As things stand, Dominic Moore has not yet budged on his estimated request of 2.5 to 3 million a year.
Leafs GM Brian Burke has apparently tabled a 1.5 million contract for, it's believed, three years.
Burke's team formula includes two bottom lines of inexpensive plumbers that play a good, hard two-way game. Dominic Moore, understandably, wants to see himself as a bit more than that. And I'll give him credit, I've watched him play since he was on the Penguins, and I saw a guy with some really nice hands. He likes to think of himself as a third liner who can jump on the powerplay.
He's looking for Darcy Tucker money for those extra intangibles he brings to the team. Just ask Ryan Malone, the king of that business. A hard worker with the willingness to go to the net, sacrifice his body for his team, hit, shoot and go into the corner. All that landed him a 4.5 million a year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Apparently Burke doesn't want to pay that kind of money for a guy who would likely be relegated to the fourth line in years to come.
Moore had better play his cards right, or he might end up like Anson Carter who pushed for that big three million contract and ended up playing himself right out of the NHL.
Hopefully the saga can be resolved tonight so Burke can consider offers. You have to think if Burke doesn't come to a solution by early evening, he'll tell Moore to pack a suitcase before he turns out the light.
UPDATE: Dominic Moore will sit out tonights game against the New Jersey Devils. As will Nik Antropov. Looks like we've seen the last of Nik in the Blue and White, and possibly Moore.
Moore Saga Will be Over Soon
Yea Moore, Nay Antropov; Schenn Picks Up
Yesterday, Brian Burke once again surprised nobody by opening his mouth when asked what's on his mind.
He told the media yesterday that the team is likely to negotiate a new contract with Dominic Moore, and seek to find a new home for Nik Antropov, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
As I wrote in January, these two actions are no surprise. Moore knows his role. So does Antropov, but he is, at best, the poor man's first liner.
Howard Berger wrote that it might not be the best policy to show his disregard for one of his players, in terms of trying to maximize Nik's trade value. This is partially true, seeing how teams now know that Burke is pressured to make a move now. But that doesn't change the fact - we're talking about Brian Burke.
Spector reports that it's hardly news to GMs that Antropov is on the block. I agree that a few loose cannon comments out of Burke's mouth won't affect the way teams percieve Antropov as a player.
And what is also true is that, in a Gaborik-less trade market, Antropov will be a forward sought by many teams.
First Goal Isn't The Only Thing Schenn Picks Up
The Toronto Star reports this morning that Luke Schenn alongside the other rookies were on hook for this year's rookie dinner tab.
"I just ate my steak and watched the guys order what they wanted...I can live with it. You're only a rookie once in the NHL."
It's good to hear about a little team bonding. They've got to get closer as a team if they want to work on their team cohesion going down the stretch. The tough thing is the fact that several of the players at that table might be gone by the end of the month. Such is life in the new NHL though. Just business as usual.
Offers to Burke Improving; Who Stays, Who Goes?
According to the Toronto Sun (via. Spector), Burke admits that the calls he's getting for his assets are starting to interest him. Just yesterday, Burke was asked whether Antropov was a trade asset, to which he replied "my priority is not to improve his trade value. My priority is to get him playing better so he can help the Toronto Maple Leafs win some games right now." Right. I think we're getting a little too wordy here.
Who Stays?
Dominic Moore - F - I don't care what Eklund thinks, Burke is not going to give away Moore. Doesn't matter what the 'buzz' is, I'm sure the interest to move Moore does not exist within the franchise. He is a superb role player who works hard and has decent hands. A perfect third liner; that is, if he's truculent and beligerent enough for Burke. He's quickly winning over the fanbase, and despite what rumour gatherers might hear about who may or may not be inquiring, he's probably one of the players who stays put through the rebuilding phase. That is, unless he can tangibly prove his intangible assets as a player (read: Mike Commodore at 4.3 mil, Ryan Malone at 4.5 mil) and seek money elsewhere.
Jason Blake - F - I just don't think anyone wants that contract, despite his recent strong play.
Vesa Toskala - G - Contract is a problem. As is the market for shaky goaltending. I think Burke fails with this one, but not for lack of trying.
Pavel Kubina - D - Burke will not part with both Kubina and Kaberle at once. Kaberle will bring the picks, Kubina will keep the team respectable.
