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Burke busy trying to retool Leafs' fate

Hockey Betting Lines

07/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After coming off one of their more distressing seasons in recent memory, the Toronto Maple Leafs headed into the summer with more holes to patch than a gulf oil pipeline.

But it didn't take long for Leafs general manager Brian Burke to start phase two of his self-described retooling plan.

On the eve of the July 1 free agency extravaganza, Burke pulled out another trademark multi-player deal that saw the Leafs acquire Chicago Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg and minor leaguer Bill Sweatt in exchange for prospects Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis.

While Versteeg doesn't exactly fit Burkes vision of truculence, belligerence or any other colorful adjective he spews out, he does bring some much-needed skill to a lineup that finished 25th in the NHL in scoring.

Versteeg, a 2009 Calder Trophy nominee, followed up a 53-point rookie campaign with a solid 20-goal, 44-point sophomore season while playing a depth role on a stacked Blackhawks' squad.

And perhaps of greater significance, Versteeg represents yet another young, proven player who will pay immediate dividends as opposed to optimistically waiting for a prospect to mature into a top-six scoring threat.

The following day, Burke stuck to his guns in saying that July 1 will be his draft ... after sitting on the sidelines for the opening round of the actual draft two weeks ago ... and went and acquired versatile winger Colby Armstrong.

Armstrong comes equipped with relentless grittiness, good character and leadership skills painted over the ability to light the lamp on the odd occasion. He scored 15 goals for the Atlanta Thrashers last season.

As per usual for the inflationary nature of free agency, it can be argued the Leafs overpaid for a perennial third-line grinder, having footed a three-year $9 million bill to obtain his services.

Regardless of Armstrongs perceived value, he is the exact type of player Burke clamors for, and like Versteeg, he will aid in the fast tracking of a time-sensitive rebuild.

What is the next step for the brash boss of the blue and white? Cue Tomas Kaberle, the sole leftover from an era of broken hearts and early summer vacations.

The 32-year old Czech blueliner is heading into the final year of his contract that will pay him $4.25 million, a relative bargain considering his production in comparison to other top-tier defenseman.

With prize free agent defenders such as Dan Hamhuis, Paul Martin, Sergei Gonchar and Anton Volchenkov all off the market, teams looking for a veteran puck-moving blueliner might be tempted to ante up in order to get a deal done.

Patience has been the key to Kaberle's situation, and now that the market is depleted of bona fide top-end talent, Kaberles value has perhaps reached its peak.

What the return will be is anybodys guess. But as we have seen with Burke, his ability to turn tired assets into important pieces is uncanny.

Whether you agree or disagree with Burkes blueprint, it is hard to neglect the tectonic shift that has occurred under his watch.

And based on this, one would have to expect that the acquisition of Versteeg and Armstrong is a start, but not the end to the roster shuffle set to unfurl this summer.

With training camp still two months away, there is still plenty of time for more tinkering ... or a lot of tinkering if playoffs are on the menu for 2011.

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Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year

Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.

Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.

With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.

Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.

Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.

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MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

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