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Leaf Rumours

and hey, I like Bozak too, but can we wait until he starts doing something in the AHL before we start shifting natural centres out of position to accommodate him?

I know, I know...he had a bad flu and that's why he's not tearing it up yet....but let's just wait until he is to go making roster decisions around him.
 
Bozak is a very good defensive center, who is solid on the draw and a very good PKer. At the very worst he is a good 3rd line center now.
 
MindzEye said:
He's really a 65-75 point centre who isn't going to lead you to a championship, but is paid pretty premium money.
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D.Briere

09/10 (31): 10gms, 5gls, 7pts, 17:39 (82gms, 41gls, 57pts)
08/09 (30): 29gms, 11gls, 25pts, 15:39 (82gms, 31gls, 71pts)
07/08 (29): 79gms, 31gls, 72pts, 18:52 (82gms, 32gls, 75pts)
06/07 (28): 81gms, 32gls, 95pts, 19:19 (82gms, 32gls, 96pts)
05/06 (27): 48gms, 25gls, 58pts, 19:04 (82gms, 43gls, 99pts)
2-year: 39gms, 16gls, 32pts (82gms, 34gls, 67pts)
3-year: 118gms, 47gls, 104pts (82gms, 33gls, 72pts)
Lockout+: 247gms, 104gls, 257pts (82gms, 35gls, 85pts)

Any time he's given top-line minutes he's a PPG player, usually more - and with a nice balance of goals and assists.

He'd have zero problem doing that here in Toronto, with more minutes than he could ever ask for, and all of them with Kessel.

What's more is that he's a fantastic clutch performer:

Playoffs

PHI 08/09 (30): 6gms, 1gls, 4pts, 16:41 (82gms, 14gls, 55pts)
PHI 07/08 (29): 17gms, 9gls, 16pts, 18:26 (82gms, 43gls, 77pts) - led team
BUF 06/07 (28): 16gms, 3gls, 15pts, 20:53 (82gms, 15gls, 77pts) - led team
BUF 05/06 (27): 18gms, 8gls, 19pts, 18:48 (82gms, 36gls, 87pts) - led team
Total (31): 57gms, 21gls, 54pts (82gms, 30gls, 78pts)

Three years in a row he was the leading playoff scorer on a team that made it to the conference finals. Last year was the first year since the lockout that his team didn't make it to the conference finals.



The only question with Briere IMO - and it's a big one - is health.
 
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Briere is good, but that contract...

I wouldn't even consider him until after July 1, where there could be as many as 3 #1 centers available (Marleau, Savard, Jokinen).
 
09/10

Briere (31): 10gms, 5gls, 7pts, 17:39 (82gms, 41gls, 57pts)
Savard (32): 7gms, 4gls, 7pts, 18:13 (82gms, 47gls, 82pts)
Marleau (30): 19gms, 11gls, 23pts, 20:47 (82gms, 48gls, 99pts)
Jokinen (30): 16gms, 2gls, 9pts, 18:18 (82gms, 10gls, 46pts)


08/09

Briere (30): 29gms, 11gls, 25pts, 15:39 (82gms, 31gls, 71pts)
Savard (31): 82gms, 25gls, 88pts, 19:32 (82gms, 25gls, 88pts)
Marleau (29): 76gms, 38gls, 71pts, 21:21 (82gms, 41gls, 77pts)
Jokinen (29): 76gms, 29gls, 57pts, 18:53 (82gms, 31gls, 62pts)

Briere (PLYF): 6gms, 1gls, 4pts, 16:41 (82gms, 14gls, 55pts)
Savard (PLYF): 7gms, 1gls, 6pts, 17:06 (82gms, 12gls, 70pts)
Marleau (PLYF): 6gms, 2gls, 3pts, 20:29 (82gms, 27gls, 41pts)
Jokinen (PLYF): 6gms, 2gls, 5pts, 19:24 (82gms, 27gls, 68pts)


07/08

Briere (29): 79gms, 31gls, 72pts, 18:52 (82gms, 32gls, 75pts)
Savard (30): 74gms, 15gls, 78pts, 20:31 (82gms, 17gls, 86pts)
Marleau (28): 78gms, 19gls, 48pts, 18:14 (82gms, 20gls, 51pts)
Jokinen (28): 82gms, 34gls, 71pts, 19:54 (82gms, 34gls, 71pts)

