Also, Boston has been on the road for a while....Let us all hope for the "first home game after a  road trip" let down.

Doesn't Boston have to lose to someone?  Why not the Leafs?

I hear you. But the NHL champs on their hottest streak in over 40 years playing at home against the youngest team in the league says it all. Of course upsets happen all the time, and with Reimer back, and the team pumped up...you never really know. Go Leafs!!!

C'Mon Proline Cliche!!!!

Doesn't Boston have to lose to someone?  Why not the Leafs?

Because I think the Ducks problem is somewhat opposite to what the Leafs problem is.  Lack of organizational depth but three really good first line players.  Acquiring Grabovski allows them to move Koivu to the third line centre role.

I don't know if you were referring to the NHL team specifically but I don't know if the problem in Anaheim is a lack of organizational depth from a prospect standpoint. They were ranked just below the Leafs on that organizational list from HF.

Honestly, the more and more I look at the roster the less and less I'm sold on this being anything other than a pretty stupid panic move. You can argue that their bottom six isn't great but you don't trade a player like Ryan to improve the team's bottom 6.

I was thinking that guys like Grabovski and Kulemin would go in to their top 6, shifting guys down in to their bottom six.  Selanne and Koivu are ageing, and they may not have anybody to replace them.  Sorry, should have said roster depth.

Rumour has Carolina interested in Bobby.  Makes sense to pair him with Staal or Skinner.

If they offer up their first round pick (which could be a top 5 pick at this point) all bets are off.  They could add Brandon Sutter or one of their decent young D-men (McBain or Faulk) and I think both clubs make that deal.  All hinges on them wanting to part with a likely top 5 pick.

I think we have a large edge over Carolina in acquiring Ryan. One reason being is that we could take a contract such as Blake back as a salary dump (waiving said contract of course.) Not necessarily Blake but you get my drift. Carolina has never been in a financial position to do so.

Having said that, Dreger feels the price would a "top forward (likely a center), young defencman, and a pick."

I'd really hate to give up Colborne (even more so than Kadri) but, Colborne + Franson/Aulie + 1st rounder OR Colborne + Schenn (no pick?) While I gulp at the cost, I do so with the understanding that Anaheim isn't going to be giving Ryan away.       

I think they can do it without Colborne.  I think that if the Leafs are doing this deal, you create the package centred around Kulemin and Grabovski.  The Leafs need to free up roster spots in the first two lines.  You can pitch it to the Ducks as a depth building exercise.

So why is Grabovski, a pending UFA, enticing to a team that is going to miss the playoffs?

Even if they re-sign him he will come in around $3.5-4.5M probably.  They can't afford to trade Ryan AND add salary.  That's just not happening.

Because I think the Ducks problem is somewhat opposite to what the Leafs problem is.  Lack of organizational depth but three really good first line players.  Acquiring Grabovski allows them to move Koivu to the third line centre role. 

Rumour has Carolina interested in Bobby.  Makes sense to pair him with Staal or Skinner.

If they offer up their first round pick (which could be a top 5 pick at this point) all bets are off.  They could add Brandon Sutter or one of their decent young D-men (McBain or Faulk) and I think both clubs make that deal.  All hinges on them wanting to part with a likely top 5 pick.

I think we have a large edge over Carolina in acquiring Ryan. One reason being is that we could take a contract such as Blake back as a salary dump (waiving said contract of course.) Not necessarily Blake but you get my drift. Carolina has never been in a financial position to do so.

Having said that, Dreger feels the price would a "top forward (likely a center), young defencman, and a pick."

I'd really hate to give up Colborne (even more so than Kadri) but, Colborne + Franson/Aulie + 1st rounder OR Colborne + Schenn (no pick?) While I gulp at the cost, I do so with the understanding that Anaheim isn't going to be giving Ryan away.       

I think they can do it without Colborne.  I think that if the Leafs are doing this deal, you create the package centred around Kulemin and Grabovski.  The Leafs need to free up roster spots in the first two lines.  You can pitch it to the Ducks as a depth building exercise.

My money would be on Kadri being traded before Colborne.  I think the Leafs organization is fairly high on Colborne.

I mean if the Leafs pitch a deal of Grabovski, Kulemin, Kadri and lets say Schenn/Franson/Aulie/some sort of high draft pick, that's going to be intriguing.  If the Leafs have to overpay to an extent to get Ryan, I think the have the assets to do it.

Rumour has Carolina interested in Bobby.  Makes sense to pair him with Staal or Skinner.

