NHL Transactions, Injuries & Rumours

[Chuck Norris]

Babs is charismatic and confident without being over the top. If the Leafs continue to lose, he's not the reason. You put the best coach behind the bench and now the pressure falls on the players and management to give him a winning group. He can only do so much with a team. He got just about as much as he could from this most recent addition of the Wings. They've got aging stars, a bit of a goalie controversy, good young talent but no one emerging as the "next Yzerman" or "next Lidstrom" et al and his defense is average. Now that he's coaching Toronto...he's truly Canada's coach.

Pfft he's not my coach, nor are the Leafs "Canada's team". Check your facts Shoalzie before you start spouting lies.

[The BBKL Insider]

http://video.mapleleafs.nhl.com/videoce ... 57&lang=en

man this guy is going to make this team his. I'm excited to see what comes of it

[Shoalzie]

Some good news for the Wings, Dylan Larkin is turning pro...he's joining the Griffins for the Western Finals.

[Shoalzie]

Babs took out a full page in the Free Press to the city of Detroit and he's even going to come back to speak to the media. This is how you leave one town for another with class. We'll miss him here but there's optimism with Blashill being the next in line.

[kyuss]

Some good news for the Wings, Dylan Larkin is turning pro...he's joining the Griffins for the Western Finals.

as a owner of Larkin in both leagues I'm part of, I like this for BBKL but I really don't for my other one

[Shoalzie]

He's really good right now but I think he needs a year in the AHL next year just to get used to the pro game. Plus, I don't see the need to elevate him immediately unless he replaces a guy like Joakim Andersson on the 3rd line. I think Pavel is the #1 center, Sheahan is #2 and Glendening is firmly the #4 center. I don't think he's any closer to the pros than Mantha but I think Larkin as a more complete game right now.

[kyuss]

I don't think he's any closer to the pros than Mantha

I personally think he clearly is, but we will see

[Shoalzie]

What Larkin has in his favor is that he can start off as a 3rd liner and play a defense-first role and he can use his skating. Mantha doesn't play the 200 foot game and that's where the criticism has come out against him recently. You're not going to put him on the 3rd line and essentially waste his scoring ability and he's not going to play defense right now. He'll make the jump when he can play a more complete game and the Wings will feel comfortable slotting him somewhere in the top 6. Larkin will round into a polished and complete player eventually but he might have to work his way up the lineup and learn on the fly. I'd trust him as a pro right now more so than Mantha.

That's just me...

[kyuss]

so you actually agree with me

[Shoalzie]

Yeah, he's probably more prepared to being a pro right now than Mantha but I don't know who is closer to the "finished product". Larkin is a more versatile player and I think that's why he's ahead of him in most prospect rankings. Larkin is the #1 guy.

[The BBKL Insider]

Good read by Damien Cox here:

The first is that in joining the Leafs, new coach Mike Babcock turned down a potentially better situation with Buffalo, a club supposedly teeming with prospects and about to welcome Boston University star Jack Eichel.


The second, linked to the first, is that the Leafs are going to be downright awful for three or four years before they can even think about winning more games than they lose.

Again, both of these statements could be true. Or one of them.

Or neither.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/do-m ... an-sabres/

[The BBKL Insider]

Quote of the Day:

Babcock on the leafs:

Just think of all the NHL players from Ontario. When we finally turn this thing around and make it a safe place to play (referring to the negative media attention) all the Ontario boys will want to come home and play for the leafs. Mark my words, this will happen.

http://bbkl.ca/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=722&p=216935#p216935

- can be heard around the 15min mark i believe

[kimmer]

that Ontario boys comment is just jizz-draining... omg so fuckin shivering cool

I love this man

[kimmer]

Thank you Jesus.... Another free roster player

[kyuss]

that's what trading with me rather than Steve brings you

[kimmer]

Ahahahahaah

[The BBKL Insider]

i actually tried to swipe him from Paul, then told him there was a good chance he was coming back.

Sounds like the Pens

[kimmer]

i actually tried to swipe him from Paul, so then he got suspicious and googled it. then told him there was a good chance he was coming back.

Sounds like the Pens

Fixed

[Nick]

Steve should feel guilty for being a good GM.

[The BBKL Insider]

i actually tried to swipe him from Paul, so then he got suspicious and googled it. then told him there was a good chance he was coming back.

Sounds like the Pens

Fixed

ya, that's pretty much what i said, you didn't need to fix anything. I just said it in 20 less words

tried to swipe

then told truth