Briere (PLYF): 17gms, 9gls, 16pts, 18:26 (82gms, 43gls, 77pts)
Savard (PLYF): 11gms, 6gls, 13pts, 19:36 (82gms, 45gls, 97pts)
Marleau (PLYF): 13gms, 4gls, 8pts, 23:04 (82gms, 25gls, 51pts)
Jokinen (PLYF): ----------


06/07

Briere (28): 81gms, 32gls, 95pts, 19:19 (82gms, 32gls, 96pts)
Savard (29): 82gms, 22gls, 96pts, 20:13 (82gms, 22gls, 96pts)
Marleau (27): 77gms, 32gls, 78pts, 18:34 (82gms, 34gls, 83pts)
Jokinen (27): 82gms, 39gls, 91pts, 20:32 (82gms, 39gls, 91pts)

Briere (PLYF): 16gms, 3gls, 15pts, 20:53 (82gms, 15gls, 77pts)
Savard (PLYF): ------
Marleay (PLYF): 11gms, 3gls, 6pts, 18:59 (82gms, 22gls, 45pts)
Jokinen (PLYF): ----------


05/06

Briere (27): 48gms, 25gls, 58pts, 19:04 (82gms, 43gls, 99pts)
Savard (28): 82gms, 28gls, 97pts, 20:30 (82gms, 28gls, 97pts)
Marleau (26): 82gms, 34gls, 86pts, 19:56 (82gms, 34gls, 86pts)
Jokinen (26): 82gms, 38gls, 89pts, 20:29 (82gms, 38gls, 89pts)

Briere (PLYF): 18gms, 8gls, 19pts, 18:48 (82gms, 36gls, 87pts)
Savard (PLYF): -------
Marleau (PLYF): 11gms, 9gls, 14pts, 21:07 (82gms, 67gls, 204pts)
Jokinen (PLYF): ----------


They'll all be paid similarly, but Briere might give us the chance to drop some other bad contracts.
 
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I'm not sure.

The difference is Briere has been on a downward turn production wise over the last 4 years. Marleau and Savard have been pretty consistent (aside from 07-08 for Marleau.)

And I really, really don't like committing that money for 5 years to a 32 year old with groin problems.

I also think Savard can be had for less.
 
You know, from my personal experience, a phenomenal environment could turn Stajan into a number one center. Hagman into a consistent player. Grabovski into a high scorer, Ponikarovsky into much more.

WE DON'T HAVE IT. Here. So why bring in guys until you have the right environment. It will just be a pig in a poke.

Get an assistant coach, with no NHL experience, who works with the players in practise to bring them to their full potential. I look at the Leaf bench and just shake my head.
 
Briere doesn't compare favourably to Savard without the magic of pace. Luckily Burke doesn't use pace...he can see for himself that Briere only ever put up one great season and is hurt all the ****ing time. Savard has had several years of top calibre production, and without being constantly injured. The money and term is kind of irrelevant...Savard is about the same age and it will cost the Leafs about the same amount to sign him(something between 6 and 7 mill).
 
I'd say Burke paced out Kessel.

and while I'd prefer Savard, there's no guarantee we get him, and, again, there's a chance we could dump some other contracts in getting Briere - not so much with Savard.
 
zeke said:
I'd say Burke paced out Kessel.
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In the sense that he figured we'd be getting more with true top-line ice time, yes. But he's not looking at Briere's 48 game season and pacing it out to 82 and figuring that tells him anything meaningful, I can tell you that much.

and while I'd prefer Savard, there's no guarantee we get him, and, again, there's a chance we could dump some other contracts in getting Briere - not so much with Savard.
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I'd say there's a significantly higher chance we sign Savard than Philly taking Blake and Finger just to dump Briere, if that's what you mean by "dump some other contracts". Any cap benefit for the Flyers wouldn't be realized for a few years. You'd think they'd want to clear as much room as possible for the short term.

