Positional Fantasy Hockey Rankings: December 2011

 

Ratings based on basic Roto/Head to Head categories of Goals, Assists, plus minus, powerplay points, shots on goal, penalty minutes, wins, goals against, save percentage, shutouts.

Gain/Level/Drop  is a comparison from last season to this season in which I speculate whether the player lost value (drop), gained value (gain), or remained relatively even with what they were last year (level)

In January’s addition, I will look back at December’s rankings and base my ratings on them.

Highlighted players are current members of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Center (gain/drop/level)- Note: Centers include players with wing position eligibility

1. Steven Stamkos (gain)
2. Jonathan Toews (gain)
3. Claude Giroux (level)
4. Henrik Sedin (level)
5. Patrick Kane (level)
6. Evgeni Malkin (level)
7. Patrick Sharp (gain)
8. Stephen Weiss (gain)
9. Tyler Seguin (gain)
10. Jamie Benn (gain)
11. Ryan Nugent Hopkins (gain)
12. Nicklas Backstrom (drop)
13. Pavel Datsyuk (drop)
14. Anze Kopitar (level)
15. Jason Spezza (gain)
16. John Tavares (level)
17. Tomas Plekanec (level)
18. Mikko Koivu (level)
19. Jeff Skinner (drop)
20. Joe Pavelski (gain)
21. Patrick Marleau (drop)
22. Ryan Getzlaf (drop)
23. Patrice Bergeron(level)
24. Vincent LeCavalier (gain)
25. Ryan Kesler (drop)
26. Mike Richards (drop)
27. Logan Couture (level)
28. David Backes (level)
29. Brad Richards (drop)
30. Patrik Elias (level)
31. Olli Jokinen (gain)
32. Tyler Bozak (gain)
33. Joe Thornton (drop)
34. Matt Duchene (drop)
35. Paul Stastny (drop)
36. Eric Staal (drop)
37. Derek Roy (drop)
38. Mike Ribeiro (drop)
39. Shawn Horcoff (gain)
40. David Krejci (drop)

Sidney Crosby will be added for January.

Wingers (gain/drop/level) (Note: Wingers are forwards with no center eligibility)

1. Daniel Sedin (level)
2. Joffrey Lupul (gain)
3. Phil Kessel (gain)
4. Tomas Fleischmann (gain)
5. James Neal (gain)
6. Thomas Vanek (gain)
7. Teemu Selanne (gain)
8. Kris Versteeg (gain)
9. Johan Franzen (level)
10. Marian Hossa (level)
11. Corey Perry (drop)
12. Marian Gaborik (drop)
13. Ryan Smyth (gain)
14. Scott Hartnell (gain)
15. Evander Kane (gain)
16. Jason Pominville (gain)
17. Jordan Eberle (level)
18. Milan Lucic (level)
19. Pascal Dupuis (gain)
20. Ryan Clowe (level)
21. Ray Whitney (level)
22. Jaromir Jagr (level)
23. Ryan Callahan (level)
24. Loui Eriksson (drop)
25. Milan Hejduk (level)
26. Dany Heatley (drop)
27. Milan Michalek (gain)
28. Chris Kunitz (level)
29. Matt Moulson (gain)
30. Alex Burrows (drop)
31. Dustin Brown (drop)
32. Jarome Iginla (drop)
33. Rick Nash (drop)
34. Martin St. Louis (drop)
35. Nathan Horton (drop)
36. Taylor Hall (level)
37. Gabriel Landeskog (gain)
38. Chris Higgins (gain)
39. Pierre Marc Bouchard (gain)
40. Chris Stewart (drop)

Defenceman (Note: Only players with D eligibility get in the list, Dustin Byfuglien who is a RW/D is included here and not with RW)

1. Zdeno Chara (gain)
2. Shea Weber (level)
3. Erk Karlsson (gain)
4. Ryan Suter (gain)
5. Brain Campbell (gain)
6. Dustin Byfuglien (level)
7. Nicklas Lidstrom (level)
8. Kris Letang (level)
9. Dion Phaneuf (gain)
10. Alex Edler (gain)
11. Sheldon Souray (gain)
12. Duncan Keith (drop)
13. Jason Garrison (gain)
14. Keith Yandle (drop)
15. Dan Hamhuis (gain)
16. Sergei Gonchar (level)
17. Kimmo Timonen (gain)
18. PK Subban (drop)
19. John Carlson (drop)
20. Kevin Bieksa (level)
21. Dmitry Kulikov (level)
22. John Michael Liles (gain)
23. Marc Andre Bergeron (gain)
24. Ian White (gain)
25. Sami Salo (gain)
26. Christian Ehrhoff (drop)
27. Kervin Shattenkirk (drop)
28. Mark Streit (level)
29. Jack Johnson (drop)
30. Niklas Kronwall (level)
31. Alex Pietrangelo (drop)
32. Brent Burns (drop)
33. Ryan McDonagh (gain)
34. Joe Corvo (gain)
35. Ryan Wilson (gain)
36. Daniel Girardi (gain)
37. Marc Edouard Vlasic (gain)
38. Chris Pronger (drop)
39. Zach Bogosian (drop)
40. Drew Doughty (drop)

