I completely agree with this I have watched him all year and especially since Giggy's injury he looks more confident, his rebound control which has always been his weakness looks great and he is really looking like he is getting more square and seems to be in much better position to make the save. What we have to remember is that we likely all have Giggy to thank for this progression, he is known for his work ethic and his great positioning and I am sure that he has had a lot to do with the progression of the Monster.

I am thinking that once J.S. is back we are going to see more of a split the rest of the way and there is an outside chance that Gustavsson wins the job by the end of the year.

Really as a rebuilding team why would you not want to play the hot young goalie and only build his confidence with the veteran presence of Giggy backing him up and guiding him through for the year. Then dump the salary in the off season as you pointed out.

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LOTS OF TEAMS!

Found this great read on the youngest team in the NHL the Leafs at 26.1 Years Old.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...943/story.html

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LOTS OF TEAMS!

On the Monster, I predicted that he would end up with a 50-30 split between hi mnad Giguere. I just felt that he's good enough to eb a starter now, and he's going to need the time. All he needed was this chance to get more ice. Both are great upgrades on Toskala (a pylon would've been an upgrade).

Also, to continue on with the "Schenn's fantasy potential" subject. A nice article that relates with this same potential :

http://mapleleafshotstove.com/2008/0...1-dimensional/

Long story short, his junior numbers (Age compared) are equivalent if not better then Phaneuf and Weber. Written soon after the 2008 draft.

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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

Schenn has been our best player over the course of the season so far in my opinion. It really looks like last year was just a sophmore slump and nothing else. He is back to his rookie form and then some.

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ASKL - 10 Team dynasty,G/A=1,PIM=.1,+/- =.2 SOG=.05 (W=2,SO=3) Keep 12F 6D 2G 8BN + farm
F-Perry,Ryan,Giroux,Stastny,Ribeiro,Krejci,Plekanec, JvR,Bergeron,Fleischmann,Grabovski,Cammalleri
D-Letang,Chara,Edler,Boyle,Giordano,Gardiner,
G-Rinne,Crawford
Bench-Bernier,Reimer,Parenteau,Callahan,Downie,Kulemin, Meszaros,Nikitin
Farm- Namestnikov,Khoklachev,Rundblad,Despres,Jensen, L.Adam,Barberio,Galiev,Telegin,Hertl,Aberg

Great read on Schenn even with Phaneuf I think he will one day be the Capitain of the Leafs!

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LOTS OF TEAMS!

Apart from goaltending and possibly Grabovsky/Kulemin/MacArthur, Schenn is the best player on the team. He's the best defenceman by miles, that's for sure. Kaberle's right behind him.

When Schenn is in the ice, I've seen him oh so often when the opposition has the puck force that same player on the boards, then behind our icing line, and then get the puck out to his defensive partner. His positionning is outstanding. He's had a few mistakes (Kesler's goal from the VAN game comes to mind), but when he's on the ide, I don't cringe. His offensive game is moving nicely too : his goal from the Nashville game is proof of it. Finally RW is using him on the PP instead of Komisarek (I mean, at least Schenn has a shot that hits the net and a pass that isn't slow).

Schenn should be good for around 25-30 points this year. He's already eating minutes (only Beauchemin (general shutdown pair) and Kaberle (PP time) get more). And he's 20 (or 21) years old. And he's already out best defenceman and arguably one of the top defensive defenceman out there today. He's playing smart, doesn't take unnecessary risk, and is starting to gain offensive confidence. Wonder how much he'll sign for?

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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

With Philly's cap committed to certain players (didn't want to say cap problems)and Philly'slooming free agents and without an experienced/capable goalie....would it be silly to suggest Leino for Giguere at the deadline???

I don't think so! Giguere to Philly makes sense (especially if we aren't in the playoffs by the deadline) and it appears Leino is the odd man....

Something to keep your eye on anyways

Not so sure about Giggy for Leino they make good partners thats for sure but if Leighton comes back and plays half decent then they will have a solid 1 2 in Bob's and Leigthon as for Leino I dont think he is what the Leafs need. Dont get me wrong we are weak up front but we need top line players and Leino is a 2nd line player which we are full at this time...Bozak, Kully, Grabs, MacAruther, even potential Armstorng....The trade that never was (Carter for Kaberle) would be great for the team even though I love Kaberle it would have been a good move had Kabelre allowed it

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LOTS OF TEAMS!

Well, how does Leino help Philly's cap problems? And considering Giggy has a 6 million cap hit this year (iirc), that won't help one tad. Add that to the fact that Giguere has a NMC (and we know Burke and NMC's along with the story of Giguere's son and how he would only waive it for California or Toronto), and I don't think that could happen at all.

If it were to happen, you can say byebye to Hartnell or Carter, as Burke won't gun for anyone else. Both fit the big power forward type we need on that top line. Carter would be ideal, but he's negociating a big contract extension, which can't bode well.

I just don't think Philly has a player that we would want that is expendable, and I think even less that Giguere will be traded (for humanitarian reasons : for practical reasons it's a no-brainer - he's a good goalie, he's a rental and could greatly benefit a playoff run for another organisation. Not to mention with Gustafsson playing the way he is, that he could be as good, if not better, then Giguere if we were to go on a run for the playoffs.

And JD covered it well : we don't need more 2nd line guys... we have too many of them already.

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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'm a huge leafs fan as well and I'd like to add that, Kulemin, is honestly such a dominating forward for the leafs, and every shift he makes somthing happen out there, its amazing to watch considering this guy gets hardly any love at all
I went to the Buffalo leafs game a while back and i watched him all game, he looked really good in every situation
O also grabo gives the puck away way to much for my liking, but he does have good skillz offensivly to make up for it

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