1. Jake Gardiner continues to climb the team's depth chart. In the month of December he is second overall in team average ice time with 23:30 per game. In 27 games he has 8 points, all assists, and has an even plus/minus.

2. The Leafs are undefeated when going into the third period with a lead.


3. Leafs Director of Player Personnel Rick Dudley was scouting the Nashville, Columbus game recently. Jeff Marek speculated there is possibility of a Nazem Kadri for Derick Brassard trade.

4. In 26 games, Philippe Dupuis has no points, is -2, and is only 49 percent in face offs. If all the teams forwards are healthy I don't think he stays in the line up. It is difficult to find his value.

5. Special teams in Toronto are hit and miss. Hit: leafs power-play is second best at 21.7% Miss: Leafs penalty kill is second worst at 74.3%

6. Is another Toronto team a possibility now that the Leafs were sold to Rogers and Bell? Last month TSN's Bob Mackenzie reported plans to build a new arena in the GTA. That was one step closer. Now Ken Campbell of THN is suggesting the Bell and Rogers would welcome the broadcasting revenue that another Canadian team would bring.

7. It has been a long time since Leaf fans chanted for Ron Wilson to be fired. The notion of that happening now is ludicrous.

8. Brian Burke has initiated his self imposed holiday season trade freeze. Another example of what makes him a classy executive.

9. After the great start that had Toronto (in first place overall in the NHL for a short stint, and first in their division for several weeks) they are in jeopardy of falling out of a playoff spot. Despite still playing decent hockey with a 5-4-1 record in their last ten games, they are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points. In a day, they could be sitting in ninth place if they lose their next game, and both Buffalo and Washington win.

10. Since his return from a concussion, James Reimer is 0-3 and has looked very average. Leaf fans love the teams golden boy as much as the management, so look they will be patient.

11. Congratulations to Mikhail Grabovski on the birth of his second child last week.

12. Where is the secondary offense? Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul lead the team with 36, and 33 points respectively. After that it drops off significantly, Tyler Bozak, and Dion Phaneuf each have 18 points, and Liles has 17 points.

13. With only two goals, and nine assists, perhaps it is time for Nikolai Kulemin to be a healthy scratch. What is most shocking to me about this is the fact that it is a contract year for Kulemin.


14. In less than one year, the trade value of Tomas Kaberle has depreciated from Joe Colborne, and a first, and second round pick, to Jaroslav Spacek

15. Phil Kessel is leading the NHL with all-star votes. Perhaps if he is selected as a captain he won't be picked last this year.

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love # 15. although there is no way he gets picked last now. maybe thats what got him going.

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10 team Keeper Roto League
4C-4LW-4RW-6D-2G-5bench-unlimited farm.

C= crosby,m.koivu,malkin,zajak,grabovski,j.jokinen,
LW= ovechkin,nash,s.gagner,dubinsky
RW= downie,hemsky,callahan,voracek,perry,mueller
D= green,doughty,phaneuf,wisniewski,girardi,karlsson
G= rask,lundqvist,ward,price

FARM=kreider,grachev,petrov,enroth,kuznetsov,ennis ,rundblad,bjugstad,radulov,montoya, adam,t.erixon,cowan,s.elliot,j.faulk,cormier,petro v,orlov,stone,eakin,grigorenko,silfverberg,brodin, atkinson

--G,A,P,PPP,SHP,GWG,PIMS,+/-,SOG,hits,FOW,blocks-Wins,GAA,SV%,saves,SO

To read my 15 thoughts on the Sens and Flames visit my blog at
http://fantasyhockeynerd.blogspot.com/

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I was surprised to see number 2 considering the amount of times we blew third period leads in the past few years.

Love the jab taken at number 14 :P

Have to agree with everything, all good information too.

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UDL
16 Team H2H - Dynasty

Start 3 C/LW/RW each, 5 D, 1 Util, 2 G (IR)

G/A/P/PIM/PPP/SHP/(+/-)/SOG
W/L/GAA/SV%/SHO

C - Berglund, Little, Ott
LW - EKane, Foligno, Kulemin
RW - Kessel, Backes
D - Weber, Green, Yandle, Meszaros, Voynob, Spurgeon, Stralman, Beauch
G - Lundqvist, Rask
Farm : Markstrom, MikGranlund, Tatar, Brodin, Orlov, Merrill, Stalock, Kabanov, Moore

I am still chanting nice and loud. I hate that Ron Wilson is our coach. Where is this "PK spe******t" that TO hired back in the day. Their PP might be operating nicely but I am not going to give credit to Ron Wilson for that. I am holding onto hope that Burke does not give Wilson an extension especially before the season ends....but I doubt that happens


Kulemin is playing some strong hockey away on the defensive end so it's hard to scratch him. Kulemin was playing over his head last year raising expectations for this year. Kulemin is good and is underachieving but the kid will come around eventually.

1. Jake Gardiner continues to climb the team's depth chart. In the month of December he is second overall in team average ice time with 23:30 per game. In 27 games he has 8 points, all assists, and has an even plus/minus.

Love this kid!! He is the future of our team!

13. With only two goals, and nine assists, perhaps it is time for Nikolai Kulemin to be a healthy scratch. What is most shocking to me about this is the fact that it is a contract year for Kulemin.

As DY stated he is still one of best defensive forwards. I don't see any benching in his future.


14. In less than one year, the trade value of Tomas Kaberle has depreciated from Joe Colborne, and a first, and second round pick, to Jaroslav Spacek

In the words of Mark Twain"The reports of Kaberle's death are greatly exaggerated"

The circumstances behind each trade were completely different. Thus the difference in return is irrelevant..



Great read! Go Leafs Go!!

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May I ask why you're putting all the PK blame on Wilson's head (either Cronin or Gordon was hired for the PK - other no the PP) and yet you deviate all the PP blame (positive blame) away from him? Either you get both or don't get any, I'd say. Just curious as to that.

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UDL
16 Team H2H - Dynasty

Start 3 C/LW/RW each, 5 D, 1 Util, 2 G (IR)

G/A/P/PIM/PPP/SHP/(+/-)/SOG
W/L/GAA/SV%/SHO

C - Berglund, Little, Ott
LW - EKane, Foligno, Kulemin
RW - Kessel, Backes
D - Weber, Green, Yandle, Meszaros, Voynob, Spurgeon, Stralman, Beauch
G - Lundqvist, Rask
Farm : Markstrom, MikGranlund, Tatar, Brodin, Orlov, Merrill, Stalock, Kabanov, Moore

Give some of the blame to those guys if you wish, I simply dislike Ron Wilson as a coach. He was suppose to be a "special teams" spe******t and we've yet seen any sort of that in his tenure here.

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While I am rather impartial to Wilson as the Coach, I find it likely he will not be fired during the season given the teams early success. Should the Leafs fail to make the playoffs, he will take the fall and not be resigned. However, given Burke is such a fan and named Wilson the teams first star this season ahead of Kessel and Phaneuf, should the Leafs see playoff hockey, Wilson will likely see a contract offer regardless of how many playoff games the Leafs play.
He has done very little in his term as coach with very little to work with.

In the words of Brian Burke after the Phaneuf trade "we weren't getting it done with this group of players, so changes were needed."

In the spirit of that sentiment, I believe it is time for a change should the Leafs come short of a berth in the Stanley Cup finals.

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