Moon was awesome. Rent it. Watch it. Then tell me what you thought of it the next time we meet. I'm not spoiling a thing about it - but I was WAY off and was totally surprised with it. In a very, very good way.

Moon

Moon, starring Sam Rockwell. It's on tonight, I'm watching it. I've been hoping to watch this for a long while - saw it in Blockbuster last March, I think, and never got a chance to rent it. I'm really looking forward to it. I've discovered that I'm a solid Sam Rockwell fan, and enjoy whatever roll he plays, granted I haven't seen all his stuff*.

I genuinely don't know what it's about - something like, astronaut goes to the Moon (or to its orbit at least) and returns with questions about his identity. That's pretty vague, and I can't be any more clear until I check this one out. I've been pumped about it for a while.



While at the store, I was also looking to rent Annie Hall, The Four Rooms (ask me about this one before you see it - you absolutely must pay attention to a cinematic technique that Tarentino uses during the last vignette) and Gangster Number One. I haven't seen Annie Hall yet, but I'd sure like to. It's supposed to be a classic.

Since then, we did manage to find The Four Rooms in a little rental place in Peterborough called Have You Seen ... which specializes in art, foreign and hard to find movies. Definitely worth a walk-through.

I'll let you know how Moon goes.

*Sam Rockwell was great, according to me, in:

• Choke (2008)
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
• The Green Mile (1999)

And his filmography will also tell you that, if you were to watch the ol' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 1990, you'd see that he was the "Head Thug" of The Foot, which is a neat little bit of trivia.

A.C. Slater's geeky cousin

If only Mario Lopez's geeky cousin A.C. Scripter were here to hang with us.

I've been plugging away at my script this morning, while accommodating the gentlemen who are installing our Air Conditioner! So, not am I totally cool for writing a script but I'll also be cool for all the cold air that the new unit will be blasting through our conduits.

The script - well, the last scene I 'wrote' was almost literally transcribed from the Book of John, which is cool. It was really awesome to finally get to the point where actual historical documents can be imbibed with the fiction I've been drafting for all this time. It went well, fit the story well, and should carry the story forward in a positive way. I'm happy about that.

What else? Not a lot of news going on lately, though I've been rereading the first round of blog posts from the past. My first post was in June, 2008. It's been three years since that first post - and going through those brings back some memories. Plus, many of my thoughts and beliefs about the Leafs and other NHL teams can be reviewed knowing full well how the Leafs and the rest of the league would fair. Very interesting.

Three years ago I predicted that the Leafs would finish second-last in their conference:

As long as we all know that this is the beginning of something new. I'm not sure how long rebuilding takes, but expansion teams wind up with a better shot at winning games - like, this Leafs team will be as bad as Nashville was when they first came out in 1998. So I'm going to call it right now - Leafs record next season will be 28-47-7. Second last in their conference, perhaps second last overall in the league.

- Me, July 15, 2008

Which turned out to be sorta true, just a season later than I predicted - granted they were actually last in their conference with a record of 30-38-14. So they were a few wins better than Nashville back when they were just an expansion team (yet, perhaps Nashville fairs better if they had the shootout back when they were an expansion team?).

Disgusting. Can the Leafs possibly be this bad again next year? Odds are, no. But ... we have said that they'll be an improved team every single year since the lockout. Every year we think they'll be better. Well, now there is literally only one place that's worst, and 28 places that are better than where they finished this time. The probability is greater than .93 that they'll improve. Right?

Hotmail fails

I'm pretty sure I don't like the new layout for Hotmail. It looks like an email when there's a corrupt file in it, and you have to click somewhere to "open it." It looks like a crappy database where they designate 2/3 of the screen to tell you at what time the email came in, and then cram the remaining information, like the subject line and the sender in the final 1/3 of the screen.

It's awful looking. Although, it's neat being able to see who's logged in on MSN messenger from your email account - it's like they've copied the Facebook template, but they don't have half of the features as Facebook.

I don't like it.

Brett Hull vs. Tie Domi

I've had a lot of difficulty figuring out where this fits in chronologically. It was some time after Team Canada was putting together their national team when Brett Hull concluded he would play for the U.S. (and pretty much quit being Canadian) from that point on. It was a gripe with Canadians, 'cause Hull was in the throes of his Hall of Fame career, doing just fine at the NHL level. They were astonished that he wouldn't accept an invitation to the team, especially because Canada is always a favourite to win.

