One more thing

I read on a fan board that it was "under attack" by some computer guy, and this site was referenced as a possible culprit.

For the record, I'm not a bitter fan at all, and have never, nor will I ever mount any kind of electronic attack on any internet board. For one thing, I don't know how! I'm just some guy who started a blog space and had some time to kill, that's all, and made up some Leaf stories. All that techie stuff is beyond me.

And...the big reveal

At this moment, 6,200 people have checked out this blog looking for the latest Leaf rumours.

This is many more people than I imagined. I initially started the blog on Sunday, after trying and failing to find out some credible information about the Leafs myself.

Guys - I'm not a Leaf insider. I don't work for MLSE (I wish!) and don't talk to NHL'ers on a daily basis. (for the guy who asked about getting a job there - sorry for the lengthy "explanation" about how I got hired there, I felt like a shitheel typing that out. I have no clue how you could get a job there)

Everything you read on this site, I pulled out of my own ass. I threw in a couple figures here and there (like contract offers made, etc.) that were already reported in the media to make the information seem more credible, and then began typing up stories regarding players I would like to see join the team, or posting trade ideas that seemed to make sense, anything that seemed more plausible than, "The Leafs are signing Scott Neidermayer!"

Anything I suggested Ferguson was up to was based on my own observations of what was going on with the club, conclusions anyone could have come to. As far as I know, nothing I wrote save what was reported already by the media actually happened, or is about to happen. I was basically an excited fan typing up pie-in-the-sky trade rumours that I would like to see effected by the Leafs.

One thing I "think" I can take credit for - I thought, "gee, it would be nice if Scott Stevens came to the Leafs?" so I wrote the fake rumour about him getting an offer. Shortly after that, I noticed that rumour was all over the hockey boards, and was even mentioned today in the Toronto Sun. Geez, gimme a break, Stevens? It might have been just a coincidence, but I didn't see that rumour anywhere else before I posted it. I hope Sun reporters don't rely on internet fan boards for their hot rumours, but you never know with those guys.

I wrote up the blog basically as an experiment to see what people would be desperate enough to believe, because I got pissed off at seeing that Eklund guy post a dozen rumours on his site a day and have only the most obvious ones actually come through. Either that, or a player gets linked to 10 teams, and then goes to one, and then Eklund gets lucky and takes credit for the information.

It turns out that people are willing to believe a lot of things.

I got lucky myself - seeing how the Penguins were restocking their roster, I took a gamble and suggested Palffy was going to the team before anybody knew anything - and he did! I'm sure that revelation added to the credibility of this blog and attracted even more of an audience.

Take this as an object lesson, guys. Don't believe anything you read on the internet unless it comes from a real source. I had a kick out of typing up stories and seeing the results of the work appear on various fan boards. But it was also a little scary seeing how quickly people were willing to believe any rumour I posted. Klee for Biron? Belfour to Tampa? In our wildest dreams, maybe.

Anyway, I'm not saying here, "hey, you buncha SUCKERS!", nothing like that. I was an angry fan like you three days ago, tired of wondering what was happening in the Leaf organization, and I decided to find out how easy it would be for some average guy to pretend he's an insider and lead people along. I think a couple of days of this is quite long enough.

From now on, anytime somebody tells you Eklund has a hot rumour or that CODE has the latest on who's coming to the Leafs, just remember how airtight an NHL organization really is. Unless it's reported by a reliable source to an actual reporter in the media, my gut says that 99% of it is ripe old cow manure, particularly if it's reported on the internet first. I conclude with the following points:

1.) I'm certain that Eklund has no actual insider contacts. How can you believe in a guy who actually misspells "Domi" on his site? Media contacts, yes. Hockey guys - no.

2.) Speaking of Domi, stick a fork in him. He's THROUGH.

