Well, a couple of familiar faces will not be dressing up for the Blue & White any more.
Nik Antropovov, a 9 year veteran with the team was traded to the New York Rangers today. A deal that saw coming back, a second round pick and a conditional pick.
Antropov, a 28-year-old native of Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, played in 63 games for the Maple Leafs this season registering 21 goals, 25 assists for 46 points with 24 penalty minutes. In 509 career games with the Maple Leafs over nine seasons (1999 to 2009), the 6-6, 230-pound right-winger posted 125 goals, 166 points for 291 points with 477 penalty minutes.
Although I hate to see Nik go, he was a chronic under achiever in my estimation. Even though he managed to put up respectable numbers most of the time, you always had the sense that he should be doing more. Consistency, of lack there of, and injuries where a constant concern. I hope he does very well in New York, although Broadway is usually where careers go to die.
Next up we have Dominic Moore. This guy just pisses me off! I love this kid. Burke couldn't get him signed, so he was traded to Buffalo for a second round pick. Moore was looking for 2.5 a season, Burke was offering 1.5. Burkes final offer was rejected today, it was in the neighborhood of 3 years for 5.7 mil. A pretty goo deal for an exciting young player, that has yet to prove himself.
Moore thinks that he can get that money somewhere else. He might, I doubt it, but he might. Moore knows however, that he may be at his peak now, and the window for making the most money he can may not last long. In that regard, I can see his point. But, there is a stark realization surrounding how Gm's are doing business theses days. They, simply cannot spend money, that they may not have.
Whether, it's Burke in Toronto, Gainey in Montreal or Require in Buffalo, every Gm in the league is working with what is projected to be a 10 million dollar cut in the salary cap over the next 2 years. Dominic Moore has chosen to take his chances. I hope that he, like Antropov does well.
The Leafs also made some other minor moves today in light of the announcement that Vesa Toskala will undergo season ending surgery next week, claiming Martin Gerber off re-entry waivers from Ottawa. For around four hundred thousand for the remainder of the season, they could have just alternated between Cujo and an empty net and saved about 390 of it.
The Leafs also claimed defence man Erik Reitz off waivers from the Rangers. With 48 career NHL games under his belt, he is a career -7, with 2 points and 69 penalty minutes. He is 6'1", 222lbs, and still has some upside as he is still approaching his prime as a defence man.
The Leafs also obtained goaltender Olaf Kolzig, defencemen Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers and a fourth round draft pick in 2009 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for defence man Richard Petiot. In a deal that really amounts to meaning little or nothing to the Leafs. Kolzig is out for the season with an injury.
This will be Hewards second go round in the Leafs organization. He was here from '95 to '97 and did a stint in St John's while he was here. In 394 career games, he has 124 points, 221 penalty minutes and is a career -50.
So, while one of the second round picks acquired today, actually belongs to Carolina, which could be could news as they slide down the standings. The rest of the day in my opinion was a waste of time on Brian Burkes part. He refused to sign a good player, right or wrong, and traded a good player for little more than a back alley crap shoot. Ah, who knows? Maybe he is the hockey genius, or god, or whatever that I keep hearing about, I'm just not seein' it
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