I think Canada struggled that year, but I don't really recall. Hull was in the papers quite a bit around that time, and I was able to get a picture of him from the Toronto Star (the Internet didn't have pictures of hockey players, you still needed hockey cards for player info back then). This had to be some time in the mid-90s, though I can't be sure if it were after the '91, '96 or '98 series. I just don't remember.

Anyhow, I found a few good picks of Tie Domi and a few good pics of the Golden Brett and though, what the hey? It'd be cool if Domi beat the bejezus out of 'im. And that led to this comic. It's set at a pancake dinner hosted by the Lion's Club in the basement of the Nobleton Town Hall down beside the arena. As far as I know, the Lion's Club still hosts these dinners in the same location to this date.

Click to enlarge:

King of the Road catch-up

I've had a whole whack of these still and I figure it's time to just get'em out there. Please enjoy the post. These are the comics I had left over.

Caption: Australian convict

Caption: Deer road

Caption: Was a Sunday driver

Caption: Road on a desert island

Caption: Where's the dog?

Caption: Early Accidents

Caption: Road to Hell

Workopolis shows how you can have a long weekend, too

When I first saw the heading for this article, I thought: aha, this will be fun to post. After reading it, I realize it's pretty brutal. Not funny, not interesting and not helpful. I guess these are actual excuses, though. Where are the cool ones that people probably pull out on their bosses all the time?

My grandmother died (again): The least believable excuses for missing work

The least believable excuses for missing work

On the lighter side of life, Ceridian LifeWorks, a top provider of Employee Assistance Programs, asked HR managers to share the most unbelievable reasons their employees have given for missing work. They included:

• I was trapped in my house by a skunk.
• I have head lice.
• The barometer was too high.
• The neighbor’s dog died in front of my garage, and I couldn’t get the door open.
• I couldn’t open my garage door because the power went off.
• My car tires were repossessed, and my car was up on blocks.
• I left my car keys at work last night.
• I didn’t have a key to lock my house because my mom took it.
• My washing machine was broken, so I had no clean clothes.
• I dropped my kid’s bike on my foot.
• I got so sunburned on the weekend that I couldn’t get dressed. (I'd believe this one - but you'd have to obviously look sunburnt the next day at work)
• My apartment was so cold that my hair froze after I washed it.

Colleen Clarke
Career Specialist & Corporate Trainer

Long weekend: Step One

Sleep in: (check)
Discover recipe for bacon: (check)
Eat a bagel and cream cheese: (check)
Tell everyone about it: (check)


Nice.

The script for my graphic novel has been coming along nicely, which you can follow along with here. I'm past the half-way mark in the writing, which is good. I'm excited to get the last of the second act, and the third act finished. It should be really cool.

Along those lines, I've been looking into graphic novels as a medium, and you find all kinds of interesting stuff on them. For example, did you know that you can get a graphic novel about the Anne Frank story? Now you know.

Hope you have a great weekend.

I get a long weekend soon

Today will officially be the beginning of a long weekend for me, which is great after having been off work for a few months and only had 4 work days this week. But seriously, it's good. We're heading back down to Windsor for a wedding this weekend, and I've got Monday off, too (and it had better be sunny!)

My work shifts so far this week have been 'wait and see' in terms of what time I get off. So, while I was free by 4:30 on Monday and Tuesday, yesterday they had me on until 6 (which was fine, but a little unexpected). And I know that Thursdays and Fridays the restaurant is open later (closes at 8 I think).

So I don't know really what time I get off, but the best part is that I work right down in the main strip in town (hard to call it a 'down-town' what with it being so small) and I can ride my bike by the book shop, the candy store, the grocery store, the riverfront, and a variety of other places on my way back home. It's pleasant, full of opportunities, and really nice (when it's sunny and not snowy - we'll have to wait and see how that all pans out).

Here's hoping that Windsor is fun this weekend (it should be).

Day 3 of my first week

Well, two days in to the job, and so far so good. However, I have a shift in the kitchen with the owner today. I would expect she'll be just fine to work with, but of course, everyone teases that she'll be tough. Should be fun.

