I Believe in Masai, I Believe He Can Touch the Sky

Toronto Raptors GM, Masai Ujiri has made moves this season that most thought to be impossible. Large contracts such as Rudy Gay's two-year, $37.2 Million contract was easily shed by the first year general manager. Gay, moved to Sacramento alongside fellow former Raptors Aaron Gray (C) and Quincy Acy (F), provided Toronto with a huge opportunity to make a splash this upcoming free agency with plenty of high-end players becoming available this off-season. Adding to the freed up cap space, Toronto was able to bring in what Sacramento's GM claims to be the four best "people" from their roster. Greivis Vasquez (G), Chuck Hayes (F/C), Patrick Patterson (F) and John Salmons (G/F) have given these new look Raptors a well needed morale boost.  Coach Dwayne Casey (seen below speaking with Raptors star Demar DeRozan) has his team working well together, and has Toronto currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, first in the Atlantic Division and - for the first time in four years - above .500 with a 16-15 record this late into the season.

                                      

Winners of eight of their last 10, the Toronto Raptors have provided a fan resurgence for the city. Playoffs are most definitely in the realm of possibility with this team, and the test to how deep these youthful Raptors can make it in the post-season can not solely be based on these past few games. Overcoming opponents such as Oklahoma City, Dallas, New York, Chicago and first place Indiana don't prove that we have the best team overall. What it does show Toronto Raptor fans is a team has been built to win.  There is no abundance of superstars on this roster at all. However with a solid game plan in place and the right cast of players to execute Casey's plan, beating the top tier NBA teams is no longer just a dream for Raptors fans. 

The Raptors are currently on a five game winning streak, and will try to extend it to six as they take on the Miami Heat this tonight at 6 p.m.

A King's Ransom?

Earlier this afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings agreed on a trade sending Jonathan Bernier to the Leafs in exchange for Matt Frattin, Ben Scrivens, and a second round pick in either 2014 or '15. Let's break it down.



In Jonathan Bernier, the Leafs get a goaltender with tremendous upside and a very strong hockey pedigree. He's won a QMJHL Championship with the Lewiston MAINEiacs, World Junior Gold Medal for Canada, and Stanley Cup (as a back-up) last year with the Kings. In the juniors, he won the playoff MVP during the MAINEiacs' championship run. In 2009-10, Bernier won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award for outstanding AHL goalie. Oh yeah, he was also the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

While all of that sounds nice on paper, he's also put up some respectable numbers so far during his short time in the NHL. Bernier has only had a goals-against average of more than 2.40 once in his career: his first four games in his rookie season in the NHL, winning one of them.

The main question is how he will respond to potentially being the starting goalie for a full season. In two full seasons in the AHL, Bernier posted GAAs of 2.40 and 2.03 and 53 total wins. How will that translate to the NHL? It will take some time to tell, but he's had success at every level he's played.

For the Leafs, it will give a lot of flexibility in net. They must hope that James Reimer and Bernier will push each other for the starting spot. If Reimer responds well, then the team has two quality, young goalies. If he doesn't, he becomes a trade asset for the team. Either way, it's a win-win situation.

As for the Kings, Bernier wasn't going to get any playing time behind former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick. With Bernier's impending restricted free agent status, it made sense to get a quality and inexpensive back-up goalie. According to CapGeek.com, the Kings will be $2 million under the cap next season, without having restricted free agent Kyle Clifford and unrestricted free agent Rob Scuderi signed.

Photo from cbc.ca

Ben Scrivens will be a nice fit for the Kings to back up Quick. He's making just over $600,000 next season, has NHL experience, and led the Toronto Marlies to the Calder Cup in the 2011-12 AHL campaign. Scrivens has shown some promise for the Leafs, but he couldn't challenge James Reimer for the starting job. However, he'll be a great fit for the Kings in their defensive system.

Photo from ourhometown.ca

Matt Frattin has been a very inconsistent pro. He was very hot for the Leafs at the beginning of the year, but fizzled out by the end. Frattin is still probably recovering from a knee injury suffered in the final game of the AHL Conference Finals, but what is his ceiling? Personally, I see him ending up as a third liner, nothing more.