Goaltenders (goalies with more than 10 starts qualify)

1. Tim Thomas (level)
2. Henrik Lundqvist (level)
3. Jon Quick (gain)
4. Jimmy Howard (gain)
5. Nikolai Khabibulin (gain)
6. Brian Elliott (gain)
7. Mike Smith (gain)
8. Marc Andre Fleury (level)
9. Carey Price (drop)
10. Niklas Backstrom (gain)
11. Cory Schneider (gain)
12. Josh Harding (gain)
13. Kari Lehtonen (gain)
14. Jose Theodore (gain)
15. Jhonas Enroth (gain)
16. Pekke Rinne (drop)
17. Johan Hedberg (gain)
18. Antti Niemi (drop)
19. Curtis Sanford (gain)
20. Miikka Kiprusoff (drop)
21. Ryan Miller (drop)
22. Ilya Bryzgalov (drop)
23. Tomas Vokoun (drop)
24. Jaroslav Halak (drop)
25. Mathieu Garon (level)
26. Roberto Luongo (drop)
27. Ondrej Pavlevec (drop)
28. Jonas Gustavsson (gain)
29. Martin Brodeur (drop)
30. Semyon Varlamov (drop)
31. Corey Crawford (drop)
32. Dwayne Roloson (drop)
33. Jonas Hiller (drop)
34. Cam Ward (drop)
35. Craig Anderson (drop)
36. Steve Mason (drop)

 

Blue Jays Acquire Closer Sergio Santos for Nestor Molina

The Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox completed a two-player trade Tuesday afternoon as the Jays sent right-handed pitcher Nestor Molina to the White Sox in exchange for closer Sergio Santos.

Molina, regarded as possibly Toronto’s best pitching prospect, went 12-3 last season, with a 2.21 ERA while striking out 148 batters in 130 innings, only walking 16 batters.

Santos went 4-5 last season as the closer for the White Sox, striking out 92 batters in only 63 innings, giving up a grand total of 42 hits. With a 13K /9IP strikeout ratio, Santos is easily one of the nastiest closers in the league at the moment, bringing back comparisions to Tom Henke back in the early 1990′s.

With Molina, the White Sox are getting a very polished, controlled, 22 year old. He’s got power stuff, but also very good control, unlike former Jays top prospect Kyle Drabek who has fell in the depth chart because of control issues. Molina is a converted reliever due to only really having a fastball, slider combination. It’s been enough for him in the minors, but the majors in a total different story.

As for Santos, Toronto gets a first-time closer, and former shortstop as their man at the back end of the pen. Originally acquired by the Jays in the Troy Glaus trade, Santos struggled hitting as a positional player, and it wasn’t until he was moved to the White Sox that he became a pitcher.

He came onto the scene two years ago and just dominated the hitters. A season later, he took over the closing duties for the White Sox after Matt Thornton took a turn for the worse, and Santos never looked back. Santos also holds the record for most consecutive appearances without giving up a run, 25.

With news coming out later in the day that both Jays free agent relievers signed new contracts with the Mets, Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco, the Jays are looking mighty fine right now paying the price they’re paying for Santos when they could be paying $6 million a season for Francisco.

The winter meetings are almost over, but the Jays wheeling and dealing isn’t complete. GM Alex Anthopolous doesn’t expect to complete anymore deals before the Rule 5 draft on Thursday, so expect more moves or signings in the coming weeks.

MLB Free Agency 2012: Toronto Blue Jays the Favorite for Prince Fielder?

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Prince Fielder has shortened his list of possible teams down to three, according to a report from CBSCleveland.com. The Milwaukee Brewers remain a possibility to re-sign Fielder, while the Texas Rangers are the second team Fielder is considering.

However, according to the report, the Blue Jays, led by GM Alex Anthopoulos, have pulled ahead in the Fielder sweepstakes.

With excess cash to spend, a young and improving squad, history with the Fielder family with Big Daddy Cecil Fielder once playing in Toronto, and of course, having Jose Bautista and Brett Lawrie in the middle of the lineup, the Blue Jays offer Fielder a tempting situation to serve as the cleanup hitter.

Last season, Fielder hit .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBI to go along with 107 walks. The combination of Fielder and Bautista would be lethal, evoking memories of the David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez dynamic duo in the middle of the lineup for the Boston Red Sox. This combination could be even better than that.

In seven major league seasons, Fielder has always hit over .250 and has always hit 25-plus home runs, something that current Jays first baseman Adam Lind cannot say.

While Lind likely has the better glove at first, it’s Fielder’s consistency and constant power threat that make him a perfect fit with this Jays lineup.

If the Jays do in fact sign Fielder, Lind would likely be dealt for either a starting pitcher or a second baseman, since the Jays are in need of both.

