Posts Tagged Ty Rattie

Do the Leafs plan on moving a center? Luongo talks about moving on … Blues search for Dman, won’t break up core

Posted by Mark Easson in NHL Free Agents, NHL News, NHL Rumors on July 7th, 2012

  • Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun: The Maple Leafs plan on experimenting with James van Riemsdyk at center. Does it mean that they plan on moving making a trade or two involving one of their centers. Last season they used 5 centers: Tyler Bozak, David Steckel, Mikhail Grabovski, Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi. Newly signed Jay McClement should be their 3rd line center, with Steckel centering the 4th. Lombardi will see most of the time on the wing. Grabovski will be their 2nd line center. Connolly played some wing last year, and could be playing there this year. Joe Colborne didn’t progress as well as they had hoped last year. Nazem Kadri will likely spend the most time on the wing. Tyler Bozak may be the player who could be part a trade. He would be attractive to some teams as he’ll make $1.5 million season, and a UFA at the end of the year. Shane Doan’s agent said he hasn’t heard from the Maple Leafs. Roberto Luongo in a radio interview:

    “I’m okay with that,” Luongo said. “I had a great six years with Vancouver. Unfortunately, I was not able to bring a Stanley Cup, which is my biggest regret. Florida is definitely one of the spots I would be willing to go to. It’s my home in the off-season and makes sense for family reasons. (But) I have not made any decisions whatsoever. It has to be a place I am comfortable with.”

    Luongo didn’t discuss a trade to the Leafs, but seemed open to the idea of going to Chicago.

  • Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The Blues had some interest in Matt Carle and Jason Garrison. The Blues will now explore the trade market, and are thought to have some interest in Jay Bouwmeester and Keith Yandle. Teams could ask them for a package that could include a top 6 forward, but GM Armstrong said he wouldn’t move anyone from his core.

    “One of the things that this new system has created is you see after a while rob Peter pay Paul,” he said. “If you have a hole, you create another hole to do it. I would rather do it with draft picks if I could. That’s what I tried to do at the entry draft.”

    The Blues have assets like Jaden Schwartz and Ty Rattie, and an extra 2nd round pick this year.

    “I’d like to try that moving forward, try doing it with non-rostered players if possible because I like our group of forwards but I don’t think we have an excessive amount in any one position,” Armstrong said. “If we can do it with spending a little bit of our future, I think we’re in a spot to do that because of the great work by our amateur scouting staff and Larry Pleau and John Davidson of gaining all of these assets right now. I think our cupboard is fairly stocked that we could go a year if necessary without a pick or two.”

    Armstrong didn’t rule out the possibility of going with Barret Jackman, Kris Russel and Ian Cole on the left side.

    “Right now, we’re comfortable with Jackman, Russell (and) Cole,” Armstrong said. “If we can add to that group we will. We don’t believe it’s prudent to go out and do something just to add a player. We want to make sure it’s the right player. We think we have some depth in our organization. But that is one area that if we can improve it, more likely now will be a trade than anything, we’ll look at doing.

    “But if not, I am satisfied we can start with that group that we have back there and then if we do stub our toe or stumble, we’ll have to get very aggressive in the trading market if necessary. But right now, if this is the group we go to training camp with, this is the group we go to training camp with.”

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