Maple Leafs hit the links at annual charity golf tournament

Here’s what we learned from the Toronto Maple Leafs charity golf tournament on Monday:

-          Brian Burke hates ESPN.

-          Nazem Kadri – facing a critical season ahead - is in the best shape of his career thanks to a former Maple Leaf.

-          Joffrey Lupul is thinking about playing in Europe if there is a labour stoppage.

-          And James Reimer is THE man, according to the GM.

First things first: Brian Burke has little time or use for ESPN.

Of course the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager said the same thing about Sports Illustrated when they criticized Captain Dion Phaneuf and called him the most overrated player in the NHL.

“I don’t think ESPN knows a single thing about hockey,” Burke told the media at the team’s annual charity golf tournament. “I think their hockey coverage stinks and I don’t think they know anything about Canada.”

What has Burke so fired up?

ESPN the Magazine ranked the Leafs last – 122^nd out of 122 teams – in terms of the worst organization in pro sports in North America.

Not making the playoffs since 2004 (the only team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2004-05 lockout) didn’t help.

That survey was based on a number of factors from ticket prices to team success to players and coaches.

Leafs fans probably don’t like it but they can take some comfort in the fact that the Phoenix Coyotes – the team with no ownership – finished 6^th overall! Yes the same team that has been rumoured to be on the move for years was voted the 6^th best franchise in North American pro sports.

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Burke also used the golf tournament to say the team he has now is what he will be going with once the season starts (whenever that may be).

“We’ve made a couple of changes we think are important. James van Riemsdyk and Jay McClement are worthy additions to our team and we’ll go from there.”

He also again sang the praises of James Reimer, his number 1 goalkeeper – for better or for worse.

“We believe in James,” Burke said. “We said from the get-go that if we get an opportunity to upgrade we will. But it’s not a frantic search for a goaltender. He’s a guy who started off great last year, got run from the side and struggled with injuries and confidence issues. We see no reason he can’t be the guy we think he can be.”

With rumours the Leafs are interested in Roberto Luongo – although Luongo seems more interested in Florida – Reimer wasn’t bothered by all the talk.

“Luckily where I was living (Morweena, Manitoba) I was kind of sheltered,” Reimer said Monday. “It’s something I can’t really control. I trust Brian and what he thinks he needs to do. He says he has faith in me and that’s fine with me.”

Funny what a difference a year can make. Last year at this time, Reimer was coming off an impressive half season with the Leafs and when he started the year 4-0-1 Leafs fans were talking playoffs.

Then Brian Gionta ran into him in a game October 22^nd, and Reimer was never the same player.

“The beauty of going through adversity and having a crappy season, if you can call it that, was that you learn so much. It’s only a disaster if we don’t learn from it.”

Reimer was 14-14-4 last season with a .900 save percentage and a GAA of 3.10.

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Nazem Kadri can’t wait to get on the ice for training camp. The 7^th overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft has heard plenty of criticism since he joined the team.

They’ve included: He isn’t big enough, doesn’t play both ends of the ice to he is far too selfish.

That’s why the 21 year old Kadri is so excited for the season: It will be a chance to prove his critics wrong.

“This is the best I’ve ever felt, I’m so excited,” Kadri told reporters.

That’s due in large part to former Leaf Gary Roberts, who has taken a number of young players under his wing in a demanding nutrition-fitness regime that has worked wonders for the likes of Steven Stamkos and Jeff Skinner.

Kadri hopes it will work for him as well.

“I feel a lot better than I have,” said Kadri. “My lower-body strength is where I have improved the most. I think I’m faster, especially the first couple of steps. That’s something I’ve improved on.”

And just think, Kadri got involved with Roberts thanks in part to a tweet the former NHL’er sent out in mid-April.

“Think if @MapleLeafs @43_Kadri trained (with) me this summer Burke would let him on the big team?

Kadri saw the tweet and got in contact with Roberts. From working out to watching what he ate Kadri had a busy and what could turn out to be a life-changing summer.

“It was a pretty tough 10 weeks,” Kadri said, as he enters the final year of his 3-year entry level contract.

