The upcoming off-season will be one of dramatic change, if all goes to Cliff Fletcher's plan.
As much as the summer will feature subtraction more than addition, the Maple Leafs have some serious shortcomings which need to be addressed, regardless of the fact that the 08/09 season will be one of roster refurbishment.
If I were to itemize every one of the Maple Leafs' inadequacies I would be here until the early morning hours. I realize that UFAs are not the answer to all of a team's problems, particularly not this one. I also realize that (over)spending on UFA's is not the prudent move for the Maple Leafs at this juncture. However, I feel the following players address the glaring, immediate needs of the organization:
1) Sean Avery
Believe it or not, teams didn't used to like playing the Maple Leafs.
Gone are the years when the Maple Leafs were a hard-working, gritty club who wouldn't go down without a fight. The Leafs are not only regarded as one of the weaker team's skill-wise, but also physically. Team's must circle the calendar dates with the Blue Maple Leaf, which could perhaps be more aptly replaced by a Blue Cross. Its unlikely the Maple Leafs will be serious competitors next year, but at the very least they need to be tough to play against as opposed to an easy two points in the win column.
Enter the incorrigible Sean Avery. With the designated enforcer seemingly on the wane in the the modern day NHL, Avery possesses the invaluable package of hockey competence and douche-baggery. For nastiness and obnoxiousness, Avery is unparalleled across the league and he knows no limits. Opponents won't care how bad the rest team is, if superpest Sean Avery is lining up on the opposite side of the rink the game will be no walk in the park.
Is Avery the ideal role model for the up-and-coming youngsters? No. Will he bolster the club's level of class and propriety? Obviously not.
However, the fact that the New York Rangers posted a 33-14-10 record with Avery in the line-up this season speaks to the fact that Avery has had a major effect on the opposition's psyche without pushing it to the point where he's a distraction to his own team-mates.
Sean Avery is due for a significant pay raise from his current $1.9 million dollar salary, to what I would expect will be in the 4 million dollar range. For the best agitator/second liner in the game, that is more than worth the price of admission. It will be a tough price to pay for the Rangers if they wish to re-sign Avery, having spent some serious coin last summer on Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. The Rangers sit tight to the cap at 51.6 million (per nhlnumbers.com), and have an array of pending UFAs, a group which includes Brenden Shanahan, Martin Straka, Jaromir Jagr, Marek Malik, Paul Mara, Michael Roszival, Jason Strudwick and Stephen Valiquette.
According to a recent column in The Star, Darcy Tucker may be first in line for a buy-out. Tucker comprises the only remaining remnant of sandpaper that exists in Toronto, but the flames that once roared inside Tucker have settled into dying embers. Cliff Fletcher dealt Chad Kilger, Wade Belak, and Hal Gill at the deadline, effectively ridding the team of any remaining toughness.
Everyone hates Sean Avery. It's time to move past that. There is nothing more I would like to see than this ultimate pest in a Blue and White uniform.
2) Jason Smith
The second most glaring deficiency for the Maple Leafs, and this isn't a new problem, is their performance in the defensive zone.
I'm unsure as to who will still be around come September. But between Tomas Kaberle, Bryan McCabe, Pavel Kubina, and Anton Stralman - 5 of the Leafs top 6 - the Leafs do not have much more than an ounce of defensive acumen. Kubina, in spells, was great defensively, particularly when he was allotted significant responsibility towards the end of the year. However, the Maple Leafs allowed the 4th most Goals Against (260 GA, averaging out to 3.17 per game) and for the most part that was not Toskala's doing.
Smith has been bestial on the Flyers blue-line this season & playoff and is a key component of a Flyers team that just punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference final.
He would be a hard-nosed, physical presence in the defensive end for a team now devoid of a defensive defenseman in light of the loss of Hal Gill. Steffan Kronwall supplies a big body, defensive presence in the defensive zone but can only handle #5/6 minutes. Smith is a second-paring veteran defenseman who can clear the front of the net and outmuscle bodies down low.
Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs' younger defensemen are primarily offensive. Smith would work wonders in developing Anton Stralman and Ian White's own-zone game. His work ethic and leadership qualities will supply a younger Leafs' line-up with a role model in the dressing room.
The Flyers are in tight cap-wise. In fact, the Flyers would exceed the salary cap's 50.3 million dollar limit if Simon Gagne and Mike Rathje were off the injury reserve. The Flyers must make a decision with Vaclav Prospal, who's due for a pay raise as he's enjoying a great playoff campaign. Jaro Modry, Riley Cote and Jim Dowd are also pending UFAs.
Jason Smith would look great alongside Anton Stralman in a Blue and White uniform, back in Toronto, the city he never should have left in the first place.
3) Ryan Malone
Malone could be the odd-man out in Pittsburgh with cap issues looming in the Steel City. With Hossa and Fleury in need of contracts, and Malkin due up not long after, Malone could slip through the cracks. There would undoubtedly be a surfeit of suitors should Malone test the unrestricted free agent waters on July 1st.
Malone is in the midst of his prime in Pittsburgh, where he enjoyed a break-out season with 27 goals and 51 points. He's an imposing fore-checker at 6'4, 220 lbs, and isn't afraid to drop the gloves with anyone looking for a dance partner.
The Maple Leafs are shallow on the wings, and Malone could step immediately onto the top line. He's a two-way, all-situations player.
There are a few caveats with Malone. One is that, at this point in his career, he's going to seek a long-term deal in the neighbourhood of 4 or 5 years. The Maple Leafs will require veteran presence going forward, but I'm not sure the organization should be looking at a UFA addition on a 5 year, $20 mil deal at this juncture.
The other caveat is that Malone has been playing with some elite-level line-mates for parts of the past season, which could've inflated his numbers. Part of me thinks Malone may be the next ironclad, long-term deal the franchise regrets signing.
At the same time, Malone on a 2-3 year deal could add a valuable two-way player who adds considerable toughness to a softening Leafs' team.
4) Mike Commodore
Between Jason Smith and Mike Commodore, it's a case of one or the other.
The Ottawa Senators similarly face an off-season of change, and it's unclear as to whether or not Commodore is a part of the plans in the nation's capital.
Commodore's pricetag will be well within reason. He won't see much of a pay raise on top of his current $1.3 million salary. He offers a big body presence (6'5, 228lbs) on the blue-line as well as experience and leadership qualities, having been a part of the Canes' Stanley Cup winning team of 2006. Commodore has tremendous strength and plays a simple but effective game in the defensive zone.
4b) If the Commodore and Smith options fall through, Brooks Orpik of the Pittsburgh Penguins is a viable fall-back option as a player who offers a similar package. With cap troubles looming in the Steel City, the Pens may very well let Orpik walk.
5) Andrew Raycroft seems destined for a buy-out, but regardless the Maple Leafs require a back-up goalie to relieve Toskala for 15-20 games a season.
Scott Clemmensen will have to be re-signed if the Maple Leafs feel he can serve as an adequate back-up for the next two seasons.
Some pending UFA goalies which peak some interest: Wade Dubielewicz (will be re-signed), Alex Auld, Stephen Valiquette, Ty Conklin, Brian Boucher, Curtis Sanford.
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