Brophy on Leafs: Who stays? Who goes?
Posted February 1, 2012 9:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As much as players will tell you they have their minds on the business at hand – namely trying to help their team make the playoffs – with the trade deadline looming you just know there are some who are just a little worried about job security.
Losing the first game back after the all-star break, albeit in a shootout, won’t change that for the Toronto Maple Leafs
And while coach Ron Wilson would do anything in his power to prevent the media from pestering his players about trade rumors on a daily basis – “I can’t keep you guys from the (dressing) room. If I could, I would…” he said following practice Monday – the reality is GM Brian Burke is going to make a deal (or two…or three) and trade talk will be prevalent until the deadline passes at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time) Feb. 27.
So every game, every shift, is an audition for some players on the Leafs.
With that said, the Maple Leafs got some impressive performances from players who could be potential candidates to be moved Tuesday night against the Penguins in a heartbreaking 5-4 shootout loss.
Start with Tyler Bozak. It’s not like his name has been front and center as a possible nominee to be dealt, but Bozak has played well enough this season that he might attract the attention of a number of teams in need of a No. 2 or 3 pivot. Bozak’s night didn’t get off to a great start as he scored in the first period, but the goal was disallowed.
With just one goal in his past 16 games, Bozak connected on a nifty backhander, but as he was celebrating, he spied the referee out of the corner of his eye waving the goal off. Seems Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was interfered with…or was he? The replay showed Joffrey Lupul of the Leafs – who was fingered as the offender on the otherwise puzzling offence – was in front of the Pittsburgh net, but he did not interfere with Fleury. In fact, it was Pittsburgh defenceman Zbynek Michalek who accidentally nudged Fleury into submission.
I am the first to back the referees who must make hundreds of split-second decisions every game and I always will. That said, the sooner the NHL allows coaches to challenge a play (or two) per game, the better. Isn’t it all about getting the call right?
Bozak later missed on a breakaway, but was rewarded for his hard work early in the third period when he drilled a slap shot over the shoulder of Fleury on the power play. He raced into the Pittsburgh zone on the right wing and found the top corner on the far side of the goal with the Pens’ Matt Cooke off for tripping Lupul.
Another ‘bubble’ player is Nazem Kadri who, because of his age and inexperience doesn’t have to clears waivers and will likely be sent back to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies when the Leafs injured players return. Kadri made his mark in the first period with a thundering body-check on Pittsburgh defenceman Paul Martin and then late in the second period Kadri also had a key shot block. Kadri is young, skilled and considered a potential 60-70 point player which makes him both desirable as trade bait and a keeper.
Without question the Leafs best player in the game was second-line centre Mikhail Grabovski. The birthday boy (he turned 28 Tuesday) scored twice and played a solid two-way game.
Grabovski, who has eight points in Toronto’s past three games and was the first star of the week in the NHL last week, let it be known he’d like to stick around. First, he hit the post on a breakaway at 2:30 of the first and four minutes later he stuffed a rebound past Fleury to give the Leafs a1-0 lead.
Not long afterward Grabovski kept his hot streak going with another goal. This time he used linemate Nikoali Kulemin as a screen as he fired a shot high to the corner on Fleury’s stick side.
It seems peculiar that the Leafs would seriously consider trading Grabovski, who is coming of a career year in which he scored 29 goals and 58 points, but he is an impending unrestricted free agent so unless he is signed to an extension soon, his name will remain on the trade radar. If Burke feels he can’t sign Grabovski for a decent term and cap hit, he may have no choice but to move him. Tough call, I’d say.
I recently heard someone say Grabovski might be a $5 million-a-year player now and that almost made me choke. That sounds like agent-speak to me. He’s good, but let’s not get carried away. He is not a No. 1 centre.
So the Leafs gain a point in their charge toward the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but they surrendered a very valuable second point that might ultimately cost them a berth in the post-season. That’s how tight things are in the East standings. The teams play a rematch in Toronto Wednesday.
The Leafs played well enough to win, but at the end of the night you really have to give props to the Penguins who recorded their eighth straight victory…without you-know-who.
On a night when there was no Sidney Crosby, Fleury stole the show.
