The Leafs are screwed and Hitler knows it . . .

Hey MTM here. Toronto is still winless . . . Think Rick Nash is happy he re-signed with the Jackets? Well I came across this video, and Hitler is still ticked off about it. Apparently he is a Leafs fan and is coming to grips with his team in turmoil. As you can tell, he is not a happy camper.

Toronto still looking to move a D-man.

In all honesty, there really doesn't seem to be a Howsen-esque/Hitchcock-ian player available, although Burke would probably like a player like Chimera. Are there any players on Toronto's roster who look of interest to you ?? ( I highly doubt Howsen will cough up the assets for a Kaberle deal)

http://www.thestar.com/article/672683

Burke wrote Monday night that he is still looking to move another defenceman, or at least listening to offers, though last week he said he'd be "shocked" if Tomas Kaberle - the player who could likely bring the most in return - wasn't in Toronto's opening night roster.

"(It's) still crowded back there," he said. The Leafs have nine defencemen who will arrive at camp with realistic expectations of being on the NHL roster.

Howson given green light

From Puck-rakers:

Permission has been granted from management to spend more money. This should be welcomed by Blue Jackets fans, and it now firmly shifts the pressure toward Howson.

Portzline then proceeds to talk about the teams that appear to be in the mix...most of which we've all covered here....but then he gets to this statement from a source close to the Leafs:

I spoke to a person tonight who covers the Leafs, an old friend and really good guy with tons of Toronto sources. He threw lines in the water and said Antropov makes sense. He has heard, however, that the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs keep going back and forth, that "the Blue Jackets don't want to give up anything."

This can be interpreted in many ways.

First thought that probably comes to mind is Howson is being cheap and that he should just do what it takes to get deal done already.

My first thought was this is classic Burke trying to bully Howson into making a bad deal. Remember Burke is a veteran GM... if I"m not mistaken he's on his 3rd team (Vancouver, Anaheim and now Toronto) so this certianly isn't his first rodeo and he knows how to milk a cow. He certainly knows Howson's position and urgency but lets not forget that Burke has an agenda of his own (tank, tank, tank!!) that he wants to start working on so there is some urgency for him as well.

I want help now as much as anyone but Howson has to be careful here... the last thing we need is an Atlanta-like deal that maybe gets us into the playoffs this season but back to the basement the following year. Think Atlanta regrets giving up a Brayden Couburn for Alexie Zhitnik back in 2006-2007? Your damn right they do. What about sending Glen Metropolit, 2007 1st/3rd round picks and 2008 2nd round pick for Keith Tkachuk who ended up being a 20 game rental?

Those are the kind of deals Burke is looking to fleece out of Howson because he knows the Jackets are in the exact same situation as Atlanta was then.

Howson can't and won't be that desperate..

Remember Howson has an ace in the hole here...especially with the news that ownership is willing to up the payroll. He's got cap space and lots of it...something most teams in the NHL do not have a lot of. That cap space is trade currency in this NHL and is as good as a draft pick. He must spend it wisely.

Yes Howson needs to add an player or two to bolster this lineup but if he's willing to take on a couple of salary dumps from teams that have fallen out of the playoff race then the price to acquire those assets will be reasonable.

Why?

...because as mentioned there just aren't many team who have the space to absorb them and teams out of it want to save those millions as well as collect assets.

Parting with 1st for a Nik Antropov 20 game rental is counter-productive. Parting with a Filatov or Voracek for a Kubina is a disaster.

Honestly I look for Howson to make a deal like the Caps made with us last season -- taking on a dump in soon-to-be UFA Sergei Fedorov for what was essentially a 2nd round pick in Teddy Ruth is a comparable. Impending UFA Brad Stuart was moved to Detroit for a 2nd and 4th is another comparable in terms of what I think Howson is looking for.

Now obviously if you start getting into younger players like Vermette or Jordan Staal you think a little differently as those players could become part of your core but Howson absolutely cannot get bullied into overpaying for impending UFAs.

I've actually liked most, if not all, of Howson's deals up to this point -- even the Zherdev deal except for the Backman salary dump part-- so I have faith that he can make some smart plays here. I think he's added quality players to this team while discarding the "disconnected" ones. He has not given up much future while adding quality for today.

Its time that trend continues.

The bottom line though is that its a very positive sign for the Jackets and its fans that ownership is willing to do its part to try and bring a playoff birth to Columbus. Now we sit and wait to see what Howson can do to boost this team for now.

Fire away - thoughts on the kind of move(s) you'd like to see Howson make?

-LTL

Draft nuggets

Saw this via HFBoards:

Well, I don’t want to speak for (Blue Jackets GM) Scott Howson. I know what he’s told me is that they are not moving that pick until they see who’s there. They have a guy in mind. They won’t share who it is with me. They have a player in mind and if he’s there, they’re picking. If not, they’ll try and move the pick. If they move the pick, we’ll likely be on the phone.

Link from Anaheim's web sit.

I'm sure Howson and his staff do have an eye on a player -- I've give it a 100% chance its a defensemen -- and he would probably be more willing to deal it if all 4 fall like dominos right before they pick.

As long as he's entertaining offers and has deals on the table ready to go if their man isn't there it sounds like a reasonable plan to me.

If Burke wants that pick he better be willing to deal a player the Jackets can use. Bobby Ryan perhaps? I don't see the Ducks parting with him and quite frankly I don't see much that would interest the Jackets that the Ducks would part with -- Getzlaf and Perry certainly aren't going anywhere.

Mark it down though -- if Doughty/Bogosian/Pietrangelo/Schenn are on the board at 6, the Jackets will make the pick.

Also TSN released their mock draft....and to no one's surprise they have the Jackets taking Luke Schenn (or the human erase as Pierre McGuire calls him) at #6 and Michael Del Zotto at #19.

Their top 10:

1. TB Steven Stamkos, C, Sarnia
2. LA Drew Doughty, D, Guelph
3. ATL Zach Bogosian, D, Peterborough
4. STL Alex Pietrangelo, D, Niagara
5. NYI Nikita Filatov, LW, CSKA
6. CLB Luke Schenn, D, Kelowna
7. TOR Mikkel Boedker, RW, Kitchener
8. PHX Colin Wilson, C, Boston U.
9. NAS Cody Hodgson, C, Brampton
10. VAN Kyle Beach, C, Everett

Full mock here. Also some good videos on that site about pre-draft speculation from picks to trades and everything inbetween.

Also check out Sportsnet.ca's mock here. Guess who they have going to the Jackest at 6? Yep - the "human eraser". At 19 though they have the Jackets selecting a goaltender...guess they didn't get the memo on that kid Steve Mason. The first mock I've read (and I've read a lot) that have the Jackets taking a goaltender.

Finally TheFourthPeriod.com has their (with ISS) mock up here. No "human eraser" this time but they do have Alex Pietrangelo falling to the Jackets at 6 - they compare him to Jay Bouwmeester. They have another D in John Carlson going to them at 19 and compare him to Bryan McCabe.

Under 24 hours to go now!!

-LTL