3.) I'm sorry, very sorry, for any false excitement I may have caused. I never would have done it had I realized so many people would start relying on the information, so that's why I'm stopping right now. All I wanted was the best for the Leafs, really, and also for people to stop and think a bit about John Ferguson, because I felt he was being mercilessly slammed in all media for the Leafs' recent inactivity. Ferguson really is following a plan, even if you guys don't know about. I got some satisfaction reading boards posts by fans "realizing" that Ferguson has a strategy after seeing his "activities" revealed here on this blog. Even if what I wrote wasn't true, of course he's got an action plan, guys - do you think he's up there at the ACC with his thumb up his ass? He's handcuffed by the stupid contracts Quinn handed out (except Belfour's), and he doesn't have much room to move, but yeah, he's got a plan. He's just not going to tell us about it.

In good faith,

-The Wannabe Hockey Insider

Leaf update

Okay, this is going to be my last post for a while, at least a day. Unfortunately, I have a very busy schedule ahead of me. Couple things:

1.) In my haste to write posts, a few things might have come out incorrectly - for instance, I referenced Allison and Sundin playing the same line. I had kind of a brain crap there, I meant O'Neill would be on the first line, as a drop-in replacement for Roberts. Allison will be the #2 centre. I haven't noticed anything else I might have made a typo with, but any obvious errors like that one are because I was in a hurry to put up an entry.

2.) Back to Lindros, and I'm tired about talking about him, he's on hold for now, and probably will never make the club. Like I said before, he's been ready for a week to make his mark on a contract, but the Leafs don't want him if there are better options. Fergie is looking to see what else is available, and if the team comes up dry, they'll be on the horn with Lindros. But understand that the team is not excited about landing his services. He's considered very high risk and a primma donna besides. Also, he doesn't play like he used to.

3.) The Leafs are continuing to explore trades, and the teams mentioned include Buffalo, Washington, and a couple others - the mission is to unload contracts, get cheaper bodies back that are nonetheless talented and keep the team afloat. Tall order, I know. That's why so little has happened so far, other GM's have little interest in giving away premium young guys. But the urgency that swept the league last week is gone, there remain only a few significant free agents left, and the main avenue for improvement is now trades.

Sorry I don't have any more to report just now, but with so many scenarios being bandied about, it's hard to nail down names and teams. One thing I can confirm is the Leafs are not in any discussions to land grade-A talent like Thornton, LeCavalier, or even guys like Zetterberg. Nonsense, pie-in-the-sky hopes of the street-level Leaf fan. The Leafs have nothing to offer for such talent, and other teams don't want it anyway. Trades currently under exploration include bit parts, role-players, and future prospects.

Future updates to follow as is possible...

I have to lay low

I'm amazed how fast news of this blog has spread. Questions have been made at the office - I may have to suspend updates for now. If I learn something I can share, I will do it. I don't want to be shitcanned over an internet blog...

Rest assured though, Ferguson is on the phone at this moment, and he's examining possible avenues for the Leafs to persue.

Toronto continues to explore trades

As I mentioned before, because the free agent market has been stripped bare of most of the big-name talent, the Leafs are now actively exploring trades to shore up positions on the roster. The intention now is to patch over the biggest holes in the team through trades, with a possible free agent depth signing or two eventually filling out the lineup.

I was just on the phone for a couple of hours with a colleague talking about possible Leaf moves this week. I was informed that the Leafs are looking for forward help, preferably a natural centre who can be slotted into a wing position. With Sundin, Allison and Stajan as the centres, the expectation is that Wellwood will nail down the 4th centre position. However, in the event he struggles in this role, Ferguson is seeking a depth move to shore up the team down the middle.

1.) Toronto has been in discussions with a few teams who could accomodate one of McCabe, Kaberle, or Klee under their cap in exchange for forwards, with an emphasis of landing possibly two forwards for one of Toronto's expensive defenders. In addition to Anaheim earlier today, Ferguson spent some time talking with Washington, who are in desperate need of defensemen, and have had trouble luring any players to sign. In keeping with the philosophy of icing a competitive team for this season that is nevertheless inexpensive, the names Ferguson has asked for are Brooks Laich and Jakup Klepis in exchange for McCabe or Klee.

