Dave Shoalts of the Globe says the Leafs are going hard after a defenseman. It just wont be Sergei Gonchar:
The problem with Gonchar is that he has a huge contract, one with four-and-a-half years left at $5-million per year (all figures U.S.). The other is that he is having a terrible season, just like the Penguins.
What is surprising about this is that just about everyone around the NHL bet that under the new rules and new standard of officiating that Gonchar would be a candidate for the Norris Trophy. He is mobile and a great puck-handler, someone it was thought would be a great power-play quarterback.......One scout who has watched him said Gonchar has gone from playing little defence to no defence at all. “He refuses to go back and get the puck,” the scout said. “You have to get the puck first before you can go on offence.”
Via Spector's Trade Rumours
Hmm, I wish the Leafs would take him. I've been a huge Pens fan all my life and some of the signings this year have been a huge disappointment.
ReplyDeleteGonchar, Leclair are the 2 biggest ones, they haven't lived up to their potential. Mario needs to come back and kick some ass or hopefully Therrien will kick Mario's ass.
Thank god they got Crosby or it would have been a horrible team to watch.
Another bad signing... Thibault!
ReplyDeleteShould have gone for Cujo.
Still, things are looking very much up for a team that was looking like they might not even be around next year.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to Sid, they've finally started to get funding for a new building and some support from the local businesses. Then there's Malkin who's looking like he aged 3 yrs instead of just one. He's huge now, dominant at the WJC and a Russian Olympian. And Fleury's beginning to show signs of being the goalie we all hoped he was.
In a very short while, they're not going to have a hard time at all signing a defensive corps that wants to win.