10 weeks the Leafs hope will pay off for Kadri this season.

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In past years Brian Burke has signed some well-known free agents: Colby Armstrong, Tim Connolly and Mike Komisarek just to name a few.

Let’s just say they haven’t worked out as well as Burke and Leafs fans had hoped.

So this off-season, Burke really signed just one free-agent: Jay McClement, who played last season with the Colorado Avalanche.

He agreed to a 2 year deal worth $1.5 million a season.

He won’t be asked to score 40 goals or be the team’s long sought after #1 centre.

No McClement will be asked to help on the penalty kill, a problem for years in Toronto and be the guy to take key face-offs.

Last year, the 29 year-old ranked third in the league among forwards in short-handed ice time (3:06 per game) and was second on the Avs with 54 blocked shots.

“All of a sudden I’m a veteran, so I’m excited also to step in that role,” McClement said to the National Post recently. “In Toronto, I’m one of the older guys. It’s a great opportunity for me to be a leader, a quiet leader. Being a part of that is being a good pro and doing the right things on and off the ice and kind of setting an example.”

By the way McClement will wear # 11 this year.

Why? Because the low-key McClement said it was available.

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Joffrey Lupul already lost a season to a lockout and doesn’t want to lose another as he enters the final year of his deal with free agency looming.

But if there is a lockout the Leafs forward who picked up 67 points in 66 games before he was injured, is looking at playing in Europe.

“I have made some calls and there are definitely some options to go play there,” said Lupul to reporters at the Leafs charity golf tournament. “I want to play in Toronto. But on the other hand I have missed one year of my career to a lockout already and it would be tough to sit out a second year.”

Lupul is in the final year of a deal that is to pay him $4.25 million this season.

“Sweden won’t be taking any guys unless it was for the whole year, but other leagues are open to it,” said Lupul.  

Meantime, Captain Dion Phaneuf told reporters he hasn’t looked at playing overseas this year just in case.

“My focus is to prepare here, and get ready for the start of training camp. There are no other plans,” said Phaneuf. “I have not even thought of other options,  that’s for sure.”

Stuart Percy hopes he is still in the Leafs future plans

Just like Toronto Maple Leafs fans everywhere, Stuart Percy watched last month's NHL draft eager to see who the Leafs would take.

So when Toronto selected a pair of highly skilled defenceman in Morgan Rielly and Matt Finn in the first two rounds, Percy would have had every reason to have been bothered. After all, Percy was a Leafs 1st round pick last year.

But the 19 year-old insists he has no trouble it.

"I'm not too worried about it," said Percy, who was captain of his Ontario Hockey League team in Mississauga, Ontario last year and is expected to be the leader on the team again this season.

"Teams are going to draft or sign a handful, if not 10 more defenceman, before I get to the system. We got a couple of great young defenceman. It's great to have all that skill on the back end."

“You just kind of expect it,” added the Oakville, Ontario native. “You just have to keep an open mind and enjoy the competition.”

Percy is a smooth skating highly skilled blueliner who struggled with injuries in his third Ontario Hockey League season.

A knee injury and a concussion limited him to just 34 games in which he scored 5 goals and had 20 assists. But he got healthy towards the end of his junior season and was called up to the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies where he played a regular season game and 3 more in the playoffs.

“I was hesitant in putting him in,” said Marlies coach Dallas Eakins. “They had been kind of pushing me to give him a try. He surprised me with his play.”

“Guys like Korbinian Holzer (expected to make the Leafs this season) and Ryan Hamilton (Marlies captain) really showed me what it takes to be a pro. Hopefully I can bring that back to Mississauga.”

“It was a great experience and I really know more now how I need to work both in season and off season.” 

Percy knows the odds of cracking the Leafs lineup this fall will be a difficult one so he is focusing on the OHL and looking at being a key member of Canada’s defence corps at the world junior hockey championship.

Of course he will have his eye on the Leafs – hoping sooner rather than later he gets the call to the NHL club on a permanent basis.

For now it’s getting bigger, stronger and faster for what will likely be his final season in junior.

