Jonas Gustavvson?

"The Monster" is what he is called and rightly so since he stands at 6'3''  192 pounds which is great size for a goalie. In this little piece I will be talking about Gustavsson for those that don't know him or want to know more about him. 

This guy is a huge netminder and takes up a lot of space in the crease. Although along with his tremendous size he has extremely quick feet and can get across in a jiffy to rob the opposing player from point blank. Now there are many goalies out there that are talked about and turn out to be duds when it comes to performing in the NHL, but there is something about this guy that makes him stand out from the rest. He has all the tools that an NHL goalie requires and he seems to have fantastic temperament to go along with his superlative netminding talent. 

Gustavsson has played for Farjestad for the past few years and he has dominated the league, there are some people who state that this is the best team in Sweden that we are talking about so obviously his stats will be boosted, but I must tell you it doesn't matter who you have in front of you but unless you are a good goalie you will never post the numbers Gustavsson had.

Here are his record breaking stats from the past few years...

* 1.96 GAA—the first to achieve a GAA under 2.00 since 2006

* Goalie of the year 3 seasons in a row from 2002-03 through 2004-05

* Consecutive shutout record at 240 minutes and 25 seconds

This guy could potentially become a starting goaltender for the team that captures his signature this summer and I am sure all teams have dialled his agent's number to see if he wants to go to their team. According to sources Toronto and Dallas are the frontrunners, but these are all talks. Gustavsson though did hint that he would like to come to Toronto because of it's great history and the fact that Salming had a chat with him about the city. 

This guy could be something special, perhaps not the next Lundqvist but he could be the next Gustavsson.

Lesser Known Free Agent Options for Leafs

After my previous article yesterday regarding the Leafs' various options in terms of high calibre players in the free agent pool. I will now go on to list the lesser known players available this summer that I feel could have a great impact on our team and help us greatly to improve short term and long term. 

Free Agent Option # 1 (Francois Beauchemin):

Now this 29 year old may be edging close to that age barrier but he's a guy you always want on your team. Many will doubt if he would sign with the Leafs anyways due to him growing up watching the Montreal Canadiens. I think if he gets past that idea, he could become a great player for the Leafs. He's a fantastic defenseman and could aid in replacing a traded defenseman if that's the route Brian Burke decides to go down. Beauchemin's stats are as follows....

Beauchemin (4 G, 1 A, 5 Pts, -3,  12 PIM) ** All of this in 20 Games played**

Yes those stats aren't impressive but as I stated above he only played 20 games this season due to injuries so he did fine for the amount of games he played. Obviously for a defenseman you would like to see that +/- a little higher, but he's not that bad of a defenseman in my opinion. Plus he has other assets that could help the Leafs big time, he has a fantastic shot from the point and has the grit and monstrosity to destroy anyone he encounters. Defintely a Burke type player and should be high on Burke's list to approach this summer. I would offer him 2-3 Million per year.

Free Agent Option # 2 (Travis Moen):

Yes, Another past Burke player but you have to admit Burke knows what players to get. Travis Moen is a great player to have in the team, he is a great character and definitely known as a terrific teammate to have around. Moen is a great left winger who can play on the third/fourth line, he also brings more grit to this team that we've definitely lacked. He's only 27 years old so he could be with the Leafs for a while if he signs.  Moen's stats ....

Moen (7 G, 9 A, 16 Pts, -18, 91 PIM)

An atrocious +/- but all of his other characteristics on the ice make up for that and then some. He's a big bloke who can carry himself around and he loves throwing big checks all over the ice. A fantastic player to give minutes and let him destroy his opponents to change the tempo of a game. He is a renowned penalty killer and usually does his role with utmost of ease. I would love  to sign him for 1-1.5 Million per year.

Free Agent Signing # 3 (Johnny Oduya):

This is one of the least appreciated players on the Devils, but he's a superb Dman and he does his job to a tee. This guy is definitely a Burke type player and I am sure Burke would love to get his signature on a contract with the Leafs as soon as possible, especially if Kaberle is heading out. Oduya is a big dman who can get the job done and as all the other options he adds this extra level of grit and belligerance. Oduya stats are as follows...