2.) Buffalo as well has cropped up again. In addition to inquiries for Biron, Ferguson has asked about the availability of Adam Mair and Chris Drury and a pick in exchange for McCabe or Klee. Buffalo's preference though is to sign Roman Hamrlik to the team, but like Washington, have had trouble attracting talent this week.

Ferguson's motivation in the above scenarios is to acquire cheap talent who can help the team right away and in the future, with the added benefit of dumping an expensive contract.

My friend at the office rated these scenarios as quite plausible, and more likely than that of trading Belfour, whose contract and wonky back seem to be scaring away most potential trade partners. Look for Toronto to pull of a trade of this sort within the next few days.

Lindros remains an option for centre, but is a fallback plan for the team in case the trade scenarios do not play out. Lindros has been ready for a week to sign on the dotted line, but Ferguson wants to see what can be obtained on the market prior to committing to Lindros.

Joe Thornton

I mentioned my last post would be my final of the day, but I thought I'd log in at home for a minute or two.

There are rumours circulating that the Leafs are trying to land Joe Thornton. They are - sort of. So is every other team in the NHL.

Once it became common knowledge that Thornton is no longer happy in Beantown, every single team has called to investigate the possibility of landing him. They wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't at least call. And of course the Leafs did.

And the word out of the office today regarding Thornton was basically, "they want too much." Boston GM Mike O'Connell has gone on the record saying that he has "no intention" of trading Thornton, even if Boston can't keep him past next season. But that's baloney too, he's just attempting to drive up Thornton's price for any club who wants him. If Thornton can't be kept for 2006, you can bet he'll be entertaining offers, he just wants to make sure they are good ones.

But Leaf fans can forget about getting Thornton this season. Even if they strip-mine the farm system and parent club of all the assets O'Connell would demand for Thornton (as he should, since Thornton is a franchise player) Toronto's cap space for this season would be all but gone, with roster spots remaining to be filled. The only possible way for making room for Thornton would be to unload the very biggest contracts - Sundin or Belfour. Boston is set in goal with Raycroft, so Belfour is out. And if Boston is unwilling to open the wallet for Thornton, what would the chances be that they'd want Mats Sundin - a much older, much more inferior player earning even more money than Thornton is demanding?

That's right - zero.

The only way this trade could work is if a third party is involved that would take a contract off the Leaf's hands, and that would probably mean Belfour. In order for that to succeed, the Leafs would naturally need to get a goalie back in return, and so, it would include at least three hockey teams, possibly even four. When you start adding up those variables, the prospect of landing Thornton are slim indeed.

So, yes, I did hear at the office today that the Leafs are in the running for Thornton, and made their phone calls, but it was a token inquiry akin to window-shopping.

It ain't going to happen.

I'm outta here

Ok, my day is done. Nothing new to report, so I'll let this ride until tomorrow. Later, folks.

End of the day coming up

It's been a long week, I can't wait to get out of here.

Here is a few of the latest things I've heard:

1.) Pittsburgh continues to shop. In addition to Burke, they've made inquiries about landing Curtis Joseph. In addition, other than Gonchar, (and Jackman?) their defense looks weak, and have been calling around for defense options. They have called the Leafs about the availability of Klee, and others.

2.) Fergie was on the phone today for a while with Anaheim - I haven't heard any names yet, but Burke is getting close to his cap limit. He might be in the market to move one of his defenders - Carney would top his list of guys to move, and possibly Ozolinsh. We'll see if anything pans out in that regard, but I'd personally rate it as very unlikely that we'd land somebody else's overpaid, aging defenseman, even if we do need them.

Fergie is continuing to shop around. The Belfour thing, I don't know how serious he is about it - he's called clubs needing help in net, but it's possible it's just a tire-kicking thing. The Buffalo offer looks fairly solid, but a lot of that deal is contingent on 1.) Tampa taking Belfour and 2.) our ability to land replacement defenders for Klee.

That's all I have for now, more updates as they come.

Email from my buddy

My buddy in Ferguson's office just sent me this email regarding Pittsburgh:

Pittsburgh just signed Palffy...