MindzEye said:
Of course though, regardless of what he did without Kovalchuk or last season's dynamic Phil Kessel...he would have dynamic Phil Kessel to play with in Toronto.
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He should always be referred to as "Dynamic Phil Kessel" from now on. Kind of like "Bad Boy Dennis Rodman".
 
Volcanologist said:
In the sense that he figured we'd be getting more with true top-line ice time, yes. But he's not looking at Briere's 48 game season and pacing it out to 82 and figuring that tells him anything meaningful, I can tell you that much.
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What did Briere do the season after that 99pt-pace, 48-game season?

Just because you want something to be true, doesn't mean you can ignore reality.

and no, pace has nothing to do with icetime. Even without looking at icetime, Burke knew that Kessel was better than a 60-point player last year.


I'd say there's a significantly higher chance we sign Savard than Philly taking Blake and Finger just to dump Briere, if that's what you mean by "dump some other contracts". Any cap benefit for the Flyers wouldn't be realized for a few years. You'd think they'd want to clear as much room as possible for the short term.
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Maybe. I dunno.

They could get a capable and healthy winger, plus shore up their bottom pair defense, which are basically their only two areas of need right now.

And they'd only have 2 years of committed caphit after this year, instead of 5.

And it would be on two separate contracts, which might be easier to move.
 
Wouldn't touch Briere with a ten-foot pole, even if we could ditch the Blake and Finger contracts in the process. Blake and Finger are both only signed for 3 more years, and at least they don't have a history of injuries. 32 years old, small, very injury prone with 5 years and $32.5M is an incredibly bad combination.

As for Marc Savard, if he hits free agency, Brian Burke should be giving him the Jonas Gustavsson treatment to try and get him to sign here. He's a proven, elite PPG+ centerman. And as much as people still want to give Kovalchuk or Kessel the credit for his success, in Savard's first season with Boston, he scored 96 points with Glen Murray as the team's top winger, and Kessel on his way to scoring 29 points as a rookie. Then, he scored 78 points in 74 games the next season, when none of the team's wingers even cracked 40 points.

This is a player that makes his own success, not someone who just feeds off of good wingers. And it's also worth noting that Ilya Kovalchuk's only two 50 goal seasons came when he was on Savard's wing.
 
Forget about Jokinen.

The good thing about Savard is that at 32, I'm not sure he'll be commanding a long term. Considering the well-documented desire to play in Toronto, and perhaps a 4 year / $6M per contract, I think he could be had.

Marleau will probably get the 7 year deal, especially since there appears to be so little UFA competition this summer.
 
Briere would allow the Leafs to ease Kadri into the lineup. Briere is more than capable of playing a top line scoring role and he has the skill level to play with Kessel. This would allow the Leafs to start Kadri off in a 2nd or 3nd line role. If/when Kadri is ready to play a 1st line role, you can move Briere down to the 2nd line.

I like Briere because he has PPG potential, you can get him for next to nothing (it would be a Philly salary dump) and the Leafs could away deal one or two of their bad contracts.

I'd also prefer Savard, like has been mentioned above, but it's not a lock that he even makes it to free agency.
 
I don't like Briere because he's 32 years old, has (objectively speaking) seen his rate of production decline substantially since leaving the Sabers, and is signed for $6.5mn per year for another five years. It just isn't worth it.

The only contract that would maybe be worthwhile to peddle would be Blake's, but even then, with only two years remaining I don't think it's a worthwhile deal. Maybe if Blake had another three or four years to go. But not as it is.

That contract is a real albatross, and taking it off the Flyers' hands would almost be akin to the Habs giving the Rangers a mulligan by bringing in Gomez. It just isn't worth it.
 
That contract is a real albatross, and taking it off the Flyers' hands would almost be akin to the Habs giving the Rangers a mulligan by bringing in Gomez. It just isn't worth it.
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This
 
msun30 said:
That contract is a real albatross, and taking it off the Flyers' hands would almost be akin to the Habs giving the Rangers a mulligan by bringing in Gomez. It just isn't worth it.
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It wouldn't really be the same because the Habs actually gave assets in exchange for that contract. The Leafs would be giving away other bad contracts.
 
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