UPDATE: From Yahoo Sports Dmitry Chesnokov, Finnish forward Leo Komarov will be joining the Leafs next season, according to a report on his KHL team's website.
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Continuing the breakdown of the 2011-12 Toronto Maple Leafs with a look at a player who was their Plan B in the wake of not being able to acquire a front line center, as well as a journeyman winger who adapted to a number of different roles due to injuries and the underperformance of others.
Joey Crabb – Winger: Signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2010 after playing four seasons in the Atlanta organization, Crabb shared time between the AHL and the Leafs in 2010-11 and was one of the call ups that aided in the club’s second half resurgence. The Alaskan born Crabb failed to make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers, but was recalled after scoring at nearly a goal per game pace with the Marlies.
When recalled, he played on the second, third and fourth lines, was used in a penalty killing role and gave 100% effort to every assignment given. Crabb is not a complete player and will likely never score over twenty goals a year in his career, but he hustles, does not back down physically and plays with passion. Unlike most of the club’s bottom six, he managed to contribute offensively with 11 goals in 67 games. He is an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Grade: B
Projection: NHL third line winger
Tim Connolly – Center After the Brad Richards charade resulted in him signing with the Rangers hours into unrestricted free agency, the Leafs signed Connolly as a fallback option to a two year, $9.5 Million deal with the plan to put the playmaker between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. That plan never came to fruition as the oft-injured center suffered an upper body injury during training camp and missed the first three weeks of the regular season. When he did return, he was given the checking center role because Tyler Bozak was working well with Kessel and Lupul.
The 29 year old played in the top six on brief occasions, when Bozak and Lupul were injured, but was relegated to mostly third line duty, penalty killing and occasional power play time. His -14 plus/minus rating was the second worst on the club and he ended up being a bad investment for GM Brian Burke, who only got 13 goals and 23 assists for his $4.75 Million salary. One of the few positives that Connolly can boast is that after his initial trip to the injured list, he stayed healthy for the remainder of the season.
Grade: F
Projection: Trade, buyout or demotion to the AHL, depending on the new CBA
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NY Rangers(1) vs New Jersey(6)
The Eastern Conference Finals begins tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City, as the Rangers face their Atlantic Division rivals from New Jersey.
The top-seeded Rangers survived another long, grueling series, as they defeated Washington 2-1 in Game Seven Saturday night, while the Devils are well rested since their elimination of Philadelphia in five games six days ago.
Fatigue will be a factor in the series, especially with the Rangers blueline, as Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonough have regularly played 25 minutes or more in every game. New Jersey’s defense with veterans Anton Volchenkov, Marek Zidlicky and Bryce Salvador has been steady, but unspectacular.
The Devils appear to have an advantage offensively, with Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique and David Clarkson providing the bulk of the scoring, along with supporting players like Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora who have Stanley Cup rings. The Rangers are getting most of their offense from the Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Carl Hagelin line and need players like Ryan Callahan, Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle to chip in.
Henrik Lundqvist played wonderfully against the Capitals and gives New York the clear advantage in goal, as Martin Brodeur improved on his inconsistent play in Round One against Florida with a solid performance against the Flyers, but he cannot be depended on to be the Brodeur of old.
This series will be short on scoring and long on toughness, physicality and acrimony.
Rangers in 7
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