Oduya (7 G, 22 A, 29 Pts, +21, 30 PIM)

Now those are some stats, I would definitely take him ahead of Beauchemin and it really would be silly for the Devils to let him go in all honestly. He's a great teammate and rarely gets noticed which is a good thing for a Dman. He can lay some brusing checks even without being a monster, but he is all muscle and will get you out of the way or simply outskate you with his fantastic skating ability. I would definitely wrap him up for 1-2 Million if he's available.

Star Free Agent Options for Leafs

** In this little article I will talk about the Star  free agents I feel we should give a shot, I will talk about the lesser knowns in the next article, of course I will give my reasons and the amount I feel should be offered to each Free agent**

Now let's make this clear we can't expect the Maple Leafs to go on a major shopping spree and completely ditch the recently sprung rebuild. Of course Brian Burke will be looking to alter the team a bit via Free agency and of course the all important Draft where the Leafs pick 7th.

Free Agent Option #1 (Henrik and Daniel Sedin):

Now I know many Leaf fans think these twins are babies and haven't done much in terms of Playoff hockey but to be honest if these two are available you have to try to get them. They will easily make 2/3 of our 1st line and whatever you say they are terrific hockey players. The Leafs have lacked any star value in their top 6 forwards for a year now and Burke will definitely look to make our 1st line good. The Sedins stats are as follows...

Henrik Sedin ( 22 G, 60 A, 82 Pts , +22, 48 PIM)

Daniel Sedin (31G, 51 A, 82 Pts, +24, 36 PIM)

Freakishly scary how they both finished with 82 Pts. Some people suggest that Daniel is a better player then Henrik but for me they are extremely identical in their play and the stats back me on this. Therefore If these two guys go up for sale, Burke should be all over them and offer them both a 5-6 Million contract. Will that be enough? I doubt it. I think they will probably be looking for more and rightly so, they were terrific in the playoffs even though the Canucks lost. They are great players to add to this youthful team. 

Free Agent Option #2 (Mike Cammaleri):

This Toronto native has all the offensive prowess a 1st line player needs. Of course he lacks in his defensive game and tends to not show up at times. Does that mean he's a bad player? Not in my opinion at all. He could really relish the opportunity to become a true leader on this Leafs team and he would surely take a little discount to play for his favourite team growing up. It would be foolish for the Flames to let him go considering the fantastic chemistry between Iginla and him but sometimes in this Salary capped league you have to let go of great players. If this occurs Burke will surely look into Cammaleri and check out what his asking price is. Cammalari stats go as follows...

Mike Cammaleri (39 G, 43 A, 82 Pts, -2, 44 PIM)

You must be spooked now, that's three free agents with the same point totals. What Cammaleri lacks is his +/- but that shouldn't be enough to deter Burke from wanting Cammaleri. I would love to see him in a Leafs Jersey if he comes for the right price, I would probably offer him 4-5 Million a year but this all depends on if the Sedins are signed or not. 

Free Agent Option # 3 (Brian Gionta): 

This is a guy I love to see playing, I highly doubt the Devils will let him go considering how well he's performed for them over the years. Just like the others I have listed if he decides to test free agency there is no doubt in my mind Burke will be licking his lips at this 1st line winger. Just imagine him playing with Cammaleri on the 1st line or skating with the Sedins (very unlikely lol). 

Brian Gionta is a fantastic speedy little guy who can score like the best of them. He is extremely feisty and he can get the job done around the opposing team's goal. Of course he has his flaws such as inconsistency in his point production but nonetheless he would be a great signing for any team. Gionta's numbers are as follows...

Brian Gionta (20 G, 40 A, 60 Pts, +12, 32 PIM)

If Burke can't get the Sedins then Gionta would be a good fall back option, same idea applies if Cammaleri isn't signed up. Of course if they can get a combo of these free agents at a good price, I think the Leafs will be well on their way for many years. I would offer Gionta a good 4-5 Million per year. 

Giguere to Toronto?

Now there are many things to consider before putting any stock in this rumour. One thing to consider is that this is a rumour conjured by Eklund, unfortunately many people still trust his words but that's a whole other topic. 