“The season ended June 10, I took a week off and then went back to the gym. You have to take advantage of every moment in the gym.”

James van Riemsdyk willing to play centre in Toronto

He stood in the middle of the dressing room on a hot July day, and James van Riemsdyk must have wondered what he was getting himself into it.

In came 8 television cameras, countless microphones and note pads as the Toronto media anxiously filed into the room, to hear from the Toronto Maple Leafs forward, who just moments earlier stepped off the ice of a hockey school run by the team.

“It’s a little different,” said van Riemsdyk as he looked around the large media gathering. “Obviously is it still July but you sense the excitement over hockey here.”

That you do.

In his first face to face meeting with the Toronto media, van Riemsdyk seemed calm, poised and ready to handle the pressure of playing in the so-called “capital of the hockey universe.”

He also seemed quite open to playing center, a position Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said he would like to see the 23 year-old play in training camp.

“It is something that would be a good opportunity for me,” said van Riemsdyk, who will wear # 21 with the Leafs this season. “I’ve played a little bit in the past. It can help me be a bit more versatile as a player and I think that is always a good thing. I’m definitely excited by the opportunity.”

Van Riemsdyk played center in college, but with the Philadelphia Flyers loaded up the middle, he never played the position during his time in Philadelphia. So to feel better about the position, van Riemsdyk has been spending his down time watching video.

 “I kind of asked for some stuff that he (Carlyle) would like to see out of a centermen so it’s a little bit easier of a transition when I get here for camp,” said van Riemsdyk who had 47 goals and 52 assists for 99 points in three seasons with the Flyers. “It’s a good challenge. The added responsibility of playing 200 feet of the ice is something I’m definitely excited about. “

He’s also excited at the thought of playing with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul and being on the Leafs top line.

“You want to be in those key moments on the ice when the game is on the line,” said van Riemsdyk. “Those are the moments I love being a part of and being out there for. I can be out there in those kind of opportunities it would be great.”

In his three seasons in Philly, van Riemsdyk took 10 face offs. He won just 2 of them.

Injuries have been something van Riemsdyk has had to endure during his NHL career, as he looks to put that past him this year.

As far as an ailing hip – a hip that the Flyers allegedly wanted van Riemsdyk to have surgery on – it’s feeling better.

“It’s all good,” said van Riemsdyk. “That’s what the summer time is for to get everything straightened out. We found a way to strengthen it (exercise program) and keep things feeling good and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

Leafs acquire van Riemsdyk

James van Riemsdyk grew up a fan of baseball's most popular team. So joining one of the NHL's most beloved franchises suits him just fine.

"It's like playing for the New York Yankees of the NHL," said the newest member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Hours after the 2012 NHL draft came to a conclusion, Brian Burke made his boldest move of the off season - trading Luke Schenn to Philadelphia for James van Riemsdyk.

It was a deal that was first discussed during the season and was brought up again Friday when Flyers GM Paul Holmgren and Burke got together in Pittsburgh.

"There's a lot of great players in Toronto and I'm just hoping to be a piece of the puzzle to help get things going in the right direction," said van Riemsdyk in a conference call Saturday night.

At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds van Riemsdyk will be one of the bigger forwards on the Leafs.

"He brings size, foot speed and skill," said Brian Burke. "This is a guy we think can make a difference in our hockey team.

"This is not a big banger. He uses his size to create offensive opportunities. This is not a guy who will put people through the glass. This is a skill player with size. This is not a black and blue player. This is not a plowhorse, this is a thoroughbred."

He also brings with him a long injury history- a concussion and broken left foot limited him last season to 43 games (11 G, 13 A). The second overall pick in 2007 has 47 goals and 52 assists for 99 points in 196 regular-season games.

He was also the name most often mentioned when talk turned to the Flyers making a trade.

"Early in the year you hear these rumours. I'm lucky enough to have a good support system around," said van Riemsdyk. "I think I learned a lot going through those different injury issues. I think it's made me a better person and player. I've learned to deal with adversity and it will only help me in the long run."
van Riemsdyk can play on the wing or centre, although Burke made it clear he sees him on the wing.