I was talking with Tie last night and he told me that Mario wants to shoot the moon this year, make a run for the cup at least one more time before he retires...probably next year, but maybe even this year...they have money falling out of their assholes ever since they got Crosby, lotsa season ticket buyers are coming on board this year...with Gonchar on the blueline, they've now got Lemieux, Recchi, Palffy, Crosby up front and some sand in Fata and Roy, all they need is some filler up front and another defenseman...

Tie said Mario likes Fleury for this year but maybe isn't ready for the Big Show, they're gonna chase down another goalie, maybe Burke and Mario asked Tie about Belfour ie his conditioning, injuries and drinking habits...

Dunno man, Pitts looks to contend this year, Fergie aired out the thought of calling Pittsburgh about Eddie? We'll see wht happens, its pretty wild this week

So, more fire to the Belfour trade rumours. It would make more sense to me if they got Burke instead, because they could use the cash to fill in their defense a bit, but you never know, the way they are spending money this season, anything they do is a surprise.

Lindros

I may have spoken too soon regarding Lindros. It seems he has called Leaf management again today, and is willing to play for a contract similar to Allison's (incentive-laden), basically for peanuts.

Plainly, Eric has always wanted to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he is very flexible regarding contract money to ensure it happens. The previous CBA has been very good to him, and money is not the priority in Eric's interest to play for the Leafs.

Henrik Zetterberg

Just talked with Ferguson's assistant, there is no way Zetterberg is coming to the Leafs. He was attractive because he can play centre, but with Allison signed, he's seen as too expensive. The Leafs have not made an offer sheet to land him (three first round picks are too expensive) and Detroit has zero interest in trading him.

Possible Leaf trades upcoming

With the realization that the Leafs cannot be players in the free agent market, trade possibilities are being explored to either 1.) upgrade the club at all positions, or 2.) (more likely) position the club for next season.

1.) Ed Belfour is now actively being shopped. Teams that have been contacted for his services include Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and the Rangers. There is surprising interest in his services, especially since his contract for this season is less money than Nik Khabibulin received from Chicago, and represents a 1-year commitment.

The asking price is two conditional draft picks (2nd and 3rd rounders) or a younger, hustling, role-playing forward who can score a bit, or a depth defenseman. Look for the Leafs to trade for Jocelyn Thibault (for a low draft pick) should this occur. But, the other, more realistic possibilty is:

2.) Buffalo is pushing very hard for a solid defenseman on the roster. They have contacted the Leafs multiple times in the past two days regarding Ken Klee, Karel Pilar, and Tomas Kaberle. Pilar looks to be staying in Toronto because he is at the league minimum, and Kaberle is regarded as too expensive. That leaves Klee. Klee is marketable because he's relatively low-paid (1.9 million) and would provide veteran stability to a young Buffalo roster.

Buffalo has three goalies, and the Leafs have asked for Biron as compenation for Klee. Should this happen, in a nutshell - on Monday, expect the three following moves to be undertaken by the Leafs:

1.) Klee and a low draft pick is traded to Buffalo for Biron
2.) Belfour is traded to Tampa Bay for future considerations (the word is, conditional draft picks)
3.) Scott Stevens (should NJ decide not to sign him) and Brad Bombardir to be signed

An outside possibility, should Belfour be traded, would be acquiring Stevens (who would be Klee's replacement) and Roman Hamrlik, whom the Leafs could now afford if Belfour's contract is dumped. The other possibility, should Stevens remain with NJ, would be Hamrlik, and Bombardir/Jason York/or Glen Wesley, as Ferguson has been in contact with the agents for all these players since Thursday night.

With the exception of Stevens, the net effect of these moves would be a younger roster that is cheaper and physical.

Leaf free-agent moves coming up this week

I spoke with Ferguson's assistants last night (well, mostly my one friend in Fergie's office). At the beginning of the week, there was hope the Leafs could ice a contender for the upcoming season, but sky-high contract prices have derailed those hopes. Therefore, there has been a subtle change in direction, with an intention to unload the cash for the 2006 season. Ferguson is upset that he is being blamed for the inactivity of the team, but most of the big contract money committed by the club is thanks to Pat Quinn when he was the manager. Current offers the Leafs have made include:

1.) Defense remains the priority. Roman Hamrlik was offered a contract, a 3-year, 3.25 million (same as McCabe's salary) to play for Toronto, on Thursday night. It isn't expected he will sign for this discounted amount, however, especially since Brian Rafalski (a comparable defender) re-signed with NJ for more money the next day.