Another move to not discount is the Jays trading Lind for a closer. Oakland could use a first baseman, and supposedly their closer Andrew Bailey is available. Could the two be a match for a trade? That always remains a possibility.

Looking at the Jays lineup (projected) with Fielder:

Yunel Escobar SS

Eric Thames LF

Jose Bautista RF

Prince Fielder 1B

Brett Lawrie 3B

Colby Rasmus CF

Edwin Encarnacion DH

JP Arencibia C

Second Baseman (Right now Luis Valbuena)

The winter meetings begin tomorrow morning, where the talk and rumors will likely begin to spread like a wildfire. The Jays are the team to watch by all accounts, as they will likely be hunting down a wild-card berth.

Who knows, if they get their guy, they may be hunting down a pennant.

Jays Acquire Catcher Jeff Mathis from Angels in Exchange for Brad Mills

Steve Ruark/Getty Images

Another day, another savvy move by Jays GM Alex Anthopolous. Only a few days after losing back-up catcher Jose Molina to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Jays got the ball rolling by acquiring catcher Jeff Mathis from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for left-handed pitcher Brad Mills.

Mathis, 28, who by all accounts is one of the best defensive catchers in the game, leaves behind a great pitching staff in Los Angeles and heads north to Toronto.

Although not the greatest of hitters only averaging around .194 through three seasons, its his work behind the plate that got him to where he is today.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia absolutely loved Mathis, but acknowledged that the Angels needed a more offensive catcher next season. When the Angels acquired Chris Iannetta, the writing was on the wall for Mathis.

Mills, who likely has one of the weakest fastballs in the game, was hit more than a pinata at a backyard block party. In AAA however, Mills was very good leading the Pacific Coast League Las Vegas 51′s in strikeouts, and ERA at 4.00.

He also only walked 39 batters. In the majors, it was obvious Mills was wild inside the strike zone.

With back-up catcher now covered, the Jays can move onto filling other holes in the lineup, mainly at second, closer and possibly even at starting pitching. With Kelly Johnson likely on the way out, Frank Francisco all but a goner, and Jon Rauch likely not brought back, the Jays will have a much different look next season, at least when it comes to veterans on the squad.

Blue Jays Favorites to Land Heath Bell, Fielder Remains a Real Possibility?

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Blue Jays are now favorites to land closer Heath Bell, formerly of the San Diego Padres. With over three years of closer experience with the Padres, Bell is one of the remaining lights-out closers still available in free agency.

In three years of closing games with the Padres, Bell has saved 134 games while sporting an ERA lower than 2.40 in just over 200 IP with the club.

Toronto, who is desperately seeking a closer, is likely to lose both Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco to free agency this year, so adding Bell will help bolster a pretty anemic bullpen.

Late last night, Jim Bowden of the MLB Network reported that Bell was close to signing with an unnamed team, however nothing developed from that rumor. It was widely speculated that the “unknown” team was in fact the Blue Jays.

With the Jays already interested in Bell, looking at relief pitcher Greg Holland of the Royals and discussing trades for Andrew Bailey of the Oakland Athletics, nothing has yet to happen from these rumors. Winter meetings are approaching though and movement should really start to take place.

The Marlins remain in hot pursuit of Bell as well as the Angels, and Red Sox.

In other news, with an injection of funds into the Jays payroll, baseball experts are discussing the odds that Toronto can land first baseman Prince Fielder.

Jon Paul Morosi believes the team could make a lucrative offer to the first baseman. With supposedly up to $50 million dollars to spend to get to the $120 million dollar payroll limit Paul Beeston declared as their ceiling, the Jays could easily afford both Bell and Fielder, with about $20-25 million to spare.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

But it shouldn’t be that surprising. Line up the factors—payroll flexibility, roster construction, competitive window, attendance impact—and there are few (if any) better fits for Fielder.

First, the money: Fielder, 27, will shatter one team’s notion of what is reasonable for a first baseman to earn. An owner will wince. A GM will avert his eyes. This will be a payroll-buster. And yet the Jays’ bottom line is more pliable than most. Their Opening Day payroll this year was around $70 million, but club president Paul Beeston has said that it could climb to $120 million.

For those scoring at home, that’s a $50 million bump. So, yes, the Blue Jays absolutely can afford Prince Fielder.

If the Jays were to make a move for Fielder, expect Adam Lind to be traded to a team in need of a first baseman. The Jays would likely be asking for a starting pitcher.

Teams that could use a first baseman include the Cubs (Matt Garza), Rays (Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann), A’s (Gio Gonzalez) or Dodgers (Chad Billingsley).

With the winter meetings just around the corner, the rumor mill will once again be running wild as the rumors begin to fly. For Jays fans, we all hope the rumors revolve around our beloved Jays.

UPDATE: Marlins agree to three-deal with closer Heath Bell according to TSN.ca, thus ending the chances the Jays get him via free agency.