"I ensivion him mostly on the wall," Burke told a Saturday night conference call. "From my perspective we are not big enough.. He's a big body with skill and those players are hard to find."

It's easy to see why van Riemsdyk said he was "excited" about joining Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs fail to make immediate improvements

Brian Burke has an answer as to why the Toronto Maple Leafs weren't able to acquire Jordan Staal.
"We didn't have a brother named Staal and that was part of the problem," the Toronto Maple Leafs GM explained - somehow doing so with a straight face.

It was a quiet draft weekend for the Leafs, other than dealing goalie Jonas Gustavsson to Winnipeg for a conditional 7th round pick next year.

So while teams like the Hurricanes got better, and the Penguins appear to have cleared cap space to make a push for Ryan Suter and/or Zach Parise in free agency the Maple Leafs stood pat. None of the players they drafted are expected to be in Toronto's lineup next season. But Burke had this to say to an anxious and concerned Leafs nation.

"First off, what's the date today, the 23rd of June?" Burke asked. "We're not starting for a while so I'd say it's a work in progress and we need to do some things. This (draft) is a starting point for the summer; not an ending point."

Burke feels he has improved the team's depth this weekend- especially on the blueline.

Picking up Guelph Storm defenceman Matt Finn continues a trend started Friday when he drafted Morgan Rielly from Moose Jaw.

Finn was 6th in scoring among Ontario Hockey League defencemen (10 G, 38 A) and is a Toronto kid who grew up a fan of the Leafs.

Among the more interesting picks; feisty winger Ryan Rupert of the London Knights. His twin brother Matt wasn't drafted but has been invited to Leafs rookie camp where he will be given a chance to make an impression. The Rupert twins are - in the words of Burke - "junkyard dogs."

"They don't let their size (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) hold them back from anywhere they have played," said Burke. "They only have one gear and it's high. They only have one attitude and it's surly. I like players like that."

Burke has been looking to improve his team through trades. He insists the asking prices are too high. According to Burke, every team asks for Jake Gardiner and Burke says "he's not going anywhere."

He did make it clear he would like to improve his goaltending, but again the price has to be right.

"If you can get a goaltender who makes you better and it costs you 15 first round picks, would you do it? No. So somewhere between 15 first round picks and something that makes sense. We're not there yet. I'm not going to overpay to upgrade at that position. Rather than strip the organization to fill one positional need, we'll go with what we have."

That means James Reimer, returning from a neck injury that he struggled with for much of the season, and Ben Scrivens who spent most of the year in the American Hockey League, could start the season as the Leafs netminders.

"We are encouraged by the medical reports for James Reimer," said Burke after the draft was over. "He has a clean bill of help and he's working out like a madman. He has made it very clear to us that he has no intention of giving up the net and that has changed our thinking a little bit."

Burke also wants to get bigger up front. By adding prospects to what appears to be a deep group of defenceman in the organization, Burke does have assets he can use to address that area.

"We're prepared to trade to do it," Burke said. "I think for the first time since I have been here we have assets that people want. We have young assets and we're in a position to upgrade if we decide to do it."

Buckle up Leafs nation for what could be an interesting few weeks ahead.

Leafs draft Morgan Rielly

Since Brian Burke was named the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has constantly said he likes to build his team from the blueline.

So it should come as no surprise that Burke used the 5^th overall pick in the NHL draft on Friday to select Morgan Rielly, an offensive minded defenceman from Moose Jaw of the WHL.

“Our scouts are ecstatic,” said Burke moments after the pick. “We had this player rated first overall. I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.”

Rielly suffered a torn ACL  early this season, and didn’t play for much of the campaign. But the 6 foot, 190 pound native of West Vancouver, BC returned to action late in the season where he scored 3 goals and had 15 assists in 18 regular season games.

“I think the injury set him back on some team’s lists,” said Burke. “We’ve checked out the injury and we are not concerned about it.”

“High compete level, good skater, hard worker, I’ll do anything to help the team,” Rielly said when he was asked to list his qualities as a hockey player.