2.) On Friday, Toronto made a $1 million dollar, incentive-laden contract to Scott Stevens, with the same loaded bonus structure Allison received because Stevens was unavailable for play, just like Allison was. Stevens is reportedly interested, but wants to remain with the Devils. In contact with Stevens' agent, he told Leaf's brass that he is waiting on NJ's offer, which figures to be dependent on passing medical tests as well. The Devils were busy with signing Malakhov and Rafalski, and will likely make a decision on Stevens' status by Monday. If they turn him down, expect his introduction to the Leaf's roster by Monday afternoon.

3.) With the signing of Jason Allison, Eric Lindros is no longer a priority for the Leafs. His acquisition would have been effected if Allison was not signed. Down the middle, the Leafs now have Sundin, Allison, and Stajan. With the new direction for the club this season, Kyle Wellwood will be given the opportunity to win the last centre slot. Lindros will not play for the Leafs this season.

4.) Ziggy Palffy will not be offered a contract. Ferguson has spoken with Palffy's agent, and he is seeking 5 million+ per season. Buffalo, having lots of cap room and having signed nobody but Teppo Numinen, has offered Palffy $4.25 million over 4 years. Palffy's destination of desire is Detroit. Pittsburg has also offered similar money. Tie Domi himself told me that Lemieux is after the services of the flashy forward.

5.) Teemu Selanne was offered a two-year, 2 million per season offer on Friday by the Leafs. Selanne is reportedly lukewarm to the idea of joining the Leafs though, and he remains an outside shot to join Kariya in Nashville.

6.) The Leafs have also offered veteran Peter Bondra a 2-year, 2.5 million dollar per year contract. The Leafs are weak on both wings, and Bondra can play them both. He would figure to slot into the Sundin-Allison first line should he accept the offer. The feeling around the office is that Bondra will return to Washington, however.

7.) Alex Mogilny will not return to Toronto.

8.) The Leafs expect the following forwards to make the big club following training camp: Wellwood and Steen.

A re-cap of this week's Leaf's activity

As everyone knows, it's been a busy week so far in the NHL, but not so much with one of the most beloved teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As everyone knows, free agent signings so far include Tie Domi and Jason Allison.

It appears that all those given a qualifying offer intend to accept the terms of their contracts, even Nik Antropov. The rumour of his possible defection to the Russian league was exactly that - just a rumour. He was certainly in contact with them, but it remained a fallback position only, as his discussions with the Russian league occurred prior to his receipt of his qualifying offer. His intention has always been to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will return this season.

For those wondering what free agents the team was chasing, I can confirm the following:

1.) Brian Leetch, Gary Roberts, and Joe Nieuwendyk were the first free agents contacted by the Leaf organization. Leetch was considered an easy signing with the Leafs, possibly at a discount because 1.) he's older, and 2.) returning to the Rangers was no longer an option. However, I spoke briefly with Leetch, and it was evident that his time in Toronto was over. He was unhappy with the media scrutiny of the city, did not enjoy living in Canada, and wanted to return to a traditional US hockey market. The Leafs offered him 3.5 million for a single season to return, which was rejected immediately.

2.) Against the wishes of Pat Quinn, Ferguson desired that Roberts and Nieuwendyk both return to the team, with an emphasis on Roberts. Although the play of Nieuwendyk was appreciated last season, Ferguson told me that it appeared a lot of replacement value existed on the free agent market. He was willing to sign both, but asked Roberts if he could intervene and ask Nieuwendyk to accept a lesser contract to remain with the club. Roberts was reportedly outraged, and thereafter he and Nieuwendyk were set on leaving the team. They accepted the highest offer they were given, with Florida. Ottawa offered the same money to Roberts, but had no interest in Nieuwendyk. Ditto for Nashville.