So, who do I think won the trade? Well, if you couldn't tell by now, it was the Leafs. They added a potential franchise goalie for a back-up and third line forward. It makes sense for LA based on cap situation, but I feel like they could've held out for more. There were multiple teams interested in the services of the former first round selection.

What are your thoughts us in the trade? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter.

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Brett's 2013 NHL Conference Finals Predictions

Well, it's time for a new round of predictions for the NHL playoffs. I was 4/4 in the second round, bringing my total to nine correct out of the 12 series so far.

Now to the interesting part. The previous four Stanley Cup winners will meet each other to determine who reaches the Stanley Cup Final. The 2009 and 2011 champions meet in the East, with the 2010 and 2012 champs meeting in the west. Which two recent champions will meet for another chance to raise the Cup? It's prediction time!

Eastern Conference Final
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) Boston Bruins

Image from Yahoo! Sports

Heading into the playoffs, this was probably the most expected outcome for the Eastern Conference. Both teams made moves mid-season to bolster their team for a long run in the playoffs. After both teams only took five games to dispose of their semi-final foes, they played the waiting game while the dust settled in the Western Conference.

For Pittsburgh, things seemed to click once they put Tomas Vokoun between the pipes. Since he has taken over the starting job, the team has allowed 2 goals per game. Contrast to an offence that is hitting its stride with the Sidney Crosby rounding into form, the Penguins will be a tough out.

As for Boston, they have been a tale of two teams to this point in the playoffs. They looked extremely vulnerable in the first round, almost dropping the series despite leading 3-1. However, the second round resembled the Bruins team most people expected to see all along.

So, let's figure this series out. The emotions will be interesting, with both Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow picking the Penguins over the Bruins. It will also be a return for Jaromir Jagr, playing a playoff series against his former team. Last year, the Penguins showed their frustration in a series against the Flyers and I expect the Bruins to play in a similar fashion. Led by super-pest Brad Marchand, the Bruins have a roster that will get under the skin of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, and the other stars in the line-up. While both teams have a lot of experience, I believe it will be the Penguins who pull out the series in again. The added leadership of Morrow and Iginla will be a calming influence on the team. Plus, they have the ability to put out three lines that score effectively. They were never in danger of that with the Rangers. It will be a long, hard-fought series, but Pittsburgh wins it in the end.
Pittsburgh wins the series in 4-3.
Western Conference Final
(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings

Image from Fox Sports West

Back in January on my Sports Journalism radio show, I said the Kings would have a very strong chance to repeat as champions. They have a young, physical core and an extremely talented goalie. One of my classmates said a team to watch out for would be the Blackhawks, looking to rebound after a first round exit in the 2012 NHL Playoffs. Almost half a year later, it looks like we were both right.

The Blackhawks survived the Detroit Red Wings, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. It was a tight series between two divisional foes, pushing Chicago to the brink multiple times.

The Kings were also tested during the second round, facing an elimination game for the first time during these last two playoffs. They responded with a true Game 7 performance, aided by Jonathan Quick.

The series will come down to whether the Kings can keep up with the high-octane offense of the Blackhawks. Chicago has shown flashes of what they are capable of during the playoffs, but nothing consistent. Los Angeles has been able to dominate teams with their defence, bolstered by the strong play of Quick in net. He will be able to keep Los Angeles in every game of the series, but will he get enough goal support? In the long run, I don't think that will matter. I'm sticking with my pick from January. Los Angeles will be able to frustrate Jonathan Toews and the rest of the Blackhawks during the series. They will have a hard time scoring, and Quick will be able to erase any mistake the Kings make in their own zone. Plus, the Kings haven't lost a game at home during this year's playoff. I see that trend continuing.  Los Angeles will have a chance to defend their title in the Finals, marking the first time a team has reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals since the Red Wings and Penguins both did it in 2008 and 2009.Los Angeles wins the series in 4-2.

So, those are my picks. I'm sticking with the team that I picked back in January. Do you agree or disagree? Sound off in the comment section below.

Be sure to follow the new Sports by Schmucks Twitter for updates on when new articles will be posted. We've also started to live tweet some games and events. You never know which game we'll do. Plus, we added a YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe to get our latest videos and podcasts.