true but the fault lay more at management's feet for making him the central point of the team. that was a catastrophic and unforgivable miscalculation by Burke/Nonis.
- DoubleDown

I believe this to be the biggest issue.

Starts with management. Has to. Bring a guy like that in and then tell him to work his ass off and be the leader on the team. In Pittsburgh he'll be less looked upon as a leader and will do his job.

I never can blame him for being him and what he is. I can blame management in thinking he's more or that he could do more.

I take it as bruce being right about taking things slowly with prospects. Marner will be in the next two rounds of cuts, as for willy, this is why i think a decision hasn't been made yet, with him, froese, hyman and brown.
- mykokes

Nylander, I would guess will be the last cut if he doesn't make it.

*puts camera behind back, looks up to the right and whistles*
- Dozzer

dude no up the kilt shots

Nylander, I would guess will be the last cut if he doesn't make it.
- LeafMan

yup. him and brown.

Nylander, I would guess will be the last cut if he doesn't make it.
- LeafMan

He's making it.

yup. him and brown.
- mykokes

Brown looked really good, he is always working on every shift. Really like him.

Could be, the only thing I can come up with is that he missed so much time last year that they want him to get his game back. He was effective crashing and banging along the boards.
- LeafMan

yeah.. the more i think about the more i see alternatives to the "not giving him a chance" theory

there might be a longer game plan in place here that we simply dont know about.

I always liked him. Just wrong time to bring him to the Leafs. He's a guy you add to a team to finish it off.

- Aaron_85

Agreed. But what was done was done - Kessel didn't trade two firsts and second to bring himself to Toronto, and he didn't refuse to play with a proper 1st line centre.

Toronto fans could never get past the bad trade/bad timing to bring him here.

Has anyone built a championship team with a high offense winger as the first and main piece?

- Aaron_85

Not that I can think of. But Canadians are biased: we always think that centres are the cornerstones. It's how we build hockey teams.

Who was the last dominant Canadian winger? Kariya?

i dont care if he scores 100 goals this year... i am happy he is off the team
- Dozzer

Well he's still on the books for 7 more years.

Another great leaf trade.

He's making it.
- walshyleafsfan

I think people still don't get what I said about him.

Can I post links to TSN?

It's happy news if that helps.

http://www2.tsn.ca/bardow...n%2Bthe%2BQMJHL&id=561621

It's effing Toronto fan disease.

Our best players are never good enough, but our 4th line plugs who try hard are elevated to God status.

Kessel sucked, but Komarov is underpaid at $3 million a year X 4 years.
- Atomic Wedgie

Oh stop - Kessels a good player - just has an attitude not every person likes

You think NHL staff make roster moves based on HB posters

Prepares resume:

Dearest Mr Shanahan

Can I post links to TSN?

It's happy news if that helps.

http://www2.tsn.ca/bardow...n%2Bthe%2BQMJHL&id=561621
- markmark

Mainstream is fine, competing blog site are not, MLHS, PPP etc..

I'll be honest. I prefer guys who actually look greatful for what ever level of talent they were given. I cannot stand players who don't give a (frank). I get apoplectic when said player who doesn't give a (frank) makes 8mil a year
- walshyleafsfan

Sorry, Walshy, but this is classic Toronto fan disease.

For eff's sakes, Damien effing Cox himself says that Kessel was the fittest Leaf at training camp last year. But the narrative won't die: apparently Kessel is a guy who doesn't care, doesn't work out in the offseason, eats a hot dog a day.

It's true because he is an elite player, right?

While guys like us wake up every morning and go to the plant, to put in an 8-hour shift, and Kessel just dogs it out there. Ungrateful chump. Does he know what I would do to play in the NHL? I tells ya, I'd backcheck for sure.

Blah blah blah.

Agreed. But what was done was done - Kessel didn't trade two firsts and second to bring himself to Toronto, and he didn't refuse to play with a proper 1st line centre.

Toronto fans could never get past the bad trade/bad timing to bring him here.


Not that I can think of. But Canadians are biased: we always think that centres are the cornerstones. It's how we build hockey teams.

Who was the last dominant Canadian winger? Kariya?
- Atomic Wedgie

Corey perry?
Martin St. Louis?
Hall is getting there.
Rick Nash

I'm sure there are more since kariya

I believe this to be the biggest issue.

Starts with management. Has to. Bring a guy like that in and then tell him to work his ass off and be the leader on the team. In Pittsburgh he'll be less looked upon as a leader and will do his job.