What this pick does more than anything is give the Leafs plenty of depth in the organization on the blueline.  

Burke now has plenty of assets now with Jake Gardiner (17^th overall pick in 2008 coming off a 7 G, 23 A season with Toronto),  Stuart Percy (Toronto’s 1^st round pick, 25^th overall in 2011), Jesse Blacker (58^th overall pick in 2009) and Korbinian Holzer (111^th overall pick in 2006) who at 24 years of age is primed to be a regular in the NHL next season.

Oh, and we didn’t mention 22 year old Luke Schenn who is entering his 5^th NHL season this fall.

Burke has some depth to possibly make a move – maybe for Roberto Luongo.

Or Rick Nash.

Maybe Tim Thomas.

But that is for another day.  This night belonged to Morgan Rielly, a player one scout told me is “dynamic” and is a tremendous playmaker.

“This is a guy you don’t have to tell to work hard,” said Burke. “He is probably going to be fast tracked but we’re not expecting him to pay this year (in Toronto).”

“He is mature in terms of his decision making.”

The coolest thing about the Leafs picking Rielly was his father’s reaction.  When Morgan’s name was called, Andy Rielly couldn’t hide his delight. You would have thought he won the lottery.

 “He’s a big Leafs fan. I’m not surprised,” Morgan Rielly said.

Joel Ward - An up and down playoff

Joel Ward will be fine.

He handled the racist tweets that were fired in his direction after eliminating Boston in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

And he will bounce back after taking a careless penalty that cost his team from going up 3-2 in the series against the New York Rangers.

Full disclosure here: I've known Joel since 1997. He was the 260th overall pick of the Ontario Hockey League draft that season.

I was doing some work for the Owen Sound Platers at the time, and when the Platers announced they had picked Joel I figured there was NOOOOO way he would still be at a nearly empty Maple Leafs Gardens.

But moments after his name was called, here came this rather thin young man. He introduced himself and I couldn't believe he was still at the draft.

I gave him his shirt and cap and figured I would never see him again.

Wrong.

Ward has overcome several hurdles in his life: His father passing away when Joel was 11 years old forcing his mother working several jobs so Joel could stay in hockey.

So making the OHL as the longest of long shots was no surprise. The fact that played 4 years in the league and was a productive player was again no surprise.

It also came as no shock when Joel wasn't drafted into the NHL. No big deal. Joel went to UPEI and carved out a successful 4 year career in CIS hockey.

A few years in the minors didn't deter Joel from his NHL dream, so you see the latest stuff won't bother Joel who really made his mark in the playoffs last season with Nashville.

So again it did not surprise me at all that after the heart breaking loss to the Rangers, Ward was in the dressing room waiting to talk to the media. No ducking or hiding with Joel Ward.

“It’s definitely a letdown,” Ward told reporters. “I definitely let the squad down and cost us a game with a terrible play. And it happened pretty quick.”

The 31-year-old from Toronto was sent to the penalty box after his stick caught Rangers forward Carl Hagelin in the face after a defensive zone draw. It drew blood, and the extra penalty.

Brad Richards tied the game with 6.6 seconds left and with Ward still in the box, Marc Staal scored the game winner in OT.

It comes as no surprise that the Capitals defended Ward after the game.

Capitals forward Matt Hendricks told reporters: “It was a tough play. He’s doing everything he can to box that guy out like he’s supposed to, doing his job. Unfortunately, those things happen, with high sticks and a penalty. Joel’s done an outstanding job. There’s nothing you can do there.”

“It’s a tough break for Joel," said Mike Knuble. "We all feel terrible for him. It was a shot. It was the moment they needed, and they took advantage of it.”

Capitals defenceman Karl Alzner added “That’s the way with any sport. One time, you do something great, and the next time, you don’t. It’s happened to me a number of times, where I’ve tipped pucks into my own net or done something stupid. I mean, I know a game where I’ve had a goal and an assist in the first period, and two goals against my own net in one period. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

I would expect Joel and his Capital teammates to respond with a strong effort in game 6. After all, Ward has surprised before. Don't bet against him doing so again.