd say there was at least a fiver in that wallet.

I know it's very popular to criticize Bozak, but for an college FA he's been successful.

 

[Kin]

I know it's very popular to criticize Bozak, but for an college FA he's been successful.

If nothing else, he's probably the guy who gets the most unfair criticism for being unfairly put in a position he's not entirely qualified for. Unlike someone like Phaneuf, Bozak gets criticized for not being a good enough #1 center without being paid like a #1 center.

 

[L K]

Panik got fined for diving in the Washington game.  He really doesn't strike me as a diver.  That seems odd to me.

 

[ZBBM]

That dude was ooooooopen.

 

[L K]

Eric Brewer leading the tank drive.  He left his half of the ice for absolutely no reason and let Kucherov walk in all alone. 

 

[Kessel Run]

Eric Brewer leading the tank drive.  He left his half of the ice for absolutely no reason and let Kucherov walk in all alone.

I'd put some blame on whatever forward that was coming back too. They both chased the puck. One of them had to take Kucherov.

 

[Kin]

Is it just my terrible eyesight or do these Bolts uniforms look a lot like the Kings jerseys?

 

[ZBBM]

Is it just my terrible eyesight or do these Bolts uniforms look a lot like the Kings jerseys?

They do.  Not a fan of Ominous Black myself.  It was a thing of badassedness back when Al Davis founded the Oakland Raiders, but now it's cliche.

 

[L K]

Remember that time when we traded Anton Stralman for Wayne Primeau?  Yeah.