NBA Free Agency 2011: Raptors Add Nene and Gasol to List of Desired Big Men

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford, the Toronto Raptors are not stopping their hunt for a center at Tyson Chandler. With talk surrounding Chandler the last few days, word is spreading that the Raptors intend to actively pursue a center.

Two other big men which the Raptors are potentially chasing are Marc Gasol and Nene Hilario:

One disclaimer: Sources say Toronto is trying to be as aggressive as it can be in the big-man market in free agency and has informed the players involved that it intends to lodge serious bids for Nene, Chandler and restricted free agent Marc Gasol. In the unlikely event that releasing a player through amnesty could clinch the signing of one of those players, rest assured that the Raptors will go for it.

Rest assured, Raptors fans: Bryan Colangelo and company want to improve the team, and it appears they want to do so quickly—disregarding their chances at a high draft pick in a deep draft. Their intent, it appears, is to move 7′ center Andrea Bargnani to power forward and get him a big body to play alongside underneath the basket.

Colangelo’s stance on the draft has always been: “Let the season play out—if there’s a player we are targeting, we’ll trade up and draft him if need be.”

To add either of these players, the Raptors would likely use their amnesty clause on one of two players—Linus Kleiza or Jose Calderon.

Kleiza looks to be the likely candidate to be bought out if the Raptors intend on spending money for the center they so desire. Kleiza is owed over $4.6 million next season, and cutting his salary opens up even more cap space for the team.

Another option not being discussed is a homecoming for Marcus Camby. With restricted free agent Greg Oden needing an extension—and the Blazers unable to use their mid-level exception until salary is cleared—it appears the Blazers will either need to buy out Camby or Brandon Roy for both to happen.

Camby, as much as I am against adding him, would give the Raptors the best shot-blocking and rebounding presence they’ve had in years; and unlike Chandler, Nene or Gasol, he won’t take away playing time from incumbent center Jonas Valanciunas, who will make his Raptors debut next season.

However, many there are many downsides to adding Camby—he’s 37 years old, slower and, quite honestly, is one of the worst shooting big men in the NBA (last year he only scored on 39.8 percent of his field goals).

Another option is Bobcats center DeSagna Diop, who will likely become a free agent. The shot-blocking center made over $6.5 million last season and was one of the most inefficient players on the Bobcats roster. Adding Diop would be an absolute worst-case scenario for the Raptors. I doubt they would even spend the money on him.

With Gasol and Nene, though, you have two studs. Both of them are in the primes of their careers and are still young. Both also have some connections to the Raptors, as point guard Jose Calderon has played nationally with Gasol for Spain, and combo guard Leandro Barbosa has played nationally with Nene for Brazil.

Gasol, the 7’1″, 265-pound center from Barcelona, had a down year last year by his standards,  finishing with 11.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.7 BPG on .528 percent shooting. In the playoffs, though, Gasol averaged over 15 PPG and added 11 RPG for the Grizzlies.

Nene, on the other hand, had a career year last year. He averaged 14.5 PPG and added 7.6 RPG and a blocked shot per game on .615 percent shooting.

The Raptors aren’t sitting on their hands as they look to improve their team for the upcoming season. By adding one of these big-name centers, the Raptors would go a long way towards gaining respect in the NBA—and could possibly add a playoff berth to the trophy case this season.

NBA Free Agency 2011: Raptors Looking to Sign Tyson Chandler to Multi-Year Deal

Pool/Getty Images

In the first day agents and players can talk to teams on contracts, news has surfaced out of ESPN that the Raptors are among five teams that are chasing the services of star center Tyson Chandler.

According to sources at ESPN, Chandler is expecting to open camp with a new team this year.

“I really think I’m going to be on a new team come training camp,” Chandler told ESPN.com in a telephone interview Wednesday night. “I’m really taking a hard look at all of my options, trying to see what best suits me.”

Not happy with the lack of communication between both sides since the lockout, Chandler will likely be looking elsewhere for employment.

The other teams include New Jersey, Dallas, Golden State and Houston.

Chandler, widely regarded as one of the better defensive centers in the league, would finally arrive in Toronto, where he was originally traded to last season.

The deal, which was nixed in the last moments by Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, would have brought Boris Diaw to Toronto as well in exchange for Raptors point guard Jose Calderon and power forward Reggie Evans.

However, the deal did not end up going through, as the Bobcats elected to swing a deal with the Mavericks, acquiring the expiring contract of Erick Dampier for Chandler’s services.

Dampier was immediately bought by the Bobcats, and the rest you can say was history for Chandler and the Mavericks.

Along with centers Nene, Sam Dalembert and Marc Gasol, this 2011 short offseason is likely the best time for center-starved clubs to spend the cash they need to to acquire that big missing piece.

Last season, Chandler averaged 10.8 PPG and 9.4 RPG, as well as blocking 1.04 shots a game.