For one second I am going to put away all the negative thoughts I have about Eklund and analyze his rumour. J.S Giguere is definitely going to leave Anaheim unless his daughter's condition refuses to let him go. There is no doubt in my mind that Giguere will leave because no NHL player likes to be benched the way he has. There are many teams that will be interested in him but will they be able to afford his $ 6,000,000 cap hit? 

The Leafs of course have space for his contract but I am sure that Toskala would have to be shipped away for this possibility to even come close to reality. Toskala had a poor season that I am sure he would like to completely forget, but will Burke forget? 

Toskala's stats were (22-17-11, 3.26 GAA and .891 SV%)

Giguere's stats were (19-18-6, 3.10 GAA and .900 SV%)

This season both of them were basically identical stats wise and it was clear that neither goalie had a good year. What might influence Brian Burke into pulling the trigger is the fact that he has won a cup with Giguere and knows what type of goalie he is. On the other hand Toskala's cap hit is $ 2,000,000 less then Giguere for basically the same stats from last year. 

Now Burke has to ponder with the facts that will Giguere perform better in the spotlight or will he wither away? Also, does he want to try to get Gustavsson instead of Giguere due to the threatening cap hit Giguere possesses. 

In all of this we have to remember that Giguere has a no trade clause and he might even want to bring it into action if he is asked to waive it. I think he will waive it if the Leafs are the ones trading for him because there is a great Sick Kids hospital here in Toronto and his daughter will be in great hands if he waives his no trade clause for Toronto.

My thoughts in regards to this are that we won't go after Giguere because the negatives simply overwhelm the positives and I would much rather see Burke put all of his effort in bringing over the "Monster" from Sweden. Also, I feel Toskala should get a chance to show what he's got one more time before we decide to ship him off to some other city.

Tavares + Leafs = No Chance

I think an introduction would be the best way to start things off here at TML Nation to my non existent readers as of now. Hopefully whoever reads this will like my work and pass on the word about this site/blog. I go by the name Master and NO I wasn't named that when i was born, but I suppose it's a little nickname here at TML Nation. Also, those thinking I am the next "Eklund" don't worry, not many are born like that man/liar. 

Now back to the actual topic of discussion, and that is Mr. John Tavares himself. Now Brian Burke lay down a bomb when he said he would try everything in his power to get John Tavares who he thought is the best player in the draft by far. Now I must commend Brian Burke for being so open and honest about his intentions but does he in his right mind think he will get The next "Great one" (lol probably an overstatement there by whoever said that) without overpaying? 

Brian Burke knows that he will have to pull off a miracle or Garth Snow will have to go mentally ill for Tavares to come to Toronto. The problem is that Garth Snow to many people`s dismay will not go mentally incompetent thus we have to rely on our trading assets to complete the deal. According to many sources, the news has been that Burke is willing to give away anyone other then Schenn to conquer the Tavares prize. Of course as usual the opposing GM will always want the guy not available, perhaps Burke should have said he wants to keep Blake instead! Many people are unsure whether Garth Snow is willing to trade the pick anyways, I think he will look at the possibilities out there before drafting Tavares, but in the end will choose Tavares because no one will meet his expectations. 

Yes, many deluded Leaf fans say that Burke can pull off anything, but to be brutally honest unless he wants to get ripped off from every angle, he will not get Tavares. Sure, he might be able to snag the 2nd or 3rd overall pick and select one of Hedman or Duchene but then again he wants Tavares right? 

There are many factors standing in the way of Burke and Tavares. Factors such as the Islanders needing a marketable player, their financial position and Garth Snow the GM about to lose his job.if he makes another mistake.

I am sorry hopeful Leafs fans that my first post is so negative in regards to our drafting possbilities but do not lose hope the players after Tavares are not that shabby either. I would not mind a player like Brayden Schenn, Evander Kane or Magnus Paajarvi Svensson dressing up for the Leafs next year. It is probably best if we stop dreaming in lala land and admit that Tavares will wear a Islanders jersey next season or Snow will be fired next season.