3.) Scott Niedermayer was the next free agent contacted by the Leaf organization. This past Monday, he was offered $4 million per season over a three-year contract to play for the Toronto. It hasn't been discussed publicly, but the rash of middle-range defensemen signed for very large contracts was a suprise to Leaf management. John Ferguson expected the $4 million per year contract to be a competitive offer, and was hopeful it would be sufficient to lure Niedermayer to join the Leafs.

4.) Much has been made of Niedermayer's desire to play with his brother. John Ferguson never considered offering Rob a contract to join the Leafs. Indeed, Scott eventually turned down the cap maximum to take less money to join Anaheim. The Leaf's offer was therefore never considered.

5.) Plan "C" for the defense was the attempted acquisition of Adam Foote. He was offered a two year contract worth 3 million per season. Foote was contacted Monday, immediately after it became Niedermayer was not coming to Toronto. And like Niedermayer, the Leafs were not a serious option for him.

6.) After the failure to land the above trio of defensemen, Ferguson decided to focus on forwards, preferring to upgrade the defense of the team through trades. After seeing the size of the contracts being awarded to the available defensemen, it was decided the going rate was simply too much money. Accordingly, none of Adrian Aucoin, Darian Hatcher, Sergei Gonchar or Brian Rafalski were contacted for offers.

7.) With a new focus on free-agent forwards, on Wednesday, Glen Murray was offered approximately 3 million per season, for two seasons, to join the Leafs. Murray was the number 1 free agent forward desired by the Leafs after the loss of Roberts and Nieuwendyk, having entered into discussions last year prior to the lockout. Like with Niedermayer, the money offered by the Leafs was never really considered, and truthfully, he was not comfortable leaving Boston, and was happy to accept their higher offer.

8.) The next target was Cory Stillman. Unlike it has been reported in the media, Stillman was offered the same contract that Jeff O'Neill signed a week earlier. He accepted a longer-term, higher-income contract from Carolina the same day.

9.) Still on Wednesday, Ferguson held a long meeting with Quinn to discuss options, as by now it was obvious the higher price free agents were not going to be viable options for the Leafs. It was during this meeting that it was decided to contact Jason Allison. Prior to the failure of signing Murray and Stillman, Allison was never going to be offered a contract. He was offered his contract on Wednesday, pending the results of a medical examination in Buffalo, NY.

10.) After talking through the media for 3 days, Ferguson met with Tie Domi on Thursday to discuss his contract offer. Ferguson explained the rough shape of the team as justification for Domi's originally low contract offer. He upped the offer to 1.25 million at the meeting, without the aid of Domi's agent, and he signed it on the spot. I spoke with Domi after the meeting, and he was extremely happy to remain with the team, and never had any interest in leaving, not even for Mario Lemieux. Only the Leafs, Penguins, and Ottawa Senators expressed interest in signing him.

11.) After passing his physical, Allison was introduced to the media. He will be the Leaf's second-line centre after Sundin.

First Post

Hello everyone,

The purpose of this blog is to inform hockey fans of any insider information regarding NHL teams that I may be privy to. I am currently a mid-level employee within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization (not too terribly important, not in the inner circle, but still enough on the inside to participate in regular meetings with team management, and daily interaction with various scouts, agents, club personnel, and even players); therefore, I have my ear pretty close to the ground and learn many things about the league before anyone else does, but most of what I find out is with regard to my parent club. In addition, employees I've gotten to know over the years here at MLSE provide me with lots of good information to share.

Of course, in order to safeguard my position with my employer, I must remain anonymous for the purposes of this website.

I feel motivated to report on some things going on, because the fans of our club have been very upset about the recent activity (or lack thereof) of Leaf management. My hope is that the dribs and drabs of information I can communicate might serve to placate our fans a little, so they know that yes, there is a plan at the Air Canada Centre, and that we aren't asleep at the switch.

As a great fan of the sport myself, it is my pleasure to relate what I learn to those who follow the game. Any comments you might provide are welcome.


- The NHL Insider