Making The Case For Nikolai Zherdev

Now that the New York Rangers have decided to walk out on Nikolai Zherdev's recently awarded contract of $3.9 million, speculation has been rampant on whether or not the Maple Leafs are interested in bringing Zherdev to Toronto. As a now unrestricted free agent Zherdev is free to negotiate a new contract with any team, and in my opinion, Brian Burke would be ignoring his duties as Leafs General Manager were he not to try and sign the talented young Russian.

As GM, Burke's job is to do everything in his power to make the Leafs a better team. What better way to do that than to acquire a young top-line talent without having to trade away any draft picks or players? Now that the Rangers have walked away from him, bringing Zherdev into the fold would cost the Leafs nothing but cap space.

Now I have heard some of the negatives about him and why some Leafs fans are reluctant to see him signed. There is no shortage of talk about Nik's perceived "bad attitude" and lack of "work ethic." Another common knock from some fans is that Zherdev has "all the talent in the world, but no motivation to use it." While these are certainly valid concerns, it's a fact of life that sometimes you have to gamble and take risks in order to come out ahead. Lets face it: If Zherdev was known as a stand-up guy with an excellent reputation in addition to his high skill level, he wouldn't be available in the first place. The Rangers would have locked him up long ago and never let him reach arbitration.

The very fact that he is on the free agent market right now available to any team is proof enough that he doesn't come without his flaws. However, Zherdev is a project that could pay huge rewards for whatever team decides to take a chance on him. Nobody denies that his talent is huge. At just 24 years old he has posted two 50+ point seasons, and one 60+ point season. He has scored over 20 goals in three of the past four years. He has also earned a reputation as a reliable performer in the shootout-something the Leafs badly need. When you also consider the fact that Ron Wilson is known for being able to get the most out his players, it would seem the Maple Leafs have the perfect coach to straighten out Zherdev's perceived attitude issues.

Case in point-Mikhail Grabovski. Here is a player whose attitude was so bad that the Montreal Canadiens were happy to dump him for a modest return-even to a divisional rival. Ron Wilson has since coached Grabovski into an effective 2nd line centre who looks like he could be a key contributor to the Leafs for many more years. If he can straighten out Grabovski Im willing to bet he can straighten out Zherdev too. So why not take the risk? The Leafs badly need legitimate top-line players, and here is an oppurtunity to grab one for free off the open market. Zherdev has proved he is already an explosive offensive threat and can post top-line numbers. He would instantly be the Leafs best forward. If Wilson can keep him in line and instill a bit of work ethic, he could very well be a 70-80 point player for years to come.

So how can the Maple Leafs not take a chance on signing Nikolai Zherdev? This is one of those rare low risk/high reward situations. If he doesn't work out the Leafs can simply cut him loose next year and no harm is done. However, if he does live up to his talent than the Leafs will have aquired their elite scoring forward without giving up any assets. So Brian Burke, what have you got to lose? Pick up the phone and give Nik a call.

Weak Offence? Not If These Kids Have Anything To Say

It's been awhile since I posted on my blog, but I have decided to revive it. Perhaps I'm in the spirit of revival given that Brian Burke has gone about resuscitating a long dead Leafs defence with some big signings this summer. Or perhaps its because Im sitting at home bored and need something to pass the time.

Either way, Im in a writing mood. Given the moves the Leafs have made this summer to shore up their defence and goaltending, there has been alot of talk about how they will struggle to score goals. For a moment lets forget that the Leafs currently have four 20+ goal scorers on their roster, a 40 assist player in Matt Stajan, and an offence that was in the top half of the league last year in goals scored.

Lets instead focus on the future. The Maple Leafs have a very exciting group of forward prospects coming through their pipeline-which is something we havent been able to say in....likely forever. In my opinion, the Leafs already possess the talent within their own system to construct a potent top 6 forward group for years to come. So without further ado, here are the top 3 kids I see having the best chance of making the team out of training camp.

#1: JIRI TLUSTY

After being selected by the Leafs 13th overall in the 2006 entry draft, Tlusty has so far been slow to impress. His few appearances with the big club since being drafted have been lackluster, and for awhile it seemed as many fans had given up on him. Thankfully, the Leafs never did. After being sent down to the AHL's Toronto Marlies last season, Tlusty appears to have finally hit his stride. He dominated the AHL by posting impressive point per game numbers (66 points in 66 games). His high point of the year came when he set a Marlies record by scoring a whopping 5 goals in a single game. He now appears poised to finally secure a permanent spot on the Leafs roster and has the offensive ability to be a top line threat in the NHL. My prediction: Tlusty will make the team this year and play on the Leafs first line. 20 goals and around 50 points is a reasonable expectation for his first full season

#2 NAZEM KADRI

Kadri is perhaps the most promising forward prospect the Leafs have had in many, many years. Selected 7th overall in this year's draft, when Kadri puts on the blue and white he will make history as the first player of Lebanese descent to ever play in the NHL. Despite suffering a broken jaw which prevented him from representing Canada at the World Junior Championships, Kadri still put up a very impressive 78 points in 56 games. Some scouts have compared his playmaking abilities to that of Marc Savard, and it is believed he has the talent to step right into the NHL at age 18. However, he may need to bulk his frame up a bit if wants to make the Leafs right out of training camp. Should the Leafs decide to return him to the OHL for another year, Kadri is expected to put up around 90 points-numbers similar to Cody Hodgson. My prediction: I think Kadri has a 50-50 shot at making the Leafs this year, but I predict he will be returned to the OHL's London Knights for one more season where he will improve upon his already impressive numbers.

#3 MIKHAIL STEFANOVICH

Mikhail Stefanovich wasn't drafted until the 4th round in 2008, so when his offensive totals exploded this past year in the OMJHL, it appears the Leafs scouting staff found a diamond in the rough that day. Make no mistake about it, Stefanovich is a pure goal scorer. He racked up 49 of them this past season with the Quebec Remparts, and finished the year with a total of 76 points. At this point, I would rate him as the Leafs 3rd best prospect, behind only Kadri and Tlusty. He seems destined to be a key part of our top 6, and personally I see him being a good fit on a line with Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin. He is already good friends with both players, and his explosive offensive would round out a deadly scoring line. He has the talent to make the Leafs this year, but if Tlusty or Kadri earn roster spots there may not be enough space for him. Therefore, its more likely he plays a year or two in the AHL before he is a mainstay in the Leafs lineup. My prediction: Stefanovich is a longshot to make the team right away, although a player with his talent cant be ruled out. I predict he plays this season with the Toronto Marlies and scores around 60 points.