Hopefully I'll get the lawn cut this evening after work, too. It's gettin' a bit long.

Here is some dinosaur news!

Newly discovered dinosaur is Mojoceratops - and the name, apparently, is a reference to the 'heart-shaped' frill around its neck. So, the heart inspires the name "mojo." Again, they should ask me to name these things. Jim Morrison would be upset with this sort of thing. I thought science played a factor in these decisions, but shows what I know. And this name from a discoverer from Yale. Ugh.

Dinosaurs will be at ComiCon
For the first time ever, Discovery Channel will launch a new television series at San Diego Comic-Con. The REIGN OF THE DINOSAURS panel, scheduled for Friday, July 23 at 7:30PM in Room 6BCF, will provide a rare and unparalleled behind-the-scenes look at the current artistic development of the 2011 series.




Lead Cast in Spielberg's Terra Nova
IGN
O' Mara will play Jim Shannon, who travels back in time to the land of dinosaurs with a group of settlers to find a way to save the human race.

Who the hell is Dan Telfer, and who the hell does he think he is?
I like that he has decided to spend so much time on dinosaurs in his routine - but he seems to be a bit jaded about it anymore. Fool. Perhaps he's just upset because the general public isn't aware of how awesome some dinosaurs are, compared to their popular relatives.
Enjoy:


A Jurassic Park themed comic book? Sounds like they're going to go for it.

First day on the job

So, you might be asking yourself, to me, what was your first day of work like today?

I would answer you that, it was just fine, thanks. It's not a big kitchen, nor is the menu difficult - but my coworkers today were pleasant and inviting, and the work was just like I remembered it to be. I haven't done kitchen stuff in a few years, but things don't really change. A lot of old memories returned, and old routines and habits started climbing back into my noggin. So I think I'll be able to hack this out for as long as I'm interested in it.

And basically that's what I've been hoping for since we moved here. Frankly, I'm glad to have found a job of this nature in town - there's an open market for people to work in restaurant kitchens, apparently, and I'm definitely more interested in this line of work if it's only a five-minute drive away. No doubt, I wouldn't want to drive for a job like this into Whitby or Oshawa. That just wouldn't be worth it.

So ... so far so good. It's not so bad.

New King of the Road comic

And for the record, I have no idea why I felt it was necessary to run the entire U.S. army over in the comic strip. I probably didn't even know that Canada had an army at the time, first of all, and I think the only reason I did this was because it made for a good reason to have a hundred people all on the street. Plus, I think this had something to do with 'stick-man wars' that I was having fun with back in those days.

If I find a stick-man war, I'll be sure to post it!

Caption: U.S. Army

Me v. Golf

We went golfing yesterday, and we both shot the rounds of our lives. It was awesome. I came in a an 'honest' 89 just one stroke above my golf partner, who stroked out only 90 to finish the 18 holes. Pretty good, if we do say so ourselves.

As for the new job - I've been offered a kitchen position at a place on main street (actually called Queen Street) called The Front Porch. We've eaten there before back when we were scouting out houses to move into back in mid-February. An interesting link between our first impressions of the area and our new lives here.

That job begins tomorrow morning at 9:30. Not sure how long a shift is there, but I would imagine that the dinner rush starts around 5 p.m., and you would probably finish the prep for the dinner shift after the lunch rush, but wouldn't be expected to stay for the dinner rush which would likely last till 7:30 p.m. I just can't imagine that I'll have regular 10 hour shifts.

So I'm excited for this. It's an interesting menu looking for me to contribute in more ways than just a prep cook, which is great. The other job I was offered was a prep-cook and wasn't quite full-time. So it was an easy decision.

Other news: there's an open-mic coffee bar around the corner from our house. Apparently you "register" and they make time for you on Mondays to come in and play a set. If you're the only one there, you can play for like 2 hours straight. I'd be interested in something like that.

Anyhow, I've got to go do something in the garage to a bike.

Good news

I was offered two jobs today. Only time enough to take one, though. So ... what's it going to be? Details to follow, but there's a definitely a front-runner in the 'sweepstakes' here. Looking forward to some company this afternoon, too.

Have a great afternoon. It's lovely here in the Port.

