Maple Leafs still looking for immediate help after drafting Rodion Amirov - Sportsnet.ca | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Sports

Maple Leafs still looking for immediate help after drafting Rodion Amirov – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

 on


The pause, Kyle Dubas later confirmed, was not for dramatic effect.

But the delay was pronounced enough that commissioner Gary Bettman began asking the Toronto Maple Leafs if they wanted to take a timeout while deliberating what to do with the 15th pick during Tuesday’s virtual NHL draft.

Inside the makeshift war room at Scotiabank Arena, there was no debate about who to select. Russian forward Rodion Amirov was their guy. But the Leafs first had to weigh the merits of trading back, adding additional assets and likely settling for someone other than Amirov instead.

“There were a number of trade situations that we were considering,” said Dubas. “We were just contemplating all of the different scenarios that were coming in really from the time Winnipeg picked [at No. 10] right through to our pick right at the very end.

“Then in the end just made the pick right at the buzzer.”

The draft is no easy exercise when you’re a team trying to win now.

Amirov is already competing against men in the KHL and could eventually provide a big boost as someone capable of making an impact on a cost-controlled, entry-level contract. But that might be years away even if things go well. The 19-year-old is under contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa until spring 2021 and there doesn’t seem to be any thought he’ll be pushing his way into the NHL immediately afterwards.

In other words: His presence in the organization doesn’t do much for Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner, who announced the selection. At least not in the foreseeable future. That’s partly why Dubas spoke openly about flipping this 15th pick from the moment he acquired it in the Kasperi Kapanen trade with Pittsburgh and ultimately listened to offers right up until he was on the clock with the selection.

“By the time he’s kind of entering into his prime, it’s five years from now and suddenly a lot of the guys who are part of our core will all be nearing 30,” Dubas said of Amirov. “That’s kind of sad to think about, but that’s just the reality of the situation.”

At least he fits the profile of what Toronto should be drafting for right now. Dubas saw Amirov play live in the Canada/Russia Series nearly a year ago and has used the COVID-19 pause to comb over video of his games at various levels of the domestic league.

His speed is “amongst the best in the class,” according to the Leafs GM. Dubas came away from a recent call with the prospect believing he’s better off for having to fight his way through Salavat’s lineup as a teenager.

He’s currently producing as a top-six winger on a team that’s seen a number of players contract coronavirus.

“What we like about him is that, especially in international play and at the under-18 tournaments and various different events, he’s scored at a high level,” said Dubas. “When he’s been with Ufa at the MHL and VHL level he’s scored there. And now at the KHL level this year — not that this year played a huge factor in it — but he’s up at the top of their lineup in their top two lines, on their team, and he’s scoring there as well.”

Ideally, the Leafs project him doing the same thing in the NHL one day.

“I think we certainly envision him, because of his ability on and off the puck, to be able to play up with our top players,” said Dubas. “With his speed, with his play-making ability and his ability to drive possession and the puck in transition, that’s our expectation.”

Let’s consider it an open question as to whether his development timeline will mesh with the one the Leafs are on. As much as they’d love to sustain a long window of contention that requires the pipeline to continually be refilled, most Stanley Cup contenders sacrifice a huge amount of draft pick and prospect capital to get there.

Toronto is still in that chase position. Dubas acknowledged that he’d be willing to move some of the 10 picks he holds in the lower rounds Wednesday in order to provide more immediate help for his team.

“I think that we certainly know what we’re trying to do,” said Dubas. “We’re trying to get as good a read as we can on the market and free agency. If there are opportunities tomorrow to improve the team with some of those picks we won’t hesitate to do so.”

The Leafs clearly have their eye on some free-agent bargains, especially among the pool of restricted free agents who don’t receive qualifying offers before Wednesday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. There are expected to be more of those than usual this off-season.

We should see a much more active trade market in the days ahead, too.

Those are areas where Dubas needs to make his mark to boost a talent-laden roster that’s lost in the first round of playoffs each of the last four years. The draft is exciting when your team has been down and out, but this is a group that’s shown lots of promise without the breakthrough.

That’s why they took so long to call Amirov’s name on Tuesday night. They love the prospect, but have only so much need for prospects right now. They certainly weren’t trying to add any spice to the made-for-TV draft.

“We try to reduce the drama here as much as we can here,” said Dubas. “That’s our goal anyway. We’d like to be more successful at it as we move ahead.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

 on

November 8, 2024

By

 

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

 on

November 8, 2024

By

 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

 on

November 8, 2024

By

 

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version