His presence next to Andrea Bargnani if they come to a deal would mean Bargnani would move over to his natural power forward position, and Chandler would man the middle for the Raptors.

With first-round choice Jonas Valanciunas playing this season in his native Lithuania, this will give the Raptors and Valanciunas more time to adjust to the high-paced NBA game.

Again, all of this is dependent upon the Raptors winning Chanlder’s services. One fact that could favor the Raptors is coach Dwayne Casey, who was the defensive coach last season for the Dallas Mavericks.

Highly touted by many around the NBA, and even more by Tyson himself, Casey’s no-nonsense approach to the game really helped Chandler become a force last season with the Mavericks.

NBA camps open up Dec. 9, 2011, so time will be ticking fast for free agents to sign in time. Expect a decision on Chandler and many other free agents to be coming through the pipelines in the next week to 10 days.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Could Acquiring One Star Player Put the Leafs over the Top

Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

All is well in Leafs Nation this time of year. That is, except for the players.

With injuries to Carl Gunnarsson, David Steckel, Matt Lombardi, Colby Armstrong, Mike Brown, Mike Komisarek and, most notably, James Reimer, the Leafs have managed to survive a wave of injuries and stay atop the Northeast Division through the first two months of the season.

Usually this is the time of year when the Leafs begin their free fall in the standings, but not this year, not this season and not even in the wake of these injuries.

Who knew that with these injuries would come some good news? The good news is the Leafs’ ever-growing depth in the organization.

Players stepping up in the absence of injured players include Joe Colborne, Matt Frattin, Joey Crabb, Cody Franson, and most notably, Jonas Gustavsson and Tyler Bozak (when Mikhail Grabovski and Tim Connolly were injured separately).

All of these players have shown their worth in these tough times, but it appears sunnier skies are ahead for the Leafs.

With Grabovski returning last night, Reimer isn’t too far away and neither is Armstrong, both of whom are potent pieces to the Leafs attack.

Gunnarrson, Steckel and Brown, three valuable pieces to the defensive puzzle, are day-to-day injuries and could be back anytime as well.

Right now the only long-term injuries are Lombardi and Komisarek, and to be honest, their replacements are better than they are anyways. With Joe Colborne and Cody Franson filling in for them, their loss isn’t as noticeable as say Reimer or Armstrong.

The Leafs are enjoying a consistent season so far, despite the injuries, and that can all be attributed to the team’s depth. The organization can go seven deep at center with Bozak, Connolly, Steckel, Colborne, Lombardi, Zigomanis and Kadri, who can also play center.

On the wings, Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Clarke MacArthur and Nikolai Kulemin make for a very dangerous set of top-six wingers.

With all this depth, it puts the Leafs in a perfect position to add that one missing piece to the puzzle to put the club over the top and in good position to get home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

Oddly enough, with an 8-5-0 record away from the Air Canada Centre, the Leafs’ road record is better than their 6-3-2 home record. The pressure of playing in Toronto may hit the young Leafs harder than veteran Leaf teams of years past.

In my previous articles I’ve stated that the Leafs still need to add quality veterans for this team to compete for the playoffs. Adding quality vets this offseason like Connolly, Steckel, and defenceman John Michael Liles has gone a long way towards making this team better.

However, with 75 goals against—which can be attributed to not having their number one goalie— the Leafs could still use a few more veterans, especially when it comes to defeating division rivals Boston, Buffalo, Ottawa, and Montreal on a regular basis.

I’m going to quickly breakdown a few star players who could be available at the right price and why adding them would make sense for the Leafs.

 

Ryan Suter

Ryan Suter is a perfect fit for the Maple Leafs squad and with the re-signing of Pekke Rinne and eventually Shea Weber, the Predators may not be able to afford the $5 million-plus contract Suter will likely ask for.

The Leafs could offer a trade option of Luke Schenn for Ryan Suter. Suter is just as effective defensively with a plus-18 rating this season. But what Suter brings that Schenn does not is confidence with the puck.

Suter plays in all situations and could be a rock next to the likes of Dion Phaneuf, Franson, Liles, Komisarek, Gardiner, Aulie, Gunnarsson and, eventually, Percy and Blacker.

A deal with Suter is dependent upon him signing an extension in Toronto. Nashville still has the cap space to resign all three, but the big question is are they willing to fork out the cash to get it done.

 

Eric Staal

The Leafs need for a number one center would be answered if they acquire Eric Staal from the Hurricanes. Still being haunted by the hit the essentially could put his brother’s career in question, Staal is struggling to find his scoring touch in Carolina this season.

 Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

The Canes have just fired former Leafs coach and Paul Maurice and replaced him with Kirk Muller.

The odds Staal is traded soon are extremely unlikely, but the need for another scoring threat along with Kessel is still a need for the Leafs.

A package that includes Grabovski, Kadri and a prospect may be enough to get a deal done. However due to Staal’s mammoth contract and lack of production so far this season, the asking price may get lowered by clubs looking to trade for him.

