Caps acquire Kronwall off waivers

NO!
ARGH!

The Leafs are systematically taking away every one of my favourite players
I loved Kronwall, he was one of the very few players I’ve been cheering for since well before he hit the NHL to play for the Leafs.

The Marlies lose easily their best D-Man all season, and Toronto loses a guy who could step in and play well as a bottom pairing blueliner for the next half decade.

I wish him luck in Washington, he’s a legitimate NHL talent and can play now. He could have played several years ago as our 6th D-Man. I don’t usually make hard definitive comments on what a player will be, and it’s perhaps arrogance to suggest that of Kronwall a mid 20’s AHL’er… afterall, such players don’t typically have any real value at all. In this instance I’ll be arrogant however, because I have confidence in Kronwall.

May not be anything special but he’s solid, and cheap. We don’t exactly have an abundance of players fitting that description.

And yes, I realize no one except me cares. But I love Kronwall, perhaps as much because he’s the only player I’ve ever felt I saw and recognized his talent before NHL scouts did.  It’s easy to watch prospects and read about them and form an opinion after the scouting agencies start mentioning them a year or so in advance of the draft.
Not so easy to see an unknown European, that goes late in the draft and say you saw him as an NHL talent.
Fun.
Because I fully admit, my hit rate on prospects I like is pretty middling and definitely well below the Leafs actual success.
(I do a sort of mock draft every year, selecting whom I’d pick of those available at the time the Leafs pick. Predictably, I’ve faired extremely poorly relative to the actual Leafs scouts. Which is as it should be of course, their professionals, I’m a fan…. they have all the resources and time to see all the players. I have little of either.)

Regardless, while I recognize few think much of him he’s quality IMO. Some offensive ability, albeit not likely much at the NHL level. He was taking on the tough opposition down in the A and coming out ahead. He was on the ice for a ton more D-Zone draws then O-Zone draws, and the puck was moving the right direction when he came off. Routinely took the shift after a PP when the rested top talents on the other team typically stepped on. In short, he’s been getting results in some very unfavorable ice time for 2yrs now and was adequate in his NHL showings.  Yes, he’s an AHL vet but he can play IMO.