Stanley Cup in Nobleton

Oh yeah! It was a busy time at the arena, and my unofficial crowd estimate for the entire day could be about a thousand people. It was busy, and there were significant lines. If you missed it (which you likely did, seeing as how I didn't recognize anybody there) it was like a beer tent set up beside the arena by the public pools.

Me and the wife with Nick and the Cup

There was a nice bbq against the side of the arena, and you could line up to get yourself a burger or hotdog, along with a soda, chips and condiments. Most people took that in. Then there was a large tent and a stage set up. Also a little spot where Nick was posted having his picture taken with the Cup and everyone in line.

He was much happier and friendlier than I would have been after hours and hours of posing for the camera. He was a real good sport about it - and he should be proud of that. Regrettably, under these circumstances, you don't get to spend much time with Nick or the Cup - but there's a picture to say you were there.

Allot of people came out for the event, and most people drove. There just isn't that much parking around the are for 400 cars - but that was half the fun, I suppose. Congrats to Nick and the Blackhawks for finally bringing a Cup back to Chicago and Nobleton, after all these years.

Cup Time

It's only a few more minutes now before we head over to the newly re-named (and new to me, because it was apparently renamed a few years ago) Dr. William Laceby Nobleton Arena to have a community BBQ featuring Stanley Cup champion Nick Boynton. I recall after Nick was drafted, with another Laceby, Mike Laceby (who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings), we all lined up outside the Nobleton IGA to get autographs. I have Nick's "rookie" card from when he was a member of the Canadian Junior Team autographed, which is cool.

So we're happy to have him back in town to celebrate a crowning achievement in his career. I'll have photos and an amateur crowd estimate later. Should be good times, esp. if the weather stops raining for a few hours. We need the rain, but we also need it to stop for a little bit.

Until later.

Hell yeah it's hot

Thus - I've finally broken down and installed our air conditioner into the bedroom this afternoon. I'm glad it's me who breaks down and not the air conditioner. It's not cool these days, that's for sure. Happy that the big unit is still kicking around - and that it fits in our window.

and if my wife is reading- the parts for the bedroom are in the mail. They should be here this week.

Canoeing Yesterday!

It was a beautiful afternoon, and my wife took me canoeing. We went down to the marina, rented a canoe, and pulled ourselves around the port for a little while. It was gorgeous out and it was great to be out on the water. What a great way to spend some of the weekend.

LINKS:

There's a new DS system coming out that's taking advantage of the 3D technology. To get a sneak peek of the product, see here:

The 3DS and Donkey Kong Returns are premiered on Jimmy Fallon.


If the symbiote that created Venom were to infect Cookie Monster, then this ...


No more Paper-Rocks-Scissors
Tired of deciding anything with paper-rocks-scissors? Here's a much more exciting version with more rules and more options. Robot-zombie-pirate-ninja-monkey.


Delta Airlines commercial from back in the day




Largest Dinosaur Bone Bed Ever Found, Found

Geekosystem
Previous discoveries of these animals provided the first evidence that some dinosaurs lived in herds. Now, based on the new bone bed, paleontologists are ...

King of the Road
This is sort of a fun flash back to our teenage years. In this image my pal's character Star Pig pushes his side-kick/nemesis (if you can be considered both at the same time) Pollution M'on into the street.

Caption: Star Pig

Fascinatingly late picks since 2000 in the NHL draft

While I've been looking through the drafts of the past and the old Maple Leaf picks and things like that, I've found it very interesting to see who falls to where in the draft. Seriously, even first round picks, however promising, don't really go that far - loading up on first round picks doesn't really mean that much.

Ten years ago
But some guys drop way down into the sixth and seventh rounds, but turn out really great. Here are some of the stand-outs that I've found. 7th round, 2000 draft: Henrik Lundquvist by the NYR, 205th overall. He's the highest paid goalie in the NHL right now! Rick DiPietro, Dan Heatley and Marian Gaborik went 1, 2, 3 that year. Biggest bust that year: Lars Jonsson went 7th overall. Never heard of him.

Nine years ago
Marek Svatos went 227th, last in the seventh round in the 2001 draft. Ilya Kovalchuk, Jason Spezza and Alexander Svitov went 1, 2 and 3. Biggest bust of that draft - who the hell is Svitov?