 

Bobby Ryan

A former Brian Burke draft pick, Ryan, who was taken immediately after Sidney Crosby in the 2005 NHL draft, could also fill a need for Toronto. His career has been a pretty productive one playing next to the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne.

However, the Ducks are sporting one of the worst records in the NHL and are in total disarray. Would they look to trade one of their big three in an attempt to get a tad younger in their top six?

With Selanne, Jason Blake and Saku Koivu all nearing retirement sooner rather than later, there’s no time like the present to try and get younger and quicker in your top six.

Andrew Cogliano was a good start, but he’s not a top six talent, at least right now.

Ryan’s asking price has always been two top six forwards and a draft pick. I’ve seen proposals of Grabovski, Kulemin and a first rounder thrown around, and to me, it’s a fair deal.

 Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The need for some consistent scoring for the Leafs is definitely a pressing one because the Leafs still have to play the Bruins four times this season and Kessel always gets shut down by Zdeno Chara. Having the extra point producers on different lines will cause the Bruins to not always burn out Chara against Kessel.

 

Zach Parise

Having long been linked to the Leafs, Parise is struggling majorly in New Jersey right now. With only 12 points in 22 games, Parise has been a shell of his former self. To some degree, he does miss Travis Zajac down the middle feeding him passes for goals, but one injury shouldn’t have that much of an impact. Kessel was still scoring with Connolly on the shelf.

Parise is still one of the NHL’s most dangerous snipers and needs special attention on the ice. The trouble with New Jersey is that they just struggle to score, mostly because they only have one line that can do so regularly. When they are held in check, the team struggles to put goals on the scoreboard.

The asking price for Parise will likely be two top six forwards and two draft picks. Would the Leafs offer up Grabovski, Kadri, and their first- and second-round picks for Parise? I highly doubt it, but it’s fun to ponder.

 

Jason Spezza

Along with Colin Greening and Milan Michalek, Spezza gives the Senators a scoring line they can rely on for scoring. Along with Sergei Gonchar and Erik Karlsson on the back end, the Senators  boast an incredible power-play, but still are far too young to really compete this year in the NHL. They’ve had a winning streak of six games, but have also had a few long losing streaks, something that a veteran squad also goes through, but not at such a high rate.

 Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Despite Spezza’s short comings (specifically his defensive play), Spezza is still a dangerous, young center the Leafs could use. Being one of the best face-off men in the NHL doesn’t hurt either.

The Senators will likely ask for Nazem Kadri, a guy they were targeting with their first-round pick two years ago when the Leafs took him seventh overall. The Senators settled for defender Jared Cowen instead.

Other than Kadri, look for the Senators to ask for Tyler Bozak and likely a player like Cody Franson or Keith Aulie. If the Senators don’t want the defencemen, look for them to ask for a first rounder if the Leafs explore Spezza.

 

Jarome Iginla

Long been rumored to be on the outs in Calgary, Iginla is an aging sniper who put together a nice year last season, scoring 43 goals and adding 43 assists. Iginla this season hasn’t been that great and rumors are swirling that he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause to head to a cup contender.

Teams such as Los Angeles and Boston will likely be waiting at the Flames doorstep asking about him, but Toronto may also be around kicking the car tires outside as well.

Could Brian Burke fleece the Flames again and manage to nab both Phaneuf and Iginla from the Calgary? That remains to be seen.

A package that includes Grabovski, Kulemin or Kadri and a first will be the starting point of any deal involving Iginla.

Again, adding another 35-plus goal scoring winger will take pressure off the Kessel line to score when they face teams like the Flyers, Bruins, or Rangers.

 

These six players could easily players put Toronto over the top and into a position to contend for an Eastern Conference Championship. The first step though for that to happen is to get healthy and regain some chemistry so the team can withstand what looks to be a tough 60 games down the stretch of the season.

2011 NBA Free Agents: 10 Possible Amnesty Players the Raptors Should Pursue

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The NBA season is coming quickly.

Once the new CBA is finally signed, sealed and delivered, camps and free agency will open up December 9th, and the 66-game 2011-2012 season will open on Christmas Day.

The time between opening of camp and the start of the season will be one of the most frenetic and fast paced free agencies to ever hit the NBA.

Teams will only have two weeks to make decisions on and sign players. Every team’s management will be working overtime to get to the necessary 12-man active roster by the start of the season.

One interesting aspect of the new CBA is the “amnesty clause”, which allows teams to buy out players, dollar for dollar, without going over the cap. Teams likely to use it are either over the cap by a few million, or below the cap and stuck with one contract that really holds them down.

NBA sources believe not many teams will use the clause. Perhaps only three to six teams might actually take advantage of it.

But here are 10 players who I believe are at risk of getting “amnestied” and who might be an option for the Raptors to pick up in that two-week rush beginning December 9th

1. Zaza Pachulia

 Pachulia is owed over $4.7 million this year and over $5.2 million next season. He could be a valuable piece to the puzzle in Toronto. Being an international player might make him more likely to sign in Toronto than any other city.