I never can blame him for being him and what he is. I can blame management in thinking he's more or that he could do more.
- Aaron_85

The entire hockey world has known since Phil Kessel was 16 that he is not captain material. It's simply not what he does.

Expecting him to do it was 100% management's fault.

Guy Lafleur never wore a letter on his sweater.

dude no up the kilt shots
- zazzle

nah.. its his dreamy eyes

Corey perry?
Martin St. Louis?
Hall is getting there.
Rick Nash

I'm sure there are more since kariya
- ILoveLamp

OK, now name all the dominant Canadian centres, going all the way back to when Kariya played.

You'l see: Canadian hockey is all about the centre. Wingers are afterthoughts.

Agreed. But what was done was done - Kessel didn't trade two firsts and second to bring himself to Toronto, and he didn't refuse to play with a proper 1st line centre.

Toronto fans could never get past the bad trade/bad timing to bring him here.


Not that I can think of. But Canadians are biased: we always think that centres are the cornerstones. It's how we build hockey teams.

Who was the last dominant Canadian winger? Kariya?
- Atomic Wedgie

it's not that we're biased, that's how the game is today. a forward's effectiveness today is defined by what he does with and without the puck, and the centreman has more defensive responsibility than the wingers. it wasn't like that 15-20 years ago. the Gretzky/Lemieux prototype has given way to the Crosby/Toews/Kopitar prototype.

OK, now name all the dominant Canadian centres, going all the way back to when Kariya played.

You'l see: Canadian hockey is all about the centre. Wingers are afterthoughts.
- Atomic Wedgie

A lot of them played wing on team Canada, there were so many talented ones.

The entire hockey world has known since Phil Kessel was 16 that he is not captain material. It's simply not what he does.

Expecting him to do it was 100% management's fault.

Guy Lafleur never wore a letter on his sweater.
- Atomic Wedgie

Kessel to me is like Gaborik.

LA picked up Gaborik knowing full well what he was and they used him for it. He was a piece that helped them over the top with an already very good team. The Leafs did the EXACT SAME THING except for the good team part.

Sorry, Walshy, but this is classic Toronto fan disease.

For eff's sakes, Damien effing Cox himself says that Kessel was the fittest Leaf at training camp last year. But the narrative won't die: apparently Kessel is a guy who doesn't care, doesn't work out in the offseason, eats a hot dog a day.

It's true because he is an elite player, right?

While guys like us wake up every morning and go to the plant, to put in an 8-hour shift, and Kessel just dogs it out there. Ungrateful chump. Does he know what I would do to play in the NHL? I tells ya, I'd backcheck for sure.

Blah blah blah.
- Atomic Wedgie

So very true.
Just because Kessel wasnt a muscle bound freak, doesnt mean he wasnt in shape.
The whole backlash over kessel this past year by leaf fans was pure stupidity. I'll enjoy watching him light up the leafs for years to come....while leaf fans cry about needing scoring.

Well he's still on the books for 7 more years.

Another great leaf trade.
- Fakepartofme

meh.. money is nothing to the leafs

The entire hockey world has known since Phil Kessel was 16 that he is not captain material. It's simply not what he does.

Expecting him to do it was 100% management's fault.

Guy Lafleur never wore a letter on his sweater.
- Atomic Wedgie

A talented hockey player at 1 end - a lot easier to score goals if you cherry pick - who cares about plus minus - just blame it on your teammates right?

Sorry, Walshy, but this is classic Toronto fan disease.

For eff's sakes, Damien effing Cox himself says that Kessel was the fittest Leaf at training camp last year. But the narrative won't die: apparently Kessel is a guy who doesn't care, doesn't work out in the offseason, eats a hot dog a day.

It's true because he is an elite player, right?

While guys like us wake up every morning and go to the plant, to put in an 8-hour shift, and Kessel just dogs it out there. Ungrateful chump. Does he know what I would do to play in the NHL? I tells ya, I'd backcheck for sure.

Blah blah blah.
- Atomic Wedgie

I'm only speaking for myself Wedgie, but the fact he was the fittest is what makes it completely unacceptable to me. He's a great goalscorer, but come on man, we watch Leafs games. Kessel's unwillingness/inability to play defense, play the boards, backcheck, or generally look as if anything on the ice when he does not have the puck matters to him, all the while making 8mil a year, absolutely infuriated me and was another embarrassing mark on a franchise littered with embarrassments