Lee Stempniak - F - Burke won't want to hurt Fletcher's feelings by undoing his last move as interim-GM.
He'll let Stempniak show what he's worth next season.
Well that's just ridiculous! I thought Burke was going to burn this roster to the ground? Well, he may. But it won't all happen before the trade deadline. When the summer comes, the roster changes will continue.
Other shoo-ins for the stay list: Schenn, Hagman, Kulemin, May, Mitchell, Grabovski, Finger, Van Ryn.
Who Goes?
Nik Antropov - F - Perfect time to trade Nik to a market that contains no big-time forwards. A desperate GM will have to roll the dice on Nikky.
Tomas Kaberle - D -Will attract some seriously eye-popping offers. We'll never get a Jeff Carter offer again, though. *sniff*
Ian White - D - White's age, contract and strong two-way play makes him a nice addition to any team. Shouldn't bring much back in return, though.
Alexei Ponikarovsky - F - Will bring back a lot less in return than people expect, but likely to be traded.
Jamal Mayers - F - A lot tamer than the Mayers of past seasons. Might attract some interest from teams looking for leadership.
I Just Don't Know
Matt Stajan - F - I have no idea if Stajan is going anywhere. For the most part, he's avoided the trade talk because he's had a good season and is seen as a solid team player. Whether he fits into Burke's plans really remains to be seen.
Your Two Cents
At this point I'm going to ask you to put yourself in Burkes shoes. What do you do with this roster? What do you expect to get in return for our assets?
Kaberle Makes First Move in Fuelling Trade Rumours
Earlier today Tomas Kaberle was asked by reporters about his no trade clause, and he admitted that if asked, he would waive it. This isn't surprising to me, really. Kaberle knows that if he chooses not to waive it, he'll just be a lame duck with a team out of the playoffs.
For a guy who's career future probably doesn't lie in Toronto, that's not a very good game plan. Burke has the right to move Kaberle after the June draft (as well as Kubina) if the Leafs do not make the playoffs. Kaberle and Kubina know that they are both big parts of whether the Leafs make the playoffs, but they also know that they are not in the team's future plans.
I feel like the breaking point for these guys like Kaberle and Kubina was when it became apparent that Mats wouldn't be returning to the team this season. There's one thing all players want, and that is to win, and have some security. Without Mats, and within an organization that wants to restock its prospect cupboard, its not hard to see why Kaberle knows that his time in Toronto is reaching its end.
Like McCabe before him, Kaberle is likely to make a list of teams that he's interest in and present it to Burke, before he chooses to waive his no trade clause. I really don't expect this to happen any time soon, as I know Burke will first try to create a race throughout the league for his assets - Kubina, Kaberle, Ponikarovsky, Toskala, Antropov and perhaps Stajan.
To Leafs fans - I ask you to be patient with Burke. There will be lots and lots of rumours about potential trades in the upcoming weeks, but Burke knows how to play his cards right. He will wait until teams are desperate, and perhaps out of other options.
Burke Busy With Family; Ron Wilson Speaks About Possible Trades in Leafland
Today Ron Wilson was approached about whether the Leafs have had any contact with the Blue Jackets, and he essentially said that it's not his job to deal with that stuff.
That being said, Burke is busy right now moving his family from Anaheim to Toronto. Indeed, Wilson also made a good point by saying that right now the teams that want to make an upgrade to their rosters can't because of cap restrictions.
That's why it's understandable that Columbus is a primary target for Columbus-Toronto trade rumours. Columbus has a decent amount of cap space left, about 6.4 million. Just enough to fit a puck-moving defenseman like Pavel Kubina, or an Antropov plus someone else.
Columbus is a team that wants to prove to its fans that its committed to making the playoffs, and their fanbase and attendance is slowly easing away after a long honeymoon since they began as a franchise in 2000.
Kubina and Antropov to Columbus...Could it go Down?
Here's something to mull over. I'm hearing from a few sources that Blue Jackets scouts were watching the Maples Leafs game when they took on the Buffalo Sabres tonight. Who might they be looking at? Some around the web are saying they are looking at Antropov and Kubina.
Burke and Columbus might be a good mix - a GM who wants to make a mark and an organization that wants to show its fan it wants to once and for all make it to the post-season.
This could get interesting.