Eight years ago
From the 2002 draft, there's the notable Adam Burish, who was out-spoken after winning the Stanley Cup, saying he hated Chris Pronger, and if he saw him in the parking lot, he'd punch him in the face. Pronger responded - "Next time I see him? See him where? In the minors?" Yes, hilarious. Burish was drafted in the 9th round, 282nd overall - he was almost NOT drafted, basically. So - Pronger had a point, yet Burish has a Stanley Cup ring. Cup winner Maxime Talbot was picked in the 8th round, 234th overall. Also notable, Edmonton voided their 4th round pick, 123rd overall by selecting an ineligible player. Weird.

That was a tough year - not really many stars came out of that one. Rick Nash, Kari Lehtonen and Jay Bouwmeester went 1, 2 and 3. Yeah, a shallow draft crop.

Seven years ago
Notables - Brian Elliot was drafted second-last by Ottawa. He's since played playoff games for the Senators in net. Pretty good for the 9th round and 291st overall. Also in that 9th round was Jaroslav Halak! Picked 210th overall Halak is the premiere RFA this season, and STL will be happy to have him. Pretty deep draft year if you've got two playoff caliber goalies coming out of the ninth round! From the 7th round Joe Pavelski was picked by SJ - and this post season he was among the top goal scorers until the Sharks were eliminated.

Maple Leafs notables: Jason Smith was drafted this year by NJ. He's since retired, making it a short career, wouldn't you agree? This year had an outstanding first round, too. All of the picks were remarkable. Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal and Nathan Horton went 1, 2 and 3 while the bust of the draft is: Hugh Jessiman (who the hell is this guy?)

Six years ago
Not a lot happening in this draft. In the late rounds Mikhail Grabovski is selected 5th, 150th overall (remember, he was acquired for a second-round pick), and was technically the first-line centre for the Maple Leafs this season. But that hardly constitutes a surprise late in the draft. Cup winner Kris Versteeg was selected in the 5th round, 134th overall, which is a pretty good pick! Johan Franzen (probably the most expensive and high-scoring player from this draft not selected in the first round) was selected in the late 3rd round, 97th overall.

Put it this way, the Leafs passed on Franzen and selected Justin Pogge with their only pick of the draft - no kidding! The Leafers didn't have a first or second round pick in this draft, either! The draft opened with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Cam Barker, 1, 2 and 3. Yeah, other than the first two picks, this draft was a dud.

Five years ago
This year they stopped having nine rounds in the draft, stopping at seven. So there are a lot fewer chances for late picks. This also means that there are about 78% of the picks from the usual draft, which means you have to technically be more selective with what choices you get, considering you get fewer picks.

Biggest head-case from the draft is Sergei Kostitsyn (whom Montreal is happy to be rid of, I'm sure) especially considering that he's a seventh round pick, 200th overall. He had a big head (and Montreal had big expectations of him, too) considering he wasn't necessarily a high-ranked prospect. He's probably the big surprise to come late of the draft. Sid Crosby, Bobby Ryan and Jack Johnson went 1, 2 and 3. The NHL is still waiting for most of this draft to come of age.

Four years ago
As we get more and more recent with the drafts, it's obvious that there hasn't been enough time to see which picks play out to be better than others. So - we may not find diamonds in the rough yet, 'cause they haven't been squeezed out of the coal ... yet. None of the late picks have turned into NHL regulars yet. Erik Johnson, Jordan Staal and Jonathan Toewes went 1, 2 and 3. Two of those guys have Stanley Cups already.

Three years ago
In the middle of the seventh round Carl Gunnarsson was selected 194th overall, and he's been relatively popular in Toronto for having a good shot and a big body-check. That's a pretty good pick late in the draft. (Hilariously - the NYI drafted Blake Kessel - which sounds like a terrible Maple Leaf player that's expected to score more goals than possible. Doesn't it? I hope the Leafs never, ever wind up acquiring a player named Blake Kessel!)

This wasn't as deep a draft as the years before, which can be evidenced by the top three selections. While Patrick Kane has won a Stanley Cup and was a major contributor during the playoffs, James Van Riemsdyk and Kyle Turris went 1, 2 and 3.