If they offer up their first round pick (which could be a top 5 pick at this point) all bets are off.  They could add Brandon Sutter or one of their decent young D-men (McBain or Faulk) and I think both clubs make that deal.  All hinges on them wanting to part with a likely top 5 pick.

I think we have a large edge over Carolina in acquiring Ryan. One reason being is that we could take a contract such as Blake back as a salary dump (waiving said contract of course.) Not necessarily Blake but you get my drift. Carolina has never been in a financial position to do so.

Having said that, Dreger feels the price would a "top forward (likely a center), young defencman, and a pick."

I'd really hate to give up Colborne (even more so than Kadri) but, Colborne + Franson/Aulie + 1st rounder OR Colborne + Schenn (no pick?) While I gulp at the cost, I do so with the understanding that Anaheim isn't going to be giving Ryan away.       

I think they can do it without Colborne.  I think that if the Leafs are doing this deal, you create the package centred around Kulemin and Grabovski.  The Leafs need to free up roster spots in the first two lines.  You can pitch it to the Ducks as a depth building exercise.

I thought the going rate for a 24 year old multiple 30 goal scorer was two 1st's and a second.

So assuming (correctly I think) we're in tough against Boston, who do you start? I mean, I don't want Goose to get unglued again now that he's got it together but at the same time, is it fair to throw Scrivens to the wolves? Know what I mean?

Before this year, Gus had a pretty decent record against the Bruins.  Maybe he can find that touch again.

Imagine the statement game it would be for Gustavsson to bounce back against the Bruins after being written off so early?  The confidence it would create for the rest of the team?  A dream scenario really, beating the Stanley Cup champs to extend your winning streak to 4 games with your backup goalie.

While they are undefeated in 11.

So assuming (correctly I think) we're in tough against Boston, who do you start? I mean, I don't want Goose to get unglued again now that he's got it together but at the same time, is it fair to throw Scrivens to the wolves? Know what I mean?

Before this year, Gus had a pretty decent record against the Bruins.  Maybe he can find that touch again.

I think the Leafs can take at least one from Boston but what is the Kessel 'jinx' all about?

People wanting to invent narratives where none exist.

Kessel scored well against Boston last year but hasn't scored against them this year. Clearly it's the result of a "jinx" as opposed to Boston being terrific defensively or the best defenseman, for my money, in the NHL playing against Kessel.

When you put it that way, I don't see how you can't believe in the jinx.

Bah.  Way way WAY too much unmerited respect for these clowns in this thread.  Setting aside their triumph in the SC and recent unbeatability, they suck.  Institutionally.

Kessel with a 4-pt nite on Weds and another 5 on Sat, and for good measure snaps his fingers at Seguin while skating by the Boston bench.

Does he call him "chachi" to boot?

I'm not going to lie.  The only way I can see the Leafs beating Boston is if they score more goals than they do.

I wonder if the Pens would entertain trading Jordan Staal for Ryan?

We've seen many private/key NHL owners get into financial trouble:
Stavro (Leafs)
Hicks (Stars)
Del Biaggio (Predators)
Baldwin (Penguins - Baldwin's specialty was buying franchises with very little of his own money invested. For example, his actual cash investment in the Penguins was just $1,000.
Moyes (Moyes)
Bryden (Senators)
McNall (Kings)
Regas (Sabres)
Potter & Block (IRS -> 1975 Penguins bankruptcy)

Fair enough. Here's another list though:

Jeremy Jacobs(Boston)
Rocky Wirtz(Chicago)
Mario Lemieux(Pittsburgh)
Mike Ilitch(Detroit)
Henry Samueli(Anaheim)
Peter Karmanos(Carolina)

Now, there's a reasonable pattern there and it extends backwards too. Bill Davidson, Tom Hicks(who, financial issues aside, did win a Cup), Illitch again. I think you'd probably have to go back to '96 to find a club owned in a similar situation to the Leafs that won the cup(depending on how you want to look at the Devils situation).

Edit: I also think this holds true for other sports. The most successful Baseball franchises(Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals), basketball franchises(Dallas, LA), Football franchises(Pittsburgh, New England) and even EPL franchises(Chelsea, Man United) have easily identifiable owners who are deeply invested in their franchises.

Oddly enough I think this argument would kind of mirror the team-building argument we've had ad nauseum here where the committed passionate owner is like the full-scale rebuild that can succeed or can fail and the faceless corporate behemoth is the build while competing MOR extravaganza we've seen to date.

But can the lack of involvement, at least publicly, be mitigated by hiring a larger than life GM who does the advocating for you?