The odds of Pachulia getting bought out are pretty slim, but I highly doubt the Atlanta Hawks will buy out Joe Johnson, the worst contract on their team.

Pachulia might be Plan B.

2. Rip Hamilton

Hamilton is owed over $12.6 million in each of the next two seasons, and it appears that the Detroit Pistons want to move in another direction, with a two-guard system of Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight, and Ben Gordon and Will Bynum coming off the bench.

If I were Joe Dumars and the Pistons, this would be a perfect time to shed Hamilton’s contract.

Hamilton would not likely sign in Toronto, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Rip would bring years of championship experience, solid perimeter defence, and of course, a very solid mid-range game to the table for the Raptors. He’s not a bad guy for Demar DeRozan to learn from, either.

3. Travis Outlaw

Outlaw is an NBA enigma. He’s got a prototypical small-forward body: a tall, lanky, 6’9″, 200-pound gazelle. He’s a great up-tempo offence player to have.

Drawing comparisons out of high school to James Worthy, Outlaw was never likely to live up to those lofty expectations. He’s not the smartest player around, but he works hard and is a great team guy.

Owed over $7 million next season for the next four seasons, the New Jersey Nets may just decide to buy him out and use that extra cash to lure a few new free agents to Brooklyn…I mean, New Jersey.

Maybe getting coached by Dwayne Casey would switch up Outlaw’s game. At 27 years old, he still hasn’t hit his ceiling and looks to be just entering his prime.

To me, he may be the most realistic target among the 10 players listed here.

4. Brendan Haywood

According to Hoopshype, Brendan Haywood is owed $7.6 million this season, and by 2016, he’ll be owed $10.6 million. Yes you read that correctly.

With talk of Tyson Chandler wanting to return to the fold and the Mavericks shelling out over $7.6 million for a bench player, they may bite the bullet here and buy out Haywood. That way, they could safely re-sign Chandler without going too much over the salary cap.

Haywood, a bruising 7-foot, 260-pound monster of a center, would provide Toronto with that big body down low that would allow Andrea Bargnani to move to the four.

Not to mention, it would give Haywood a starting role again.

5. Hasheem Thabeet

Owed over $5 million this season, Thabeet will likely ride the pine most of the season for the Houston Rockets. Acquired in a trade when they got rid of Shane Battier, Thabeet really hasn’t found anything so far in the NBA.

A move to Toronto, a team that will likely be out of playoff contention, may be the ticket, as there will be less pressure for him to perform. His all-defence game, similar to Dikembe Mutombo, would compliment Andrea Bargnani nicely.

It’s just too bad that he looks lost out there most of the time.

6. James Posey

The Indiana Pacers are in great position to make a splash this offseason. Sitting at only $36 million, the Pacers are nearly $30 million under the cap. However, with Danny Granger and Paul George around, shelling out nearly $7 million for James Posey really doesn’t make sense for both sides.

Posey is a good veteran for any team to have. He shoots the three extremely well and he’s a very good defender. However, the Pacers have a pretty good set of guards on their team, with Darren Collison, Brandon Rush, George Hill, AJ Price and Dahntay Jones all manning the position.

With George and Granger at the three, I don’t believe Posey fits in.

With one year remaining, the Pacers would likely be better off trading Posey, but if they can’t find a trade, I can see a buyout coming. That way, the Pacers would have some extra cash to lure some free agents to the Hoosier State.

7. Andris Biedrins

Among the worst free-throw shooters in the league are Shaq, Dwight Howard, and Ben Wallace. And Andris Biedrins.

Biedrins is a piece to the Golden State puzzle that doesn’t appear to fit in, and at $9 million a season, it would be a wise decision for the Warriors to get rid of him.

I really like Biedrins’ game, free-throw shooting aside. He’s a dominant force in the middle who can rebound and defend, and when all’s said and done, he shoots a pretty good FG percent.

With David Lee snatching up most of the boards down in the Bay Area, Biedrins may be looking for a fresh start and a change of scenery.

If he isn’t bought out, I’d still like the Raptors to attempt a trade for him—possibly by using someone like Linus Kleiza, or even Amir Johnson, as trade bait to bring him over.

8. Mike Miller

Mike Miller is a very underrated player, mostly because of the injuries he’s had to deal with in the past few seasons.

A deadly outside shooter, and an underrated rebounder and team defender, Miller would provide the Raptors with a solid option at small forward.

Miller is owed over $5 million this season, and with the emergence of James Jones as an option last year, having Mike at that price doesn’t make much financial sense, especially with the Big Three and Udonis Haslem on the squad.

The Miami Heat are likely better off pursuing a trade with Miller, but there is still an outside chance of Mike Miller getting bought out.

9. Darko Milicic

I hate even mentioning his name, but Darko may be a possible target for the Raptors, and not just because he’s Serbian.

