Friday, September 29, 2006
Tlusty’s AHL Debut
2006 first round pick, Jiri Tlusty made his Marlies debut last night, scoring won goal in a 6-5 victory. If he stays with the Marlies or is sent to the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, remains to be seen. The Greyhounds would love to have him, but I'm pretty sure Tlusty would rather stay with Marlies. $60 a week to play in the 'O' or a $62,500 yearly salary with the Marlies. It is a rare occurrence to see an 18 year old in the AHL. An argument to having his stay in the AHL, is that Tlusty played in the Elite League in Europe against men, so he's use to playing against larger, strong men.
O’Neill’s Spot On the Leafs Not Guaranteed
According to an article in the Toronto Star, Jeff O'Neill's spot in the Maple Leafs lineup this year is not for certain. Maurice was asked if O'Neill was guaranteed to make the team, he responded "No". His contract is $1.5 million this season and would count against the cap, even if he was demoted. If he isn't going to make the team, they would obviously attempt to trade him, but that would be difficult. Last night, he made his way through the lineup, starting on the first line, and ending up on the second. Heading into last season, I was excited about the acquisition of O'Neill. He topped out at 41 goals one season, and has scored more that 30 several times. Last year he struggled with death of his brother and a shoulder injury, netting only 19 goals, and probably only throwing 1 or 2 body checks. O'Neill has said his shoulder is fine this season, and he's coping with his brother Danny's passing a lot better. This being said, you'd figure he might be able to regain his scoring touch, but that doesn't appear to be the case. I believe the organization was really counting on him this year to rebound to his old self, with the lack of proven goal scores in the organization. Time is running out for him.
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