Two years ago
While I hate this guy - and think that he's a problem waiting to happen, he still seems to be selected to the Canadian Junior National teams all the time. Steffan Della Rovere is a PIM magnet/ loose cannon/ problem on skates. How he's achieved as much as he has in his short career baffles me - perhaps I'm just jealous. But I seriously don't like his game or his contributions. That being said - he's a remarkably well regarded prospect who was selected 204th overall in the seventh round by Washington. 207 out of 211 is almost at the very bottom (probably where he belongs) but if his career is anything like his junior accomplishments - he could be a real steal down the road.

Andrei Laktionov was a star Spitfire who was selected early in the fifth round, 123rd overall by LA. He got called up to the bigs one night, was destroyed against the boards, and left in hospital somewhere in the mid-west while the Kings continued on their road trip. He appears to be a bit small for the majors, but in junior, he was simply amazing.

The top three this year were Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty and Zach Bogosian. Two of them have already made incredible impacts on the league so far. Bogosian is surely soon to follow.

Last year
John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene were taken 1, 2 and 3. It's way too early to find a long-shot in this draft.

This year
who knows. Let's hope that each of the Leafs picks are outstanding. Let's just hope.

King of the Road Caption: Wait a sec, where's Frank?

Maple Leafs new draft picks

The Maple Leafs have a score of new faces in the franchise, so it's a good time as ever to see what the team has put in the cupboard. No Nazim Kadris this year, unfortunately - but we can hope that they'll do something for the team in the future.

The part I dislike the most of these ratings and reviews is that the players are compared to Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux. For example, if you're drafted 116th overall, and then people say "Possible comparables [sic]: Nik Lidstrom, Borje Salming, Bobby Orr, Drew Doughty" you have to wonder why he was drafted first overall.

Toronto Maple Leafs select Brad Ross 43rd Overall

Prospect Ranking: ???
Rating: ???
Acquired: Traded 2nd round selection from 2009, Jimmy Hayes to Chicago.
Size: 6'1 - 173 lbs - forward
Projected: two more seasons in the WHL

by PPP on Jun 26, 2010 1:43 PM EDT in News

The quick comparables [are] Matt Cooke, Sean Avery, and Steve Ott. He certainly seems to fit in the truculent mold of players that Burke has drafted of late as well as being quick on the ice. Ross put up almost a point a game during his 17 year old season so there is still a lot of offensive potential for him especially if his more highly touted linemates make the jump to the NHL.

NHL.com Profile

NHL Central Scouting’s B.J. MacDonald

"He's responsible at both ends of the rink, very good hustle, and he blends feistiness with good hockey skills. He has the discipline and smarts of not putting his team in penalty problems. He plays bigger than his size and shows good discipline at this early age, so he should be able to continue and have success at the next level. I like his tenacity and positional play I think he is a better all-round hockey player than people give him credit for."

Michael Remmerde - NHL Draft Notes

Summary: The hands coming around really help his status as a prospect and give him some more role possibilities (2nd or 3rd line, rather than just 4th line). But there is a little bit of concern about how such an intense personality will handle himself off the ice. But he's got so many ingredients that should play well in the NHL. Don't quite like this guy as much as my boss does (he's in the 1st round in the Red Line Draft Guide), but I still think he's a solid pick in the 30-40 range.

Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Greg McKegg 62nd Overall

Prospect Ranking: ???
Rating: ???
Size: 6' - 185 lbs - forward
Projected: Top-six scorer, but needs to put on more size

For the record, I've seen McKegg play against the Pete's, and he was just a big goon.

by PPP on Jun 26, 2010 2:12 PM EDT in News

McKegg is being compared to a player like Ryan O'Reilly who was underrated in his draft class but has gone on to be a contributor in his first year on the Colorado Avalanche.

Greg McKegg was identified as one of the ISS's biggest risers prior to the draft. He made big strides in his all-around game this season, his second in the OHL with Erie, and his +/- jumped almost 30 on a team that was close to even.

NHL.com

Erie Otters head coach Robbie Ftorek - "Greg is a skilled goal scorer who dishes the puck well. He knows the game at both ends of the ice."