Milicic is a decent rebounder, and he has a variety of offensive moves that could make him a solid option at center with the Raptors.

With Brad Miller, Nikola Pekovic, Anthony Randoplh, and of course Kevin Love around in Minnesota, the Timberwolves may opt to move Milicic instead of keeping his three-year contract of over $5 million a season.

I wouldn’t trade for him, but if he was still there in an amnesty situation, I’d take a look at him.

10. Brandon Roy

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Blazers are in a world of hurt, financially. They owe two players over $22 million next season, Roy, who makes over $14 million for four years, and Greg Oden, who makes over $8 million this season if the team qualifies him. Both players’ knee problems are well documented.

The Blazers have signed players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum long-term, and they’ll need some cash to re-sign the likes of Ray Felton next offseason and Gerald Wallace down the road.

Do they risk having to pay Roy $14 million to spend most of his days on the sidelines?

But if the Raptors bring him in on a cheap deal, he’s a perfect complimentary piece to Andrea Bargnani. He’s almost like DeRozan, in a way, but he’s got a more consistent jumper and has range out to the NBA three.

Whether he stays relatively healthy remains to be seen.

Leafs Minor League Report: Nazem Kadri Showing He’s Ready for Primetime?

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Toronto Marlies are simply on fire. After a 6-3 victory over the St. John’s IceCaps in Newfoundland last night, the Marlies have extended their winning streak to a team-record six straight games.

With the majority of the scoring the Marlies had now up with the big club—and their starting goalie up with the Leafs, the forgotten about Leafs prospects are starting to shine through and lead the Marlies to a division lead after 20 games played.

Stepping up in the absence of Joe Colborne, Matt Frattin and Joey Crabb, the Leafs second tier prospects are really showing their worth lately with the minor league squad.

Nazem Kadri is coming off a rather outrageous performance against St. John’s in which he scored two goals and added a pair of assists the previous night, and added a goal the next night in the Marlies 6-3 victory over the IceCaps.

Although I would still consider Kadri the Leafs best prospect right now, he seems to be getting forgotten about lately, despite having more NHL experience than Frattin or Colborne.

With Crabb, and Colborne up with the Leafs, they have fallen out of the top 10 in the AHL for points. However, one forgotten about Marlie is steadily providing offence and a veteran presence down the middle. That player of course is Mike Zigomanis, a player I’ve been saying for a while now that should be up with the Leafs in some capacity.

Not only has Zigomanis lead the Marlies in scoring this season, but he’s also leading a very stingy Marlie penalty kill which ranks them among the best in the AHL currently. The ship lead by coach Dallas Eakins is really teaching the big club how to better kill penalties.

Consequently, the Leafs power-play has been improving—have they been watching some Marlies games lately?

One hulking forward that has nearly gone unnoticed up until now has been Marcel Mueller. Playing alongside Zigomanis and at the start Colborne, Mueller’s playing a great two-way game with the Marlies. With 18 points through 17 games, Mueller is putting together a 1.1 points per game pace with the Marlies along with a plus-10 rating, which is nothing to sneeze at either.

At 6’3″ 232 pounds, Mueller has the potential to be that big, power forward the Leafs have lacked since the days of Gary Roberts.

Former RPI alum and Leafs budding checking forward Jerry D’Amigo is starting to find his offence with the Marlies. After a slow start, D’Amigo has scored 12 points in 20 games and appears to be hitting his stride playing with Kadri on the clubs first line.

On the back-end, steady play by the likes of Jeff Finger, Matt Lashoff (who is currently on the injured reserve), rookie Jesse Blacker, and Simon Gysbers has helped the Marlies to a very good 12-5-3 record this season.

Gysbers has been the toast of the defensive unit having scored eight points in 12 games with the Marlies. Blessed with a cannon from the point, his presence has not only improved their defensive core, but it also gives the Leafs yet another option to call up if injuries hit the big club, which is only a matter of time.

The last name worth mentioning right now has been the play of goaltender Mark Owuya. The former Swedish Rap star has really wowed the Leafs in his five starts this season. Compiling a 4-1-1 record this year to go with a 1.73 goals against average and .937 save percentage, Owuya may just have bumped goalie Jussi Rynnas down the depth chart with his strong play.

 

The What Have You Done for Me Lately Gang

Keith Aulie

15 games played, zero points, -10 rating

Luca Caputi

11 games played, 1 goal, even rating

Jussi Rynnas

4-5-1 3.37 GAA .887 SV%

So in closing, many Marlies are getting their acts together and are bonding as a unit, which is helping them to a North Division-best 27 points. Led by Kadri, Zigomanis, Mueller, and Ryan Hamilton, the Marlies appear primed for a playoff berth in the AHL.

With that said, Kadri has been lighting it up and appears to nearly be ready for the NHL, as he’s been dominating the competition lately.

Do the Leafs call up Kadri?

If so, who gets sent down and where does he fit in in the grand scheme of things?

Feel free to post your opinion.

Thanks for reading.