Season Ending Recap

The NHL season ended on a positive and negative note this year. Congratulations goes out to Zdeno Chara and hit Boston Bruins on snapping a 39 year Stanley Cup drought! As well, congratulations goes out to Tim Thomas on your Conn Smythe Trophy, well deserved!

The other side of the line is the Vancouver Canucks. 1st of all, I want to congratulate the Canucks on a wonderful run. Setting aside all statistical data, you were in game 7 of a Stanley Cup finals, you overcame one of your toughest obstacles that has haunted you the last two years, the Chicago Blackhawks, and you did all this with key players hurt. That being said there are a few questions that they have to ask themselves next year. I'm not going to mention that 4 letter word starting with R, that took place after game 7.

The Maple Leafs finished the season off on a high note. Finishing higher in the standings than last year, on a near magical run from the All-Star break on. James "Optimus Reim" "Busta Reims" "The Reim-inister of Goaltending" Reimer finished with a 20-10-5 record with a 2.60 GAA and a 0.921 Save%. He also got 3 shutouts. His 1st career shutout coming against Carolina on February 3rd 2011.

The Leafs made a few trades later in the year to acquire some draft picks and some decent talent for the farm. Sending Thomas Kaberle to Boston and receiving C- Joe Colbourne, Boston's 1st round pick and a conditional 2nd round pick in 2012. The BOS 1st round pick turns out to be 30th pick, because Boston won that Stanley Cup. The conditional 2nd round pick is based on Boston making it to the Stanley Cup finals, which they did. Nice to have that extra pick in the draft cupboard.

Also the Leafs traded Chris Versteeg to the Philadelphia Flyers exchange for the Flyers' 1st round and 3rdround draft picks in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, which starts next Friday.

That leaves the Leafs with 3 picks int he top 39. #25 (PHI) #30 (BOS) and #39 (TOR).

Leafs are looking for a top 4 puck moving defenceman, a top line center for Kessel and Lupul. and perhaps someone that can replace Clarke MacArthur if he does not resign.

Leafs need to get Luke Schenn under contract, he is an RFA as of July 1st.

Next up for Toronto and the NHL? Awards show Thursday, June 22nd, Draft June 23rd, July 1st is free agent day.