Matchsticks and Gasoline

After struggling in his first season to the tune of 8-10-18 in 64 games and having his ice time limited to "three or four shifts a game," McKegg credits an increase in confidence and chemistry with his older linemates Zack Torquato (31-62-93, +21) and Mike Cazzola (36-50-86, +22) for his improved play, despite suffering a knee injury in training camp that hampered his skating all season. McKegg works with skating coach Dwayne Blais in the off-season, and hopes to get his skating ability back to where it was during training camp before his injury in time for next season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Sondre Olden 79th Overall

Prospect Ranking: ???
Rating: ???
Size: 6'3 - 175 lbs - forward
Projected: Really lanky and must put on more weight before he can be re-evaluated. He's "at least three years away."

by PPP on Jun 26, 2010 3:09 PM EDT in News

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Sondre Olden of Modo's junior team 79th overall. They traded the Los Angeles Kings a third round pick in 2012 for the privilege. The Leafs moved up two spots ahead of Detroit in order to select Olden on the heavy recommendation of European scout Thommie Bergman who they were unanimous in lauding.

Olden is obviously a project pick. He is from Norway which traditionally is not a producer of NHLers. They have only put four in the NHL....ever. However, Olden is plying his trade for Modo (Great!) in the junior league (darn) now. This is a long-term pick. I would bet that he's more likley to stay in the Modo system for at least a year or two before being brought to Canada rather than trying to get him into the CHL.

Elite Prospects

A lanky and offensively skilled forward with surprisingly quick feet. Olden is a creative player with good hockey sense and strong technical skills. A pretty productive player, that thrives on the pp unit, that will put up points on the board, but also contribute defensively. Has, however, some inconsistency issues and must bulk up.

Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Petter Granberg 116th Overall

Prospect Ranking: ???
Rating: ???
Size: 6'2 - 201 lbs - defenseman
Projected: Probably won't come to North America until after the 2012-13 season.

by Chemmy on Jun 26, 2010 3:06 PM EDT in News

Granberg was listed as the #21 European prospect by CSB before the draft.

A big and strong stay-at-home defenseman. Granberg plays a very solid defensive game and rarely gets caught out of position. He plays a simple and safe game with the puck. Does not shy away from the rough stuff, but could probably play even more physical. Hockey sense is decent, but Granberg will never be a high-scoring defenseman.

	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
08-09	Skelleftea Jr.	SWE Jr.	4
09-10	Skelleftea Jr.	SWE Jr.	40	2	7	9	39

Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Sam Carrick 144th Overall

by Chemmy on Jun 26, 2010 3:32 PM EDT in News

Here's video of Sam Carrick mixing it up with Leafs prospect Jesse Blacker. He likes to drop the gloves and even has his own HockeyFights.com page.

Carrick is a center who put up pedestrian numbers in the OHL so far, but that's what you'll get with the 144th pick:

	GP	G	A	Pts
08-09	61	10	11	21
09-10	66	21	21	42

Possible comparables: Claude Lemieux, Bobby Clarke, Mario Lemieux

Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Daniel Brodin 146th Overall

by PPP on Jun 26, 2010 4:18 PM EDT in News 0 comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Daniel Brodin with the 146th pick. He split the season between the junior and senior teams at Djurgardens. NHL.com identified him as a possible sleeper pick from the club. Another European that will spend a couple of seasons overseas. We'll check back in in 2013.

Brodin plays with plenty of intensity. Has good speed, drives the net, is willing to shoot the puck and plays the body. Has an edge to his game and is a valuable player for any team.

- Elite Prospects

Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Josh Nicholls 182nd Overall

by PPP on Jun 26, 2010 5:16 PM EDT in News

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Josh Nicholls with the 182nd pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He plays for the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League. Do you know who was the last player that the Leafs drafted from the Blades? Wendel Clark Turns out it was two players that never made the NHL. Those are expectations friend. Anyway, looks like a decent pick. He represented Team Pacific at the U17 Worlds and any pick is going to be a stretch here anyway.

King of the Road

Caption: Snowblower Incident

Stanley Cup in Nobleton

This just in. The Stanley Cup will be in Nobleton at the arena with Nick Boynton on July 9 between 2 and 5 p.m. accompanied by a free BBQ.

!!!!!

AND WTF! The Leafs traded for Kris Versteeg? That's f-ing Awesome!